By Zephyria 
However, the smile on his face seemed to fade slightly, and Jang Ui-geon appeared to sink back into thought with an ambiguous expression. Seo Chi-young looked at him, puzzled.
One hand gripping the steering wheel lightly relaxed its fingers, tapping against the wheel. After rubbing his chin with his other hand and staring straight ahead for a while, Jang Ui-geon suddenly let out a low sigh. Seo Chi-young’s expression darkened.
Did I do something wrong today? Maybe he had. There might have been implicit rules in a place like that which Seo Chi-young didn’t know, and he might have acted out of line without realizing it. Perhaps Jang Ui-geon, who had brought him along, was now in an awkward position because of it.
Looking at Jang Ui-geon’s profile with an embarrassed face, Seo Chi-young awkwardly lowered his head and scratched the back of his neck.
“I’m sorry. I’ve hardly ever been to places like that, so I didn’t really know how the atmosphere works… If I happened to make a mistake…”
“No, that’s not what I meant. There’s absolutely no reason for you to apologize, Chi-young. It’s just…”
Jang Ui-geon quickly waved his hand when Seo Chi-young apologized, but he closed his mouth mid-sentence. Whether it was just a feeling or not, a sense of predicament seemed to seep into the way he stroked his chin.
With a faint frown, Jang Ui-geon stared intently at the car in front of them as if glaring, then glanced at Seo Chi-young.
“I’ve wondered this before, but Chi-young, have you ever… dated anyone? I mean, in a deep relationship.”
Staring blankly at Jang Ui-geon, it took Seo Chi-young a few seconds to realize what he was talking about. Unable to even turn his head away, he just blinked, stammering “Uh, well…” a few words, before abruptly bowing his head as it flushed hot.
“I… haven’t… slept with anyone…”
His voice was barely a whisper, but it was enough to echo in the quiet car. The moment that answer came out, Jang Ui-geon made a strange face. He looked at Seo Chi-young as if he were seeing some bizarre creature. However, as if he had vaguely guessed such an answer might come, he didn’t say much and turned his gaze back forward.
“Good grief, it’s like leaving a child by the river…” The muttered self-talk, accompanied by a click of the tongue, brushed past the ears of Seo Chi-young, who was staring only at his own knees.
Even while continuing to drive and staring at the car ahead, Jang Ui-geon seemed to feel Seo Chi-young’s puzzled gaze. He simply gave a light, bitter smile and said, “It’s nothing.” As if he didn’t want to drag the conversation further, he glanced briefly at his wristwatch.
“We got out earlier than I thought. …If I’d known it would be this fruitless, I should have just opened the shop and eaten gopchang.”
“Uh… we can still go if you want. There aren’t enough ingredients to open the shop and take customers, but there’s enough left for a plate.”
When Seo Chi-young spoke after recalling the contents of his refrigerator, Jang Ui-geon gave him a smiling look.
“I happen to be hungry and want to eat, but… it’s a holiday night; don’t you dislike going to the shop, Chi-young?”
“No, I’m fine with it.”
As Seo Chi-young shook his head, Jang Ui-geon’s smile deepened.
“Alright, then. In exchange, I’ll do the dishes and the cleanup.”
Jang Ui-geon spoke cheerfully and pressed the accelerator firmly. Along with the low roar of the engine, the scenery outside the window blurred.
Seo Chi-young leaned back against the seat. A quiet sigh escaped him. As Jang Ui-geon said, it had been a fruitless visit. It didn’t matter to him, but for Jang Ui-geon, who had intentionally made time for him, it would have been better not to go. He felt a bit sorry.
However, the eyes of Jang Ui-geon reflected in the rearview mirror held the same calm smile as usual, and since that smile didn’t seem forced, Seo Chi-young figured he wasn’t that upset and let out another quiet sigh inwardly.
As he transferred this month’s interest, the balance decreased, and the first digit changed as it always did. He had been transferring only the interest for a few months now, but whenever he looked at his bankbook, things were always tight.
“……”
Seo Chi-young thought of the one or two bankbooks he had tucked deep into his dresser—though the amounts weren’t really worth hiding—and did the math in his head. But he had already done the same calculation dozens of times, and the result was always the same.
