AER 9

Chapter 9

“Wh-what are you……! What’s with you butting in!”

The man pitifully shook the arm that was being held.

“I’m the owner of that company.”

With his eyes he briefly indicated the NK Automotive headquarters building. Normally he hid his identity as much as possible, but when necessary his background became a convenient source of power.

“And this side is an employee of our company.”

His voice rang even more high-handedly.

The uninvited guest who had suddenly intervened was a head taller than an ordinary person, and because he was from the upper class that the man had never had occasion to confront in his life, the man was immediately cowed.

“Uh……”

“Isn’t this more than enough qualification for me to step in?”

Ji-wan roughly flung away the man’s hand that he had been holding.

From behind came a cowardly voice saying they should just leave.

“No……. That woman carelessly dirtied my clothes with trash! Wh……. If you’re some kind of boss, then make her pay for the clothes instead!”

Since immediately lowering his tail just because he was intimidated would look bad, the man held his head up even more stiffly.

“Ah. The cost of the clothes.”

Ji-wan sneered briefly. Responding with common sense to such a petty breed was a waste of time.

He thrust his hand unhesitatingly into his inner pocket. Even at the small movement the man flinched and raised his arms to cover his face.

Idiot bastard.

Ji-wan muttered a curse inwardly as he took money from his wallet. Then he crumpled several crisp bills and stuffed them into the man’s tattered breast pocket.

“I’ve added plenty for taxi fare, so don’t wander around and fall over—take a taxi.”

“No……. I……”

When the man hesitated, Ji-wan raised one eyebrow crookedly.

“While we’re at it, shall I call a taxi for you too?”

The ultra-low voice constricted the other person’s throat even without force.

When the man, whose alcohol had already completely worn off, froze solid, one of the group pulled his arm saying they should just go.

The man, who was being dragged away as if reluctantly, once a fair distance had opened up, shouted not to act so cocky and then fled in a hurry.

“Hey.”

Ji-wan turned his body and called Hye-ryeon. He blew at his own bangs with a *hu*.

“Why are you still in uniform at this hour.”

“I’m grateful that you helped, but……”

“Stop adding unnecessary comments.”

“…Leave me alone.”

Hye-ryeon said in a strained voice, *please*.

*I don’t want to get involved with you, Ji-wan. And I shouldn’t.*

“Who was the one who first hovered in front of my eyes.”

Ji-wan coldly rebuked. Hye-ryeon lowered her head. The trash scattered messily here and there entered her sight. It was just like her own situation.

“I understand, so……”

She didn’t know why she became so weak whenever she stood in front of Ji-wan. Something hot surged up from inside.

“If you don’t want to see my face.”

Ji-wan looked down at Hye-ryeon with lowered eyes and finished the rebuke.

“Then you get lost.”

When Hye-ryeon tightly bit her lip, Ji-wan’s face twisted.

Soon she stepped aside and cleared the path.

Ji-wan advanced without hesitation. It was the same as when she first saw him. An unhindered back.

In contrast she crouched down and picked up the scattered trash one by one. Due to the nature of café trash, it was covered in all sorts of sticky things like syrup.

In that instant a desolate wind blew into her chest.

She had never dared to dream of a beautiful reunion.

Just.

Even if it wasn’t something to be proud of,

she had thought she could at least show an ordinary appearance……

He had changed as much as she had.

From a place where he could no longer even be reached, Ji-wan looked down at Hye-ryeon. Strictly speaking, between the two of them there had existed from birth a stark difference that could not be bridged.

Hye-ryeon realized.

No matter how much she struggled and lived, in front of Ji-wan she was no different from a pebble commonly kicked by the tip of a foot.

Self-awareness is painful.

That was why she could not get up from her place for a long time.

***

“You said you weren’t coming, so what’s this?”

Jae-jin welcomed Ji-wan and asked. Ji-wan sat carelessly in an empty seat and stretched out his hand to snatch a glass. *Gulp gulp.* His prominent Adam’s apple rose and fell in succession.

“What, did you get dumped or something?”

Dong-wook asked crookedly.

“Right. Your expression doesn’t look good at all. Is something going on these days?”

The careful Hee-won added with a worried face.

“…Just. Company work.”

“Company work? Why? I heard you’re lobbying the Ministry of Finance and Economy side because of the business permit. Is it not going well?”

“No. One employee is getting on my nerves.”

Ji-wan answered while pouring liquor excessively into the empty glass.

“Fire them.”

Dong-wook said coolly.

“Hey. What kind of era is this. Do you think an executive can just fire people however he wants?”

Jae-jin scolded him.

“This bastard. Again treating me like I don’t know company life.”

“What are you talking about. Our job is being third-generation chaebols.”

Seeing Dong-wook flare up, Jae-jin, realizing his mistake, joked softly. Then Dong-wook also snorted a laugh as if letting it slide.

“Removing them from in front of my eyes, huh……”

Ji-wan muttered as if to himself and lifted the glass again. The amber liquid that the ice had not yet diluted disappeared in one go. *Tak.* He set the glass down and buried his body deep into the sofa.

After raising his arms to the headrest and tilting his head back, Hye-ryeon’s delicate face floated up between the indirect lighting of the ceiling. Crazy. Even while chewing curses he could not take his eyes off it.

*‘I’ll…… scream.’*

The protest that had been like grains of sand scattering between fingers also rose together. And the body that had been hunched up and trembling.

The group that had been threatening her giggled as if finding such a reaction from Hye-ryeon amusing. That was clearly mockery.

In that instant reason nearly flew away.

