His Adam’s apple moved as he drank water. He put down the cup he drank in one go. The eyes looking at me were smiling mischievously. So Jung Hyun-wook knows how to smile like that too.
“I’ll keep it a secret. But there’s a condition. Do this team presentation with me. You write the manuscript and I’ll present. I absolutely need to get an A+. How about it?”
For me, it was a proposal with no reason to refuse. Because I’d already messed up one assignment, I was really worried about the second team project. Jung Hyun-wook also seemed to need grades for a scholarship.
“Refusal isn’t allowed. You’ve already received a bribe.”
The meal offer was that.
“Eat more. Doesn’t it suit your taste? What do you like? Next time I’ll consider your preference when choosing.”
I shook my head vigorously. It was plenty delicious. It was my first time eating pretty food in an atmosphere like this. It must be expensive…
I quickly took another bite of the remaining pasta. As if understanding the meaning of my action, Jung Hyun-wook laughed lowly. I quickly showed him my phone.
Memo Complete
Really. It’s delicious. I originally like pasta.│
Jung Hyun-wook’s expression became somehow subtle.
“Your speech… is it psychological? I know because I’ve seen cases like that around me.”
How should I explain? I just nodded my head. Fragments of memories I’d been forgetting came to mind. They weren’t things I could explain to him.
I moved my lips then stopped immediately. It had been a really long time since I’d felt the impulse to speak to someone. But I didn’t want to just open and close my mouth stupidly in front of him like an idiot.
Throughout, Jung Hyun-wook never took his eyes off me.
“I don’t mind. Strangely, when I look into your eyes, I feel like I know everything you’re saying.”
When our gazes met as if he didn’t care, his eyes curved playfully. I liked Jung Hyun-wook’s quiet eyes that endured hardship, but his eyes smiling mischievously like that were really attractive. So without realizing it, I smiled following him.
***
That man again.
The male customer who came around this time and only withdrew cash. Beyond the glass door where the outside was fully visible, I could see him staggering as he walked over. Strength automatically entered my hand that had been underlining the textbook. I closed the book and stood up from my seat.
Tall but with a thin build, a man who appeared to be in his late 30s checked on me as soon as he entered. He looked at me precisely. Then ignored me and walked to the machine.
Jun-il, who’d worked the night shift instead of me a few days ago, said the man looked at him but left without any commotion after just withdrawing cash. Jun-il had checked the man’s face through CCTV.
‘This person is definitely targeting and harassing hyung. It’s all being recorded on CCTV, so if it gets worse, we’ll have to report it. Until then, absolutely don’t engage with him. He seems kind of dangerous.’
But the man who should have already been yelling was quiet today. The sound of the ATM operating normally was heard. The man pressed the buttons in order. However, for some reason, a voice kept flowing out saying the transaction failed.
“Hey!! It’s not working again!”
The man shouted like thunder. I bit my lower lip. My heart beat rapidly with anxiety. I had no choice but to walk to the ATM. The screen showed insufficient balance. How should I explain this to this man? I raised my thinly trembling hand and pointed at the screen.
The man didn’t even look at the screen but looked at me with bleary, narrowed eyes. His face gradually came closer. The smell of alcohol hit me. I collapsed right before our faces collided. For a moment, I felt dizzy. I crawled on the floor trying to escape when terrible breathing covered me from behind. My body twisted as if convulsing.
The sound of clothes brushing against each other, bodies colliding, gasping breaths. But not a single scream came out of my mouth. No one knew what was happening on the floor. I could only open and close my trembling lips. The convenience store was swallowed by terrible silence. Damp breath poured into my ear.
“How about 100,000 won for 30 minutes? The massage room in the officetel next door is 170,000 won for an hour. Fuck, but I don’t have enough money right now. No cash either and I’m annoyed, so I’ll just give you that money if you do it instead. 100,000 won for 30 minutes is way more than convenience store hourly wage. I’m not saying I’ll stick it in your asshole. Just suck my dick once.”
Tears burst out. I pushed him away with all my strength. My glasses fell off my face and flew away. When I struggled, the man reached out his arms to grab me. In an instant, my vision flashed. His elbow struck my face. Hot blood flowed through my hands covering my face. The man who saw the blood pouring from my nose stopped short.