It seemed he would be short on money. No, he would definitely be short. By the end of the year, or the beginning of next year at the latest, he would have to vacate the shop. Even if he pushed it as far as next spring, the amount he could save would be woefully insufficient. He had been adding one or two side jobs he could do in his spare time recently, but it didn’t make much of a difference. Above all, being tied to the shop from midday until midnight left him with no room to do other work. Yet, he couldn’t quit the shop either.
I need to increase my work, but is there anything suitable? Seo Chi-young sighed as he left the bank. Come to think of it, a Seonbae who had once asked for help preparing for a shop opening but canceled on the day of had contacted him a while ago. He said he was sorry about back then and wanted to meet up sometime to buy him a drink.
Though that person was somewhat irresponsible and willful, they were well-connected. Maybe I should reach out and ask for a favor.
Seo Chi-young checked his watch. Since it was the end of the month, he had left early expecting a long wait at the bank, but it had finished surprisingly quickly. Moreover, while waiting for the transfer at the bank, the broker had contacted him saying he would be about an hour later than usual today. He might be slightly later than that, but he repeatedly apologized and promised to deliver by two o’clock at the latest, so Seo Chi-young couldn’t bring himself to be angry.
“…….”
If he went to the shop now, he would have a lot of time left, but there wasn’t much to do at home either. It seemed better to go to the shop and, since he had time to spare, scrub the stubborn grease stains off the cooking counter.
Just as he was walking toward the shop with that thought, the phone in his pocket began to ring.
“……..? …Uh.”
Checking the screen, Seo Chi-young tilted his head. It was Jang Ui-geon.
Now that he thought about it, he had meant to contact him but had forgotten; this was perfect. Jang Ui-geon had left his notebook at the shop last night. It would have been better if he’d found it immediately, but he only discovered the notebook on a corner chair just before closing the shop. It was unlike Jang Ui-geon to make such a mistake, which made him wonder. Since it was late, he decided to contact him the next morning and had brought the notebook along.
“Hello.”
“Chi-young.”
As soon as he answered, hearing his name called from the other end made Seo Chi-young smile unconsciously. A voice calling his name with a faint, welcoming smile was always a pleasure to hear.
“Hello, Ui-geon.”
To Seo Chi-young, who greeted him politely first, Jang Ui-geon paused for a moment and then replied with a smile, “Yes, hello.”
For some reason, the air on the other end of the line sounded hectic. He could hear the sound of something being hammered and the occasional shouting of middle-aged men. Hearing those sounds, which resembled a construction site, Seo Chi-young guessed that Jang Ui-geon was likely at the site of his new shop.
Having recently started the renovation of a hanok to use as a new shop, Jang Ui-geon had been accelerating his preparations and seemed to be out and about early every morning. Then, in the evening, he would always stop by Seo Chi-young’s shop.
“Oh, by the way, Ui-geon, you left your notebook at the shop yesterday.”
Before Jang Ui-geon, who had called suddenly, could state his business, Seo Chi-young brought it up first in case he forgot. However, it seemed that was the reason for the call. “As I thought,” he said in a voice mixed with relief and a smile.
“I actually called because of that. I was going to pick it up this evening, but I need to know something written in there right now. Chi-young, you’re… outside. Are you on your way to the shop?”
“Uh, yes.”
“Then I’m sorry, but please give me a call once you arrive at the shop. If you could just tell me what’s written in the notebook first, I’ll come pick it up in the evening.”
“Uh,” Seo Chi-young murmured, fumbling inside the bag slung diagonally across his shoulder. A large leather notebook came into his hand.
“I have it with me right now. …If you’re at the new shop site, should I bring it to you? I happen to have some time to spare…”
The new shop site, where the hanok renovation was underway, wasn’t very far from Seo Chi-young’s shop. It was just a bit of a distance to walk. Even walking slowly, it would take about 20 minutes.
He had about two hours of free time. That was plenty of time to walk there and back.
“Ah, you don’t have to go that far… But why do you suddenly have time? Do you have a lot?”
“Uh, yes… well, the ingredient delivery person said they’d be a bit late, so I have about two hours…”
“Two hours? Ah, then we can have a meal together. Let’s go somewhere nearby, away from your shop.”
Jang Ui-geon spoke with a smile. Feeling suddenly shy, Seo Chi-young replied in a small voice, “Yes, then I’ll go,” and turned around. Thinking he seemed to be in a hurry, he quickened his pace.
