BCRD 25

“That is why it will be more effective, in their opinion. Since Prosecutor Han is overreaching due to his presidential ambitions, it is judged that it will actually be good bait for the opposition.”

“Any chance of being caught?”

“I will make sure there is none.”

“Cut out all unnecessary tongues beforehand. By the way, how are the old folks on the Gangho side doing?”

“There was a meeting recently presided over by Director Kim Jaeman, and it is understood that the opinion to support Chief Oh’s side came out.”

“So they want to take the hard way?”

“Yes. However, it seems the agreement did not go well as Chief Oh also has many aspects that have earned him the disfavor of the Gangho elders.”

“We will have to wait and see for a while.”

“Yes.”

“There is nothing as tenacious as an old man’s greed. It is unlikely to go easily, so prepare to waft the scent of incense a few times and draw up a plan in advance.”

“I will prepare……”

Bang, bang, bang!

A sudden noise intruded into the smooth-flowing conversation. Jongsu’s expression stiffened in an instant. It was a natural reaction, as a disturbance at a time when the internal strife had not yet ended was usually interpreted as an ominous sign.

After gesturing to him not to react immediately, I listened carefully. As if in response, this time a voice was heard.

“Hey, Baek Sahyeon! I’m coming in!”

It was a familiar but out-of-place voice, and I could not help but frown. Jongsu’s reaction was not much different from mine.

Soon, the office door opened and an uninvited guest burst in. It was the person I had already guessed from the voice.

“Pardon the intrusion.”

Seyoung walked inside, exuding a blatant air of being pissed off for anyone to see. Her footsteps were also extremely irritable. I knew she had a willful side but was not a rude person, so I was puzzled. I did not know what it was, but it was clear that she had not come with good news.

Jongsu stepped back to avoid the rapidly approaching Seyoung and stood against the wall, erasing his presence with tact.

Finally, Seyoung, who had approached and stood in front of the desk, opened her mouth.

“Call Kim Hyunki.”

It was a demand as out of the blue as her appearance.

“What?”

“Call that bastard Kim Hyunki, and tell him I’m not some bitch who fooled around with a guy who has a partner. With your own mouth, directly!”

“……”

Although her demand had more flesh on it than before, it was just as incomprehensible.

“Me?”

“Yes, you.”

“Why.”

“Why? Whyyy? You’re asking because you don’t know? You’re the cause, you are!”

So, she was saying that I was the cause of her becoming a bitch who fooled around with a guy who has a partner.

“How about you don’t cut out the beginning and end and explain it properly with some context?”

I was not free enough to keep entertaining her incomprehensible words, nor was she a person to whom I needed to show that much courtesy. Honestly, I did not even feel the desire to know the details of her story, but since it did not seem like speaking nicely would work, I demanded an explanation. At that, Seyoung let out a puff of air as if she were dumbfounded and burst out in anger.

“Wow! This is ridiculous. Have you forgotten already? That you used me to film a melodrama!”

Melodrama?

……Ah.

At the word that filled in all the omitted context at once, I finally understood what she was talking about.

“Judging by your expression, it seems you remember now, Mr. Baek Sahyeon?”

“I suppose so. I remember now.”

Last year, there was a time I had used Seyoung as an excuse to break up with Haejin. She must be referring to that incident.

“But you’re quite brazen, aren’t you? After turning a perfectly fine person into the bitch of the century?”

“Wasn’t it a consensual matter? That’s how I remember it.”

It was something I had done on the spur of the moment without getting her consent, but after hearing the circumstances later, she had understood. She had said she thought it was the right thing to do, that he was young and did not know any better so he was saying he liked me, so it was right for me to break it off, that I did well, hadn’t she clearly said so? But to come and protest now, a year later? It was not a situation that felt natural in terms of timing.

“Yes. I did say you did well.”

“But?”

“I didn’t say I would endure the damage that comes to me.”

“What damage.”

“That Kim Hyunki kid has been blatantly ignoring my calls for the past few days.”

Hyunki’s name, which came up again, served to scatter the context that had seemed to make sense again. I could not understand why his name was coming up at this point. But without rashly cutting her off, I listened quietly for now.

