#85
He looked somewhat surprised that Eunhong had devoured everything he’d bought. Why are you looking at me like I’m an animal? Eunhong sucked the last bit from his spoon and tossed it into the empty container.
“Only fifteen minutes have passed.”
“…”
The answer came as soon as he glanced at his wristwatch. Who asked… really… Embarrassed, Eunhong pulled out his sketch book from his bag. He planned to kill time by sketching his surroundings.
Looking around, buildings over 500 years old weren’t uncommon, so there wasn’t a spot that didn’t catch his eye. Even people sitting casually eating sandwiches made for good subjects with nice composition. While he was focused, adding line upon line, a shadow fell over him.
When he looked up, the attendant who had been leaning over to look at his drawing straightened up with a start.
“…”
“…”
Eunhong chuckled and continued drawing.
By the time his interest in the surroundings had faded and he’d grown tired of drawing, Jaeha returned. Eunhong, who had been tapping the heels of his shoes on the ground like a child waiting for his mother, stood up eagerly.
While they visited two more small galleries, Eunhong was again left outside with the robot-like attendant. By then, the sun had set, and in the car returning to the hotel, Eunhong looked outside with disappointment. The city, now blanketed in darkness, was filled with yellow lights. Even that was romantic, and he felt so let down at having to return to the hotel that his lips jutted out in a pout.
“Let’s rest for today. Once things are somewhat wrapped up, we’ll go sightseeing together…”
Jaeha spoke as if he had read Eunhong’s mind. Seeing fatigue settled on his face after just a few hours, Eunhong felt a bit ashamed that his childish feelings had been detected. It was just yesterday that he had doubted whether they were really going for work.
“How are your mother’s paintings? Are they all in good condition?”
“…Just okay.”
“Just okay?”
Eunhong tilted his head at the dismissive answer.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s not something for you to be concerned about.”
Jaeha, with his tired face, pressed his forehead firmly and leaned against Eunhong.
***
Contrary to Eunhong’s hopes, the schedule remained similar the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that.
He hadn’t expected a trip full of excitement like a couple in the early stages of dating. After all, they had made it clear from the beginning that this was a business trip. He was also aware that there wasn’t much he could do to help. That’s why he had sometimes questioned why Jaeha had brought him all the way here.
But he hadn’t expected that his job here—having followed Jaeha to the other side of the earth—would be to wait endlessly on the street like a borrowed sack of barley for Jaeha to return.
Not to mention the full day of traveling around, Jaeha seemed physically and mentally exhausted from meeting many people, so when they returned to the hotel in the evening, he would immediately shower and go to bed. When Eunhong would order room service for dinner and crawl into bed late, Jaeha would reach out with his arms and embrace him even in his sleep. His expression was dark, probably due to dealing with his parents’ affairs, but there was something sad about his pheromones too, making it impossible to confront him.
Eunhong hid his rising disappointment with bland reflections like, “Being able to sense another’s emotions through pheromones—the life of a type-2 trait carrier is truly fascinating.” Like a body pillow, he silently offered his body, and feeling Jaeha’s body relax wasn’t all that bad. It gave him a sense that Jaeha was depending on him, like receiving therapy.
But as night passed and day came, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being excluded. Jaeha kept his family affairs like some big secret, not telling him anything, which filled Eunhong with a strange sense of hurt. Moreover, being in a foreign country with nothing else to focus on, he quickly became buried in his downcast emotions. His disappointment easily swelled.
All Eunhong had done in this city for four days was eat and wait. If there was any achievement, it was becoming friendly with the attendant, Nam Seunghee.
The man who had stubbornly stood like a robot beside Eunhong until the third day ended up receiving Eunhong’s help on the morning of the fourth day, today, due to a call of nature. It was because of the cheese he ate for breakfast.
To enter the nearest bathroom, he needed a coin, but he happened to be empty-handed. Eunhong extended a helping hand to him as he was clenching his buttocks tightly and sweating.
That expression as he looked at Eunhong taking out coins from his pocket like a savior. He was human after all.
“Don’t laugh.”
“When did I laugh?”
“…”
“I only have three coins left, should I exchange more in advance? You never know when it might come pouring out again.”
“…”
“What on earth did you eat so much of?”
