Chapter 23

“Just like your mom said, because I’m handsome.”

“Ugh. Mister, do you have a prince complex?”

The kid pretended to vomit and glared at Seojin.

Click, the lights suddenly came on as the two continued their chat in the dark.

“The lights are on!”

“Yeah, they are. Now go inside.”

The kid next door, who had been with him for over an hour, finally opened his door.

“Mister.”

The kid peeked his face through the door and called Seojin.

“Thanks for playing with me. The part about getting rejected was a lie.”

“I didn’t believe it anyway.”

“Being handsome might not last long. They say you can’t live off your looks. But make sure to say what my dad said!”

The kid finished talking, waved his hand, and closed the door. Seojin, who watched the scene, turned towards his own house.

“Five things.”

Just like the kid did, Seojin’s right hand folded one finger at a time.

***

Thump, thump, thud, thud. Haji’s hand movements were unusually large today, as if showing her intense emotions.

Sehee and Hyeseong tilted their heads, watching her aggressive actions. Holding a cup of coffee, Hyeseong leaned towards Sehee.

“Did something happen to the boss today?”

“I don’t know. She came in early this morning, but she hasn’t seemed in a good mood.”

“If she wasn’t in a good mood before coming to work…”

Was it that guy?

Hyeseong thought of the man he had run into a few times. He had never hidden his feelings towards Haji and had shown clear hostility from the start.

“Oh? He’s here.”

Sehee’s eyes sparkled with interest as she looked towards the entrance. Following her gaze, Hyeseong also saw the man he had just been thinking about.

“You know what? Other people’s love stories are the most interesting.”

“Other people’s love stories?”

“Right there.”

Sehee’s face lit up as she watched Haji and Seojin together, as if she were watching an entertaining drama or movie.

Hyeseong found Sehee’s reaction fascinating. His brown eyes took in Sehee’s high ponytail, lively cheeks, and reddish lips.

“What?”

“I might watch too.”

Smiling, Hyeseong took a sip of his coffee and turned his gaze. Four pairs of eyes focused in one direction.

***

Haji, who was disassembling and cleaning the coffee machine, saw someone at the order counter and headed over. Her expression, which was friendly to other customers, was now completely blank.

Without making eye contact, Haji tapped the screen.

“One Americano, right?”

“You left early today.”

“That’s 2,500 won.”

Seojin’s eyebrows twitched as Haji ignored his words, handing over a card.

“Didn’t you see the text I left yesterday?”

“Payment completed. Here’s your card.”

Haji handed out the card, continuously ignoring Seojin’s questions. Seojin seized the moment and grabbed her hand instead of the card.

“Ah.”

Only then did Haji face Seojin.

“What’s the problem?”

“…”

Haji kept her mouth shut, only applying strength to her wrist to free her hand from Seojin’s grip.

“Answer me.”

Seojin didn’t easily let go of her hand, making Haji bite her lower lip.

“Didn’t you see my text about going to work together today? From your expression, it looks like you did.”

“…I was busy.”

“I’ll pretend to believe that.”

At his words, Haji’s fingertips twitched. At the same time, her hand slipped out of Seojin’s grasp.

Haji stood in front of the machine she had just cleaned and received the beans, pretending not to notice his persistent gaze.

Last night, she had lain in bed with her eyes open until she heard the front door open, finally feeling relieved.

The thought of him talking to another woman for over an hour made her heart pound unpleasantly, preventing her from sleeping.

She wondered why she was feeling like that when she could’ve just slept.

Filling the ice, she couldn’t find an answer to her actions.

And she couldn’t understand her current self either. Why she didn’t want to see Seojin, why she was angry.

“Here it is.”

Placing Seojin’s coffee on the counter, Haji immediately turned away. Unable to understand her emotions, she just moved as her feelings dictated.

Seojin, standing still and holding the coffee, watched Haji’s cold demeanor. His gaze followed her as she avoided him.

“Last night.”

