Truth be told, Mother’s words had been closer to something said in passing.
Of course, she’d had a strong desire to meet him, but from what she’d heard in the explanation, he seemed like quite a busy person. So even if they set up a meeting, she’d thought it would be quite some time before they could actually meet. However, as she listened to Jeong Minha’s phone call, her eyes grew wider and wider.
Starting from when Jeong Minha actually made the call.
“Got it. I’ll ask hyung right now.”
“……He’s an actual real person?”
“?”
Well, at least delusions could be ruled out from the various possibilities. Then that meant everything Minha was saying was true……
“Even if we meet, you’d probably have to wait until hyung gets off work, is that okay?”
“That’s fine.”
“Alright.”
Meeting today, right now? Was that even possible? The thought that she could meet him in just a few hours made her suddenly nervous. If he really was a scammer, she’d have to grab him by the collar first, but it was a cafe so there would be lots of eyes watching.
Just then, the other party must have answered because the sound of the phone conversation started coming through.
“Hello, hyung? Are you busy right now?”
From his tone, they seemed closer than she’d thought.
“It’s nothing major…. I was just wondering if you could come to that cafe after you get off work later. …Yes? No, it’s just that Mom said she wanted to see hyung. If it’s burdensome, you don’t have to come.”
If he said that, a scammer obviously wouldn’t come! Just as Mother was about to point out Jeong Minha’s words, Jeong Minha’s eyes widened as he asked in a surprised voice.
“……What? You’re coming now?!”
Mother was just as surprised by those words. H-He’s really coming?
“It’s 3 o’clock right now though? Hyung, aren’t you working? Won’t you get fired if you keep skipping out on the company like this?”
But what kind of rude thing was this kid saying right now…….
“You really can take your time coming…. If it’s burdensome, you don’t have to come. I was just saying. …Yes, yes? No?”
In the middle of his phone call, Jeong Minha asked Mother with a flustered expression.
“Mom…. is there anything you want?”
“Suddenly? I want a nice house—”
“Hyung? Mom says she wants to eat melon.”
“?”
After hastily ending the call, Jeong Minha said in an even more flustered voice.
“Ah, what are you going to do saying that…! Hyung really said he’ll buy it and bring it!”
“What are you talking about?”
Whether Jeong Minha was writhing in agony by himself or not, Mother didn’t listen and had other thoughts instead.
‘A man older than Minha… who works at a company and is a rich person with money?’
She tried to imagine the man. He was wearing an expensive suit with slicked-back hair, glasses, and even a beard. He was the typical high-ranking ahjussi you’d see on the news.
……Such an ahjussi is Minha’s fan and pays for everything and they’re living together? Having thought this far, Mother frowned.
‘This is really…. Is it really okay to let them live together?’
* * *
During the 30 minutes that passed, many people came and went from the cafe.
The ahjussi from her imagination didn’t appear among them, so Mother was also gradually relaxing and just drinking her beverage.
That’s when she saw a man entering. He was far away so she couldn’t see well, but at a glance, he definitely wasn’t the person she was looking for. He was dressed in a suit, but even from behind he was too different from the ahjussi in her imagination. He looked like some kind of actor.
‘Oh my, look at those proportions. So tall and handsome. I guess because it’s Seoul, they must be filming a drama.’
Curious about his face, she gradually craned her neck to the side.
Seeing this, Jeong Minha wondered what she was looking at and turned around too. And immediately recognized the person.
“Oh? Hyung! Over here!”
“……?”
At Jeong Minha’s words, Mother nearly spit out the drink she was having. Flustered, she lowered her head for a moment and when she raised it again, the man had somehow approached right in front of her. He was already tall, so looking up at him from a seated position, she had to crane her neck even higher.
The man bowed at the waist and greeted her politely.
“I apologize for making you wait. You’re Minha’s mother… right? This is the first time I’m seeing you like this since the hospital. I’m so relieved to hear you’ve recovered.”
A refined-looking dark navy suit, a neatly half-swept hairstyle, a low and gentle voice that was pleasant to hear even though he seemed slightly out of breath from rushing over, a polite attitude. And above all…….
An incredibly handsome man she’d never encountered in her life was standing before her eyes.
