By Zephyria 
“Was it around last year? At some point, he started mentioning a new friend here and there, and that’s when things started feeling a bit off. Like, if I changed into a different shirt before heading out, he’d go, ‘Now that I think about it, that person had a shirt in that color too,’ or if a wedding invitation arrived, he’d say, ‘The handwriting is kind of similar to that person’s,’ this bullshit… And then, unable to take it anymore, I asked if he’d found someone he liked, and he denied it with a completely straight face, saying they were just a really good friend, just someone he was grateful to for comforting him during hard times, and that it wasn’t like that.”
“Not like that, my ass,” the man scoffed loudly, wrinkling the bridge of his nose.
“So I told him that if they were such a great person, he should introduce them to me. He just stared blankly without answering for a bit, then said, ‘Uh, well, maybe later,’ and you could tell by his face that he was annoyed. Do you know how much he grumbled and nitpicked every little insignificant thing I did that day? It was honestly ridiculous…”
“Maybe he was just… shy. Or perhaps there was a reason he wanted to keep it a secret…”
“No way. I heard about it later through the grapevine. Apparently, he did try to set them up with someone, but he went to the meeting and completely wrecked the whole thing. He was just an idiot who didn’t even understand his own feelings.”
And he’s not the type to be shy; he was a delinquent who carried condoms in his wallet since high school, the man whispered. While I’m stuck like this, unable to even get married because of work, that brat… As he grumbled, it seemed the man’s personal grievances were mixed into that grudge.
Leaving home and barely keeping in touch, contacting a sick older brother after a long time only to demand money, and condoms in high school…
It might be wrong to say this about someone else’s family, but he seems like a truly terrible brother. Seo Chi-young felt a wave of pity, feeling as though the man’s appearance had somehow become even more haggard than when they first met.
“He did come home for the first time in a while recently. I called him and the rest of the family to have dinner together for my nephew’s hundredth-day celebration, and he really just ate dinner and tried to leave immediately. I told him it was the weekend and since he’d come all this way, he should stay over, but he said that while he might on a weekday, he couldn’t stay over on the weekend. He said he had to go pick up his partner.”
The man waved his chopsticks around, venting his frustration. As sauce splattered onto the table, Seo Chi-young quietly wiped it away and added, “He could have just contacted his partner once in a while to say he couldn’t pick them up for the weekend…” Seeing Seo Chi-young agree, the man took the opportunity and slapped the table. “Exactly! But!”
“My younger sister—she’s met that partner before, so she knows them a bit. When I took out my phone and said I’d call the partner to tell them he couldn’t pick them up today, that brat exploded in anger. He said he’d gone out of his way not to mention the nephew’s hundredth-day party to his partner, and if I called like that, the person would absolutely tell him not to come. He said he was still going to pick them up, but then that person would feel burdened and awkward, while simultaneously thinking he was someone incredibly cold to his family—and then who was going to take responsibility for that? He asked why I was trying to ruin his weekend. He spoke so sternly and precisely, I swear—”
“If I were just ten years younger, I would’ve gone head-to-head with him,” the man vented, gulping down his ice water. When Seo Chi-young agreed again, saying, “It does sound like he’s cold to his family,” the man exclaimed with genuine satisfaction, “Right! Exactly!”
People say family is all they have in the world, but on the other hand, family can be more hated than an enemy if things go wrong. A grandmother who sold vegetables in the alleyway across from here had once said something like that, as if lamenting.
At the time, Seo Chi-young, who worked frantically from dawn until midnight and barely managed two or three hours of sleep in a single-room flat, had returned home the previous night with an exhausted body and cried while turning on the light in the dark room. He wished there was anyone there. His father or mother, who had scattered across the provinces. Or anyone at all. Just one older brother. Just one younger sibling. He wished they just existed.
Though he was no longer piercingly lonely and desolate as he had been then, the memory remained faint. He still occasionally thought with regret that it would have been nice to have a sibling.
That thought remained unchanged, but at the same time, looking at the man, Seo Chi-young thought that if a sibling caused you grief, it might be even more painful because they were family. It hurts when a friend is cold, so how much more would it hurt if it were a sibling?
