“Yuyoung-ah, I’m going to head out first.”
“Yes! See you tomorrow!”
Haeyoung, who had changed out of his work clothes, greeted Yuyoung standing at the counter. She waved at him with a bright smile, telling him to go safely.
It was probably a few weeks ago that he’d thought about getting a part-time job before the semester started. Haeyoung had applied to a recruitment notice at a cafe near campus and received an acceptance notification as soon as he went for the interview. And it was there that he met Yuyoung.
‘Huh? Sunbae?’
She had come out tying her apron when she spotted him and her eyes widened. Soon, a look of delight appeared on her reddening face.
Haeyoung also recognized her and happily raised his hand in greeting. They were from the same department and had the same career aspirations, so they had seen each other a few times and even eaten meals together. After that, she had been frantically studying for exams, but Yuyoung passed on her first try, making all the worrying seem pointless.
Though it was still before the semester started, the two had grown quite close working together for a few weeks.
And today, he had plans to meet Hajin. As Haeyoung left the cafe, he rummaged through his padding pockets and pulled out his phone. There was a message from Hajin about where to meet. After reading the familiar business name with his eyes, he stuck his hand back into his pocket.
Right after filming had ended, she had also been busy so they couldn’t see each other’s faces, but she did call from time to time. Whenever he answered her calls, the first thing he always heard was rough, panting breaths.
It had been the same a few days ago. It was probably close to midnight. While studying at home, his phone vibrated softly and Hajin’s name appeared on the screen.
“Hello?”
— Yoon Haeyoung, I’m trying to write up a complaint, so can you give me some legal consultation out of loyalty?
At the sudden mention of writing a complaint right after answering the phone, Haeyoung couldn’t help but pause. Was something going on? He furrowed his brow and raised his hand to fidget with his eyebrow.
He had only done legal consultations for practical training or assignments, but if something had happened to Hajin, he had to do everything he could. Haeyoung, who had been anxiously smoothing over his eyebrow, readily opened his mouth.
“Of course… I’ll help with everything I can. But noona, what’s going on? Why a complaint?”
To his worried question, Hajin answered in a much more composed voice.
— Yeah, it’s nothing serious. I’m trying to claim compensation for emotional distress from Cha Seonwoo.
“……”
— So should I go civil or criminal?
“That would be civil, but…”
Haeyoung’s hand, which had been habitually reaching for his civil law textbook, stopped. It wasn’t even law school class time right now, yet he had reflexively looked for a book at the question. Even though he knew Hajin wasn’t serious, he had been responding earnestly, and he barely swallowed back a chuckle.
If he sent a certificate of contents to Seonwoo hyung, it would probably be transferred to a major law firm. In civil litigation, cases about compensation for emotional distress are difficult to prove, so if it really led to a legal situation…
“Realistically, there’s no chance of winning.”
— Are you taking Cha Seonwoo’s side right in front of me?
At the sharp question that came back, Haeyoung realized his mistake and closed his mouth. It was a chronic problem. After studying all day, everything became linked with case law in his mind.
“I misspoke, I’m not taking his side.”
— Whatever, you’re all the same. At least with you… I’m putting up with it because I can get some content out of you. You know that?
Hajin asked in a dejected voice. Haeyoung smiled as if to soothe her and replied.
“I know, I know well. Noona, you’re having a hard time.”
As he gently took her side, she vented her quiet indignation.
— They broke up. They said they broke up, you bastards.
At those words, Haeyoung couldn’t easily answer and only let out an awkward laugh.
It had been since filming ended. Whether they were sent during the editing process, whenever he checked his phone, messages like “Are you kidding me,” “Did you really break up,” “Why are you two dating on my show” would be there. So he had become somewhat accustomed to Hajin’s scolding.
She didn’t stay angry for long. Naturally, the conversation shifted from asking if his body was okay to whether he was eating meals properly. Then they made plans to have a meal together when they had time.
And that was today. Standing at the bus stop, Haeyoung pulled his hand out at the vibration coming from his pocket.
[Hajin Noona]
Hajin’s name was displayed on his phone screen as if it were natural. He brought the phone to his ear without hesitation.
“Hello.”
— Where are you?
“I’m waiting for the bus right now. Oh, it’s here. I think it’ll take about 15 minutes…”
Haeyoung answered as he boarded the bus that had stopped in front of him. After tapping his card, he moved toward an empty seat near the back door of the bus.
— Then I should order ahead in about 10 minutes. You can eat a lot, right?
“Yeah, I can eat three servings by myself.”
At the readily flowing voice, Hajin also got excited. She said in an animated voice that she’d feed him lots of meat after so long. A laugh that sounded like air escaping flowed from Haeyoung’s mouth.
