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There’s an order in the world, and it’s the job of superheroes to maintain that order. Furthermore, it’s the job of super-villains to take that order, put it in a blender, mess it up, and render it unusable. Luckily, Sunggyu never had to deal with any of those. Super-villains that is. His hometown was too small, too out-of-the-way to be a target for the biggest bad guys on the planet. But there were still people who liked to take the order and askew it. And it was Sunggyu’s job to straighten the order back out.
Yes, Kim Sunggyu was a hero, but there was nothing super about him or what he did. He was just a plain, old, run-of-the-mill hero. He could run faster, jump higher, and was stronger than your average man, by a little bit, but it was significant enough for him to do something with. And what he normally did was help the police to catch petty criminals and people who fancied themselves as evil-villains-in-the-making (they were just you’re average nut jobs, or “eccentrics” as Sunggyu would say in interviews).
But it was moments like these, when he was making his second pot of coffee at three in the morning, fruitlessly rubbing the sleep away from his eyes and half-listening to his rigged police scanner in his kitchen, it was moments like these when he regretted becoming a hero.
The hours sucked. He slept whenever he could, but it never felt like enough. And he really liked sleep. The pay sucked. What pay? Hero work was all pro bono. And now Sunggyu looked like a slacker, working at a movie theater and not living up to his “full potential,” as his mother would say. The life of a hero, in general, just plain sucked. It was a lonely life, living to protect the city. It was a 24/7 job. When did he have time for friends? For family? Or even a relationship? But ironically, he had a lot of time to himself, at 3 AM, drinking a hot cup of coffee with a cold heart.
Sunggyu shivered. He hated this feeling. He hated everything. “I hate my life,” he muttered as he walked away. He cast a glance at his window as he made his way back to his bedroom with coffee in one hand and the radio in the other. He stopped in his tracks.
It was that guy again. The guy who lived across the street in those million dollar apartments. It was hard for Sunggyu to believe that there were people that rich in his town, or enough to warrant a whole building of expensive apartments. But it was also unbelievable that someone else was up this early, also with a cup of coffee in his hand. My fellow night owl, Sunggyu thought. And the guy had round eyes like an owl too, and a head that could almost turn around 360 degrees. The guy whipped his head around, and his gaze matched with Sunggyu’s. He was looking for me too, Sunggyu thought as he raised his coffee mug to the other. The rich guy did the same.
The two of them had developed this routine for months now, acknowledging each other’s presence before going to bed with coffee in hand. Sunggyu couldn’t remember how it started, but it made him feel less alone at night. And it gave him strength.
This is why I do it. For people like him to live as they please.
Although Sunggyu’s town was small, he wasn’t the only hero in it. In fact, believe it or not, Sunggyu used to have a sidekick. But they have since “parted ways” (for lack of better terms), which not-so-surprisingly also coincided with when he started to hate his job. But that hate was slowly accumulating into a festering loathing with the newest “hero” who popped up on the block.
The boy called himself “General Gadget.” He was the type of hero that Sunggyu thought only existed in big cities, or the movies. He was self-made. He wasn’t born with supernatural powers like Sunggyu was. Nor did he contract them from a radioactive spider, Gamma rays, or any type of freak accident. He made his powers through gadgets and knick-knacks. Like all of those weird bombs he had lining his belt, ranging from smoke bombs to stink bombs and bombs filled with a laughing gas that made Sunggyu laugh for 4 hours straight.
But it wasn’t the self-made powers that irked Sunggyu. It was the boy’s attitude. He was so cheerful, so gung ho, like all of this hero business was just a game. It wasn’t a game; this was real life. And if General Gadget misstepped, it could mean “game over” for him. Did he even know that?
Also this town wasn’t big enough for two heroes, especially two who are constantly competing against each other.
“Are you kidding me?” Sunggyu yelled, but soon collapsed into a coughing fit. A smoke bomb flew into the bank and detonated just as Sunggyu was about to apprehend the robber. “Gee Gee baby baby, go home!”
A long, tall figure appeared in the dissipating smoke. He casually (because why not take your dear old time when a crime’s being committed) walked forward, revealing himself. He had a scowl on his face and was holding up a finger. “First, it’s General Gadget, you Masker Pooper,” he argued.
“Masked Stranger!” Sunggyu barked at the other.
“Second,” General Gadget continued, undeterred as he put up another finger. “I thought we agreed that every crime committed south of Main Street was in my jurisdiction.”
“Yea, well, armed robbery is an extenuating circumstance and requires someone with a more experienced hand,” Sunggyu retorted. He cracked his neck and then his knuckles. Maybe today he could finally knock General Gadget out (unfortunately, the other already had knocked him out once before. Dumb bombs. General Doofus swore it was an accident, but the satisfied grin on his face said it wasn’t).
“Third, Stranger Danger,” instead of putting a third finger up, General Gadget pointed out the door. “The robber is getting away.” Sunggyu whipped his head to the door, and sure enough, the robber was trying to tiptoe out of the back with the automated rifle slung across his back. Subtle. Almost as subtle as General Gadget’s scoff of derision. “Some experienced hand, old man.”
“Shut up,” Sunggyu spat as he bolted for the door. He was there in a blink of an eye and caught the robber unawares. He punched the criminal in the gut and then slugged him in the jaw for good measure. The robber collapsed onto the ground in a heap. Sunggyu sighed in relief and reached for the handcuffs that he carried with him (the only ‘gadget’ he ever needed). But right as he was about to cuff the robber, the body slipped back. Sunggyu took a step forward, and the body slipped back another step. The hero groaned when his eyes traveled down the robber’s body only to see a lasso tied around his feet.
“My jurisdiction. My bad guy,” General Gadget growled as he pulled the body back towards him.
Sunggyu widened his stance and placed his hands on his hips. “What? So you’re going to make me do all the dirty work while you get all the glory?” he challenged. “Nuh uh, this isn’t how it works! This isn’t fair!”
“What isn’t fair…” General Gadget began as he tied the robber up in yet more rope (where does he hide it all in all of that spandex?). “…is when you don’t think I can handle a menial robber with a fake gun.”
“Fake gun?” Sunggyu repeated in surprise as he walked towards them.
“Yea, could you not see the orange tip with your experienced eyes, Masked Grandpa?” the other retorted, standing up and dragging the criminal to stand up with him.
“Well, I’d probably see a lot better if it weren’t for all of the gosh darn smoke,” Sunggyu complained, waving his hand in the air and trying to bat away the smoke still hanging in the air.
“I keep telling you that goggles are the way to go!” General Gadget pointed to his own while he argued. “Masks are useless.”
“They protect my identity!” Sunggyu shouted but the wailing sirens covered up his voice. The police infiltrated the building within seconds. Most of the cops went to retrieve the hostages who were still laying on the ground. Only the police chief approached the two heroes.
“Oh thank god,” the robber cried in relief. “Arrest me! Take me in! I don’t care! Just take me away from these two! I can’t take their arguing anymore.”
The chief looked between the two heroes and shook his head. “I know,” he agreed with the criminal as he reached for him. “Thanks for your help, gentlemen, I guess.”
“Always the grateful one, Howon,” Sunggyu sneered as the police chief walked away with the robber.
“Well, that’s one more criminal off the streets,” General Gadget said proudly while wiping his hands together. He then turned to the other and pointed at his face. “Stay off my turf.”