“Where are you now? It would be better if I picked you up, but a client is coming by in a little bit…”
“Uh, right now, at the Nonghyup in front of my house… If you need something from the notebook right now, should I read it to you?”
Wondering if it was something related to that client, Seo Chi-young asked while quickly pulling out the notebook as he walked. While debating whether it was okay to flip through someone else’s notebook, he held it in one hand and listened to the phone. “Nonghyup… if you come from there, roughly…” After calculating the time, Jang Ui-geon quickly said no.
“It’s fine. I just need to place the order before lunch. It’s a bit of a walk, so take a taxi.”
“A taxi… I feel like I’d be scolded for taking one.”
Recalling the distance—too far to walk comfortably but too short to justify a taxi—Seo Chi-young spoke with hesitation, and Jang Ui-geon laughed. The sound of laughter over the phone was pleasant, and Seo Chi-young listened intently.
“Wait a moment. Then… it’s hard for me to go personally right now, so I’ll send someone. Wait in front of there.”
“What? Uh, no, no. I can get there quickly on foot. I’m on my way. I’ve already left that spot.”
Seo Chi-young hurriedly walked, waving his hand even though the other person couldn’t see him, and Jang Ui-geon laughed as if he couldn’t help it.
“Alright, then. I’ll be waiting,” was the soft voice that lingered in his ears.
He knew where the shop site was. A quiet residential area with houses lined up neatly on a hill, on the roadside just below the spring located on the path leading up to the cathedral. He had a rough idea of where an old hanok would be around there. He had seen it a few times while passing by. It was a house with a lush and beautiful magnolia tree next to the gate, which was surrounded by a low wall.
Sure enough, the house that had always been tightly locked now had its gate completely removed and wide open, and lumber and other materials were piled in the yard, as if construction were underway. He could see people in loose clothing and white gloves coming and going.
As he entered the wooden gate, which possessed a refined yet old-fashioned charm like an ancient temple hidden in a cozy mountain fold, Seo Chi-young, who had been slightly shrinking his shoulders, looked for Jang Ui-geon. Soon, Jang Ui-geon appeared from somewhere. Seeing him smile brightly and say, “Chi-young, you’re here?” Seo Chi-young finally let a smile reach his face.
As Seo Chi-young handed over the notebook, Jang Ui-geon said, “Thank you,” and immediately flipped through it. He then called over a man in a suit who was discussing something with a worker in front of a small building a short distance away and handed him the open notebook. Seeing him tell the man to place an order right now, it seemed that although he had said he had until lunch, it was actually quite urgent.
While Jang Ui-geon discussed several other things with the man in the suit—things Seo Chi-young couldn’t understand—Seo Chi-young blankly looked around.
It was a house that looked old at a glance. Not in the sense of being shabby, but a refined house with a worn and calm atmosphere that one could fall in love with instantly. Large, beautiful trees grew along the walls of the spacious house.
Suddenly, he remembered the house he had lived in long ago. Before his family scattered, the house Seo Chi-young lived in was a single-story home. It wasn’t a beautiful old estate like this, just a common single-story house, but because his mother loved plants, the yard was lush with trees. Since it wasn’t a very large house, most of them were small trees.
While other buildings remained almost intact, the sarangchae—the guest house situated most spaciously in the inner yard—seemed particularly skeletal, with doors and floors ripped out, perhaps because that was the focus of the renovation.
It must have been a very spacious and imposing building originally, Seo Chi-young thought regretfully, just as Jang Ui-geon, having finished talking with the man in the suit, approached him.
“When I first saw the house, I liked it at first sight and decided I had to have it. The overall atmosphere of the place and each of the buildings were so good that I agonized over how to do the construction. I felt like anything I touched would be a loss. So, I spent several days with people, racking our brains, until we came up with a plan I was satisfied with.”
Seo Chi-young followed Jang Ui-geon, who gestured for him to follow and walked a few steps ahead.
“This building under construction is the sarangchae; I’ll use this as the shop and utilize the other areas separately, so I’m mainly working on this building and leaving the other structures almost as they are. Since it was a residence, the previous owner had already modernized the heating and bathrooms.”
After climbing a few stone steps, the stripped-down sarangchae came into view. With the doors removed and the wooden floors torn up, the sarangchae looked like an unfinished building. However, the old wooden structure, which seemed to consist only of the roof and frame, still hid the years etched into it, so it didn’t look skeletal or meager.