“Please don’t be too upset. …Here, please have some more of this. Don’t drink too much alcohol, as it’s bad for your health…”
In times like this, he regretted his lack of eloquence in comforting people. Unable to think of a single plausible word that would be helpful, he diligently stir-fried the tripe and served more onto the man’s plate, thinking that it would have been better if Jang Ui-geon were here. He envied that talent of listening intently to someone else’s story and then offering a short, truly helpful piece of comfort or advice.
Fortunately, however, the man seemed greatly comforted by Seo Chi-young’s clumsy consolation. After staring at Seo Chi-young in silence for a moment, the man half-rose from his seat, reached out, and began to pat Seo Chi-young’s head.
“Such a good boy. Our CEO is truly too kind. So upright.”
Blinking in bewilderment, yet remaining still under that hand for fear of offending the man, Seo Chi-young didn’t know what to do. The man continued to mutter in a voice laced with alcohol, “So kind, such a beautiful heart.”
“If a gentle CEO like you were my brother instead of that brat, I’d carry you on my back. Yes, yes, CEO, do you want to be my brother?”
“Pardon? Haha…”
“My older brothers and younger siblings are all sharp, cutting types of people, so I’ve always wished I had one gentle, kind sibling. Well, how about it, CEO? If you don’t want to be my brother, then how about… a son? You’re kind and have a beautiful heart; you’d be perfect as my son.”
Reeking of alcohol, the man seemed quite drunk. Now that he looked, his body was swaying slightly. What should I do, he seems very drunk, Seo Chi-young thought, glancing at the clock and seeing it was nearly ten, the time the man usually left.
As the man continued to babble nonsense about needing a son since he couldn’t get married, Seo Chi-young could only smile awkwardly. He was finally rescued by an order for “one bottle of beer, please!” from another table. By the time Seo Chi-young escaped the man and returned to the counter, the man, who had already emptied his plate, was stumbling to his feet, saying he had to go. And, as always, the man put it on his tab today.
“A son?!”
Jang Ui-geon’s face crumpled instantly.
“He’s not even that much older, but he certainly says some interesting things, doesn’t he? Haha… He must have been very upset because of his brother. From what I heard, it seems he’s been a bit wayward since his student days.”
That day, while stir-frying tripe for Jang Ui-geon, who had arrived shortly after eleven, Seo Chi-young recounted the day’s events and ended up laughing while telling the man’s story.
How upset must he have been because of his family to make a drunken request to adopt a son from someone not much younger than himself? It was both funny and pitiful.
“That brother really needs to stop causing his family so much grief. …Here.”
As Seo Chi-young placed a single serving of tripe that looked like two servings in front of Jang Ui-geon, Jang Ui-geon gave him a piercing stare, his brow furrowed for some reason.
“He said he wanted to make you his son? That man?”
“Pardon? Yes. Since he’s a bit older, I guess he wants to get married and have children soon. It seems his situation isn’t great, so it’s not easy for him… Maybe that’s why his drunken rambling is like that.”
Now that he said it, he felt even more pitiful. It would be nice if he could meet a good person and find stability. This must be why so many middle-aged women in the world can’t leave unmarried men and women alone, Seo Chi-young thought, reaching a new realization as he handed the chopsticks to Jang Ui-geon. However, his hand stopped mid-air. Jang Ui-geon made no move to take the chopsticks and was instead staring at Seo Chi-young with a serious, expressionless face—still with a single furrow in his brow.
“……? Um, the chopsticks…”
“Chi-young. Do you happen to know what it means when someone from the ‘other side’ asks to make you their son?”
Wondering if he had made a mistake, Seo Chi-young looked back at him, only to freeze upon hearing Jang Ui-geon’s question asked with a cold face.
“Pardon? Ah, I know, but… that, that person isn’t like that. He’s not from that side, so he just said it…”
“Are you sure? Can you guarantee it?”
“I can’t exactly guarantee… but still…”
“How old did you say he was? That he looked five or six years older than us?”
Jang Ui-geon picked up a bottle of soju lined up inside the counter, popped the cap with a snap, and filled his glass to the brim.
“Why hasn’t he married by that age? No, if he’s not in a position to marry, why doesn’t he at least date? Why does he keep coming here to guzzle alcohol and make a scene?”
“No, well…”
While Seo Chi-young stammered, unsure of where to focus his answer, Jang Ui-geon emptied the glass of soju, glanced at the visibly flustered Seo Chi-young, and clicked his tongue. Taking the chopsticks from Seo Chi-young, he stuffed a mouthful of tripe into his mouth and gave his usual blunt greeting: “It’s delicious. Thanks, Chi-young.”