“Oh come on, it’s just barely on the south side!” Sunggyu shouted after other who was strutting out the bank. But he didn’t listen. He never did.
Sunggyu hated his job.
After peeling off his hero costume in the bathroom of the bank, and pretending to be one of the hostages (thank goodness that he could always blend into the crowd), Sunggyu walked home, kicking the pavement with every step. He used to get a high after apprehending a criminal, but ever since his sidekick left and General Goofus appeared, he began to feel low and lower with every arrest. Sometimes he wondered if he should just let the Gadget Guy take over as the hero, but at the same time, Sunggyu didn’t want to be edged out like that. He was barely thirty and had more crime-ridding years left in him. Also, he didn’t know what else to do with his life. He only knew this.
As he was walking, a black sports car whizzed past him and parked in front of the million dollar apartments. Someone jumped out of the driver’s seat. It was that guy, Sunggyu’s 3am coffee date, but here he was in broad daylight. Sunggyu stopped and stared at the other, sighing.
What would it be like to live like that? Driving cars, getting home at a regular time everyday, having an actual schedule and not working at the clock of crime. That man was living Sunggyu’s dream, and to top it all off, the guy was rich. And that was more than Sunggyu could even afford to dream.
The man must’ve felt Sunggyu’s gaze because his head snapped and looked right at him.
“Hi,” Sunggyu felt obligated to say something because he was caught red handed.
“Hello,” the other said back, politely (probably was the most polite person to him all day). “I, uh, need to run inside to get something really quick.”
“Oh okay,” Sunggyu blubbered back. He didn’t know why the other was telling him this, probably because he was caught off guard. Also, what do you say to someone whom you see at 3 am on almost a daily basis from your window. They haven’t exactly met yet, but they also weren’t strangers.
The man still lingered by his car, staring back at Sunggyu. “You can go. I have to go to work soon,” Sunggyu told him, and almost immediately regretted it.
“Okay,” the man replied, walking backward into the building. “I’ll see you later. Ah, you know, the coffee.”
“Oh,” was all Sunggyu managed to say with a nod of his head as the other darted inside of the building. But he broke out into a chuckle after the other disappeared. That was the first time he’d ever rescheduled a ‘first meeting’ with someone. And it seemed like the other was just as curious about Sunggyu as Sunggyu was of him. That thought brought a smile to the hero’s lips, and he walked into his apartment with a lighter step, his mind looking forward to the promised coffee date later that night.
Sunggyu swore that the rich guy’s smile was wider that night at 3am. He felt the corners of his mouth lift higher. And his mouth almost split apart from laughing too hard when the other spilled coffee all over his pajama shirt.
A week later, Sunggyu wanted to quit his job, and he almost quit life too. He had spent all afternoon rescuing kittens from a collapsing building. The sleeves of his costume were torn from their tiny claws. Blood was drawn. Sunggyu sighed. His mother will be angry again. She never liked it when he came home injured, and she hated it when he came home with a torn costume. He was going to get reprimanded all because three kittens saw him as their enemy instead of their savior. But their owner seemed to be happy after having her kittens safe and sound again. Sunggyu tried as he might to store that old woman’s warm smile in his heart, and mark this as a win for justice.
But his day wasn’t over yet. Blaring sirens sped past him as he was waving goodbye to the old woman. Sunggyu suddenly felt excited. Maybe there was a way he could redeem this day and end it on a better note. With a smirk, he sped off after the fire truck in hope of a more exciting rescue.
And it was exciting and slightly terrifying. An apartment building was up in flames; most of the residents were able to escape and were huddled under blankets on the other side of the street. But there was one man pacing up and down the crowd of residents, searching. “Ayoungie? Ayoung-ah!” the man yelled, growing more panicked when his shouts weren’t met with a response. The man must’ve seen Sunggyu’s bright red costume out of the corner of his eye because he turned his head towards him. “My daughter isn’t here!” he shouted. “She was behind me. I thought she was.”
Sunggyu ran up to him. “Where is she?”
“Third floor. Her name is Mok Ayoung. She’s 13. THANK YOU!” he raised his voice at the end because Sunggyu was off like a shot. There wasn’t much time left. It was an old building at it was at risk of collapsing soon. Sunggyu couldn’t waste anytime.
“WOAH! That’s hot!”
If the wall weren’t on fire, Sunggyu would’ve hit his head against it over and over and over again. Here, Sunggyu couldn’t waste anytime, but here was the biggest time waster, sticking his hand in and out of the wall of flames. And if General Gadget wasn’t wearing a giant gas mask strapped to his face, Sunggyu knew that he’d have that silly grin plastered across his dumb face. “It works! I’m not burned,” he exclaimed, showing off his gloved hand proudly to the other hero.
“What are you doing here? This is on my side of town! Go home!” Sunggyu growled as he ran past the other and went up the stairs. Unfortunately, he was slowed down by the flames. He had to tread carefully and the other was able to catch up easily in his flame resistant suit.
“First…” Sunggyu rolled his eyes when the other began his rant. “…you invaded my turf last week. Eye for an eye. Second, I have a flame resistant suit, so I’m better suited for this job. Three…”
“LOOK OUT!” Sunggyu yelled as he grabbed the other by the arm and pulled him away from a falling chunk of the ceiling. “Be careful,” he snapped and let go of General Gadget. “I’m here to save Ayoungie and not your ass.”
“O-okay. I got it,” the other hero stammered. He fell behind Sunggyu’s quick steps as they made it onto the third floor. When they’d gotten up there, Sunggyu had inhaled too much smoke already. He was feeling lightheaded and was wishing that he had more than just a simple mask to filter it out of his lungs. Coughing, he forced the fire-door to the third floor open with his shoulder.
“Ayoung-ah! Mok Ayoung! Can you hear me?” Sunggyu called out. He couldn’t see anything but smoke and flames. Am I too late?
Then he felt a tap on his shoulder. “Over there,” General Gadget said and pointed down the hall. Sunggyu squinted and barely made out the dark lump laying on the floor. “She must’ve passed out.” His head flicked from side to side as he surveyed the scene. Sunggyu knew exactly what he was looking for: a way over. Between them and Ayoung, the floor had caved, leaving behind a gaping hole.
Sungyu was already slowly backing up and stretching his legs. He could easily jump over the hole. He just needed to warm-up a bit first (maybe he was getting closer to an age for retirement). But while he was doing this, General Goof-up must’ve thought he was taking too long. He pulled out a grappling hook from his belt and threw it so that it got caught in the rafters of the ceiling. Sunggyu gulped as he watched his happen. His world was moving in slow motion, including himself, because there was little he could do when the ceiling gave out, unable to support the General’s weight as he tried to swing across the other side. Sunggyu just nearly caught the other hero in time as he jumped across the hole. And the two of them were sent skidding across the floor and slammed against the burning wall. The tongues of the flames licked Sunggyu’s back and neck as he hunched over, protecting the other (which was quite a feat in itself because the General was a head taller than the other). Sunggyu bit his lips, trying to fight back the yelps of pain from springing forth (and a few choice words for the other).
And it was while Sunggyu was restraining himself and writhing in pain on the floor, when the General wiggled his way out of the other’s grip and crawled over to the young girl. Her chest was slowly moving up and down. “She’s still breathing,” he announced, sounding relieved. As he said that, the General was taking his gas mask off. He then placed it over Ayoung’s mouth. Sunggyu got up to his feet while he was watching this scene play out. They didn’t have time for such things. The building was collapsing around them, and thanks to General Goose’s mishap with the grappling hook, it was falling apart at a faster rate. The General almost got hit by another ceiling tile as he scooped the girl up into his arms. Sunggyu raced over and deflected the tile before it hit either of them.
