“I’ll be heading out now.”

“Hm? That’s unusual. Alright, Hyunseo. Good work.”

Assistant Manager Hwang sent Hyunseo off readily, though he found it curious when she stood up right at quitting time.

“But why are you empty-handed?”

“What?”

“You need to take it. That thing from this morning.”

“Oh…”

At Assistant Manager Hwang’s reminder, Hyunseo picked up the gift box she’d forgotten. 

After saying goodbye again, she left the office and got on the elevator that soon arrived. She could hear other department employees talking.

“About Executive Director Sunwoo’s marriage. It must be decided, right?”

“That’s why he brought her to the company. Apparently it was practically an announcement.”

“Still, it’s an arranged marriage. Would the Executive Director really go through with it?”

“Then he wouldn’t? The model student who represents Giwha?”

“True. Their interests must be completely intertwined.”

“It’s really like that. I’d only seen chaebols marrying each other in dramas.”

Even though she didn’t want to hear it, Hyunseo silently took in the words that reached her ears. She’d already heard it countless times, so the blow wasn’t that big. There was no need to be shaken or to take it to heart.

Eventually she got off the elevator. Passing through the lobby, she found herself looking around without realizing it. After confirming Gyeom’s figure wasn’t visible anywhere, Hyunseo finally relaxed and let out a sigh.

The company had been buzzing with talk about Gyeom all day.

His arranged marriage, which had only been circulating as a rumor, had already become an established fact following the day’s events. Meanwhile, Hyunseo existed thoroughly as an outsider.

It was natural. She truly thought so. Gyeom wasn’t someone who suited her.

She realized the fact she already knew over and over again. But ridiculously, each time she realized it, her heart kept throbbing. She should be okay. That was right. She should be fine with it. But why, why did it keep…

She should sort this out. Before it’s too late.

Hyunseo, who’d suddenly stopped, looked down at the box in her hand. She wanted to return it right away, but the situation didn’t allow it. 

After just glancing up at the company building for no reason, she started walking again.

She passed the subway station unconsciously. She somehow didn’t want to go home.

The image of herself waiting only for Gyeom with all her heart was so clear that she kept walking and walking through the streets where darkness was just beginning to descend.

She recalled the woman she’d met during the day. The fancy luxury dress, the pretty face with beautiful makeup, the sparkling decorations—Hyunseo stopped thinking around there as she pictured them one by one.

Her own image kept overlapping on top of that. Plain clothing bordering on shabby, a bare face with almost no makeup, ordinary feet that had never had a pedicure. Not a single thing could compare. 

Even feeling bitter was ridiculous.

She felt complicated. Her efforts to be okay didn’t work this time. Her complicated mind felt overwhelming.

Walking with an expressionless face, she turned direction at some point. The only place that would accept her with nowhere else to go was none other than Hyungja’s restaurant. Hyunseo shook off her remaining thoughts and hurried her steps.

“Hey, why do you keep calling when you already ordered side dishes?”

“Because I miss you.”

“Stop talking nonsense and go eat. I’m busy.”

The blood sausage soup restaurant was in full swing with dinner service. Though at a time that would normally be full, barely half the tables were occupied, but Hyungja, who was doing both cooking and serving alone, looked plenty busy.

“Ma’am.”

“Hm? Oh my, Hyunseo!”

“I’ll bring it to them. What do you need?”

Hyunseo, who’d hurried into the restaurant, put down her bag in the room and headed to the customer tables. Though she’d said she was busy, seeing Hyunseo made Hyungja drop everything and rush out, prompting one male customer to ask.

“Who’s that, your daughter?”

“Can’t you tell by looking? Don’t make someone else’s daughter work and get your own food.”

“What about our soju?”

“Goodness, wait for it. Like I’m going to run off with it.”

“You look like you would. Dropping everything to stare at your pretty daughter.”

Hyungja rolled her eyes at the teasing regular customers and grabbed Hyunseo’s hand. Already getting misty-eyed with joy, Hyungja carefully examined Hyunseo’s face.

“You must be busy, how did you come at this hour?”

“I came after work.”

“Did you eat? If you haven’t, sit down and eat first.”

“Later. The customers are asking for something. Should I give them soju?”

“Leave it and sit down.”

“The soup is boiling. Go quickly, I’ll watch the dining area.”

Hyunseo sent the hesitant Hyungja into the kitchen and brought the soju she’d taken from the refrigerator to the customers. 

Hyungja smiled watching Hyunseo quickly bring the side dishes requested by the next table as well.

Stopping mid-way through cutting ingredients, Hyungja’s eyes turned to Hyunseo again. Though she wished she’d just sit still, Hyunseo moved without rest, finding work on her own. Feeling both proud and sorry, Hyungja raised her voice.

“Hyunseo, that’s enough. Leave it alone.”

“I’m bored.”

“If you’re bored, go on a date or something. Why did you come here to work again? Just go, quickly.”

“Leave her be, it’s nice to watch.”

“Right. It’s admirable how she helps her mom so efficiently.”

“But you had a daughter this big? How old is she? Is she married?”

“These noisy old men. I need to feed them and send them off quickly.”

Hyungja, scolding them for asking unnecessary questions, placed the bubbling pot on a trivet. 

Even that was intercepted by Hyunseo, who brought it to the customer’s table, making Hyungja wear a smile mixed with a sigh.

Handling payment was also Hyunseo’s job.

At the order from a customer who’d just entered, Hyungja had no choice but to go into the kitchen. Hyunseo, who’d neatly gathered and cleared the empty dishes, quickly rinsed a cloth and wiped down the table.

Hyungja couldn’t stop Hyunseo from even doing the dishes. Seeing Hyunseo by her side brought back fresh memories of when they worked together before. A gaze mixed with pity and pride lingered on Hyunseo for a long time.

