“Hyungsik-ah, have you ever moved a grave?”
“Huh, no?”
“I wonder if I’ll get bad luck from doing it carelessly.”
“Hyung, you believe in superstitions?”
“A little.”
Don’t step on the threshold, don’t sleep with your head facing north. Because grandmother was the type to believe in superstitions, Eunchan also believed in them like an ingrained habit. No matter how much money he received, carelessly touching someone else’s grave felt completely unsettling.
“Hyung, I think your phone is ringing?”
Though he thought it would be a text this time too, his phone was already vibrating. Eunchan checked the name displayed on the screen. Han Inju. The number one man he wanted to avoid right now.
“Hello.”
– Hello, this is Han Inju. Are you at the company?
“Yes, what is it?”
– I happen to be passing through the area. If it’s not dinner time yet, let’s have it together.
“It’s 4 o’clock, you’re already eating dinner?”
– Then let’s have a cup of coffee. I’ll wait at the cafe.
Since he mentioned dinner first when he was planning to have coffee from the beginning, it became awkward to refuse twice. Eunchan cursed the snake-like lawyer and held his forehead.
“You’re busy enough to work on weekends, but today you’re leaving work early.”
– Yes, thanks to you. Do you drink Americano?
“Mango smoothie.”
– Yes, understood.
He had to get the most expensive thing possible. Eunchan hung up the phone with Inju’s answer as the last. Why did he suddenly come… Is he urging me to start work quickly? His stomach hurt from the bothersome matters in one way or another.
“Hyungsik-ah, I can’t eat today. Stay for a bit then go home.”
“Did you get an appointment? With who?”
“The lawyer who came last time. You turn off the lights when you leave.”
“Okay-“
He wanted to change clothes and go, but it was unfortunate he didn’t have time for that. Eunchan waved his hand to say goodbye to Hyungsik, then picked up his phone and stood up. In the stifling heat, his feet dragged, not wanting to go out. Eunchan let out a big sigh. At this point, there was no choice but to quickly face it, whether it became porridge or rice. Continuing to avoid it wouldn’t produce an answer, and he couldn’t push it onto Hyungsik or the boss either.
Receiving the sunlight pouring over his head directly, Eunchan walked on the asphalt. He wanted to finish the work before this summer ended. If he could.
* * *
Looking at the man visible beyond the cafe’s glass window, Eunchan clicked his tongue. Han Inju’s appearance, dressed in a suit from head to toe with his hair swept back, looked like a lawyer if seen favorably, and looked like a con artist if seen unfavorably. His looks weren’t bad either (he didn’t want to say handsome even if he died), so all the surrounding gazes were focused on Han Inju. However, as if not caring at all, Han Inju crossed his legs and leaned back comfortably, leisurely waiting for Eunchan.
I don’t want to approach. Knowing the gazes that would also pour onto him if he showed familiarity, Eunchan hesitated for a moment. He could see the bright yellow mango smoothie in front of Han Inju, which must be Eunchan’s, melting away. Eunchan, who opened the cafe door and entered, went straight to the chair in front of Han Inju, sat down, and greeted him.
“Hello.”
“You came quickly.”
Because he didn’t want to go and deliberately went around in circles, quite a bit of time had passed. Han Inju spoke as if slightly mocking such Eunchan.
“I was busy with work.”
However, Eunchan made excuses nonchalantly and put the straw in his mouth. The mango scent full of sweetness filled his mouth. He wanted to finish the conversation as quickly as possible without small talk and part ways.
“I’m sorry for calling you when you’re busy.”
“It’s okay.”
While receiving Han Inju’s apology, Eunchan crossed his legs.
“Then when will Eunchan-ssi have time?”
“When are you available, lawyer-nim?”
“I’ll match busy Eunchan-ssi’s schedule.”
“Stop teasing.”
Looking at Han Inju who was smiling, Eunchan eventually raised both hands.
“How about next Monday?”
“Good.”
“Are you taking a bus or train?”
“I’ll drive.”
“That’s nice. By the way, don’t have high expectations. Finding a person with just a name isn’t an easy task.”
Eunchan made excuses while slightly backing away. Since he received a large contract fee, he had to find even a small clue, but there was too little information given, so even that seemed difficult.
“I know. Still, if it’s Eunchan-ssi, you’ll manage.”
“Aren’t your expectations too high?”
“I wonder. Rather, I think they’re low.”
“At most, going and asking the residents if they know Kim Noeul will be all there is.”
Trying to beat a lawyer with words was a useless task. Eunchan picked up his ringing phone and checked the received text.
[Haven’t.left work yet.?]
“Is Eunchan-ssi the type with good intuition?”
As he was frowning while looking at Miro’s text, Han Inju, sitting in front, threw out an unexpected question.
“Intuition? What, are you asking if I have spiritual sense?”
“No. I’m just curious if you have good intuition.”
