Chapter 7

“What did you say?”

“Sunbae, you’re so…!”

Annoying! The words didn’t come out.

The sudden approach of his shadow made her breath catch. The strong scent of mint tickled her nose.

“Seatbelt.”

Ziiip, as Seojin pulled the passenger seatbelt for her, Haji swallowed her breath.

“You could just say it.”

Her tone was almost stern. After checking Haji’s expression, Seojin took the wheel. The woman who would distance herself if he got closer.

“Tomorrow, what time are you planning to look at houses?”

“I plan to go out in the morning. I really don’t have much time left.”

“Make sure to look thoroughly.”

“I will.”

Seojin’s car found its way to Haji’s house effortlessly. Although he had used the navigation system once, it seemed he had already memorized the route.

“Thank you.”

Her farewell before getting out always seemed to keep a certain distance. Seojin watched her without saying anything.

“…”

A moment of silence passed between them, just as Haji was about to turn her head.

“Tomorrow.”

Seojin’s voice quietly filled the car.

“Shall I come with you?”

“Why?”

“I work in construction. I know houses well.”

Seojin’s casual self-promotion seemed out of place, making Haji ponder for a moment. His appeal had clearly worked.

“Well…”

“My family doesn’t know my address. Keep it a secret.”

Ah, I get it.

He seemed to imply it was a favor in return. Keeping his secret in exchange for helping her find a house.

“Alright. I’ll keep it a secret.”

As Haji agreed, Seojin’s eyes softened. He seemed to have been a bit tense.

“See you tomorrow.”

Click, as Haji got out of the car, Seojin let out a small sigh, as if he had been waiting for this.

You’re not easy. Nothing had changed from before. There was never anything simple about you.

***

The sunlight streaming through the window poked at Haji’s fair face. Even so, her eyes didn’t open easily.

Brrr, brrr. The phone on her bedside table vibrated for a long time before Haji frowned. Her hand fumbled around, searching for the phone until she finally found it.

“Hello?”

Her voice was slurred, not even opening her eyes. She had stayed up late browsing real estate websites.

‘Isn’t it time to get up?’

“Who…?”

Ah! With a short exclamation, Haji’s eyes snapped open.

Seeing Seojin’s name on the screen, she was startled twice, once by the caller and once by the time, as she jumped up.

“I’ll be out soon!”

Haji shouted into the phone and rushed to the bathroom. There wasn’t much time left before she had to meet the real estate agent she had contacted in advance.

Seojin, still holding the phone, could tell how flustered she was by her hurried shout and the fact she hadn’t hung up.

Slowly lowering the phone from his ear, Seojin turned to look at the building entrance where Haji would emerge.

“It’s been a while.”

After a while, Haji appeared, looking exhausted. Seojin turned his head, his expression indifferent as if he hadn’t been waiting.

“Sorry. Did you wait long?”

“Not really. Where should we go?”

“Oh, here.”

Showing him the address of the real estate agency, Haji subtly tried to hide her face. As Seojin started driving, Haji took out a hand mirror from her bag.

She hadn’t had a chance to check her appearance in her rush to leave.

It’s bothering me.

“You look pretty.”

“What?”

“I said you look pretty.”

“…”

Suppressing the tingle in her fingertips, Haji put the hand mirror back in her bag. She pressed her lower lip and turned her head to look out the car window.

***

It was the third house they visited.

Haji nodded as she carefully considered everything. Compared to the previous houses, the distance to the café and the size of the house were just right. Although it was an old villa, the security and water system were fine.

But I’m still a bit uneasy about choosing right now.

As if reading her mind, the agent spoke up.

“There aren’t many places of this size and price. You’ll need to decide quickly. Other people are scheduled to visit this evening.”

“I’ll take this one.”

The agent’s words pushed Haji to make a decision. She didn’t have many options with the urgent need for a house.

“Did you see everything?”

As Haji came out of the villa, Seojin, who had been on a call, asked. It seemed she had finished earlier than he expected.

“Yes, I’m going with this one.”

“Really?”

“The transportation is good, and the interior is nice.”

“That’s good.”

Seojin nodded as he looked around the villa. His expression seemed a bit off, though he didn’t show it to Haji.

“Thanks for today. You must be hungry. I’ll buy you lunch.”

Haji said, smiling brightly with relief. Seeing the sun setting, she felt grateful to Seojin for accompanying her since the morning.

“Well…”

“Shall I look for a place nearby?”

As Haji took out her phone, it vibrated as if on cue.

“Oh? Just a moment.”

Her expression changed from joy to confusion as she answered the call. She glanced at Seojin nervously.

“I’m out right now…”

From what Seojin could hear, it seemed someone wanted to meet her. There was only one person he knew who would suddenly ask to meet Haji.

“Sunbae, I’m really sorry but…”

Hanging up, Haji looked apologetic as she clasped her hands together. Her wide, pleading eyes looked pitiful.

What to do?

“Next time, I’ll definitely buy you lunch. Seonghee is at home.”

“Don’t forget you owe me a meal next time.”

“Yes! Of course! I promise!”

As Haji nodded vigorously, Seojin took a long look at the villa. Fine lines appeared on his previously smooth forehead.

***

Entering the house, the spicy aroma hit her nose. Seeing Seonghee sitting at the table after setting up the food, Haji smiled brightly.

“If you had told me earlier, I would have come sooner.”

“It’s fine. Did you come from work?”

“No, I was looking at houses.”

