Chapter 6
“I came to borrow money.”
“Money?”
At Jeonghyeok’s question, Yuwon nodded his head.
According to the kitchen lady, this man had been doing loan sharking in this neighborhood for quite a long time. From market vendors to building owners on the main street, there wasn’t anyone who needed money who didn’t know him.
So Yuwon decided to borrow money from Jeonghyeok. It was a bit pathetic, but there was no better excuse than this.
Jeonghyeok quietly bit his jaw and stared at Yuwon as if gauging something. It was quite a sharp gaze.
“How much do you need?”
“What?”
“You said you came to borrow money. How much do you need that you came all the way here?”
Since he hadn’t expected such a direct question, Yuwon hesitated for a moment.
He would definitely charge higher interest than regular banks, so he couldn’t ask for too much. From someone who was always strapped for cash, he couldn’t afford to increase unnecessary expenses.
After thinking hard about what amount would be appropriate, Yuwon finally opened his reluctant mouth.
“Fi… fifty.”
“What?”
“Fifty.”
“Fifty? Fifty thousand won?”
When Yuwon quietly nodded his head, Jeonghyeok scrunched up his face and said:
“Get out of the way.”
“Ah, why!”
“Why? What do you think this is, some corner store?”
Taeju, who had been quietly listening from the side, couldn’t hold back any longer and let out a “pfft” sound. At the same time, Jeonghyeok shot him a fierce glare.
“Shit, Jo Taeju, stop laughing.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Taeju bit his molars and tactfully unlocked the office door.
Soon the door opened and as Jeonghyeok’s footsteps headed that way, Yuwon hastily stretched out both arms and blocked his path. He couldn’t let the man go so futilely like this.
“If you won’t lend me money, then have a meal with me.”
“What?”
“If you don’t like meals, even coffee is fine. Okay?”
So this was the conclusion. Jeonghyeok burst into a hollow laugh. Being courted like this by someone fifteen years younger was both absurd and quite troublesome.
The bright eyes looking up at him were quite stubborn. It seemed like nothing would change even if they kept confronting each other like this.
Jeonghyeok, who had been thinking about how to get rid of this guy, tilted his head crookedly and opened his mouth.
“Just eating a meal is enough?”
The meaning of the question was really let’s just eat a meal and end it there. It also meant don’t expect anything more from me.
But Yuwon wasn’t experienced enough to catch the hidden meaning in Jeonghyeok’s words. From the beginning, whether they just ate a meal or just drank tea didn’t matter. If he could get even a little closer to Jeonghyeok, he wanted to do anything. That’s why he had come all the way here.
Yuwon nodded his head so vigorously it seemed like it might fall off. He was even happy that things seemed to be going the way he wanted for now.
“Taeju.”
“Yes.”
“Eat lunch by yourself today.”
Leaving behind Taeju, whose eyes went wide at the unexpected situation, Jeonghyeok turned around and headed back to the stairs.
“Follow me.”
The added words were directed at Yuwon.
Behind Jeonghyeok walking out with heavy steps, Yuwon silently moved his feet. While walking down the narrow street after leaving the building, he stared at the man’s back. It was broad and flat, not like a person’s back but exactly like a sturdy wall.
“……”
Even though he was the one who had pestered to eat together, now that he was actually sitting face to face with the man, he was scared about what to talk about first. He was confident in chattering carelessly about anything, but he didn’t know how to properly start a conversation with someone he had feelings for.
This was the first time he had ever felt such a strong attraction to someone. It was confusing that it was an ajeossi fifteen years older than him, but he didn’t want to give up without even trying. It was excitement mixed with fighting spirit.
It’ll work out somehow. Yuwon stuck close to Jeonghyeok walking ahead with an expression that was almost resolute.
The place they arrived at was a Chinese restaurant at the end of the alley. On the signboard with golden trim on a bright red background, “Daraesung” was written in large Chinese characters.
Since it was still early, there were no people inside the restaurant. Only after hearing the sound of the door opening did the chef come out to set up water and basic side dishes. Since it wasn’t a busy time, he seemed to be handling both the dining room and kitchen work alone.
“Two jjajangmyeon and one sweet and sour pork.”
While Jeonghyeok was ordering, Yuwon obediently poured water into cups. His series of actions—laying out napkins and placing chopsticks—were neat and orderly. It looked exactly like he had received training somewhere.
The wrist that could be glimpsed through his collar was very thin. Not just his arms, but his whole body was like that. Despite his not-small height and fairly angular shoulders, he gave the impression that he would topple over if you poked him. That’s how skinny his build was.
In contrast, his youthful face was plump with flesh. His reddish cheeks had vitality, and his round nostrils and eyelids were shiny.
