By Zephyria Seo Jeong-won absolutely didn’t want to tell anyone about this. He hoped no one would ever find out.
“You’re really stubborn, Jeong-won.”
Song Hae-seop pressed him a bit more, but when Seo Jeong-won clamped his mouth shut, he gave up and shook his head. He made a show of being upset, muttering complaints.
“Alright, I won’t ask anymore.”
He frowned, sipping his now-cold herbal tea. He had revealed his own weaknesses without gaining anything. He regretted mentioning his background. What if Seo Jeong-won told Kwon Tae-hee something about his company? He was belatedly filled with worry.
As Song Hae-seop sat silently, Seo Jeong-won watched him like an anxious puppy. His large eyes darted around, and he chewed on his trembling lips.
“Hyung…”
Song Hae-seop, who had been pretending to tap on his phone, ignoring the pathetic voice, abruptly raised his gaze and met Seo Jeong-won’s eyes.
“Have dinner before you go.”
“Pardon?”
“Eat and go. You have to eat dinner anyway. You’ll eat when you get home, but it’s a hassle to prepare it alone.”
“Ah, I don’t think I can today. Later, when Hyung has time… could we eat then?”
Seo Jeong-won refused with a troubled expression. He felt sorry for constantly saying no to Song Hae-seop.
“I’m sorry, Hyung. If Hyung says it’s okay for me to come later, I’ll come again then.”
“Jeong-won, why did you even come here if you’re going to be like this? I’ve been talking my head off this whole time, and you haven’t said anything. Don’t tell me you came here to get information? You’re not going to run to Tae-hee and tattle on me, are you? Are you trying to make things difficult for me?”
“What? Me, me? No, it’s not like that. It’s really not.”
Seo Jeong-won frantically waved his hands. His hands, raised in the air, shook desperately. It was true that he had come wanting to hear if there was anything more he could find out about Seo Gyu-won, but he swore he had no intention of remembering what he heard from Song Hae-seop and telling Kwon Tae-hee.
“I thought you looked at me and thought of Hyung, and I felt sorry for you… I also liked that it felt like I had a younger brother, but were you actually trying to use me?”
“No, no. Really, no. That’s ridiculous. I really didn’t think that way.”
Song Hae-seop glared sharply at Seo Jeong-won, who was vehemently protesting his innocence. In truth, even though he said those words, Seo Jeong-won didn’t seem like that kind of person. Anyone who talked to him would know how kind and innocent he was.
“Then why did you come here?”
“Just… I came here because I thought of Hyung, that’s all. Really. It’s true that I was curious about that person from back then… but I really didn’t come here with the intention of hearing anything and telling Executive Director everything.”
Seo Jeong-won’s voice trembled with embarrassment. Seeing him trying his best to explain, Song Hae-seop’s tone softened slightly.
“If that’s really the case, have dinner before you go. If you just leave, I’ll think that’s what you were doing.”
Seo Jeong-won nodded at the cold words. Thinking that wasn’t enough, he tried to gauge Song Hae-seop’s mood and made more excuses, eventually even bursting into hiccups.
“Why are you even listening to this if you’re going to eat anyway? Just eat and go.”
“…”
“It’s really hard to buy Jeong-won dinner.”
Song Hae-seop leaned back in his chair, relaxing his posture. Only then did he relax the fierce expression he had been wearing.
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The sky was dyed a vermilion color. As closing time approached, the cafe was so busy that Seo Jeong-won had to help with the work. Song Hae-seop couldn’t even come out from the kitchen, as he was busy washing cups and cake plates.
Despite being told to sit comfortably, Seo Jeong-won cleaned and tidied the tables as customers left. Song Hae-seop, wearing rubber gloves, said with an apologetic face that he would pay him for his work.
“Don’t worry about it. You don’t have to pay me.”
“I shouldn’t have insisted on dinner. I’m so embarrassed.”
Seo Jeong-won shook his head at Song Hae-seop’s awkward words. Rather, he felt good that moving his body like this prevented him from getting lost in the delusions that filled his head and eating away at himself.
With the constant ringing of the bell, tables were emptied and filled repeatedly. Customers poured in from 6 o’clock, becoming incredibly busy, but after about an hour, they slowly began to leave. Even the outdoor tables, which had been full, were almost empty.
“Wow…”
Song Hae-seop, who had finally escaped from the kitchen, approached Seo Jeong-won, shaking off the water on his apron. Seo Jeong-won, who had stopped cleaning the empty tables, raised his head and met his eyes.
“I think today was the busiest day since the cafe opened.”
“It’s really different from the flower shop. If we open the flower shop, maybe one or two people come a day. There are days when no one comes at all. So we’ve never had a day this busy.”
Watching Seo Jeong-won’s dark eyes shine with wonder, Song Hae-seop opened his mouth.
“You know, Jeong-won. From doing business, I’ve noticed that there are people who attract customers. And I think you’re one of those people. So, what I’m saying is… would you like to come here often?”
