Chapter 56

“Suddenly? You said you were fine earlier.”

“I changed my mind.”

“Already? You change your mind like flipping a palm.”

Hmm, Haji cleared her throat and tapped the order counter.

“Shall I get you an iced Americano?”

“When you play with me like that, I can’t help but fall for it again.”

Huh?

Seojin chuckled. He met the gaze that was glaring at him.

Haji, knowing he was deliberately speaking more slyly because he knew she was embarrassed, looked at him with annoyance.

“Stop it.”

Her hands moved quickly to make the coffee.

As if telling him to drink up and leave quickly.

“Too bad. I have nowhere to go.”

Liar.

When Seojin was given coffee in a disposable cup instead of the usual mug,  

“Really, you’re making me go?”

“Yeah, see you at home this evening.”

Seojin slowly turned his body, looking at the coffee in his hand as he watched Haji turning her back coldly.

“Boss, he really left.”

“I know.”

Haji replied calmly while making a sandwich, as if she already knew he would leave.

“Why did he leave today? Before, he wouldn’t leave no matter how much I tried to send him away.”

“He took a long break.”

Since a few days ago, Matthew had been calling so much that his phone was burning, so she thought it was about time for him to go.

While she was grateful for Seojin staying by her side, she didn’t want him to abandon his work and colleagues to do so.

It was a thought she had organized while coming to the café, leaving Seojin who was on the phone. Just as she valued her work, Seojin would value his work too.

Sehee subtly lingered around Haji. Soon, Sehee approached cautiously and glanced at Haji’s face.

“Are you okay?”

“Hmm?”

“You weren’t feeling well before.”

Haji, not understanding Sehee’s words, blinked her eyes for a moment, then suddenly opened her mouth.

“Don’t tell me, you think I was that sick because of a lovers’ quarrel?”

“Wasn’t it?”

Ah…

Haji’s mouth dropped open. She didn’t know others would think that way because it always happened when it rained. Moreover, there hadn’t been anyone before to cause such misunderstandings.

“No, absolutely not.”

Haji strongly denied it, waving her hands. Of course, her health starting to decline was partly influenced by Seojin, but that wasn’t the whole reason.

“I always feel sick before it rains around that time. It was the same then.”

“Really?”

Sehee looked surprised, as if she couldn’t believe it.

“So you don’t have to worry. I won’t suddenly fall ill again.”

When Haji spoke firmly and smiled, Sehee felt relieved. Seeing Haji, who had been really emaciated, was hard even for those who watched her.

It was clear that Seojin had a significant influence on her recovery.

So, although it seemed excessive that Seojin took care of everything for Haji like a mother bird every day, it was also enviable.

“What are you thinking? A customer is here. Let’s serve them.”

“Yes!”

Sehee replied energetically, and Haji smiled slightly.

***

Before falling asleep, Haji lay on Seojin’s arm and gazed at him with half-closed eyes.

“Why?”

“Oppa.”

“Yeah.”

“Oppa.”

“Yeah.”

This “Oppa” game started at some point. Haji would call him whenever she had the chance. Before sleeping, it became one of the routines she had to do.

It began after they decided to live together in this house again. Knowing it was because of her anxiety, Seojin never failed to respond to Haji’s calls.

“Oppa.”

“Yeah.”

“……”

Continuously calling and hearing the response, Haji gently placed her finger near Seojin’s heart.

“Does it hurt?”

“Not at all.”

Sometimes Haji mixed informal and formal speech. Every time, Seojin looked at Haji as if she were cute. It reminded him of when they met as children.

“Let’s go to the hospital together next time.”

“Sure.”

Seojin’s chest wound was deeper and more painful when seen in reality. It was an unimaginable wound.

Feeling his wound, Haji frowned as if it were her own.

“Why are you looking at me like that again?”

“Keep using informal speech.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s cute.”

Geez, you’re a strange person.

Haji muttered, looking at Seojin’s eyes that expected her to speak informally. Looking into those eyes, she felt like she wouldn’t be able to sleep.

“Are you a pervert?”

“Yeah.”

“Huh?”

“That’s right. I’m a pervert.”

So keep going.

At the softly whispered words, Haji burst into a small laugh.

“Are you confessing or something?”

