“Hyung-nim, sleep well! Haeyoung, good night.”
“Yeah, you too.”
In front of the hallway leading to their respective rooms, Minho cheerfully greeted them. Haeyoung, who waved his hand to such Minho, also gestured with his eyes to Seonwoo who was waiting for him and headed into the room.
The room they entered after opening the door was dark, as if proving that no one had been there until now. Haeyoung felt the wall where the switch would be to turn on the light. Soon, with a short clicking sound, the room quickly brightened.
At the brightly pouring light, Haeyoung frowned for a moment.
“Hyung, are you going to work tomorrow?”
He asked toward Seonwoo, who was following him in while taking off his outerwear. Then, at the refreshing nod that came back, Haeyoung unconsciously hesitated.
“Even though you’re sick…”
He swallowed the words that were about to come out asking if he couldn’t even rest for a day.
Haeyoung moved his hand again that had stopped while taking off his outerwear. Though he didn’t continue speaking, it wasn’t because he was convinced by Seonwoo’s words. There were many things in the world that couldn’t be helped.
‘Even the chairman’s son is exploited for labor the same way.’
Haeyoung closed his mouth with an expressionless face and silently changed his clothes. And from that quiet face, Seonwoo noticed that Haeyoung was upset. He, who had been examining his expression for a moment, asked in a gentle voice.
“Should I not do it?”
“You don’t have to?”
And he captured in his eyes Haeyoung raising his head immediately as soon as the question ended. The anticipation passing across the face looking at him was distinct. Seonwoo, who swallowed his laughter, drooped his eye corners as if acting spoiled.
“Yeah, I’m sick, Haeyoung-ah.”
“What?”
In instinctive situations, actions are always faster than words. Haeyoung, surprised by Seonwoo’s words, widened his eyes in circles and hastily took a step.
“Where does it hurt?”
Looking down at Haeyoung, who approached right in front of him in one step and grabbed his cheeks, Seonwoo blinked slowly.
Though the face looking at him anxiously was pitiful, the affection plainly revealed in his worried eyes was welcome. Everything about Yoon Haeyoung was directed entirely toward him. His steps, his gaze, his emotions, all of them. Seonwoo inhaled very quietly.
Perhaps because heavy air entered his long-blocked airway, a tingling pain was felt from inside his ribs. However, pain was also a sensation that only someone alive right now could feel. Leaving behind the time when he couldn’t even feel pain, he pulled up the corners of his mouth.
At the lips drawing a graceful curve, Haeyoung’s gaze fixed. It was only brief that he felt puzzled by the pleased-looking smile hanging on his lips despite saying he was sick.
“My heart…”
This hyung really… At the line that made his fist clench automatically, his brows furrowed momentarily.
Haeyoung glared at Seonwoo and lowered the hand he had raised to his cheek. Seonwoo, who didn’t miss and caught the hand sliding down, drooped his eyebrows with a still-smiling face.
“It’s true though.”
“Hyung, is your head hurting by any chance?”
The voice asking back contained a chuckle.
He should have taken a picture while they were at the hospital anyway. Was it MRI they take when there’s a brain problem? Haeyoung, who was watching Seonwoo with a crooked smile on his lips as if glaring, soon let out a light sigh.
Seeing him play around, his body had definitely gotten better. Right now, the relief that fact brought was much greater, so Haeyoung released the strength from his clenched fist.
***
For some reason, there are days when your eyes open early even though you didn’t set an alarm. Haeyoung, who woke up early in the morning and came out after washing up, came down to the first floor leaving Seonwoo, who was still sleeping perhaps due to the medicine’s effects, in the room.
“Hyung.”
In the dining room was Jaehwi, who seemed not to have left for work yet, sitting at the table eating breakfast. When Haeyoung greeted him by calling him, Jaehwi, who had been scooping up cereal soaked in milk, raised his hand in response.
Haeyoung, who passed such Jaehwi and headed to the kitchen, took out a pot. Jaehwi, who had chewed and swallowed all the cereal, opened his mouth looking at his back.
“Where’s Seonwoo-ssi?”
Perhaps because their work hours overlapped or they often ran into each other in the morning, he naturally asked him about Seonwoo’s whereabouts.
“He’s still sleeping, so I didn’t wake him and told him to sleep more.”
Haeyoung answered while checking the pot and leftover rice. A low sigh was heard from behind his back.
“Ah, he said he wasn’t feeling well.”
“Still, he seems to have gotten better though…”
Haeyoung, who had been answering Jaehwi’s words diligently, suddenly turned his body while holding the pot. And he tilted his head toward Jaehwi, who was eagerly scooping up cereal.
“Hyung, do you know how to make porridge?”
“That… don’t you just put water in rice and boil it…?”
Perhaps not expecting to be asked about a porridge recipe, Jaehwi, who paused for a moment, fumblingly replied and picked up his phone. Then, after tapping the screen a few times, he said he found an easy-looking egg porridge recipe.
At Haeyoung’s request to call out the ingredients and recipe in order, Jaehwi obediently opened his mouth. Haeyoung, who listened to what he was saying, took out an onion and carrot, and three eggs from the refrigerator. While boiling water, Haeyoung, who finely chopped the ingredients he took out, reviewed the recipe he had just heard again.
