Not long after the meeting ended, the food Hyungsik ordered arrived. With tteokbokki, sundae, and even gimbap filling the desk, Hyungsik set out the chopsticks.
Before searching for the place name, Eunchan took the opportunity while the computer was on to search for the clothes he’d tried on yesterday. However, at the high price that soon appeared, he trembled and pressed the back button again. He’d thought they were expensive, but to this extent…… At a price higher than almost a month’s salary, Eunchan wanted to wash out his eyes. Let’s forget it. These are knockoffs. Eunchan hypnotized himself.
Coming back to his senses, Eunchan searched for the place name as originally intended. From Seoul to South Chungcheong by highway would take about two hours. Since they said they’d go in the boss’s car, he could drive on the way there and Hyungsik could drive on the way back.
“Hyung! Eat!”
“Yeah, eat first—”
It would be nice if everything got resolved today. He really wanted to go home and rest now. Eunchan wrote down the address on a memo pad while making a wish that wouldn’t come true. He turned off the computer and was getting up to eat when the cell phone on his desk started ringing. Checking the caller just in case, it was Miro as expected.
“Hello.”
— Did Eunchan go to work?
At Miro’s voice, lower than usual as if he’d just woken up, Eunchan momentarily stopped breathing. Why isn’t he stuttering again?
“……Yes. Did you just wake up?”
— Yeah…… Why aren’t you next to me?
“I have to go to work. If you’re up, eat. I’ll borrow the clothes for just a day.”
Though he’d worn Miro’s clothes yesterday too, today he’d come out wearing the clothes Miro bought him. Eunchan looked at Miro’s clothes in the shopping bag and planned to go to the dry cleaners. He’d have to wash and return what he was wearing now too.
— When are you coming?
“I’m going home after work.”
— Why?
What do you mean why? I’m going back because it’s home. At Miro asking about going home after work as if it were obvious, Eunchan held his head and groaned. Just as he’d expected this morning.
“I didn’t go the day before yesterday, and I didn’t go yesterday either.”
— But I’m scared.
At Miro’s whining that blew over like a sigh, Eunchan couldn’t find words to answer. If he went to South Chungcheong again today and came back, it would be past midnight at best, and excluding the weekend when he could rest, he’d have to go straight down to Jeonnam with Han Inju again.
“I have work in the countryside today, so I don’t know when I’ll get home. I might sleep there and come back.”
He’d make sure that didn’t happen as much as possible, but for now Eunchan licked his lips.
— …….
“……Hello? Miro-ssi?”
But Miro on the other end of the receiver was silent. Not even a quiet breath could be heard, so Eunchan called out to Miro.
— Who are you going with?
“What? The business trip?”
— Yeah…….
“Everyone from the company is going.”
The boss, Hyungsik, and Eunchan. When it came to company members, that was all three of them. Eunchan answered casually while tossing and catching the boss’s car keys.
— Hyu-Hyungsik too?
“He’s going?”
— I’m scared and…… It’s ha-hard being alone…….
I’m having a hard time too. Eunchan held his forehead again at Miro’s appearance that strangely seemed to be wary of Hyungsik.
“The boss is going too. Everyone’s going. I can’t not work.”
— I’ll gi-give you more money!
“Even if you give it to me in bundles, no. Anyway, got it, I’ll call you when it’s over.”
Placating Miro came first. Eunchan tried to end the call while making promises he wouldn’t keep. Even if he did, he planned to deliberately connect for about one second at a time when Miro would be asleep so he couldn’t answer, then hang up.
“Hyung! What are you doing? Hurry up and come eat!”
— Hyungsik?
Seeing Eunchan not coming even though the food had arrived, Hyungsik eventually came out of the boss’s office and called Eunchan. And hearing Hyungsik’s voice through the receiver, Miro called Hyungsik’s name with a cold air.
“Miro-ssi, I’ll really call you later. Okay? Eat well and listen to what the doctor says.”
With a bad premonition, Eunchan immediately ended the call before even hearing Miro’s answer. Just looking at the outside, he was pretty like a flower and seemed like he couldn’t hurt anyone, but strangely his intuition was off. It wouldn’t hurt to be careful just in case. It seemed best if Hyungsik and Miro didn’t run into each other if possible.
“Hyung!”
“Hey, Hyungsik-ah. You know that person who came asking to catch the stalker, right? The pretty-looking person.”
“I know, right? That guy who could rival celebrities?”
“If you ever end up alone together with that person, just go outside. Don’t stay together. And there probably won’t be any calls, but if there are, don’t answer.”
“Why?”
“Just feels weird.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Hyungsik laughed as he handed Eunchan his wooden chopsticks. Since they’d known each other since Hyungsik was in high school, they’d known each other a long time, and with only two employees, it was harder not to be close. Hyungsik relied on Eunchan like a real older brother, and Eunchan also cherished Hyungsik like his own younger brother.
