NTH 45

As he slowly looked around the department store’s food court with Nana, Chief Jeong felt a strange sense of unease.

It was a feeling that was very difficult to define, as if it were somewhere right in the middle of a level that could be dismissed as a possibility and a level that felt like something was definitely strange.

To be specific, things like someone else snatching away the fruit or vegetable Nana was just about to pick up, someone bumping into Nana’s shoulder and walking past without a single word of apology, or a cleaning staff member briskly mopping the floor right in front of where Nana was standing, were happening every few minutes.

One could think that he had coincidentally met rude people, but those people did not seem to have any ill will towards Nana or act intentionally; they were just very ordinary people.

Moreover, watching these things, which he himself was not experiencing, happen to Nana one after another right next to him made him feel quite uncomfortable and unpleasant.

Nana himself, the one experiencing it, did not frown even once at all these incidents. Rather than enduring it because of a good personality, it seemed more like an attitude of habitually facing something that was just too natural and familiar.

Come to think of it, Nana was also a rude person who spoke informally from the very first meeting, so he was not in a position to lecture others on etiquette. But that day, he somehow exuded a foreign feeling, like a single cherry tomato that had fallen alone among other fruits.

“Mister, could you ask that person if I can buy just about half of this meat?”

Nana said with an innocent face, pointing to the Hanwoo beef displayed at the butcher’s counter. Seeing that the clerk was right across from Nana, Chief Jeong replied, dumbfounded.

“Mr. Nana, you can just ask him yourself.”

“Well, it’s just, I have my reasons, so couldn’t you ask for me, mister?”

Perhaps he was intimidated because this was the premium section, selling the most expensive products within the food court. Chief Jeong held back his frustration and asked the employee on Nana’s behalf as requested.

But even after that, whenever Nana had something to say to an employee, he continued to borrow Chief Jeong’s mouth. Chief Jeong, who had thought nothing of it at first, gradually began to find it strange.

“Mister, thank you for helping me with the grocery shopping.”

Nana said to Chief Jeong as they sat in a café, taking a short break after buying everything they needed from the food court. Chief Jeong, who was drinking an iced Americano, asked back in a somewhat incredulous tone.

“I guess you don’t even want to ask questions because you can’t speak informally to the department store employees?”

“I speak to everyone the same way. What would be different just because they’re employees?”

“Then why did you ask me to ask for you? The employees were always near you, Mr. Nana.”

“Ah, that’s, um… You might not believe me even if I tell you, but since Jeha said I should always be with you from now on, mister, it’s better to tell you in advance.”

When Chief Jeong looked at Nana with an expression that said, “What are you talking about,” he spoke in a calm tone.

“My presence is very faint. So I get treated like an invisible person a lot everywhere.”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, people often bump into me on the street and walk by, or they don’t answer me well when I talk to them. As if they can’t see me.”

“How can that be? I saw you very well from the first time I met you, Mr. Nana. Although… I can’t clearly remember your face…”

Chief Jeong’s voice grew quieter as he trailed off. It was because he suddenly realized that not being able to clearly remember the face of a person he saw almost every day was not normal in the first place.

“That’s probably because you were introduced to me by Jeha, not because you just ran into me, mister. I don’t know exactly what it is either, so it’s hard to explain in detail.”

Nana deliberately did not mention that most of the people who had immediately noticed and reacted to his presence until now were those who saw him as a sexual object and wanted a one-night stand.

While Nana sipped his warm choco latte, Chief Jeong thought about the events that had occurred in the food court in light of Nana’s story. Although it could not be explained scientifically, he had no choice but to admit that only if Nana’s words were true did all the situations make sense.

“Mr. Nana.”

“Yeah?”

“First of all, I am sorry.”

“For what?”

“For thinking it was strange that you were having me relay all your questions and requests.”

“Wouldn’t anyone think that? It’s natural to get annoyed if someone keeps ordering you around when they’re not even a noble. It’s not something you need to apologize for, mister.”

“And thank you.”

“For what, again?”

“For telling me honestly, even though it must not be a very pleasant story for you, Mr. Nana.”

“You’re a really good person, mister. If someone had told me something like this, I would have thought they were out of their mind. Are you saying you’ll believe everything I said without a single doubt, mister?”

“Of course. You’re the one he chose.”

“Then I’ll also believe whatever you say unconditionally from now on, mister. Because you’re also someone Jeha chose.”

Chief Jeong smiled at Nana’s words.

“In the end, the person we trust the most is the young master, I see. But I hope that someday I can remember your face with my own power, Mr. Nana.”

“It doesn’t matter even if you can’t.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I will never forget your face, mister. Even if you don’t recognize me, mister, I’ll tell you again every day. That I am Nana.”

Even though Nana smiled flawlessly bright after finishing his words, Chief Jeong’s heart grew dark for some reason, filled with a sense of sorrow.

