Thanks to that, I was focusing intently on eating when I suddenly looked up and met Jukyung’s stare, making me feel embarrassed about whether I was eating too ravenously. Of course, being conscious of such things was only momentary.
As soon as I lowered my gaze to see the food again, I completely erased the existence of the creditor sitting across from me. I thoroughly cleaned out the large bibimbap bowl and ate up all my side dishes. By the time the employee brought out beautifully peeled fruit and sujeonggwa with pine nuts floating on top as dessert, Jukyung, who had kept his mouth shut until then, opened it with a crooked expression.
“Don’t you need digestive medicine?”
My stomach was quite full. My stomach was full last night too, but a stomach full from eating porridge and a stomach full from eating a proper meal were on different dimensions. With a proud feeling, I held my stomach and shook my head.
“No. I ate my fill, so why would I waste it by taking digestive medicine? I should enjoy the feeling of fullness more leisurely.”
Ignoring Jukyung’s face with his lips twisting slightly, I put the cold sujeonggwa in my mouth. The cool sweetness and sharp cinnamon scent filled my mouth. Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since I’d had sujeonggwa. Was it several years? Regardless of what kind of look Jukyung was giving me, a satisfied smile bloomed without my realizing it.
“Well, eat a lot. You look so shabby that gaining some weight would be good for job hunting too.”
Jukyung said sarcastically. The pine nut I was chewing and swallowing got caught in my throat.
Ah, Kwon Jukyung, what is that bastard saying right now? It’s true I lost quite a bit of weight, but still, there’s a baseline—how could I look shabby?
“Hey, you, no matter how much I…!”
I was about to say something back since he seemed to find me funny for being too humble, when Jukyung slid something toward me.
“Just take this.”
Small, flat, and square plastic.
It was a card.
For a moment, I completely forgot what I was about to say and stared intently at the card. My goodness. How long had it been since I’d seen such a welcome object?
“Don’t need it? Should I take it back?”
When I just stared without picking it up, Jukyung reached out his hand again.
“No! As if I don’t need it!”
Smack!
The sound of skin roughly colliding rang out loudly.
Good grief.
It was an absurd mishap. Because I hurriedly slapped down on the card, my palm collided with Jukyung’s hand. Though I reflexively pulled my hand back at the smacking sound, it was naturally already too late. Jukyung withdrew his hand and looked at me with an absurdly distorted expression.
“I was being generous, and what I get back isn’t even a thank you but violence?”
Jukyung rubbed his hand. Since even my palm that did the hitting was tingling, naturally the side that got hit would have more impact. The skin on his hand was gradually turning redder.
“Uh, I… sorry.”
Even I couldn’t help but be flustered.
“I was a bit startled, so I….”
Jukyung clicked his tongue.
“Getting so excited over one debit card—if I’d given you a regular card, you would’ve struck down with your fist.”
Debit card?
I picked up the card in front of me and examined it from all sides. I could see the small letters “check” printed at the top of the card. I tilted my head.
“What’s a debit card? What kind of tier is it? Is it like platinum or black?”
Even without hearing an answer, I could tell from Jukyung’s expression that it wasn’t. Then what is it? Is it just some useless membership card? Why would you give me something like that?
But at the top of the card, the bank name and credit card company name were clearly printed together. That meant it was a credit card. As I squinted and examined the card from all angles, I heard Jukyung, sitting across from me, sigh.
“Why would I give you my credit card when I don’t know what you’ll swipe where? I told you, I’m an ordinary citizen and can’t keep up with your spending. Why would I become credit delinquent with my eyes wide open? Plus, where’s the guarantee that you won’t max out my card limit and then run?”
I glanced at Jukyung with slightly dissatisfied eyes.
“Do I look like that much of trash to you…?”
A grumble flowed out without my realizing it.
“How would I know? As you said yourself, we’re just classmates who barely know each other’s faces and names, right?”
Did Jukyung sound quite sarcastic when he said that, or was it just my imagination?
“Plus, didn’t you ask me to lend you money yesterday and say you needed 5 million for a couple months’ living expenses? Does that make sense?”
“That was….”
It was an amount I quoted rather low by ordinary standards. It’s not just living expenses but settlement funds when you’re flat broke…. He looks like the only son of some chaebol family, but he’s stingy, really.
