“Seong-a.”
“Yes.”
“Wash your hair. A week is too much.”
The graduate student pulled the end of their tightly tied hair to their nose and sniffed. Although perfume had been sprayed so there was no stench, grease clung to the fingertips holding the hair.
“But I wash my face and brush my teeth every day.”
“Don’t give me that kind of information.”
Jun-wan replied coldly. Before he knew it, the thick result sheet was in his hands. The way he flipped through page by page was as strict as a teacher grading exam papers.
The graduate student stood properly in front of Jun-wan and had a time of waiting. With nothing to do, they naturally came to survey the man before them.
Park Jun-wan had the only human-like appearance within Korea University’s research building. He was always in a clean shirt and dress pants, and wore dress shoes instead of slippers like others.
Thanks to this, just hearing those dress shoe sounds, you could recognize that Park Jun-wan was coming. To simply say it was because he was a postdoc, Park Jun-wan had been the same way during his graduate student days too. Even when pulling all-nighters for days like everyone else, he always maintained a neat state—that says it all.
The research building ghost. Everyone called Jun-wan that.
Wasn’t he the person who finished the difficult doctoral program in just 2 years? Thanks to that, even at thirty-two, he was already in his fourth year as a postdoc. They suspected news of a professorship appointment would come soon.
Although countless offers poured in from domestic and international conglomerates, Jun-wan’s career path was only one. Looking at the amount he was doing, the goal of becoming a full professor in Korea University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering seemed likely to be achieved smoothly.
“Why does the conclusion jump here? Where did you sell all the intermediate processes?”
The ghost caught an error. The graduate student quickly received the result sheet back and flipped through it.
“Uh… last time you definitely told me to condense the content.”
“I said to remove useless flowery language, who told you to delete even the intermediate output?”
“…I’m sorry. I misunderstood.”
“You’re not paying attention. Are you really a second-year? Do you just come to the lab to sleep and eat?”
“……”
“Bring your laptop. Rewrite it in front of me.”
The graduate student trudged away like a deflated balloon. People in the same space looked at that sight with pitying eyes. Even though this happens every day, it’s unfortunate. Because everyone had experience being grilled by the ghost.
The graduate student returned carrying their laptop. Perhaps because of being reprimanded, a cap was now perched on their matted hair.
Jun-wan crossed his arms and gestured with his chin to the empty seat beside him. Before the fierce gaze, the graduate student sat down completely intimidated. They then opened the laptop and searched for the error just pointed out until their eyes nearly fell out.
“Concentrate and finish within an hour.”
“…Yes.”
The wheel scrolling speed became faster than before. If they dawdled any more here, the ghost’s eyes might flip.
Jun-wan stared at the laptop screen without blinking once. Why can’t they do something so easy? The error was clearly visible to his eyes, but the behavior of just passing over it was quite unsatisfactory.
However, instead of immediately pointing it out, he held back for now. It’s important to figure it out on your own. Jun-wan relaxed the strength in his sharp eyes. At the edge of his vision that slipped slightly down from the screen, he could see the junior’s rapidly moving fingers.
“Ah.”
The ring. I completely forgot.
When a short sigh escaped Jun-wan’s mouth, the graduate student turned their head in shock. They could see Jun-wan furrowing his brow.
“Why, why! Did I make another mistake?”
“……”
“Senior, what is it? What’s the reason!”
With no response, the junior became more anxious. Please just tell me, they pleaded.
“No. Nothing.”
Jun-wan picked up his phone from the desk and stood up. Then he immediately crossed the research lab.
Finding an empty break room, he locked the door first. Jun-wan leaned diagonally against the wall and called his brother.
―Hey, what!
Since they rarely had calls, Park Jun-seo would be startled whenever Jun-wan called. At least he tried to put on a serious voice since he was at the company, but the breathing heard through the speaker was anxious.
“I have something to ask.”
―You do?
“Hyung, where did you buy your wedding ring?”
―Ring?
Soon Park Jun-seo burst out laughing. As if he never expected such a question.
