# Chapter 37
- You Should Have At Least Three Hobbies
“I’m dying……”
Iyeon trudged into Night Skewer, flopped down at the bar table, and slumped forward. Sua greeted him warmly as she handed him a menu.
“Where have you been that’s left you so exhausted?”
“I’ve been going to the hospital lately.”
“Oh my, are you injured?”
“I’m almost completely healed now.”
After blowing up the laboratory, Sano had dragged Iyeon to the emergency room for immediate treatment. It seemed Dr. Kim hadn’t actually intended to kill him, as the wounds weren’t very deep. Somehow, Sano had even tracked down a healing-type superhuman, which helped Iyeon’s injuries recover quickly. Considering research showing that superhumans generally had better physical abilities than ordinary people, there wasn’t much to worry about.
However, Sano seemed to see things differently.
Only after confirming that Iyeon’s pale complexion had improved did Sano permit him to leave the hospital bed. Under Sano’s strict supervision, Iyeon had been diligently visiting the hospital to check his progress. Even though the doctor said there was no need for further visits—just plenty of rest and good nutrition—Sano clearly remained unconvinced. Thanks to this, Iyeon realized just how pathetically Je Sano viewed his usual self.
Today, after postponing until the last minute, Sano had dragged Iyeon to the hospital right before the end of work. After scolding him thoroughly and finally getting him to the hospital, ironically, Sano vanished the moment Iyeon finished his examination, saying something urgent had come up. Left abruptly on his own, Iyeon had trudged home alone and stopped by for skewers on a whim.
“Since you’re injured, you shouldn’t drink alcohol.”
“But I’m almost healed?”
“Well, you never know, right?”
“Ugh……”
Iyeon whined and slumped back onto the table. Even Hyegang, who clearly knew there was no issue, refused to suggest drinking, apparently mindful of Sano. In fact, even when Iyeon proposed going for drinks, Hyegang declined, claiming he was busy.
What’s so busy about him? Iyeon knew perfectly well that Hyegang only traveled between his home and office, making it an obvious excuse. But when someone insists they’re busy, you can’t exactly argue they aren’t. It’s not like Iyeon was Je Sano or anything…
Without Hyegang, Iyeon had no drinking buddies. As a result, he’d been forced into sobriety for quite some time.
“I’ll give you some service items instead. Please eat a lot before you go.”
“You’re the best, Manager-nim.”
Iyeon quickly perked up, his eyes twinkling as he returned the menu. Sua burst into laughter as she turned toward the kitchen. Despite running a small shop that barely broke even, Sua was particularly generous with her service.
The food came out quickly. Two plates were set down, neatly arranged with skewers of intestines and tripe. The moment Iyeon put the glistening meat in his mouth, a savory, slightly salty flavor spread.
Since Iyeon was the only customer in the shop, Sua naturally sat down across from him. While watching him chew enthusiastically, she asked with a fond expression:
“Hyegang and that handsome part-timer didn’t come today?”
“They both ran away right after work.”
What’s everyone so busy with? Somehow understanding Iyeon’s mumbling, Sua smiled brightly.
“I see. So you’re feeling down because the handsome part-timer is gone?”
Suddenly?
“Pardon?”
“Hyegang’s always been like that. But you didn’t look this gloomy back then.”
“…Why do you speak informally to Hyegang but not to me?”
Like Iyeon, Sua used formal speech with most people. It seemed partly due to her occupation, but mostly her personality.
Age-wise, both Iyeon and Hyegang were younger than Sua, and in terms of familiarity, Iyeon visited much more frequently, yet Hyegang was the only one Sua addressed informally. Come to think of it, Sua was notably more generous with Hyegang. Like giving him more alcohol… Not that she treated Iyeon poorly, so he had no complaints.
“Hyegang is cute, you know. I’m actually trying to seduce him.”
“……”
Iyeon backed away slightly. So all that service came with ulterior motives? Should he warn Hyegang?
“I’m kidding. Though I do find him adorable.”
Sua laughed and changed the subject, “So what’s going on with the handsome part-timer?” Not working. Iyeon glumly picked up a new skewer.
Sometimes Sua would say things that seemed completely off-base yet weren’t entirely wrong. Iyeon sighed deeply, as if the ground might swallow him up. Lately, whenever Je Sano came up in conversation, his thoughts automatically went to the same place, and his facial expressions must have betrayed him.
At the time, having lost a bucket of blood and feeling dizzy, Iyeon hadn’t paid much attention to whether Sano had carried him on his shoulder or in his arms. But, well, holding someone in your arms is quite an intimate position, isn’t it? Without at least some degree of affection, would the great Je Sano have done such a thing, regardless of whether someone lived or died?
Reflecting on that point, it had been quite a touching gesture. It was kind enough to make Iyeon wonder “what if”—the kind of tenderness that made suspicions bubble up.
The problem was calling him a bug during all that.
‘Seriously, why a bug of all things?’
If he wanted to refer to a small, cute creature, there were plenty of options! Like a hamster, or a snail, or a chick! Of course, Iyeon didn’t personally think of himself that way. It was just speaking in general terms.
Even the “small and cute” part was Iyeon’s subjective interpretation. It was impossible to determine whether Sano had meant a fruit fly or a caterpillar, so the true meaning of his statement remained a mystery.