Wasn’t it dark here just a moment ago, so why is it so dazzling? …Wait. He met me at the hospital?
She hastily recalled her memories from the hospital.
‘……No way!’
It was when she’d been lying in the hospital bed, blinking drowsy eyes in a half-awake state. When she could barely move just her eyes to look, some man was standing there. She’d thought it was the doctor or nurse who always came, but why was he wearing a suit?
She’d heard him saying something too. It seemed like he was greeting her, and she thought she’d heard something about moving something…. At the continuously heard voice, she’d looked up at his face.
The thought she’d had that day just before falling asleep, looking at the man’s face, was, ‘Ah…. they say the grim reaper who comes for you right before death is an incredibly handsome person…. it was true.’
And the next day she woke up perfectly fine. Was it just a dream? Mother had dismissed it as nothing and forgotten about this incident.
But because of the words from the man currently before her eyes, the memory came back. That person who came that day was this person…?! Mother naturally covered her mouth with her right hand. It was an impressively beautiful appearance that made her forget all her worries from just moments ago.
“Th-thank, I… thank you…. Oh my, when you’re so busy, coming all the way here……”
At the attitude that became respectful on its own, Jeong Minha looked at Mother with an absurd gaze and asked.
“Weren’t you the one who told him to come?”
“Be quiet.”
Still covering her mouth, Mother told Jeong Minha to be quiet, then outright pushed Jeong Minha to the inner chair with her arm.
“Urk…!”
“Don’t just stand there, sit here.”
“Thank you.”
Having sat down, the man immediately presented a business card with both hands and introduced himself.
Looking at the business card, Mother was greatly shocked once more. Isn’t this that place famous for cars and electronics? And even a director…?!
“You’re, incredibly… young-looking…. May I ask your age……”
“I’m twenty-seven. Please speak comfortably.”
He wasn’t just young-looking, he was actually young! Only three years older than Minha but a director at a major corporation?! In contrast, our Minha…!
Mother looked at Jeong Minha with blank eyes. Jeong Minha looked at Seo Sihan, then looked at Mother. Sensing the atmosphere was about to start comparison nagging, Jeong Minha hastily changed the subject.
“Uh, um. But hyung, when did you put your hair up? This morning when you left, your hair was down?”
“……”
Seo Sihan had been looking only toward Mother in front with a smiling face the whole time, then slightly turned his head to the side and whispered in Jeong Minha’s ear.
“Can we talk about it later after this is over?”
“…Y-yes.”
Suddenly speaking right into his ear, Jeong Minha hastily pulled away and then quickly sat up straight. Seo Sihan looked at Jeong Minha with an eye smile, then turned his gaze back toward Mother.
Seeing that, Mother thought. The atmosphere is pretty good though?
Roughly looking, it might seem like her son pulled away because he was scared, but looking carefully, he was averting his gaze while trying his best to hold back the corners of his mouth that wanted to rise. It was the behavior he did whenever he was so happy he didn’t know what to do.
From what she’d heard earlier, he supposedly praised and encouraged him all the time, and it seemed to be true. He’d already passed with flying colors just from his face, but additional points were being awarded.
Just then, Seo Sihan suddenly started taking out some papers from his bag.
“This is just something small… I wanted to give you. If there’s anything more you’d like, please feel free to tell me.”
“……?”
Looking at the documents placed toward her, Mother’s brain went into loading mode. The surgery had ended successfully and she’d even finished rehabilitation treatment, so it couldn’t be about her own problem. However, the contents of the documents all lacked a sense of reality. By region… land deeds? House candidates? What on earth is this…….
Just then, Jeong Minha let out an “Ahhh!” sound and took the documents, returning them to Seo Sihan.
“Hyung, it’s not this, I said melon! Didn’t you hear me?!”
“That’s in the car…. Should I go get it now?”
“Huh, really? Then that can wait until we get home… Ah, no that’s not the problem, what is this? Is this real?”
“When we were on the phone earlier, you clearly said she wanted a house….”
“Ah, please……”
Listening to the two’s manzai-like conversation, Mother finally realized. He actually did what she’d said as a joke earlier?!