Her nose tingling for no reason, Hyungja roughly wiped her eyes.

Pretending not to notice, Hyunseo finished the dishes, and they sat facing each other only after all the customers had left. The sign lights went out a bit earlier than usual.

“Were you very busy?”

“So-so.”

“What do you mean? Your face looks like half of what it should be.”

Hyungja clicked her tongue. Only now carefully examining her, Hyunseo’s complexion somehow looked really bad.

“Ma’am.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s eat too.”

“Right, of course. Let’s do that. Wait a moment.”

“I’ll bring the side dishes.”

Hyunseo quickly averted Hyungja’s worried gaze. She was afraid her resolved heart would weaken.

She deliberately busied herself bringing out side dishes. Though Hyungja said she’d make kimchi stew, Hyunseo said the leftover blood sausage soup was enough. Two steaming hot pots were soon placed on the table.

“Tell me honestly. Something happened to you, right?”

Around the time she’d taken a couple spoonfuls of the rice mixed in, at Hyungja’s casual question, Hyunseo pressed her lips tightly together.

“We’ve lived side by side for a whole six years. I can tell just by looking at your eyes.”

“…”

“It’s okay, so tell me. Don’t insist nothing’s wrong. What happened?”

“…Ma’am.”

“Yes, Hyunseo.”

“Would you have a drink of soju with me?”

Hyungja’s eyes widened. Knowing Hyunseo detested alcohol because of her father, her heart sank at what she’d just heard. Hyungja, who’d become even more serious, hurriedly threw out questions.

“Is work at the company hard?”

“No.”

“Then what is it? Did something happen to your father again?”

“It’s not that.”

“Then why are you asking for alcohol? You, who always hated even the smell—suddenly why?”

“Because time isn’t passing.”

“What…?”

“I wish today would hurry and be over. I wish I could close my eyes and it would be tomorrow right away, but I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep. If I get drunk, I should at least be able to sleep somehow.”

Watching Hyunseo muttering with a gloomy expression, Hyungja didn’t ask more and stood up.

Hyungja, who’d soon returned, opened the cap of the soju bottle. Hyunseo, who’d been staring blankly at the filling glass, carefully picked it up and brought it to her mouth. Though it took a long while before she actually drank it, Hyungja didn’t rush her.

“…Hah.”

“Bitter?”

“Incredibly.”

“Your insides must be bitter.”

Saying that, Hyungja also emptied her glass and furrowed her brow. Even for Hyungja, who sometimes drank alone as a nightcap after closing, the alcohol was particularly bitter today. 

Hyunseo moved her lips while staring at the empty glass.

“He didn’t frown even once. Every moment of him drinking was just wonderful.”

“Hm?”

“So I didn’t know. That it would be this bitter. He drank it like water. Said soju suited his constitution.”

“So there is some guy?”

Hyunseo’s lips pressed tightly together again. Cutting through the lengthening silence, Hyungja filled the glasses.

“I thought so. You hadn’t come for a while, so I was secretly relieved. So, did you fight with that guy?”

“…No.”

“Like h*ll you didn’t. I don’t even need to ask what kind of guy he is. Where did you meet such a pathetic guy who makes his woman feel hurt?”

“He’s not pathetic.”

“What?”

“He’s an amazing person. Impossibly cool and wonderful.”

“Look at you defending him—you’ve fallen hard, really hard.”

Embarrassed, Hyunseo quickly picked up her glass. Though she hesitated knowing it would definitely be bitter, she soon gathered courage and downed it in one gulp. 

Her burning throat hurt, making her cough, and Hyungja asked, “If he’s so amazing, what’s the problem?”

“That’s the problem.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s too much. I shouldn’t dare to want someone who lacks nothing.”

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Because I have nothing. I really have nothing. Nothing at all.”

No proper family, no parents, and naturally no money. Not even dreams she couldn’t have because she was too busy making a living.

At Hyunseo’s words that she truly had nothing, Hyungja furrowed her brow.

She should have said something back, but she couldn’t because of Hyunseo’s calm expression. That resigned smile was just heartbreaking.

Various realistic problems exist in the world. Hyungja wasn’t unaware of them either. She’d long realized that some things couldn’t be achieved through effort alone. That clumsy comfort was worse than none at all. But still.

“Forget it. If he’s a guy who looks down on you for having nothing, he’s not worth seeing anymore. Get rid of him.”

Hyungja deliberately spoke harshly toward Hyunseo, who was smiling with a face that would be better off crying.

Hyungja, who’d emptied her glass in one go, filled the glasses again one by one. Before she could say to drink slowly, Hyunseo reached out, squeezed her eyes shut, and downed the glass. 

After just three glasses, both her cheeks flushed red.

“I guess since he’s so great, he’ll meet a great woman—well, let him. Just let it be like that.”

“…”

“You should quickly meet a new guy too. There were tons of guys who liked you before. It’s just because I didn’t approve and cut them all off—if you look carefully, wouldn’t there be a decent guy somewhere?”

“…I don’t think I can meet anyone.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ve come to like him too much. I think about that person all day. I can’t erase him.”

“Oh dear.”

“But it won’t work… right?”

Seemingly answering her own question, Hyunseo nodded her head. That it won’t work. That it absolutely can’t work.

“I told you to have a sweet romance, but where did you pick such a difficult guy?”

“It almost got sweet.”

“Hm?”

“It almost got just a little sweet and then stopped. I guess that’s how my life is.”

Hyunseo crinkled her eyes and smiled wryly. At that appearance, seemingly trying hard not to cry, Hyungja let out a sigh. 

Not having appropriate words to offer, the alcohol she hurriedly drank was still bitter.