CHAPTER 80

Jieun pursed her lips, let out a sigh, and wore an expression of contemplation as she spoke.

“It won’t work. I didn’t want to force you, but just go on a blind date this weekend. You need a guy who’s taller, more handsome, and visibly impressive standing next to you. That way, these guys who bother you like this will automatically back off.”

As if the phone call with Minhu had dulled her appetite, Jieun pursed her lips as she shuffled through the pork cutlets.

“What’s the big deal about blind dates? Just take someone along a few times like a keyring boyfriend. That’s how you weed out these kinds of people. I find it annoying to do blind dates that I’m not interested in, but no matter how much you explain until your throat hurts, you won’t understand. I have no interest in you, and it’s just a waste of energy trying to convince you otherwise.”

“What’s the big deal about blind dates? Just take someone along a few times like a keyring boyfriend. That’s how you weed out these kinds of people. It’s annoying to think about why you have to go on blind dates that you’re not interested in, but no matter how much I explain it till my throat hurts, you just don’t get it. ‘I’m not interested in you, I’m too much of a burden, I’m not worth the energy.’…”

“Okay, I’ll think about it.”

“Really?”

Startled, Jieun asked, as if a sudden revelation had struck her. Clearly taken aback, she suddenly began coughing. Concerned, Leeseo quickly offered her a cup of water, and Jieun took it with urgency. Even as she drank, the coughing persisted.

Leeseo swiftly moved to her side, patting Jieun’s back. Once the coughing subsided, she handed her a napkin. Jieun wiped her mouth and, while still looking a bit dazed, continued talking about the virtues of the man she was suggesting for Leeseo to meet.

“His height, his face, his body, nothing is lacking, and honestly, I wasn’t going to say this because I think it’s too capitalistic, but he’s living well. He has nice clothes, nice shoes, nice watches, everything is top-notch.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Don’t you think it would be fun if you had a boyfriend and we could go on double dates or something? I know it’s childish, but I actually like that kind of thing. It’s my fantasy, and…….”

Listening to Jieun describing the seemingly perfect man and suggesting double dates, Leeseo couldn’t help but release a flat laugh. Jieun noticed her reaction and gave her a wry smile.

On the TV screen after the news, the weather forecast began. Along with news that autumn leaves had started to appear on Daechongbong Peak of Mount Seorak, refreshing aerial shots unfolded. In the midst of the chaotic sounds of the kitchen staff yelling out new orders and the chatter from nearby tables, this seemed to be a remarkably peaceful moment.

A truly ordinary day.

***

“Go in.”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

Leeseo parted ways with Jieun in front of her one-room apartment building, a five-minute walk from the back gate of the school. After Jieun disappeared into the building, Leeseo opened her eco-bag on her shoulder and took out her earphones. Plugging them in and playing music, the lively noise characteristic of university areas suddenly quieted down at once..

It was another ten-minute walk to her one-room apartment. The closer to the school, the more expensive the monthly rent and the more relatively older the buildings were.

With the recent development of large apartment complexes, newly developed areas were a bit farther from the school but offered cheaper prices and excellent conditions. For Leeseo, who urgently needed to find a place to live, it was a perfect fit, complete with basic furniture and appliances like a bed and air conditioner included as options.

She walked slowly through the street-lit alleyways while listening to music. Her earbuds blared a lively song with a strong beat.

Just as she was about to leave the bustling university area behind, raindrops started to fall from the sky with a pitter-patter. She thought it was just a passing rain, but the rain gradually became thicker.

It didn’t look like it was going to stop anytime soon, so she covered her head with her bag and hurriedly ran into a well-lit convenience store at the intersection.

“Welcome.”

The bell on the glass door jingled, and she heard the part-timer’s automatic greeting. After shaking off the rain on her shoulders for a moment, she looked around inside. Transparent vinyl umbrellas were displayed near the entrance.

She already had two vinyl umbrellas hastily purchased like this at home, but there was no choice. If she just ran home, she’d undoubtedly end up looking like a wet rat.

Picking up one umbrella and placing it on the counter to pay, the part-time worker sitting in the chair looking at his cell phone looked up lazily, and then, a beat too late, his eyes widened as he saw Leeseo’s face.

The man stood up abruptly. Then, as if entranced by something, his mouth went agape and stared blankly at her.

“Um, I’d like to pay for this.”

In response to Leeseo’s words, the part-time worker, who belatedly regained his composure, glanced openly beyond the cash register while scanning the price tag. The man’s eyes, which had been swaying confusedly as if looking for an excuse to start a conversation, soon turned subtly toward her.

“It’s already pouring down just so suddenly. It’s raining heavily.”