A girl who would tremble even if a passing elementary school kid raised a fist when it came to violence. If she was scared she shouldn’t have answered back.

Looking at it from another angle, the sight of her confronting without sniveling was a little admirable.

*‘Admirable?’*

Finding his own idea absurd even to himself, Ji-wan let out a short laugh.

“What. Making a face alone and then smiling. Are you a psycho? Just pick one. One.”

Jae-jin scolded as if joking. Then Dong-wook asked back in a serious tone, “Didn’t you know that bastard is a psycho?” Hee-won stopped his friends with “Cut it out.”

“Firing is a somewhat sensitive issue, but still, if you set your mind to it you can make any number of justifications. Don’t stress yourself over personal matters for no reason.”

Hee-won encouraged him while filling Ji-wan’s empty glass. Ji-wan did not answer.

“By the way. We’re going to a newly opening club next week, so show your face a bit.”

“That stuff isn’t fun anymore either.”

As if he had expected that, Hee-won whispered secretly.

“Apparently it’s a place that Lee Dong-wook’s girlfriend is opening. He’s already got a serious inferiority complex toward us. It’d be good if we go and boost his spirits a bit.”

Hee-won briefly indicated Dong-wook with his eyes.

Dong-wook, with a face that had not even a scrap of leisure, put a cigarette in his mouth and entered his sight. When he asked “Why?” with his mouth shape, as always his face was dissatisfied.

“Huh?”

Hee-won urged once more. Ji-wan answered with a tired face that he would see about the time then.

***

For the past few days the only thing that had troubled Hye-ryeon was the flood of coffee orders every lunchtime. Just now she had fought another war, and only now could she barely catch her breath.

Young-hoon approached and urged her that she should eat. With an exhausted face she answered that she would make do with cereal.

“Oh my, how pitiful.”

Eun-chan, who had eaten lunch first at the company cafeteria, looked pitifully at Hye-ryeon solving her meal with cereal.

“We’re almost thirty soon, so why don’t you take care of your body a bit?”

“You quit the nightlife first. You’ll shed bloody tears when you’re old.”

Hye-ryeon retorted cynically. Eun-chan and Hye-ryeon were the same age and long-time colleagues, so when no one else was listening they often conversed without formality.

“My birthday is the day after tomorrow?”

Eun-chan cupped his face and grinned brightly.

“Name something within a budget of 30,000 won.”

Hye-ryeon spoke like a competent merchant.

“Aww. There’s nothing I want. But……”

“But?”

She asked back while placing the emptied bowl inside the sink.

“I’m having a birthday party at a newly opened club in Itaewon, so just come hang out.”

“I hate cigarette smell.”

Hye-ryeon wrinkled her nose as if she had already smelled something disgusting.

“We’ll play in a room.”

“Still hate it. Crowded places.”

“The guys are nagging me so much to bring you. If you come the atmosphere will liven up in a flash!”

There had been many men who frequented the Haebangchon café just to see Hye-ryeon. Among them were several of Eun-chan’s friends.

No matter what type of man approached in what way, Hye-ryeon was like a stone Buddha. She didn’t even give a common smile. In the end the men around her came to be satisfied with only looking at her like an idol.

“I’ll just marry you off, why.”

Hye-ryeon said with her characteristic blank expression.

“If that’s what you wish, this oppa can take you away.”

Eun-chan thumped his fully expanded chest with his own fist. Thinking he was clever as always, Hye-ryeon snorted a laugh.

“Are you going?”

Young-hoon, who had been eavesdropping, asked Hye-ryeon.

“Oh. Manager, you come too.”

Eun-chan said.

“Thanks for making me receive a prostration.”

At Young-hoon’s words Eun-chan laughed *hehe*.

“Anyway I’m not going, so know that.”

At Hye-ryeon’s words Eun-chan made a crying face.

“What about the manager?”

Young-hoon glanced at Hye-ryeon’s indifferent expression and then refused, saying he was busy too.

“Haa……. So mean. Calling us family, family, and then completely ignoring the birthday.”

“Let’s have a company dinner among ourselves sometime soon.”

Just then another employee called “Manager!” Young-hoon set down the cup he had been wiping and went out of the kitchen.

“Ha Hye-ryeon……. Are you really not coming?”

“How many times do I have to say it.”

Hye-ryeon took the cup Young-hoon had left half-wiped and carefully wiped away the moisture.

“Isn’t that too much.”

“The one acting like a child is too much.”

“You haven’t forgotten, right.”

“What?”

Hye-ryeon answered casually.

“In Haebangchon. When I put that annoying bastard who was following you in his place. And because I had the looks, even pretending to be your boyfriend worked perfectly. Yet you’re going to forget the favor and turn a blind eye?”

Eun-chan stared at Hye-ryeon with a testing gaze.

“……”

“Hye-ryeon.”

She quietly averted her eyes.

“No, Manager-nim. Hmm?? If there are any bastards hitting on you I’ll give them a real talking-to, so just come once. Seriously, when I say I’m close with you the guys don’t believe me.”

“……”

“Pleeease……”

Eun-chan made a begging gesture with both hands and clung to Hye-ryeon. His eyes were as pitiful as a rain-soaked puppy.

Hye-ryeon once again snorted a laugh. Laughing meant she had lost.

“One day of monthly leave in exchange.”

At her deal Eun-chan nodded so hard his head might fall off.

Hye-ryeon thought she should have shouted “two days of monthly leave” as she pretended to give in and accepted.

Eun-chan smiled brightly and spread his arms. Overdoing it as he tried to hug Hye-ryeon, his chin was pushed away just like that.