“Let’s go,” Sunggyu commanded. His voice was losing it’s strength the longer that they stayed here. That was barely above a whisper. But the General still heard it and nodded along.
They had managed to escape from the building, albeit with not the best of plans. Sunggyu knocked out the wall that went outside, which easily gave in mostly due to the fact that it was weakened by the fire than his strength. And the General, who knew, had mechanical wings that sprouted from his back and he glided down to safety. Meanwhile, Sunggyu was stuck on the third floor and had to wait for the fireman’s ladder to come reach him before he could get down too. And by the time his two feet were on solid ground again, General Goober was already giving an interview for the local news station, and Ayoung had been handed over to the medics. That punk had stolen all of the credit again. And the only clip of Sunggyu that would play on the news was the one of him clinging onto the fireman for dear life when he was getting down. Life wasn’t fair.
Once the reporter said her farewells to the hero and was out of earshot, Sunggyu stomped over and confronted him. “We need to talk,” he growled.
The General rolled his eyes and brushed past the other. “Don’t worry. I gave you credit too,” he grumbled as he walked away.
But unfortunately, you can’t outrun someone with superspeed. Sunggyu easily caught up to him and stepped in front of the other, effectively stopping him. The veteran hero narrowed his eyes on the younger. “You think I care about that?” Sunggyu questioned.
“Considering it’s all you talk about, yes,” the General retorted. He tried to side-step around the other, but Sunggyu stepped in front of him again. This time, he pressed a hand to the other’s chest to stop him and pushed him away.
“Are we just going to gloss over the fact that you almost got the three of us killed today?” Sunggyu spoke lowly. His voice was still raspy from the cough, but he was still going to go through with this lecture, voice or no, and get the point straight through the General’s thick head.
“I was trying,” General Gadget responded with his aggravating honesty. The man then huffed and ruffled his hair in frustration when he knew that he wasn’t going to get out of this. “Look, I screwed up. I know. But we’re alive. Everything’s fine.”
“No. Everything’s not fine,” Sunggyu fought back, almost cutting the other off. His rage was growing hotter like the burn along his back, uncomfortable and painful. And this kid hadn’t a clue about the extent of his actions. He had no idea how much Sunggyu was suffering, because of him. “You were lucky today. You’re lucky that you had me to save you.”
The other hero grumbled out an annoyed “Thanks” and tried to walk away once again. But he stopped after a few steps, not because Sunggyu had caught up to him again, but the veteran’s words stopped him dead in his tracks. “I don’t think you see the problem here, General Goofus,” Sunggyu spat the name out as if it were venom. The General slowly turned to look at the other. Sunggyu continued, “You were trying to save Ayoung, but I ended up saving you. This isn’t the first time that this has happened. And as long as you’re playing at being a hero, it won’t be the last.” He had excused the other earlier, whenever he made ‘mistakes’ like he did today (like when he accidentally knock Sunggyu unconscious). Sunggyu had forgiven because he considered the other a rookie who didn’t know better. But it’s been a solid year since General Gadget burst onto the scene and he was still making rookie mistakes. Sunggyu has had it.
The General frowned deeply. “Playing?” he repeated in a small voice, head hanging low.
“Yes, playing,” Sunggyu raised his voice. “This isn’t a game! This is real life. There are real consequences if you fail. There is no reset button. There are no extra lives. It’s game over. Ddaeng!”
“I know,” the General muttered, his eyes still fixed on the ground.
“No you don’t!” Sunggyu was so worked up. He still had complaints stuck in his chest, suffocating him. He needed to let them all out: “You don’t think all the way through. You just act. You just do. And you just get yourself and everyone around you into a bigger mess with your bombs and gizmo gadgets and tinker toys.”
The other raised his head at that. “Toys?” General Gadget spoke in disbelief. “Toys?!”
“Eung.” Sunggyu gave a short nod and took another step closer to the other. He might’s been shorter than the other, but now it seemed as tall as a mountain, intimidating. He dug his finger into the other’s chest. “Next time, stay off my turf and out of my way,” he threatened, digging his finger at every word. General Gadget didn’t even say a word in response, just raised his hand to where Sunggyu’s finger had been, rubbing his chest. Sunggyu nodded, proud of his lecture. He felt like the other had finally heard him for the first time. So Sunggyu left feeling more satisfied than he had in months.
Sunggyu didn’t make it very far. The pain was too great. He ducked into an alley and called his mother to pick him up. Luckily, he was born with a bit of a rejuvenation ability and nurse for a mother. But like he thought, she lectured him (mildly) for ruining his costume again. As soon as she peeled the clothes from his back, the words stuck to her throat. It was bad, and the burn crawled from his lower back up to his neck. It was also bad that Sunggyu had no choice but to go to work. The movie theater was under-staffed as it was. Tonight, as it was a weekday, it was just going to be him and Sungjong working, and Sungjong couldn’t do it all on his own. And so after his mother had bandaged his back, he put on his uniform for work and was out the door.
Sungjong wasn’t happy to see the other. He knew that something was wrong with Sunggyu. The elder was slower than usual and wincing at every move that he made. His lungs still ached from smoke earlier, and in addition to everything else, he was hacking like an old man. Sungjong was only a high schooler, but he spoke to Sunggyu as if he were the manager, “Go home, hyung. Don’t be a hero.”
Sunggyu laughed at that, which only confused the teen. But he patted Sungojng on the back and urged him not to worry, that he was fine. It wasn’t convincing because he spoke through gritted teeth, but Sungjong let him be.
Later in the night, Sunggyu didn’t regret his decision to come to work. A familiar figure walked into the theater. A smile grew on Sunggyu’s face as the person came into view. It was his coffee date. But immediately Sunggyu’s face fell. His coffee date looked incredibly sad, shuffling his feet against the carpet. His eyes didn’t even meet Sunggyu’s as he paid for his ticket. Sunggyu should’ve said something, like ask how his night was going or to even just say ‘hi.’ He was going to say something if their eyes met, but they never did. And so Sunggyu supposed that their ‘first meeting’ was postponed yet again.
And luckily, their ‘first meeting’ took place only a few hours later.
The movie had finished and the credits were done. It was now Sunggyu’s job to sweep the floor and to kick out the stragglers who stayed behind (he just hoped that there wasn’t a couple making out in the back still. He hated that). After a quick scan of the theater, it appeared to be empty. There was just a bucket of popcorn laying on the floor that someone must’ve dropped. Sunggyu sighed as he gripped the tightly in his hand. Someone wanted to make his night hard on his back.
Once he walked over to the mess, Sunggyu realized that he wasn’t the only person in the theater. He almost leapt in the air when he heard a shaking sob right next to him. There was a person, sitting a few seats away from the bucket with his head between his knees. Sunggyu carefully shuffled up towards the other.
“A-are you okay?” he asked in a stuttering voice.
The man lifted up his head. It was the coffee date, and he was looking Sunggyu in the face for the first time tonight. He knew exactly who Sunggyu was. “Go away,” the man mumbled with a loud sniff. In the dim light of the theater, Sunggyu could see his cheeks shining with tears.