Haji saw the spicy jokbal from their favorite place on the table. She quickened her steps.

“You need to decide quickly.”

“I chose one today.”

“Really? We should have a housewarming party then. Anything you want?”

Seonghee seemed more excited about Haji’s move. Seeing Seonghee’s lips stained with red sauce and her sparkling eyes, Haji shook her head.

“Nothing special. My house is already full of things you’ve bought me.”

“That’s my happiness.”

Seeing Seonghee’s face light up while thinking about gifts, Haji shook her head.

Since graduating high school, Haji had moved from a tiny one-room to a larger place countless times, each time Seonghee had bought her appliances or furniture, making Haji feel burdened to receive more.

“What’s that?”

“It’s for you. I brought everything I’ve been saving to give you. It’s been a while since I came here, so it piled up.”

Seonghee proudly pointed to the pile of shopping bags behind her. She had never come empty-handed before, but today she seemed determined to bring a lot.

“Why did you bring so much? It must have been heavy.”

“Did I carry it? The car did.”

“Are they clothes?”

“Try them on. I brought some pieces I selected from my fashion shows.”

Surprised by the heap of clothes Seonghee had brought, Haji took a step back.

“Are they all mine…?”

Seonghee was a rising designer, sensitive to trends and bold in her choices. She was the opposite of Haji, who preferred simplicity.

“Of course. Let’s try them on.”

“Huh?”

“This will go well with this.”

Unlike the hesitant Haji, Seonghee had already planned Haji’s outfits, matching accessories to the clothes.

“See, it looks different, right? This should do. I’ll do your makeup that day.”

“Isn’t it too much? I’m not a model…”

While Seonghee looked satisfied, Haji found her reflection in the mirror unfamiliar. The silk pink dress swayed mid-thigh, revealing her pale legs, and the thin shoulder straps made her feel uneasy.

Predicting Haji’s reaction, Seonghee took out a light brown blazer. The oversized blazer covered Haji’s shoulders and thighs, highlighting her fair skin.

“It’s not too much at all. Sometimes you need to show off. Why hide such soft, white skin?”

“Ah! Stop it. It tickles.”

Haji shrieked and laughed as she dodged Seonghee’s playful hands on her shoulders.

“You look beautiful. Don’t worry and wear this that day. Got it?”

“Got it.”

As Haji nodded, Seonghee picked up a box.

“These are face masks. They’re popular among models lately, so I bought some. I haven’t tried them yet, but good things are meant to be shared.”

“Thanks. If models use them, they must be good. I’ll use them well.”

“Try it the night before an important day. It’ll make your skin glow.”

“Alright.”

After chatting with Seonghee, Haji looked around her house. The house, already cluttered with moving boxes, was now filled with the things Seonghee had brought.

“I need to book a moving company.”

With moving day just five days away, there was no time to waste.

***

It was more chaotic than usual. Handling orders and making drinks alone, Haji was on the verge of burnout.

“Order up!”

“Just a moment. Here you go.”

Before work, Sehee had called to say she had the flu. Telling her to rest well, Haji found herself overwhelmed, especially with the event happening nearby, increasing orders several times over.

Am I going to get rich…?

She consoled herself, not stopping for a moment.

“The drink is wrong.”

“Oh! I’m sorry. I’ll remake it.”

Mistakes were frequent in her chaotic state.

Time flew without her even realizing it. As the crowd dwindled, it was already evening.

“What a day…”

She slumped into a chair, briefly gazing at the streetlights outside through the large glass window.

“Ugh!”

Now she had to deal with the trash. The amount of trash matched the number of customers she had served throughout the day.

“Hmp! Ugh!”

Haji struggled to lift the large trash bag, bigger than herself. If Sehee had been there, she would have taken it out once in the middle of the day, but today, she couldn’t. Carrying the large amount of trash made her progress slow.

“Hmpt! Oh?”

It was when she was putting all her strength into it. Suddenly, her hands felt light. Despite putting all her strength into it, she couldn’t feel any weight at all.

“Can I help you with that? It looks too heavy.”

“What? Oh, um…”

“I’m Lee Hyeseong. I’m from the Research Planning Team.”

Hyesung showed his employee ID hanging around his neck to avoid any misunderstanding. Haji recognized him as a regular at the café and knew he worked in the building.

The pile of trash that had been slipping off her shoulder was now effortlessly held by Hyeseong, who looked like it was nothing. His large frame made it seem easy.

“Thank you. You made it so much easier.”

“I’m glad.”

“I’ll treat you to coffee next time you come by.”

Thanks to Hyeseong, Haji quickly dealt with the trash and felt lighter on her feet. It seemed like the day was finally coming to an end. The two were walking side by side towards the building entrance.

“The colleague you usually work with wasn’t here today…”

“She couldn’t come because she has the flu.”

“Oh dear…”

‘Honk!’

As they reached the entrance, a loud horn echoed through the building. The empty building, already past office hours, reverberated with the sound.

Haji’s eyes widened at the sudden noise. The driver’s seat of the familiar car parked at the entrance swung open. Seojin, who never had a gentle expression to begin with, stepped out, exuding cold air. His gaze at Haji and Hyeseong was anything but ordinary.

Why is he angry?

It felt like he was cursing with his eyes. Even though she hadn’t done anything wrong, Haji felt intimidated by his glare.

“Ahn Haji.”

“Yes?”

At the low voice, Haji instinctively straightened her back and stood at attention.