JD 13

“There was something on your face. By the way, the hat looks great on you; front and back, perfect.”

However, Kang Hakyung was not an easy target. Keeping his sharp gaze, he responded.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you? I’ve been looking in the mirror until just now, so I know there’s nothing on my face.”

“Guess it’s there now.”

Muheon responded cheekily, clearing his throat softly.

A feeling of “embarrassment” that he hadn’t experienced much flooded over him. In this unfamiliar situation, Muheon finished the conversation by poking Hakyung’s cheek once again, his gaze still full of suspicion.

Before he could even process it, Hakyung’s lips puffed out from being poked twice in a row.

“Don’t stay up too late just because you bought a new hat. Go to sleep soon.”

“Okay.”

“You need to get ready for tomorrow morning, too.”

“Ah, are we having breakfast together again tomorrow, Boss?”

Hakyung asked, wide-eyed. Muheon looked at him with an expression that seemed to say, Why are you asking that?

In response, Hakyung silently pulled out his pajamas.

Just as the man had said, the best way to send him off was to sleep early.

With the lack of enthusiasm in his response, he’d already lost interest in showing off his hat.

If he’d been bragging about the new hat to his grandmother in the countryside, she would have patted his bottom and said, “Our little piggy is a supermodel now!” and showered him with affection.

But tonight, it was the excessive praise from his beloved grandmother that he longed for, not the dry compliments from such a boring boss.

***

It had already been five days since Muheon convinced him to work for just one week.

He had become quite skilled at making breakfast with fresh ingredients every morning and assisting with the office work as he moved around.

To be honest, it was a lot easier than catching fish in cold water and selling it every day.

Part of him wanted to break the promise and ask to work here for life, but the more he worked, the more uncomfortable he felt—like sitting on a bed of nails.

The reason for that discomfort, of course, was the president.

Every morning, Muheon would quietly come up to the dormitory and eat three bowls of rice, and while that familiarity might have been pleasant at first, seeing the employees’ disciplined attitudes and the president’s stern expression made Hakyung’s heart shrink like a small pea.

This only fueled his growing curiosity about who this intimidating president really was.

Today, after finishing his work for the day, Hakyung decided to take a break on the roof during lunchtime.

“Hmm…?”

To his surprise, when he reached the rooftop, expecting the usual silence with no employees around, he found a guest already sitting on the bench.

It was Muheon, the owner of the company. Hakyung, who had never seen anyone use the bench, walked over with a look of surprise on his face.

“Boss! Hello!”

“Yeah.”

Muheon greeted him absentmindedly, his gaze still fixed on the sky.

Was there something up there?

Following his gaze, Hakyung looked up but saw nothing. The sky, now clearly warming up, appeared a bit hazy. Soon, the winds would bring a cloud of yellow dust, the season of sandstorms was coming.

“Boss.”

“Hmm?”

“What are you doing?”

After failing to spot anything, Hakyung asked. He had thought about either joining him to see something interesting or just heading back to his room for a quick nap.

Would he have to wait until dawn for an answer? It felt like it was taking forever.

After what seemed like an eternity, Muheon finally spoke.

“I’m thinking about making it rain soon.”

“Yes…?”

The response he received was clearly in their native language, but understanding the meaning was not so easy. What did he mean by making it rain…? Hakyung tilted his round head to the side.

Rain was a natural phenomenon, just like the rising and setting of the sun, wasn’t it? It wasn’t something an ordinary person could control.

Could he have been referring to watering the flowerbeds near the pond? For some reason, the president seemed to like maintaining such a cool image. Anyway, both of these things were probably beyond Hakyung’s involvement.

Kang Hakyung, who was as strong as a river dolphin in freshwater, had the worst compatibility with plants. Whenever he helped his grandmother next door with her gardening, he would often pull out fresh vegetables along with the weeds. And once he watered a plant, its roots would rot away.

Even the adults who thought he might get better after doing it a few times were amazed that his destructive gardening skills didn’t improve even after years. They’d rather send him to the river to catch more fish than waste his time in the fields.

With that little connection to plants, Hakyung left his brief support with a short, “Yep! Do your best!” and went to his room.

Thirty minutes later, Hakyung woke up to the vibrating alarm of his phone. It had been a sweet afternoon nap. With a small yawn and a stretch, he left the dormitory to head to work.

In the afternoon, he had planned to help Bu Geunrim with paperwork. As the youngest employee in the company, Bu Geunrim was always the last to ask for help, but he didn’t seem to have any complaints about the senior employees.

From Hakyung’s perspective, the atmosphere between the employees felt like it leaned toward a strict hierarchy, rather than a very close relationship. He had never heard anyone raise their voice at work, but there was definitely a certain ambiance. His sharp senses, honed by living with adults for a long time, became even more alert in such moments.

In any case, Hakyung would have to stick with paperwork the whole afternoon, waiting for Bu Geunrim to finish his tasks. He pressed his fingers against his temples for some acupressure before heading out. The air outside seemed to shimmer with a crisp clarity, the sound of it swishing in the breeze always lifting his spirits.

Passing through the empty dormitory and stepping outside to put on his shoes, something caught his attention. The clear sky that had been so bright earlier now had raindrops starting to fall.

“Ah?”

Standing under the eaves, Hakyung extended his arm. A few drops fell onto his palm. It was actually rain. He had checked the weather app just before lunchtime, and it hadn’t mentioned anything about rain.

The words Muheon had said about making it rain flashed through his mind, but he quickly shook his head. It must have just been a coincidence.

Since it wasn’t raining heavily yet, he figured he could head to the office quickly. He wanted to use an umbrella, but had no idea where to find one in this vast dormitory.

Hakyung covered his head with both hands. If he wore his hat while getting rained on, the soaked hat might block his blowhole, making it uncomfortable. Therefore, keeping his hat dry on rainy days became Hakyung’s top priority, even more so than protecting the rest of his body.

Moreover, the hat he was wearing was new. Just imagining a rain-stained hat made his eyes well up with tears.

While running with his hands covering his head, he noticed Muheon still sitting on the bench, looking up at the sky. Hakyung had no idea if he had been sitting there since he left, but now his shoulders were soaked.

What if he catches a cold like this? Just looking at him made Hakyung’s whole body shiver. As he was about to call out to the president to warn him, Muheon made no movement but raised his right hand to brush his wet hair back.

The sleeves of his shirt slid down, and Hakyung noticed that underneath, the skin wasn’t the typical human color, but rather smooth and black.

“Huh?” Hakyung involuntarily inhaled.

That small gasp caused Muheon’s eyes to glance sideways. His deep, black eyes gleamed with an eerie blue light.

For a moment, Hakyung stood frozen, too stunned to move, like a mouse in front of a snake. Neither of them said a word. Hakyung was too scared to speak, and Muheon remained silent as he assessed this unexpected intrusion.

When it came to the work Muheon was meant to do, nothing could interfere with it—not even the distractions of the human world. Everyone knew how sensitive he was when it came to his duties.

As he looked at the silhouette growing clearer with time, Muheon, who had been narrowing his vision, smiled in a way that showed a rare hint of annoyance.

He had been the one to give Hakyung the freedom to use the rooftop, and now he was getting irritated by the clumsy behavior in front of him. He sighed, remembering how he’d let his focus slip due to working for the first time in a while.

Getting up from the bench, Muheon walked over to Hakyung.

“Why are you standing there like a fool?”

Once his sleeves fell back down, covering his black skin, Hakyung’s shocked expression remained frozen. Muheon gazed at him for a moment before reaching out with his finger to gently close his slightly ajar mouth.