Gamja’s Job Change Preparations
“Jaehyuk-ah, wanna go get some ice cream? What flavor do you like? My mouth feels all sticky after eating that rice soup.”
Jaehyuk looked at the department head chattering beside him and crunched on the mint candy in his hand. He’d brought him along because his face was pretty decent, but the noisiness really didn’t sit well with him.
It had already been two weeks since he started clocking in at the rice soup restaurant where Jeongbae worked. Jaehyuk was seething inside.
He’d brought a different person each time to show off just how popular and amazing he was. Pretty, sophisticated, impeccable style. Of course, he did genuinely like the rice soup too. The savory, piping hot broth and tangy kimchi never got old no matter how many days in a row he ate it.
“Jaehyuk-ah, where are you going? That’s the opposite direction.”
“Go eat ice cream by yourself.”
“What…?”
Leaving the bewildered department head behind, Jaehyuk walked off alone. The quiet felt like he could finally breathe. Everything was fine, except for one problem: Kang Jeongbae.
‘He’s pretending not to know me.’
The first day he went with company. He’d wanted to see even a slightly flustered expression, but Jaehyuk’s expectations were utterly shattered. Jeongbae didn’t acknowledge him at all, treating him like a first-time customer.
It seemed too deliberate to just be sulking—as a server, he was nothing but cheerful and friendly.
‘He must be embarrassed too. Because we’re not on the same level.’
Though Kang Jeongbae seemed easygoing and carefree, he was quick to read the room. He must have considerately anticipated that the partners Jaehyuk brought would ask in detail how they knew each other.
In truth, there wasn’t really an appropriate word to define their relationship.
One-night stand. Someone he’d briefly given a ride to. Restaurant staff and customer.
Jaehyuk didn’t like any of those three. Yet strangely, when lunchtime came around, his feet carried him to the rice soup restaurant. He couldn’t stop himself from sitting before a hot bowl of rice soup, watching that pink head greet people loudly, laugh, and bustle about carrying dishes.
Yoon Jaehyuk, a rotten alpha who’d lived doing whatever the fuck he wanted, only thought that far before moving on. Digging deep into why he wanted to do it—that wasn’t his style.
If he wanted to do something, he did it. That was all.
“Doctor, going out of your way when you’re so busy…”
Woohyun silently stroked Jeongbae’s head. As an alpha, he was a full head taller than Jeongbae. Masculine features, slightly drooping eyes, an intellectual face that suited glasses well.
“Why didn’t you keep answering my calls? I was worried.”
After a brief silence, a low, gentle voice followed.
“Haha. I don’t really check my phone when I’m working. And when I thought about calling back, it seemed like you’d be busy, Doctor.”
Jeongbae deliberately laughed heartily. Woohyun was the person he was most grateful to and most burdened by.
“What really happened to your teeth? I’ll look into implants, so at our hospital…”
“Ah, forget it. If I just say I got into a fight, 17 against 1, and ended up like this—it looks tough and cool, doesn’t it?”
When Jeongbae laughed it off, Woohyun’s expression hardened for a moment. His large hand slowly covered Jeongbae’s right ear and cheek, and when his thumb brushed across his lips, the smile disappeared from Jeongbae’s face too.
“D-Doctor. Let’s go quickly.”
Jeongbae deliberately spoke in a bright voice and turned his head.
“Let’s take the car. You should get some proper rest today. I made a hotel reservation.”
“……”
Jeongbae’s expression grew complicated again.
“Can’t you cancel it? A motel would be enough. Hotels are expensive too, and I need to come out to work soon…”
After a brief silence, Woohyun smiled and casually draped his arm over Jeongbae’s shoulder.
“I made a restaurant reservation too. Take the day off work. You can do that, right?”
“…Yes.”
Jeongbae reluctantly nodded. Among the people Jeongbae already knew, Woohyun was the only one who had become a “one-night tutoring teacher.” He was the person he’d been seeing the longest, and also the one he most regretted getting involved with.
They first met as patient and resident when Jeongbae had just turned twenty. Jung Woohyun knew all about Jeongbae’s past. He was someone who’d listened calmly to his talk of applying to medical school without laughing at him.
Their nights together always had something more than just sex. That’s why Jeongbae deliberately only met him very occasionally. After putting it off and refusing, only when Woohyun strongly wished for it.
The right distance, the right temperature.
Fortunately, Woohyun was going through a busy period in his career, and thanks to that, the balance had been maintained for quite a long time.
