“I saw there was a convenience store nearby when I came yesterday.”
“I, I see.”
Under the umbrella, the close distance was suffocating. Eunchan disliked the awkward atmosphere and opened his mouth randomly, and Miro gave rich reactions like an audience member to everything Eunchan said.
“What ramen should we buy? Chapagetti?”
“Anything is fine.”
Two men wearing couple outfits and holding umbrellas side by side. Eunchan wanted to escape this scene as quickly as possible. Why did I say I’d eat ramen? I should have just not eaten and sent him straight to the hospital, then I could go home. I must have lost my mind for a moment. Eunchan reflected on his unwise morning and dragged his feet.
Still, fortunately the convenience store wasn’t far away, so they could arrive quickly without encountering a single person. Eunchan left Miro folding the umbrella behind and entered first to feel the air conditioner breeze. Looking up at the ceiling, as he’d expected yesterday, several cameras were installed inside.
“Pick your ramen. Bring whatever you want to eat.”
Though he wasn’t the one buying, Eunchan casually said to Miro while looking for the part-timer.
“Excuse me.”
“Are you looking for something?”
“There’s CCTV in front of this convenience store, right? Or at least the internal one.”
“Why are you looking for that…?”
The young part-timer, who had been looking suspiciously at the customer who suddenly came looking for recorded footage, asked.
“I was hoping to use it as evidence footage.”
“Are you police?”
If he said he was police, they’d naturally ask for a civil servant ID, and since he naturally wasn’t, he’d go to the police station for impersonating a civil servant. Instead of lying, Eunchan answered honestly.
“No.”
“I’m just a part-timer so I don’t really know. I’m sorry.”
And naturally, a refusal answer came back. He knew it wouldn’t work. He just knocked once with a hopeful heart. Still, it’s fortunate that the answer wasn’t that there was no footage. I’ll have to tell the boss later to get it. Eunchan looked up at the CCTV machine on the ceiling and soon turned around.
“…What, what’s wrong?”
He thought he’d be holding ramen he’d picked well. What he faced was Miro standing tall with empty hands. His eyes, coldly cooled over being angry about something, were cold.
“Miro-ssi?”
“……”
“Is it someone you know?”
In the serious atmosphere, Eunchan approached Miro closely and whispered. Does he look similar to the stalker?
“…Why, why did you send me far away and ta, talk just the two of you?”
“Was going to pick ramen that far?”
I should have told him to bring his passport. Eunchan put his hand on his waist and let out a long sigh.
“What did you talk about?”
“I checked if there’s CCTV. Hurry and buy something to eat. Don’t you need snacks?”
“…Yeah. Let’s buy snacks too.”
Eunchan first roughly grabbed a bag of potato chips and took care of Miro. Miro kept glancing and alternating between looking at Eunchan and the part-timer, then soon started picking up snacks like Eunchan.
Miro’s build couldn’t be called small even as an empty compliment. He was taller than Eunchan, and whether he’d exercised, his shoulders were broad too. Nevertheless, his gentle eyes, timid way of speaking, and actions sometimes made him look cute. Eunchan looked at the back of Miro’s head as he held snacks with both hands full and carefully picked ramen, thinking fleetingly that he was cute.
“Do you eat spicy food well?”
“Do you like spicy food?”
“I asked first though.”
“Mmm, I like it.”
“Liar.”
Even the curry he ate yesterday was more sweet than spicy. Eunchan held a ramen package that said mild flavor and looked at Miro.
“You’re buying.”
“Yes! Do, do you want to eat more?”
“That’s enough.”
Eunchan, who came out without even bringing his wallet, naturally said to Miro. Miro smiled and said to pick more snacks, but Eunchan shook his head. He was thinking of finishing breakfast as quickly as possible and taking the lost patient back to the hospital.
Miro glared at the part-timer with a sullen face throughout the payment. The part-timer, not knowing what to do with pretty Miro’s burning gaze, reddened his ears.
“You’re going to bore a hole in his face.”
At this rate, the part-timer was about to press his number into Miro’s hand, so Eunchan quickly got Miro’s card back before getting unnecessary misunderstandings.
“Have a good day.”
“Goodbye.”
Holding a black plastic bag in one hand, Eunchan opened the door so Miro could go out first. Miro kept looking back at the part-timer while going out. Unable to watch anymore, Eunchan returned Miro’s turned head back to its original position.
“What are you staring at so much?”
“Just…”
“Just hold the umbrella.”
He urged Miro, feeling like his hair would all burn from the hot solar heat. Miro hurriedly unfolded the umbrella and held it over Eunchan’s head.
* * *
After first connecting the charger bought from the convenience store to the dead phone, they boiled just three ramen packages without eggs or any toppings and shared them with Miro. Eunchan pushed away Miro trying to stop him with his shoulder and finished the dishes. As he was sprawled on a chair drinking cold water, a bell sound was heard from afar. It was Eunchan’s phone.
“Who is it again?”