“I’m not angry, so don’t look at me so anxiously. When you look at me like that, I feel like I’m being severely scolded.”
“Your eyes get as big as a calf’s,” Jang Ui-geon sighed, his voice softening. Only then did Seo Chi-young relax his shoulders and give a clumsy smile, and Jang Ui-geon picked up a water glass instead of a soju glass, continuing with a sigh.
“I’m not saying I think the man is definitely gay, nor am I saying he’s actually hitting on you. But don’t take people like that too seriously. Not everyone is as kind as you, and while it’s not necessarily true for that specific person, there are many bad people in the world. Especially someone with a tendency to make scenes; there are far more bad things than good things that come from getting close to them, so don’t open your heart too much from the start.”
“……”
“Do I sound too harsh?”
Seo Chi-young shook his head. He could tell from that calm and gentle voice, and that serious yet kind gaze, that Jang Ui-geon was worrying about him. Moreover, Seo Chi-young knew that the words themselves were true.
“…He’s a pitiful person. He said his whole family was torn apart because of his brother. That his family members are all struggling…”
As Seo Chi-young muttered as if making an excuse for the man, Jang Ui-geon rubbed his brow. He looked as if he were worried about getting a wrinkle.
“That could all be a ploy to get sympathy from you.”
“What would he want with my sympathy?”
“……”
Jang Ui-geon looked at Seo Chi-young with a complicated expression. Then, finally, he muttered like a sigh, “Right, he was always like this,” and reached out to grab the back of Seo Chi-young’s neck, pulling him closer. Startled, Seo Chi-young was pulled along, lost his balance, and ended up leaning on Jang Ui-geon’s shoulder. Without hesitation, Jang Ui-geon pulled him in and kissed him.
It was a very brief moment. A kiss where their lips lightly touched and then parted.
But they were outside. Even if they were in a narrow alley, the counter was by the roadside, and there were two or three customers at a table in a corner of the shop. Seo Chi-young’s eyes flew open, and he froze instantly.
“That’s enough. Stop talking about other people now.”
“……”
“Nobody saw.”
“……Yes.”
At Jang Ui-geon’s nonchalant words, Seo Chi-young bowed his head deeply and nodded. Watching Seo Chi-young turn red from his nape to his earlobes, Jang Ui-geon added in a tone like he was talking to himself, “What does it matter if someone sees?”
Because the tone was vaguely cold, Seo Chi-young hesitated and looked up with only his eyes. Jang Ui-geon looked at him with eyes devoid of laughter, clicked his tongue softly, and held out his hand. Seo Chi-young looked down at the hand that might pull him in again, but he silently took it. However, Jang Ui-geon simply held Seo Chi-young’s hand firmly with both of his.
“It’s because I’m quite timid. It feels like everyone is greedy for you.”
“…Nobody is greedy for me.”
Seo Chi-young spoke seriously, but instead of answering, Jang Ui-geon muttered something cryptic to himself: “I guess this is what happens when a person gets something they’ve never had before.”
Seo Chi-young looked silently down at Jang Ui-geon, who was enveloping his hand with both of his. Then, he quietly reached out and covered the back of Jang Ui-geon’s hand. To anyone else, it would surely look strange, but the words What does it matter if someone sees flashed through his mind.
Jang Ui-geon stared up at Seo Chi-young, whose nape was flushed red as he silently held the hand. Seeing a generous smile eventually spread across his face, Seo Chi-young thought: If I can see this face, who cares if someone sees.
It was good, no matter who saw. Even so, only that generous smile would be reflected in Seo Chi-young’s eyes.
「Did you put the bandages on well?」
When Jang Ui-geon asked, Seo Chi-young’s face flushed reflexively. Unconsciously turning his gaze to the shabby mirror hanging on the wall, he saw himself clutching his nape.
Last night had just happened. Yesterday was a weekday, and usually, the end of a weekday consists of walking side-by-side to Seo Chi-young’s house after he closes the shop and parting there.
