The reason Baek Muyeon planned his weekend date with Heo Seungju for next week wasn’t complicated. It wasn’t just because Seungju had appealed that his garbage-like stamina couldn’t handle two consecutive days of drinking and a day of dating. On a sunny Sunday, Muyeon had been summoned to another family gathering.
His cousin noona, Hyeonyeong, was pregnant with a late-in-life baby. His mother called Muyeon saying she decided to treat her and his great aunt. ‘I don’t know if our son is eating well while living alone. I should feed you something delicious on a day like this.’
She said this with a smile as if she’d forgotten that the housekeeper she’d personally assigned swept and cleaned Muyeon’s house and made delicious meals while he was at work. Muyeon also replied quite maturely: ‘Yes, I’ve been wanting to see you anyway.’ His mother seemed moved, saying our Muyeon has really matured since living alone.
Muyeon didn’t play modest in front of her. Because he was actually in the process of maturing.
It definitely started from accepting his father’s words to come to the company and work. It was practically Muyeon giving in, unable to withstand his parents’ nagging and pressure over several years, but because he didn’t want to admit that, he stubbornly traded joining the company for independence—still, for Muyeon, that was quite a big decision.
Completely changing one’s way of life and daily routine is a big decision for anyone, and no matter how much it was Baek Muyeon, he didn’t make such decisions without any hesitation. Of course, Muyeon’s change wasn’t some tremendous upheaval. It was just to the extent that the days when he wouldn’t listen even with one ear no matter what people around him said became days when he at least pretended to listen when someone spoke. Even that much change is something.
However, whether small or large, the experience of being a first is, without exception, a special experience even for that Baek Muyeon. As the moments of pretending to listen to someone’s words, or truly listening, accumulated, the thought even flashed through his mind: I’m also getting older and changing little by little.
His experiences within the company led his changes even more actively. Looking back now, even excluding meeting Heo Seungju and the subsequent events that stemmed from it, there were things he felt from experiences with other members too. He remembered responding to the kind greetings from Assistant Manager Jeong and Deputy Manager Park, who were the first members of the not-yet-fully-formed Sales Team on his first day.
‘Hello, Assistant Manager Baek Muyeon.’
‘……’
‘I’ve heard a lot about you, but you really are too handsome.’
‘Of cours… I mean, thank you.’
The reason Muyeon briefly set aside the arrogant attitude he always kept closer to his body than underwear was for a moment’s fun. Thinking twice, he also thought that acting as he pleased with people he’d have to see nine hours a day would only become troublesome.
From then on, he began communicating with mechanical kindness and proper empathy—habits he’d never developed once in his life. Because he’d watched and learned from his siblings and family who were so skilled at social life, the practice was easy and the effects were good.
Even considering it was a company, the easygoing conversations; even taking into account the hierarchical relationships, the casual relationships; and experiencing the goodwill and favorability that always returned double what was given—these were enjoyable. Of course, Muyeon didn’t leave out the possibility that the last one might be thanks to his face and background rather than his attitude. Anyway, I’m even perfect at self-objectification.
They say praise makes even whales dance, right? Muyeon, who had never really lived matching the tune of his parents despite the unlimited praise given by them, only now felt that saying a little. Assistant Manager is really cool. Assistant Manager is an open-minded superior. I want to work at the company for a long time on Assistant Manager’s team… Of course, he didn’t know how much was true, but still, Muyeon felt satisfaction from those words. They say even hypocrisy is goodness—his efforts were worthwhile.
It was one day when that life had continued for two or three months. He met Heo Seungju.
Whenever Heo Seungju’s face, shadowed by fatigue and stress as if he’d die any moment, met his, it gained a little vitality. Curiosity started from there. It was also interesting that while not changing his shadowed expression at all, he shamelessly spouted more proper-sounding words than Muyeon. The most interesting point was Heo Seungju’s common-sense reactions and transcendent understanding ability displayed in any given situation. At every moment when he should cry, collapse, or be heartbroken, he endures, accepts, or resigns himself. That must be the result of complex logic that doesn’t exist in Muyeon’s world.
So when he saw Seungju being satisfied without calculation by the pretended kindness Muyeon thought he was bestowing on him, it gave him a strange feeling. In front of him, the effort of hypocrisy didn’t see its efficacy either.
Muyeon thought about the definition he’d given as the first words to the question of what kind of person he was. The words “a normal person.” That wasn’t a lie. Anyway, considering Heo Seungju’s common sense, rationality, and conservative attitude toward things that should be done accordingly, he was the closest to universal among the people Muyeon knew.
