MORE 11

“Welcome…. Oh my.”

The manager stopped mid-greeting and covered her mouth. Siyul also hesitated while taking out the menu. It was someone he knew well. The man dusted off the raindrops from his shoulders and grinned.

“Are you not open for business today?”

“CEO!”

It seemed that Siyul, as well as the other staff, were well acquainted with Woo Hyunse. The look that had been tinged with disappointment turned into one of delight. Chef Park and the kitchen assistant, who had been in the kitchen, actually ran outside and shouted, “You’ve come, CEO!” in loud, booming voices.

Siyul also took the hint and quickly bowed his head. He had been fine over text or on the phone, but facing him in person, he felt inexplicably intimidated, even though he hadn’t done anything wrong. For some reason, the palm of the man’s hand that had tapped his cheek and the shoe that had been covered in vomit were the first things he saw.

Their gazes met. Woo Hyunse glanced at Siyul and immediately turned his head away. That was better, honestly. Siyul also stood awkwardly, keeping his distance.

“What brings you here?”

“What do you mean, what. I stopped by to have a drink. But the atmosphere is a bit off. Did I miss the timing?”

“It is a little. We were actually just about to close because we didn’t think we’d have any customers today.”

“Hmm,” the man murmured as he strode closer. He glanced out the window, where the rain was pouring down so hard that a white mist of water was rising, and added:

“Then close up. Like Manager Kang said, it seems like business was a bust today.”

“I don’t have any say in that. I have to follow what you say, CEO. But our sales were really low today… couldn’t you help us by buying some?”

Manager Kang whispered, subtly wrapping her arm around Woo Hyunse’s forearm. Woo Hyunse didn’t back down and laughed along with her.

“This is why I like Manager Kang. You’re really good at squeezing things out of people.”

It meant he was allowing it. Manager Kang cheered and called for Siyul. At the command to close, Siyul quickly locked the glass door and flipped the open panel. The closed sign hung forlornly on the glass door.

An unexpected drinking party broke out. Manager Kang encouraged the other staff to order the most expensive items, as if she were intent on draining the representative’s fortune, including the expensive liquor that usually didn’t sell well. The busiest people were Chef Park and the bartender. Haena also didn’t hold back, raising her hands high to order drinks and snacks.

Woo Hyunse didn’t mind that the table was filled to the brim with snacks and liquor. In fact, he shoved the menu toward them, telling them to order more. Somehow, Siyul was pushed by the crowd and ended up sitting right next to Woo Hyunse. They weren’t even touching, but strangely, his arm and the side of his thigh, which were close to Woo Hyunse, felt like they were heating up.

Perhaps because the air was so humid, his shirt stuck to his skin. He rolled up his sleeves because the heat trapped against his skin-clad clothes was stifling, but the hem of the sleeves, which he had just pushed up roughly, soon slid back down his arms. After doing it a few times, Siyul gave up on the sleeves and unbuttoned the one button that was constricting his neck. Only then could he breathe a little easier.

He reached for his beer, but turned his head at the sensation of something touching his cheek. Woo Hyunse was watching him with a glass of alcohol held to his lips. Siyul’s gaze landed on those wrists first.

From the cuffs of his suit and white shirt, the protruding wrist bone and wristwatch, the thick outer edge of his hand, the bluish veins rising beneath the skin of the back of his hand, and his thick knuckles—his eyes finally traveled up to meet his. As their gazes collided in mid-air, Woo Hyunse turned his head away as if he hadn’t been looking at all.

“Come to think of it, did you do your initiation ceremony?”

“Oh my, what initiation ceremony? If you do things like that these days, the kids run away before the day is out.”

Manager Kang waved her hand, saying that was nonsense. Siyul also wore an awkward smile, keeping his mouth shut while cheering for Manager Kang internally. He didn’t have the courage to dance and sing in front of these people.

“Still, you should do it.”

But Woo Hyunse didn’t back down. His logic was that everyone who came here had done it once, so there could be no exceptions.

“I’m not very good at singing.”

“What about dancing? I think I saw you at the club.”

Woo Hyunse pointed out playfully. Beside them, Yang Haena teased, “Oh, you went to clubs, too, oppa?” Siyul rubbed his reddened face with both hands, saying, “Ah.”

He had indeed gone to a club, had a drink, listened to music, and bobbed his head to the beat, but that was just because he had gotten caught up in the atmosphere while working—he wasn’t someone who normally enjoyed that sort of thing. Besides, he hadn’t set foot near a place like that ever since he got caught by Woo Hyunse.

“If you can’t sing, at least dance.”

“I’d rather sing.”