―I bought it at a department store. A lot of people do get them custom-made at Jongno gold and silver shops, but still, it’s a wedding ring. You have to get a good one.
“Luxury brand?”
―Not quite luxury, just an appropriately famous brand. Still, the price was quite high. But are you buying the ring now? That’s not ready-made. It takes quite a while to make.
The information his brother gave made Jun-wan anxious. A sigh escaped on its own.
I was too indifferent. Because it’s a worthless matter.
Moreover, since the second meeting with Kim Yu-shin, they hadn’t exchanged any contact whatsoever. Even though they had exchanged phone numbers, they had lived like strangers.
If we had at least exchanged simple texts, I would have realized. He was one thing, but Kim Yu-shin, who responded with equal indifference, was also quite impressive.
Jun-wan bit his dried lower lip hard. Because of the urgency that time gave, his usually calm heart stirred.
“I should have bought a ring before.”
―Contact him. Ask to go together. While you’re at it, you should reflect Kim Yu-shin’s taste too.
“We decided to buy separately.”
―Wow… you guys are really amazing. Do you know the ring size?
“……”
Mountains upon mountains. He didn’t know the size or the taste. Should I just buy anything and make him wear it?
Jun-wan needlessly messed up his fine hair before thinking of one solution.
“Do you know Kim Sara’s contact information?”
―I don’t.
“Find out for me.”
He instructed as if it were natural. Park Jun-seo muttered that he was using a lawyer with a hundred-million-won annual salary like a private detective employee, but in the end answered that he understood.
In less than five minutes, a contact number came via text. Jun-wan steadied his breathing before putting the phone to his ear again.
At the end of a long connection tone, an aegyo-filled voice answered the phone.
“Is this Kim Sara’s phone?”
―It is, who is this?
“This is Park Jun-wan.”
As soon as Kim Sara heard the name, she openly snorted. Even her slightly nasal voice was mixed with irritation.
―Park Jun-wan. Still showing off as always.
“Were we on informal speaking terms?”
―Ah, it’s annoying so just get to the point.
Jun-wan let out a short breath through his mouth. He also found the current call unpleasant. But there was no other way to extract the information he wanted.
“What’s Kim Yu-shin’s ring finger size?”
―…What, you’re buying a ring?
Since it was related to her younger sibling, Kim Sara’s voice softened somewhat.
―His fingers are really thin.
“I know.”
―What, how do you know?
“So what’s the size?”
Jun-wan couldn’t help but speak informally. He had exchanged words with Kim Sara a few times when they were young. Even then she was a type he really didn’t want to associate with, and even after several years, nothing had changed.
―Size 12. Do it in platinum. Don’t do tacky yellow gold stuff.
Kim Sara advised in a sarcastic tone.
“What does it matter to you?”
―Yu-shin hates ugly things.
“……”
―No, actually buy an ugly one. That way he won’t wear it. Your aesthetic sense seems like it’ll be terrible anyway, so just pick something cheap.
Jun-wan hung up without even responding. Somehow, even though he had obtained information, his head throbbed more. Kim Sara’s cackling laughter still seemed to linger around his eardrums.
He checked the time while resting his head against the cold wall. 3 PM. It was too early to leave work.
No one would say anything if he took a day off, but there was a lot to do, and wasting time on something like buying a ring was itself unsatisfying.
Jun-wan messed up his bangs. Since Kim Yu-shin entered my life, only unsatisfactory things keep happening.
***
“You’re looking for a proposal ring, right?”
The store employee wearing white gloves skillfully attended to the customer. Jun-wan couldn’t hide his troubled expression and rubbed his furrowed eyebrows.
“No, a wedding ring.”
Isn’t that the same thing? The employee only thought this internally and put on a customarily kind smile.
“You can look at the wedding line over here.”
The display case was dazzling with rings emitting radiance. It might be due to the lighting, but it was largely because the rings themselves possessed tremendous brilliance. As expected, they were worth the expensive price.