Though he found the contrast between the thin body and face peculiar, considering Yuwon’s age, it was easy to understand. At twenty-two, he was still at an age where baby fat would remain. No matter how skinny his body was, his face could still be chubby.
Jeonghyeok, who had been carefully watching Yuwon push a cup toward him, wiped his hands with a wet tissue and asked:
“What’s your name?”
Come to think of it, he didn’t even know the guy’s name. Still, now that they were having a meal together, he should at least know his name.
Yuwon, gripping the cup tightly with both hands, moved his lips a few times before answering:
“Kim Yuwon.”
“Kim Yuwon.”
Jeonghyeok repeated Yuwon’s name once as if memorizing it. The soft sound perfectly matched his appearance. Anyone would probably think the same.
“What’s hyung-nim’s name?”
At Yuwon’s following question, Jeonghyeok scrunched up his face.
“What? Hyung-nim?”
“Yes. The person you’re with calls you that.”
He seemed to be talking about Taeju. Jeonghyeok maintained his deeply frowning expression as he spoke:
“Are you the same as him? He’s at least ten years older than you.”
“Then I can’t call you hyung-nim?”
“No, you can’t.”
That damn “can’t.” It was the thing Yuwon hated hearing most. What was there so much that couldn’t be done? Something like a form of address should be up to the person saying it.
Without realizing it, his lips jutted out. Yuwon asked with a sulky expression:
“…Then what should I call you?”
“Ajeossi.”
Jeonghyeok spoke as if it were obvious. There was no other particularly appropriate term besides that form of address.
He wasn’t even one of his subordinates, and the thought of hearing “hyung-nim” from a kid with more than a twelve-year age gap made him shudder just thinking about it. It felt exactly like becoming one of those pathetic men obsessed with being called oppa.
“Okay, ajeossi.”
Though his pouty expression remained unchanged, Yuwon used the form of address “ajeossi” as Jeonghyeok wanted. Only then did Jeonghyeok’s brow smooth out a little.
“Please tell me ajeossi’s name too.”
Just when he thought he had taken a step back, of course that wasn’t the case. At Yuwon’s question, Jeonghyeok’s brow furrowed again.
He wondered if he really needed to tell him his name, but having asked for the other person’s name, he couldn’t hide his own. It was also hard to ignore those clear eyes full of expectation.
Jeonghyeok took a sip of water and said quietly:
“…Moon Jeonghyeok.”
“Then I’ll call you Jeonghyeok-ssi.”
“Are you crazy?”
When he had already refused to be called hyung-nim, this was an even more outrageous statement. Jeonghyeok, who was disgusted, put down the cup he was holding with a thud.
“Call me ajeossi.”
“Do I really have to?”
“Should I just get up and leave? Or you can eat by yourself.”
“…That’s too much.”
It was a voice that was barely audible, but it was clearly heard by Jeonghyeok, who had sharp ears.
Too much, indeed. If you really thought about it, Yuwon, who had said something like “Jeonghyeok-ssi,” was the one who was more excessive. Jeonghyeok pretended not to hear Yuwon’s grumbling and tapped the innocent table.
Just then, the chef who had finished cooking appeared. The chef placed the three dishes he brought out neatly on the table and said:
“Here you go, enjoy your meal.”
Thanks to the food arriving, the conversation naturally came to an end. Jeonghyeok sprinkled plenty of red pepper powder on top of his steaming jjajangmyeon.
“Want some too?”
When he asked casually, Yuwon shook his head saying no. The way he carefully mixed his jjajangmyeon with chopsticks was quite neat. It was completely different from his own appearance of stabbing his chopsticks into the jjajang broth that had been showered with red pepper powder.
Jeonghyeok chuckled and picked up a generous chopstick-full of jjajangmyeon. He was quite hungry since he had skipped meals while dealing with urgent matters since yesterday evening.
He was diligently filling his stomach, eating the sweet and sour pork in between, when Yuwon sitting across from him became bothersome. He hadn’t touched the sweet and sour pork at all and was eating his portion of jjajangmyeon like bird feed.
Jeonghyeok first swallowed what he was eating, then gestured with his chin at the cooling jjajangmyeon and asked:
“You don’t like jjajangmyeon?”
“No. I like it.”
“Then why can’t you eat it?”
“It won’t go down well.”
“Why?”
For some reason, Yuwon bit his lower lip and couldn’t easily speak. When Jeonghyeok waited quietly, Yuwon, with a troubled face, rolled his eyes this way and that before muttering quietly:
“Because I’m too nervous…”
“……”
Well, damn. Jeonghyeok was so flabbergasted that he put down the chopsticks he was holding with a thud.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
