Ch 52

The taxi, moving sluggishly like a turtle through the congested city streets during the evening rush hour, eventually came to a stop at the location Ji-an had mentioned.

Stepping out of the taxi, Ji-an looked up at the place he had once visited by accIdeunt, once been dragged to as if kidnapped, and now arrived at of his own volition. In front of the grand entrance, crafted from heavy wood and set against an elegant hanok-style wall, stood individuals dressed in formal suits.

“Do you have a reservation?”

As Ji-an approached the entrance, a man wearing an earpiece asked the question. Ji-an shook his head.

“If there’s an available seat, anywhere is fine.”

“Are you dining alone?”

“I’m alone.”

After a brief exchange over the radio, the man gestured for Ji-an to follow, leading him through a well-maintained garden. Instead of being guided to a private floor-seating room in the main house as before, he was taken to a hall near the entrance, where rows of Western-style tables were neatly arranged. It wasn’t the most scenic or convenient spot, but that didn’t matter.

Ji-an wiped his hands with the warm towel provided as soon as he sat down, then carefully examined the menu placed in front of him. He had been here twice before, but he had never actually looked at one.

“Seriously, 300,000 won per person…?”

Upon checking the prices, Ji-an let out a low growl of irritation. Even for a two-person set, 300,000 won was outrageous, yet here, that amount wasn’t even enough per person. He had thought he had fairly paid his share, but this too had been Ideun’s doing.

He had stubbornly insisted on paying for himself to avoid being indebted, and Ideun had easily agreed—only to secretly adjust the actual cost behind his back? That old woman, seriously…

Thinking back to the lavish meal, far more extravagant and expensive than he had realized, Ji-an tried to recall what he had actually eaten. Some porridge… a few traditional sweets… maybe a little meat? Either way, that was then, and now he was here for something he truly wanted to eat. His lips subtly curved downward.

All he wanted was a simple bowl of banquet noodles, a refreshing, sweet rice punch, and some yakgwa. Yet, none of those things were on the menu.

Not even a set menu that included banquet noodles?

Resting his chin on his left hand, Ji-an flipped through the menu with his right, scanning it once more. Makgeolli, check. Pajeon, check. But no noodles? Not even kalguksu or sujebi? Would rice punch be served as a dessert?

Judging by his appetite and the prices, ordering a single dish seemed like the best choice. However, spotting the word “porridge” at the top of the course menu, Ji-an bit his lower lip.

If he ordered a course meal, he wouldn’t be able to finish it, but they made really good porridge here.

There was no porridge in the à la carte section, but it was included in the course meal. The course also came with braised short ribs and dessert. Should he just go for makgeolli and pajeon instead? That had been good too…

Despite taking his time deciding, the busy hall staff paid no attention to Ji-an. He wasn’t with Ideun, nor had the old lady specifically called for him. In a restaurant that saw countless guests daily, his quiet presence would go unnoticed.

After five more minutes of contemplation, Ji-an raised his hand to flag down a passing staff member.

Even after this meal, he’d still have around 50,000 won left in his pocket. That was enough to spend a night at a jjimjilbang, so it wasn’t a problem.

But when he ordered the cheapest course meal, he was told that courses required a minimum of two people. Ji-an stared at the staff member.

He didn’t have enough money for two servings, which meant no porridge? No dessert? But that was exactly what he wanted.

“…Could I see the chairman?”

“Excuse me?”

“The chairman. Tell them Seo Ji-an is here. They’ll know. Is the old lady not in? Then call the manager or anyone in contact with the chairman.”

The employee looked at him as if he were insane, prompting Ji-an to stand up.

It wasn’t that hard for a wretched bastard to act like a madman.

***

Eunsook silently observed Ji-an, who sat across from her with a shameless expression. He looked even thinner than the last time she had seen him, and his clothes were a mess. A bulky, rugged padded jacket that didn’t suit him at all.

Most notably, he carried a strong pheromone scent—a warning, as if daring anyone to touch him. It wasn’t even her grandson’s scent but another Alpha’s, yet he sat there with complete confIdeunce. He was more audacious than she had expected.