“…Pardon?”
Song Hae-seop, who gently touched Seo Jeong-won’s blank cheek, burst into laughter. Forgetting the antipathy he had felt towards him, he found Seo Jeong-won simply adorable at this moment. He wished they had met like this from the beginning.
“That’s a shame. I thought I was going to get rich quickly.”
Everything was Kwon Tae-hee’s decision. Song Hae-seop felt a petty emotion towards himself for occasionally resenting Seo Jeong-won, even though he knew everything.
“I’ll buy you a delicious dinner.”
“…I can eat anything. Don’t push yourself. If you’re tired, I’m okay with it later.”
“I’m not okay with that. And make sure you take your pay. I forced you to close the flower shop for no reason.”
Song Hae-seop roughly took off his apron and threw it down, then grabbed his bag. He left the cafe, entrusting the store closing to the employee at the register. He boasted that this was why he hired employees when Seo Jeong-won asked if it was okay to leave like this.
“I could have waited longer…”
“It’s uncomfortable to keep using you with just coffee and a piece of cake. If you go a little further from here, there’s a university district with so many great restaurants. Oh, how about alcohol instead of food? Do you like dongdongju?”
“Anything is fine.”
The closer they got to the downtown area, the more crowded it became. Seo Jeong-won, nervous, stuck close to Song Hae-seop. He grabbed the hem of Song Hae-seop’s jacket and muttered that it was a sight he couldn’t see in Seonam City. He looked around at the dazzling surroundings, which were so chaotic, and then lowered his head.
“University, ah, you said you didn’t go to university.”
“That too, but there are so many people, it’s a little… awkward and scary.”
“It’s because you’ve only lived in quiet places. If you get used to crowded places, you won’t be able to stand quiet places? It’s just a little further. The atmosphere there is really good.”
Seo Jeong-won nodded. He just wanted to get inside somewhere quickly.
As Song Hae-seop explained, the bar wasn’t far away. It had the unique feel of a traditional Korean pub from the entrance. The two of them sat down in a secluded spot inside the hall. Seo Jeong-won, who was taking off his cardigan, felt a vibration in his pocket and took out his phone.
“…Ah.”
“Why? A call? Go ahead, go ahead. Should I order? You don’t have any preferences, right?”
“Yes, I don’t have any preferences. Just a moment…”
He felt awkward getting up as soon as he sat down, but somehow, he didn’t think he could talk on the phone while sitting across from Song Hae-seop. Seo Jeong-won put his cardigan back on and quickly walked out of the bar. The street was noisy, so he took a few steps into a narrow alley next to the store.
In the meantime, the vibration stopped. He stared at the black screen, but then— pop— the screen lit up and a familiar name appeared.
“…Hello?”
—It’s me.
“Yes, Executive Director.”
—You weren’t answering your phone. Where are you?
“Ah, I’m outside. Just… I came out in front of my house. For a walk. Because… I ate dinner early, so my stomach felt a little stuffy.”
Seo Jeong-won stammered out a lie. His heart was pounding as if it would burst, afraid of being caught.
—Ah, a walk.
“My coat is thick, so I didn’t realize the phone was ringing.”
—Is that so?
“…Have you left work, Executive Director?”
The other side of the line was silent even after he asked. Seo Jeong-won checked the screen, thinking the call had been disconnected, and then cautiously called Kwon Tae-hee again.
“Executive Director?”
—Jeong-won.
“Yes.”
—Go in carefully.
With those words, the call ended. It was the same affectionate voice as usual, but somehow, it felt unsettling. Should he have just told the truth?
“Ha…”
But he didn’t want to call again to confess. He didn’t mind apologizing for his mistake, but he was afraid of being scolded by Kwon Tae-hee. Just imagining what words he would use to corner him made his body tremble. Kwon Tae-hee probably wouldn’t find out anyway, right? If he asked Song Hae-seop to keep it a secret, wouldn’t he agree?
Seo Jeong-won shook his head slightly with a determined expression. He put his phone back in his pocket and went back into the bar.
As he went down the stairs, a familiar scent lingered at the tip of his nose. A sweet scent that made his mouth water when he inhaled it. That’s strange. Seo Jeong-won looked around. It shouldn’t be coming from here, so why…?
“Jeong-won!”
Song Hae-seop discovered Seo Jeong-won and waved happily. He urged him to come and sit down quickly with a bright smile. Then he smiled at someone sitting across from him.
Who is it? He definitely came with just the two of them. Anxiety crept in. The closer he got to the table, the clearer the scent that lingered at the tip of his nose became.
“Why did you take so long on the phone? I’ve been waiting for ages.”
“…Ah, well.”
It was the moment he turned his head, wiping the sweat that had formed on his forehead with the back of his hand. A unique, affectionate voice pierced his ears.
“You’re late. I thought you got lost while taking a walk.”