“That’s similar to a credit card but you can only spend as much as is in the account. For someone with no sense of economy like you, it’s absolutely perfect. Don’t use it for big purchases, just use it for small things like transportation, meals, or coffee like today. I’ll only put that much in the account. And for things that cost a lot, come with me to buy them. I’ll make a ledger, so make sure to sign each time that you’ll pay it back.”
“……”
I felt suffocated. To think I had to spend even pocket money like meal or coffee money with a set basic amount. Plus, I’m not even a child, but what’s this about having to buy big purchases together? That means every time I buy something special, I have to get that Kwon Jukyung’s permission.
Father said people should be magnanimous and didn’t interfere much with spending money. I momentarily thought it might be much better to be under Father. Of course, when I thought about being forced into marriage, that thought quickly disappeared.
It was better to suffer briefly for a moment and gain eternal freedom than to be caught by material affluence and suffer for life. Kwon Jukyung’s constraints could be shed as soon as I found a job, so I just had to endure for a few months.
“I keep telling you, if you don’t like it, quit.”
When I frowned while lost in thought or shook my head, Jukyung seemed to think I was expressing dissatisfaction. As he reached out his hand again as if asking for the card back, I was startled.
“No. Why would I dislike it?”
I shook my head vigorously while shoving the card into my pocket.
“I’ll use it. I’ll use it.”
“……”
“……”
As I stared at him while clutching the card in my pocket, as if guarding against it being taken away, Jukyung’s lips twitched slightly.
“Shouldn’t there be something you should say? You’re not even a kindergartener—do I have to point it out every time?”
“…Thank you?”
When I raised my tone at the end, Jukyung frowned.
“Thank you. I’ll use it well.”
I quickly lowered my tone and added another word. Then immediately the wrinkles between Jukyung’s brows smoothly relaxed. Looking at things like that, he seems unexpectedly simple.
“……”
I couldn’t figure it out. Whether pleasing that bastard Kwon Jukyung was easy or difficult.
***
When I returned home, it was approaching 5 PM. I stopped at the living room entrance and stood there for a moment, looking around inside, lost in contemplation.
When I left this house in the morning, honestly, I wasn’t confident whether I’d be able to come back or not. Considering the way the landlord talked to me and his attitude, it seemed I shouldn’t expect any more kindness. But strangely, his actions weren’t quite like that, so I couldn’t give up on that slight hope.
Today too, I was called out because of an errand, but in the end I had a hearty lunch and even got my hair done after receiving the card. After neatly arranging my messy hair that had been dirty for a while, I felt much more refreshed. Just that alone seemed to have recovered most of my lost good looks.
This too was something Jukyung suggested first. Of course, he added the unlucky remark that I wouldn’t pass any interview anywhere looking like that.
Thinking about it again, I had no idea why that bastard always chose to say things that deserved cursing even when doing good things. He was the type to incur a thousand-nyang debt with one word. How on earth does he manage work life with that personality? Does he wear a mask in front of people? Well, even at Leroy, he only acted a bit strange toward me, and I never heard anything bad from other kids. What a split personality.
I grumbled as I walked to the sofa and flopped down. The soft leather sofa had quite good cushioning. Perhaps my stamina had dropped quite a bit during this time—just going out briefly today made my whole body melt with fatigue. I knew in my head that I should shower cleanly and change clothes before that Jukyung bastard came home from work and nagged me about being dirty. But the sofa was sucking in my entire body like a suction monster, so I couldn’t bring myself to get up.
I hung my legs over the armrest and lay there blankly staring out the window. Though it was still early for the sun to set, the sky was gradually beginning to take on a reddish tint.
As I lay alone in such a quiet space staring at the sky, a small happiness began to bloom softly. No, rather than happiness, perhaps it would be more accurate to call it a sense of relief.
While I was stubbornly refusing to go home, I felt myself gradually becoming accustomed to and numb to the daily life of hunger, cold, and filth. But even so, I couldn’t help the anxiety and fear lurking in a corner of my heart. There were days when I had to spend the night shivering in a body soaked from pouring rain, and days when thuggish brutes loitered around the place where I’d settled down to sleep for the night.
