Chapter 5 (Part 2)

“So. You have no clue who the sneaky rat is?”

In-woo asked In-ah with a deeply furrowed brow. In-ah nodded repeatedly.

In-ah asked back with an earnest expression.

“What should I do?”

“For free?”

In-ah held out a container of kimchi. The container was labeled ‘Jinseong Hotel Poggi Kimchi’ in large letters.

“Are you kidding?”

“You like this too.”

“How am I supposed to eat this at home with Mom there?”

“Is that so?”

In-ah’s mom was someone who had no talent for cooking. Nevertheless, the family couldn’t openly eat other food for fear of disappointing her. It was only possible for In-ah, who lived separately. Jinseong Hotel’s kimchi was undoubtedly the top side dish that In-ah was crazy about. She came to In-woo’s workplace to buy hotel kimchi and seek advice from In-woo.

“So, what? Tell me.”

“Version 4 model.”

At In-woo’s answer, In-ah flared up and jumped to her feet.

“Hey! Is there such a thing as giving and taking back?”

“Hey! It’s not giving and taking back, it’s about being happy together.”

With a momentary expression of indignation, In-ah sighed and closed her eyes as if giving up.

“Okay. Deal done!”

In-ah swallowed and waited for In-woo to speak.

“It’s just a pile of dung, not a gold nugget! Just throw it away.”

In-ah, feeling deflated, questioned with a baffled expression.

“What kind of dirty talk is that?”

“Hey~ Didn’t you go through the entire education system in Korea? You need to read the hidden meaning in words!”

In-ah’s eyes sparkled!

That night, In-ah was lost in thought while eating snacks in front of the convenience store near her studio apartment. Her mouth was busy muttering continuously while eating snacks.

“Dung pile, dung pile, dung pile, dung… Eek!”

In-ah was startled to see Jinwon suddenly appear in front of her.

“What are you doing here?”

“Can’t you see?”

In front of In-ah was an array of colorful jellies. There were worm types, bear types, and fruit types all gathered. Jinwon shook his head and entered the convenience store.

In-ah glared at Jinwon’s back as she put jelly in her mouth. 

Should I move? It’s not enough to see him at work, now at home too. This isn’t right.

At the counter, where Jinwon stood to buy water, the convenience store clerk struck up a conversation. He was a handsome young man in his mid-20s with a clean-cut appearance.

“Do you know that lady?”

“Who?”

“The one wearing mismatched slippers over there.”

The clerk pointed to In-ah, who was wearing mismatched slippers.

“Yes. Why do you ask?”

“What’s her name? How old is she? Do you happen to know her ideal type?”

Jinwon’s expression changed completely.

“I don’t know her ideal type.”

Disappointment dripped from the clerk’s face.

“But…”

Seeing Jinwon open his mouth again, the clerk’s face lit up with anticipation.

Jinwon spoke in a firm voice to the clerk, who was eagerly waiting for his next words.

“I know her husband.”

“What?!”

The clerk’s face crumpled instantly.

“She’s married? Well, if she has a husband, I guess she is.”

The handsome clerk let out a deep sigh. 

Jinwon left the convenience store with a victorious smile on his face, carrying the water bottle he had paid for.

***

Blocking Seong-jun, who was just arriving at the company, In-ah bowed and greeted him.

“Director, I have something to tell you.”

“Come into the Director’s office.”

As Seong-jun was about to head to his office, In-ah continued speaking.

“It’s about the design that’s been problematic due to the leak.”

The matter itself was significant, and In-ah’s voice was so loud that it drew the attention of the employees.

Seong-jun, aware of the employees’ gazes, stopped and listened to In-ah’s words.

“That study cabinet was flagged for issues and was put on hold.”

“Issues? What issues?”

“The study cabinet is for display purposes.”

“Display?”

The number of employees gathering around them increased. Among them was Jinwon.

“The study cabinet was made to store books, but we can’t overlook its ‘show-off’ aspect.”

“Show-off?”

“I’m saying, ‘Look at how many books I have, how much I read!'”

Seong-jun seemed to ponder In-ah’s words. Encouraged, In-ah continued her explanation passionately.

“The study cabinet I designed has doors for a clean look, and the doors are adorned with artwork, making the study itself an art piece.”

“So it lost the function of displaying books?”

In response to Seong-jun, In-ah nodded vigorously.

