Chapter 50 – Non-Daily Life Becoming Routine (4)
1.
Monday, the last day of April. The evening air that surrounds my body is very cozy.
However, Hyeji’s heart as she left the store door was not as warm as the weather.
Normally, I would have gone to meet Hyunwoo with brisk steps, but today my steps were particularly heavy.
It was partly because organizing the store, which I had been working on all morning, was exhausting, but that wasn’t the only reason.
‘Did I do something wrong?’
Hyeji was lost in her thoughts as she walked down the stairs of the subway station. At first, she thought it was just her mood, but now she was vaguely aware.
Since yesterday, people’s attitudes have become strangely cold. Unless she was an idiot, there was no way she wouldn’t feel that temperature difference.
In particular, the meaningful words that her manager said to her when she left work.
They told me to leave work comfortably from tomorrow without having to leave a greeting.
‘We’re not that close anymore, right? ‘Okay?’
The manager added to the hesitant Hyeji that they do not have a close relationship.
Because she spoke with a smiling face, it seemed like she was being polite at first glance.
The more I think about it, the more it doesn’t make sense.
How hard was the manager towards him today? And now that we’re not in a solid relationship…
If those words sounded like she was telling me not to say hello from now on and just shut up, was she just mistaken?
As she listened to the manager, she noticed that there was a bone in her words, but she did not have the courage to question it. All she could do was feel sad and grieve because of the subtle sarcasm.
“Ugh…”
My current complicated feelings are expressed in a deep sigh. No matter how hard you try to shake off her thoughts, the worries keep coming.
If you think about it, it wasn’t just the manager. Jiyoung was like that too.
She came in after lunch and carefully handed me a few pieces of Dream Cacao, but she refused, saying that she had already brushed her teeth. Although she held out her courageous hand, it became meaningless in an instant.
I don’t know if it was because she was really brushing her teeth or for some other reason, but I couldn’t help but notice that she seemed to be avoiding me all day long.
“Haaaaa…”
Her sighing became louder as she waited for the subway.
Somehow I feel like I am becoming more and more alone. At her first job, her ex-boyfriend was a kind of stepping stone for her because she was awkward in many ways in social life, but now she has no one to do that for her.
In fact, if you think about it, it was only an exception at that time, and running away from the crowd was actually more common.
Hyeji’s timid personality, always discouraged by the poor family environment of living alone with her grandmother, always made Hyeji alone, regardless of her intentions.
Therefore, the current situation is not that unfamiliar. The neglect and indifference of the people who always followed her like a label came to visit her again.
But. Anyway.
Rejecting her with a scared face still breaks my heart even as an adult. Just because she’s used to being ignored doesn’t mean she’s become numb to her sadness.
Heji almost burst into tears as she got on the subway, but she held back her tears as she remembered Hyunwoo, whom she was to meet soon.
She couldn’t stand it because she wanted to hear Hyunwoo’s voice. In the past, she would have cried in her grandmother’s arms, but now the only person who would listen to her story was her brother.
As her desire to see Hyunwoo grew, she got off the subway and walked faster.
The place we decided to meet was in front of Exit 3 of Seoul National University Station.
She must have arrived first, but when she looked around, she couldn’t see her brother.
Just when she thought she should call and ask where she was.
A man walking from afar caught Heji’s eyes.
A man with a tall, straight body who looks great wearing a leather jumper. Anyone could see that it was my older brother.
Is it because it’s our first date? I could feel from afar that a lot of effort had been put into his clothes and hair. His heart pounded at the sight, and as he stood still, Hyunwoo’s face got closer and closer.
Hyun-woo walks forward and holds Hye-ji in his arms. A heavy woody perfume emanated from his body.
“I missed you, Hyeji. “I’m sorry I’m a little late.”
“I… I missed you too, brother. My boyfriend looks really cool today!”
Hyeji was hugged by Hyunwoo, and she gently kissed him on the lips.
Yes, I had an older brother now. There was one person he loved more than anyone else.
