Jung Sanho narrowed his eyes warily at Seungyeon’s meaningful smile. Even so, he didn’t particularly refuse Seungyeon’s touch.
“Isn’t it still a bit early for lunch? What time does your afternoon class start? You’ll need to watch the time carefully if you want to get back to school by then.”
“……I can just come back whenever it’s convenient. More importantly, where are we going to eat? There aren’t really any good places around here.”
“I’ve got it all figured out.”
He raised his hand to pat his shoulder, but due to the height difference, he only ended up touching Jung Sanho’s arm. Seungyeon took the opportunity to link arms with him instead. It was welcome news to hear that they didn’t need to rush. A smile naturally spread across his lips as the situation flowed smoothly according to plan.
“By the way, you’re still a department store VIP, right?”
“What do you mean ‘still’? I’ve been a VIP from birth until now, you know?”
Watching his irritated face, he finally seemed like the usual Jung Sanho. Humans are creatures of adaptation—the prickly attitude that had made him wonder what kind of person is this at first was now familiar.
“Anyway, you are a VIP, right?”
Seungyeon’s eyes curved beautifully. He took the lead, walking confidently with Jung Sanho in tow. The start wasn’t bad.
***
“Ah…, so it can’t be obtained domestically anymore?”
Baek Sehee’s clear eyes grew moist. The lighting installed to make the jewelry on display shine also made her eyes sparkle. Her eyes, looking so pitiful and full of stories that one would want to give her anything just by looking at them, glistened tearfully. There are many beautiful people, but beauties who move the heart like her are rare. However, the clerk’s answer was sadly unchanging.
“Yes, ma’am. That product was released as a limited edition and is difficult to obtain. Even if you inquire at overseas stores, we can’t be certain whether they’ll have stock or not.”
At the additional comment that they would do their best to look into it but it would probably be difficult to obtain, Baek Sehee smiled sadly.
“It can’t be helped. Thank you for your concern.”
At her greeting, the clerk made a tearful face as if it were her own problem. At the words that she would contact her immediately if she happened to find one, Baek Sehee also offered her thanks. Her expression was incredibly heavy as she walked out of the store listlessly.
This store had been the last one, and she ultimately couldn’t find an answer here either.
“Haah……”
Baek Sehee let out a sigh and headed toward the department store lobby with a blank face.
“What’s so important about that watch……”
She bit her lip hard, feeling like tears were about to well up. If she cried here, she would only be at a loss. That was exactly what her mother-in-law wanted. To submit and become miserable. They say she had sold even her pride because she had nothing, but she didn’t want to sink any lower than this.
When her mother-in-law found out she had lost the watch, she flew into a rage and threatened to call the police. Her personality wasn’t particularly kind to begin with, but yesterday was truly strange. She threw a fit, telling her to either find it right away or get an identical product. She slapped her and raged, saying she would kill her if she didn’t. Only after the entire household got involved did she finally calm down.
Her chest ached as she recalled that moment. Even after seeing her get slapped by his mother and have her hair grabbed, Tae Muhyuk merely clicked his tongue. “You should have done better” was all he said.
“Right, I should have done better……”
Baek Sehee muttered weakly, holding her forehead. It might be somewhat her own fault. Even though he had matured, she shouldn’t have entrusted an important item to her younger sibling. Rather than blaming her sibling, it was just her problem for creating such a situation in the first place. You can’t leave a fish market to a cat and then blame the cat.
“Huh? Secretary Baek?”
Baek Sehee, who had been walking listlessly, flinched and turned around in surprise. Her eyes widened as she spotted a tall, well-dressed man in a suit.
“Oh! Executive Director Jeyoung!”
“Ah, I shouldn’t call you Secretary anymore, should I? It’s troublesome since I’m so used to it.”
Tae Jeyoung approached with a smile. His soft brown eyes, completely different from her husband Tae Muhyuk’s, curved beautifully. At his kind attitude, Baek Sehee quickly brightened up.
“What brings you here at this hour?”
“That’s what I should be asking. Why are you here, Secretary Baek? It should still be work hours, shouldn’t it?”
Tae Jeyoung pointed to his wristwatch with an exaggerated gesture. Just as she was hesitating, finding the situation awkward to explain to him, his wristwatch caught her eye.
“Uh……? That! That watch!”
“Mm? This one?”
Tae Jeyoung rolled up his sleeve and extended his hand. Baek Sehee’s expression brightened more than ever upon discovering the watch she had been searching for so desperately.