“I didn’t think the movie was sad. He saved the girl at the end, right? She’s alive! It’s nothing to cry about,” Sunggyu tried his best to cheer up the other and gave him a bright smile.
The man, however, still frowned. “I said, go away! Leave me alone!” he raised his voice and gestured for Sunggyu to go away.
But Sunggyu stayed firm. “I can’t,” he argued. “I have to clean up.” He showed his broom and dustpan to the other.
“Oh right,” the man muttered and dropped his gaze. “I’ll get out of your way,” he announced as he got up and picked up the bucket along with him. “Sorry about the mess.” He began to leave.
“Hold on.” Sunggyu grabbed the other by the sleeve of his coat. But as soon as the man turned to look at him with those sad, lost eyes, Sunggyu’s confidence faltered a bit (but he wasn’t going to postpone this ‘first meeting’ any longer). “It’s…it’s not good to keep things inside.” He let got of the other and patted his chest. “You can tell me.”
The man looked Sunggyu up and down. “First…you don’t know me. You won’t understand. So how can you help?” he challenged. Sunggyu shifted from side-to-side nervously. That was true. They weren’t close at all. They didn’t know anything about each other outside of their strange sleeping habits.
“Second…” the other continued. “…you kinda have a point, so why the Hell not. Meet me in the lobby after you’re done.”
Sunggyu smiled, relieved that he hadn’t upset the other, that he could help. But the smile faded when he saw the man leave the theater. “You’re not going to help?” he asked the other, but the door closed behind him before the question came out. Sunggyu pouted as he turned his gaze down to the floor. His back was already aching at just the thought of sweeping up the mess. “He made this mess the least he could do is help.”
Both of them decided that it would be appropriate to actually meet for coffee. The man waited patiently for Sunggyu as he closed the theater before going to a café nearby. And when they sat down, words began to flow from the man’s mouth like a rushing river. Although he had reservations about confiding in Sunggyu at first, once he had made the decision to, he committed himself fully to it, telling Sunggyu his entire life story. Sunggyu’s coffee date was named Lee Sungyeol. His family owned a large toy company that was headquartered in this small town. At that, Sunggyu felt embarrassed, Why hadn’t he made the connection before? There were few people in this town that could afford to live in those apartments, and Sungyeol’s family would be some of them. And he had moved into the apartments because he had an argument with his mother.
Sungyeol was incredibly honest, and Sunggyu found it refreshing. After living a double life for years, Sunggyu became aware of how easy that one could develop one and became wary of others and what they could be hiding. With Sungyeol, Sunggyu could see himself not worrying about it. Sungyeol was so honest.
Sunggyu joked that the number one thing that he fears the most in the world is his mother, so he could relate to Sungyeol not wanting to confront his own mother again. That simple joke must have put Sungyeol at ease because the conversation turned serious.
Sungyeol looked down at his empty mug, his finger tracing around its edge. “Earlier I had been thinking…” he began slowly, referring to the incident in the theater (it took Sunggyu a while into Sungyeol’s confession to realize that). “…when I was younger, I really wanted to become a hero like the guy in the movie. Strong. Fast. A magical hammer that only responded to me. But…I’m normal.” He sighed and moved the cup to the edge of the table, only to move it back in front of him so that he could hold it in between his hands. Although his head was down, Sunggyu could see it growing redder. “I don’t have any superpowers. I don’t have a magical hammer. There is nothing heroic about me. And even if I were to get those things, and somehow…manufacture my way into being a superhero, I could never be a hero. There is a reason why I wasn’t born with any of those things. I don’t have the makings of a hero. I don’t have the heart.” Sungyeol choked back a sob, but a tear still rolled down his cheek and onto the table. “And so tonight…” he hiccupped as he tried to restrain himself. “…tonight my dream died.”
Sunggyu slid a napkin across the table to the other. As he watched Sungyeol dab his cheeks, Sunggyu tilted his head to the side, trying to make sense of the other. “You really want to be a hero that badly?” he asked, slightly confused.
“Eung. Didn’t you? When you were a kid?” Sungyeol tried to tear the focus off of himself and diverted the question back at Sunggyu.
The elder bit his lip as he thought it over. “No. I never did,” he answered as honestly as the other had been all night. He then lowered his gaze to his fingers, nervously drumming against the table. “I think I still don’t,” he spoke lowly, barely moving his lips.
“Really? You’re weird.”
Sunggyu raised his gaze to see Sungyeol now staring straight at him. The man was still crying, tears rolling down his cheeks. And he calls me weird. He’s crying in a café in the middle of the night. Sunggyu chuckled. “You have snot coming out of your nose,” he revealed. Sungyeol quickly wiped it away with the napkin still in his hand. Yes, Sungyeol was weird, but he also seemed trustworthy. Sunggyu found himself blurting out some of his innermost thoughts, thoughts that he tried to push back and not pay heed to: “I think…even some people with superpowers don’t have the heart of a hero.”
“You mean like evil villains?” Sungyeol asked.
“Ah, yea that too, but…” Sunggyu paused as he figured out how to best phrase it without revealing too much. “What if some people with powers don’t want to be the villain or hero? What if they just wanted to be normal?”
“Then that’s a waste,” Sungyeol replied curtly. “Give me the powers.” He then held out his as if he expected Sunggyu to actually hand them over.
“Ah, right,” Sunggyu muttered his breath, his eyes fixed on that open hand. It is a waste. And I would if I could. I’d give it all away.
Then the hand retracted. Sungyeol had placed it back into his lap. His other hand clenched tightly around the napkin. “Sunggyu-ssi, who do you think is the best hero in town? Who do you think has the heart?” he asked.
“The Masked Stranger is the best without a doubt,” Sunggyu answered quickly, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Aigoo,” the other sneered. Sungyeol twisted himself in his seat, turning away from Sunggyu. “You’re one of those.”
“Why what’s wrong with him?” Sunggyu combatted.
Sungyeol scoffed, “You mean aside from his cocky attitude, lame name, and stupid outfit?”
“Yea!”
The man shrugged and shifted in his seat. “I just don’t like him.” Sungyeol’s voice dropped. “He’s too smart and too mean.”
Sunggyu cocked his head once again. Mean? This didn’t seem right. This wasn’t the reputation that he’d built for himself. There must’ve been some misunderstanding. “Well, I think he’s awesome,” Sunggyu retorted, trying to dismiss the other’s comments (although he knew that they’d niggle him later). “His name is cool and memorable. And his mom probably made his outfit or something and it has a lot of sentimental value to him, okay?”
Sunggyu had tried to sound casual, but in the end, his tone had a bite to it. He’d gotten defensive. He knew that he shouldn’t have taken it all personally. After all, he didn’t make a lot of choices in his life. He didn’t choose his career. His mother designed his costume for his sixteenth birthday. He didn’t even choose his name. It was from the headline of the first article written about him in the local paper: “A Masked Stranger Saves the Day.” And it just stuck. The only thing that he did choose was his sidekick, Lucky Lad, his best friend (or at least at the time they were best friends). When Lucky Lad left, Sunggyu felt like he had no control anymore. And now he’d lost his control over his emotions. Careful, Sunggyu. You don’t want him to know.
“We’re in trouble if the city’s best superhero is a mama’s boy,” Sungyeol argued, but with a great grin on his face. “That’s a pretty big weakness…and an obvious one too. Hasn’t she been kidnapped like a hundred times already?”