“I was so worried something had happened that I couldn’t even sleep properly, you know? But he finally answered my call yesterday. When I confronted him about why he went off the grid, what do you think he said to me?”

“I wonder.”

“He said he was disappointed because I was too selfish. He said no matter how much lingering feelings I had, how could I do that with you! He asked if I wasn’t sorry for hurting a young kid like that!”

“……Hyunki did?”

This was also puzzling. He only knew that I had intentionally hurt Haejin to break up with him, but he did not know the detailed circumstances. Because I had never told him. Even Jongsu, who followed me around every day, did not know. Therefore, there was no way he knew that Seyoung was involved in that incident.

He would not have said it without knowing the situation. It seemed he knew something when he said it. Then how did he know? When I asked myself, he came to mind like an answer. Haejin, who had met Hyunki for a meal last week.

“He treated me like a, huh? A bitch who’s gone crazy over men. I was so speechless… Anyone who heard it would think I had an affair with you.”

I know that Hyunki cares for Haejin. He acted as his guardian in my stead for quite a long time, and Haejin follows him well, so it was understandable that he would have grown quite fond of him. When I was just watching Haejin from a distance, he had even directly expressed his dissatisfaction to me several times.

Come to think of it, for the past few days, I had felt that his gaze and tone towards me were strangely delinquent… Was that not just my imagination?

“Getting treated like that, does it piss you off, or not?”

“Why didn’t you say it wasn’t true?”

“You think I didn’t?”

“What did he say.”

“He said it’s uncomfortable, so let’s not see each other privately anymore. After hearing that, can I just stay still?”

In any case, the reason for her sudden visit and out-of-the-blue demand was understandable. Even so, Jeon Seyoung’s current behavior was not completely understandable. And for good reason, she was a woman who, like me, did not care much about what others thought. She had a strong personality and had often been misunderstood unintentionally since a long time ago, and she was aware of this herself. To put it extremely, even if someone cursed at her right in front of her face, she was the type to scoff as if it were pathetic rather than get hurt. For such a woman to be unable to bear Hyunki’s misunderstanding was suspicious. First of all, the fact that she could not even sleep properly because she was worried was just right to stir up some fanciful imaginations.

“You could stay still. If Kim Hyunki is just an acquaintance.”

That was the Jeon Seyoung I knew.

As if she had been hit where it hurts by the indirect point, Seyoung flinched. To me, it was as good as an answer.

“I guess it’s more than that?”

“……”

It was a silence that turned my guess into a certainty. No further explanation was needed. There was no part that needed interpretation either.

As she claimed, it was true that I was the one who provided the cause. Since she was suffering damage because of it, what could I do but resolve it? In reality, it was a matter that seemed unnecessary to me, but there was no reason to refuse it either. Because it was not difficult.

“Jongsu.”

“Yes, should I call him?”

Jongsu, who had been quietly observing, seemed to have grasped the situation as well, and immediately understood the instruction that had not been spoken out loud. When I told him to do so, he immediately made a call with his phone. Seyoung seemed to have calmed down a little in the meantime.

“It’s me. Where are you now? ……Come up to the 5th floor. ……Yeah, now.”

After finishing the call, he gave me a silent bow and then discreetly vacated the spot on his own. He was a quick-witted guy.

After Jongsu left, a silence fell in the inner office. I propped my chin on my hand and looked at Seyoung. Seyoung, who noticed the light interest in my gaze, scowled and picked a fight.

“Is this fun?”

“Well, so-so.”

“Unbelievable. You must be having the time of your life these days, now that you’ve finally snagged the kid.”

At the familiar expression, a nostalgic voice suddenly came to mind.

‘I want you to be happy, hyung. To the point where one day you suddenly think, Ah~ life is worth living!’

I look like I’m having the time of my life…

“Do I look like it?”

“Yeah. Very much so.”

Baek Seowon would have liked to hear that.

At that thought, an empty laugh escaped me. In any case, I did not feel like denying Seyoung’s words. In other words, it meant I acknowledged it.

“Unbelievable. Why did you make such a mess with me when you were going to do this in the end?”