As soon as the car door closed, Woohyun asked in an affectionate voice.
“Who was that student who came with you back then?”
“A younger guy I happened to get to know.”
Woohyun’s gaze lingered on Jeongbae’s nape for a moment. He didn’t say anything, but it felt like he knew everything.
When they were almost at the hotel, Woohyun asked carefully.
“Did you meet him often? …Instead of me?”
A brief silence. Only the air conditioner noise filled the car. Jeongbae looked at his phone for no reason.
“Doctor, it looks like we’re almost there.”
Woohyun didn’t turn his gaze away. Only the quiet engine sound remained in the car.
But contrary to his worries, Woohyun at dinner was the same as usual. Though the full-course meal at the hotel restaurant was burdensome, Jeongbae felt somewhat relieved and enjoyed the conversation with a smile.
A quiet hallway with carpeting. Jeongbae slowly followed Woohyun.
Click.
The hotel room door closed. In that moment, the air changed. Woohyun forcefully pushed Jeongbae toward the wall and trapped him in his arms. Their lips overlapped, and his large hand burrowed under the t-shirt.
“Doctor, wait. Let me wash up first…”
“…Every time I see you, I become strange.”
Jeongbae’s head snapped up.
“What?”
“At first it was just worry. Because you were hurting, because things were hard… I thought that’s why I felt this way.”
Woohyun smiled.
“But now it’s not that. When I think about you being with someone else, I feel like I’m going crazy.”
Jeongbae was at a loss for words. He instinctively pushed Woohyun away but he didn’t budge. One-night tutoring teacher. And his primary care doctor. He’d never once thought about a relationship beyond that. He tried to avoid the persistent gaze by turning his head.
“Doctor, that’s—”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to answer. Just know this.”
Woohyun turned his gaze away.
“I think you’ll come back to me. In the end, you’ll come to me again.”
Jeongbae couldn’t say anything. Their faces were close. Woohyun’s breath covered his lips and a hot tongue parted his mouth. It felt like his whole body was drenched in cold sweat.
When he opened the front door with his exhausted body, the sensor light clicked on. The empty house. Jeongbae desperately held back the urge to just collapse and washed up. Even if he lay down with his tired body, sleep wouldn’t come anyway.
“Let’s see…”
He opened the pages Woohyun had just explained before they parted, but with his troubled mind, he hurriedly flipped through the problem book. He should review right away, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Though he’d refused saying it was fine, Woohyun had sat Jeongbae on his lap and slowly explained each problem. Throughout the lesson, his large hands persistently groped various parts of his body.
‘Doctor, I’m heavy. Please let me down.’
‘If I do that, you won’t concentrate. Just look at the problems and don’t pay attention to me…’
Those words lingered strangely for a long time. Jeongbae stopped the hand holding the pen and slowly closed his eyes. A strangely warm yet uncomfortable feeling. In the past, he would have settled into that warmth. But Jeongbae knew better than anyone. The moment he leaned on someone, he would become a burden to them, and eventually they would both collapse together.
‘…It’s time to sort this out.’
Jeongbae skipped the pages he’d studied with Woohyun and opened the next chapter. His body was exhausted, but his mind was clearer than ever.
The next morning. The rice soup restaurant owner kept showing signs of regret.
“You worked for a long time, it’s a shame.”
“It’s not like I’m quitting right away. I’m still job hunting.”
Jeongbae had notified the rice soup restaurant where he’d been working that he was quitting. To distance himself from Jung Woohyun, disappearing from places he knew was the best option. Besides, restaurant work was easy and stable, but the pay was poor. Since he’d rested for a long time, he was thinking he should look for construction site work or night work with better pay again. At times like this, changing his entire routine was most effective. For Jung Woohyun’s sake, and for his own sake too. If he erased the traces, he’d be forgotten quickly.
“If there’s no particularly good position, don’t feel pressured and just keep coming. Got it?”
“Hurry up and find someone. It’ll take forever to find a handsome guy as good as me.”
Just then, there was a presence at the entrance.
“……”
It was Yoon Jaehyuk. For once, he was alone. His usual impeccable attire, a sculpture-like expressionless face. Jeongbae scurried toward Jaehyuk.
“Welcome.”
Without a word, he sat down. Jeongbae diligently followed to take his order.
“What would you like?”
“You’re quitting?”