He didn’t want to answer if it was the boss calling. Since he’d worked unexpected overtime, it seemed okay to rest for the day. As Eunchan just sat there blankly without even thinking of looking for his phone, Miro stared directly at Eunchan’s face.
“Aren’t, aren’t you answering?”
“I’m thinking about it. Whether to answer or not.”
The phone was also far away in the living room, so moving was bothersome too. As if sensing Eunchan’s mood, Miro got up from his seat and headed to the living room. Behind Miro’s back, Eunchan asked about the caller.
“Who is it from?”
If it was the boss, he was thinking of just ignoring it.
“…Hyungsik.”
“Ah, I’ll take it.”
However, at the name Miro called, Eunchan got up from the chair to get his phone. When he approached Miro and held out his hand asking for it back, Miro threw a question.
“Why, why is he calling?”
“I’ll have to answer to know that, right?”
“Are you close?”
“You know Hyungsik, right? He’s a coworker I work with. Didn’t you meet him when you first came?”
The call seemed like it would disconnect during the conversation, so Eunchan took the phone from Miro’s hand.
“Hello.”
– Hyung! Are you home now? A customer came to the office and is waiting. The boss says he’s still in Daejeon, and I’m on my way but…
“Oh, okay. I’ll go now.”
– Yes!
“Got it.”
Perhaps quite flustered, Hyungsik urged Eunchan with a look of not knowing what to do. After finishing the call and trying to grab his wallet, Miro grabbed Eunchan’s wrist.
“Where are you going?”
“They say a customer suddenly came. Get ready, I’ll take you to the hospital.”
“Can’t, can’t I go too?”
“Where would you go? You need to go to the hospital. Hurry and pack. We don’t have time for this.”
After roughly folding the blanket scattered in the living room, he pushed it to one side. There’s been no work lately, but suddenly a customer comes. Where would it hurt to call ahead and make a reservation? Eunchan, who had plans to drop Miro at the hospital and go home to rest comfortably, complained inwardly.
“What are you doing? I said get ready. You need to pack the patient gown, right?”
“I wa, want to go too.”
“Yes, go to the hospital.”
“Where Eunchan works, I also…”
Standing in place with both hands politely folded in front, Miro twisted his body and said to Eunchan.
“Are you older than me? Why do you keep speaking informally?”
At Miro’s unexpected tantrum, Eunchan found fault for no reason and changed the subject. Honestly, it wasn’t a profession that received particularly good treatment from others, but when Miro called him casually without hesitation, the feeling became strange, so Eunchan gave a warning.
“Yees.”
However, Miro’s answer that actually came back was so simple that Eunchan let out an empty laugh.
“Still, please call me Eunchan-ssi. Miro-ssi.”
“……”
“Miro-ssi, pack your things.”
* * *
Until getting in the taxi, Miro didn’t ease his sullen expression. After arriving at the hospital and almost escorting him inside the hospital room, coaxing and soothing him, Eunchan tried to improve Miro’s mood. Only after pressing promises he hadn’t planned to make into Miro’s hands, like ‘I’ll come back soon’ and ‘I’ll contact you,’ could Eunchan finally leave the hospital room.
After working hard and barely getting outside, Eunchan had no choice but to stop walking again. The medical staff, who thought Eunchan was Miro’s guardian, lectured him about the dangers of a seriously ill patient’s unauthorized overnight stay. Accordingly, Eunchan had to work hard at reflecting while bowing his head, saying ‘I’m sorry, doctor. I won’t do it again,’ something he hadn’t even done when he was in school.
When he finally got in a taxi heading to the company, Eunchan let out a big sigh. The work was too arduous. It was also the first time at this age he’d been scolded by others. Should I look for a new job? As he was thinking about changing jobs and blankly throwing his gaze out the window, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. It was Hyungsik again.
– Hyung, where are you?
“I’m coming. Wait a bit. The customer?”
– I’ve guided them to the boss’s office for now. They keep urging when the other employee is coming…
“The boss?”
– He said he got on the train earlier, but I’ll call him again.
“Got it. Tell them I’m sorry and I’ll really arrive soon.”
– Yes.
Though he didn’t know what it was about, seeing how they suddenly came from morning without consulting with the boss, it seemed more than ordinarily urgent. Most of these kinds of jobs weren’t of good quality… Eunchan roughly took out a card from his wallet in advance to prepare.
[Come.quickly.^^.]
At the vibration ringing again, Eunchan checked his phone. It was a text from Miro, who should be waiting obediently in the hospital room.
* * *
“Hyung!”
When he rushed up the stairs and opened the company door, as if standing right in front, Hyungsik immediately greeted Eunchan warmly.
“Are they inside?”
“Yes. Two middle-aged men.”
“What did they come for?”
“They said they’ll talk when someone comes… The boss says he’s coming.”
“Got it.”
There wasn’t even time to cool off his sweat. Eunchan opened the boss’s office door with Hyungsik trailing behind him.
“I’m sorry. You waited a long time, didn’t you?”
