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“Wow!” Seok Kang-Ho exclaimed in delight as he ate more meat. He had just downed his beer in one go. Despite how much he ate, he neither suffered from indigestion nor gained weight. That was a talent in itself.
Meanwhile, Kang Chan felt relieved for finally getting to drink alcohol after so long.
“I know it’s a little boring, but I need you to hang in there for just a bit longer,” Kang Chan said after Seok Kang-Ho ordered another bottle of beer.
As Kang Chan tried his best to move the cooked meat on the grill away from the heat, Seok Kang-Ho put raw ones in the middle of the grill.
“I’m still looking into buying a building, but once I’ve bought one, we can use it as an office in the mornings. We can also work out and eat lunch there. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?” Kang Chan continued.
“Phuhuhu.” Seok Kang-Ho held up his glass, initiating a toast.
Clink!
The beer swayed a little as they clinked their glasses.
“Wow! This is nice!” Seok Kang-Ho exclaimed.
Seok Kang-Ho seemed too busy eating, so Kang Chan poured them alcohol this time.
“I don’t want anything else right now. We got to meet again, so I don’t feel lonely, and we can also participate in operations every now and then,” Seok Kang-Ho commented.
As they downed another round of bomb shots, the meat in the middle of the grill began to smoke.
“Gasp! The meat is burning.” A middle-aged woman approached them, skillfully turned the meat over, and cut off the burnt parts. Before walking away, she first put the meat away from the heat to make it easier to eat.
“This is going to sound funny, but…” Seok Kang-Ho observed Kang Chan’s expression. “I’ve been feeling anxious lately.”
“Why would you go on operations while feeling that way?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Kang Chan silently waited for Seok Kang-Ho to continue.
“I’ve just been constantly thinking about what I should do if you suddenly disappeared or if something bad happens to you. What should I do if I suddenly find myself all alone? If you’re killed right in front of me again? Do you ever get worried about someone when you’re not with them and feel relieved when they’re around?”
Kang Chan couldn’t help but smirk. “Want me to hit you? Stop spouting nonsense and just keep drinking. The meat got all burnt because of your nonsense.”
Seok Kang-Ho took the meat and ate it as quickly as Kang Chan turned the meat over.
“Now that you mention it, I was worried you would get killed during our last operation,” Kang Chan said.
“Jeez! You were overreacting with that one! Did you really think those worthless bastards could kill me?”
Kang Chan couldn’t help but laugh so hard it sounded as if he was sobbing.
If the Spestnaz and the SBS heard what Seok Kang-Ho had just said, only death could have stopped them from attacking him or jumping off a cliff.
“I’ll buy a building as soon as I can. Anyway, I think it would be best for us to stick together,” Kang Chan commented.
“Sure.”
After having doengjang-jjigae and rice, they went to a nearby specialty coffee shop.
They ordered two cups of hot coffee and sat on the terrace since they were allowed to smoke there.
“This is quite nice!” Seok Kang-Ho commented.
Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original.
“Why’s that? Are you not anxious now?”
“As I said earlier, I feel fine when I’m with you! And get rid of that look in your eyes. You’ll scare the other customers.”
“Will you keep pretending like you’re completely normal?”
They both laughed at Kang Chan’s remark even though it was not really anything special.
“What are you going to do now?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.
“I’m not sure. I told everyone that I’ll be resting for the time being.”
“Should we run away and stay somewhere else for about three days?”
“Run away?”
Seok Kang-Ho grinned. “Let’s disappear for around three days. Phuhuhu, wouldn’t that turn lots of things upside down?”
Kang Chan burst out laughing. That would make Jeon Dae-Geuk jump up so high he would touch the ceiling of his patient room and Kim Hyung-Jung search for them all over the country despite his injuries.
“We shouldn’t. That would get Jong-Il scolded even though he didn’t do anything wrong,” Kang Chan said.
The two snickered while smoking.
Right now, they were behaving the way they normally did the day after they had completed an operation in Africa. Back then, if they didn’t suffer any casualties, they would drink to their heart’s content. Gerard would also sometimes butt into their conversation only to back off after getting sworn at by Dayeru.
“It’s good to be alive,” Kang Chan said.
“That’s right!” Seok Kang-Ho grinned.
An hour quickly passed by as they drank coffee and smoked. Kang Chan felt the same way he did before he reincarnated.
Kang Chan held up his phone and checked the time. It was almost 9 pm.
“We should go home.”
“Don’t go home yet. Why not go to Mi-Young’s hagwon first?” Seok Kang-Ho suggested.
“What?”
“Mi-Young’s hagwon. She would definitely love to see you waiting for her in front of her hagwon to walk her home. Seeing her would get your eyes to relax too.”