Just then, Jung Hyun-wook, who entered as if tearing off the door, grabbed the man’s nape. With a terrible impact sound, the man rolled on the floor. The convenience store display shelf crashed down. Jung Hyun-wook, who was raising his fist high once more toward the face of the man who’d fallen with his head hitting the floor, soon lowered his hand. Instead, he walked toward me.
“Lift your head.”
His low, gentle voice was raggedly torn. His hand gently wrapped around the back of my neck and pressed firmly on both sides of my nose. He wiped the blood on my face with his own cuff. Jung Hyun-wook’s clothes became stained with blood. I turned my head away. The tears wouldn’t stop.
Just then, I saw the man who’d been lying down move through the blurrily smudged outlines. The man picked up a rolling chair and rushed at Jung Hyun-wook. By a hair’s breadth, the display shelf to Jung Hyun-wook’s right was smashed. The man, with blood flowing from his temple, trembled and said:
“You… cra… crazy bastard. Who are you? You’re that bastard from before, right? The bastard who followed me.”
The man, who looked back and forth between me and Jung Hyun-wook, giggled as if realizing something.
“Ahh. Fuck, so that was it? No wonder he smiled so easy and loose at anyone. That was it! Wasted my consideration. Fuck, should’ve eaten him up sooner…!”
However, the man couldn’t continue speaking any longer. Jung Hyun-wook, who rushed at the man, drove his fist into his face. Then struck down as if to break the man’s jawbone. The man’s eyes rolled back at the terrible pain. Thwack thwack! The sound of beating meat with a club rang out.
No!! Jung Hyun-wook, stop!!
It felt like my throat was blocked with words that couldn’t come out as sound. My body trembled with fear. I had to stop him. I fumbled on the floor to pick up my glasses. The floor was a mess with broken and shattered items.
I crawled on the floor and clung to Jung Hyun-wook’s waist. His body heaved with rough breaths.
“Let go.”
I shook my head frantically, begging him to stop.
You can’t do that. Please stop.
I was afraid he might kill the man.
So should I say I wasn’t that shocked? That he didn’t actually do it, he just tried to insult me with words. That I was only startled for a very brief moment. That I’m not so naive as to be shocked by words like that as you think. From a very young age, I… grew up hearing sounds flowing from the small one-room attached to the store.
I was desperate. I spoke with my mouth shapes so he could understand.
I’m okay! I’m really okay.
As if reading my earnest words, Jung Hyun-wook’s face contorted painfully.
“You really… what’s okay! Being molested on the street is okay! A drunk bastard insulting you is okay! You’re not okay. This is clearly a crime. Do you even know? Are you really a law student? Then just how far will you be okay with!”
Just then, the hand of the man I’d thought was unconscious twitched and grabbed a piece of broken glass from the floor. Excited Jung Hyun-wook didn’t notice at all. I lifted my eyes with blurred focus and fumbled through the air. The sharp piece was just about to scratch Jung Hyun-wook’s side.
“No!!!”
A scream-like voice burst from my throat.
***
When I opened my eyes, it was the hospital emergency room. My vision, blurred by the dazzling light, gradually became clear. Jung Hyun-wook had his back to me, talking with a doctor.
I recalled the situation before I lost consciousness. Blocking the man’s hand was instinct. A sharp sensation suddenly passed through my arm. The man, who sensed something had gone wrong, seemed to have fled in a hurry. Fortunately, Jung Hyun-wook didn’t chase after him.
Instead, he firmly gripped my arm. He unwound the bandage wrapped around his own wrist and compressed my arm with it. His hand was trembling all over.
‘Hyo… Hyo-kyung-ah.’
At my name flowing from his mouth, my temple trembled dizzily. For a moment, my vision spun. Jung Hyun-wook’s face collapsed miserably. His last expression I saw before fainting wouldn’t leave my mind.
My eyes met Jung Hyun-wook’s as he finished talking with the doctor. He looked very exhausted. Fortunately, the bandage stained with my blood had been changed to a new one.
“How’s your body? Your head doesn’t hurt or anything?”
My condition was surprisingly fine. Rather, my body felt refreshed as if I’d slept deeply. His hand touched my forehead briefly then fell away.
“I had you examined but there’s nothing else wrong. Your arm… I had it stitched up a bit.”
It was a calm tone. The appearance of being so excited it scared me at dawn was nowhere to be found. Jung Hyun-wook stared at the IV needle stuck in my arm, then suddenly clenched his fist tightly.
“Why on earth…! Why did you block that with your hand! It’s only because it grazed you, what if you’d been seriously hurt!!”
