He saved her as âFrench Literature Ryu Jihyeâ and put his phone back in his bag.
âDo you know my name?â
âItâs Jihye.â
âOh⌠I thought you wouldnât know.â
It sounded like Jihye was testing Sangwooâs memory.
Sangwoo and Jihye were lined up in front of the restaurant a little after 6pm. