TWELVE 53

“Whoa! Look who it is!”

“It’s Seungkyung!”

“Wow, he returned alive!”

The Benwood people welcomed me as if I were a hero returning from a battlefield. It was hard to play it cool because I felt so embarrassed and apologetic.

“I should have come sooner, I’m sorry.”

“Aiyee! Sorry? What are you talking about?”

“It made sense. How does a homeless person even get into a house? It’s seriously chilling.”

“Are you okay now?”

“Yes, thanks to your concern. I hurt my shoulder and ankle, but the ankle is almost all healed. I just need to do my shoulder rehabilitation well.”

For a while, I was overwhelmed by the pouring well-wishes. While answering diligently, I glanced at two unfamiliar faces among the familiar ones. It was only after some time passed that I got the chance to exchange introductions with them.

“By the way, these people are… ?”

When I asked suggestively, the owner introduced the two of them.

“Ah, this is the first time Seungkyung is meeting them, right? They’re the weekend staff. This is Mr. Kim Hyunwoo, and over here is Mr. Choi Doyun.”

I tilted my head toward the two men.

“My greetings are late. I am Woo Seungkyung.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Choi Doyun.”

“I’m Kim Hyunwoo.”

Looking at them, I once again marveled at the owner’s aesthetic eye. As with all the employees, both of them had outstanding appearances. Their images were different, though. Choi Doyun had bold features like Yoon Kijun and gave off a manly impression, while Kim Hyunwoo was a pretty boy who felt sharp overall.

“Both of you are very handsome.”

I offered a sincere compliment to break the awkward atmosphere. They seemed like people who would be tired of hearing they were handsome, but surprisingly, they were very shy.

“Aiyee, no. Seungkyung, you’re the one who is truly handsome.”

“I’d heard stories, but you really are incredibly good-looking. It makes sense that you caught the owner’s eye.”

“Right? I thought that exact thing at first too.”

“Haha… No. The owner just looked upon me kindly.”

I guess those people felt this way too. Hearing compliments about being handsome from handsome people made me not know what to do with myself.

“Excuse me, but your age… ?”

Kim Hyunwoo asked me. I answered immediately.

“I’m twenty-eight years old.”

“Ah, I am twenty-seven.”

“I am thirty-one.”

Kim Hyunwoo was one year younger than me, and Choi Doyun was a hyung. I wouldn’t exactly be dropping honorifics anyway, but I entered it into my head.

Since there were new faces and we were gathered after a long time, the excited atmosphere only grew hotter as time went on. Everyone was on the pleasant side, so my cheekbones hurt from laughing so much. It was a lifelong regret that I couldn’t drink alcohol. At a time like this, I felt like I would want nothing more than a glass of beer, so it was a great shame.

However, even without needing to blow it away with intoxication, time passed like an arrow. After going to the restroom and checking my mobile phone, I was startled. It was already 9:30.

Since I told Gi Seoin I would come out at 11:00, there were less than two hours left. The fact that I had to go soon was even more regrettable than not being able to have a glass of beer.

“Seungkyung!”

As I came out of the restroom, Yoon Kijun called me and gestured.

“We decided to go for a second round.”

“Second round?”

I wonder if Cinderella felt this way. I asked while reminding myself that I only had an hour and a half left.

“To where?”

“There’s a decent izakaya near Seolleung Station. The owner said we should drink some alcohol sold by others for a change.”

Yoon Kijun, who had been snickering, stared at my face and then his expression stiffened slightly.

“Don’t tell me, you’re not going?”

“No…”

Since he said it was Seolleung Station, it wasn’t far. It would take about 10 minutes by car. I could still play for another hour. In any case, there was no problem as long as I went out at the time I promised Gi Seoin.

“I should go. But I can’t drink alcohol, is that okay?”

“What kind of talk is that? Order a Coke. If anyone says anything, I’ll fight them for you.”

“It’s a promise.”

I hooked pinkies with Yoon Kijun while giggling.

“Since everyone has been drinking, shall we move by taxi?”

“Since there are seven of us, should we move in two cars?”

“Lately, they don’t seem to want to let three people sit in the back. Let’s ride in twos, twos, and threes.”

“Who wants to ride with me?”

“Me, me.”

I was waiting for my turn to come so I could ride in whatever seat was left. At that moment.

“Mr. Seungkyung.”

Kim Hyunwoo spoke to me in a cautious tone.

“If it’s okay, would you like to take a taxi together?”

“Yes? Ah, yes. That’s good.”

Thus, I unexpectedly ended up accompanying Kim Hyunwoo, whom I met for the first time today. When he said he would call a taxi, I told him to do so. However, even after the taxis called by the other people had already departed, our taxi showed no sign of coming.

“Does it show when it’s arriving?”