During my school days, old and tattered school uniforms and a tight budget for transportation turned even ordinary friendships into a luxury.
It is not the love of now.
Our breaths touch each other at a distance of less than a span.
Hyeji closed her eyes, savoring the love she held in her own hands.
Spring comes to her gloomy heart. A smile bloomed on her face.
2.
Hyeonwoo walked with Hyeji holding her hand and smiled.
She was a woman who was drinking urine and squeezing just last night, but seeing her outside like this made her look new again. The gap between yesterday and now is strangely exciting for her.
It’s like watching a child scold you harshly, but if you treat them a little better, they start shaking.
Since it was her first date, I dressed up, but other than that, I didn’t prepare anything special.
I just plan to eat together and do some shopping.
Her Podo Mall at Sillim Station was a better place for her date, but she didn’t bother to call her at the Seoul National University entrance area because she didn’t want to move around.
Since Hyunwoo’s house was located in Cheongnyong-dong between the Seoul National University entrance area and Bongcheon General Market, it was much more convenient to meet her for the first date at the Laboum outlet in front of her house than to go all the way to Sillim Station.
And she was a woman I liked just walking down the street with, no matter where she was or what she was doing.
Even now she was clinging to her side like a leech.
“Oppa~ My oppa~ The perfume smells so good.”
“Looks like we had a hard time today too. Why are you acting so foolish?”
Hyunwoo wrapped his arms around her whining shoulders and pulled her closer.
She wasn’t going to hesitate at all if it meant acting as her ideal boyfriend.
Since yesterday’s play was harsh, today should have been a turn for rest.
In fact, strictly speaking, the word “Rest” Might not be appropriate for her.
I think it would be more appropriate to call it a warm-up or warm-up before breaking your heart even further.
For Hyunwoo, her current acting was just one of the processes that destroyed her.
“I had a really hard time today. Do you smell like sweat? I don’t know how many boxes I carried.”
Hyeji whined as she spoke and then frowned slightly. It was because she remembered the discord at work that she had forgotten for a while.
“Besides that, there was something else that was difficult… I’ll tell you all about it later over dinner. Please listen to it, too.”
Hyunwoo nodded his head as if he understood and got into the elevator with her.
Today’s dinner is Ashley located at Laboum Outlet. Because she was located on a fairly high floor, she could see the view from the window.
Perhaps because it was a Monday evening, there was no wait.
“Weekday dinner for two, right? Meal time is two hours from now. Is there anything else you need?”
“No. Thank you.”
She briefly thanked the part-timer who showed her to her seat and headed straight to the salad bar.
Perhaps because it was Ashley W and not Ashley Queens, the variety of food was limited. Hyunwoo didn’t see much food to eat, but Hyeji was smiling brightly as to what was so exciting.
“Wow… There’s pizza here too!”
Then, perhaps because the wood-fired pizza corner located in the corner was amazing, he smiled brightly, showing his pure white teeth.
Is this my first time at a place like this, or is it just my first time at this location?
When you see her sometimes, she is a woman with a child-like innocence. Just like now, she is happy and excited about small things.
The innocence that was steadfastly preserved despite poverty and domestic violence. Hyunwoo really liked that innocence.
Just as the feeling of walking on pure white snow that no one has stepped on is special, trampling on innocence that has not been tainted by anything is quite special.
“That’s right. There’s pizza you like too. I’ll bring pizza and pasta, so you can bring whatever else you want to eat.”
Hyunwoo roughly put food she might like on a plate and returned to his seat. As she waited for a moment, she saw Hyeji slowly walking over with a plate.
Her plate on the table is full of cakes, puddings, fruits, etc.
“Honey, can you eat that and eat it? Let’s eat dessert first and eat it later.”
“Oh, of course I’ll eat this and eat some more. If I come to a place like this, I’ll get my money’s worth!”
Hyeji shouts out brightly with a voice full of motivation. Hyunwoo burst into laughter. Her innocent appearance wasn’t all bad.
“You don’t have to pay the full amount. I’ll buy it for you, so eat without thinking about money. If you eat a lot, you’ll get sick of it, right?”