“That’s right.”

“…It’s 5,000 won.”

After receiving the card from Leeseo, he completed the transaction and handed the card back. Their fingertips briefly touched as he stuck out the card, and the man jerked as if he’d been electrocuted. Momentarily taken aback by the awkward reaction, Leeseo skillfully concealed her expression and calmly turned away.

“Uh, excuse me.”

The part-time worker, who hurriedly followed her from behind the counter, stopped Leeseo and handed something unexpectedly. What he handed to her was a glass bottle of soy milk. Warmth emanated from the bottle, which had been heated.

“Please have this.”

Without saying a word, as she looked down silently, the part-time worker floundered to explain his abrupt actions.

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not a weird person, really.”

Leeseo didn’t let her guard down. People who call themselves weird are often particularly weird.

“I go to the same school as you. I’ve seen you several times at the library. We’ve even sat next to each other a few times. You might not remember, but I just wanted to say hi…”

The man’s face, as he mumbled his words, was flushed as if he had just woken up from a nap.

“I thought you might feel cold since you got caught in the rain. It’s the transitional season, and catching a cold is easy.”

“Well, then I’ll pay for this and take it.”

“No, no. It’s only 1,500 won, just take it.”

Smiling shyly, the part-time worker took a step forward and opened the convenience store’s glass door wide. The rain pounding down from the sky had intensified.

Glancing discreetly, Leeseo noticed that the hand of the man holding the door handle was visibly trembling. Instead of confronting him, she put the glass bottle into her eco-bag and opened the umbrella.

“Thank you. Well then.”

“Yes, be careful on your way.”

Leaving behind the part-time worker who bowed with a slightly bent waist, The thick raindrops pattered loudly against the transparent umbrella, creating a repetitive vibration in the hand that held it. When she resumed playing the music, the rhythmic beats and the sound of rain blended quite harmoniously.

The tips of her shoes were soaking wet by the time she arrived at her studio apartment. Folding the wet umbrella and shaking off the water, she huddled her shoulders while waiting for the elevator. 

The damp corridor carried a subtle chill. Thinking about taking a warm shower quickly after getting inside her room, she stepped into the elevator as the doors opened.

She turned off her music and pulled the earphone out of her ears as she stared blankly at the elevator’s floor indicator. Perhaps due to the reassurance of nearing home, there was a peculiar sensation of accumulated fatigue flooding her as she stood in the elevator. The momentary exposure to the rain made her body feel even more languid.

• Fifth floor. The door is opening.

As the mechanical voice announced her arrival, Leesoe let out a shallow sigh, feeling the exhaustion of the day. Stepping out of the elevator, the lights on the ceiling recognized her presence and illuminated the hallway. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks.

While bright light poured down from above her head, the long corridor was locked in chilly darkness. However, the dim figure standing in front of her studio apartment door was unmistakably clear.

For a moment, she wondered if she was mistaken, but if that were the case, it would be preferable. Unfortunately, the chances of confusing her apartment, which was the very first one after exiting the elevator, were significantly low. Moreover, the person hunched over there, looking like a dark shadow, seemed suspicious at first glance.

The man, with his upper body leaned forward, was shining a flashlight from his phone onto the door lock of her apartment. It was as if he was trying to deduce the password while looking at the fingerprint marks left on the door lock. In that fleeting moment of realization, Leeseo’s body tensed up, and a chill ran down her spine.

The man’s side profile, with deep wrinkles forming on his nose as he concentrated, was someone Leeseo knew well. Recognizing Minhu’s presence, her heart dropped, and her blood ran cold.

“Oh? You’re here?”

Minhu casually turned to look at her, not even a hint of surprise on his face, and his nonchalant expression sent a chill down her spine.

He was someone who shouldn’t be in this space. Jieun was the only person who knew her address, and she had never disclosed her address to anyone else. Even if she had, none of that excused Minhu’s behavior now. His unannounced visit was way outside the bounds of common sense.

In a normal situation, a person of sane mind wouldn’t engage in suspicious activities like lurking around the front door when the homeowner wasn’t present. If caught in the act, at the very least, one would expect some level of embarrassment or a reaction.

Instead, Minhu didn’t seem bothered at all. His calm demeanor, in this situation, raised an eerie sense of horror. If he had just pushed Leeseo aside and ran away, she wouldn’t have felt this chilling fear. At least then, he would have acknowledged his wrongdoing.

But instead of panicking or running away, Minhu didn’t even blink an eye and smiled sweetly, then just looked at her with his usual pleasant expression, as if he had completely erased from his mind the sincere confession he had made just last week and the unequivocal rejection he had received.