Despite the brake of it being Monday, Eunhong gulped down alcohol steeply. His throat bobbed up and down, pouring carbonation that stabbed his inner walls into his stomach.
“Drink slowly. Like you said, it’s Monday.”
Jaeha frowned, surprised by Eunhong’s drinking pace. He signaled the bartender, who handed over a glass filled with water and lemon instead of beer. Eunhong quickly grabbed Jaeha’s arm.
“Hey, come on. What’s the big deal with just one beer?”
Jaeha’s arm flinched at his grasp. A clinking sound came from the glass tumbler filled with large round ice.
Having finally emptied a 500cc beer in one go, Eunhong chewed on seaweed snacks and urged for the next glass to be filled. On days when stress peaks, beer tastes even better.
Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Empty beer glasses piled up on the table as Eunhong put them down. He rambled on, spilling out his day to Jaeha. He had heard so much over time that he knew everyone at Eunhong’s company and who his friends were.
Occasional Christmas carols mixed in with the quiet jazz music. The bartender’s quiet movements flowed like a slowly turning film.
Eunhong suddenly looked at Jaeha, who was listening intently to his words with his chin resting on one arm. The small candle flickering on the table cast a reddish outline on Jaeha’s eyes. His lips, which occasionally responded with “Yeah,” “Right,” and “I see” as he listened to Eunhong, looked pretty.
“Jaeha, you’re now…”
He almost said he looked pretty. Given his profession, Eunhong often had an appreciative eye, and frequently found himself lost in thought while looking at Jaeha’s face.
“Hm? I’m what?”
And Lee Jaeha never missed such moments.