Because I thought it was the best way at the time. I do not think that method was the right answer. Rather, I admit that it was the worst method, to the point where the expression ‘a mess’ is not an exaggeration. It was not that I did it without knowing. I just chose it because I judged it to be extremely effective, even though I knew.

A personality that can choose the worst for what one thinks is the best. CEO Jang’s assessment was accurate. I was that kind of guy.

“I have patience, but I couldn’t be a good person.”

That was the conclusion. In the end, I could not become a good person. Because I moved according to my own greed and interests.

“You’re only realizing that now?”

Seyoung scoffs bitingly. It was a criticism tinged with the remnants of resentment. However, that resentment did not mean lingering feelings.

Suddenly, I remembered the time I broke up with Seyoung a long time ago.

‘I get why you made that choice. I understand it too. But, Sahyeon-ah. ……What about me?’

It was 11 years ago. We started dating when we were in college, and the relationship was not bad. If you ask if I loved her, well… the expression ‘comfortable’ would be more fitting. There was no stimulating taste, but there was no discomfort either. It was not joyful, but it was not boring either. Perhaps it was because we had quite a few similar personality traits, and we had the common interest of art.

But in the end, the relationship broke down. The one who broke up with me first was Seyoung, but the one who provided the cause of the breakup was clearly me. Because I had not left any room for Seyoung in my choice, and in my future.

‘Just once… could you not have asked me just once? If I would be okay?’

I could have asked. But I did not feel the need to. Because I considered it my own business.

I did not need the opinions or understanding of others for the method and future I chose. The same went for Seyoung. Even if we were dating, she was nothing more than a stranger. I did not want her to understand me, who had willingly stooped to the same level to dispose of trash. Seyoung had no obligation to understand.

What is unacceptable, you can just throw away. I did not particularly care if I was thrown away. In other words, that was Seyoung’s value to me. It was comfortable to have her, but not a loss to lose her, just that much. The same went for sculpture. I was good at it and could have continued, but I could throw it away at any time for another purpose.

And my value to Seyoung was not much different either. This was revealed in its entirety in the words Seyoung said when she came to see me before leaving for a foreign country shortly after we broke up.

‘I realize it now, but I think I loved your talent, Sahyeon.’

It could be interpreted as meaning that Baek Sahyeon as an artist was worth loving, but Baek Sahyeon outside of that was not something she needed to endure. The object of her resentment now was also just the future and talent as an artist that I had thrown away without hesitation, not me myself.

“By the way, do you still have that thought?”

“What thought.”

“Sculpture, I mean. Do you really have no intention of doing it again?”

I let out a laugh. To think she still had that futile lingering feeling.

“Isn’t that also a story that was already settled back then?”

‘You don’t plan on sculpting again? To be honest, I don’t remember your face, but I can’t seem to forget the works you made. It’s not too late yet. Start again now. You’ll get the hang of it again in no time. I’m saying this because it’s such a waste.’

It was what she had said whenever she had a chance for a while after she returned to the country. Like a woman who sees things through to the end once she gets hooked on something, she was unusually persistent. Later, when I got annoyed and ignored her calls, she even came to find me on purpose and pestered me. The purpose of her unannounced visit that night a year ago, just like today, was no different. She had come to persuade me to participate as an artist in an exhibition she was planning.

‘An undiscovered raw stone. This is the gist of the exhibition. It’s perfect for you.’

To me, who had forgotten how to even hold a pencil, let alone a sculpting tool, it was nothing more than a joke. Therefore, my answer at the time was the same as now. It was a refusal.

“You’re the only one who’s settled it, I haven’t. You could at least start it as a hobby.”

“I’m busy. And I’m scheduled to get busier.”

“So just wash your hands of it now. I heard you couldn’t even touch the kid because you were living like that.”

“……”

This time, she hits my sore spot.

That’s right. That was the reason.

“Am I wrong?”

“……Did I even say that to you?”

“Hyunki said so.”

“You two must have quite a variety of conversations, huh? Unnecessarily.”

“He told me while telling me to keep myself in check, not to mess with you. Said you were that sincere.”