But yesterday, for some reason, they both walked home in silence, and after hesitating for a long time in front of the house, Jang Ui-geon said in a very low voice, “Can I stop by for a moment? I’ll just sit for a bit and then leave,” and Seo Chi-young nodded. It was one of those rare days, and eventually, things happened just like the cliché ending of “Trust your hyung,” and afterward, Seo Chi-young had to earnestly reply that it was okay and fine while Jang Ui-geon apologized with a crestfallen face. Well, he had no choice but to say it was really okay. Because from the moment he asked if he could stop by, Seo Chi-young had known exactly what would happen.
Still, it was okay. He had already thought about it at the shop. What should I do. I want to touch him. I want to hug him. It would be fine if anyone saw, but if they touched and hugged, they would undoubtedly want to do more than that, and that was something he couldn’t show others. No, he couldn’t show it.
“Yes… I put them on all five spots.”
The marks left on his nape afterward were, of course, something anyone would find attractive, but the moment he looked at his neck in the mirror under the bright morning sunlight, the thought crept up that he shouldn’t just walk around with them exposed. So, on his way to the shop, he bought disposable bandages and applied them here and there on his nape as soon as he arrived.
When he whispered to Jang Ui-geon while they were walking side-by-side to feed the cats this morning that he thought he should put on bandages, Jang Ui-geon, who had been silently staring at Seo Chi-young’s nape, had nodded and said, “That would be better,” so he had no choice but to wear them.
Fortunately, the worst part was hidden by his clothes, and there were only about five marks on the part of his neck exposed above the collar. So he had spent the day with bandages slapped on those spots.
「……Five spots? There should have been six.」
“Pardon? No, two on the right and three on the left… excluding the parts covered by clothes.”
As Seo Chi-young spoke while checking the mirror again, Jang Ui-geon, who had been silent for a moment on the phone, whispered in a dismayed tone.
「There should be one more on the back of your neck. ……You probably didn’t see it because it’s in a spot that’s not visible..」
Startled, Seo Chi-young twisted his neck as much as he could and looked closely into the mirror. As he pulled at his skin and searched diligently, just as he said, a red mark was faintly visible in the back, a spot not easily seen in the mirror.
“Ah, seriously,” Seo Chi-young muttered, and Jang Ui-geon must have heard him because he clicked his tongue.
「Put one there too. Don’t let anyone see.」
“Yes… uh…”
But it was already nearly night. Everyone who needed to be seen had likely seen him. Even if they hadn’t seen the back of his neck, the five bandages plastered across his nape were exceptionally conspicuous—or at least, they were enough to draw attention—and the gazes of the people coming and going from the shop had lingered there and shifted away several times already.
Thinking that applying more was probably pointless by now, he nonetheless fumbled through the drawer under the counter and pulled out the remaining bandages from earlier.
「I’m sorry.」
A slightly subdued voice came through the phone.
「I should have been more careful, but I couldn’t help myself…」
“Oh, no. I, I also, couldn’t help…”
As he spoke, Seo Chi-young felt as if he were subtly digging his own grave, so he shut his mouth mid-sentence. His neck felt as though it were turning red instantly, as if that alone would cover the marks. The silence that followed in the phone only made his neck grow redder.
「Take it easy. It must be exhausting… and cool down your face.」
The latter part of the sentence that flowed from the phone made Seo Chi-young’s face grow even hotter. Jang Ui-geon seemed to hear the quiet “Yes” Chi-young whispered to himself, as the sound of a chuckle escaped him.
「I should be there to help you with the shop… I really need to do something about this damn place of mine…」
Jang Ui-geon clicked his tongue. His own shop seemed incredibly busy even now, as the sound of someone calling for the CEO could be heard in the background. Chi-young could almost see Jang Ui-geon gesturing and mouthing for them to wait a moment.
“It seems like it’ll be hard for you to come early today as well. Jun-young said he was coming by in a bit, but he probably won’t be able to stay long.”
「Is that so? Then I’ll miss him. Please give him my regards.」
Hearing the constant calls for the CEO in the background, it seemed it was time to hang up. Just as Chi-young was about to say, “Yes, I will,” and end the call, Jang Ui-geon hesitated for a moment and said 「I’m sorry」 once more. Chi-young remembered how Ui-geon had looked at him with pity this morning as he walked slowly. It must have continued to weigh on his mind.
「I’m sorry. I’ll restrain myself on weekdays from now on.」
“No, it’s really okay.”
「Really?」
“Yes… though, well, weekends would be better.”
