# Chapter 20
“What? What’s wrong?”
Heerim blinked his large eyes as he looked at me. With our heads together at the small round table, Heerim’s face was just a nose-length away. Belatedly feeling embarrassed, I quietly straightened up.
“That person. That’s who we’re tailing today.”
“Ah. That son of a bitch?”
“Shh! Your voice is too loud!”
Heerim looked at Kang Seokgi, who was standing at the counter, with a crooked gaze. By the way, it wasn’t quitting time yet—why had he already left the company?
“Sir, as I mentioned before, that’s… not possible.”
The woman taking orders was tearfully struggling with whatever Kang Seokgi had said. I quietly eavesdropped on their conversation. Listening in, it was quite a scene.
“Come on. Is this how you treat customers? What’s so hard about giving me your number?”
“I’m sorry. That’s my personal information and I can’t share it.”
“Who’s going to eat you or something? I’m just saying we should be friendly, like oppa and dongsaeng.”
“I’m really sorry.”
“You’re being so difficult! Do you know how much business I bring here every day?”
Wow. This crazy bastard.
He was clearly making inappropriate advances toward someone young enough to be his niece. It was so disgusting that curses came out naturally.
“This won’t do. Call the manager! What kind of employee training is this, treating customers like this?!”
“I-I am the manager.”
“…”
Kang Seokgi was momentarily speechless at the unexpected response. He had clearly been acting like a jerk thinking she was just a powerless part-timer, but now he was flustered to learn she was the manager. However, he didn’t back down even when faced with the manager. He continued to spout nonsense that clearly showed he wasn’t in his right mind.
“If you’re the manager, shouldn’t you be more attentive? Haven’t you heard that the customer is king? Let’s just end this nicely with you giving me your number. It wouldn’t be good for you if I spread bad rumors about this place, you know.”
“Excuse me.”
Unable to stand by watching, I stood up and approached the counter. Kang Seokgi, who was about a head shorter than me, looked up and flinched.
“W-what is it?”
“Why don’t you stop? You’re clearly making her uncomfortable.”
Kang Seokgi scanned me up and down with his narrow, slanted eyes.
“Who are you to tell me to stop? A young punk telling an adult what to do! Huh?”
I could personally understand why our client wanted to kill Kang Seokgi. After experiencing all kinds of difficult customers through various part-time jobs, I knew Kang Seokgi was not someone who could be reasoned with.
“Who do you think you are!”
As Kang Seokgi’s voice grew louder, the manager trembled in fear. I could feel Heerim’s mood gradually worsening. It was the same feeling as when he broke the Sea Squirt Man’s leg. My shoulders involuntarily hunched at the chilling sensation, as if the surroundings were freezing over.
While it might be satisfying to physically harm Kang Seokgi, it would completely derail our plan. The ultimate goal of this request was to teach Manager Kang a lesson while ensuring our client could continue working at her company comfortably. Harming him wouldn’t solve anything.
So I had to act before Heerim crushed Kang Seokgi’s ankle.
“She’s my girlfriend.”
“What? What are you saying?”
“She’s my girlfriend. Right, honey?”
I urgently looked at the café manager, silently asking her to play along. She looked confused for a moment before understanding my intentions and nodding.
“Y-yes! He’s my boyfriend!”
“Mister, who are you to hit on someone else’s girlfriend?”
“What? Hit on? When did I hit on her? Is asking for a number considered hitting on someone?!”
“Oh, so exchanging numbers isn’t a big deal? Then give me yours. Hmm, you work at A Trading Company? That’s a big company.”
I deliberately lowered my eyes to scan the employee ID hanging around Kang Seokgi’s neck. Seeming uncomfortable, he tucked his ID inside his shirt.
“Damn it! What am I even doing in a place with such disgusting coffee!”
Kang Seokgi stormed off in a rage. Heerim, who had been glaring at Kang Seokgi as he was leaving the café, extended his leg just as Kang Seokgi passed by him.
“Ack!”
“Oh. Sorry. My mistake.”
Heerim flashed a pretty eye-smile at Kang Seokgi, who had nearly tripped over his leg.
“What the hell! Why is this café full of punks!”
With his face turning red and blue with anger, Kang Seokgi kicked an innocent chair before leaving the café. Resisting the urge to show my middle finger to the back of Kang Seokgi’s head, I checked on the café manager first.
“Are you okay?”
“…Sniff.”
At my question, she finally let her held-back tears fall.
What should I do? Should I comfort her?
Except for when Jaeyeon was very young, I had never comforted a crying woman before. As I stood there, unsure of what to do, Heerim, who had been sitting at our table, approached the counter. Perhaps because of Kang Seokgi’s awful behavior, Heerim wore a sullen expression.