It was something I had never even told Hyunki. But seeing as he had correctly pinpointed the reason I had tried to keep my distance from Haejin, it must have been quite obvious.

“To be honest, I was a little annoyed when I heard that… but I was also relieved. I thought you could finally live a decent life now.”

“You mean I wasn’t before?”

“You weren’t. You didn’t let anyone stay by your side. But people are social animals. Laughing with someone, talking, enjoying, fighting… everyone lives like that. You probably didn’t know because you had zero interest in how other people live.”

‘Hyung, you seem to live such a boring life.’

Again, Seowon’s words overlap with Seyoung’s voice. The expressions were different, but it must be coming to mind because the context of what they were trying to say was similar.

I nodded my head in agreement and acknowledgement. If it had been the me from before, that is, before I met Haejin, I probably would not have been able to relate much. But now, I felt like I understood. Because I was living like that with him. Because I felt that the present, living like that, was fulfilling.

“In that sense, I’ll say it again, wash your hands of it now and live a proper life. That way, your younger brother too…”

Knock, knock.

Just as the topic was about to drift to an unwelcome one again, a knock was heard. It was obvious who it was. A sense of tension momentarily appeared on Seyoung’s face, which had been relaxed for a moment.

Soon, Hyunki opened the door and entered.

“Yessir, hyung-nim. I heard you called for me… Huh?”

As expected, his expression and tone were more delinquent than usual. In the midst of it, he seemed surprised to see Seyoung and hesitated for a moment, then frowned.

“Why are you two… again?”

Now that I knew the story, the displeasure towards me and Jeon Seyoung was clearly felt in his attitude. Especially the expression he made while pointing at us with his finger was as if he had discovered a real affair scene. Earlier, Seyoung had said she was treated like an adulteress, and his reaction was to a degree that the expression was not an exaggeration.

“Sit down first.”

After glaring at me and Seyoung in turn with eyes full of dissatisfaction, he went and sat on the sofa. Seyoung also deliberately sat on the sofa opposite him and began to glare at Hyunki with her arms crossed. In contrast, Hyunki avoided Seyoung’s eyes and openly clicked his tongue.

I started the conversation while watching the rather interesting situation.

“I hear you’re having a strange misunderstanding.”

“Huh? A misunderstanding?”

“Yes, a misunderstanding.”

As if he could not quite get it from the clue alone, Hyunki scratched his head with a frown. Then he asked outright.

“What misunderstanding am I having…?”

“What do you mean, what! You think I was fooling around with this bastard, you son of a bitch!”

As if a sudden frustration welled up, Seyoung could not hold back and cut in. Only then did Hyunki, who showed a sign of understanding with an “ah,” mutter bluntly.

“My goodness, what a thing to say… But a misunderstanding? What, where?”

She had asked me to clear it up, but before I could even answer, Seyoung immediately retorted.

“Everything you’re thinking is a misunderstanding, you know?”

“Hey now. I saw you with my own eyes, taking off your clothes and talking nonsense about a threesome… Ah, sorry about that. Anyway, if you were taking off your clothes at night and doing that together, well, well, that says it all, doesn’t it.”

“It’s not true! I’m going crazy, really. Ugh!”

Bang, bang. Seyoung repeatedly slammed her fist on the table. Despite her denying it so actively, the displeasure on Hyunki’s face did not dilute in the slightest. He seemed to have no doubt that I and Seyoung had definitely been up to no good that night.

“Hey, Baek Sahyeon. Why are you keeping your mouth shut? I’m being treated like a bitch again because of you, why are you just staying still!”

Seyoung’s arrow now turns towards me. Seeing her reddened face and bloodshot eyes, it seemed like she would pass out if I did not sort this out at this point.

In the midst of it, Hyunki jumped up and protested fiercely.

“Hey! What are you saying. A bitch? When did I ever say that? Wow, really! Noona, don’t you make me out to be a son of a bitch either!”

“Your expression said so, you know?”

“You saw wrong. Well, I just thought, huh? that you were too harsh on the kid. And honestly, isn’t that so. That’s not something you should do in front of a kid.”