Of all people, why did it have to be someone like this…

With a throbbing headache, Eunsook pressed her fingers against her temple. Meanwhile, Ji-an smiled broadly.

“I wanted to have some noodles, makgeolli, pajeon, yakgwa, and rice punch. If there’s anything tastier, that too. I wasn’t going to bother you, just quietly eat and leave, but they weren’t on the menu… Oh, and no anchovy broth for the noodles, just vegetable broth!”

“…You sought me out for this?”

“Yes! What other reason would I have to come to you? I know you don’t like me. I’m not that clueless.”

His carefree grin and brazen words left her speechless. How could someone be so arrogant and utterly lacking in manners? There wasn’t a single thing about him she liked.

Her gaze briefly lingered on his pale face, his chapped lips devoid of color. Perhaps she should have driven him away sooner. That was her mistake. Now, here he was, sitting before her, acting completely shameless.

Hadn’t he been living comfortably by Ideun’s side? Why did he look even thinner and more miserable? She hadn’t wanted to care, so she had ordered no reports on him, and as a result, she hadn’t heard anything about his recent state.

“Prepare the food.”

Hearing Eunsook’s order, Ji-an beamed.

“Wow, Grandma, you’re the best! From now on, whenever I want to eat something, I’ll just come to you instead of the restaurant, okay?”

Clicking her tongue at his cheeky behavior, Eunsook watched as he stretched his legs out comfortably.

“Oh, right. Grandma, you don’t want to see me, do you? Just looking at me must give you a headache, upset your stomach, and put you in a bad mood. Then, I’ll take my meal in another room. Honestly, I also feel uncomfortable sitting here with you like this. What if I get indigestion while eating in front of you? I held back and held back, but I came because I really wanted to eat. It would be so upsetting to eat something delicious and then get an upset stomach. Or… should I just take it to go? If you’re going to pack it for me, please give me a lot so I don’t have to come back often.”

“Why would I do that for your sake?”

As Eunsook sighed at Ji-an’s nonstop chatter, she raised her hand, and soon, a phone was placed in her palm.

“Grandma, that’s not fair. Calling Ahjussi is cheating.”

“What?”

“Actually, I had a fight with Ahjussi. That’s why I left home. I came earlier than I promised, so please look kindly on me. I left home, but I don’t have money to use right now, and I was hungry. Just when I was wondering what to do, I started craving the food here, so I came. So, Ahjussi doesn’t know I’m here~ That’s what I’m saying. But if you call him now, what does that make me, the one who ran away after a fight? If you contact him now, you’re actually bringing me and Ahjussi back together.”

After finishing his words, Ji-an yawned, his mouth slightly open as he felt the warmth rising from the heated floor and the comfort of the soft cushion beneath him.

So this is what happens when you let everything go. Even while shamelessly begging for a meal, he was getting sleepy.

With a yawn, tears formed at the corners of his eyes. Seeing Grandma looking at him with an expression of disbelief and disdain, Ji-an grinned once more.

Although he had been rambling on, with nothing left to do, he idly played with the tassels at the edge of the cushion. But when a table was brought in just for him, he clapped his hands softly.

Yes, this is it!

The table was filled to the brim with way more food than he had mentioned—so much that it looked like the legs might break under the weight. Ji-an pulled the vegetable broth noodles toward himself and picked up his chopsticks, but at the words, “Drink water first,” he quickly bowed his head and grabbed the cup.

Taking a sip of lukewarm water, neither too hot nor too cold, he hummed a little tune and was about to lift his chopsticks again when Grandma’s indifferent voice caught his attention.

“The pumpkin porridge turned out well.”

His gaze naturally shifted to the small bowl. The smooth, golden-yellow pumpkin porridge was topped with neatly curled jujube garnish.

Casually setting his chopsticks down, Ji-an scooped up a spoonful of the porridge and took a bite, the corners of his mouth curling up. It wasn’t like he had been starving, but the taste was so good it instantly whetted his appetite, making his spoon move busily.

“Where have you been wandering around?”

“Just… here and there, somehow…”

Now that his stomach was somewhat full, Ji-an was no longer in the mindset of trying everything. Instead, he started considering which dishes would be the most efficient to eat. He answered Grandma’s question vaguely.

