# Chapter 60
- The employee you are facing right now could be your precious family member.
[CLOSED TODAY]
“Again?”
Iyeon frowned and slumped his shoulders. Night Skewer had been closed frequently these days. Today was supposed to be chicken skewer day… How hard had he worked to persuade Je Sano to come when he didn’t want to… Hyegang patted Iyeon’s shoulders as he dejectedly stared at the “CLOSED TODAY” sign as if he’d lost everything.
“Can’t be helped. Let’s go somewhere else today.”
“We went somewhere else yesterday, and the day before…”
Iyeon muttered with a gloomy expression but quickly lifted his head to nag at Hyegang.
“Isn’t it because you keep luring the owner to play games? Is she not opening the shop because she’s busy gaming?”
“Oh, come on… I’m here with you right now. Besides, Sua noona hasn’t been coming online to play games much lately.”
“What? Isn’t the owner someone who games as much as you do?”
“…That’s true, but why does that sound like an insult?”
While Hyegang and Iyeon were bickering in front of the store, a familiar voice addressed them from behind.
“Oh? You three. The shop’s closed today.”
“Owner!”
It was Sua. Her body was facing the street with only her head turned toward them, suggesting she’d spotted them while passing by. Iyeon ran to her with a brightened face. His movements were desperate and joyful, like a dog finding its owner.
“Owner, I’m dying because I can’t eat your food even though I’m craving it so much. Why are you closing the shop so often?”
“Have I closed it that often?”
Sua answered nonchalantly, but Iyeon belatedly realized that her appearance was somewhat different from usual.
She liked to dress up, always wearing soft lace or flowing skirts like a lady from a Western romance novel, and she usually wore delicate makeup. Her style, which seemed more suited to frequently visiting prettily decorated cafés, might have appeared to clash with a skewer shop at first glance, but any sense of incongruity would quickly disappear after just a minute with her. She was someone who knew how to make any atmosphere her own, wherever she went.
But the Sua he met now had her long hair roughly tied back and wore no makeup. Dark circles had formed faintly under her eyes as if she hadn’t slept properly, and there were small, rough pieces of skin on her bare lips. Instead of the elaborate, fluttery outfits she usually wore, she was dressed in a similar style but much simpler and more comfortable clothing.
Looking somewhat troubled, Iyeon asked in confusion.
“Owner, has something happened lately? You look like you haven’t been sleeping.”
“Ah.”
Sua smiled, awkwardly stroking her cheek.
“Is it that obvious?”
“Are you feeling unwell?”
Iyeon’s face turned serious. She seemed fine on the surface, but illnesses could be diverse. Could healing-type superpower users handle diseases too? In response to his genuine concern, Sua waved her hand.
“No, I’m fine. I’ve been nursing my sister…”
“Your sister? Was there an accident?”
“No. Well, was it an accident? I’m not sure.”
As she said this, Sua looked somewhat exhausted. Confusion, worry, resignation, anxiety… Her eyes held a mix of many emotions.
“She just collapsed suddenly a while ago.”
Though they’d been regulars for quite some time, this was the first time seeing Sua like this. Iyeon found himself asking before he realized it.
“Should we visit her together?”
Sua’s eyes widened. Her gaze, which had been staring blankly at Iyeon, curved prettily.
“That would be nice, thank you.”
“You’re openly flirting.”
“What do you mean, flirting…”
Iyeon muttered awkwardly at Sano’s remark. There’s neighborhood camaraderie, and it would be good to at least listen to her story. Despite his statement based on principles, Sano seemed firmly convinced of his own assertion.
If I’m flirting with Sua-ssi, then you who pushed your lips forward during the pasta game, what are you planning, some kind of marriage by abduction? Since Iyeon wasn’t stupid enough to make a fuss over something that had already passed, he only grumbled inwardly.
“Since we’re already off work and dinner is canceled, you guys can go home.”
As he whispered while following Sua ahead, Hyegang shook his head.
“No, I was worried too.”
See? This is what normal social awareness looks like. Iyeon looked triumphantly at Sano.
“What about you?”
“I’ll go too.”
“Huh?”
