BYB 34

Chapter 34

“Ah… yes.”

Cha Woncheol was a little flustered, not having expected Jiwoo’s name to come up.

[That smart kid—why are you letting her rot there? I heard she got a job at a good place.]

“She’s on leave due to personal circumstances, but I’ll send her back up to Seoul soon.”

[If she needs a job, let me know. Do you think I can’t make a spot for my Jiwoo?]

“Oh, no. Don’t say that, President. She’s someone who knows how to take care of her own rice bowl.”

[If she knows how to take care of her own rice bowl, why is she stuck in Hanju-si like that?]

“……”

[Are Eunho and Jiwoo getting along?]

What he really wanted to ask was probably about Jiwoo’s well-being.

Cha Woncheol’s eyes wavered. The children had probably forgotten, but the adults could never forget—a memory from long ago surfaced.

—Pretty. Jiwoo is pretty, Mister.

A little boy who kept stroking a baby’s head.

—I like Jiwoo! Does Jiwoo like me too?

—Of course. Jiwoo likes you too, she keeps smiling.

—But I like her more!

Cha Woncheol, who vaguely understood the twisted denial directed at Eunho, quickly realized what Song Dongyoung was wary of.

What kind of greed is it, to want to give someone a perfect life when you couldn’t even openly love them?

“Jiwoo and Eunho… they get along just as manager and employee. Nothing special.”

Replying calmly, Cha Woncheol recalled the two kids he’d been watching.

Jiwoo hadn’t liked Eunho from the start. She grumbled every day that his customer service was a mess and that there was nothing he could do from one to ten. Even afterward, whenever Cha Woncheol asked about Eunho, Jiwoo always only voiced complaints.

Eunho paid Jiwoo no attention. Aside from his attitude of just needing to learn tteokbokki at the right time, he seemed to have no other purpose.

In other words, Jiwoo was uncomfortable with Eunho, and Eunho ignored Jiwoo. That was Cha Woncheol’s conclusion. They seemed to be putting up with each other since they had to work together now, but there didn’t appear to be any feelings beyond those of simple coworkers.

How close they were as children didn’t matter. What significance did memories from ages two and six have? Song Dongyoung’s wariness over that time actually felt baffling to him.

[But weren’t those kids close when they were little?]

“How old were they then? Aish, I don’t even remember anymore.”

Cha Woncheol waved his hands dismissively and answered casually. At the same time, he busied himself needlessly, arranging the products on the display rack.

[Right. They were awfully young.]

At Cha Woncheol’s reaction, Song Dongyoung’s voice softened considerably.

Arranging the colas in a neat line, Cha Woncheol thought about the kids. Somehow, they had both come to this place at the biggest turning points of their lives. Their own troubled lives were already headache-inducing enough—where would there be room for feelings to develop?

If they had met somewhere better, in better circumstances, things might have been different, but <Bravo Youth Beer> was a shabby stage for love to bloom. Thinking of the sign hanging so precariously as if it might fall at any moment, Cha Woncheol let out a small laugh.

Song Eunho, raised as the cream of the chaebol crop, whispering love in a place like that—he couldn’t imagine it even if he died and came back to life.

[Right, Owner Cha. Thank you as always. If Jiwoo ever needs a job, let me know anytime. Don’t feel pressured.]

“Oh, I appreciate even the thought. Don’t worry about it, President.”

Besides, it hadn’t even been a year since Jiwoo ended her last relationship in the worst possible way. Even without hearing the details, Cha Woncheol had enough sense to have already grasped the situation. He thought that for a tender-hearted person like Jiwoo, it would take a long time to overcome that wound and date again.

[I’ll contact you again.]

“Of course, and don’t worry about Eunho.”

After hanging up, Cha Woncheol finished organizing the drinks, picked up the box, and put it outside. The noisy sounds of the food alley filled his ears familiarly. He stood there for a moment, lost in old memories, before heading back inside.

“Wow, today’s sales are record-breaking! Two million won! This much in one day!”

Late at night, after business was over and Minhyuk had also gone home. Checking the card sales, Jiwoo clapped her hands and cheered. Eunho, coming out after turning off the kitchen lights, saw that and smiled quietly.

“This is all thanks to Chunsam-ssi.”

“Yeah.”

“Sales have gone up a lot since Chunsam-ssi came. I’m so happy.”

Pulling his arms into his tracksuit top, Eunho let out a snicker.

“You like the sales I brought in by selling my smile that much?”

“Selling your smile?”

As Jiwoo looked flustered with an awkward expression, he took a step closer.

“It’s true, isn’t it? Customers come because I smile brightly.”

Unable to really argue, Jiwoo fiddled with the receipt and avoided his gaze. Eunho came right up to her nose, turned off the remaining lights instead of her, and tidied up the shop.

