# Chapter 74
I quickly entered behind the counter and crouched down. Startled by my hurried movements, the man stared down at me for a while, then pointed to the area behind the curtain, gesturing for me to move further back while remaining seated.
Following his directions, I pushed aside the thin curtain and carefully entered the back space. The interior was arranged like a small room filled with miscellaneous items.
Just then, the door opened with an unpleasant noise, and the sound of wet footsteps heavily echoed in.
That somewhat weighty sound was enough to make me tense.
“Hello.”
As expected, Jang’s voice filled the store. Due to the tension, my body froze, and I couldn’t breathe comfortably. Jang’s unpleasant voice seemed to be coming from right next to my ear.
“Hello.”
“Excuse me, but have you seen a young man around here? My son suddenly disappeared in this weather.”
I bit my lip tightly at the absurd statement. I wanted to ask why he was making up such a lie about someone he’d only known for two months.
It seemed like a simple cover-up, but the unsettling feeling was clear. He might actually have been projecting onto me like that.
But naturally, I didn’t want to know about his personal circumstances.
“No. Because of the heavy rain, there hasn’t been even an ant passing by, let alone people.”
“…I see.”
The sound of restless footsteps was briefly cut off. It seemed he was checking whether I was behind the curtained area or not.
I was tense, worried that he might come into the back area due to his persistent behavior, but fortunately, after exchanging a few words with the man, Jang headed outside again.
After Jang left, the store was enveloped in complete silence. The employee didn’t move, and I was too stiff to easily get up. Then the man’s voice came through the curtain.
“That person who just came in. You know him, right?”
“…Yes.”
“He’s parked his car in front of the store and isn’t moving.”
I had nothing to say to his comment. I just felt sorrier for having dragged another person into this situation.
Jang watching this place meant there was a high possibility he’d seen me as he drove by earlier. Even if he hadn’t seen me properly, he must have entered to confirm that someone other than the employee was present.
My head spun at Jang’s meaningless obsession.
“Since he seems to be keeping an eye on this place, I won’t go inside. That way, there will be less suspicion.”
The suffocating feeling that swept through my mind somewhat dissipated at his considerate words.
Yes, the world wasn’t filled with only crazy people. That’s why I didn’t want to despair.
‘It’s not like I’m one to talk…’
Though my own thoughts were laughable, it was a pointless question to ponder now.
“Feel free to rest. There are clothes to change into inside, so wear whatever you like.”
“Thank you.”
Words of reassurance wouldn’t come out at the man’s even-toned voice. I just wanted to slowly get up and change clothes as he suggested.
The man must spend a lot of time here, as the inside was fully equipped with everything. The neatly arranged items and store supplies, even the small kitchen that was set up looked clean.
I carefully put on clothes that seemed to fit me from among the neatly folded ones, and put my original clothes in a seemingly useless plastic bag.
Although there was still a damp feeling due to the moisture still on my body, it was much better than before.
Then suddenly, I worried about what to do if Jang was still guarding the front of the store when Woosang arrived.
‘Should I call and tell him not to come now….’
I hated the idea that even this moment would be disrupted when I could meet the Woosang I had been waiting for if I just waited a little longer.
With an unpleasant feeling, I pulled over a chair sitting in the corner and plopped down. Then, out of frustration, I wrapped my arms around my head and sighed quietly so it wouldn’t be heard outside.
Then, after a while of silence from the counter area, a voice was heard again.
“If you’re uncomfortable staying like this, should I call the police? It might take some time for them to get here though.”
“……”
Calling the police. That option did exist. But I immediately recalled why I had crossed from Berlin to France and shook my head. There was no way I could do that.
“No. That’s a bit…”
At my answer, the man simply said he understood without saying anything else, then got up and busily moved around the interior of the store as if he was going to work.
Seeing this, I was worried that he might have actual work to do but was tied down because of me, but I couldn’t bring myself to say I would leave now.
I didn’t want to be a burden for long, so I needed to decide quickly how to get out, but having changed clothes and feeling a bit more comfortable, fatigue hit me belatedly, making it difficult to think.
“Does your friend have a car?”
“No, he doesn’t have a car, so probably by taxi…”
Thinking about it, I hadn’t heard how Woosang would get here.
To cross from Berlin to France, one would usually need to take a plane. But since we always boarded in Paris, I didn’t know how to travel from other regions.
So, most likely, Woosang would take a taxi from a nearby airport or station. However, given the late hour, it was uncertain if there would be a taxi available to come to this small town.
