Chapter 4

“You said you wanted to come.”

“I did?”

“Before, at the house.”

“… Ah.”

She remembered the conversation at Seonghee’s house not long ago.

‘Haji, don’t you have a boyfriend?’

‘Unfortunately, not yet.’

Hyesoo would occasionally ask about Haji’s love life.

The first time she heard this question after turning twenty, she was a bit flustered but responded with a playful face, knowing there was no ill intent. It was always the same answer.

Knowing that Haji hadn’t had a boyfriend since becoming an adult, Hyesoo had asked where she wanted to go, and Haji had mentioned this place in passing.

Haji looked at Seojin, who was cutting his steak. Back then, he had been focused on his meal with an indifferent expression, just like now.

I thought he wasn’t listening.

“But…”

As Haji started to speak softly, Seojin’s hand stopped cutting.

“I meant to come with a boyfriend.”

“…”

As the silence stretched, Haji realized she might have been rude to Seojin. She worried he might get angry and leave, so she watched him cautiously.

“You’re a guy too. I mean, I don’t mind.”

“Don’t mind?”

Seojin’s reaction became sharper to her added words, meant to smooth things over. His intense gaze made Haji freeze.

Did I say something wrong?

Seojin’s already sharp eyes made her feel like she was being pierced.

“Uh… here it comes!”

Feeling the need to explain, she opened her mouth but couldn’t find the words. Just then, the next course arrived, perfectly timed.

Haji welcomed the food, using it as an excuse to moisten her dry lips and distract herself.

“Wow, this is really delicious.”

Though the portions were small, each dish was exquisite. The continuous flow of courses kept her from feeling awkward. Focusing on the food made her forget the earlier tension.

“Why didn’t you come today?”

“Were you waiting?”

Feeling comfortable now, Haji asked what she was curious about.

She nodded vigorously. She had felt like a glasses thief all day, worrying about whether Seojin would scold her for not contacting him.

“Of course, I was waiting.”

“Why?”

“Your glasses were at the store. I was so worried it might be important.”

Seojin’s expression showed brief interest before returning to his usual indifference. He set his fork down, signaling the end of his meal, which he had never been interested in.

His gaze turned to Haji. He had given her enough time to eat.

“Don’t you have any questions?”

“Questions?”

Hmm…

Haji’s words trailed off. She did have questions.

Why are we here together…?

Thinking of the question, she clamped her mouth shut, feeling it was best left unasked. If she voiced it, she feared Seojin’s sharp eyes would shoot lasers and harsh words at her.

“I saw your business card. What do you do at the construction company?”

“I build houses, hotels. Comfortable spaces.”

“That’s somewhat similar to me. I wanted my café to be a comfortable space for people. At first, it was a bit…”

Feeling her words might be too long, she paused. Seojin nodded, encouraging her to continue with a slight smile. Though barely a lift of the corners of his mouth, it was enough to understand his intention.

“It was tough at first. So I was surprised by what you said yesterday. That you come to the café because it’s comfortable.”

“It was.”

Seojin nodded slightly, agreeing with her. Encouraged, Haji leaned forward and continued talking. It was the most relaxed he had ever seen her.

“Thank you for saying that. I wanted customers to feel that way. I paid a lot of attention to the interior to create that atmosphere.”

Though it meant taking out all the loans she could get.

Haji, who had been talking freely, paused. She felt she had been rambling about herself.

“Haha…”

Feeling awkward under Seojin’s gaze, Haji laughed uncomfortably.

Seeing Seojin’s expression, which seemed to have a hint of amusement, she felt a mix of embarrassment and something else she couldn’t identify.

“Hmm, the dessert here is also delicious.”

Having collected herself, Haji ate the apricot-flavored ice cream in front of her. Her sudden change to a prim demeanor made Seojin exhale softly.

“Did you laugh?”

“No.”

Seojin’s face returned to its usual expression, making Haji tilt her head.

I thought he laughed…

Though she muttered to herself, she couldn’t stop eating the ice cream. Suddenly, she made a strange face, neither smiling nor crying.

“Sunbae.”

“…?”

Trying to hold back laughter, Haji’s face turned comical.

“What’s so funny?”

“It’s just, um, the dessert spoon looks too small in your hand. It looks like a toy.”

The spoon in Seojin’s hand reminded her of a playset.

Even with a navy cardigan over his shirt, his large frame couldn’t be hidden. His slim yet solid upper body could make one believe he was an athlete. Seeing him hold a spoon the size of his pinky finger was too awkward.