“If you accept and forgive, it’s a confession.”

You’re my god. My goddess.

At the softly whispered words in her ear, Haji’s neck turned red.

“Don’t say that.”

“Why, I like it when you speak more bluntly.”

“Even if I curse?”

A small breeze escaped from Seojin’s lips. Like a sneer.

“What? Do you think I can’t do it?”

“Yeah. I think you can’t.”

At the tone that casually dismissed her, Haji pouted her lips.

“I can do it if I want to.”

“Do it.”

“Want me to do it?”

“Yeah, do it.”

Because Seojin kept provoking her, Haji bit her lip, really thinking of cursing, imagining sharp Korean curses in her head.

“Bu…”

Bu?

When Haji opened her mouth, Seojin looked at her with a small smile on his lips.

Go ahead, try.

As far as I know, there’s no curse that starts with ‘Bu.’

What are you going to say?

As if knowing Seojin’s thoughts, Haji took a deep breath. As if preparing to say something big.

With the excessive preparation, Seojin stroked Haji’s hair. He knew she obviously couldn’t do it.

“You’re like a bug.”

“……?”

Seojin’s hand stopped, and the smile disappeared from his face as silence flowed.

Watching Seojin, Haji’s lips curled into a victorious smile. She never thought she’d say a line from a drama Sehee had shown her recently.

It felt like a pretty satisfying revenge.

“I did it.”

Try to find this side of me cute too.

Hmph, Haji snorted, and Seojin, as if released from a spell, moved his hand. He pulled Haji’s head towards him with the hand that had reached for the back of her head.

“Maybe I really am a pervert.”

“What…?”

What’s this reaction?

With the rapidly closed distance and Seojin’s deepening gaze as if to devour her, Haji backed away slightly.

A completely different reaction from what she wanted.

“W-why are you doing this?”

“Because I like it.”

“What do you like?”

As the hand holding the back of her head persisted, Haji’s body ended up with just her hips sticking out backward.

“Even when you curse like an old lady, you’re cute.”

It excites me.

I like it all.

Even that is lovely.

“Old lady…?”

I seriously meant the curse.

“I’m glad that’s the only curse you know.”

“I know more. I’m Korean too.”

Koreans need to have pride in their curses. There are so many curses that exist.

As Haji showed her true feelings about curses, Seojin tilted his face.

Smooch, their lips touched briefly.

“Yeah, Koreans can take pride in their curses.”

Smooch, the lips that touched once more stuck together more deeply.

“But let’s make sure you only curse at me.”

“Why, mmph!”

Seojin’s lips engulfed Haji’s lips in one go. As Seojin swept his tongue over the lips that were sucked in, he pulled Haji’s hips that had slipped back.

“Because it’s so pretty. Only say them to me.”

Seojin’s husky voice hovered over the lips wet with saliva.

Do you know? Even when you curse, you do it as clear as pure water.

Even when you say it’s a curse, you blush your cheeks and show signs of apology.

Your watercolor-like appearance, so lovely that I can’t help but love you, I hope only I can see it.

***

Under the bright moonlight coming through the window, Haji’s clear face shone vividly. Seojin, resting his head, watched Haji’s colorful breathing.

“Hoo. Uh…”

Just until a moment ago, Haji, who had been sleeping soundly, let out a painful groan. Her face crumpled, and her breathing became rapid.

Seojin, familiar with this, patted Haji’s back. He didn’t stop his soothing touch as he held the small body burrowing into his own.

Haji, who was making small sounds as if sobbing, started to toss and turn and grunt.

“Ha, ha, no…!”

As if having a terrible dream, Haji grabbed Seojin’s hem and repeatedly muttered that it wasn’t okay.

“Shh, it’s okay.”

Seojin softly murmured in Haji’s ear, repeating until her actions stopped.

“It’s okay, Haji, it’s okay.”

It’s not your fault.

After a long time of having a terrible dream, Haji slowly relaxed her expression, and her breathing became calm, so Seojin’s soothing also stopped.

The dawn was breaking outside the once dark window.

As always, Seojin confirmed Haji’s peaceful face before falling asleep.

I hope you’re not tormented.

I hope you don’t blame yourself.

I hope you trust me and give me a little bit of your burden.

Today, too, I pray my wish to the sky.