By Zephyria Life in the East Sea was gradually stabilizing. Seo Jeong-won had grown accustomed to having meals with Go Jin-hee, and he had also built some rapport with Song Hae-seop’s uncle, Song Jeong-sik.
He was an incredibly talkative man. He often took out expensive clutches or bags that didn’t match his dark skin and worn clothes and showed them to Seo Jeong-won. Occasionally, he would flick his wrist and bring a heavy-looking gold bracelet close to his face, and despite the cold weather, he would wear a jade-green knit sweater with a deeply plunging neckline and a shiny gold necklace, pacing back and forth as if asking to be noticed. Until he was recognized, that is. When Seo Jeong-won scrutinized him as if playing a spot-the-difference game and guessed the answer correctly, he would clap his hands with his gold-ringed fingers.
Each time, Seo Jeong-won would cover his eyes and say it was dazzling. He was being jocular, something he had never done before, because Song Jeong-sik liked it. He felt compelled to do this much since he was receiving help from Song Hae-seop and his family. After enduring the awkwardness and playing along with him for a while, Song Jeong-sik would finally seem satisfied and head out to sea on a boat with the fishermen who came to the guesthouse.
Then, Seo Jeong-won’s routine, as well-organized as ever, was to slowly walk down from the guesthouse to Go Jin-hee’s restaurant, have lunch with her, have a short conversation, and then return home. This daily life was leisurely, ordinary, and precious.
“I’m here,” Seo Jeong-won said, pushing open the thin glass door. Go Jin-hee, who had just taken a pot off the stove, grinned broadly.
“You came just in time?”
“Really?”
“Yeah, you’re not late. It’s a good thing, because sujebi gets gross when it’s soggy.”
Seo Jeong-won, who once again looked around the empty restaurant with no customers, opened his mouth to Go Jin-hee, who was generously ladling sujebi into a bowl.
“I guess there aren’t any customers because it’s winter. The food is really delicious, though.”
“We still get a lot of customers in the evening. It’s packed, you know.”
Go Jin-hee was grateful and sorry that the little one was always worrying about her. Every time his good nature was revealed, her sympathy for Seo Jeong-won deepened. She was only supposed to do what she was told, so she shouldn’t let her emotions get involved… but he was too innocent and kind to treat it as just a job. Unlike Seo Jeong-won, the baby in her belly was more picky than she expected. It definitely rejected anything with a strong scent or a strong taste, but it was well-behaved enough to eat bland food without seasoning.
“Are there any leftovers?”
“Yes, there are leftovers. There’s also scorched rice. I’m not hungry when I eat that. Is it because it’s rice?”
“That’s good. Do you have rice?”
“Yes. Hae-seop Hyung sends me all sorts of things from Seoul. He sends me meal kits and meat, too.”
Go Jin-hee took care of Seo Jeong-won as if he were family. It was only natural since he was here to do that job. She didn’t go to Seo Jeong-won’s house and open the refrigerator herself, but she naturally talked to him to check how much food was left. These days, she would figure out what he wanted to eat and inform Chief Jung, and then Seoul would provide Seo Jeong-won with food as if Song Hae-seop had sent it.
“I can eat lunch by myself now, too. The meal kits are really well-made, so they’re easy to cook.”
“Why? Is it uncomfortable eating here?”
“No. It’s not uncomfortable for me, but I thought Noona… might find it bothersome.”
Seo Jeong-won slowly mumbled the title that he still wasn’t used to. In fact, it was awkward for both the one calling and the one being called. Go Jin-hee also blushed every time she was called Noona.
“I just have to put out one more set of utensils, and you can just walk down from your house for a stroll. It’s not a difficult task, and it’s not like I’m going to run out of business just because I put out one more bowl of rice. What’s bothersome about it?”
She blew on the sujebi to cool it down and then made eye contact with Seo Jeong-won again.
“I don’t like eating with the TV on. It’s lonely.”
“……”
“Let’s have lunch together, just the two of us.”
“Yes.”
Seo Jeong-won nodded at the slightly lonely-sounding voice. He said he would and took a large spoonful of sujebi into his mouth.
“The potatoes are delicious.”
“The potatoes here are good, because it’s Gangwon-do.”
“I always thought potatoes were bland, but these are savory and really crumbly.”
“Should I steam some potatoes for you?”
Seo Jeong-won nodded at the kind question, which was asked without a hint of annoyance. She put down her spoon and was about to move right away.
“No, eat your meal first. Eat first and then do it. There’s still a lot left.”
“Do you still take walks at night these days?”
Go Jin-hee asked Seo Jeong-won as she sat back down. He nodded with an embarrassed expression. She had told him not to go out at night as much as possible because the weather was getting colder and the sea breeze was rough and biting, but Seo Jeong-won liked the night sea very much.
“I’m cutting back.”
“It’s cold, I’m telling you. The wind is damp and strong, you’ll catch a cold.”
“The sound of the waves is so beautiful. Really, really.”