When Chi-young answered readily but then hesitated and added the last part tentatively, Jang Ui-geon chuckled. At that moment, the call of “CEO!” came from behind again, and Jang Ui-geon’s voice quickened, as if he truly intended to hang up now.
「I’ll get there as fast as I can. Even if you finish up early, don’t tidy up first; just leave it. I’ll do it when I get there.」
“Yes, take your time.”
Seo Chi-young smiled quietly as he pulled the phone away from his ear, the line cutting off after a faint response of “Sorry, yeah, what is it?” echoed from the other end. His body felt languid and weary, but he loved how these short conversations soothed his heart.
Putting the phone in his apron pocket and turning around with a contented sigh, Seo Chi-young suddenly flinched and recoiled. In the seat in front of the counter, which had been empty just a moment ago, a man was now sitting without a sound, staring intently at him. It was the man rumored to be a frequent nuisance.
“Oh… welcome. When did you get here?”
Sootheing his pounding heart, Seo Chi-young smiled and greeted the familiar face. He had been startled by the sudden appearance.
“Just now. You were on the phone so affectionately that I stayed quiet so as not to disturb you.”
“Have you been waiting this whole time? I’m sorry.”
“No, no,” the man waved his hand with a generous expression and said nonchalantly, “Give me some gopchang. And a bottle of soju.” Seo Chi-young quickly replied “Yes” and began taking out the ingredients.
“By the way, who is it? Your lover?”
“Huh? Oh… yes…”
As Seo Chi-young bowed his head with a shy smile, the man’s gaze landed on the nape of his neck. One, two, three—scanning each bandage—the man poured the soju Chi-young handed him into an empty glass and asked again.
“What kind of person are they? How did you start dating?”
“Oh, I’ve liked him for a very long time. He’s a kind and truly wonderful person… so, I think heaven helped us.”
As Seo Chi-young gave an awkward laugh, the man sipped the soju and nodded indifferently. “I see. That’s nice.”
“I fought with my younger brother again today. That brat called me again, throwing a fit and demanding money. I have to do something; I can’t live like this.”
The man grumbled, coughing a lingering cough, as if he were being chased by debt collectors. His voice was so raspy that it was hard to understand without listening very closely.
“Do you know how I raised that brat? I hugged him, carried him on my back, helped him with his vacation homework—that’s how I raised him. But then he just ran away from home, and whenever I call about family matters, he tells me, ‘Settle family matters among the people who stayed.’ As if I’m not even family!”
At the man’s remark about how cold and selfish his brother was, Seo Chi-young found himself nodding unconsciously. While it’s true that someone busy surviving might not have the capacity to reach out to others, it was understandable to feel hurt by such a reaction.
Just as Seo Chi-young began stir-frying the gopchang for the man, telling him not to be too upset, Yoon Jun-young stepped inside the shop.
“Welcome.”
“Yes… it’s quite flashy.”
As he pulled out a chair to sit, Yoon Jun-young’s gaze immediately went to Seo Chi-young’s neck. Looking back at him in confusion, Seo Chi-young realized Jun-young was staring intently at the bandages on his nape and nearly dropped his spatula.
“Yes, ah, this is, a bug… no, just by chance…”
Making excuses to someone who knew exactly what had happened felt pathetic. So, Seo Chi-young simply lowered his head with a red face and mumbled. While the gaze of strangers was embarrassing, the gaze of someone who knew exactly who he was dating felt ten times more explicit and embarrassing.
Yoon Jun-young clicked his tongue and picked up his chopsticks.
“Don’t be too indulgent. You’re too soft, so that guy…”
Muttering as he aligned his chopsticks, Yoon Jun-young suddenly felt a gaze approaching from the side and glanced over. The man who had been sitting in the next seat was staring intently at him.
“……….”
“……….”
Yoon Jun-young stopped the hand that was selecting the chopsticks. One chopstick slipped from his hand and clattered to the floor.
As he continued to blink while locked in a gaze with the man, seemingly unaware that the chopstick had fallen, Seo Chi-young was about to open his mouth to tell him, when a loud order erupted from inside the shop: “CEO, one beer and one soju here! Two glasses too! And some kimchi!”
Ah, I should have portioned the kimchi from the big container, Seo Chi-young thought, clicking his tongue as he quickly stood up. After bringing the alcohol to the table, he moved busily in the inner kitchen. Even then, orders for another soju and another serving of gopchang came in, keeping his hands and feet occupied.
