42
We hadn’t definitively established ourselves as lovers, and our relationship wasn’t clearly defined, but when we met, we had sex, talked, and ate together. We did everything couples do, but if someone asked if we were actually dating, even I would tilt my head and wonder, “Are we?” It was that kind of ambiguous relationship.
“Anyway, what do you think of this place?”
“The atmosphere is nice, and the coffee seems good too.”
“No, not that. Don’t you think a café like this could do good business?”
“Well, I suppose…”
Lee Gyeongjin was working hard to figure out the intention behind my question. I could roughly estimate what he was thinking just by looking at his expression. He must be wondering what this young master was thinking.
“What did you want to be, Driver Lee? I’m sure your dream wasn’t to drive and follow around someone like me.”
I asked while pushing a piece of bread topped with a tower of whipped cream and drenched in syrup into my mouth.
“These days, hardly anyone dreams of becoming the president or an astronaut. Kids are realistic now. Except for a small percentage, most just study what the school tells them to, enter a university that matches their college entrance exam scores, and after graduation, most end up doing work unrelated to their major. If they’re lucky, they get a job that utilizes their major, and if they’re even luckier, they become civil servants.”
“What about you, Driver Lee?”
“I originally wanted to be a professional athlete, but I wasn’t skilled enough to win medals. Still, since I had experience in sports, I thought about what I could do and found this line of work.”
“So you’re saying the university or major doesn’t matter that much?”
I wanted to hear him agree, but seeing the desperation in my face, Lee Gyeongjin shook his head.
“That’s not quite what I’m saying. The prestige of your university is still important.”
Feeling frustrated, I downed my iced coffee in one shot and clutched my head at the sharp pain that followed.
“I’ve never thought about what I want to be or what I want to do.”
I was always focused on immediate survival, busy meeting my quota of money to hand over. I hoped for a windfall of cash, but I never specifically thought about what kind of work I wanted to do or what kind of person I wanted to become.
“I heard you draw. I also heard you were accepted into a good university. Are you not satisfied with your major?”
“Never mind the major—I have no talent for drawing.”
“No, though I haven’t seen it myself, you must have talent. That’s why the university accepted you. I understand your concerns, but you’ll have plenty of time to learn what you lack at university.”
No, Lee Gyeongjin didn’t understand what I was saying at all. It wasn’t about lack of confidence or anxiety—I was literally talking about my absence of talent.
I don’t know how to draw, and whatever talent there was died with Cha Sukyung. If I went to university right now, I wouldn’t even be able to draw an apple. Unable to express these thoughts welling up inside me, I just let out a heavy groan.
“I’ve been thinking. What I should do when I don’t have anything I want to do or am capable of doing. At least I have money, so I can pour that into something. But since I don’t have talent for business, I could run a shop.”
“…Pardon?”
“Look around. We’ve seen so many shops today.”
It wasn’t for nothing that we left the car behind and walked around the streets with Lee Gyeongjin, snacking, eating meals, and drinking coffee. Lee Gyeongjin’s face subtly hardened as he belatedly realized this.
“I don’t have the sense for a clothing store, and for a restaurant, I’d need to hire a chef since I can’t cook. PC cafés seem to do well, but they look too hectic.”
They’re noisy, dirty, have many difficult customers, and you need to know a lot about computers. I was completely clueless about both software and hardware.
“A café seems like a safe bet. The machines make the coffee anyway, and they say you can learn how to brew coffee in a few months. I could get some initial capital from my fathers, open a place somewhere with nice scenery or in a quiet area, and at least make enough to feed myself.”
“…Young master. It’s good that you’re thinking about your future in various ways… no, it’s very good. Very good indeed, but you still have plenty of time, so let’s think about it more slowly. Come to think of it, you’ll need to start school soon.”
“Yes.”
“Until you graduate, no one will force you to do anything. During that time, you’ll be able to find what you want to do.”
That’s the problem right now. I don’t know what to do when I go to school. They probably won’t just make me draw like before, but what would I answer if questions came my way during class? Even if they made me draw, it would be a problem. I had tried to copy Cha Sukyung’s drawings several times, but I didn’t even understand how he had drawn them.