But Muyeon vaguely guessed that definition might be wrong. Anyway, something that complicated usually isn’t normal. It was the same that despite being so complicated, every problem ended up concluding with alcohol.
Today, Muyeon intended to get universal advice on that unsatisfactory conclusion called Heo Seungju’s alcohol. Anyway, recklessly imposing Baek Muyeon’s methods on Heo Seungju’s common sense might backfire. Him running away, resigning himself, or giving up. Anyway, that wasn’t what Muyeon wanted.
So the reason Muyeon was sitting here wasn’t really because he’d truly matured. He looked at his objective today. It wasn’t his mother or father, nor his great aunt, nor even the stars of today, Hyeonyeong and her spouse. Muyeon was looking at Hyeondo, who was making a good-natured smile in front of him.
In Muyeon’s experience, when receiving advice, there were few people as comfortable as this person. He provided a balance of neither unconditionally praising Muyeon nor unconditionally criticizing him. Also, among those around him, he was the person who could provide the perspective closest to universal in the world.
Hyeondo, who had sharply blocked his uncle-in-law—that is, Muyeon’s father’s—words starting with “Your noona is having a baby now but you’re not even married, what are you doing” with a retort of “Don’t nag on a good day,” had been eating deliciously without worry since then. Because the great aunt and mother’s topic was entirely focused on Hyeonyeong, Muyeon was naturally chatting with Hyeondo.
“Are you doing well?”
Though the subject and object were all dropped, Muyeon immediately understood Hyeondo’s words. He nodded.
“I’m doing well. So well.”
“Good, I’m glad.”
“But I have one concern.”
Muyeon said, lowering his voice. Hyeonyeong’s husband, who had been participating in the conversation occasionally, tilted his head as if listening. Did the words “concern” just come out of this household’s young master’s mouth, or am I mistaken? Must be mistaken. He naturally joined back into the conversation his wife was having with her mother.
Muyeon thought for a moment about what to bring up first.
“That person is a bit… should I say difficult.”
“Huh? Difficult?”
Hyeondo made exactly the same expression his brother-in-law had made a moment ago. The word “difficult” coming from Baek Muyeon’s mouth—did I hear wrong? Seeing that expression, Muyeon squinted.
“What did you understand it as? I don’t mean difficult to deal with.”
“Ah, I see. Phew, Muyeon. I was really worried.”
At Hyeondo’s half-joking answer, Muyeon got slightly irritated. Half was because of Hyeondo’s over-the-top reaction, and half was irritation at himself for not explaining properly enough to elicit such a reaction. The feeling of not being able to pinpoint the core also felt unfamiliar, like when facing complexity he couldn’t understand. Muyeon chose his words again.
“I mean it’s hard to know what they’re thinking. And they make it confusing whether we’re dating or not.”
“Really? In what way?”
“First of all, that person likes alcohol a bit.”
“Is that such a big deal? You too…”
“What about me? I don’t do that anymore, you know?”
“Okay, okay.”
Hyeondo laughed. This time it was an expression of ‘sure you don’t.’ Muyeon showed his displeasure by glaring a bit at least at that.
“Well, everyone has their own life, so I can’t just stop them.”
“That’s a very generous thing to say?”
At Hyeondo’s surprised reaction, Muyeon smiled proudly. He continued.
“But I also know what it’s like to drink and meet people. I don’t like it. I was wondering what to do.”
“Drinking and meeting people… if you’re going to soften it that way, that was our Muyeon’s specialty. It must be difficult. Is that the reason you don’t like it?”
Muyeon makes eye contact with Hyeondo. Hyeondo lowered his eyebrows slightly. Through that, Muyeon realized what expression he’d been making while looking at him. When he was rolling his eyes like a crazy person, Hyeondo always made this kind of pitiful face.
Of course, the possibility of Muyeon being moved by Hyeondo’s empathetic ability to pity others was low. So whether Hyeondo did that or not, Muyeon laughed and said.
“Yeah. I hate my thing rolling around carelessly on the street with just anyone.”
“……”
Hyeondo didn’t respond this time. Instead, he muttered briefly, “My thing.” Muyeon didn’t care much about what that might mean. He just continued what he wanted to say.
“And that person has bad drinking habits. Both liking alcohol and their drinking habits are beyond normal level.”
“I see… if even you think it’s beyond normal level, that would be worrying.”
“Should I tie them up and lock them away?”