“I should be able to finish the construction before it gets cold. Since I’m doing the work in just the right season, both the workers and I have had less trouble.”
“Though the timing for the shop opening will be a bit ambiguous,” Jang Ui-geon added with a troubled smile. Even if construction finished before the cold, by the time he got everything else ready and prepared, it would be the cold season. “That’s true, it will be ambiguous,” Seo Chi-young murmured worriedly, and Jang Ui-geon, the future shop owner, burst into laughter.
“Since Chi-young is worrying so seriously, I’ll have to steel my resolve and make sure the shop succeeds.”
As Seo Chi-young looked at the smiling Jang Ui-geon with a slightly awkward feeling, someone called Jang Ui-geon from further inside. Hearing them say someone was looking for him, something was wrong, or something needed to be checked, it seemed he was busy.
Jang Ui-geon clicked his tongue.
“I’ll be right back, Chi-young. Just look around the house for a bit. I’ll be quick.”
“Uh… you seem busy, so I’ll just be going…”
When Seo Chi-young spoke hesitantly to Jang Ui-geon, who was just about to step down from the sarangchae, Jang Ui-geon paused, frowned slightly, and waved his hand.
“We agreed to eat together. I’ve already contacted a Korean restaurant nearby. I’ll be right back, so look around.”
Without giving Seo Chi-young a chance to say anything, Jang Ui-geon told him to wait and strode inside. Seo Chi-young stood behind him, looking at his retreating back with a bewildered expression.
He seems busy, there’s no need for him to split his time for me, Seo Chi-young thought, scratching his head. However, since he had already contacted a place, he felt too sorry to cancel and couldn’t bring himself to leave. After standing there blankly and hesitating for a moment, he decided to follow Jang Ui-geon’s advice and look around the house while waiting. He had always thought it was a beautiful house whenever he passed by, just from the trees and the roof glimpsed over the wall.
“…….”
He wanders around the house, tidying up the scattered pieces of lumber that lay messy right by the path where people often pass, and picking up cigarette butts or small bits of trash left behind by construction workers whenever they catch his eye.
For a while, he lingers only around the sarangchae, but as Jang Ui-geon shows no sign of returning even after waiting a bit longer, Seo Chi-young moves his steps further away.
Come to think of it, the remote countryside village he had visited a few times as a young child—his maternal grandparents’ home—was also an old hanok. Since his maternal grandmother, who had remained there alone, passed away while he was still young, that house had been disposed of, and he no longer had a reason to go there.
That house had been quite spacious. He remembers tearing up as a child, feeling that it was far too large for his grandmother to live in alone and worrying that she must be lonely.
“……..”
Now that he thinks about it, he believes he heard that Jang Ui-geon intended to live here. If he moved in with family, that would be one thing, but if not, it would be quite lonely. Since he runs a shop, people would come and go during the day, but it seemed like it would be terribly desolate once midnight fell.
Or perhaps the people employed at the shop stay here? As Seo Chi-young wonders, he notices the small, secluded wooden doors set inside the wall. Recalling the memories of his maternal grandparents’ home from his childhood—since this was also an old house, the structure seemed largely similar—he figures that if he opens this door…
Seo Chi-young cautiously pushes the door. The door, which was not latched, opens easily with just a slight bit of force. Seeing the cozy anchae nestled inside, he thinks, As I expected.
Though he calls it cozy, it is simply smaller compared to the grand sarangchae standing outside; in its own right, the building is not that small, sitting snugly within the stone wall. Separated from the sarangchae and other external buildings, this house seemed to be sleeping peacefully on its own.
“……..”
Seo Chi-young quietly steps inside the door.
Perhaps it is because the sounds of the workers outside have been cut off, or perhaps because the songs of birds drift through the lush branches of the surrounding trees. Somehow, this place feels like a different world.
Dazzling sunlight is pouring down. It shimmers, quietly illuminating the tranquil house.
Closing the wooden door softly behind him, Seo Chi-young approaches the area with cautious steps. There is no one in the house, nor is there any luggage. Only the house itself breathes there, alone.
What should I do?
Seo Chi-young finds himself thinking this and lets out a faint smile. What do I mean, ‘what should I do’? He likes it; he finds the place appealing—those are the thoughts crossing his mind, but there is nothing he can actually do about it.