“Th-thank you for your help.”
The woman wiped her tears with the back of her hand and bowed her head gratefully. I awkwardly scratched my head. Meanwhile, Heerim took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to the woman. His usually gentle demeanor seemed somehow cold and aloof.
“Call us if something like this happens again.”
“What? Oh, yes…”
“Let’s go, Jaeo hyung.”
“Wait a moment. What about Jeongmun’s coffee? Heerim?”
Heerim firmly linked his arm with mine so I couldn’t pull away, then strode out of the café with brisk steps. He moved so quickly that I didn’t even have time to grab Jeongmun’s coffee that we’d bought.
“Heerim?”
“…”
Even after leaving the café, Heerim didn’t release my arm. Instead, when I tried to pull my arm away, he held on more tightly.
“What’s wrong?”
Heerim kept his lips tightly sealed with an uncomfortable expression.
“Heerim. Please let go of my arm. It hurts.”
As my arm started to tingle, I spoke to Heerim in a troubled tone. He then released my arm only to grab my hand firmly. His unusually warm body temperature transferred directly to me.
“Give me Guiding.”
“What? Now? Here?”
“Yes. Here, now.”
Heerim nodded firmly. I was taken aback by his unexpected request and looked around. Guiding required physical contact, and there were too many people around for two grown men to be holding hands.
“Not here now, I’ll do it later when we get back.”
“No. Do it here now. I feel like I might collapse today if I don’t get Guiding.”
Heerim made a sad face and staggered in place. It was clearly an exaggerated act of pretending to be sick. For someone who claimed to be on the verge of collapse, his grip on my hand was incredibly strong.
“Jaeo hyung…”
“Okay, okay.”
But with him looking at me so pitifully with teary eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse Heerim’s request.
“Can we at least move to a corner? We’re right on the main street here.”
“Is the main street a problem?”
“Well, no, but there are too many people…”
“Then give me Guiding.”
Heerim took a step closer to me. The already close distance between us narrowed even more. I could already feel people’s sidelong glances. Swallowing a sigh, I focused on Heerim’s body heat against mine. I didn’t know what had upset him, but it seemed best to get this over with quickly.
“Hoo.”
As the Guiding began, an exclamation of pleasure escaped from Heerim’s lips. My energy and Heerim’s energy intertwined through our fingers, creating a strange feeling. I barely managed to swallow the exclamation that almost burst from my mouth.
I hadn’t told Heerim, but I actually felt good every time we did Guiding. I don’t know if this is how Guiding is supposed to be, but when I Guided Heerim, it felt like standing in a forest. A clear, refreshing energy filled my lungs, creating a fluttering sensation around my chest.
“Ah… hyung. It feels good.”
Heerim adjusted his grip to interlace our fingers. His long fingers that came between mine stimulated the tender flesh between the joints. When I hunched my neck because it tickled, he rested his chin on my shoulder.
“Don’t run away.”
“I-I’m not running away?”
We ended up in a strange position that looked like Heerim was embracing me. People passing by looked at us more blatantly. Heerim told me not to run away, but honestly, I wanted to.
“H-Heerim. Is it really necessary for us to be this close?”
I asked euphemistically, hoping he would give me some space, but Heerim didn’t respond at all. I was filled with anxiety, like a dog owner who gets nervous when their usually noisy pet suddenly goes quiet.
“Heerim?”
When I carefully called out to him, he took a deep breath. His deep breathing touched my ear.
“I’m jealous.”
“What? Of what?”
“Every time you’re kind to people you’ve just met, I feel like I’m going crazy with jealousy.”
What is he suddenly talking about?
I looked up at Heerim with furrowed brows at his incomprehensible words. Seeing his serious expression, I carefully reflected on my past actions.
It had been almost a month since I started working at the Earth Peace Research Institute, but I hadn’t been particularly kind to anyone. Had I been cold to Heerim then? That wasn’t the case either.
“It was so hard for me to even get to have a conversation with you like this…”
“Sorry to interrupt, but have we met before?”
There was something strange about Heerim’s words. The way he was speaking now made it sound as if he knew me from the past. But I had never met Heerim anywhere else. I wouldn’t have forgotten meeting someone who looked like him.
“No. We haven’t.”
Heerim answered with a crescent-eyed smile. Was it because it was hidden under his mask? His smile, which had always felt cheerful, somehow looked bitter now.
“I think that’s enough. Let’s go back now. Jeongmun hyung must be waiting.”
Heerim stopped the Guiding and released my hand. I stared blankly at my hand from which Heerim’s warmth had quickly disappeared.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