Seeing him frown and sneak a glance at me, I could tell what kind of picture he was drawing in his head.

Having no choice, I cut in at this point.

“It was something I shouldn’t have done. But I was the only one who did that something I shouldn’t have done.”

“Huh?”

“That woman didn’t do anything to Haejin that she shouldn’t have.”

“What does that…?”

He did not understand when I spoke indirectly. I rephrased it more directly.

“It means nothing happened.”

“……”

He still seemed not to understand. No, it was closer to him not being able to let go of his suspicion. I did not know if it was because his distrust of me was considerable, or if his trust in Haejin was considerable.

“Do you think I have a reason to call you here and tell lies? Do I look that free to you?”

“Ah, no, sir. But according to what that kid Haejin said…”

“It’s right for Haejin to know it that way. But you don’t need to know it that way.”

Hyunki, who had been frowning silently for a while as if in confusion, relaxed his expression at some point as if he had understood. He had finally understood the true nature of the incident he had known.

“Is it settled?”

“Ah, yes… I understand, but…”

A sense of unease lingered in his voice. It meant his suspicions had not been fully resolved. Seyoung, noticing this, burst out in anger.

“What do you mean, you understand? Why does a guy who understands have that kind of expression? What’s the problem now?”

“It’s not that there’s a problem… It’s just that I’m a bit conservative. No matter what the reason was, the fact that you two were like that late at night, in my common sense, is a bit…”

“Take that up with that woman. I wasn’t the one who called her.”

“Hey, you were the one who opened the door.”

“I don’t recall telling you to come in.”

“You didn’t tell me to leave either, did you? And, I saw you come back reeking of blood, does it make sense to just pretend I didn’t see and leave?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Wow, you received help from me and you’re not grateful at all? Does that kid, Haejin or whatever, still like you even though he knows you’re such a jerk?”

“He knows very well now. Because I’ve acted like a total asshole.”

That was right. I had literally committed asshole-like acts. And several times at that. For Haejin’s sake, because Haejin did not know anything, because I was angry at Haejin’s judgment, I hurt him by attaching all sorts of reasons. But what existed at the root of such behavior was, in fact, one thing. It was the desire to show him what kind of person I was.

I was no savior. I was nothing more than a person who could do asshole-like things without batting an eye, who could become as bad as necessary for the sake of profit. The reality inside the shell he had placed on me was that insignificant. I wanted him to know that reality.

So, I showed him.

Therefore, he now knew very well what kind of person I was.

And yet, he did not leave me. Rather, he extended his hand to me.

Haejin was that kind of person. He could not stand injustice, yet he could be generous. He was young, but at times, he could be more mature than anyone else. He could go astray, but he was not tainted. He was weak, but in fact, he was stronger than me.

That was why, I could not win.

“Good for you, yeah. You did a great job acting like an asshole to the kid.”

Seyoung, who had jeered her fill, suddenly shot up from her seat.

“Ugh, this is so annoying! No, why do I have to go this far?”

The gesture of her running her hand through her hair is quite rough. How annoyed she was was clearly revealed in her expression and gestures.

“No, I’m the crazy one. I’m the crazy one for giving attention to a bastard like that who recklessly suspects people.”

Hyunki, who was the target of the snipe, scratched his head sheepishly.

“That’s it, I’m done. I’m not explaining anymore either. Just get lost. No, I’ll get lost for you!”

Seyoung, who had criticized Hyunki as if spitting at him, turned and walked out with a cold wind. Hyunki’s head followed Seyoung as she moved. With a face that held only guilt, with no trace of the uneasy look from before. It seemed no further explanation was needed.

Bang!

Seyoung made her exit with a loud slam of the door. The silence that followed was chilling. I watched Hyunki, who did not know what to do, for a moment before tossing out some advice.

“Go after her.”

“Huh?”

“She’s a woman who holds grudges, so if you leave her like that, it will become a headache.”

“Ah…”

If it were a one-sided crush, it would be one thing, but Hyunki did not seem to be completely without feelings either. That must be why even after the misunderstanding was cleared up, he had spouted strange things about being conservative and whatnot and expressed his displeasure at the situation of them being together late at night.