Seo Chi-young slowly brushes his hand against the large and small trees lined up in the yard, just as his mother, who loved gardening long ago, used to do. He senses a bird fluttering between the branches. He hears chirping. And through the gaps in the branches, sunlight leaks through in straight lines.
“…….”
Seo Chi-young gazes blankly up at the shafts of light before turning around. He approaches the anchae, steps up one stone stair, and carefully perches beside a pillar on the outer porch.
The pillar, polished by the touch of many hands over many years, gleamed with a deep woody hue. Had countless people sat here, leaned here, and stroked this pillar before?
Seo Chi-young silently strokes the pillar and then softly rests his head against it.
The slanted sunlight envelops his entire body. Loving the warm, dazzling light that shines from the top of his head to the tips of his toes, Seo Chi-young simply closes his eyes.
A languid drowsiness seems to wash over him, but he does not fall asleep. The clear air, the sound of birds, and this small, dazzling world that feels somehow detached from everything beyond that wall were all here.
His heart slowly unravels. A long, quiet sigh escapes his lips. If only he could melt away into the sunlight just like this.
“……..”
He thinks that falling for something might happen in a single instant. Or perhaps it is that foundations he hadn’t even been conscious of had been piling up steadily, only to suddenly manifest at a certain moment.
The dazzling sunlight. The quiet and peaceful silence. The bluish shade of the trees contrasting sharply with the golden rays. An old, worn, and cozy house.
As if all these lovely things gathered together in that very moment, making Seo Chi-young fall in love with this house.
Seo Chi-young gently rubs his head against the pillar. He feels an old, warm scent emanating from the wooden post. He softly presses his head and cheek against it, then kisses it. The soft sensation against his lips was actually cool, yet somehow it felt warm.
Seo Chi-young lets out a pleasant sigh and leans against the pillar.
Above his head, he hears the noisy chirping of birds and the sound of wings fluttering as they move from the trees to the roof.
Seo Chi-young opens his eyes, which had been closed in contentment, and looks up. The birds are already out of sight, but their calls continue intermittently from beyond the roof.
Smiling lightly, Seo Chi-young drops his gaze, but in that instant, he freezes in place, his movements coming to a halt.
Jang Ui-geon was standing there, having entered through the wooden door at some point. Beneath the shade of the trees, he stood motionless and silent, gazing at Seo Chi-young.
At first glance, his face was not visible. The sunlight hitting his body also veiled his eyelids; in the dazzling, shimmering light, Jang Ui-geon’s figure was not clearly defined. Thus, Seo Chi-young simply stares at him, blinking twice, three times. Then, he slowly smiles.
“Have you finished your work?”
When Seo Chi-young asks, Jang Ui-geon remains still for a few seconds before slowly nodding. Then, he takes a step and approaches Seo Chi-young.
As he emerges into the sunlight, Jang Ui-geon is not smiling.
Seo Chi-young tilts his head in curiosity.
The expressionless face does not look angry or displeased. He is simply staring at Seo Chi-young with an unreadable gaze, as if trying to pierce through him. Then, finally, under Seo Chi-young’s questioning look, Jang Ui-geon slowly curls the corners of his mouth. As a faint smile appears, the usual light returns to his expression.
“So you were here. I wondered where you’d gone.”
“Yes… Um… was I not supposed to come in?”
When Seo Chi-young speaks with a slightly anxious look, Jang Ui-geon shakes his head.
“That’s not it. It doesn’t matter where you go. As long as you’re careful with the toilet—the water doesn’t drain well.”
At the joking response, Seo Chi-young ends up laughing. Jang Ui-geon also smiles as he approaches and sits beside Seo Chi-young, leaving a gap of a few inches between them.
It’s nice to sit side-by-side and look at a cozy garden, he thinks to himself, and then Seo Chi-young suddenly gives a shy smile.
“I think falling for something happens in a single moment.”
“……..”
As Seo Chi-young speaks softly, Jang Ui-geon gives him his silent attention.
“Or maybe things that have been piling up suddenly overflow at some point, and you realize it all at once… I’ve never once thought that I liked old houses until now.”
Jang Ui-geon silently watches Seo Chi-young as he looks down at the yard with narrowed eyes. Then, he speaks with a calm smile.
“Did you like it? This place?”
