Lee Jiwoo really held my hand with one hand and picked up his spoon with the other. And he started eating very slowly. He ate really disgustingly unappetizingly, like he was forcing himself to swallow when he didn’t want to eat.
I also scooped up seolleongtang broth with my spoon while glancing at Lee Jiwoo and asked.
“Is your jaw okay?”
At my question, Lee Jiwoo raised his eyes to look at me.
“The one I hit yesterday…”
A series of embarrassing incidents happened in succession, so I forgot the first thing I should have said. Rather than just letting it pass, it seemed better for the future to apologize even now.
“I’m sorry. I was so surprised…”
“It’s okay, that can happen. I did something that deserved to be hit.”
The guy who had only done absurd things since we first met was suddenly talking like a normal person, which was confusing.
“But violence is still bad. I’m sorry. There’s no lasting injury or anything, right?”
I’d been checking his jaw, cheeks, and even the back of his neck just in case, but I didn’t see any particular marks. Then Lee Jiwoo suddenly stuck out his tongue.
“There is an injury. I bit my tongue because I was surprised.”
“Ah… I’m sorry.”
“You see it, right? Here.”
His red tongue wriggled slightly to the side as if telling me to look closely. Would there ever be an opportunity to observe someone else’s tongue this closely? It was a rare experience, but not particularly pleasant. After looking roughly, I nodded.
“Yes, I see it. I’m sorry.”
“I bled a lot too.”
“Did you put medicine on it?”
“No. I just left it and it stopped.”
“That’s a relief.”
The meaningless conversation continued. Still, I was answering sincerely when Lee Jiwoo straightened his slightly bent back. Then he put down the spoon he was holding and asked.
“You don’t believe me, do you?”
I couldn’t help but flinch. Did my casual answers show that much? I desperately shook my head.
“No, I believe you. I’m just so sorry that I’m dejected, but I guess that looked like I was answering insincerely.”
Lee Jiwoo tilted his head while watching me make excuses at length.
“No, I mean you don’t believe that I like you.”
“……”
“You’re not really listening to what I’m saying seriously, are you?”
“……”
Did that show too? This is really serious. Perhaps this job was beyond my capabilities from the start. Of course it was. I was an extremely ordinary, average person who had never liked a man before and had never acted either.
If I hadn’t mastered the art of always smiling whether happy or sad while working part-time, this would have been a mission that failed long ago.
But as I’ve repeatedly said, I’d already received the money. Since it had come to this, it seemed much better to act according to my personality rather than being fake. That said, if I revealed myself 100%, I might have a fit every time our hands were held, so moderately about 70%…
“Hyung.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you normally flirt like this?”
At my question, Lee Jiwoo nodded. It didn’t seem like a lie, so Lee Jiwoo spoke while watching my lukewarm reaction.
“Everyone liked it.”
His eyes were sunken underneath and his gaze had no vitality, but Lee Jiwoo belonged to the extremely handsome category. His hair happened to be pink, so he looked like an idol who’d debuted about 7 years ago. So now he’s not particularly desperate, he’s made enough money… How should I put it, a burned-out feeling?
“Then how do you normally receive flirting?”
Even though he’d barely eaten a few spoonfuls, Lee Jiwoo rested his chin on his hand and asked, as if he’d lost interest in the seolleongtang. I thought carefully, then also rested my chin on my hand.
“Usually they ask for my phone number first. Or they check if I have a lover or not.”
“Do you have a lover now?”
“No. What about you, hyung?”
“I don’t either. But really, how old are you?”
I hesitated for a moment, then told the truth.
“I’m 22.”
“Same age as me. But why are you calling me hyung?”
I slyly avoided Lee Jiwoo’s gaze and looked elsewhere. And to make up for the mistake I’d just made, I told another lie.
“Honestly… I was a bit scared.”
“You were scared? Why?”
“I thought I’d get revenge for hitting you… When someone I met for the first time yesterday was in front of my house, I was a bit scared. So I was going to play along and then run to the police station.”
Lee Jiwoo has sharp intuition, and if he’s hyungnim’s cousin, he’s probably an enormous rich person. Since he can easily look at street CCTV and other people’s car black boxes, investigating my background would be a piece of cake.
But it would be strange if I, the same age, kept calling him hyung.
“Ah… Now that I hear it, the situation must have been a bit scary.”
