#019
“What is it.”
“I’m sad.”
“About what?”
“I don’t know.”
When I turned around with a horrified expression at the tears welling up in his eyes, Ban Hajoon wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and followed behind me shaking his head. He really does cry a lot. Isn’t that level serious? While I cleaned up the table, Ban Hajoon also busily moved his hands to throw away trash. After confirming the interior was cleanly organized, I closed the windows that had been left open all day to dry flowers. I turned off the mini heater that had been on at my feet due to the cold temperature, gathered the bouquet for Gyoyeon, and walked toward the entrance.
I took out my phone while turning off all the lights on my way out. I found Gyoyeon’s name, pressed the call button, and set up the security system while bringing the key over.
The dial tone continued over the receiver, and not long after, an extremely gentle voice rang out.
– Yeah, Ranho.
“…What’s this. Why are you being so sweet.”
– I’m almost there now. Are you done already?
“You’re with our team leader?”
– Yeah, that’s right. Ranho, it’s cold so don’t wait outside, go inside somewhere.
The man she called “our team leader” must really appeal to her, because she was completely different from usual. This time it seemed genuinely serious, making me feel inexplicably disappointed.
Ah… but Gyoyeon is supposed to marry me.
***
At Ban Hajoon’s suggestion that drinks would be better than dinner for a first meeting, the four of us decided to go to a wine bar he knew well. We arrived first at the wine bar located not far from Ban Hajoon’s cafe, chose wine, and ordered several appetizers.
Ban Hajoon, who had been sitting across from me, suddenly moved to the seat next to me as if realizing something tremendous.
“Why?”
“They’re a couple, so if we sit like this, one of us has to sit with… the team leader. I’m shy around strangers.”
“That’s a lie. Hajoon-ssi, you’re not shy.”
“…Because Ranho-ssi is shy. It’s better if I’m next to you.”
Ban Hajoon doesn’t seem to realize that both him and Gyoyeon’s team leader would be equally uncomfortable for me.
I responded dully to Ban Hajoon, who spoke while lightly touching my shoulder, and picked up a cracker to eat. After checking Gyoyeon’s text saying it was okay to drink first, we immediately opened the wine.
The brilliant color and sweet aroma of the wine pouring with a gurgling sound made me swallow my dry saliva. Ah, why does alcohol taste so good these days? It must be because I’m having a hard time. I didn’t refuse the drinks Ban Hajoon poured for me, drinking well to try to forget the pain in my back that had been hurting all day with the help of alcohol.
“Drink slowly. Wine gets you drunk all at once.”
“I can handle alcohol, so it’s fine.”
“I know you’re strong, but still drink in moderation. You drank too much yesterday too. Your stomach was completely ruined.”
Looking at Ban Hajoon’s worried expression, I had to hold back telling him to worry about himself.
I emptied the wine too much like it was a soft drink. When the two of us sitting side by side had almost finished half a bottle, a very handsome man came in escorting Gyoyeon. Oh. If they look that good together, Gyoyeon really won’t marry me.
I felt even more disappointed.
Our team leader’s action of receiving Gyoyeon’s handbag and placing it next to him was as natural as if he’d done it many times before. Gyoyeon, smiling broadly, was as pure and beautiful as a freshly bloomed camellia flower.
“You’re here?”
“Yeah, say hello. Our team leader.”
Ban Hajoon and I put down the wine glasses we’d been holding and bowed our heads toward Gyoyeon’s team leader.
“I’m Seo Ranho.”
“I’m Ban Hajoon. Please take care of us.”
Both Ban Hajoon and I greeted him with bright smiles.
“Please take care of me. I’m Yeo Dongju.”
After several bows were exchanged, I handed over the bouquet I’d made for Gyoyeon.
“This.”
“Wow, it’s pretty.”
Gyoyeon received the bouquet with a cheerful smile. She naturally buried her nose in the bouquet and inhaled the fragrance, then held it out toward Yeo Dongju saying it smelled good.
“Rano, no, Ranho runs a flower shop. Isn’t it pretty?”
“It’s pretty.”
Honey dripped from Yeo Dongju’s gaze as he watched Gyoyeon, as if every single one of her actions was adorable. Ah… seeing that, I had a strong feeling that I’d probably end up making bouquets for their wedding.
***
After adding two more bottles of wine, Ban Hajoon and I had to listen to the two people’s love story for over an hour. Later on, my eyes would glaze over drowsily just from hearing them start with “We, you know.” Maybe because I drank on an empty stomach, I got drunk faster than usual.
“Ah… I should go now.”
“Ranho, are you drunk?”
“No. I’m not drunk. But I have a bouquet order tomorrow so I need to go.”
I spoke clearly with bright eyes. Ban Hajoon wasn’t sitting properly in his chair but was almost draped over it, completely wasted. But since this was outside and I didn’t have the mental capacity to take care of Ban Hajoon too, I lightly ignored him and squeezed out from between the tables.
“I’m leaving. I’ll see you again. If you need flowers for anything, come with Gyoyeon.”
“Do we absolutely have to come together?”