Jet-black eyes pierced right through him. His eyebrows were slightly raised. Jeongbae was flustered that Jaehyuk suddenly spoke to him like they were close. He’d thought Jaehyuk considered him just an NPC or something… Had he heard the conversation just now?
“I asked if you’re quitting.”
While Jeongbae stammered, Jaehyuk pressed him.
“Uh, I’m looking into welding or bar work that I used to do. I rested too long studying…”
‘I can drop the formal speech, right?’
Under the inexplicable pressure, Jeongbae answered carefully.
“Studying? What university are you aiming for?”
“I’m trying to get into medical school…”
At those words, Jaehyuk paused. When Jeongbae said he was aiming for medical school, people’s reactions usually split into two. Either they looked at him pitifully and cheered him on, or they told him not to dream impossible dreams and tore him down. Jaehyuk would probably be the latter.
“Pure study hours.”
“Huh?”
“I’m asking how many pure study hours you have per day.”
“What’s that?”
“I mean the time you purely spend studying each day.”
“Ah, 2 hours in the morning before going to work, and at night after work for a while… It varies each day so I don’t really know.”
“…How long have you been preparing for the exam?”
“Since I was twenty-two.”
“You’re a repeater then.”
“Yeah.”
“If that’s your skill level after preparing that long, you don’t have a chance. You need to be in the top 0.2% nationwide. Change your goal to something other than medical school.”
“I guess so.”
Jeongbae laughed. This was the first guy who analyzed things so coldly and told him it wouldn’t work. But strangely, it didn’t sound harsh. This kind of talk felt much more genuine than false comfort or indiscriminate put-downs.
“The special for today too?”
“Medical school is difficult, but if math is your weakest subject, nursing, pharmacy, or law are also possible. Haven’t you thought about law school like me? The tuition would be about the same…”
Jeongbae deliberately changed the subject, but Jaehyuk didn’t give up and continued his advice. Since meeting at the hospital, this was the first time they’d talked this long. He was always curt even with the partners he brought, so he didn’t know he talked this much…
“Thanks.”
This time Jeongbae answered seriously without smiling. Jaehyuk seemed flustered for a moment and cleared his throat a few times.
“Anyway, where are you going to work if you quit?”
“Haven’t decided yet. I’ll start looking now.”
“Jeongbae-ya, a customer’s here!”
“Yes! Ah, sorry, I’ll bring you the special rice soup.”
Oops, the conversation went on too long. Jeongbae answered loudly and quickly turned away.
After finishing substitute driving and returning home, it was the early morning hours. Jeongbae, refreshed from washing up, settled at his low desk and opened his phone instead of his problem book. Then he began systematically calling acquaintances he used to know. Since he’d moved around doing various jobs besides welding, he had quite a few contacts to reach out to, including workplace colleagues and nearby shop owners.
“Yeah, I think I’m about to be unemployed… Hyung works at night so I called now. Yeah, well, take care.”
It was after he’d made a few calls to say hello and give notice.
—Didn’t you say you used to be a dealer too?
“That was years ago. I got beaten to a pulp there, so I won’t even look at cards now.”
Though he was hired after difficulty and even received training, gamblers were harder to deal with than drunks.
The air mixed with the smell of money, the tension of not knowing who would laugh and who would crumble, the chilling silence felt whenever cards scraped the floor.
Jeongbae couldn’t last long in that environment. One day a drunk’s glass flew at his face, and another day there was a customer who could make you sick with just their gaze. In the end, he quit after a year. It was also what made him return to physical labor.
—There are a lot of those places now. Casino pubs, they’re called—bars where you gamble for prizes, apparently they make quite good money. There are tips too.
Jeongbae was silent for a moment.
A pub would be better than a gambling den at least, but…
“I don’t know. Places that deal with cards are a bit…”
—There’s a place run by an owner I know, and they say they’re always short on dealers. Contact me if you’re interested.
“Okay, thanks.”
After sharing various updates and ending the call, Jeongbae sighed. Just as he tried to focus on studying, his eyes caught the missed call list.
[Doctor Jung Woohyun – 10 calls]
There were several texts too. Jeongbae didn’t read them and pressed the block button as is. Woohyun would soon realize. That it was just pity, sympathy, and a bit of jealousy briefly raising their heads. What was needed to return to normal was just a short amount of time.
Jeongbae slowly opened his problem book and scanned the letters with his eyes.
Emptying one’s heart was never as easy as it sounded. Tonight too, the night was long and sleep wouldn’t come.