Lee Jiwoo, who only now realized this, nodded.
“Sorry. For scaring you.”
“Actually, I’m still a bit scared. I wonder why you’re doing this to me. Normally people don’t go this far just because they fell in love at first sight.”
These were emotions anyone would feel in this situation. But Lee Jiwoo, who had been showing reasonably sensible, normal reactions just moments ago, suddenly said something strange.
“But you don’t seem that scared.”
“…What?”
“When you saw me in front of your gate earlier too, you didn’t seem very surprised.”
What bullshit? I was so surprised I almost vomited my heart out.
“Even now, you’re not really scared, right?”
“Why are you saying that?”
“You just don’t seem scared.”
I’m saying I’m scared, so why is he saying that? And why is he suddenly fixated on whether I’m scared or not? The point of my words isn’t about being scared or not scared, but just that your behavior is so fucking abnormal it’s scary—why can’t he understand what I’m saying?
I suddenly felt frustrated, but I calmly opened my mouth.
“If that’s how it seemed, I have nothing more to say. But it’s true that I was scared.”
“I see. Are you still scared?”
“……”
Lee Jiwoo’s tone suddenly changed to formal speech. His eyes also seemed colder than before, making my hair stand on end. I almost pulled my hand away from Lee Jiwoo’s grip.
“Why are you suddenly speaking formally?”
“I thought Seoun-i might be less scared if I was polite.”
“It’s scarier, so just speak informally.”
“Okay, then.”
I fidgeted with my trapped hand, then gathered more courage.
“Could you also let go of my hand?”
“Why?”
“Because it’s a bit uncomfortable.”
And I tried to slip it out, but it was held tight so I failed. Maybe because I was surprised earlier, my palm was starting to sweat. Lee Jiwoo stayed still for a moment as if thinking about something, then said.
“Then I’ll let go of your hand, so instead will you sit next to me?”
“…Next to you? Why?”
“So I can hold you instead of holding your hand.”
“Just keep holding my hand.”
I was so dumbfounded for a moment that I couldn’t manage my expression. When I grimaced and went “ugh,” Lee Jiwoo’s eyes widened in surprise. It was the most his facial muscles had moved since yesterday until now.
“By any chance…”
At that moment, a loud noise rang out. It was an excessively loud phone ringtone, loud enough to furrow one’s brow, close to being noise pollution.
“Hello.”
Lee Jiwoo answered the phone with his face expressionless again. While I was still grimacing because my ears were ringing, Lee Jiwoo, who had already ended the call, let out a sigh.
“Something came up, so I have to go.”
“Ah, yes.”
“I wanted to go on a date all day today, but that’s too bad. Can you give me your phone number? I’ll contact you later.”
Lee Jiwoo held out his phone to me. Does he want me to enter the number? I carefully took it and was about to press the numbers when I stopped. Like my phone, Lee Jiwoo’s phone screen was also cracked like a spiderweb.
I pretended not to notice and entered my phone number, then Lee Jiwoo immediately pressed the call button. And soon a call came to my phone.
“Did you drop your phone?”
Lee Jiwoo tilted his head after seeing my phone that was practically like a rag.
“Ah, yes…”
“Let’s change them together when we meet tomorrow. I’ll buy you one. I need to change mine too.”
“You’ll buy me one?”
“Yeah, let’s get couple phones.”
I should say it’s okay, but my mouth wouldn’t open. No matter how much money I’d received from hyungnim, you never know how things in the world will turn out, and I’d need a lot of money if Seogong-i was going to study again.
Phones aren’t cheap—if he buys me one, shouldn’t I just gratefully accept?
“You finish eating and go. I’ll text you.”
“Ah, yes. Have a safe trip.”
“You’re not going to give me a goodbye kiss or anything, right?”
Lee Jiwoo stood up from his seat and stood in front of me, looking down at me and spouting nonsense. Maybe because I’d recognized that he was a crazy bastard, the sense of intimidation was no joke. Especially those eyes without any light were too creepy.
“Yeeess…”
When I hesitated and answered with difficulty, Lee Jiwoo turned his head as if regretful.
“Okay. Then see you tomorrow. Get home safely.”
“Yes, have a safe…”
Before I could even finish my words, Lee Jiwoo was already walking far away. He finished paying at the counter and left without looking back even once.