“Go.”

When I gave the instruction, Hyunki finally got up hesitantly. What happened next was for the two of them to figure out.

Without watching any further, I lowered my gaze to the report Jongsu had handed me earlier.

It was then.

“But, hyung-nim.”

Hyunki spoke to me again.

I raised only my pupils to glance at him. Hyunki, who showed a sign of hesitation for a moment after calling me, added after a short pause.

“If it’s really not like that, please tell Haejin too. He just doesn’t show it, but he’s holding a grudge inside, you know.”

“……Haejin is?”

“Yes. Well, he says he’s fine now, but from what I’ve seen, it’s not at all… If you leave it be, you’ll be in trouble later, hyung-nim.”

In trouble with Haejin… It was a rather interesting prediction that I could not just pass over.

“Tell me specifically. How do you think I’ll be in trouble?”

“He said he’s going to get revenge.”

“Revenge?”

“Yes, revenge. Seeing him say it with his eyes twinkling, I thought, ah, this isn’t just a joke. As you know, that kid has a temper and a stubborn streak, how do we know what he’ll do in the name of revenge.”

“……”

“Actually, I also thought that was the case after hearing only Haejin’s side, so I told him, yeah, you should have a good affair too! I said something like that… I’m sorry about that.”

Ha. A laugh escaped me.

“If you want, I can meet him next time and explain it well, but it would be better if you told him yourself, hyung-nim.”

“……”

“Then I’ll be taking my leave.”

Hyunki also made his exit after leaving behind advice that sounded like a warning.

In the office left all alone, I mulled over the words ‘revenge’ and ‘affair’ alternately for a while. It was a rather threatening notice, absurd yet hard to ignore.

💳

I left the office earlier than usual. After shaking off Jongsu who naturally followed me, the place I headed to was in front of the apartment.

Haejin, who had been contacted in advance, was standing in front of the main gate. I stopped the car nearby and rolled down the window, and Haejin, as if he had been waiting, bent down to look inside. This was followed by a greeting that was now quite familiar.

“You’re here.”

It was a sound that tickled my mood every time I heard it, whether inside the house or out.

“Yeah. Get in.”

Haejin immediately opened the passenger door and got in the car. After diligently fastening his seatbelt, he asked me in a voice filled with curiosity.

“Where are we going?”

“Wherever you want to go. Have you thought about what you want to eat?”

“Me, well… I like everything.”

“Pick something you especially like among them.”

“Hmm… Sashimi? Meat is good too… Ah!”

The boy, who had been contemplating the menu while scratching his chin, soon lit up his eyes as if he had remembered something. I did not mind whatever it was, but I was curious to see what Haejin had chosen, so I urged him for an answer with my eyes.

At that, Haejin grinned and announced the result of his deliberation.

“I thought of a good place.”

The menu Haejin decided on was unexpected. It was not sashimi or meat, but a hamburger. And what’s more,

“……Do we really have to wait like this?”

one that could only be eaten after enduring a long line.

“As you can see. Everyone is standing in line. So we have to stand in line too.”

A hamburger eaten after standing in line. I was confused as to whether I should call this novel or absurd. In any case, it was certain that it was a situation I would not have experienced if not for Haejin.

“Is this really what you wanted to eat?”

Could he be doing this on purpose to mess with me? I was quite curious, so I tested the waters, and Haejin responded seriously and honestly.

“Yes, it is. Jiho… ah, my friend. Anyway, he said it’s worth eating at least once, even if you have to endure the wait and the price. So I was curious, but honestly, when I saw the price, I couldn’t bring myself to buy it with my own money. But I think I can eat it with your money, Mister.”

Neither his expression nor his tone had a hint of playfulness. I wondered how expensive a hamburger could be, but it did not seem like a menu he had chosen while being mindful of my reaction, like at the sashimi restaurant before. So, he really came because he wanted to eat it. What could I do? Then I had to eat it with him. I was the one who suggested eating out, and I was the one who gave him the choice of menu. I was also the one who needed to score points. It was difficult to exercise a veto on Haejin’s choice now.

“Why? You don’t like it, Mister?”