“Really? You bought the pizza yesterday. I was planning to buy it for dinner tonight…”
“Does it matter who buys it? Those who have money buy it. You say you have no money because it’s the end of the month. Just say thank you and eat.”
Hehe… Yes! Thank you! I’ll enjoy it!”
Hyeji ate the pizza from Hyunwoo’s plate and kept muttering that it was delicious. Even after that, her chattering never stopped.
Workplace stories pouring out of a small mouth. Things the manager mumbles and says blah blah blah.
It’s quite annoying for Hyeon-woo to listen to her stories that don’t interest her, but he treats her like the first day they met.
“You’re a yellow bitch. Are you saying that just because the youngest member came in, you’re trying to overpower me?”
“I don’t know. If I’m wrong, I’ll just say it out loud. I feel terrible when people secretly pick on people.”
“Yes, he is a strange person.”
“Right? Oh, and do you remember Jiyoung, who I met yesterday? She used to come home from work with me. No, she too…”
Hyeji’s complaints continue. As she listened quietly, Hyunwoo also gradually became interested.
I couldn’t find out the details, but it seemed like she had quite a bit of trouble at work. The more I listen to her story, the more memories of her time in the military come to mind.
When a new soldier was transferred in, his every move would be talked about by all members of the unit.
In the process, even small mistakes were greatly exaggerated, and rumors spread throughout the unit that new recruits with no sense had arrived, and the new recruits who were the protagonists of the rumors were often followed by unreasonable greed and blaming.
Hyeji’s current situation seemed similar to that. I don’t know what her mistake was, but if systematic bullying started overnight, the atmosphere in the store seems to be as closed as the military.
In Hyunwoo’s eyes, the manager seemed to be the main culprit in everything.
I learned from my time in the military that if one person of poor quality leads the way, it only takes a moment for a public enemy to be created. If it was someone with some influence, like a manager, there was no need to say anything.
That’s why.
I express my gratitude from the bottom of my heart to the faceless manager.
I don’t know the details, but isn’t this an excellent assist? If she is isolated even at work, the only person she can rely on is herself.
Contrary to his true feelings, Hyunwoo sympathized with her complaints to some extent.
“That person is a bit too much. I’ll just accept some chocolate.”
“Right? He just coldly refused and didn’t talk to me again after that. That made me a little sad.”
Hyeji’s face gradually darkened, as if she was remembering the situation at that time.
Hyunwoo was glad to see her melancholy after a long time.
A relationship that started from the beginning by alleviating loneliness.
She was quick to keep her mouth shut, knowing full well that her outbursts were an opportunity to strengthen his trust and dependence.
“Just tell that kind of mean person to go away. Even if he’s not there, I’m still there, right? You know I’m on his side unconditionally, right?”
“That’s right… Because I have an older brother! All I need is my older brother. I don’t need anything else.”
She shows her blind dependence without even saying a few words. Hyunwoo was satisfied with her and asked her again.
“Really? Do you love me that much? Do you really just need me?”
“Of course. I really, really love you so much. If it wasn’t for you, I might have been crying all alone today. I think I’m really lucky that I have you. My brother and I are truly destined.”
Has she already forgotten yesterday’s atrocities, or is her subconscious trying to ignore them? It was amazing that Hye-ji still spoke of her love after going through so many hardships.
And fate.
The woman in front of her said such harsh words to her mouth that it made her ears tingle.
In Hyun-woo’s view, her fate was truly bizarre. With everything around her isolating her, the only person she can rely on is herself.
Isn’t it literally no different from a lamb thrown before the wolves?
It’s so funny that he’s the only one talking about his fate without knowing the circumstances, it makes me burst out laughing just looking at him.
At this rate, he even thinks that her fate is to become his sex slave.
“I think so too. We are meant to be. That’s right, honey… You are my destiny. I love you too.”
Hyunwoo looked at her and smiled so brightly that her eyes were dazzling.
If this is her fate. I was willing to submit to that fate.
