TWELVE 51

Before going to meet Jeon Juseok, I exceptionally picked out Gi Seoin’s clothes for him. There was only one criterion: do not look rich.

Jeon Juseok is a snob who values appearances and a nearsighted man who can only see that much, so if Gi Seoin’s attire was worse than expected, there was a high chance he would lose interest.

The problem was that all of Gi Seoin’s clothes were luxury brands and sleek. Regardless, I searched for the least impressive clothes among them.

Of course, I only told Gi Seoin that I would pick out his clothes and did not reveal the inner workings. Unaware of my scheme, the guy seemed to be in a very good mood.

“How is it, does it suit me?”

Gi Seoin, wearing everything I had picked, asked. I didn’t like it. Since they were clothes bought by a guy with basically high standards, they suited him, but he simply didn’t look “lacking.”

Then again, he was the type who could probably pull off even a rice sack stylishly. It was a shame, but I decided to be satisfied with this. I had done my best.

That’s right. I remembered the most important thing late.

“Don’t wear a watch.”

I said to Gi Seoin, who was standing in front of the watch display case. He arched his eyebrows.

“Why?”

“I don’t think there’s a need to be that well-equipped.”

“Is that so… ?”

“And…! It suits the style I picked better if you don’t wear a watch. Casual? That kind of comfortable feeling? You know what I mean, right?”

“To be honest, I’m not really sure, but okay.”

“Your problem is that you’re too honest.”

Gi Seoin laughed lightly at my words.

Now it was my turn. Since my ankle had recovered quite a bit, there was no trouble dressing myself, but I didn’t stop Gi Seoin when he stepped forward, insisting on helping.

Perhaps I also seem to enjoy being cared for by Gi Seoin. Previously, I felt uncomfortable and burdened when he looked after me, but now that kind of kindness was welcome. As our relationship changes, it seems not only him but I, too, am changing.

The restaurant, the meeting place, was a 10-minute walk away, but we decided to go by car. The biggest reason was that my body was uncomfortable.

Gi Seoin leaned his upper body toward me and fastened my seatbelt. I asked while glancing at him for no reason.

“Did you put on your seatbelt too?”

Then Gi Seoin tapped the belt crossing his chest with his fingertips.

“How commendable, my puppy.”

Along with my nonsensical chatter, his sedan departed.

The appointment time was 8:00 PM. Jeon Juseok arrived exactly 15 minutes late. There wasn’t even a single message saying he would be late. After saying he would treat us or whatever, showing up late without notice… it was a rude start, just like him.

“Oh, oh, you’re here. Hello?”

Jeon Juseok barely looked at me and greeted only Gi Seoin. In a negative sense, he and I weren’t exactly in a relationship that required greetings, so it wasn’t a big deal.

Jeon Juseok took a seat opposite Gi Seoin and me, who were sitting side by side. Without even asking us if we had ordered, he called an employee and ordered food and alcohol one after another. I hurriedly interjected between him and the employee.

“Please add one Sprite. And, Seoin, what about you?”

“I’ll have a passion fruit ade.”

“Yes. Please give us a passion fruit ade too.”

“What’s this? What about alcohol?”

Jeon Juseok, looking dissatisfied, looked at Gi Seoin.

“You don’t drink?”

“I’m not the type to enjoy alcohol.”

Gi Seoin answered plainly, and Jeon Juseok clicked his tongue.

“Aiyee, it doesn’t feel right when we’ve gathered like this after such a long time. You should have at least one glass. Hey, what about you?”

The arrow flew toward me. I shook my head.

“The hospital said I shouldn’t drink yet.”

“You can’t even drink? How do you live like 그that?”

“I know, right.”

Actually, I wanted to ask him: “How do you live like that?”

Soon, the table was packed with food. From skimming the menu, the prices weren’t easy, so it seemed Jeon Juseok desperately wanted to look good to Gi Seoin. Or, as he always did, he could act like he was going to buy it and then run away at the end, leaving the bill to us.

“Kyah, the food looks great. Mr. Seoin, please eat.”

Jeon Juseok said, waving his knife toward Gi Seoin. It was a shameful display, the fact that I shared even a drop of blood with him. I watched Gi Seoin’s reaction. Surprisingly, he was wearing a gentlemanly smile.

“Shall we eat together?”

“Let’s do that.”

“Seungkyung, let’s eat.”

“Yeah…”

“Hey, brat. It’s expensive here. Eat as much as you want. Okay?”

Did he really have to speak that way? Looking at Jeon Juseok, I feel that being shameless is also a sin.

“Uh… I’ll eat well.”

I put food into my mouth, being careful not to look at Jeon Juseok as much as possible. To be honest, the food tasted good, though the person I was eating with was the problem. Even so…

“Mmm. Wow… the taste is killer. Mmm.”

It wasn’t to the point of eating gluttonously while making smacking sounds like that. They say if eating looks like “stuffing one’s face,” it’s a sign that you’ve lost affection for someone. I never even had enough affection for Jeon Juseok to lose any, but I actually felt like I was losing every ounce of it.

Jeon Juseok suddenly clinked his wine glass.