Since he had no occasion to cook porridge himself, even though it was a simple dish, it was quite unfamiliar. When someone was sick, he would buy porridge for them but never thought to make it. Moreover, for Haeyoung, who hadn’t even seen Seonwoo sick while living with him, there was even less occasion to make porridge.
“Oh, Haeyoung woke up early? Hello, oppa.”
“…Hello.”
While Haeyoung was stir-frying the chopped ingredients in a frying pan, Sehee entered the dining room. As soon as Sehee entered, he felt a bustling presence behind him, then Jaehwi’s voice was heard belatedly. At the voice with a subtle tension, he, who was lowering the heat, giggled quietly.
Haeyoung turned his head with a face still containing laughter and greeted her.
“Noona, are you leaving for work now?”
“Yeah. Is Seonwoo-ssi a bit better?”
“Probably…”
Haeyoung, who answered ambiguously, added while touching the corner of his mouth.
“When I checked before coming out, he didn’t have a fever.”
“Ah, then that’s a relief.”
Haeyoung nodded while looking at Sehee, who was relieved at his words. Then suddenly he noticed that the space he was living in now was warmer than he had thought.
It didn’t just refer to the physical warmth approaching from inside the house. Of course, thinking of the one-room apartment he lived in before filming the program, he couldn’t deny that the luxury house he was staying in now was overwhelming. But the warmth Haeyoung felt was in a slightly more abstract yet substantial realm.
The warmth that comes from being with others. A warmth that could make him forget loneliness even for a moment. Haeyoung was releasing tension from his body without even being conscious of that warmth. The time that felt like walking a tightrope felt so far away.
‘The filming period is one month, and at most within four weeks even if it gets longer. Think of it as working two part-time jobs for room and board during that time. You’re just meeting new people and getting some fresh air.’
The words Hajin had said before entering filming came to mind. Like she had said, at first he too approached the filming with the purpose of the money he would receive as compensation. However, after living together for several weeks, Haeyoung couldn’t help but acknowledge the fact that he had grown quite attached to the others.
Perhaps that’s why. Because the warmth he felt again after coming here was warm.
“Noona, do you want to eat porridge by any chance? I think there will be leftovers.”
Haeyoung, who had been stirring after putting the stir-fried ingredients, rice, and beaten egg into the pot, turned around and asked. Sehee, who had been brewing coffee from the coffee machine, immediately made a welcoming face at the question directed at her.
To her asking if it was okay, Haeyoung nodded as if it was obvious and roughly seasoned the porridge. Finally, when he added sesame oil as the recipe said, a quite savory smell began to fill the dining room.
“Haeyoung-ah, do you want coffee too? Should I brew one more cup?”
At the words heard from behind, Haeyoung smiled refreshingly with thanks instead of an answer.
“Americano, strong, right.”
“Yes.”
While Haeyoung turned off the heat for the porridge and scooped an amount for Sehee to eat into a bowl, Sehee brewed the coffee he would drink. Soon he placed the bowl containing porridge and a spoon on the table.
“Wow, looks delicious. I’ll eat well.”
“Me too.”
Haeyoung responded while holding the coffee cup she handed over. Sitting next to Jaehwi, he took his gaze off Sehee, who was blowing on and eating her porridge, and lifted his coffee cup.
It was when he carefully took a sip of the coffee with steam rising from it. A not-small vibration sound rang out on the table. The source was his phone placed on the edge of the table.
He put down the coffee cup he was drinking and picked up his phone. The number that sent the text was unfamiliar, but the name embedded in the first line was familiar.
“…Huh?”
A short exclamation unconsciously leaked from his mouth. Haeyoung, who slightly furrowed his brows, put the cup he was holding down on the table and opened the message.
Law Firm Dasung Recruitment-linked Winter Internship
[Web transmission]
Hello, this is the HR manager of Law Firm Dasung. This text has been sent to interview candidates, and detailed information can be found on the website (www.dasung.com/1021392).
Please refer to the following for individual schedules.
Haeyoung, who confirmed the text content, raised his head with a bewildered face.
At the same time, he saw the gazes of two people looking at him. Haeyoung reflexively put an awkward smile on his lips. Seeing the gaze that seemed to worry about what happened, his expression while reading the contact content must have looked quite serious.
“Why?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
At the question heard from Jaehwi, he shook his head. The hand that had been on the table bent inward and the joints protruded. Haeyoung, who was looking down at his hand, bit his lips.
Though he had expected it as much as he worked hard, he couldn’t help but be happy to actually receive a text telling him to come for an interview. From what he heard, the interview was close to a formality. Since they said the successful candidates were decided by the grades received while doing practical training.
So just receiving the contact to come for an interview was no different from a result close to an acceptance notification. That didn’t mean he could prepare for the interview carelessly though.
“Noona, when you finish eating, leave the plate in the sink. I’ll clean it up.”
Haeyoung said while getting up from his seat. And he waved his hand while showing a slightly relaxed smile to the two people looking at him.
“Ah, and both of you have a good day.”
With a light greeting as the end, he left the dining room.