This was somewhat unexpected. He’s more caring than I thought? Before the light in Iyeon’s eyes could change from surprise to approval, Sano smirked.
“Not for your sake.”
So it’s not because it’s good… Fine. Let’s not even talk about it.
The hospital where Sua’s sister was admitted was the largest university hospital in Chohosi. Following Sua, who crossed the lobby—almost the size of a playing field with a bit of exaggeration—with familiarity, they soon reached the ward.
“It’s here.”
Iyeon glanced casually at the patient’s name written next to the door. Han Subin. Where had he heard that before? Was it because it was a common name? As he dismissed it and was about to enter the room, he paused at the sight before him.
“What kind of hospital room… is about the same size as my home?”
“Ahaha, is that so?”
Iyeon had seen private rooms before, but this was on a completely different level from an ordinary private room. He’d never seen a hospital room equipped with a sofa, table, various appliances, and even a small kitchen. While Iyeon was delayed outside the door in surprise, Sano entered the room first.
“Your home is just small.”
“Hey, owning a place that size at my age is pretty decent.”
“Really, how big is it?”
Even Hyegang, who was asking with curiosity, stopped as he entered the room and opened his eyes wide in surprise.
“This is a hospital room? It’s huge.”
“See? This is how normal people react.”
Despite Iyeon’s comment, Sano just turned his head haughtily and sat on the sofa placed somewhat far from the bed. It was more like a reception area than a patient care zone. The brown leather that sank softly with weight looked as expensive as it was comfortable.
I never expected that guy to be interested in the patient anyway. Iyeon and Hyegang approached Sua, who was standing beside the bed.
Near the bed, unidentifiable medical devices stood as if monitoring Subin. In the middle of it all, Sua’s sister, Subin, either was sleeping or didn’t open her eyes despite the presence of others. Sua, apparently accustomed to this, just gazed at her endlessly while stroking the back of her hand.
Upon seeing the pale woman’s face, Iyeon was startled. Hyegang also blinked several times. His surprised face whispered.
“Hyung, this person…”
They both knew the face. One of them knew her one-sidedly, but still. Iyeon couldn’t hide his dumbfounded expression. What slipped out was a familiar form of address.
“…Subin noona…”
A companion of the club guy they’d met at the members-only club. The woman who had shared drinks with Iyeon. It was Han Subin.
“So the sister Subin noona mentioned was you, Owner.”
The eccentric sister she had mentioned… A daughter of a wealthy family rich enough to secure this kind of special room running a tiny skewer shop in Iyeon’s neighborhood—it was certainly enough to be called eccentric. Now the source of wallet warrior Gwak Cheolsik’s wallet and the strangely generous store service made sense.
“You know my sister?”
Sua looked quite surprised, glancing back and forth between Subin and them. Well, it’s us who have no connection.
“I met her recently during a request.”
“During a request?”
“Yes. Subin noona didn’t request it herself; we really met by chance. She treated me to drinks.”
Iyeon partially concealed the truth, knowing that revealing they met at an illegal members-only club could cause Subin to lose consciousness again right after waking up. Subin noona would explain it herself later…
“I see…”
Fortunately, Subin’s drinking habits seemed to be well-known within the family. Sua, immediately understanding, carefully stroked Subin’s cheek.
“If she were awake, she would have been happy to see you. That’s a shame.”
She’s such a sociable person, after all. A faint smile in her voice flowed softly. Iyeon looked at the slightly gaunt face for a moment before asking.
“What happened? Can you tell us?”
“There’s nothing much to tell. Nobody knows the diagnosis.”
Subin had been so energetic that she wouldn’t lose to anyone in terms of health, but lately, she had frequently mentioned feeling weak, and eventually, one day she lost consciousness and collapsed on the street.
“She was a child who loved running around and having fun, so at first, I thought she had just collapsed from temporary fatigue.”
The attending physician also said there was nothing wrong with her body according to the test results. He said it wasn’t serious and that she could be taken home once she regained consciousness, which made Sua think, “I thought so,” while still feeling relieved from the initial shock.
But her sister didn’t wake up even after several days had passed.