“Exactly. But JM picked up the design we discarded.”

Seong-jun rubbed his chin with his fingers and thought for a moment. Then he looked at In-ah with sharp eyes and said.

“So what are you trying to say, Seo In-ah? Are you saying we should just cover it up?”

“Yes.”

“I think you’re trying to avoid responsibility, Seo In-ah.”

“I can’t help if that’s how you see it.”

Seong-jun looked steadily into In-ah’s eyes, which were looking at him confidently.

“Let’s do that.”

At Seong-jun’s unexpected answer, not only In-ah but all the surrounding employees were surprised.

“Really?”

In-ah’s reaction came out immediately. She quickly raised her hand to cover her mouth.

Looking around at the employees, Seong-jun raised his voice once more.

“From today, everyone will keep silent about the design leak of Seo In-ah’s study cabinet.”

After speaking, Seong-jun turned sharply and walked towards the Director’s office. In-ah was bewildered by how easily her opinion was accepted. Her eyes darted around until they met Jinwon’s, who was standing in the distance watching her.

Avoiding Jinwon’s eyes, which seemed about to say something, In-ah hurried back to her seat.

***

On her way home, In-ah stopped by the convenience store in front of her studio apartment. She picked up soju, snacks, and jelly without leaving anything out and stood at the counter.

The handsome clerk scanned the barcodes of the items In-ah placed down. Then he roughly slammed them onto the counter. With puffed cheeks, his face clearly showed he was in a bad mood.

What is this? Did something bad happen to him? 

In-ah couldn’t say anything and just forced a smile.

“Do you want a bag?”

“Yes.”

At In-ah’s reply, the clerk shoved the soju and snacks into a bag.

In-ah put the jelly in herself and took the bag.

As she left the convenience store, In-ah tilted her head.

Was he upset because I asked for a bag? Next time, I’ll just carry them.

Back home, In-ah was enjoying a drink alone, sipping soju. Then it seemed like it started raining outside, and soon the rain began to pour heavily.

When the loud sound of rain caught In-ah’s attention, she turned her eyes towards the window. That’s when her phone rang.

“Hey, sis.”

• Where are you now?

“At home.”

• Good job. Come home early. Sleep early.

“Okay.”

The call with In-kyung ended briefly. She knew it was a call from In-kyung, worried about the heavy rain. But neither of them mentioned the rain. Still, they both knew.

Shortly after hanging up, it happened.

‘Wee-oo-wee-oo-wee-oo—-‘

A high-pitched siren shook the entire studio apartment.

In-ah put down her soju glass and blankly looked up at the ceiling with a speaker. Since there had been a siren malfunction before, she wasn’t as surprised as last time. Still, it needed to be checked.

In-ah slowly got up and went to the window. She looked down at the street outside. But the people passing by were acting strange. They stopped and began looking up at the studio apartment where In-ah was.

Sensing something was wrong, In-ah quickly scanned the surroundings.

Smoke was rising from the entrance leading to the parking lot.

This time, it wasn’t a false alarm. As panic set in, In-ah’s phone rang frantically. It was Jinwon.

• Where are you?

“At home.”

• The studio apartment?

“Yes.”

• Get out of there now.

The call ended. In-ah immediately opened the front door and went out. The hallway was chaotic with people running around, panicked by the blaring siren.

Joining the evacuating crowd, In-ah started going down the stairs. It was more like being swept along than walking down. Most people had lost their composure.

Then she noticed a man moving against the flow of people. Jinwon was pushing through the crowd with incredible strength, making his way up towards In-ah.

Finally spotting In-ah, Jinwon pushed even harder against the tide. He wrapped his arm around In-ah’s shoulders and ran down the stairs without hesitation.

Most residents had escaped into the pouring rain. But In-ah stopped abruptly at the entrance of the studio apartment.

She stood there, staring intently at the rain pouring down like crazy.

“In-ah!”

Jinwon, who had been pulling In-ah with force, let go of her shoulder when he saw her.

Then he stepped into the rain and approached In-ah’s face. Jinwon was soon drenched from head to toe by the torrential rain.

“Please, In-ah. We have to get out of here. Come to me. Just for today. Okay?”

Slowly, In-ah lifted her head. She quietly looked at Jinwon’s face, not knowing if the water running down was rain or tears.