TWELVE 15

As soon as I arrived in the heart of Seoul, a sense of tension began to crawl up my skin. To my surprise, the building where the bar was located was not far from Gi Seoin’s house. I had thought the address looked familiar for some reason. I had mistaken it for mere familiarity with the city center, as I had no real roots here.

Fortunately, even though it was within the same city, there was some distance between here and the law firm where Gi Seoin worked. I didn’t have to worry about running into him by some one-in-a-million chance. However, I couldn’t shake the guilt of feeling like I was deceiving him.

I was only going for an interview. Unlike Lee Jongki’s boastful claims, the outcome could be poor; and even if things went well, it would be difficult for me to start working immediately in my current state. I slapped my right cheek to shake off these intrusive thoughts.

I caught my breath after getting on the elevator. I checked my reflection in the mirror. I wasn’t at all satisfied with how I looked, but there was no other choice. While I was pointlessly fussing with my hair, the high-rise elevator reached the top floor with annoying speed.

[BenWood & Co.]

A gold nameplate greeted me first. Lee Jongki had simply referred to this place as a ‘bar,’ but according to posts I saw on the internet, people usually called it ‘BenWood Club.’

The wide doors were made of opaque glass, reflecting only my own figure and hiding the interior. It was the moment I was about to push the door open with a trembling heart.

“Oh? Ah…”

The door swung inward and a man popped out. The man’s eyes widened when he saw me, then he broke into a broad smile.

“You’re Mr. Woo Seungkyung, right?”

The man, who looked to be in his mid-thirties, gave off a clean impression from head to toe—even his facial features were sharp. It was a different vibe from Gi Seoin’s obsessive cleanliness. The man was dressed neatly down to the last detail, yet he exuded a comfortable atmosphere.

“Yes, hello. Are you the owner of BenWood?”

“That’s right. I’m Jo Jiwon.”

The owner, who offered his hand first to a hesitating me, pointed inside.

“You’ve come to the right place. Come on in.”

Since it wasn’t business hours, it was natural that no one was inside and no music was playing. However, even without the help of music, the interior boasted a distinct character of its own. Though I had never been to such a place and didn’t know much about them, the impression that wealthy young people would frequent this spot came to mind.

“Take your time looking around. This is the bar table, and over there is the library. It’s a space where people can quietly handle work or rest while they drink. If you go down the left hallway, there are small private rooms; in the right hallway, there are large private rooms.”

I looked around the bar under the owner’s guidance. One wall of the area he called the ‘library’ was packed with actual books. Upon closer inspection, most were in English. Judging by the owner’s English pronunciation and the books provided, I guessed he had studied abroad.

Only after inspecting even the flashy, high-end restrooms was I able to sit across from the owner.

“Mr. Seungkyung, how old are you?”

Up until now, it had felt like a tour; only now did it feel like the interview was beginning in earnest.

“I am twenty-eight.”

“You’re the same age as Jongki, then?”

I knew Lee Jongki was around my age, but I didn’t know we were the same age. I simply nodded.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“That’s perfect. I was looking for someone exactly in that age group because I felt if they were too young, it wouldn’t fit the atmosphere of the shop. That’s why I asked Jongki, and…”

The owner kept smiling while looking at me. Rather than just kindness or favor, I should call it an incredibly bright smile. I wondered if he was just someone who smiled a lot naturally.

“Have you ever worked in a bar before?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Have you done any similar work?”

“I haven’t, but I’m quick on the uptake, so I’m confident I can learn quickly.”

“But what should we do?”

The owner, who had been smiling the whole time, suddenly let out a sigh. I felt my back, which had relaxed slightly, stiffen up straight.

Does he not like me now that he’s seeing me in person? Well, since Lee Jongki exaggerated that there was no one like me even in all of Gangnam, it would be understandable if he was disappointed…

“I like Mr. Seungkyung very, very much.”

Oh, thank goodness.

“But it’s because of your shoulder.”

Ah, right. Foolishly, I had forgotten about my shoulder, which was even wearing a cumbersome brace.

I waited silently for the owner’s next words. It didn’t seem like there was anything more I could do here anyway. A damaged shoulder doesn’t heal just because you want it to.

“How long will it take until it’s fully healed?”

“I heard from the hospital that it would take about six months.”

“Hmm…”

The owner, who had been stroking his chin, lowered his hand and looked me straight in the eye.

“I’m willing to wait six months, so can you promise to come here?”

“I am so grateful, but I’m worried that I might be an inconvenience to you.”

I set aside my greed and confessed the part that was bothering me first.

“It’s because the shoulder treatment might take longer than six months.”

“That really doesn’t matter.”

The owner was firm.

“I like Mr. Seungkyung so much that I would wait even if you said you were going to the military.”

I was curious as to exactly which part of me he liked so much, but for me, the feeling of gratitude was greater.

“Thank you.”