Seo Chi-young smiles. Watching Seo Chi-young nod, Jang Ui-geon remains silent for a moment before saying, “Me too.”
“A long time ago, my maternal grandparents’ house was an old hanok like this. After my maternal grandmother passed away—my maternal grandfather had passed before I was even born—the house was settled, so I don’t know how it is now, but that place also had a separate anchae and a small yard in front of it.”
Jang Ui-geon listens quietly to the words Seo Chi-young slowly murmurs. Seo Chi-young suddenly remembers something and smiles.
“But that house was really cold in the winter. It was warm when the charcoal fire was going at night, but by dawn, it became so cold that the floor felt lukewarm even if I burrowed under the blankets, so I’d shiver under the covers until morning.”
In the middle of the story, Seo Chi-young suddenly remembers Jang Ui-geon saying he would move here to live, and asks worriedly, “How is it here? Won’t you be cold in the winter?” Jang Ui-geon pauses for a moment and then lets out a low laugh.
“I heard this place was renovated a few years ago, so there’s nothing to be uncomfortable about, whether it’s winter or summer.”
Though I haven’t actually lived here yet, so I’ll have to wait until this winter to know for sure, he adds, sighing as if he were genuinely worried.
Seo Chi-young nods, saying “That’s a relief,” and smiles again. Even though it was a memory he had forgotten for a long time, now that he has dusted it off and brought it back, he feels a sense of longing and regret, as if it were a treasure.
“My maternal grandmother really adored me, so whenever I visited, she would always hold me tight while we slept every night. She loved me so much she’d practically nibble on my fingers and toes, and she always called me ‘my puppy, our puppy’… but perhaps she was cold too, because at night, she called me something else.”
“………? What did she call you?”
“Our Tangpa, Grandma’s Tangpa. She called me that. And she’d hold me tight all night while we slept.”
Jang Ui-geon laughs out loud. Seo Chi-young laughs along with him.
“Then what did your grandmother call you in the summer?”
“In the summer, I was Cold Rice.”
When Seo Chi-young gives a blunt answer to Jang Ui-geon’s curious question, Jang Ui-geon laughs even louder this time. Seo Chi-young drops his head, looking slightly sullen.
It’s strange. He had forgotten all about it until he brought it up just now; he had buried it in his memories for a very long time without any reason to recall it, yet as soon as he spoke of it, the feelings of that time came back vividly. As if it had happened only yesterday.
“Still, when summer came, she always called me during the hottest part of the day. She’d say, ‘Our puppy must be hot, let’s do a back-wash.’ I’d lie face down under the faucet in the courtyard, and she’d gently pour cold water on my back while stroking me. ……Come to think of it, I don’t see a faucet here.”
How do they water those trees? As Seo Chi-young tilts his head in curiosity, Jang Ui-geon gestures toward the backyard.
“If you go around that side, there’s one in the corner. If you need water on this side, you can just connect a hose… but now that I think about it, you’re right. Should I install another faucet? For back-washing.”
Jang Ui-geon smiles, speaking jokingly. Seo Chi-young plays along with the joke.
“Are you planning to do a back-wash over there, Mr. Jang Ui-geon? Customers will be walking around outside during the hottest part of the day.”
“Outsiders can’t come in this far. It wouldn’t even matter if I stripped completely naked and took a bath instead of just a back-wash.”
Jang Ui-geon speaks as if it’s nothing, but after thinking for a moment, he sighs and shakes his head.
“But I’ll have to look after the shop during the day, so I won’t have time for that… It would be problematic if I were idle enough to have that kind of time. It feels like it’ll take hundreds of years just to recoup the cost of opening the shop.”
Jang Ui-geon sighs somewhat exaggeratedly. The way he rubs his temple looks genuinely worried, and Seo Chi-young finds himself looking at him with a softened gaze.
Come to think of it, that’s true.
He bought a hanok with this much land in this location and is even doing a large-scale renovation. The expenses don’t stop there. Installing other equipment, hiring professional personnel, promoting… it must have cost an amount that Seo Chi-young cannot even fathom.
Seo Chi-young becomes worried along with him, and a shadow falls over his expression. Though he doesn’t know the exact amount, it must be a sum far greater than the debts that are currently crushing and suffocating him.
“I know… I hope it goes well. The monthly interest alone must be enormous…….”