I wonder. He’d never thought about it. Eunchan scratched the back of his head and shook it.
“I’m not sure.”
“Then is your luck good?”
“No.”
If it was good, he would have won the lottery at least once. Family matters wouldn’t have been this complicated either. Eunchan could answer firmly to the question of whether his luck was good.
“Why are you suddenly asking that?”
“Just curious.”
“What about you, lawyer-nim?”
“I think both my intuition and luck are good.”
“I see. Must be nice for you.”
Eunchan made a disgusted face while looking at Han Inju who answered confidently without a change in expression.
“No, not me but Eunchan-ssi. That’s how I see it.”
“Pardon?”
“Let’s get up.”
Han Inju, who checked his wristwatch, stood up from his seat first.
“Already?”
“Will you have dinner together too?”
“If you were just going to make a business trip appointment, couldn’t you have done it sufficiently by phone?”
“There are also things that get resolved quickly by meeting.”
Eunchan looked at the crazy Han Inju and briefly wondered if all lawyers were like that.
“Don’t you hear from people around you that you’re strange?”
“No. Rather, I often heard that I’m normal.”
“I see.”
There must only be strange people around him. Eunchan sucked his mango smoothie and recalled the saying “birds of a feather.” I want to quickly finish work and go our separate ways. He was definitely not someone he wanted to see for long.
* * *
Eunchan, intoxicated by the languid afternoon light, leaned against the bus window and started to doze off for a moment. Since he’d been busy since yesterday, his body was tired, and he was hungry since he’d only had a simple hamburger for lunch. Time passes quickly when doing nothing. The boss’s words were right. He had to finish quickly and focus on the big job. Since he received a million won, he just needed to care that much and work accordingly. Eunchan shook his head to come to his senses, then pressed the stop bell. He steeled his mind, thinking that being swayed by a strange client was enough.
When he entered the hospital, the hospital room manager, now completely familiar, greeted Eunchan and acted friendly. Eunchan also bowed his head back in greeting, then caught the elevator going up. Unlike the lobby crowded with people, the floor where only VIP hospital rooms were gathered was calm and quiet. Since he got thoroughly scolded last time, Eunchan greeted the waiting nurse somewhat dejectedly.
“Guardian.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
As he was about to enter Miro’s hospital room directly, the nurse stopped Eunchan. Eunchan immediately politely folded both hands in front. Even though there was absolutely no reason to feel intimidated, he always felt small in front of educated people like this.
“Stress and frequent environmental changes can be greatly harmful to the patient. We’re also doing our best, but the guardian needs to pay attention too.”
“Yes, I’ll try.”
Eunchan bowed his head once more to greet. Though he was a simple employee, strangely all the hospital staff knew Eunchan as Miro’s guardian. Since it was also awkward to explain again, Eunchan let the precautions the nurse was saying go in one ear and out the other.
“If there are any abnormalities, just press the nurse call.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Only after listening to about 5 minutes of admonition could Eunchan stand in front of Miro’s hospital room door. With his energy completely drained, Eunchan briefly considered just going home. Though he knew there was no other way even if he avoided it, he really knew well but…
The sound of weak knocking filled the hallway, and soon after, with a creak, the hospital room door opened.
“We, welcome!”
At Miro’s face smiling brightly and welcoming him, Eunchan forgot what he’d been worrying about and ended up smiling along with Miro.
“Did you eat?”
“Yeah, what about Eunchan-ssi?”
“Not yet.”
Eunchan, who entered the still spacious and comfortable hospital room, asked about Miro’s meal as a courtesy like any Korean would.
“I di, didn’t eat either.”
“You said you ate. But what’s wrong with your face?”
Eunchan, who had led his tired body to the sofa and leaned back comfortably against the backrest, asked in surprise seeing Miro with a pale complexion.
“Am I, am I, am I ugly?”
As if thinking Eunchan criticized his appearance, Miro stuttered even more severely and covered his face with his palms.
“No, that’s not it. Why are you so pale?”
Though he seemed fine when they parted, his complexion was white as a corpse, as if something had happened. Eunchan got up from the sofa and approached Miro. Miro hesitated and stepped back, but soon when Eunchan grabbed his wrist, he stopped still as if he’d never avoided him.
“Are you okay? Don’t you need to lie down?”
“Mmm, I’m ugly… I’m sorry.”
Without lowering the hand covering his face, Miro apologized to Eunchan. Eunchan let out a helpless laugh and tried hard to forcibly remove Miro’s hand from his face. His long eye tails and moist eyes took on a mysterious light. Miro was beautiful to the point where it was regrettable that he had no eloquence and could only say he was pretty. Though his skin was pale, it rather made him look like a porcelain doll, adding to his charm. Eunchan looked at his sharp nose tip and apricot-colored lips, then shook his head.
“Who said you’re ugly? I’m worried because your complexion doesn’t look good.”
