By Zephyria Thanks to the meat and fruit Lee Do-hyeon had provided, Ryu Jeong ate a more splendid meal than ever before. The meat was so tender that it slid down his throat without much effort from his jaw. He understood why the expression “melts in your mouth” existed.
Ryu Jeong ate the grilled meat with salt, on top of white rice, and wrapped in kimchi that Old Lady Jeong had given him. For dessert, he ate fruit. There were not only apples and pears but also many fruits with unfamiliar shapes, so he had to consider what to eat first. After a moment of deliberation, he chose mango, which was also on the cafe’s smoothie menu. It was difficult to prepare, but it was several times sweeter and more delicious than when eaten as a smoothie, so he unknowingly peeled and ate two of them right there. Ryu Jeong learned for the first time that day that if a person eats too much, it becomes difficult to breathe.
Whether it was the aftermath of the overeating or not, Ryu Jeong, who had fallen into a deep sleep from the fatigue, woke up feeling unwell. Apart from the good feeling of being full, he had been trying to endure the cold without heating as much as possible to save on briquette costs, so he had curled up and fallen asleep on the cold floor. The unprecedented overeating and sleeping in the freezing cold combined seemed to have caused a real problem.
He felt chills and his body shivered even when he was still, and his stomach churned as if he were about to throw up at any moment. His head kept throbbing and he felt dizzy, so Ryu Jeong, unable to bear it any longer, ran straight to the bathroom. But nothing came out. He even poked his throat with his fingers to induce vomiting, but only sour stomach acid came up.
“Um, please give me some medicine for indigestion…”
No matter how sick he was, he had to go to work. Ryu Jeong, having finished preparing on time, stopped by the pharmacy before going to the chicken rib restaurant. When he entered with a pale face and dripping with cold sweat, the surprised pharmacist handed him a liquid medicine and pills that were good for indigestion. Ryu Jeong took them on the spot and even bought some general cold medicine just in case before leaving.
The CEO of the chicken rib restaurant, the kitchen staff, and even the cafe part-timers all commented that Ryu Jeong’s complexion was not good whenever they saw him. In particular, the cafe CEO offered to cover the last hour himself and told him to leave work early, but considering the unexpected expense of buying medicine, even an hour’s worth of wages felt like a waste. Ryu Jeong forced a smile and insisted he was okay until he left work on time.
Dragging his heavy legs, Ryu Jeong barely made it back home and collapsed onto the floor, falling asleep. He was supposed to eat a simple dinner before going to his convenience store night shift, but he was too exhausted to even think about it.
As dusk fell and the sun completely dropped below the mountains of Moon Village, Ryu Jeong faintly opened his eyes. He had hoped he would feel better after sleeping, but his condition was getting worse. His stomach kept churning, hot breaths escaped his lips, and a chilling cold ran down his spine. He wondered what to do with his hair, which was soaked with cold sweat, but decided it would be better not to wash it at all rather than wash it with cold water, so he pulled his baseball cap down low.
“Ryu Jeong!”
After taking another general cold medicine pill, he staggered to work at the convenience store. As he pushed open the glass door with a hand that lacked strength, the Shop Owner, who had been pacing around the store with his arms crossed, rushed over to him.
“Hello…”
“Forget the greetings. I heard about it from Noh Hee-cheol yesterday. What’s going on?”
“What…”
He frowned slightly, not knowing what he was talking about. Soon, Ryu Jeong realized what he was talking about and distorted his expression even more. Fortunately, his distorted face was not noticed thanks to the cap he was wearing.
“I heard you went around with meat and fruit, asking for consent for redevelopment! But why are they looking for you, Ryu Jeong?”
The Shop Owner kept grabbing Ryu Jeong, who was trying to go behind the counter to change his clothes. Eventually, he grabbed Ryu Jeong’s arm and held on tightly, preventing him from going anywhere. As if he didn’t see Ryu Jeong staggering, unable to resist, the Shop Owner widened his eyes and shook the arm he was holding, demanding he say something.
“Where did they come from? You have their business card, right? Give it to me if you have it.”
“Uh, I don’t have it…”
Ryu Jeong leaned against the counter to steady himself. Even though he almost fell, the Shop Owner didn’t apologize and instead clicked his tongue in annoyance.
“You didn’t even get the most important thing?”
“Tsk.” The Shop Owner sighed deeply, frustrated. He pounded his chest with his clenched fist. He had been eagerly waiting to talk to Ryu Jeong after hearing the whole story from his son, but it seemed he would get nothing out of it compared to the time he had waited, so he began to feel anxious.
“Then don’t you know anything else? That guy knew your name, so you must have talked to him at least once. Didn’t he tell you anything else about the redevelopment?”
“…No.”