Sunggyu gripped his mug tightly in his hands and grumbled, “I told her to stop following strange people, but she just won’t listen.”
“Hm?”
“It’s nothing,” Sunggyu dismissed. He took in a deep breath. He was feeling too much at ease with the other, revealing too much. It was a false sense of security that he had with Sungyeol, but he felt as if he’d known the man for much longer than those random coffee dates at 3am. Something about him felt so familiar. Maybe that’s why confessions kept rolling off of his tongue: “Anyways, the Masked Stanger’s the best, but…the one with the most heart is General Gadget. If I were to be completely honest.”
“Huh?” Sungyeol gasped. His eyes grew wide as his jaw unhinged. He turned back around and leaned forward, acting as if he’d misheard the other. “But I thought you said the Masked Stranger was the best?”
“I did. But you asked two different questions,” Sunggyu explained. “I don’t think there’s a person who cares more about the city than General Gadget. Even though he’s not a great hero, even though all he has are his brains, height, and insane luck…he keeps trying his best. He keeps improving. I think the Masked Stanger stopped trying and improving a long time ago. General Gadget might catch up to him soon.”
Sunggyu knew that he’d lost his passion for the job a long time ago, and it was starting to affect his work. He’d plateaued. He was please with just getting by. Just get in, save the day, and get out. He couldn’t remember the last time he had an actual conversation with Officer Howon as a professional, as a friend. But the General hadn’t lost his heart. He probably had more heart from the onset than Sunggyu did.
His heart twinged and his back itched at the recollection of that afternoon. Yes, General Goofus had made a silly mistake, but then again…the image of the hero carefully placing his own gas mask over Ayoung’s face flooded Sunggyu’s mind…that level of care and consideration, Sunggyu didn’t have that anymore (if he ever did). And it was that care, that heart, that was going to make General Gadget a great hero. He just needed to be reminded that his actions had consequences. But Sunggyu honestly wasn’t starting to mind the idea of leaving the city in the General’s hands.
“Really? You really think so?” Sungyeol asked excitedly, too excitedly. Sunggyu nodded cautiously. At that, Sungyeol suddenly hit the table and pumped his fist. “Oooh, the next time I see him, I have to tell…somebody about this. General Gadget has the heart. Yes!” he cheered.
“You like him that much?” Sunggyu questioned with a light chuckle. The other’s reaction had taken him by surprise (but it was also cute).
“Sort of…actually,” Sungyeol admitted slowly, as if he really shouldn’t be saying this. “General Gadget is a very, very good friend of mine. We’re really close.”
“Huh? Small world. I know him too!” Sunggyu blurted out, probably excited at the prospect of having a common acquaintance with the rich man.
“You?” Sungyeol repeated, gesturing to the other. He then shook his head emphatically. “No you don’t.”
“Yea I do!” Sunggyu fought back, raising his voice.
Sungyeol looked the other up and down, and the corner of his mouth twitch. “I think I would know if you did,” he retorted.
Sunggyu then leaned back in his chair. “Well, maybe you don’t know your friend as well as you think,” he replied. “And you don’t know me.”
“But I want to, get to know you, I mean,” Sungyeol stumbled through his words.
Sunggyu grinned widely, but lowered his head, trying to hide it. “Me too.”
The café was closing and the two were forced out. But both were still wide-awake, still conversing enthusiastically. It might’ve been because their messed up sleep schedule or that they were excited about finally having their ‘first meeting.’ And they didn’t want it to end so soon. Now they were walking over to where Sungyeol had parked his car, slowly.
“What do you normally do this late at night?” Sunggyu asked. He’d been waiting for a chance to ask this question, and he finally found an opening. Why would the other be up so late every night?
“Me?” Sungyeol seemed a little taken aback by the question. “I listen to the radio,” he answered.
“Really? Me too!” Sunggyu replied excitedly.
“Seriously?” Sungyeol asked, getting more excited as well. “What show do you listen to?”
“Uh, um, uh…” Sunggyu stammered as he tried to find a suitable answer. He honestly didn’t even know what shows were on that late. Out of habit, his hand flew to the back of his neck as he thought, and the tips of his fingers rubbed harshly against his burn. “Aish!” he cursed in pain.
“Oh!” Sungyeol gasped. He stepped behind the other and checked out the back of Sunggyu’s neck to see what was wrong. Once he saw the bandage, Sungyeol sucked in a breath. “Ouch. That looks like it hurts. Did you go to the hospital?”
Sunggyu stepped away from the other and fixed the collar of his shirt, hiding the bandage. “I took care of it,” he mumbled, not liking the direction that this conversation was heading.
But Sungyeol wouldn’t drop it: “Really? It looks bad. How did it happen?”
“It was an accident,” Sunggyu responded quickly.
“Tch!” Sungyeol scoffed. “If you did that on purpose, I’d question your sanity.” Then he finally let the other go. “Fine. Don’t tell me. I’ll just assume the worst. You were branded by Red Rum and…”
“Eh, Red Rum retired last year,” Sunggyu cut off his silly theory with a laugh. “I remember when…” Sunggyu caught himself this time from revealing too much. He almost said ‘when I finally brought him in and had him convicted for the killer that he is.’ The capture of Red Rum (the only true villain he’d ever faced) was the highlight of his career, Sunggyu’s point of pride (especially after what Red Rum had done to Lucky Lad). But Sunggyu fought to keep that all back and said instead. “When I read it in the newspaper.”
“Ah, so that’s why I haven’t seen him,” Sungyeol actually sounded disappointed at that news.
Sunggyu was shocked, but he couldn’t help but to smile. “You actually want to see him? His name is ‘murder’! He’s a killer,” he argued.
“Yea. It would be exciting, wouldn’t it?” Sungyeol replied. He had an innocent curiosity about him. Sunggyu found himself drawn to it, thinking that it would be fun to face off against Red Rum again, but then he shook his head, remembering all of pain the villain had put him through. He glared at the other out of the corner of his eye.
“I’m starting to question your sanity,” Sunggyu said, still glaring at the other.
“Eh, don’t look at me like that,” Sungyeol pleaded, placing his hand on Sunggyu’s cheek and forcing him to look forward. “I already know someone who glares at me like that and I don’t like it.”
“Who? Your mom?” Sunggyu asked, recalling the huge fight that the other had told him about.
Sungyeol shook his head. “No. Worse. He nags me more than my mom does.”
“Who? Your dad?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Sungyeol dodged the question again. They had reached the car. Sunggyu sighed as he watched the other open the car door. So much for the refreshing honesty. Sungyeol was being clouded with a shadow of mystery again. Sunggyu was worrying if he had said too much to the other.
“Get in. I’ll take you home,” Sungyeol commanded nicely, nodding over to the passenger side of the car.
Sunggyu studied the other. “I can walk just fine,” he declined the offer. He wasn’t somebody who needed to be rescued, bad back or no. His feet still worked. And who really was Lee Sungyeol anyway?
“Are you really denying a ride in this car?” Sungyeol challenged, patting the roof of his car. He pointed to the other. “I saw you eyeing it earlier. Come on.”
Well, that was something that he could live with. Sungyeol sounded like a child who wanted to show off his new toy. He was just boasting. He didn’t see Sunggyu as someone who needed help. So Sunggyu smiled and walked over to the other side of the car. “Good point. Let’s go,” he said as he climbed in. Once the other slid inside the drivers seat, Sunggyu asked, “So can I drive?”