“Why, did something happen?”
“No, Manager-nim.”
Je Sano’s behavioral patterns were an incomprehensible realm to Iyeon. In that case, he had no choice but to seek someone else’s opinion. Iyeon asked with a serious face:
“Um… if someone calls another person a ‘bug,’ what does that usually mean?”
Sua closed her mouth and rolled her eyes around. She seemed to be contemplating how to answer without lying while also not hurting the young man’s feelings. Iyeon awkwardly explained:
“I mean, maybe like… it’s amusing to watch them wriggle around?”
“That’s a stretch…”
“……”
Sua blurted out her honest thought, then belatedly covered her mouth with an “Oh my,” but it was too late. Iyeon’s face grew even more dejected.
“It’s an insult after all, right?”
“Well…”
After reading the atmosphere, Sua poured a drink and handed it to him. Sad was sad, but the service was good. Iyeon promptly accepted and drank it.
“Why? Did you hear that from someone you like?”
“L-like? Who? Who am I supposed to like? No way.”
Iyeon immediately became serious. What nonsense was that? Wouldn’t anyone be hurt if a random passerby called them a bug? It wasn’t right to drag such a general conversation into the realm of special feelings.
However, his reaction was so dramatic that it didn’t inspire even a hair’s worth of credibility in Sua.
“Wow, to think the day would come when I’d give Iyeon-ssi relationship advice.”
“No, it’s not relationship advice…”
“Feel free to talk. I’m actually really good at counseling.”
…Well, just asking wouldn’t hurt… Iyeon’s ears perked up instantly as he hesitantly opened his mouth.
“It’s definitely, absolutely not relationship advice.”
“Yes, yes.”
“…It’s just that the other person’s behavior is confusing. I can’t tell if I’m the strange one or if they are…”
Hearing Iyeon’s incoherent mumbling, Sua went “hmm” and rolled her eyes. She seemed to be giving it some serious thought.
“What exactly is confusing?”
“You know, when you’re walking together, sometimes your bodies touch accidentally. Things like that.”
“Your bodies touch? …Harassment?”
Sua asked with some hesitation, and Iyeon jumped up.
“No! It’s not like that. And when I was injured, they took me to the hospital, and if they think it’s dangerous, they pull me back, that sort of thing.”
Unfortunately, Sua couldn’t understand his detailed explanation. That was natural.
“Hmm… Iyeon-ssi. From what I can tell, that’s just normal behavior.”
It was too normal an explanation.
“That’s…”
Is it? Iyeon hesitated.
“You don’t have many close friends, right? Maybe you’re just not used to such consideration?”
Though Iyeon wasn’t particularly shy, he was the type who neither stopped people from leaving nor held onto them. He might be fun to hang out with momentarily, but he didn’t put much effort into staying in touch. As a result, most of his relationships, unless connected through work, tended to fizzle out.
“Iyeon-ssi, do you have any hobbies?”
“Pardon?”
Iyeon tilted his head questioningly at the sudden inquiry. What did hobbies have to do with their current conversation? His confusion must have been evident, because Sua explained:
“The human brain is surprisingly simple. When you immerse yourself in something, you quickly forget previous worries. Of course, they come back later, but much fainter. Naturally, the more time you invest in something, the more you tend to think about it.”
Are humans that stupid?
“And when you pursue hobbies, you often meet other people too. There are hobby groups and clubs.”
“So if I spend time on other things, I’ll have fewer stray thoughts, and I might get more used to receiving consideration?”
“Exactly! Such a smart student.”
Pleased that he’d gotten the right answer, Sua added another chicken skewer to his plate.
“It’s good to have hobbies that can keep you immersed for hours at a time. Originally, you should have at least three hobbies. That way, when you get tired of one, you can refresh your brain by doing another.”
The more he listened, the more plausible it sounded. Iyeon asked with a slightly intrigued expression:
“Does it really work?”
“Of course. So if you have any hobbies you’ve put aside, now’s the time to reconsider them.”
“Ah, I…”
Only after opening his mouth did Iyeon realize he didn’t really have any impressive hobbies.
When he had work, he worked; when he didn’t, he lounged around the office. On holidays, he’d sprawl on the sofa for naps or browse his phone for information about variants. Playing with Mungchi or having small talk with Sano couldn’t really be considered hobbies, so the closest thing would be… eating?
“Eating? Like searching for good restaurants?”
“No, not like that…”
Iyeon knew his good restaurants, but he was more of a big eater than a gourmet. His palate was undemanding; he ate almost anything as long as it wasn’t spoiled. Hearing this, Sua shook her head sternly.
“Then it’s hard to call that a hobby.”
“Hmm…”
The realization that he had no substantial hobbies was quite a shock to Iyeon.
He had never thought about it before. Most of Iyeon’s life had been spent on necessities. Things that were needed, are needed, or might be needed. Something done purely for enjoyment… there wasn’t any.
Hobbies, that’s right. I don’t have hobbies. As Iyeon mumbled absently, Sua added another chicken skewer to his plate.
“It’s okay. If you don’t have any, you can start creating them now.”
Her bright smile offered gentle encouragement.
“Well, if it’s hard to find something on your own, why not try enjoying someone else’s hobby together as a test?”