“I’m the one who’s grateful you came. But by any chance, do you have an ultimate goal? Honestly, you can’t do this job forever. An aspiring actor? No. Maybe a model?”

I don’t think my looks are bad, but being an actor or model was an absurd assumption. The owner seemed to view me quite highly.

“Haha. No. I’ve never thought about those fields.”

“Why? I bet you’ve received a lot of business cards.”

In fact, I have received business cards while walking down the street. The point is that every time, I was with Gi Seoin. They probably gave one to me because it would be a bit awkward to give a card only to Gi Seoin.

“I don’t have any talent for it, and I don’t think I’ve ever been interested in that side of things.”

“Hmm, that could be. Not everyone who is handsome or pretty becomes a celebrity. Still, it’s a waste.”

The owner didn’t take his eyes off me even for the moment he was drinking his coffee. By this point, I was beginning to wonder if he was teasing me because I looked naive. Still, he didn’t seem like a bad person at all, so I wasn’t offended.

“Right. Did you hear about the salary?”

“Ah, yes. Jongki told me.”

“You can also keep any tips you get from customers. Ah, but it’s really a shame. It would be perfect if you could start working right away…”

It was the same for me. Even if today’s interview ended successfully, it was a headache because I had no money in my bank account right now.

“That, arm sling…”

The owner gestured toward my brace.

“I’m sorry. Korean isn’t my native language. What do you call that in Korean?”

“Ah, it’s fine. I don’t know the exact name myself; I only heard it called a ‘shoulder brace.’”

“Aha. Do you happen to know how long you have to wear the shoulder brace?”

“I’ll have to ask the hospital about that.”

“If it’s possible to take the brace off, would you like to come in as soon as possible? For now, we’ll leave out all the tasks that require physical strength, and how about you start by getting a grasp of the overall business and learning the menu? I’ll give you the same salary.”

How could I refuse? I nodded vigorously and promised to ask the hospital and get back to him. The owner seemed very satisfied.

“Come by and hang out a few times before you start working. Get a feel for the atmosphere and say hello to the other staff.”

“Yes! Should I contact you before I come, then?”

“Sure. Oh, you don’t have my number.”

I carefully tucked the business card I received from the owner into the inner pocket of my bag.

The saying that ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way’ came to mind. Even though it wasn’t a situation where I could work immediately, my heart swelled with anticipation at the thought of working here. I repeatedly expressed my gratitude and left the bar with a light step.

Since the later problems were solved, I now only had to handle the task right in front of me. That was the biggest mountain to climb.

I searched for the nearest day labor offices and visited a few. The results were disastrous. As expected, there were no places where I could work in my condition, and as soon as some offices saw my shoulder, they waved me away as if chasing me out, saying they had no work to give. It seemed I would have to stop by other day labor offices starting tomorrow.

“Sigh…”

I was drained.

I picked up my phone and looked for Gi Seoin’s name.

[Seoin, are you busy??]

Even now, just moving my fingers caused a stinging pain in my shoulder, so writing a message wasn’t easy. I corrected typos several times.

[I came to Seoul because of the labor offices after talking to the foreman this morning, but they say there’s no place to work ㅠㅠ I think I have to go home for now]

As expected, Gi Seoin checked the message as soon as I sent it. Soon, a call came from him.

—Where are you?

“I’m right in front of Exit 2 of OO Station. I think you can call a taxi to Exit 2.”

—Wait there for just a bit.

“Okay. Please do.”

I naturally thought he meant for me to wait for a taxi. However, about ten minutes later, the car that stopped in front of me wasn’t a taxi, but Gi Seoin’s sedan.

Gi Seoin got out before I could even grab the door handle and opened the passenger door for me, just as he had done this morning. After I got in the car, he didn’t forget to fasten my seatbelt.

“How did you get here? What about work?”

I asked the question that had been on my mind the whole time. Gi Seoin turned the steering wheel calmly and moved his lips.

“I took time off.”

“Huh? What time off?”

“I’m going to rest for just a week.”

“Why?”

“…”

Gi Seoin, who had been responding well, shut his mouth. Actually, I didn’t necessarily need an answer from him. As soon as I heard he took time off, I had a gut feeling.

“Is it because of me?”

For a moment, Gi Seoin glanced at me and then looked away. His mouth remained tightly shut.

No news is good news, but in my experience, a ‘no’ response usually accompanied news that wasn’t welcome.

“Hello? Mr. Gi Seoin? Can’t you hear me? I’m asking why you took time off, you.”

“…You’re right.”

“You mean it’s because of me?”

“Yes. And during my time off, I’m going to stay at your house.”

I was dumbfounded.

“No, we didn’t even discuss…!”

“If you didn’t like it, you shouldn’t have gotten hurt.”

“Ha, unbelievable. Wow…”

Ah, my head feels like it’s throbbing more than my shoulder.