All Ryu Jeong knew was that a hotel would be built on the current Moon Village site. Ryu Jeong had not heard or asked which construction company Lee Do-hyeon would involve, what the schedule would be, and the amount of compensation that the Shop Owner was most interested in. Even if he had heard, he had no intention of telling the Shop Owner. Ryu Jeong already regretted telling Noh Hee-cheol about the redevelopment. He didn’t want to see Lee Do-hyeon in a difficult position anymore.
He tried to hide his embarrassment behind his cap, but the quick-witted Shop Owner keenly read the hesitation that lasted only a few seconds. He painfully grabbed Ryu Jeong’s shoulder, who was trying to subtly avoid him, and pulled him in.
“You’re not the only one living in Moon Village.”
Why am I still in this damn neighborhood?
He had been waiting for the redevelopment for decades. Even though he could have left long ago, he thought he could be compensated for the time he had waited if the redevelopment went through. If he could get proper compensation and sell the membership rights to the apartment that would be built on this site for a premium, he would be much better off than he is now.
But after the redevelopment, which had been rumored for years, fell through a few years ago, all the residents who had been raising their voices together had left. Among the remaining residents, there had to be someone to strongly push the opinion forward. In the Shop Owner’s opinion, apart from the frail old people, his ignorant son, and the timid part-timer Ryu Jeong, the only person left, namely himself, was the right person. But the fact that the person who came to do the redevelopment sought out Ryu Jeong instead of him was driving him crazy. Ryu Jeong would surely nod his head and say yes to whatever the construction company said. Anyway, you pathetic bastard.
“Ryu Jeong-ah. Don’t think I’m scolding you for no reason. You’ll have to leave this neighborhood someday, and what if you leave without getting anything? What, are you going to live on the streets? No, right?”
The Shop Owner, forcibly suppressing his anger, sighed deeply and said,
“We’re doing this for our rights. Both me and you, how many years have we lived in Moon Village? We can’t just leave our beloved home for a small amount of money, right?”
“…Yes…”
The Shop Owner brought his face close to Ryu Jeong’s under the brim of his cap and urged him to answer. Only when he reluctantly answered did he nod in satisfaction.
“If they come again, tell them to talk to the adults and give them my contact information. You know my number, right?”
Too weak to answer, he just nodded silently. The Shop Owner, who had been glaring at Ryu Jeong with a dissatisfied expression, noticed that he was unusually weak and belatedly checked on him.
“Are you sick?”
“No, I’m just a little tired…”
Ryu Jeong’s face was red for someone who said he wasn’t. He was barely keeping his eyes open and breathing heavily, which was not a good sign.
“You’re a young guy, why are you always getting sick?”
He could have at least asked if he was okay, but the Shop Owner got annoyed and stormed off, asking why he was making a fuss about being sick. It seemed he was afraid that Ryu Jeong might ask him for something.
Ryu Jeong stared blankly at the glass door that closed with a jingle, then went into the storage room. He took off the padding that had become flimsy due to the lining falling out from being worn so much, put on the convenience store vest, and came outside. Usually, he would have been briskly walking around the shelves as soon as he came to work, but he was sick, so his body wouldn’t move as he wanted.
So, instead of working, Ryu Jeong dragged the chair that Noh Hee-cheol always sat on and sat down, leaning over the counter. Pressing his forehead against the relatively cold counter made him feel a little better.
I shouldn’t have been greedy and eaten food I don’t usually eat… How badly must I have indigestion for the upset stomach I felt in the morning to not go away by midnight? I should have bought another digestive medicine. Ryu Jeong, who was constantly rubbing his already pale hands, let out a hot breath through his nose.
If he had at least told me to take it easy, I wouldn’t have been so worried, but the Shop Owner left without saying anything, so I couldn’t just sit there. Ryu Jeong lightly licked his constantly parched lips and stood on the ground with legs that lacked strength. The thought of having to guard the convenience store alone for nine hours filled him with despair.
I hope it’s not busy today. At least I hope not many customers come… Ryu Jeong, muttering a futile wish, headed to the walk-in to fill the drinks.
“Haaah…”
The cooler air than the store made him breathe a pleasant sigh. He had been feeling a burning sensation even when he was still because he had started to get a fever. He leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths and waiting for his body to feel a little better before going inside. It was the moment he took a step forward. His vision spun and his legs gave way.
“Ah…!”
Ryu Jeong fell to the floor. As he fell, he unknowingly grabbed the shelf, causing the drinks piled high on the shelf to come crashing down on Ryu Jeong. Cans and plastic bottles, he didn’t know how many, struck Ryu Jeong’s back and shoulders, but he didn’t have time to feel the pain. The reason was that the moment he fell with a short scream, he felt a wet liquid bursting out behind him.