Sungyeol scoffed, “No.”
Sunggyu nodded. He figured as much, but he’d thought he’d try for it anyway. He then patted the dashboard of the car and praised, “Nice ride.”
“I know,” Sungyeol replied proudly as he revved the engine. And they sped off into the night.
And it truly was a nice ride, albeit incredibly short. The movie theater was only a few blocks down from their apartment. Sunggyu felt like he got out of the car as soon as he had gotten into it. But it was still nice, the car and the company.
Sungyeol joked as Sunggyu got out that it was nice to actual have coffee together. Sunggyu agreed and said that they should do it again sometime.
“I’d like that,” Sungyeol had responded before wishing him a good night.
Sunggyu grinned as he waved to the other. He hadn’t had a nice conversation like that since Lucky Lad stopped being Lucky Lad. And it was as Sunggyu was contemplating if he’d just made another friend, when Sunggyu saw that it would be impossible for them. Sungyeol had pulled away and Sunggyu read the license plate of his car for the very first time: GG 827.
“G.G.,” Sunggyu whispered. His mind flew only to one thing. “G.G?!” he exclaimed in disbelief. He crouched down, close to the pavement, and clutched the sides of his head. He was having a mental breakdown right then and there.
It wasn’t an explanation that he had for the acronym. Sunggyu slowly began to realize that it was the only explanation. “First.” The height between the two were the same. “Second.” The toothy grin as well. “Third.” The way they talked was the exact same. Sunggyu was hitting the sides of his head, reprimanding himself. He didn’t see this coming. He never expected that his 3am coffee date would ever end up being General Gadget. The thought never even crossed his mind.
Sunggyu finally fell onto the pavement and just sat there as he wondered what he should do. How to act when they meet again. Because not only did he know General Gadget’s true identity, but he also knew why Sungyeol thought the Masked Stranger was so mean. He’d almost given up his dream because of what Sunggyu said that afternoon.
And Sunggyu gave up the idea of them being friends, went inside, and went to bed.
The next day, Sunggyu found himself chasing a jewel thief down the streets. The thief was on a motorbike, weaving in and out through traffic. And all Sunggyu had to catch up to him were his own two feet. He knew that he was in a tight bind. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep the pursuit going. His eyes scanned around searching for anything that could help him get the advantage, but then it happened.
A motorcycle whizzed by, cutting in between Sunggyu and the thief. General Gadget, Sungyeol had joined in the chase, and Sunggyu could guess why. They’d just cross the intersection with Main Street. They were officially on the south side of the city. Sungyeol must’ve been laying in wait for the criminal to cross the boundary, paying heed to Sunggyu’s warning the day before. Stay off my turf and out of my way. Sungyeol then shot a glance back at Sunggyu, perhaps wanting to say the same in return, but before he could, Sunggyu slowed to a halt, leaving the thief for Sungyeol to capture. He had faith that the General could do this on his own. Sunggyu nodded towards the other, and Sungyeol nodded back before speeding off.
But just to be on the safe side, Sunggyu climbed to the top of a nearby building and followed the pursuit from the rooftops. Sungyeol had caught the thief within a few blocks and was tying him up like a hog. And while the General was locking up the jewels into a safe on his bike, Sunggyu came down from the building (via the stairs) and walked up to the other hero.
“Good job,” Sunggyu praised Sungyeol, even patting him on the back.
Sungyeol leapt up in shock and took a few steps away from the other, his hand laying over where Sunggyu had just touched him (like it hurt). “Why are you being so nice? Are you dying?” Sungyeol guessed.
Sunggyu bit his lip. He didn’t like how unusual it was for Sungyeol to hear nice things from him. This is why he hates me. “In a way,” Sunggyu admitted. Sungyeol stiffened and worry painted his face. Sunggyu realized that he misspoke and waved his hands. “Ah, I mean, the part of me that had a grudge against you died. I’m still very much alive. I’m a healthy young man,” he tried to clarify. But now Sungyeol scoffed at the other for saying that he was young. Just how old does he think I am? Sunggyu cleared his throat and pointed in between the other’s eyes. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. Don’t laugh.”
And that only made Sungyeol laugh harder, all the while, denying that he was even laughing. “You remind me of someone,” he sputtered between laughs.
Sunggyu’s heart stopped. Did the other connect the dots too? “Who?” he risked the question.
“I don’t know.”
Sunggyu sighed in relief. “Good. I hope you never know.”
When Sunggyu was walking home from work, Sungyeol sprung out and intercepted him like he had done with the chase earlier. He must’ve been laying in wait for the elder to come home, waiting to capture him. He wanted to drink, and he knew that Sunggyu would still be up. Sungyeol had had a good day and wanted to celebrate. Sunggyu agreed, having reservations if this was the right thing to do. It was risky. But also Sungyeol lived in a very expensive apartment and it was probably filled with expensive things, including liquor. Sunggyu’s curiosity made him give in.
They had just cracked open their second bottle of soju when Sungyeol announced while pouring the other a drink, “I have a question to ask you.”
Sunggyu took the cup into his hand and asked nervously, “What? What is it about?” Does he know? No it’s impossible.
“About superheroes,” Sungyeol answered. Shit. Sunggyu drained his cup. “You seem really interested in them. You know a lot.”
“Ah, no, no, no. I don’t. I know very little,” Sunggyu denied vehemently as he put his cup back down onto the table. “Who’s that guy again? Masked Man?” He tried to casually shrug as he poured himself another drink. However, his nerves got the better of him. His hand shook and spilled some of the soju over Sungyeol’s table. “Shit,” he muttered as he wiped it up with his sleeve.
Sungyeol didn’t seem to mind the spill, but he was dead set on asking his question, “Don’t lie. I know. I know it all. And I was wondering. I’ve been thinking about this for a while. Are you…”
“Yes, I am,” Sunggyu cut him off, not wanting to hear the question. He saw this coming, but he didn’t think Sungyeol would figure out that he was the Masked Stranger so soon. Sunggyu obviously didn’t give the other enough credit. He sighed. “I knew it was just a matter of time until you found out. I mean, this town isn’t that big. And you, you’re smarter than you look.”
“Huh?”
Sunggyu didn’t hear that, or notice Sungyeol’s look of confusion. He just kept ranting, flustered from being caught, “Or act. You act very dumb sometimes. Why do you think I call you General Goofus? You’re goofy!”
Sungyeol jumped up from his seat. He closed his eyes as he search his mind’s eye. “Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait,” he begged the other, holding out his hand. Sungyeol opened his eyes. They looked like they were about to fall out of their sockets. Sungyeol placed a hand over his chest. “You know who I am?”
“Yea, you’re Lee Sungyeol.” Sunggyu answered. Sungyeol began to relax until Sunggyu finished his sentence, “General Gadget.”
Sungyeol fell to the floor, covering his head in his hands. The image was all to familiar with Sunggyu. That was himself just the day before. “I’m screwed!” he whined and hit the floor. He then hazard a glance up at the other between his fingers. “How did you know?”
“Your license plate. You should probably change that,” Sunggyu answered with a chuckle. He didn’t know what else to do in this situation but laugh. What else do you do in front of your rival?
“Aish,” Sungyeol swore and laid down onto the floor, rolling around. Sunggyu got up from his seat and patted him on the shoulder, trying to reassure him that it wasn’t all too bad. At least Sunggyu was the one who found out and not anyone else. Now they knew each other’s secrets. Maybe they could actually be friends.