“It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just that it’s different.”

“Huh? Have you never had a hamburger before, Mister?”

Of course not.

“I ate it often when I was in school.”

Though it was purely to fill my stomach, not for the taste.

Then and now, to me, food was just something to be consumed because it was necessary, and it had no meaning beyond that. Therefore, I was not sensitive to taste, nor did I obsess over it. Naturally, I had never experienced waiting in line to eat something like this, nor had I ever felt the need to.

“When you were in school, Mister… that was a really, really long time ago, wasn’t it?”

I did not know if it was to the extent of using the word ‘really’ twice, not just once, but since it was true that it was a long time ago, I did not bother to deny it.

“Then since it’s been a while, won’t it be more delicious? The ratings are good, so let’s try it together. They say the fries are especially a work of art.”

His smiling face is full of excitement. It was an expression that made the unfamiliar wait and the out-of-the-blue menu seem okay.

I unconsciously reached out and stroked his head. He flinched his shoulders as if surprised. He seemed flustered by the sudden touch. He was not yet at the stage where he could naturally accept skinship with me. This, too, was my karma, so there was nothing I could do.

I lowered my hand as if nothing had happened, and he darted his eyes here and there. Then he soon lowered his head slightly and mumbled something.

“Ugh, so much…ing.”

I could not hear him, so I bent down and asked.

“What?”

Haejin shook his head, saying it was nothing. Then he caressed his own ear with his hand. Now that I looked, his earlobe was quite red. I was confused as to whether it was because he was touching it with his hand, or for some other reason.

After about 20 minutes, we finally completed our order and went up to the second floor to find a seat. Just as the line was long, the inside was just as crowded.

Haejin, who had declared that he would order whatever he wanted to eat without caring about the price, finally brought back four hamburgers, including mine. I had wondered just how expensive it was, and… the amount printed on the receipt was so small it was anticlimactic. But Haejin showed signs of being nervous as he watched my reaction. As if that was not enough, he even swiped his nose with his finger and mumbled under his breath.

“Did the price go up in the meantime… Why does it seem different from the price I knew?”

Even though no one was pressuring him, he was being mindful of it on his own. In a way, it was a funny habit, and in another way, a pitiful one. Indeed, he was a kid who had returned the card I gave him, telling him to use as much as he wanted, after using only exactly as much as his brother’s life was worth. As much as he valued the worth of money, he was putting the brakes on himself not to spend it carelessly. Looking at him now, it seemed he even felt a sense of guilt for expenditures that he felt were unreasonable by his standards.

It was a notion that was difficult to correct in one go. Even if I told him the scale of my wealth, it would not change. For now, the best thing was to soothe him so that he would not feel uncomfortable.

“Isn’t it cheaper than sashimi or meat?”

“That… is true.”

“It’s a gain for the person buying.”

“That… is that so?”

“Yeah. So just eat it deliciously. But don’t force yourself to eat it all just because you feel it’s a waste.”

“Ah, yessir. I’ll eat well.”

Even though it was an absurd logic, it seemed to have been enough comfort, as Haejin reached out his hand onto the table with a much more relaxed face.

“This one and this one are mine. This one and this one are yours, Mister. I’ll pour the fries here. Ketchup is here, so if you need it, squeeze it and eat. But here, they say the standard way is to dip it in this, the shake. What drink do you like? I brought both Coke and Sprite.”

Chatter, chatter, he was excited, so his words were long. He was definitely better to look at now than before when he was acting like a dejected puppy.

“Give me whatever.”

“Then take the Sprite. It’s refillable, so you don’t have to save it.”

Only after quickly finishing the setup did he unwrap the foil and take out the hamburger.

“I’ll eat well!”

And he opened his mouth wide and took a bite. The reaction was immediate.

“Mmm!”

He opened his eyes wide and made a sound close to an exclamation of admiration, nodding his head, so it did not seem necessary to ask if it was delicious. He was a kid who ate everything well, but I felt like this was the first time I had seen such a dramatic reaction.

The boy, with his cheeks puffed up, pointed to the hamburger in front of me with his hand, urging me to eat quickly. Only then did I follow him, unwrapping the packaging, holding it in my hand, and taking a bite.

