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And making my worries seem pointless, Cha Geonhyeok did a good job of stopping me at the drinking session that was in full swing.
“Hey, give it here.”
Cha Geonhyeok took away the soju glass held in my hand. Instead, he handed me the beer glass that had been placed in front of him. I squinted my eyes and glared at the beer glass and soju glass alternately. When, who ordered soju? I thought carefully. Memories revived to check if my film had been cut.
Was it about thirty minutes ago? Woogyun asked if it was okay to order soju. Having no intention of objecting to whatever he brought up, I immediately raised my hand high and said to bring one bottle of soju. And Cha Geonhyeok, who grabbed and lowered my hand, completed my order thrown into the air by pressing the bell.
I had no intention of drinking so much that my memories would flow lukewarmly. Rather, I tried to drink while restraining myself. The reason I couldn’t was because my judgment became clouded, captivated by Woogyun’s face with his fair skin tinged reddish. From now on I really need to drink slowly. I removed my hand from the beer glass Cha Geonhyeok had handed me and rubbed my cheek. It was hot.
“Is my face red?”
I asked while holding out my face to Cha Geonhyeok. Gong Minyeong had gone to the bathroom, and Woogyun had briefly left his seat to take a phone call. At the table scattered with empty alcohol glasses and snack dishes, there were only Cha Geonhyeok and me.
“Not really.”
“My face feels hot.”
Cha Geonhyeok reached out his hand. He cupped my cheek and stroked it several times. Goosebumps rose on my neck. I thought the alcohol might be wearing off. Or was it because Cha Geonhyeok’s hand was colder than my cheek?
“Don’t drink soju anymore.”
“Okay… Are you drunk?”
Cha Geonhyeok’s eyes, resting his chin on the table, were languidly relaxed. His expression played a part, but the way he playfully pressed under my eye seemed somewhat drunk.
“No.”
“…Do you want to eat ice cream?”
“Why all of a sudden… A little?”
You are a bit drunk. Having arbitrarily concluded this, I looked at Cha Geonhyeok with a smiling face. Interpreting the smile somehow, Cha Geonhyeok pushed away my face he’d been stroking. Ouch. When I pretended to be hurt for no reason, his gaze immediately touched down. Finding that funny, I let out laughter, “Puhehe.”
“What? Did you two talk about something fun without me?”
Gong Minyeong asked while sitting next to Cha Geonhyeok. Cha Geonhyeok, who was leaning back against the backrest, answered “No” in an indifferent voice.
Throughout drinking, Gong Minyeong spoke to Cha Geonhyeok. It wasn’t annoyingly excessive, but most of the words that came out of her mouth were directed at Cha Geonhyeok.
She knew how to laugh leisurely while conversing with Cha Geonhyeok. She also lightly touched Cha Geonhyeok’s shoulder or arm, and made requests like “Scoop some of that for me.” Unlike me, who couldn’t even properly make eye contact with Woogyun. She looked confident and cool. But regardless of my impressions, Cha Geonhyeok seemed to have set today as D-day.
“Stop it now.”
In other words, D-day to reject Gong Minyeong’s feelings.
At Cha Geonhyeok’s words, Gong Minyeong stopped picking up her chopsticks and looked back at Cha Geonhyeok. Her lips, freshly reapplied with lipstick, curved up evenly.
“Seems like the timing to ask what you mean by stop, but I won’t ask.”
Gong Minyeong, who put down her chopsticks, crossed her legs. She raised her hand while nonchalantly facing the characteristic insolent expression Cha Geonhyeok was making. She silently removed the dust attached to the ends of Cha Geonhyeok’s hair.
“I know what you mean by what you said, but don’t order me around like this or that. I’ll take care of my own feelings.”
“Annoying.”
“Then want to start as friends?”
I didn’t know why “then” came out there, but from a bystander’s position, the scene they created was quite thrilling. While arbitrarily imagining what answer would come from Cha Geonhyeok’s mouth, I fumbled on the table and grabbed a beer glass. While gulping down beer with my gaze on them, Cha Geonhyeok turned his head.
“Stop drinking.”
Because his gaze was sharp, even before his low voice fully came out, I set down the glass and wiped my lips with the back of my hand. Gong Minyeong looked at me and raised her eyes. It seemed like I could hear a scolding asking why I was interfering. I pretended not to know and said “Ah, I’m getting drunk” while meaninglessly taking out my phone.
“Yunhae-ya, did you drink a lot?”
Woogyun, who had approached without me knowing, sat down heavily next to me and asked. The smell of outside air came from him. Worried that laughter might carelessly burst out, I put strength into my lips and put my phone away.