***
The two, a man and a woman, were exchanging words amicably. Inside the VIP lounge located across from the watch counter, Seungyeon, practically plastered against the glass window, observed every detail of the two people.
“Perfect, perfect.”
If I’d known it would be like this, I should have gotten binoculars or something. No matter how good his eyesight was, the distance prevented him from confirming their expressions. Still, judging from the atmosphere, it didn’t seem bad.
More than anything, the scene he had watched in the drama was being perfectly recreated. Watching the two main characters properly get entangled in that temperature, that atmosphere, a smile unconsciously spread across his lips.
“I really did well coming here.”
When he followed Jung Sanho to the VIP lounge, he had passed by without much thought, but who would have known it would help in this way? Seungyeon was impressed by his own memory and insight. Indeed, this was something that had to happen. That’s why the watch was important. Only by losing it would those two get entangled.
“So what about food? When are we going to eat?”
Jung Sanho, who had been silently watching Seungyeon’s bizarre behavior of sticking to the glass window giggling “hehehe,” finally couldn’t take it anymore and snapped. His eyes full of dissatisfaction made his face sting all over.
Having suggested they eat but instead doing surveillance at the department store VIP lounge, it was understandable that he’d be annoyed. Jung Sanho crossed his legs and shook his foot frantically. Though he was dying to leave right away, since Seungyeon wasn’t suggesting they go, he seemed to be forcing himself to endure in his own way.
“Let’s go eat now.”
Since Baek Sehee had met Tae Jeyoung, there was no need to confirm what came after. Baek Sehee’s hardships would gradually improve after meeting Tae Jeyoung. Seungyeon felt much more relieved as he left the lounge.
He coaxed and placated Jung Sanho, who endlessly complained why did we even come here then, as they exited the department store. Since it would be troublesome if they happened to run into Baek Sehee while lingering around here for no reason, their pace naturally quickened.
After feeding him, he had to send Jung Sanho back to school, so taking that into account, they moved to a nearby shopping district. However, an unexpected problem followed. It was because he belatedly realized that a shopping district near a university area ultimately meant nothing but bars.
On a street lined with pojangmachas and bars that were awkward for eating lunch, Seungyeon got lost. Since it wasn’t dinnertime yet, it was even hard to find places that were open. Moreover, right next to him was Jung Sanho glaring at him with a stubborn expression. Though he didn’t directly criticize him, his face was full of dissatisfaction. Perhaps due to the pressure of having to feed him until he was full somehow, cold sweat kept flowing.
He circled the area about twice, but there was no suitable place to eat. Just as he was glancing at Jung Sanho’s face, wondering if they should go somewhere else now, he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Only after entering alley after alley did he finally discover a shop that had just started business.
“You want to eat makchang? At this hour?”
Jung Sanho, who had spotted the sign, asked back with a disapproving face. Seungyeon, who was already opening the door, shamelessly nodded.
“They say it’s a famous restaurant.”
It actually wasn’t, but if you eat it deliciously, that makes it a famous restaurant—what else would? Besides, he didn’t have the energy left to find another place now. Let’s feed him something first and then move. People get sensitive when they’re hungry anyway. Seungyeon sat down in an empty seat and tapped the seat next to him.
“Hurry up and sit. What do you want to eat? Oh, they have fried rice too.”
As Seungyeon shamelessly pushed forward, Jung Sanho didn’t say anything more. He obediently sat in the seat next to him and checked the menu on the wall.
“Kkeopddegi……?”
“Ah, you want to eat kkeopddegi? But eating only that might be a bit greasy. You still have class left, so alcohol is a bit much, right?”
At the words thrown out without much thought, Jung Sanho’s expression hardened. As if he had received a challenge, he raised his eyebrows.
“I drink well, you know?”
“Ah, really? Should we order one?”
“Order two bottles. So we can each drink one.”
Seungyeon hesitated for a moment at his request for one soju per person, as if ordering one drink per person.
“Two bottles from the start……? Let’s just order one for now……”
“It’s fine. Boss, two bottles of soju here.”
With a somehow proud face, he ordered the soju. While Seungyeon scratched his head, a listless voice came from inside the kitchen.
“What kind of soju?”
As if he hadn’t expected the question to come back, Jung Sanho looked at Seungyeon reflexively in confusion. Seungyeon shrugged his shoulders.
“Give us the one with the red cap, please.”
Jung Sanho’s face said what’s that. Though he wisely kept his mouth shut, there was no way he couldn’t read his clumsy attitude. Seungyeon was newly reminded that Jung Sanho was twenty years old.
‘This kid must be drinking soju for the first time.’