He didn’t know why things were dead quiet one moment and then suddenly swarmed with work the next. Seo Chi-young worked hard in front of the kitchen, busily moving back and forth through the shop.
Once the rush had subsided and he returned to the counter, he saw Yoon Jun-young sitting quietly with a straight posture. He said he didn’t have much time today, but I’ve kept him waiting, Seo Chi-young said with an apologetic face, “I’m sorry. I’ll stir-fry yours quickly,” and his hands began to move nimbly again. For once, Yoon Jun-young didn’t mention the gopchang and simply nodded quietly with his mouth shut.
The man next to him, who had been sipping soju, stared at Seo Chi-young as he tossed the ingredients on the griddle and suddenly asked:
“I’ve been wondering for a while now, CEO, those things on your neck—did your lover do that?”
“Huh? …Yes…”
As expected, it was visible to everyone. Seo Chi-young nodded hesitantly, his face turning red instantly.
“Must be nice, having a lover like that. I spent my youth working my bones off to make money and couldn’t even make a lover… my family didn’t even care… and that brother of mine even openly mocks me. He asks if it’s any good to just work without a lover. Hmph, as if he remembers his own days as a tadpole! Do you know how kindly I gave him advice when he was struggling with a one-sided love for someone who was already taken?! I told him he didn’t stand a chance and to give up quickly.”
That advice probably didn’t sound very kind, Seo Chi-young thought to himself, while aloud he agreed, “Your brother was a bit too much.” Noticing Yoon Jun-young, who was quietly drinking water—perhaps thinking similarly or perhaps something else entirely—Seo Chi-young asked curiously:
“Does the water taste strange?”
“…No. It’s fine.”
He had recently changed the bottled water delivery company, and since Jun-young had a subtle expression while drinking, he had been slightly worried. However, seeing him shake his head and return to his usual expressionless face, he felt relieved.
“You think so too, right, CEO? He’s a heartless brat, isn’t he? The lover he’s dating is pitiful too, right?”
“Huh? Oh… yes, well.”
He wasn’t sure if the lover was pitiful, but he nodded with a clumsy smile. The man nodded vigorously, leaned forward, and asked again.
“It would be better to break up with a guy like that, right?”
“Huh? Ah… well… but you said you’re on good terms. Should they break up?”
“That’s the problem! That brat acts all kind in public, but in reality, he’s petty, mean, and never lets go of something once he likes it. He’s the type who would use any means necessary in the end. Being a stalker isn’t a stranger’s story for him!”
“I see… I hope they break up well…”
Since his own older brother spoke of him in such a way, that younger brother must truly be a strange person. Seo Chi-young nodded seriously.
It was then. The phone in his apron pocket rang. He checked and saw it was Jang Ui-geon. Perhaps there was something he hadn’t finished saying, or maybe he was going to be later than expected.
Just as Seo Chi-young asked for a moment’s excuse and was about to answer the phone, the man suddenly bolted upright from his seat and thrust out his hand.
“Give that to me.”
“Huh?”
“Give it, hurry.”
The man glared and waved his hand, demanding it without explanation. Flustered and blinking, Seo Chi-young instinctively placed the phone in the man’s hand. He then watched blankly as the man checked the screen and answered the call.
“Yes, hello. —CEO, is your name Seo Chi-young? Ah, really? Yes, that’s right. Haha, what do you care who I am?”
The man answered the phone in a raspy voice, coughing like an old man, but with an openly sarcastic tone. In front of him, Seo Chi-young just blinked, completely dazed, unable to even grasp the situation due to the suddenness of it all.
“Yeah, yeah, your lover is with me right now. —Why do you need to know who I am? Switch? Switch what? I’m not switching. Huh? You’re like some beast that’s marked its territory, putting things like that on his neck. Are you afraid someone will steal him away, eh? I see him clearly; he’s way too good for you! Why, he says he wants to break up with you too! Do you think I’m crazy enough to wait for you? No way, you brat.”
Before Seo Chi-young could even regain his senses, the man rattled off a stream of words, snorted, and abruptly hung up the phone. Only then did Seo Chi-young snap back to reality.
“Cu-cu-customer?!”
“Now that brat will probably come charging here with fire in his eyes. Goodness, how can one live in fear like this.”