“Just a bit… Did your call go well?”
“Yeah. It’s my part-time job boss, it took a while talking about coming to work next week.”
I tilted my head. Question marks appeared in my mind. Two, no, about five. I fearlessly stared straight at Woogyun.
“Part-time job?”
“Didn’t I say? Starting next week I’m working part-time at a cafe.”
He didn’t say it, but I knew. I also knew that the part-time job was at a cafe, and even where it was located.
The day I planned the operation for today with Gong Minyeong, I searched the internet for the business name written on the note she gave me. Located quite far from school, the place was a cafe and was small in size. I didn’t know why Woogyun was secretly working part-time at that small cafe, but I believed Gong Minyeong’s words that it was a secret perfectly and accepted it without doubt. I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t bring up even the letter “A” of part-time job. But now that I looked at it, it didn’t seem to be a secret.
“At a cafe, you’re working part-time…”
While muttering, this time I raised my eyes and glared at Gong Minyeong. Gong Minyeong, who turned her head sharply, clicked her tongue. Bad bastard. The great actor wasn’t me but her. Henchman me had been splendidly fooled by acting genius Gong Minyeong.
“It’s really small there so I work alone. Yunhae-ya, if you have time, come visit.”
While I was grumbling inwardly, Woogyun spoke to me while filling his glass. I blew away the fierce expression I’d been making and flicked with my fingertip the soju glass that Woogyun had filled himself.
“…Can I come?”
“Of course. But they say weekends are crowded, so come on a weekday if you have time.”
“What time do you work until?”
I brought my beer glass—precisely, the beer glass Cha Geonhyeok gave me—to clink against Woogyun’s small soju glass and asked. Woogyun drank a sip of soju with a smiling face. I glanced around at various parts of his face while sipping beer bit by bit.
I was trembling. I’d been worried a lot about whether to visit the part-time job location pretending it was coincidental, but because Woogyun told me first to come visit, I was fluttering and happy. I should buy something when I go. What should I buy? Cookies to go with coffee? Cake? Or a personal tumbler he could use at the cafe?
“I work Saturday through Wednesday, and on weekdays from six to eleven. Ah, is that too late to visit?”
“No! No, it’s fine… I’ll come visit once.”
I calmly sent out the voice that kept trying to come out hastily. Whether that showed or it was just funny somehow, Woogyun showed a smile.
“Contact me comfortably and come. I’ll be ready to hang out. Geonhyeok-ah, you come with Yunhae too.”
Woogyun didn’t forget to include Cha Geonhyeok. Having received an unexpected invitation from Woogyun and been distracted by that, I hadn’t thought of it, but it seemed good to go with Cha Geonhyeok. Two was better than one. Because I couldn’t keep talking to Woogyun while he was working or just watch him the whole time. Setting that aside, it was comfortable being with Cha Geonhyeok. Primarily, it would definitely help with tension relief.
“We’ll see.”
But Cha Geonhyeok’s reaction was very lukewarm. I should drag him along if I get the chance. While thinking alone, merciful Woogyun included one more person.
“Minyeong-ah, you come too. It would be fun if we all came together.”
For this one time, I didn’t want to chime in with Woogyun’s words. Having narrowed my eyes, I slightly covered the side of my mouth and looked at Gong Minyeong. While watching her answer something to Woogyun, as soon as our eyes met, I spoke with my lip movements. Don’t you come. She must have understood my words. Because Gong Minyeong smiled irritably. She likewise covered her mouth. Lifting her chin, she clearly spoke to me with her lips. Not going.
“……”
Just looking at the conversation, it seemed like Gong Minyeong complied with my request, but looking at her expression too, it wasn’t. Something was omitted before her words of not going. Roughly guessing, it was “I won’t go even if the likes of you begged me to go together.” What did she do so well to be so confident like that? I struggled to erase my dissatisfied expression and gulped down the remaining beer.
“Should we order more alcohol? It’s going down well today.”
Woogyun, who emptied his glass together with me timed to when I drank, spoke while shaking the empty soju bottle. Having swallowed my beer, I naturally raised my hand.
“Boss! One more bottle of soju and one more beer here please!”
Thunk. Cha Geonhyeok touched my foot from under the table. He was faithfully stopping me. I lowered my hand and looked at him narrowing his brow. And smiled.
“I’m in a good mood today.”
At my words, Cha Geonhyeok was dumbfounded.
“Don’t stop me?”
“Stop you just a little.”
“You’re high-maintenance.”
Cha Geonhyeok filled my empty water glass with water. I obediently emptied one glass of water cleanly.
Film Cut (필름이 끊긴) – Memory blackout from drinking