“Aiyee, it really doesn’t feel right drinking alone. Mr. Seoin, do you really not want to have just one glass?”

“I have to drive.”

Gi Seoin dealt with him with a consistently elegant posture.

“If you’d like, shall we at least do a toast?”

“What kind of toast is a toast when I’m drinking alone anyway? But, you live right nearby and you brought a car?”

“I thought it would be more comfortable that way to move with Seungkyung.”

“Wow, my younger brother is really living in luxury. What was the car model?”

To ask a person you’ve barely met for the first time about their car model—it seemed Jeon Juseok intended to properly show what vulgarity truly is in this place.

“I feel like you’d drive at least an imported car?”

“I’m embarrassed to say. It’s not a model that would surprise you, Mr. Juseok.”

My chest felt tight, so while swallowing my drink, I almost spat it out. Just now, Gi Seoin was subtly looking down on Jeon Juseok.

“Aiyeee.”

However, Jeon Juseok didn’t seem to have a clue. He was just grinning stupidly.

“I saw last time that you were wearing a Vacheron watch?”

It was amazing that he had even checked the watch brand in that short time we saw each other.

“Don’t you drive an even better car?”

“Is it important what kind of car I drive?”

Gi Seoin was still smiling, but this time, a slight prickliness seeped into his tone. Only then did Jeon Juseok falter.

“I’m just curious. I was wondering what kind of car a successful person like Mr. Seoin drives.”

“You seem to have a lot of interest in cars.”

“I have a lot. Isn’t it a man’s romance? You’re a man too, Mr. Seoin, so you sympathize, right? Truly…”

Suddenly, Jeon Juseok’s gaze reached me.

“Seungkyung doesn’t know about things like that. Communication doesn’t work, communication. Since I’m meeting someone like Mr. Seoin who I can communicate with, I feel like I can finally breathe. My brother is kind, but he doesn’t know cars, and he has no interest in women. He’s a really boring bastard, this one. It’s a bit much for Mr. Seoin to stay friends with him, too, right? Frustrating?”

“That is not the case at all.”

At this point, Gi Seoin took away his smile.

“Among the people I know, I communicate best with Seungkyung.”

“Eh? That can’t be right?”

Since an answer different from his expectation came out, Jeon Juseok seemed slightly offended.

“What is there to talk about with a guy who couldn’t even finish high school?”

“I believe that academic background is irrelevant to having a constructive conversation.”

“Haha! I get it.”

After hearing Gi Seoin’s answer, Jeon Juseok let out a laugh as if mocking him and said.

“Mr. Seoin is shielding his friend right now so he won’t be embarrassed. You’re too kind.”

“I simply stated the facts.”

“Look at this. Oh my, our Seungkyung must be glad to have a friend like this?”

It might just be me being twisted, but it sounded like, “He’s a friend who doesn’t suit your status.” Because it wasn’t wrong, rather than feeling bad, I found it funny to see Jeon Juseok unable to openly swear like usual because he was watching Gi Seoin’s reaction.

“Yeah, I like it. If it wasn’t for Seoin, it would have been really hard.”

I said it because I hoped he would feel jealous. As expected, Jeon Juseok made it very obvious that he was displeased just by me adding a few words.

“By the way, you two… how did a person like Mr. Seoin come to know him?”

He childishly excluded me and limited the conversation partner to Gi Seoin. It didn’t matter. Rather, if he didn’t talk to me, it was a thankful thing.

More than that, I was curious about how Gi Seoin would answer.

Gi Seoin, who had been chewing, swallowed his food and slowly opened his mouth.

“I received help from Seungkyung when I was going through a very hard time. We became close because of that occasion.”

“Huh? Uhahaha!”

Jeon Juseok, who suddenly burst out laughing, pointed his finger at me.

“No, what business does this guy have helping you?”

“There’s plenty.”

Gi Seoin answered shortly, and Jeon Juseok let out a hollow laugh as if he couldn’t accept it.

“Did he save you from drowning or something? Fate is a very mysterious thing, right? It shows that even a truly mismatched combination can meet if it’s fate. Mr. Seoin, you know I’m the hyung, right? As an elder, this is advice…”

Jeon Juseok’s greasy gaze brushed past me and stayed on Gi Seoin.

“You have to stay with people of your own level; otherwise, you’ll end up losing out in the end.”

“Level.”

Gi Seoin said as if asking back, and Jeon Juseok nodded his head.

“That’s right, level. People say humans are equal or whatever, but that’s all bullshit. Even in today’s world, there are levels. Do you think the saying ‘birds of a feather’ exists for no reason? He’s my brother, but Seungkyung is, well, he doesn’t suit Mr. Seoin.”

He was babbling with the clear intention of putting me down. I wondered if he felt some kind of inferiority complex because I was close with Gi Seoin.

“Synergy is created only when people who suit each other gather.”

At the same time, even though I knew Jeon Juseok was a guy with an abnormal way of thinking, I momentarily shrank back at the thought that other people might also think that while looking at Gi Seoin and me.

“Mr. Seoin, you do social life too, so you sympathize, right?”

Jeon Juseok smirked.

At that moment, Tak!

A sharp sound echoed behind Jeon Juseok’s voice.