When I asked softly, Kim Hyunwoo looked into his mobile phone.

“It shows it will arrive in 5 minutes, but… shall I try calling?”

“It’s okay. Let’s just wait.”

I thought the taxi driver must have his own circumstances. The cool night air was refreshing, so I could willingly wait for about 5 minutes.

“Is it because I’ve been drinking? It’s not cold and it feels refreshing.”

“Oh, I just thought the night air was refreshing too.”

“Really? We’re in sync.”

Kim Hyunwoo laughed. The way his eyes folded into half-moons was impressive.

“Mr. Hyunwoo…”

Because it was awkward and boring to stay still, I tossed out a topic.

“How long has it been since you worked at Benwood?”

“Hmm, I think it’s been about 3 years.”

“Wow, you’ve worked there quite a while?”

“I started it to earn tuition at first, but I ended up continuing to work even after graduation. Even if I get a job, it’s hard to get paid like I do here.”

“That is true.”

I nodded my head in agreement. The pay given by Benwood was on the generous side.

“Regarding school, can I ask what your major was?”

“What do you think my major was?”

Well…

I pondered while facing Kim Hyunwoo, then picked a field that seemed to suit him well.

“I think it would be arts or physical education. Art or music?”

“Ooh. You got it right. I graduated from the sculpture department.”

“If it’s the sculpture department…”

“I make sculptures and statues. You know things like〈The Thinker〉, right?”

“Ah, I don’t know much about that field. That’s unexpected. I thought Mr. Hyunwoo suited drawing pictures with a brush better.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, deli…”

In the middle of talking, a taxi stopped in front of us. I immediately opened the back door and waited for Kim Hyunwoo to get in first, but he gestured toward the inside for me and yielded the turn. I bowed my head and got into the car first.

“What was it you were going to say earlier?”

After confirming the driver and destination once more, Kim Hyunwoo asked. For a moment, I had to trace back my memory of what I was going to say.

“… Ah. That, I was going to say that because Mr. Hyunwoo seems delicate, drawing pictures suits you well.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“I’m the complete opposite of being delicate.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I’m on the clumsy side…”

“Haha. I’m like that too.”

As expected, you can’t know everything about a person by their appearance.

“What was your major, Mr. Seungkyung?”

“Ah, I didn’t go to university.”

“I see. Then did you work?”

“Yes. My grandmother raised me, but she fell ill later…”

I was babbling and then thought, ‘Oops.’ To tell this kind of story to a person I just met today—even if I was okay with it, the other person might be uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry. I suddenly told a depressing story.”

“No, not at all. I like listening to stories of how other people have lived. So? What kind of work did you do?”

I could feel Kim Hyunwoo’s consideration in the way he didn’t ask further about my grandmother and changed the subject. I said while curling up my lips so the atmosphere wouldn’t sink.

“I did daily labor at sites the most. I’ve done part-time jobs at construction sites, loading and unloading logistics, serving at wedding halls, and I’ve even done part-time jobs as a background extra for broadcasts. What else did I do… Ah, I even did a part-time job as a wedding guest.”

“You’ve built up a diverse range of experiences.”

It was the first time someone had spoken this way after hearing my history. Usually, people say things like ‘It must have been hard’ or ‘You’re amazing.’ In a short time, my liking for the person named Kim Hyunwoo built up significantly.

As we continued our quiet but quite pleasant conversation, we soon reached the destination. I was taking out my wallet to pay the taxi fare, but Kim Hyunwoo stopped me.

“It’s paid automatically through the app.”

Ah, right. He had called the taxi through the app. Since I rarely have a reason to take a taxi and always caught passing taxis, I hadn’t thought of it. First, I got out of the taxi and said to him.

“I’ll give you the taxi fare.”

“Yes? No, it’s fine.”

“Since we rode together…”

“It’s really okay.”

Why are there only people around me who insist on paying themselves? No. There was a snag called Jeon Juseok. But excluding him, it seems I have good luck with people.

Even though I guessed Kim Hyunwoo would flatly refuse, I tried saying it once more.

“Still, I’ll pay at least half.”

“No. Then instead…”

Suddenly, Kim Hyunwoo stopped his steps and faced me.

“Will you buy me a drink? Right now.”

“… Yes?”

I was flustered.

“Then what about the staff dinner… ?”

“I’ll make up a reasonable excuse. I already sent a KakaoTalk message earlier saying a taxi wasn’t being caught.”

“Then, that, just the two of us?”

While asking with a heart of ‘just in case,’ I sensed it instinctively.

“Yes. Just you and me, Mr. Seungkyung.”

Right now, Kim Hyunwoo is making a move on me.

And at the same time, my head became so full of Gi Seoin that it felt like it would burst.