When Seojin started talking, Haji’s hand, making a sandwich, paused. Her reaction made Seojin think his first words weren’t wrong.

“Were you scared?”

Haji’s small head shook side to side while she kept it down. She wasn’t scared of being alone during the blackout.

“Were you bored?”

“No.”

“Were you hungry?”

“No.”

“Couldn’t wash up?”

“No.”

Haji answered his trivial questions mechanically, all of which were true.

“Do you not want to see me?”

“No…?”

Thud, the tomato in Haji’s hand fell onto the cutting board. She looked up in surprise, seeing his smug face with a crooked smile.

“Me too.”

“What?”

“I miss you.”

His low voice made her ears tingle as if they were melting. Thump, thump, a different kind of pounding echoed in her ears.

“Now you’re looking at me properly.”

“…”

“I have to go on a business trip. I’ll be back in a few days.”

“…Okay.”

Haji nodded, her cheeks flushed. She seemed to have forgotten why she was angry in the first place.

Her rollercoaster emotions felt unfamiliar.

“I’ll miss you too.”

“Don’t joke around.”

“I’m not joking. Don’t avoid me when I’m gone for a few days. I’ll be scared to leave the house empty.”

“It’s not like that…”

Haji, confused by his sudden confession-like words, looked around nervously. Her face was as red as a tomato.

“I’ll be back.”

“Okay, go ahead.”

Hurry up and go. My heart is going crazy because of you, Sunbae.

Haji, keeping her last words to herself, watched Seojin, who didn’t move his feet.

“Why?”

“That’s it?”

“What else?”

“Anything else?”

“Anything else?”

After a series of back-and-forth questions, Haji tilted her head. She had no idea what he wanted.

“I already said it.”

“Said what?”

Haji, clueless about what he meant, pressed down on the sandwich.

Reading her confused expression, Seojin leaned over the low partition.

“I said I’d miss you.”

I already said it.

Haji’s body leaned back slightly at his close voice, but she clearly heard what he wanted.

“Why would I…”

“Say it.”

“That’s not something you should hear from me.”

If I were his girlfriend, maybe.

Haji muttered, avoiding his gaze. Such words were meant for lovers.

“Haji, I…”

Seojin was about to say something when his phone rang. Looking at the screen, he sighed softly.

“I need to take this call.”

Taking the call, Seojin’s expression darkened quickly as he ended the call, saying he’d go right away.

“I have to go. See you at home.”

“Take care.”

“Okay.”

Seojin smiled contentedly at Haji’s farewell, knowing it was the best she could do.

Watching Seojin walk away, Haji’s mouth opened slightly.

“Take care of yourself.”

A farewell he couldn’t hear.

***

Ding, the bell rang refreshingly as the door opened.

“Oh? Haji, you’re here?”

“I wanted some cake today.”

On her way home alone, Haji entered the cake shop run by the kid’s mom next door.

“Good timing. I was about to come to you. Come here.”

The kid’s mom warmly greeted Haji, showing her a freshly baked cake.

“It looks delicious. I’ll take this one.”

“I’m glad you like it. I baked it for you as a thank you for yesterday.”

“For me?”

Haji’s eyes widened at the excessive hospitality and kindness.

“Your husband is very considerate, isn’t he?”

“My husband?”

“Yes, your husband, Haji. I thought he was a stern person because he usually doesn’t show much expression, but I must have misunderstood.”

He is a stern person, though…

Haji kept her thoughts to herself and listened to the kid’s mom continue.

“Yesterday, I came to check the store and lost track of time cleaning. I left my kid alone at home.”

It’s such a mess, isn’t it?

Haji nodded, recalling the scene of the kid’s mom heading to the store last night. The mom continued to lament her worsening forgetfulness.

“My kid is still very scared. Especially of the dark.”

“So, being alone at home…?”

Must have been scary.

Haji’s words were cut off by the mom.

“Your husband stayed with my kid in the hallway for over an hour until the lights came back on, right?”

“Oh…”

Her brain felt like it stopped. She had thought he was talking to another woman during that time.