“Anyway, if anything happens, tell me right away.”
“Got it, hyung. Eat the tteokbokki.”
Hyungsik whispered quietly in Eunchan’s ear that he’d added a ton of cheese and extra noodles with the boss’s card. Eunchan laughed at the immature Hyungsik and soon started using his chopsticks. They say even a ghost that dies after eating looks good. He was wearing nice clothes now and eating a lot of delicious food, so even if he died now, he’d look good at least. Of course, he didn’t want to die, but that’s what he meant.
* * *
In the back seat, the sound of the boss snoring could be heard, and in the passenger seat, Hyungsik was humming a meaningless song. Eunchan kept checking the navigation while finding the way. Less than 5 minutes until reaching the destination.
“Hyungsik-ah, try waking the boss.”
“Yes. Boss! Please wake up!”
This seems to be the right place. It looked like they’d have to park the car nearby and walk in. Eunchan checked the remaining gas and parked roughly in an empty spot.
“Did we arrive?”
“This seems right, but I think we need to get out and check.”
“Okay. Go see if there’s a grave and contact the construction company.”
Checking if the burial mound was still there was the priority. When Hyungsik asked the boss ‘Should I get the shovel and tools from the trunk?’, he got scolded, asking if he wanted to get reported by the village residents.
“Do you know the construction company’s contact?”
Eunchan asked the boss while patting Hyungsik’s head, who’d only gotten snapped at for asking a question.
“Those people should be out at the site.”
“You said the contract hasn’t even been signed yet.”
“It’s practically done, you know. They’ll have already taken out the bird’s-eye view and layout, and they’re just waiting for the second son to come in from America.”
“What are they building?”
“A golf course.”
“Ah—”
The boss stretched greatly and soon started doing back exercises. Eunchan put the car keys in his pocket and looked around. It wasn’t completely countryside. Actually, it hadn’t been long since they’d exited the highway, and it was close to downtown too. It was the optimal condition for a golf course to enter. A resort would come in together too.
“You mean that mountain over there, right?”
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
It wasn’t a high mountain. But if they hiked, they’d sweat. Eunchan briefly regretted wearing expensive borrowed clothes. Hyungsik put a small water bottle in the bag he’d brought and tightened his sneaker laces.
“I hate hiking the most.”
“I hate it too, man.”
When Eunchan sighed softly, the boss beside him said the same thing. At least Hyungsik, who was the youngest, laughed and refreshed the atmosphere.
“Since we’re here, we can exercise and breathe good air, which is nice.”
2 PM, it was good weather for hiking and a good time to work. As the boss guessed, not long after walking, they could find container houses below the mountain. As if construction preparations were already complete, heavy equipment was on standby and a few resting workers were visible. Eunchan made eye contact with the boss.
“Let’s not climb the mountain first and talk to the supervisor here first?”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
The grave being there was a fact anyway. If they went up with the site supervisor and checked, they wouldn’t have to work twice. The boss looked around roughly and soon caught a passing worker.
“I’m trying to talk to the site manager here, where are they?”
“The manager?”
“Yeah.”
A young-looking face. The man quickly scanned the boss, Eunchan, and Hyungsik, then pointed to the site office.
“You can go that way.”
“Thank you—”
Instead of the boss who passed without greeting, Eunchan bowed and gave thanks. The worker briefly frowned and soon went on his way.
“Eunchan-ah, this is a Myeongjin affiliate.”
“Myeongjin?”
“Yeah. Look over there. See that brand? It’s Myeongjin’s.”
Eunchan looked at the logo the boss gestured at with his chin. Myeongjin, that lawyer’s company.
“We’re not getting hit with a big lawsuit, are we?”
“We’re helping them, you know. We’re benefactors. More than that, did you bring that lawyer’s business card?”
It wasn’t only Eunchan who thought of that lawyer from Myeongjin’s legal team. The boss casually asked Eunchan if he had the lawyer’s business card.
“Why?”
“We have to use everything we can use.”
“What if we get caught?”
“I’m just going to say we know each other, what would they say about that?”
The boss spat phlegm on the dirt ground and cackled. Eunchan shook his head. That lawyer didn’t seem ordinary either. Should he perform a ritual or something? Everyone he’d been meeting lately was all strange.
“Is anyone here?”
Instead of answering the boss, Eunchan knocked on the office door. Soon the door opened and a young employee came out to greet the three. As if everyone had left their seats, only the employee who greeted Eunchan was keeping his seat inside the office. When Eunchan said he’d come about the grave problem on the mountain, the employee immediately picked up the phone. After a brief call, the employee said the manager would be coming soon and acted friendly, asking if he should offer them tea.
“Give me a cup of coffee.”
“What about the others?”
“I’m fine.”
“I have water.”
The three sat side by side on the sofa waiting for the manager. Hyungsik took out water from his bag and drank, and the boss was served hot instant coffee.