But then amidst his whines and moans, Sungyeol suddenly froze. He lowered his hands and his gaze met Sunggyu’s. Sungyeol sat up and scooted away from the other, his eyes darting all over the younger. He drew his knees into his chest. “Wait. You!” he yelled, pointing at the other. “You’re the Masked Stranger?!”
“Uh, yea,” Sunggyu mumbled in response. Sungyeol winced and lowered his head with a great groan. Sunggyu watched the other for a few seconds in silence before scooting closer to Sungyeol. “Isn’t that what you were going to ask me?” Why was he acting like he didn’t know?
“No!” Sungyeol yelped, pushing the elder away with his foot. Sunggyu fell onto his butt in shock. “I was going to ask you to be my sidekick, but now that I know how much of an ass you are…” Sungyeol stopped and let out another loud groaning, hiding his head in his hands. “How long? How long have you known?” his voice was muffled as he asked through his hands.
Sunggyu sighed. Sungyeol, he was probably going to tell Sunggyu about him being General Gadget, but Sunggyu forced it out of him before Sungyeol had the chance to say it himself. And Sunggyu ousted himself in the process too. He had really screwed things up this time. A friendship between him and Sungyeol seemed impossible now. Sungyeol looked so betrayed.
“Not for long. A few days,” he responded in a resigned tone.
“So today. You let me go solo because you knew that I was me,” it wasn’t a question. Sungyeol knew that was the reason why.
But Sunggyu still muttered, “Uh…yea.”
“And the movie theater!” Sungyeol became more worked up at that memory. “Did you say that to me because you knew that I was me?” this time it was a genuine question. He couldn’t believe it.
Sunggyu crawled over to the other and waved his hands. “No! No, I didn’t know it then,” he denied.
For once, Sungyeol didn’t move away or shove the other away. He just sat there and slowly lifted his gaze to meet Sungyeol’s. “I’m not sure if I believe you,” he admitted. He then nodded towards the door. “Leave. I need to think this over.”
“Okay,” Sunggyu gave in and got up from the floor. He gathered his things in silence and moved around the man on the floor, still deep in thought. When Sunggyu reached the door, he looked back at the other and heaved another sigh. He had a feeling that he shouldn’t have come over tonight. He knew that it was risky. But perhaps it was also better that things turned out this way. It was a really small city, and neither of them were too careful. The truth would’ve come out. But Sunggyu couldn’t leave things like this. Not just yet, with Sungyeol looking so lost. “At the café, I meant every word I said. About you…and about me.” And with that, he left.
That night, 3am came around, and Sunggyu was making his usual pot of coffee, clutching the police scanner to his side. While it was brewing, we walked over to his window and looked out. Sunggyu sighed. He didn’t know what else he’d expected. Sungyeol’s blinds were shut probably for the first time since they started this routine. But his light was still on, shining brightly behind the blinds. Sungyeol was still up and Sunggyu hoped that he wasn’t still mulling over what had happened. He hoped that the other was listening to the police scanner like he was. And he hoped to see the other later tonight when crime struck.
But there was an assault at 5am on the south side of town, and General Gadget didn’t show up. And the next day, there was a child stuck up in tree. It was a good opportunity for the General to show off his tools to child who would easily be impressed by them. But the Masked Stranger was left to climb up the tree with his own bare hands and to climb down with the child clinging to his back like a monkey.
Days past and the General never showed. Sungyeol never came. Sunggyu even stopped by the police station and had a conversation with Officer Howon for the first time in months. Howon hadn’t seen the General either. He assumed that General Gadget must’ve moved out. This city was too small for him.
But Sungyeol didn’t move. Sunggyu still caught glimpses of his car whizzing by and his silhouette cast on the blinds at 3am. Sungyeol was still up every night, maybe out of habit. But Sunggyu wished that they’d meet again, that they’d fight crime together again.
And his wish came true one night. Sungyeol had been waiting out on the street in between their apartments, waiting for Sunggyu to come back from closing the movie theater.
“Let’s talk,” Sungyeol said, but he still sounded unsure about it all.
Sunggyu nodded. “Okay.” And he followed Sungyeol up into his apartment again.
“I believe you,” Sungyeol announced as soon as he locked the door to his apartment.
Sunggyu had barely stepped outside of the doorway. He turned around and couldn’t fight back a chuckle. “It took you two weeks to come to that conclusion?” he asked.
“Eung.” At least that didn’t change over the past two weeks, after what Sunggyu had done; Sungyeol was still honest. The man then walked inside his own apartment and gestured for the other to come and take the seat next to him. Sunggyu did so. Right as he sat down, Sungyeol turned towards him but wasn’t staring at him. “If I ask you something, will you be honest with me?”
“Sure. Ask away.” The least that Sunggyu could do right now was to be completely honest.
“Lucky Lad,” Sungyeol pronounced the name slowly as if it were forbidden for him to say it (and to be honest, Sunggyu couldn’t remember the last time that someone said that name to him). “What happened to him? There was that incident with Red Rum, and he vanished.”
This was going to be hard for Sunggyu to confess. “That…that was an agreement Red Rum and I had,” his voice was barely above a whisper. He didn’t want people to know that he made a deal with the biggest villain in the history of this city. But it was for the better. Red Rum could have his daughter visit him at his maximum security prison, and Sunggyu had Lucky Lad taken care of.
“Huh?” Sungyeol now snapped his head up and narrowed his eyes on the other. “What do you mean?”
Sunggyu shifted in his seat uncomfortably. “Truth is,” he began before swallowing hard. He pulled at the collar of his shirt. This was harder than he thought it would be. The words were stuck in his throat, suffocating him. They didn’t want to come out. But Sunggyu owed this to Sungyeol, who’d been nothing but honest with him. “Lucky Lad, Dongwoo, he got married. And when his daughter was born, he tried to keep being a hero, to make the streets safe for his family. But he spent more time than he wanted to away from his family. So we faked his death and made it seem like Red Rum did it.” Sunggyu pulled at his shirt again, fanning himself as he was growing hotter. “Red Rum never broke out from prison. The crime scene was all set up. Even Officer Howon was in on it. Just so no one would come after Dongwoo and his family.” After he was finished, Sunggyu glanced over at the other. Sungyeol was still nodding, even though Sunggyu had finished speaking. The man was stunned. This was probably the last thing Sungyeol had expected: the city’s biggest hero conspiring with the city’s biggest villain. Sungyeol whose passion for justice was unmatched. How was he going to take this?
“Dongwoo?” he finally spoke. “Jang Dongwoo! He works at the company. He’s Lucky Lad?”
Sunggyu sputtered into a laugh, glad that’s what Sungyeol had taken away from that. “I told you that this town’s small,” he said. “But please don’t tell Dongwoo. Don’t tell anyone.”
“I won’t,” Sungyeol promised. But now he was shaking his head, from side to side, with just as a blank of an expression as before. “But…WAH! Dongwoo was a sidekick. Your sidekick! I can’t believe it. He’s so nice.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sunggyu asked, intentionally staring at Sungyeol with the glare that he knew he didn’t like.
“It just doesn’t seem like you two would get along, or still do,” Sungyeol responded. Then something flashed across his face before his face went blank again. What was it? Sunggyu wasn’t able to make it out, not before Sungyeol was brutally honest again. “I never see you with Dongwoo.”