“Honestly, no one here likes having me around. So I got curious about whether there was somewhere else where I’d be wanted.”

“Who?”

“Huh?”

“Who said they didn’t want you?”

Not immediately grasping her meaning, Ji-an stared at her with his spoon still in his mouth. Then, realizing what she was asking, his gaze dropped.

“I’m really not that dense, you know. That’s why I promised you I’d leave when the spring breeze starts to blow. Do I really need to list who dislikes me, one by one?”

Now full, Ji-an no longer had the desire to eat more. He put his spoon down and quickly scanned the table. Where’s the sikhye? The sweet rice punch with floating ice that instantly refreshes you the moment you take a sip—where is it? I even openly said I wanted some from the start.

“Why do you care about others? Just do as you please.”

Ji-an had just been about to ask for sikhye when his lips clamped shut as if he had swallowed his words.

“Born into nothing, spending nights selling in the market just to scrape by. Finally, when I thought my struggles were over, my child passed away before even getting to bloom. Then, I held onto a helpless infant and struggled to survive, only to realize there’s nothing much to life. Just do what you want.”

Her tone wasn’t mixed with sighs or strong emotions. It was as if she were simply remarking on the cold weather. Yet, as she gazed out the window and spoke, Ji-an found his lips pressing together tightly.

Of all people, he never expected to hear such words from Ideun’s grandmother. And yet, her words strangely sounded like she was telling him to stay. Not just anywhere, but right here—beside Ideun.

“If you want to stay, then stay. That brat Ideun isn’t so hopeless that he’d make things too hard for you. Though, I suppose your feelings might change over time.”

Instead of words, tears came out. It wasn’t sadness, nor pain, nor any particular emotional turmoil.

As he watched the blurred figure of Grandma, elegantly drinking tea without even looking at him, Ji-an hastily wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

What is this? Why? Am I remembering things wrong?

“Grandma, this isn’t right. It’s not. It really isn’t.”

Even as he wiped his tears, Ji-an frantically searched his memory for a specific moment. And he kept thinking—he wasn’t someone who belonged beside Ideun. He never was, not from the start, not now, and probably not in the future either.

A surge of emotion welled up in his chest. Ever since he possessed this body, he had been living in a daze. He had met good people while doing part-time jobs, but if he were to talk about the troublesome customers he had dealt with, the list would be endless. Secretary Baek had treated him like an object, sending money into his account without a second thought.

Even Haneul, the friend he had believed understood him best, had never truly given him kind words. He had always lived like an outsider. With no financial stability, no network of emotional support—Grandma was the first person to ever tell him, “Do as you wish.”

“Why? Why isn’t it right?”

Ji-an’s lips twitched downward as he watched Grandma drink her tea with that same dignified posture. He wanted to say, “You pushed me away too!” But no matter how hard he tried to remember, Grandma had never actually said those words.

In reality, he was the one who had been rude, thoughtless, and assumed she despised him. He had always believed she would reject him and drive him away. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly where his inferiority complex and low self-esteem had started festering, but he had spoken recklessly, convinced that he was unwanted.

Of course, she had been wrong to pull him away from Ahjussi without warning. But from the moment they met, he had been the one causing trouble.

He was the one who had declared he would leave first. The one who had loudly talked about five billion won. The one who had exposed his vulnerabilities and belittled himself. The one who had irritated her by mentioning things like “a peaceful night’s sleep.”

And Grandma…

She had sighed, massaged her temples as if dealing with a headache, and, at worst, thrown a teacup—but not in his direction. The cup had never been meant to hit him. Then Ahjussi had arrived, and without even saying a proper goodbye, he had left.

And today, he was the one who had kicked up a fuss asking for her.

She had sighed and looked displeased but had granted him everything he wanted.

“You told Ahjussi to meet someone else.”

“Yes.”

“But Ahjussi said no, and then you tried to set him up with Haneul anyway. And when that didn’t work out, you immediately arranged another meeting with someone else.”

The words finally tumbled out, thick with unshed tears. And the moment their eyes met—Grandma’s, who had never looked at him until now—Ji-an’s tears fell even harder.