Kang Chan drank coffee while smirking. He could certainly go, especially since it wouldn’t really inconvenience him that much even if she had already left by the time he arrived. However, he didn’t want to meet her just to get his eyes to relax. If he did wait for him, it had to be because he really wanted to see her.
“You really have no idea how to surprise people!” Seok Kang-Ho exclaimed.
“Mind your own business.”
“Huh? Why are you saying that to me? Despite how I act around you, I’m amazing when I go home.”
“I got it, so let’s go already!”
They no longer smelled like alcohol, so they could definitely go home now.
Buzz— Buzz—Buzz—. Buzz— Buzz—Buzz—. Buzz— Buzz—Buzz—.
Just as they were about to clean up after themselves, Michelle’s name popped up on Kang Chan’s phone.
“Hello?”
- Channy, did you see the drama today?
“Ah, shoot! Sorry, I couldn’t watch it. I’ve been out all day.”
- That’s too bad. We got extremely positive reactions to today’s episode.
“Really? That’s good.”
- Where are you? Are you busy?
Kang Chan knew that she wanted to see him, but he thought it wouldn't be right to see her while he had so much spite in him.
“I can’t meet with you today. Is something going on?”
- I found a building that meets your requirements. I would love to check it out with you if you have time tomorrow.
“I’ll call you tomorrow morning.”
- Alright. I’ll see you then.
Kang Chan put his phone down. Seok Kang-Ho glanced at him.
“Was that the lady named Michelle?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.
“Yeah.”
“Today’s an amazing day to go on a date with her. Why are you acting like you often did back in Africa?”
“That’s not it. She just informed me that she found a good building for us on the market. I’ll check it out tomorrow.”
Seok Kang-Ho just nodded in response.
“Let’s go home.”
“Sure. Let me just smoke one more cigarette.” As Seok Kang-Ho picked up a cigarette…
Buzz— Buzz—Buzz—.
Kang Chan received a text. When he checked it, he couldn’t help but smile.
[I miss you.]
As Seok Kang-Ho bit on a cigarette, his eyes alternated between Kang Chan and his phone. He seemed to be growing suspicious.
Kang Chan immediately called Kim Mi-Young.
- Hello!
“Where are you?”
- I’m at hagwon.
“Have you had dinner?”
- I have. Are you busy today?
“No, I’m not.”
Seok Kang-Ho looked somewhere else while grinning.
- My classes will finish in an hour. We have French class today. I was reminded of you when I saw our cool teacher, so I thought I should text you.
“Want me to come over?”
- Really?
“Whoo!” Seok Kang-Ho loudly exhaled cigarette smoke. It was as if he wanted Kim Mi-Young to hear him.
That bastard!
Seok Kang-Ho then pointed at the end of his eye with his index finger, then moved it up and down. He seemed to be saying that the spite in Kang Chan’s eyes was disappearing.
- I’m at Daechi-dong. If you want, we can meet at the ice cream shop after my hagwon.
“Alright.”
- Phuhuhu.
When Kang Chan put his phone down, Seok Kang-Ho looked at Kang Chan with narrowed eyes.
“What?” Kang Chan took out a cigarette since he still had some time left.
“I didn’t know you had such a side. ‘Want me to come over?’ Whew!” Seok Kang-Ho laughed loudly after imitating Kang Chan. “That’s good for you, though. You should always use some of your time for yourself like this. Doesn’t it make you feel better?”
Kang Chan lit up a cigarette, then had a sip of coffee, which was now cold.
“I can totally tell that you like her now that I’ve listened to you talking to her. Why can’t you make the first move and ask her to meet up with you?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.
“Why can’t I do what?” Kang Chan responded bluntly. He knew Seok Kang-Ho was right, though. Smirking, he told him what was on his mind.
“Jeez! What the hell?” Seok Kang-Ho said afterward.
“What’s wrong?”
“You don’t look like it, but you’re really square with girl problems. Even though Mi-Young genuinely likes you, you’re still planning on taking a step back and saying ‘I’ll accept you’re still the same next year’?”
“Not exactly.” Kang Chan dropped his cigarette into the used coffee grounds, then drank the rest of his coffee.
“How is it different? People are allowed to break up, you know. Who in this world can be sure that the one they’re dating right now would never change for the rest of their lives?”
Kang Chan blankly looked at Seok Kang-Ho. He couldn’t help but wonder if the fucker had always been that good at talking. Either way, Seok Kang-Ho had such a great point that he couldn’t help but be swayed a little.
Kang Chan had no idea what to say.
“Let’s go,” Seok Kang-Ho said.
Kang Chan stood up.