It was already approaching two in the morning.

Eunho approached Jiwoo, who was standing at the counter, brushed her hair behind her ear, and spoke.

“For a hardworking employee, isn’t there a bonus?”

“Ah, I’ll talk to Dad about that…”

“Not that.”

Bowing his head, Eunho briefly pressed his lips to Jiwoo’s.

“I want something else.”

Eunho said in a low voice. Then he looked at Jiwoo’s flustered fingertips and smiled slightly. The way she tried so hard to act composed while hiding her embarrassment was so cute.

“What… what is it you want?”

Her neck flushed red as she avoided his gaze—it was subtly sensual. How did her thoughts show so clearly in her actions?

He liked Cha Jiwoo’s dirty mind. Having done something that could easily be misunderstood himself, Eunho still pretended not to know and enjoyed Jiwoo’s reaction.

“Hmm.”

He paused for a moment in thought. What should he ask for? A few more kisses would be the best, but since he was already kissing her whenever he wanted anyway, he didn’t feel the need to ask for that as a bonus.

He just wanted to be together longer. He wanted to laugh together while listening to her chatter about nothing important with those little lips. He wanted to accumulate their time together, layer by layer. What Eunho wanted was just a small piece of Jiwoo’s ordinary daily life.

How she became a reporter, why she quit.

As they talked, he might be able to ask about those things.

And then would he also find the courage to talk about himself? About what kind of work he does, how he’s lived, why he came here—things like that.

Eunho would eventually have to reveal his identity. When he left this place, he’d have to reveal that he was a Songhwa Foods employee and negotiate with the owner. So he’d have to tell Jiwoo in advance so she wouldn’t be surprised. Lately, whenever he had a spare moment, Eunho had been thinking and thinking again about what to say and how to start, carefully choosing the right words.

So, Eunho wanted to talk.

“Do you want to have ramyeon? At my place.”

Thinking of an excuse to keep Jiwoo around, he spoke it aloud and smiled softly. It was past two in the morning. There were no cafes open, and they couldn’t stay at the shop forever—so the only place to go was his place. That was his lighthearted thought.

But Jiwoo looked noticeably flustered and bit her lip. The reaction was unfamiliar, so Eunho’s eyes widened slightly.

The headlights of a passing car left a long line in the dark shop and then disappeared. The familiar sounds from afar also scattered like dust. Eunho waited for her answer with patience.

A long time passed. Finally opening her mouth slowly, Jiwoo said things unrelated to an answer.

“Di-did you apologize to the elderly gentleman?”

“No, not yet. I haven’t been able to see him.”

“When you do see him, make sure to say you’re sorry…”

“Jiwoo, what about the ramyeon?”

When Eunho asked again, Jiwoo swallowed hard.

“Ramyeon won’t work. My face swells. I’m sorry.”

“Because your face swells?”

“Yes. I don’t eat ramyeon at night normally.”

“Then what you ate with the owner after work yesterday—was that salad, not ramyeon?”

Jiwoo’s eyes wavered instantly.

“Th-that’s…”

“Yeah, that’s what?”

What excuse are you going to come up with—let’s hear it. Eunho silently gazed into her eyes. Then, Jiwoo suddenly shouted.

“Anyway, not today!”

Startled.

“Th-that can come later.”

While Eunho furrowed his brow in bewilderment, Jiwoo hurriedly grabbed her bag and outerwear.

“Really, not today. I, I’m not prepared at all!”

As Jiwoo tried to run away, Eunho grabbed her arm.

“Prepared for what?”

“I, I, today my underwear isn’t, particularly pretty so…”

The words she stammered out with a face red as if about to burst were quite a sight. Eunho squinted his eyes and laughed playfully.

“You really never know where you’re going to go.”

“…Huh?”

“What do underwear and ramyeon have to do with each other?”

“Ah…”

At that moment, despair slowly spread across Jiwoo’s eyes.

Looking like she was about to cry—no, half-crying already—Jiwoo finally shook off Eunho’s hand and ran out of the shop.

“Ah, figure it out yourself! I’m leaving!”

Left alone, Eunho watched her retreating figure and laughed silently.

Then he took out his phone and searched whether eating ramyeon together had some other meaning. A moment later, Eunho burst into loud laughter.

Who knew ramyeon actually had that kind of meaning!

He was indeed a wolf always looking for an opportunity, but at least today, he wasn’t. Of course, after taking her home, his mind might change, but from the start, his intentions weren’t impure.

—I, I, today my underwear isn’t, particularly pretty so…

Rubbing his brow, recalling Jiwoo from moments ago, Eunho laughed heartily.

“I’m losing my mind.”