Go Jin-hee laughed helplessly as if she had lost, looking at Seo Jeong-won, whose dark eyes were shining brightly.
“At least dress warmly.”
“I’m wearing warm clothes in my own way… When I walk, there are crabs and hermit crabs. Do they even know it’s winter?”
It was a childish question, but Go Jin-hee also became serious. She said that they probably did, but like Seo Jeong-won said, she sincerely wondered if they really knew. Then, she suddenly realized what she was worrying about and let out a hollow laugh.
“I’m thinking about all sorts of things because of you… really. If crabs know it’s winter, so what? It’s not like things that live in the water won’t go in because they’re cold.”
Go Jin-hee shook her head and let out a dumbfounded laugh. Looking at Seo Jeong-won, who was smiling with his clear, young face completely softened, she felt sorry and pitiful that he didn’t know anything.
“Wear warm clothes no matter what. You’re the only one who suffers if you catch a cold. You can’t even take medicine.”
“Yes.”
Looking at his innocent eyes, Go Jin-hee sometimes felt guilty. She was sorry to him, who didn’t know anything and showed her as much gratitude as he could.
“Tsk… you’re too nice.”
“No, I’m… not that nice either.”
“You really are. You need to live a little more badly, you do.”
Seo Jeong-won smiled awkwardly. He knew that his current state would look very strange to others. But Song Jeong-sik and Go Jin-hee were curious, but they didn’t ask anything. It seemed like they were deliberately avoiding it. He could feel that they were being considerate because they thought he would be uncomfortable.
“Why? Do you feel sick?”
“No, I’m full.”
“Would you like a glass of plum tea? To help with digestion.”
“I’ll have some.”
Seo Jeong-won nodded his head greatly at the indifferent yet kind question.
“Noona, is it really okay for me to keep coming here and eating with you?”
“If it’s that uncomfortable, you can pay for your meals.”
“Can I?”
“Do you want to die, really?”
He was serious, but it seemed like Go Jin-hee was joking. Go Jin-hee lightly tapped his forehead at his serious reaction. Seo Jeong-won rubbed the spot and smiled.
¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸
The morning sickness had subsided to some extent, but as her belly grew, she had trouble digesting. Seo Jeong-won walked along the coast with Go Jin-hee, who had closed the store. Even though her exposed face was freezing and hurting in the biting wind, she couldn’t help but move because her stomach was burning if she sat still.
Seo Jeong-won told Go Jin-hee, who was shivering, to go in first, but she stubbornly shook her head. The reason was that she also had trouble digesting. She showed that she was very sensitive to the cold, so they ended up finishing their walk earlier than usual.
As they walked back to the restaurant, they had a trivial conversation with Go Jin-hee, and when she asked if he had any friends, Seo Jeong-won suddenly thought of Kang Da-hyun.
“I don’t think I could have lived without friends when I was your age.”
“…That’s right. I have friends too.”
“You do? I thought something might have happened when you were in school because no one comes to visit and you don’t seem to contact them.”
“That’s right… That’s right. How could I forget Kang Da-hyun?”
Seo Jeong-won had completely forgotten about Kang Da-hyun. Even if his situation was so bad that he didn’t have time to think about anything else, he was shocked that he could have forgotten about Kang Da-hyun this much. He had said he would contact him, but he hadn’t even said thank you yet.
“I, I…”
“What’s wrong? Does your leg hurt? Or does your stomach hurt?”
Go Jin-hee, who had also become serious, stopped walking and looked at Seo Jeong-won. He didn’t seem to be in any pain on the outside, but it was frustrating because he wasn’t saying anything.
“Noona, please lend me your phone.”
“……What?”
“I don’t have a phone. So… I said I would contact him, but…”
So much had changed since Seo Gyu-won’s funeral. From his physical condition to his living environment. He had been trapped in Kwon Tae-hee’s house and couldn’t even go outside, and his phone had disappeared. He had refused Kwon Tae-hee’s offer to buy him the same model again. He was reluctant to receive it because he thought there might be some device installed on it.
“What kind of kid doesn’t have a phone these days…”
Go Jin-hee was about to complain that he didn’t even have a phone, but she remembered his situation, which she had heard about vaguely, and closed her mouth. She rummaged through her pocket, unlocked it, and handed it to him, and Seo Jeong-won bowed his head.
“I remember the number, but…”
Kang Da-hyun had been using the same number since he was in school, but he didn’t answer most unknown numbers. After taking over the orchard, he hated mixing personal and public matters so much that he opened another phone altogether.
“He might not answer. But if he sees the missed call and calls back… if you get a call tomorrow—”
Seo Jeong-won, who had been holding the phone to his ear and talking, stopped talking the moment the persistent ringing tone stopped. It was clear that he had answered the phone, but there was no voice coming through.
“…Hello?”
—……
“Kang Da-hyun?”
—Seo Jeong-won? Is that you?
“It’s me.”
He heard a sigh and heavy breathing. He called Seo Jeong-won’s name several more times as if roaring, then cursed him as a crazy bastard and shouted for him to tell him where he was right away.