Holding back her laughter, Haji’s jaw ached from the effort.

“I guess it does look that way.”

“Have you ever played house?”

Curious about Seojin’s surprising answer, Haji asked.

“I have.”

“Really? With whom?”

Though she wouldn’t know the person, she was curious about who had played with the great Seojin. According to Seonghee, Seojin had been busy with gifted education since childhood and enjoyed it.

“Seonghee. She cried until I played with her.”

Ah. 

Haji nodded.

She had heard from Hyesoo and Seosoo that Seonghee had been a troublemaker as a child. Seonghee must not have been picky about her playmates then.

“She wasn’t scared of you back then.”

“No, she wasn’t. I don’t think she’s scared even now.”

Seojin looked incredulous, thinking of Seonghee.

Though she often said she was scared, Seonghee had a personality that spoke her mind. Maybe her level of fear differed from others.

“If you’re done, let’s go.”

“Already?”

Though the bowl of ice cream was empty, she felt reluctant. Watching Seojin’s back as he stood, Haji slowly got up, taking in the night view beyond the window.

She tried to settle her lingering feelings.

***

“What is this place…?”

Haji couldn’t hide her confusion upon arriving at a place completely different from the previous atmosphere. Being among the bustling crowd was noisy, to say the least. Seojin’s presence among them felt out of place. He seemed like someone who had never been to such a place.

“A snack cart.”

I didn’t ask because I didn’t know what it was…

Haji looked around the noisy surroundings and tilted her head at his response.

“Why did we come here?”

“After greasy food, it’s snack carts.”

“What does that even mean…?”

Oh, that.

It was something she had mentioned to Hyesoo after talking about the Namsan restaurant. She never expected him to remember her joking comment about ending the day with soju at a snack cart..

“Do you think your brain is very sexy?”

“Pretty much.”

He confidently affirmed, leaving her with nothing more to say. She could only think that having such a good memory must make life exhausting.

“Order. You’re the expert, right?”

“That’s right. Then I’ll treat this time.”

While she was excited and curious at the restaurant, the snack cart felt familiar and comfortable. Feeling more relaxed, Haji placed the order.

***

Clink, the soju glass was emptied refreshingly.

“Ahhh.”

Unlike her usual self, Haji gulped down the alcohol, making a sound like an old man, which was quite amusing.

“Sunbae, you’ve never tried chicken feet, have you?”

“Why?”

“See, you can’t answer right away. You said you could eat anything earlier, but you haven’t touched it at all.”

“… I’m saving it.”

Seeing the untouched chicken feet, Haji burst into laughter, holding her belly. She laughed so hard it looked like she might fall over.

“Have you lived all this time without tasting these delicious chicken feet?”

Teasingly, she waved the chicken feet in front of Seojin’s eyes. It was hard to believe this was the same woman who had been so wary of him.

He wondered if she was becoming a heavy drinker in his absence.

“Let’s go now~ Sun~bae~.”

Her words slurred strangely as she called him, clearly indicating she was drunk. She was even packing up her soju glass along with her belongings.

Outside, Haji kept repeating how happy she was and how she had the day off tomorrow, eventually starting to hum.

She might even start singing like a drunk old man.

“Among the swaying flowers~ I smelled your shampoo~ Ah~”

As if on cue, Haji started singing, making Seojin sigh deeply.

“Where’s your home?”

“Ah~”

His question was drowned out by her singing. It seemed impossible to get her address.

***

Even in the car, Haji continued to hum.

“Haa…”

The driver, initially flustered, was now enjoying Haji’s impromptu concert. Her singing was keeping him awake, making him more enthusiastic.

“What should I sing next?”

Humming seemed to be her hobby as she scrolled through her playlist on her phone. As music started playing, she began preparing to sing, making Seojin rub his face.

The surprises never end.

“Your girlfriend is very lively. You must be happy.”

“…”

The substitute driver who had reached the destination spoke sincerely with a hint of envy.

Should I say I just found out she’s lively, or that I’m too shocked to respond?

While Seojin swallowed his words, Haji bent over.

“Thank you!”

Despite the situation, she didn’t miss the compliment and responded brightly. Her back, which had been straight against the seat, bent forward and slumped.

“Sunbae… Sunbae…”

Haji, struggling to straighten her bent back, began calling for Seojin. It was a situation that made him sigh.

You really…

“Haa…”

“Help, me…… help…….”

Carrying Haji, who couldn’t control her body, Seojin got on the elevator. Despite telling her to quiet down several times, she continued singing in his ear.

“Not a herbivore but a wild one.”