By Zephyria 
Just as Hyung predicted, it wasn’t difficult to run into the man who had started commuting to the building right next door. I ran into him even when I went out to eat at awkward hours, and I bumped into him at the first-floor cafe. Since I’m practically glued to Minho twenty-four hours a day unless something special is happening, we’d reached a level of familiarity where we recognized each other—which said everything.
If that guy didn’t have a cafe in his own office building, he should just go somewhere else nearby. I couldn’t for the life of me understand why he kept insisting on coming all the way here.
“…….”
I glared at the man standing near the pickup counter, his legs shaking slightly. The man, who had a fairly solid build, was laughing while talking to his companions. Today, he was dressed in a sleek suit with his hair neatly swept back.
It was a relief that Minho was out on a business trip and not in the building; otherwise, I might have just locked the executive office and forbidden him from stepping a single foot outside.
As I glared, hoping he would leave quickly, Hong-ju placed two takeout cups on the pickup counter. The loafer who received the coffee said something with a smile to our Bam-tori. Simultaneously, a vein popped on Gyu-oh’s forehead.
What the hell is that guy doing? How dare he flirt around here?
I stared at the man’s back until he left the cafe. Once I confirmed he had completely vanished from the building, Gyu-oh reached out his hand. Then, he snapped his thumb and middle finger together with a loud click. Despite the distance, Hong-ju, who was just tidying up the pickup counter, looked over.
‘Come on.’
I mouthed the words silently. Hong-ju, who had a deadpan expression, said something to a fellow employee. Having understood my message, he soon approached.
“What did that guy just say?”
“The customer? I believe he said thank you…?”
“Thank you? Where does he think he’s playing games? Don’t smile at him.”
“……Excuse me?”
His expression looked as if I were talking nonsense, but Gyu-oh didn’t back down. Instead, as if threatening him, I tapped the table repeatedly and raised the pitch of my voice.
“I told you not to smile in front of that customer. He’s a very dangerous person.”
“…….”
“Don’t sell coffee to that man from now on. If he complains, I’ll handle everything.”
A look of pity flickered across the clear face before disappearing. Soon, Hong-ju nodded and replied.
“……Alright.”
“Did you actually understand? Your eyes say otherwise.”
“I understood.”
I don’t think so. Even after getting a confirmation, I continued to doubt and interrogate him.
Got it? You really understood? You’ll do as I say? Right? Every time I raised my voice at the end of a sentence, Hong-ju dutifully answered, “Yes.” It felt like he was just answering without actually listening, but surely that was just my imagination.
“I understood everything. I’ll refuse his order and kick him out.”
As if telling me not to say another word, Hong-ju repeated the same phrase several times and whipped around. It seemed Bam-tori had now completely mastered the art of ignoring my words. Just as I thought he had left for his station, he returned shortly after carrying a tray. When I tilted my head at the sight of the bread piled high, the answer came: “You looked like you were hungry.”
“Ha, Won Gyu-oh’s pride is completely gone.”
Did I look so sensitive from hunger that I was talking nonsense? I chewed and swallowed the bread; it was absurd, but it tasted good.
I should come out on patrol to the cafe more often. If I let my guard down, Hyung and that man might run into each other. No matter how mature a boyfriend he is, it’s only right to keep a strict watch.
By the time I had cleared the mountain of bread on the tray, Minho, who had been out on business, returned. Even though I hadn’t told him I was at the cafe, he came and plopped himself down in the empty seat opposite me.
“Why are you being a nuisance here?”
“I just quietly ate bread.”
I had intentionally avoided touching the cup, eating only the dry bread. Minho grabbed that cup and gulped down the coffee. I wanted to make a fuss about it being an indirect kiss, but for some reason, I wasn’t in the mood to joke. Won Gyu-oh had certainly evolved into a mature boyfriend who doesn’t get jealous, but it was truly a mystery why.
“I saw that man again.”
“Who?”
“Who else? Manager Jang Jae-yeon. Over 183cm, deep double eyelids. Phone number is 010-425…….”