After calming down the people who were repeatedly shouting “Dance! Sing!” Siyul stood up. He couldn’t ruin the mood by saying he wouldn’t do it even if he died. Yang Haena, excited, shook her phone, telling him to just say the title and she would play the karaoke accompaniment.

He had stood on the stage with bravado, but no songs really came to mind. As everyone’s gaze poured down on him all at once, he became quite nervous. Siyul gripped the microphone and swallowed dryly. There was only one song that suddenly flashed through his mind, but unfortunately, it was a song in English.

Thankfully, amidst his misfortune, he knew all the lyrics. It was a song the head of the orphanage used to play whenever she was bored, and she had even taught him the words one by one. Instead of children’s songs, the kids at the orphanage would sing along to the head’s favorite song whenever they were bored.

“‘Fly Me to the Moon.’”

It was the only English song Siyul knew, as he had always put his studies on the back burner. He knew the lyrics phonetically rather than understanding their meaning. However, sounds of admiration burst out from here and there, saying “Oh.”

Lest Siyul change his mind, Yang Haena quickly played the song’s interlude. It was embarrassing to sing while looking at those people, so Siyul lowered his eyes and then squeezed them shut entirely. The familiar interlude began to play.

‘That song again?’

Kwon Yuwon used to wave his hand, saying he was sick of it every time Siyul hummed this song. To his own ears, his singing skills weren’t good. His voice was rough and his pronunciation was a mess. He was just busy trying not to miss the pitch.

Only after the song ended did Siyul open his eyes. He thought everyone would tease him asking what that was, but they clapped and whistled, saying he sang well. He had expected to draw complaints. Siyul’s stiff expression softened considerably at the unexpected reaction.

“The representative sent us a talented person. If Haena has to be away for something next time, I should have Siyul fill in. You have a good voice.”

Manager Kang, in particular, was very satisfied; she draped her arm over Siyul’s shoulder and pulled him in tight. Since the only experience Siyul had in his life of being hugged by an older woman was the orphanage head, he turned his earlobes deep red and quickly pulled away. The warm sensation lingered on his cheek for a long time.

“For a moment.”

Woo Hyunse, who had been watching quietly, rose from his seat. To Manager Kang’s question of where he was going, he lightly touched his index and middle fingers to his lips. As he watched his back as he entered the smoking room, Manager Kang soon rose to follow him.

“I have a feeling about this.”

As the two disappeared beyond the smoking room, Chef Park squinted his eyes like someone who had realized something and muttered. Yang Haena, who had been eating a piece of melon wrapped in prosciutto off her fork, showed interest.

“What kind of feeling?”

“Don’t you think the manager and the representative might get back together?”

“Were they dating?”

“Yeah. But it’s been a while since they broke up.”

“Wow,” Yang Haena said, covering her mouth in surprise. No wonder Manager Kang’s touch as she held onto Woo Hyunse had been so natural. Siyul glanced at the two through the window of the smoking room. He could only catch a glimpse of their heads close together. Just like Chef Park said, the atmosphere seemed good.

“But they meet up even after breaking up? I think it’s terrible enough just meeting my ex-boyfriends by accident.”

Geez, is this Hollywood or what? Yang Haena made a fuss, pouring snacks into her mouth as if she were shoveling popcorn. To Siyul, it was a story from another world. He had never dated anyone, nor had he ever liked anyone. He had received a few confessions, but he was always too busy trying to survive, so he had rejected them one after another. Therefore, meetings, breakups, and reunions could only be other people’s business.

“Well, I guess they ended things on good terms. Or maybe they still have feelings for each other.”

When the door to the smoking room opened, the two quickly changed the subject, saying, “Eek.” Siyul quietly drank his alcohol, smelling the faint scent of cigarettes.

Whether Woo Hyunse and the manager were dating or not, what did that have to do with him? He dismissed it, thinking it must be adult business and nothing he needed to know. Although his eyes had wandered to Woo Hyunse for a brief moment, his gaze did not linger for long.

The rain did not stop even when the drinking party ended. It had slowed down a bit, but it was still pouring with heavy intensity. Recently, he had been walking home after work to save on bus fare, but in a downpour like this, he wouldn’t be able to avoid looking like a drowned rat even if he used an umbrella. Thus, Siyul sat at an outdoor table at a nearby convenience store. It was a place where they had set up an awning so one could avoid the rain.

The weather forecast said the rain would stop within an hour. Siyul stretched his legs, which were throbbing from standing for so long. He turned on a game on his phone to kill time, but when he heard someone sound as if they recognized him, saying, “Oh,” he looked up.

A large man holding a black golf umbrella was standing in the downpour. Even without pushing the umbrella up, his handsome face was perfectly visible from the front.

“Why are you here? Instead of going home.”