“Here, take it,” the man said, tossing the phone back to Seo Chi-young. Barely catching the phone he almost dropped, Seo Chi-young continued to blink with wide eyes, when the man suddenly leaned in close to him.
“Since our CEO is so kind, I’ll tell you one thing. That guy will probably want to grind me into powder if he finds out, but I’m telling you because I have a gut feeling about you. CEO, break up with that guy quickly. I’m incredibly good at reading people. You can’t stay like this. You have to break up soon. Otherwise,”
Suddenly, the man stopped talking and shuddered. With a face twisted in horror, he whispered as if sharing a secret.
“You’re likely to spend your whole life with that guy.”
It sounded like a line from the climax of a horror movie. Swept up in the atmosphere, Seo Chi-young unconsciously shrugged his shoulders in a chill.
“Well, you’ll probably live without worrying about food or clothes, but anyway, if you’re unlucky, you’ll likely be trapped by him until your black hair turns white as a scallion, so think carefully! It already feels a bit late, so you must escape before it’s too late! Be careful!”
The man gripped both of Seo Chi-young’s shoulders and warned him with a very serious expression. Right. This customer really is good at reading people. But what did he say just now? To be careful? Seo Chi-young nodded unconsciously, listening seriously, then tilted his head. The situation had swirled around him so suddenly that he couldn’t keep up.
Meanwhile, the man muttered, “If I drive from there to here…” and checked his watch, then grabbed his jacket and hurried out. He vanished like a bolt of lightning, unaware that his wallet had fallen out of his pocket. Watching the man’s retreating back, Seo Chi-young could only mutter, “Huh…?”
Something very strange had just happened. It felt as if an incomprehensible event had flashed before his eyes. That is, …Ui-geon.
Coming to his senses belatedly, Seo Chi-young hurriedly pressed the call button. He quickly tried to call Jang Ui-geon, who had suddenly been pelted with a bucket of random nonsense, but the phone didn’t pick up even after a long time. Listening to the ringing, Seo Chi-young felt anxious and bewildered, not knowing what to do.
Why did that customer suddenly do that? Did he drink too much? Why was he suddenly so worked up? Why take his anger out on a random person? As he blinked in confusion while holding the phone, Seo Chi-young noticed Yoon Jun-young, who had been sitting quietly in the front seat, lean down and pick up the wallet that had fallen on the floor. It was the wallet the man had left behind. Yoon Jun-young smacked his lips with a somewhat lonely expression, tossed the wallet onto the table, and stood up.
“I’ll be going now.”
“Huh? Ah, um, it was noisy, wasn’t it? I’m sorry. Just a moment, it’s almost finished stir-frying.”
Flustered by Yoon Jun-young’s statement that he would leave without even eating the gopchang that was still cooking, Seo Chi-young hung up the phone. Yoon Jun-young glanced down at the griddle but soon shook his head.
“No, I’ve lost my appetite. I’ll come and eat next time.”
“Oh, but…”
Feeling sorry to send him away after he had come all this way, Seo Chi-young was just stepping out from behind the counter when he saw someone approaching rapidly behind Yoon Jun-young, who was putting on his jacket. The person who burst in with a fierce face, devoid of any trace of a smile, was Jang Ui-geon.
Making eye contact first with Yoon Jun-young, who was putting on his jacket and picking up his bag, Jang Ui-geon lightly tapped his arm and said, “Oh, leaving? Then get home safely,” before storming into the shop with piercing eyes. Yoon Jun-young stared at his back and turned away with a sigh.
“I told you, that Hyung is creepy…”
Muttering to himself, Yoon Jun-young gave a slight nod of greeting to Seo Chi-young, who was looking at Jang Ui-geon in bewilderment, and left. And Seo Chi-young, who had originally intended to stop Yoon Jun-young, was so preoccupied with Jang Ui-geon—who had arrived only minutes after the phone call ended—that he could only send a parting greeting: “I’m sorry. Please come again next time.” However, he couldn’t stay sorry for long. Jang Ui-geon, after scanning the shop, turned to Seo Chi-young.
“Who was that person?”
His voice was dripping with ice.
A few customers in the shop looked bewilderedly at Jang Ui-geon, who had suddenly burst in and stood like a stone statue, scanning the room with fierce eyes. Glancing at them, Jang Ui-geon decided he shouldn’t ruin the atmosphere any further and stepped outside. Seo Chi-young followed him out, muttering.