After hanging up with an acknowledgment, he turned his gaze out the bus window. Before he knew it, green buds were sprouting on trees that had only bare branches left during winter.
It was not long after filming had ended.
He had a vague memory of hearing news about the flu going around at the beginning of this winter—was it last year? And Haeyoung had come home after filming ended and suffered from a nasty cold. To be fine during the coldest period but then fall ill with an unseasonable sickness—there was no way to be more foolish than this.
Really so foolish…
Whether it was because he was sick, he didn’t even feel like moving his body to eat anything. He barely swallowed water with his hot, scratchy throat and buried his body in a pile of blankets. When winter came, cold air rose from the floor of the old villa. The cold seemed to press heavily on his body, so Haeyoung had no choice but to shrink his shoulders and burrow into the blankets.
Then there was a phone call. He hadn’t been able to answer any of the contacts that had been coming for days, but this time he finally reached out at the persistently continuing call. Without even checking who it was, he answered the phone and heard Hajin’s voice.
— Yoon Haeyoung? Haeyoung-ah, are you okay?
‘…Yeah, I’m okay.’
— You’re not okay though? Your voice sounds half-dead? Hey, if you’re sick, you should at least call to say you’re sick, why are you suffering alone?
Hajin muttered worriedly that when you’re already sick, being alone makes it even more pitiful. He listened quietly to her talking and before he knew it, he had fallen asleep again in a daze.
When he opened his eyes, Hajin was there. The room was just a bedroom with space divided by a partition wall, so the light from the kitchen seeped in completely. She was sitting at the small dining table looking at her phone.
‘Noona…? What are you doing?’
His voice was hoarse, perhaps from sleeping so long. Hajin raised her head at the sound of his cracked voice.
‘Oh, you’re awake? Wait, I just need to reheat this porridge. I got it for you to eat but I couldn’t wake you up while you were sleeping.’
‘Did aunt bring it?’
‘Well, something like that.’
What did “something like that” mean? Questions remained, but his heavy body didn’t give him time to think more deeply.
It had been two days since he’d had a proper meal. Before that, he had roughly mixed rice with water, but after that, he had just slept all day to forget the pain. After eating warm porridge for the first time in a while and taking the medicine Hajin had prepared, Haeyoung fell asleep again. After sleeping for a long time and waking up, his body felt much lighter as if it had recovered.
It was right after that when Haeyoung went out to look for a part-time job.
Even while struggling with fever, he had groaned at the face that kept stirring in his head. Nights continued where being alone was more miserable than being sick. But now he had recovered, and he couldn’t just stay holed up at home ruminating over the choice he had made.
Was today Ipchun? Looking out the window, he reached out his hand while looking at the familiar street. Not long after pressing the get-off bell with a beep, the bus stopped. Haeyoung adjusted the bag he was carrying and stood up.
Just as he had overcome the nasty cold, his unsettled heart would soon become calm too. The month of filming the program seemed distant, as if it had been a dream instead. It was time to wake from the dream.
But it was okay. There were people who came to visit when he was sick, friends who would come running right away if he contacted them, and once the semester started, he’d be busy enough not to worry about other things.
After winter passes, spring comes. Yoon Haeyoung got off the bus with light steps.
His hardened heart didn’t last long. It was because of something Hajin casually said at an unexpected moment.
“You’re here?”
Haeyoung arrived at the meat restaurant he’d occasionally gone to with her and sat down while taking off his outerwear. As soon as he sat down, Hajin picked up the tongs as if she’d been waiting and started placing meat on the grill.
“Give me the tongs.”
“It’s fine, you just eat.”
Hajin snorted at him as he reached out his hand. But then her voice asking if his body was okay now, whether he was eating meals properly, and so on, was quite affectionate.
“You have to eat well to not get sick. This is already cooked. Eat this.”
“Noona, this is still bleeding.”
“It’s beef. It’s fine.”
With a smiling face, Haeyoung took the meat she had pushed toward him and put it back on the grill.
He watched the meat cook, and only after the blood had completely disappeared did he pick it up again with his chopsticks. Watching him dip the meat in salt and put it in his mouth, Hajin smiled mischievously, calling him fussy. Haeyoung, who had been quietly chewing what was in his mouth, also smiled belatedly as he raised his head.
“Oh right, the porridge and side dishes you brought before were delicious too. Did you buy them, noona? Looking at the containers, it didn’t seem like aunt brought them.”
“No, that was Cha Seonwoo.”
While answering the question, Hajin picked up well-cooked meat and handed it to him again. But Haeyoung couldn’t take his eyes off his plate. His mouth, which had been frozen for a long while, opened urgently.
“…The porridge, you’re saying Seonwoo hyung brought it?”