“Huh? Oh. Well, not necessarily… If you want to come alone, please order by phone. I’ll make it and have it ready on time.”
My pronunciation was very precise. At my voice that showed no trace of alcohol, Gyoyeon also wondered whether he was drunk or not and let me go quietly.
“I’ll call you?”
“Definitely call, I have a lot to tell you. Put the flowers in a vase as soon as you get home.”
“Okay, thank you. It’s really pretty.”
Gyoyeon smiled like a flower, and Yeo Dongju looked at her as if she were something precious. For some reason I couldn’t understand, I felt relieved by Yeo Dongju’s attitude and waved my hands vigorously. Whether he was strong with alcohol or didn’t drink much, he wasn’t drunk at all. Maybe…? I could bet my flower shop on it. Ban Hajoon, draped over the armrest, briefly entered my field of vision, but I had a strong feeling that Yeo Dongju would take care of sending him home.
I came out of the wine bar and immediately tried to catch a taxi. I waved my hands vigorously and even held up two fingers waving them to say “double,” but no one would pick me up. Why on earth? The road is full of cars, so how is there not a single car that will take me?
I repeated walking a little from the wine bar toward the officetel direction, then stopping again to wave my hands, until I got too tired and sat down on the ground.
“Why won’t they pick me up?”
Heat rose to my cheeks as I got more intoxicated. Ah, I’m getting drunk. Wine makes you drunk very slowly. The sweetness lingering in my mouth made me thirsty. I wanted to go home quickly, but my legs hurt and my back hurt too. I was looking at the ground with just my eyes peeking out between my fingers when I saw someone’s sneaker toe. Behind the sneakers, I could also see car wheels. Oh, then is it a taxi?
I removed the hands covering my face and looked up to check the owner of the shoes.
“I wasn’t sure, but it is hyung, right.”
“No it’s not.”
“It is Ranho.”
“I said hyung.”
What’s this drunkard doing here?
“I was on my way to meet friends, but I wasn’t sure so I was just going to pass by, then I came over to check.”
“Ah. Then give me a ride.”
“Where are you going?”
“Home. Home.”
Ju Isin laughed. He chuckled as if incredulous at my completely slurred pronunciation, then reached out to straighten me up. Making a somewhat foolish exclamation of “heave-ho,” he opened the passenger door and seated me inside. After carefully fastening my seatbelt, Ju Isin went around the hood and got into the driver’s seat.
“Where’s your home?”
“The flower shop… there.”
“That’s hyung’s workplace. I’m asking where your home is.”
“No… there, there at the officetel.”
“Ah, there.”
Ju Isin turned the steering wheel roughly. My body swayed back and forth as he made a U-turn. Ah, my stomach feels bad. I unconsciously covered my mouth with my hand and breathed out roughly.
“Uh, uh, what? Hyung, are you going to throw up?”
“No…”
“Do you feel like throwing up?”
I shook my head vigorously at his question. Ah, I’m thirsty. My mouth was completely dry. My stomach felt hot too.
“Drive…”
“What?”
When I spoke with my pronunciation completely muffled by the hand covering my mouth, Ju Isin leaned over and brought his ear close to me.
“Drive… properly.”
“Ah. I just got my license a month ago. Does it show?”
His starts and stops were rough. Every time Ju Isin pressed the accelerator or brake, my forehead bounced to the dashboard and the back of my head hit the seat with thuds.
“Ah. Just… let me out-“
“We’re almost there.”
The car stopped at a red light in front of the officetel and lurched once more.
“Ah. Really… you can’t drive. People like this should have their steering wheels confiscated.”
“What?”
“……”
“Do what to the steering wheel?”
“Confiscate it… did you get your license illegally…”
The light changed and Ju Isin’s car started again with lurching movements. Ah… looking at the emblem on the steering wheel, it’s a good car, but it’s a waste of the car. The car stopped with a screeching sound. Even though the car was good, the ride was terrible because he couldn’t drive.
“Ah… my head hurts.”
When I unfastened my belt and put my hand on the door trim, I heard the click of the lock that had been released engaging again.
“Thank you.”
“……?”
“See you tomorrow, us.”
“…What?”
When I asked with a blank expression, blinking my eyes, Ju Isin opened his mouth with a determined expression.
“Repeat after me. Thank you.”
“Repeat, repeat-“
“No, no, not that.”
“Not that?”
“Thank you.”
Ah. I understood perfectly well what Ju Isin wanted me to say.
“Thank you very mush.”
“We’ll meet again tomorrow.”
“Meet tomorrow.”
“Promise.”
A pinky finger was held out in front of me. I took my hand out of my pocket and hooked my finger to Ju Isin’s finger, even pressing firmly with my thumb to seal it.
“Hyung, don’t you like pretty things?”
“I like them. I like them, that’s why I run a flower shop.”
At my answer, Ju Isin’s expression brightened.
“You’re speaking informally because you’re drunk. Let’s drink together later.”
He rummaged through his pocket and pulled something out. Then he grabbed my hand and extended my pinky finger.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