Haejin, who was diligently chewing and observing my reaction, finished the food in his mouth and asked for my impression.

“How is it?”

“It’s edible.”

Yes, that was about it. To the extent that I could eat it all without any problem. I did not get the feeling of ‘delicious’ like when I ate the food Haejin made.

As if he was not satisfied with my reaction, Haejin’s eyebrows drooped. It was obvious that he was thinking, ‘Did I make a mistake suggesting we eat this?’

“This is enough, so don’t think unnecessary thoughts.”

“But it’s not delicious, is it.”

“I’ve never really felt that anything was delicious. Except for the food you made.”

Haejin’s eyes widened again. But they soon became thin, and a look of suspicion appeared in his pupils.

“Why are you being like this today?”

“Like what?”

“It’s a bit strange.”

Strange. For an assessment of my efforts to score points, it was quite harsh.

“What’s so strange about it.”

“Just…”

“Just?”

“Too kind? Hiss, no. Affectionate? ……Anyway, something is a little different.”

Was I not like that usually?

I had done quite a few asshole-like things, but after we made up, I had not particularly been mean to him. But just hearing his words, it seemed like I had been overly indifferent in my usual life.

……No, was I really indifferent?

I did not think so myself, but it was possible that he had felt differently. In the first place, I was not a very affectionate person. In fact, I had never heard anyone evaluate me as affectionate or kind in my life. I might have heard the opposite words often, though.

“If it’s kind and affectionate, isn’t that a good thing, not a strange thing?”

“It’s g-good, but… it’s also suspicious.”

Following strange, now suspicious… This, too, felt like a harsh evaluation.

“There’s nothing to be suspicious about. I’m just trying to do some pretty things to score some points.”

“Huh?”

Haejin reacted as if he had heard something bizarre.

“Pretty things… You, Mister?”

“Do I not look like it?”

“It’s not that you don’t look like it… it’s closer to not suiting you. No, but why did you suddenly think of that?”

There was a reason I felt the need to do pretty things. Clearly.

“Because someone said they would get revenge.”

“Revenge? Who?”

“……”

When I just stared at him without answering, Haejin, who realized a step too late that it was about him, blinked his eyes rapidly.

“Huh? Me? I did?”

This time, I raised one eyebrow without answering. Haejin, who recognized that it was a sign of affirmation, immediately retorted.

“No way. Why would I get revenge on you, Mister… Ah!”

Haejin, who had been attempting a rebuttal with good momentum, stopped in the middle as if he had been pricked by something. It seemed the words he had said to Hyunki had finally come to mind. In other words, it meant that he had really said such a thing.

I managed to swallow a laugh and urged him for the rest of his words.

“Ah?”

Haejin, who had instead rolled his lips in, showed a flustered look and darted his eyes here and there. I could hear the gears turning in his head. Since it was difficult to deny the matter of plotting revenge, it seemed he was looking for something to say to get around it.

It did not take long for him to speak carefully.

“Did Hyunki hyung-nim tell on me?”

“He gave me some advice.”

I was not deliberately speaking nicely. It was definitely advice.

“Ah, damn…!”

But since it only felt like tattling to him, Haejin let out a sound similar to a curse with a furious face. Then he began to actively make excuses.

“No, that was because hyung-nim was calling me a pushover! He was asking if I wasn’t even upset! Why did I accept it, so in a fit of anger!”

It seemed there really was a part that had been edited from Kim Hyunki’s perspective. Even so, my impression did not change.

“Ah, in a fit of anger.”

“Yes, in a fit of anger!”

“You felt like getting revenge?”

“Yes! ……No!”

“Which one is the truth, yes or no?”

“No is the truth. I just said I felt like hitting you about twenty more times, I didn’t say anything grand like revenge or what.”

So… what he meant was that hitting me once at that time was not enough.

“It’s better than having an affair.”

“……!”

I truly thought so. Rather than having an affair, whether it was twenty times or thirty times, or even more, it would be more beneficial for me to be beaten until his anger subsides. If he wanted, I was willing to be beaten as much as he wanted.