「We finished shopping at the food court and are drinking choco lattes at a cafe. He wanted an iced one, but I barely managed to persuade him and am making him drink a warm one.」 AM 11:30

「We bought a few elementary school workbooks at the bookstore and are now eating stone pot bibimbap for lunch. He is picking out all the bracken, saying he hates it so much.」 PM 13:22

「He has no interest in clothes, bags, or shoes at all. He just walks past the displays without even looking. He has been looking at the German-made frying pans and cooking knives for quite a while.」 PM 14:17

「He says he won’t buy the knife set because it’s too expensive. His complexion is pale and he looks tired, but he is insisting on looking around more, so I am trying to soothe him. Young Master, please talk some sense into him over the phone.」 PM 14:30

Jeha, who had read all the consecutive messages sent by Chief Jeong, immediately called Nana. Perhaps he had quit being the ‘busy and capable Nana’ or whatever, because Nana’s voice came through right after the phone rang a couple of times.

“Hello.”

“It’s me. What are you doing?”

“I’m still looking around the department store.”

“It seems like you’ve been out for a while, so you should go home and rest.”

“No. I want to look around more.”

“What more are you going to look at. Is there something you want?”

“I saw the frying pan and knife set that the mister called ‘King Wang Jjang Chef’ on You-tube bragged about, but I’m not going to buy them because they’re too expensive.”

“Buy them both right now. And go home.”

“Jeha, you don’t even know how much these cost, what do you mean buy them. They’re not ten or twenty thousand won a piece.”

“I don’t care if they’re two million won a piece, so hurry up and buy them and go home. I’ll come home early today too.”

“Really? You’ll come early?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll go home early too and try making dinner with the new knives.”

“Okay. See you in a bit.”

“Yeah.”

As soon as he hung up, Nana turned to Chief Jeong and exclaimed with a bright face.

“Jeha said to buy them both!”

“What did I tell you. I said he would definitely say that.”

After purchasing two frying pans and a knife set, Chief Jeong finally took Nana to the parking lot.

Perhaps because it was his first outing after being very sick, Nana fell asleep as soon as the car started. Chief Jeong, who glanced at Nana’s sleeping face that looked not just pale but ashen, let out a light sigh.

The young master, whom Chief Jeong had loved so dearly for a long time, was originally generous to his lovers and was not stingy about buying them what they wanted. However, this was the first time he had ever brought someone into his home to feed, clothe, and shelter them, pouring out all his devotion.

And to think the person in question was such a peculiar, troubled, and frail man. What on earth did Kwon Jeha see in this person to assign him a bodyguard and offer him a devotion he had never shown before?

If it was a feeling like bringing home a stray cat shivering in a box on a rainy day to take care of it, he thought he could understand a little. But the Kwon Jeha that Jeong Yoon-soo knew was someone who would choose to report it to a stray cat shelter rather than bring a cat into his own home to care for it himself.

Chief Jeong was excellent at grasping the line he should not cross. Thanks to that, he was also the only one among the household employees who had earned Jeha’s trust. In his opinion, the number one topic that an employee should never touch was the employer’s love life.

Therefore, concluding that the right answer was to keep his mouth shut unconditionally until Jeha mentioned it himself, Chief Jeong drove the car to Jeha’s apartment.

“Um, Young Master. Absolutely not. So, this is…”

Chief Jeong stammered, his face turning bright red. Nana, on his back, waved his hands with an utterly cheerful face.

“Jeha! You really came early. Look at this! I beat the mister!”

Jeha walked past the entryway and into the house without twitching a single eyebrow.

“Nana. Don’t bother Chief Jeong-nim too much.”

“But the mister teased me first. He said I wouldn’t even be able to guess two out of ten.”

“So how many did you get right.”

“Three.”

“I get it, so get down now.”

Contrary to Chief Jeong’s efforts to explain himself at length, Jeha had already grasped the situation with just a few of Nana’s words.

It was obvious Nana had resisted studying, and Chief Jeong must have been about to burst from frustration. Nana, who won the bet that started that way, must have been excitedly going around on Chief Jeong’s back.

Politely declining Jeha’s invitation to stay for dinner, Chief Jeong escaped from the house as if running away. Perhaps the single day he spent taking care of Nana had felt as long as three of his usual days.

“How is it?”

Nana, who had presented a pollock stew boiled with fresh crown daisies, radish, and fish, asked with a look full of anticipation. Jeha nodded and answered with sincerity.

“It’s very refreshing and delicious. Your skills are getting surprisingly better and better.”

“That’s a relief. I bought a lot of good ingredients. I’ll make you something delicious tomorrow too.”

“Thank you. But…”

“What is it? Is there something you want to say?”

Jeha, who had been hesitating for a moment, stared intently at Nana.

“The bet you made with Chief Jeong-nim earlier, I would prefer if you didn’t do things like that from now on.”

“Huh? The bet?”

“No, it’s fine to do it, but change the penalty to something else.”

“To what?”

“Something that doesn’t involve physical contact.”

“Huh? What, you didn’t like that the mister gave me a piggyback ride?”

“Yes.”

“Is it because you want a piggyback ride too, Jeha, but you can’t say it because of your pride? Should I give you a piggyback ride then? You’re a bit severely long, but I’m a strong man, so I can definitely carry you.”

“That’s not it. Do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know.”