“It won’t work. I’ll get kicked out of school. I don’t know anything—what could I possibly do there? They’ll contact home, and it’ll be a disaster.”
“Universities don’t contact your home about your class attitude. More importantly, you seem to be worrying too much. Let’s try attending classes first. If you still find it difficult to keep up, taking a temporary leave of absence might be an option.”
“If I take a leave of absence, I don’t have to go to school?”
“There is a maximum period for leave, but it should give you enough time for your condition to properly return.”
This seemed like a good solution. Take a leave of absence and use that time to find something I could do to make a living. I was satisfied with having found a better solution than when I was struggling alone. I guess this is why people seek advice for their troubles.
“Thank you, Driver Lee. You’ve really helped me.”
When I grabbed his hand to express my gratitude, Lee Gyeongjin looked pleased. Even though he said this wasn’t what he originally wanted to do, he’s such a hard worker. I should learn from someone like him.
“When I get home, I’ll tell my father that I’m taking a leave of absence.”
“Home, today? …Y-Young master, you haven’t even had your entrance ceremony yet… Maybe after attending at least a little…”
Lee Gyeongjin’s face immediately contorted, and he was so flustered that he even stammered. Why is he acting like this after we just happily found a solution together? I told him I was fine and offered him a piece of bread. Whether it’s your hands, eyelids, or lips that are trembling, sugar is always the best remedy.
∞ ∞ ∞
In a good mood, I wandered the streets until evening, indulging in lots of snacks.
In the past, I trembled at the thought of spending money on even a bowl of udon from a food cart. I always looked for food that was cheap and plentiful. No matter how delicious expensive food with small portions looked, I would turn away and ignore it.
But now, I enjoy the luxury of eating skewers that cost thousands of won each, holding them in both hands. Living under the same sky, our lives are so different depending on what parents we have. If my parents had been alive, what kind of parents would they have been?
They might not have given me a magnificent house and credit cards with enormous limits like now, but it would have been nice if they were at least alive.
“Ah, I’m so full. I don’t think I’ll need dinner.”
“If they find out you’ve eaten this kind of food, you might get scolded.”
“Who cares. It’s not like I eat this every day, just once in a while. Street food is always tastier, you know.”
Unlike me, who was happily patting my full stomach, Lee Gyeongjin, who had participated in my crime, wore a face full of guilt.
“I told you it’s fine. Driver Lee, you worry too much.”
“My job is to escort you around without incident…”
I heard him mutter quietly, “I got dragged into this.” Life is all about getting swept along and involved in things. Besides, it’s not like we caused any trouble—what’s wrong with having fun and eating some snacks?
“Nothing happened, right? Driver Lee, you were perfect today too. Your work is done for the day, so go home now.”
“Sigh, please go inside.”
“Don’t sigh. I’m going.”
As I got out of the car and opened the front gate, another car approached urgently and parked. I narrowed my eyes to see, and my Alpha father got out of the car with a terribly stern expression.
“Father, are you coming home from work?”
He only nodded in response to my greeting, without saying anything.
Wait, why is that man so angry?
After visiting Grandfather’s house, Alpha Father never called me again to scold me. Just as Omega Father had said, nothing would happen, and it would be fine. But it was also true that Alpha Father’s gaze toward me hadn’t been good since then. Well, I understand that much.
But his furrowed brow and rushed pace today didn’t seem to be because of me. His footsteps climbing the stairs through the open gate looked urgent.
Following behind my father as he strode forward, I tried to guess who had made him so angry. If he had just had a bad day at work, he would have started nagging me the moment he saw me.
With a bang, Father entered the house and asked the servant who came to greet him, “Where’s the second son?” It seemed today’s protagonist was my little brother.
“He’s on the second floor.”
At that, Father headed to the second floor, snorting. Even his footsteps on the stairs sounded combative.
“I’m home. I’ll go up too.”
You have to watch these kinds of things, you know. I scurried up the stairs that Father had climbed. There was a loud bang as if he had reached my little brother’s room door. I moved stealthily toward my little brother’s area, trying not to make a sound.
“You bastard, didn’t I tell you not to do this kind of thing at home? Have you still not come to your senses?”
Father’s shouting echoed through the door.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