“No, the interest is…”
However, Jang Ui-geon, who had been waving his hand and murmuring lightly, stops mid-sentence. After a moment of silence, he shrugs ambiguously and smiles.
“It’ll go well.”
The casual voice saying it as if it were nothing, combined with the confidence beneath it, held a conviction that made even the listener believe it would truly be so. Just listening to him made Seo Chi-young’s heart slowly ease.
Seo Chi-young smiles at Jang Ui-geon. “You’re right, it’ll go well,” he agrees, and Jang Ui-geon looks down at him in silence for a moment.
Then, cautiously but in a calm tone, Jang Ui-geon speaks.
“Are you doing okay, Chi-young? Come to think of it, it’s the end of the month, so it should be around the time for repayment.”
“Ah… yes, actually, I stopped by the bank this morning to make the deposit. I was just leaving when you called earlier.”
Seo Chi-young flushes slightly but speaks calmly. Jang Ui-geon already knows that Seo Chi-young has debts. It wasn’t particularly shameful to talk about, but since such stories often make the other person’s heart heavy, Seo Chi-young avoided bringing them up if possible.
As the topic comes up, the unresolved problems—the meager balance and the money that must be paid—return to his mind, and Seo Chi-young becomes gloomy. Not wanting to dwell on heavy thoughts while with Jang Ui-geon, he tries to quickly push them out of his head.
“Ah, now that I think about it, you said you were in front of the Nonghyup…” Jang Ui-geon murmurs as if remembering, then after a while of silence, he says casually,
“If it gets too hard, please tell me. Even if it’s not much, I want to help as much as I can. ……Though knowing your personality, Chi-young, I doubt you’ll actually accept any help.”
He adds the comment lightly, almost as if complaining, with a hint of bitterness. Seo Chi-young only nods, giving a clumsy smile and saying, “Thank you.” He hears Jang Ui-geon murmur like a sigh, “I’m not just saying it,” but this time too, Seo Chi-young only smiles.
It wasn’t that he had an impeccable pride or a stubborn streak, but he didn’t want to show a longing or needy side to Jang Ui-geon. Yes, even if he were to cling to anyone else, not Jang Ui-geon. He didn’t want him to think, even for a second, even by a hair’s breadth, that he was meeting him for material reasons.
That was absolutely not it. Not the gaze he held for Jang Ui-geon.
…….Though thinking such things probably wouldn’t be of much use.
Seo Chi-young becomes needlessly flustered and scratches his head awkwardly for a moment before quickly changing the subject and looking around the house again.
“Oh, by the way, if you’re living here… are you living alone? Your family, or maybe people working at the shop, aren’t any other people living with you?”
Jang Ui-geon looks down at Seo Chi-young, who is trying to change the subject while hiding his embarrassment, and then readily follows the topic.
“Yes, I’ll probably have security, but I’ll be the only one actually living here. Since it’s attached to the shop, people will be coming and going until late at night, though.”
“I see… …….It’s so spacious. It must be lonely…”
Looking only at the anchae, it seemed cozy enough for one person, but the house itself, including the sarangchae and annexes, was very large. Thinking that Jang Ui-geon would live alone in a house that would be spacious even for a large family made Seo Chi-young feel lonely on his behalf.
Looking at Seo Chi-young, who speaks with a gloomy face, Jang Ui-geon says nonchalantly,
“Come visit often. Your house is close by anyway. Or you could just move in and live here.”
He seemed to say it casually, but after speaking, Jang Ui-geon fell silent for a moment. Casting his gaze into the air, he slowly strokes his chin and murmurs to himself in a faintly joking tone, “Now that I’ve said it, it doesn’t seem bad…”
Seo Chi-young smiles. Even if it was a joke, the thought of living in such a cozy and elegant house made him feel good. “Thank you for saying so,” he says, smiling without hiding the joy spreading across his face.
Then, he suddenly meets the eyes of Jang Ui-geon, who is looking down at him in silence, and his smile slowly fades in curiosity.
“…….?”
Jang Ui-geon’s gaze is fixed on the corners of Seo Chi-young’s mouth as his smile awkwardly vanishes. That gaze then moves slowly from his lips to his cheeks, his nose, and his eyes.
“……., …….?”
As Seo Chi-young blinks in confusion and looks back at Jang Ui-geon, unable to withstand the gaze and scratching his head in distress, he suddenly hears Jang Ui-geon let out a short chuckle.