What I rattled off were the man’s characteristics as Gyu-oh remembered them and the information written on the business card. Minho blinked blankly, and only then did he let out a small gasp of realization.
“You memorized that?”
“I just glanced at it once.”
“You’re impressive, too.”
“I absolutely did not memorize it. I definitely never looked at it multiple times.”
I put a firm period on the statement, but for some reason, Minho didn’t look like he believed me.
“Anyway, there’s something I’m curious about regarding that person.”
“You won’t know even if you ask. I told you we weren’t that close.”
Gyu-oh swept the inside of his cheek with his tongue and tilted his head crookedly. I remembered the advice to stop doing that because it made me look too delinquent, but I found myself leaning into the attitude unconsciously.
“……Did Hyung call him first? That bastard sent a signal first, didn’t he? Right?”
I had no memory of encountering that man while working. Therefore, I had no way of gauging what kind of atmosphere existed between Minho and the man, or how they exchanged signals. I was simply too curious.
“I don’t remember.”
“No, there’s such a thing as an average. On average, did the other party do it first? You didn’t just suddenly lock eyes as if sparks were flying, huh?”
I pushed the tray full of bread crumbs to one side and leaned my upper body forward. Despite the narrowed distance, Minho remained motionless with his arms crossed.
“I thought you weren’t curious.”
“Yeah. It’s not like I’m dying of curiosity. Just for confirmation?”
In truth, that wasn’t it. All sorts of scenarios were playing out in my head. Of course, I knew there had been no connection beyond a single encounter with Hyung, and that he had deleted all the contacts he used to browse when bored.
To be honest, I was fucking jealous. Unlike the guys Hyung had chewed up and spat out, this man was very handsome, mature… and though I hated to admit it, they seemed to suit each other quite well.
“I don’t know. It’s not something worth remembering.”
Minho, sipping the remaining coffee, replied with a shrug. I was the only one getting anxious at his indifferent attitude.
“……Hmm.”
“Are you going to keep asking things like that? Or do you want to stay and keep staring at that?”
Minho pointed outside the cafe. Glancing back, the building across the street was visible through the cafe window. On the first floor, there was an advertisement featuring a familiar face. It felt as if the ex-girlfriend holding the perfume bottle was mocking me. Gyu-oh, what are you going to do? You’re screwed. It felt as if that message was written in her dark eyes.
“Absolutely not! I didn’t even know there was a billboard there! I’m seeing it for the first time in my life, right now!”
“If you keep asking, I’ll have no choice but to bring that up too.”
“I get it……”
I muttered loud enough for him to hear, pouting. Minho started to respond but ultimately shut his mouth and shook his head. It meant he was giving up on the conversation. I figured I shouldn’t let him think I was tiresome for acting like an immature child, so I decided to stop here for today.
“Let’s stop talking about things that aren’t even that great. Ji-ho says he’ll probably arrive at the airport around 11. I’ll book the restaurant for 1, okay?”
Minho changed the subject instantly. The image of the man’s back kept flickering in my mind, but Gyu-oh tried to shake his head to erase it.
“Got it. You’re taking the whole day off then, right?”
“Yeah. He’s only staying for a day, but… I think he’ll sleep over at home.”
Minho’s younger brother, Ji-ho, had stayed in Japan for fifteen days for a performance. Before returning to Germany, he was given two days of free time and decided to stop by Korea briefly.
After hearing the news, Minho seemed to be agonizing over it quite a bit. He seemed to want to provide only the absolute best for his brother, who was visiting Korea for the first time in several years. They had gone through the date courses he had saved previously, one by one, and picked out the places he liked most.
“When he comes, I’ll really treat him right. Since he’s Hyung’s brother.”
“Do that.”
Unlike when we were talking about the man, a smile spread across Minho’s face.
Right, let’s not say things that make Hyung uncomfortable. I’m in a position where I have something to be guilty about too. Let’s endure the jealousy, Won Gyu-oh. I comforted myself and vowed not to let it show.
However, there was one thing Gyu-oh overlooked. He was more jealous than he thought, and when it came to Cha Minho, his grudges were immense.