If Jang wasn’t out front, I would leisurely wait for a taxi, take it, and go to a nearby hotel, but that didn’t seem possible.
“Even if your friend comes, won’t it be difficult for you to take a taxi together? To take a taxi together, you’d have to go out through the front door.”
“Yes, you’re right. I hadn’t thought of that.”
I had anticipated such variables, but I really didn’t expect to encounter Jang so soon. It seemed like I would have to discuss it with Woosang once he arrived.
“As soon as your friend arrives, go out the back door and take my car. I’ll drive you to the city.”
I blinked blankly at the man’s generous offer, and suddenly felt afraid.
‘Why? Why is he trying to help me like this? We’ve only exchanged words for a few hours.’
I wanted to immediately check the man’s expression through the curtain that separated us.
While his proposed method was appropriate for me, I had experienced too much to readily trust a stranger. I didn’t want to be suspicious, but I felt like I couldn’t endure without being suspicious.
My body had been trained that way.
At the same time, I recalled Woosang, who had approached me with such unconditional kindness.
He had shared his affection with me without expecting anything in return. And that affection was keeping me alive now.
Therefore, I couldn’t make a perfect conclusion. Choosing something was still a burdensome issue for me.
“Someone’s coming.”
“Who…”
I had been lost in thought, but the man’s words brought me back to my senses. I tightly closed my mouth and held my breath, thinking it might be Jang again.
After a while, the sound of the door opening was heard. I was puzzled by the sound that wasn’t wet like Jang’s or my footsteps. Focusing and listening, it seemed that the rain outside had stopped.
I couldn’t gauge how much time had passed. I thought I should check the time after this person leaves.
“Hello.”
My breath caught at that flat, meaningless greeting.
It was a familiar voice. And it was the voice I had been waiting for the most. I wanted to get up, pull aside the curtain, and go forward immediately, but I couldn’t. I needed to be cautious. I didn’t want to ruin the long-awaited reunion by putting emotions first.
“Excuse me, I heard my friend is here. Do you know?”
Before the man could answer, I hastily spoke first.
“I’m here.”
Surprised by my trembling voice, I quickly covered my mouth with my hand. Unlike Woosang’s calm voice, my voice seemed terrified to anyone who heard it.
“May I come in?”
In contrast to my clumsy emotions, Woosang asked the man very politely.
He was always like that. Even in situations that I found utterly unbearable and desperate, he showed remarkable composure.
And watching those moments, I couldn’t help but want Woosang. Like now.
“Yes, you can come in. But before that, did you see the car parked in front? It seems that car is chasing your friend. Right?”
“…Yes.”
“……”
The sound of Woosang swallowing broke through the silence. My heart filled with nothing but regret.
“I was about to close up, but if it’s alright, I can drive you to the nearby city in my car. You and I will go through the front, and your friend hiding in the back will exit through the back door.”
I quietly waited to see how Woosang would respond to his words. In a situation like this, it seemed like I should rely on Woosang’s judgment.
“Yes, please. I came here by taxi, but it seems difficult to call a new taxi around here.”
I felt relieved at his calm response.
The man told us to wait a moment and carefully came through the curtain. I blankly looked up at his composed-looking face, and he gestured toward the back.
Turning my gaze, I could see a door leading out through the piles of items stacked around.
“When you go out the back door, my car will be there. It’s a small Berlingo. Once your friend and I exit through the front door, come out the back.”
“…Berlingo?”
I hesitated, wondering if I had misheard the sudden unfamiliar term.
“In France, we call a small, ordinary passenger car a Berlingo.”
“Ah…”
Woosang added an explanation when I hesitated. His words somehow brought me relief. It reassured me that no matter how long we were apart, Woosang remained unchanged.
If we could just safely get through this, no, if we could wrap up everything else, it was clear that nothing would change between us.
The man showed me the location of the door before going back to the store, and shortly after, he began organizing something in the store.
Woosang helped the man and asked how he had met me. I stared blankly at the silhouette visible through the curtain.
“Shall we go now?”
“Yes. Teo. See you at the back.”
“…Yes.”
We exchanged greetings for this very brief separation.
And the two of them, having finished organizing, turned off the lights except for one small lamp set up at the front.
I hesitated in the suddenly darkened surroundings, but soon heard the sound of the front door being locked, so I headed for the back door.
The reunion I had so desperately longed for was right in front of me.