The attendant twitched his thick eyebrows in displeasure, then let out a long breath through his nose and plopped down next to Eunhong. His legs seemed to be trembling, perhaps from thoroughly cleaning out his system since morning.
“Here, have this.”
Eunhong stopped teasing him and handed him a lollipop. He didn’t add that he had bought it while exchanging coins because he was concerned about the state of the man’s stomach.
The man who had stubbornly refused ice cream on the first day accepted the lollipop as if giving in. Having shared such a deep personal matter, his heart seemed to have opened up somewhat, and they appeared to have become much closer. Eunhong smiled broadly, secretly pleased. Getting close to people always felt difficult, but the feeling of growing closer was always pleasantly ticklish.
“Mr. Attendant.”
“Nam Seunghee. That’s my name.”
“Ah, yes, Seunghee. Please stay still just like that.”
Eunhong carefully drew the bold outline of Nam Seunghee’s side profile. He remained perfectly still, slightly perched on the edge of the fountain. His cheek, bulging with the lollipop, occasionally twitched, perhaps finding Eunhong’s serious gaze somewhat burdensome.
The image of a bold-lined man in a black suit sitting quietly with a lollipop in his mouth was transformed by Eunhong’s casual drawing style, filling the page. When the outline became distinct enough, Eunhong showed him the drawing with a satisfied smile.
“Look. Cute, isn’t it?”
Nam Seunghee stared at the cartoon version of himself for a moment before answering.
“Actually, I know your work, Eunhong. I enjoy playing your company’s games.”
“Really?”
“I bought the cash items released last time too. The Snow Flower set…”
“Wow! But I didn’t design that one. I designed the Fire Flower set.”
“…I’ll buy that one too.”
Eunhong opened his eyes wide, then burst out laughing.
“No, don’t do that. Should I gift you some items? I can’t give you probability items due to regulations, but I’m rich in cash. I can buy you anything from the store. Just tell me your account. I could even boost your level…”
Having unexpectedly encountered a user of the game he created, Eunhong was excited, his cheeks flushing. However, Nam Seunghee declined both the cash items and the level boost. As Eunhong found the situation too amusing, Seunghee visibly panicked and even seemed to regret confessing that he was a user of the game.
“If you really want to give me something, could you give me that drawing you just made?”
“This?”
“…Yes. It would be nice if you could sign it too.”
That’s not a difficult request. Without hesitation, Eunhong tore out the page, wrote the date under the drawing, and signed it. Thinking he should add a short message, he looked up and saw Jaeha approaching. He was walking straight toward them with his coat draped over one arm.
“What should I write as a message?”
“Please write ‘To Arastian server tank Jaesikeyealba…'”
Eunhong burst out laughing at that.
“You’re not planning to take a photo of this and post it on the user forum, are you?”
“Yes. I want to hit the front page once. Saying I met a developer…”
Eunhong smiled broadly at his honest confession, which made him blush. Occasionally, there were users who posted verification posts on the forum claiming they had met a developer. Yoo Junseok once met a user who recognized the company logo when he forgot to remove his employee ID before leaving work, and everyone joked about being careful with their IDs.
As he carefully wrote down the ID, the situation was so amusing that he kept chuckling. By then, Jaeha had approached and was looking down at the two with a sullen expression from behind Nam Seunghee. Knowing that Jaeha wasn’t particularly strict, but thinking he should let him know what was happening, Eunhong winked at Seunghee.
“What are you two doing?”
At Jaeha’s voice, Nam Seunghee jumped up as if burned. His reaction startled Eunhong as well.
“CEO, you’re here.”
As Seunghee straightened his body like a soldier standing at attention, Eunhong also awkwardly got to his feet. Seunghee’s face showed clear signs of panic, as if he had committed a grave offense. Just as Eunhong was about to hand him the drawing to lighten the mood, Jaeha reached out and snatched it.
“Drawing pictures and playing house together nicely? Secretary Nam seems to be having quite a good time while he’s supposed to be working. What’s this? ‘Jaesikeyealba’?”
His mocking tone as he looked down at the drawing brought a chilly wind. His narrowed eyes were so cold that Eunhong felt like he had done something wrong, even though he was innocent. Eunhong was dumbfounded by Jaeha’s attitude, appearing out of nowhere to create an icy atmosphere and then mocking them. Hadn’t he told him to play around together?
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
