By Zephyria 
“I’m home.”
Upon returning home, Jae-gyeom headed straight for the kitchen. His throat was parched from talking so much. As he stood by the sink washing his hands and drinking water, Jeong-ju approached him, holding Yu Nam-saeng in her arms.
“Jae-gyeom, you’re back? How was your friend?”
“Yeah. He talks so much I thought my ears were going to bleed.”
Jae-gyeom spoke while gulping down the water, glancing around the living room.
“Where’s Tae-hee? Where did he go?”
“He stepped out for a moment to take a phone call.”
I see. Just as Jae-gyeom nodded, Jeong-ju asked.
“By the way, what’s that?”
What Jeong-ju had spotted was a single photo in Jae-gyeom’s hand.
“What? Oh, this….”
It was a four-cut photo he had taken with Im Hyo-mun. After the shoot, they had each taken one printed copy. He had been carrying it in his hand because he was worried it might get crumpled if he put it in his pocket.
“I heard these are trendy lately, so we took some photos together.”
“Wow. What a surprise. Let me see.”
Jeong-ju tilted her head and peered closely at the photo.
“Oh, is this Hyo-mun?”
“Yup. We entered the office at the same time.”
“Wow… just how many piercings does he have?”
After examining Im Hyo-mun’s face carefully, Jeong-ju spoke hesitantly.
“He looks a bit intense. Honestly, if I ran into him on the street, I think I’d be intimidated.”
It was her best effort to soften the phrase ‘he looks like a thug.’
“He’s actually a good kid despite how he looks.”
“Is he now?”
When Jae-gyeom subtly defended Im Hyo-mun, Jeong-ju wore a skeptical look as if questioning if that were true. In response, Jae-gyeom began listing Im Hyo-mun’s praises one after another, fearing that Jeong-ju might worry.
“He must have been incredibly smart. In the old days, he would’ve been a high-ranking official or a minister. He’s a bit flighty, but he’s loyal and has a strong spirit. His family is quite happy, too. His father looks like a mountain bandit, but he’s very kind. His father owns a tonkatsu place, and it’s delicious. The tonkatsu was so crispy it scraped the roof of my mouth.”
Just as the praise for Im Hyo-mun had seamlessly transitioned into praise for the tonkatsu.
A hand suddenly shot out from behind. The unexpected hand snatched the photo from Jae-gyeom’s grip without permission. It happened in the blink of an eye. Startled, Jae-gyeom whipped around.
When he turned, Yoon Tae-hee was standing there like a wall, having approached without a sound.
“Gah, you scared me! What is it?”
Regardless of what Jae-gyeom said, Yoon Tae-hee silently stared at the snatched photo.
In the four-cut photos, Im Hyo-mun and Jae-gyeom looked quite happy. Jae-gyeom, who was clumsy at being photographed, looked awkward even at a glance, but it was clear he had tried his best. Jae-gyeom making a V-sign with Im Hyo-mun. Jae-gyeom being playfully put in a headlock by Im Hyo-mun. Im Hyo-mun making half a heart while Jae-gyeom gave a thumbs-up. Jae-gyeom standing side-by-side with Im Hyo-mun, smiling….
“…….”
If it were up to him, he wanted to rip this photo to shreds right here. That was Yoon Tae-hee’s honest feeling. However, if he did that, he would look like a crazy bastard, and it would certainly make Jae-gyeom angry.
Looking down at the photo with an expressionless face, Yoon Tae-hee suddenly flicked the photo over his shoulder.
“Annoying.”
Spitting out those two words, Yoon Tae-hee turned his back and left the spot without a shred of regret.
Flutter, flutter…
“…….”
“…….”
Watching the photo land softly on the floor, Jae-gyeom froze like a stone.
…What was that just now?!
While Yoon Tae-hee tended to speak rudely when things didn’t go his way, he was the type to scratch at one’s nerves by beating around the bush; he almost never expressed things in such a one-dimensional, blunt way, saying he was annoyed or angry.
And yet, Yoon Tae-hee had directly said he was annoyed.
“Why is he suddenly acting like that…?”
Flustered, Jae-gyeom stammered unconsciously.
“Why is he angry…?”
At that moment, Jeong-ju offered the answer awkwardly.
“Um… well… maybe it’s because he’s jealous…?”
A period of silence followed that conversation. Then, suddenly realizing it late, Jae-gyeom snapped his head toward Jeong-ju. Jeong-ju rolled her eyes as if pretending not to notice, and Yu Nam-saeng, held in her arms, watched the situation, looking back and forth between Jeong-ju and Jae-gyeom with an intrigued expression.
…No, wait! Even the kids were right here!?
Overwhelmed by extreme embarrassment, Jae-gyeom almost tore at his own hair.
He had let both of them witness this romantic drama(?). Suddenly, cold sweat began to bead on his forehead. Trying to remain as composed as possible and pretending nothing had happened, Jae-gyeom muttered, “I—I’m going to wash up,” and bolted to his room. However, Jeong-ju did not miss the way the tips of Jae-gyeom’s ears were dyed bright red.
Left alone with Yu Nam-saeng, Jeong-ju covered her mouth with her hand in disbelief.
“……I can’t believe it.”