Sunggyu’s heart twisted in his chest. No one talked about Lucky Lad with him, or Dongwoo either. And this was probably why. Sunggyu knew that he looked depressed. He felt like it. Even though Lucky Lad didn’t really die, Sunggyu still lost Dongwoo, his best friend, that day. “We agreed that it would be better if we didn’t meet for a couple of years. Just so people would think we weren’t close anymore. I guess it worked,” he spoke, forcing himself to smile about it so he wouldn’t look so down. But he felt it falter and twitch. “And without Dongwoo, things got harder.”
“That’s when you lost it? Your heart?” Sungyeol asked.
“Yea,” Sunggyu mumbled, as he searched the room. Where did Sungyeol keep his alcohol again? It was in a hidden cabinet, right?
“So you liked him?”
Sunggyu whipped his head to look at the other. Sungyeol was staring straight back at him. “Me? Me and Dongwoo?” he reiterated, hand over his chest. Sungyeol nodded, so seriously too, which made Sunggyu collapse into heaps of laughter. His sides were shaking. Tears were coming out of his eyes. That was the funniest thing that he’d heard in a long time. He and Dongwoo were compatible as friends and as partners, but as lovers? “No, no, no. We weren’t like that,” Sunggyu wheezed out between laughs.
“Ah, you aren’t like that,” Sungyeol assumed and cast his gaze downwards.
“Huh?” The laughter stopped. Well, that wasn’t quite right either. “I mean. I wasn’t in love with Dongwoo, but I was with the job. When he left, it wasn’t fun anymore. But…” he stopped, wondering if he should let the other have the pleasure of knowing this (but f**k it, Sunggyu wants General Gadget back). “…it’s becoming more fun recently.”
“Because of me?” A wide and shy grin spread across Sungyeol’s face.
“Eung,” Sunggyu grunted, careful not to stroke the other’s ego too much. He didn’t want to have General Gadget run loose in the city with an inflated sense of self (but having him run loose again would be a sight for Sunggyu’s sore and tired eyes).
“Maybe we should become partners,” Sungyeol proposed, much to Sunggyu’s surprise. The conversation had taken a sudden turn (or had it? Sungyeol, even from weeks ago, seemed set on working with Sunggyu).
“Huh. Me?”
Sungyeol nodded. “I’ve been thinking about it, even more since we know each other now. Let’s work together. Let’s not just split the city down the center. It would be easier if we worked together,” he rationalized. He must’ve grown weary of their silly ‘turf war’ too. It only made things for difficult. And now that they were actually getting along…
“I think I’d like that,” Sunggyu agreed to the proposal. “Very much.”
“Me too. Let’s shake on it, partner,” Sungyeol suggested, putting out his hand. Sunggyu smirked and took it, gripping the other’s hand tightly as they shook. He had a good feeling about this. Or he did until Sungyeol blurted out, “Hey, that Sungjong kid from the theater.”
Sunggyu let go of the other’s hand. “What about him?:
“He looks limber and like a lover of justice. Do you think he’d like to…”
“NO!”
Although Sunggyu never allowed Sungyeol to build up his dream ‘justice league’ for the city (two heroes were more than enough), they did end up becoming great partners, a great team together. And over time, their term ‘partner’ became a little bit more and more involved. They started as ‘partners for justice,’ fighting crime together and doing it in record time. They were even awarded with a plaque from the police station for the lowest crime rate in decades. There was even talk of erecting a statue of the two heroes in the park. Then naturally came ‘drinking partners.’ They drank as a celebration. They drank to console each other. They probably drank too much together. But they always drank at Sungyeol’s place as to not raise suspicion. And that was starting to annoy Sunggyu. He wanted to hang out with Sungyeol outside of their apartments. He wanted to show the other off like Sungyeol would do with his ‘toys’ because too many people assumed that Sunggyu was a grade-A loner. And perhaps that bothered Sungyeol too because he came up with an excuse for the two of them to hang out more frequently: they became business partners next. Sungyeol bought out the movie theater and handed over the keys to Sunggyu, claiming that he was in charge of it now. And Sunggyu was more than okay with that. He could set his own hours, boss people around, and (best of all) hang out more with Sungyeol as regular human beings.
After becoming business partners and spending more time with each other, things eventually led to this.
A movie had premiered at the theater. It was the biggest event that this city had seen in years. But it was a movie based on a toy that the Lee family produced, and so it was only natural that the movie would be first shown where the headquarters was. Sunggyu ran himself ragged setting up for the premiere. The city was under the watch of General Gadget as he got it together. But his hard work paid off, and the premiere went on without a hitch. However, the night did leave a very haggard and tired Sunggyu behind. Sungyeol waited for the other to close up the theater and for them to go home together. As soon as Sunggyu turned the key, he turned around and latched onto Sungyeol’s back, hugging him and depending upon the other to keep him upright. All of his strength was gone. Sungyeol just laughed and placed his hands over Sunggyu’s as he walked forward with the elder falling asleep on his back. It wasn’t the first time that Sunggyu had done this after a long night, and it wouldn’t be the last. And it was very telling about their relationship, how close that they had become. Sungyeol wasn’t too good at skinship, especially when it came to other men. But even though he wasn’t good with skinship became very good at it when it came to Sunggyu. So good that when he put the half-asleep Sunggyu into his car, he planted a kiss onto Sunggyu’s temple. Sunggyu suddenly felt more awake after that. And when Sungyeol slid into the driver’s seat, Sunggyu grabbed the other by the collar and pulled him in closer, kissing him roughly on the lips. Sungyeol kissed him back without a second thought, holding onto Sunggyu’s face and not letting the other get away until he was satisfied. And that night, he finally let Sunggyu drive home.
The change to ‘life partners’ was natural and it was good.
After months of switching back and forth between apartments, one night at dinner Sungyeol pulled out a stack of papers from his briefcase and put them onto the table, telling Sunggyu to sign them. The elder knew better than to sign anything without looking over it first, especially if Lee Sungyeol was the one that handed it to him. But it wasn’t a contract about business, like Sunggyu had expected; it was a contract for land. Sungyeol was planning to buy a plot of land just outside of the city’s limits.
“What is this?” Sunggyu asked as he flipped through the papers.
“A contract for land,” Sungyeol answered bluntly as he took the contract from Sunggyu and signed his name across a line. He then looked up at the elder and grinned. “Let’s live together.”
Sunggyu ripped into a roaring laughter. Sungyeol’s words were bold but he spoke them so rigidly, obviously nervous what the other might think. And he had reason to be concerned because Sunggyu was laughing at his face right now. “Let’s live together,” he repeated, mocking how the other had said it. But he still signed all of the papers, agreeing to do so. There was no reason not to. Sungyeol had help to ignite the passion within Sunggyu again, for his career as a hero and for life in general. And Sunggyu didn’t want to lose the fire that he had in his life. He wanted to stay near it and be kept warm and safe.
And so they built a house together just on the boundaries of the city. They moved in together and became partners in all sense of the word. As for the city, the city was still safe even though they were at a distance from it, and it became their effectual child. The two heroes fell asleep with the police scanner on their nightstand as if it were a baby monitor, and when news of a crime crackled in the night air, the two of them would quietly argue whose turn it was to soothe the crying city.
They were still heroes. They still fought. But they were also still together. They were partners, through and through.