By the way, Mr. Tae-hee. I had no idea he was the type to be so openly jealous.
This is why people watch dating shows, Jeong-ju thought.
Having retreated to his room, Jae-gyeom paced back and forth, scratching his forehead.
…What should I do?
At first, he wondered why he was acting that way, but after hearing Jeong-ju’s words, it seemed likely. It was clear that Yoon Tae-hee was upset by the fact that he and Im Hyo-mun had taken photos alone together. It felt absurd and baffling that he would react this way over something so trivial. Yet, it was also true that he didn’t feel at ease.
“Is it my fault…?”
Jae-gyeom let out a deep sigh and flopped onto the bed spread-eagle.
“Jealousy, jealousy, huh….”
Honestly, he didn’t know what to do in situations like this.
It felt as difficult as solving a GED workbook. Jae-gyeom stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought. As he pondered how to resolve this situation, something suddenly flashed through his mind.
Huh? Wait. Right….
What if he treated this situation as a ‘problem to be solved’ and applied that logic?
Thus, after careful consideration, Jae-gyeom succeeded in creating a problem.
Which of the following is the most appropriate way to resolve Tae-hee’s jealousy?
Tae-hee: I’m in a bad mood because you took cozy photos alone with another man.
Now that the problem was complete, he decided to create five multiple-choice options based on what came to mind.
(1) Give a dignified lecture: “Why is a grown man pouting over something like this? Get your balls cut off, you punk.”
(2) Establish dominance: “Im Hyo-mun was the one who asked to take them, so why are you taking it out on me? You want to go?”
(3) Give an equal opportunity: “Oh dear, how sad… You can go out and take photos alone with Jeong-ju too.”
(4) Since he’s the only one angry, let him resolve it on his own and just wash his feet and go to sleep.
(5) Start a fight by asking how he can act like that in front of the children, making him forget his jealousy.
Jae-gyeom clasped his hands behind his head and rolled his eyes.
“Hmm… the peaceful way would be option 3, or maybe 4….”
Then, the contents of a Korean language workbook he had solved recently crossed his mind.
‘Empathy and Active Listening.’
None of the options Jae-gyeom had come up with corresponded to empathy and active listening.
To practice empathy and active listening, one must consider the other person’s perspective and situation. Of course, Jae-gyeom didn’t think he had done anything particularly wrong. However, if he considered the situation Yoon Tae-hee was currently in, they were facing a forced separation for the next two months. And that was clearly Jae-gyeom’s fault for ruining the house.
Come to think of it, Yoon Tae-hee seemed somewhat subdued throughout the entire drive up.
Yoon Tae-hee has to leave this place tomorrow. In the midst of that, Jae-gyeom had left his side to meet Im Hyo-mun and returned with a photo of the two of them alone, so it made sense that he might be upset. Moreover, he had to spend time apart from Yoon Tae-hee until next weekend, and he didn’t want to leave things on a bad note.
Thus, Jae-gyeom came up with a new option.
(6) Buy a sweet snack that Yoon Tae-hee likes to cheer him up.
Once the thought reached that point, Jae-gyeom bolted upright from the bed. He grabbed his wallet and ran to the front door. After shoving his feet into his sneakers, he rushed to a nearby cafe.
“Welcome.”
“Do you sell slices of yogurt whipped cream cake with strawberries on top?”
“Ah, we don’t have that here.”
Jae-gyeom bowed his head and immediately left the shop. It was already close to nighttime. He was in a hurry because most shops would be closing soon. After that, he blindly entered every cafe he saw.
However,
“Do you sell slices of yogurt whipped cream cake with strawberries on top?”
“Strawberries? We don’t have strawberries… we have mango and blueberry.”
At the next shop,
“Excuse me, do you happen to sell strawberry whipped cream yogurt cake?”
“I’m sorry. They all sold out this morning.”
At the shop after that,
“Yogurt whipped cream strawberry pant, pant, do you have cake?”
“Pardon? You’re speaking too fast, I can’t… one more time….”
At the shop after that,
“Strawberry pant… yogurt cough….”
“Sir?! Are you alright?!”
Only after a series of failed attempts did he achieve his goal.
Jae-gyeom finally succeeded in purchasing a whole-sized strawberry whipped cream yogurt cake after visiting a total of six cafes. By the time he returned home, carefully carrying the cake box through all the twists and turns, he was drenched in sweat. When Jae-gyeom suddenly appeared with a whole cake, Jeong-ju looked surprised.
“Eh? Where did a cake come from all of a sudden?”
“Huh? No, well… just….”
Still panting, Jae-gyeom carefully cut the cake with a knife. Then, he transferred one slice onto a pretty plate. Since he had sliced a whole cake, it was a slice of cake regardless. This was the best he could do.
Holding the plate with the cake, Jae-gyeom rushed up to the second floor where Yoon Tae-hee was.
Upon arriving at the door of the room where Yoon Tae-hee was staying, Jae-gyeom knocked. However, no matter how long he waited, there was no answer from inside. Jae-gyeom cleared his throat and spoke.
“I’m coming in.”
Holding the plate of cake with both hands and sweating profusely, Jae-gyeom said,
“It’s yogurt whipped cream strawberry cake.”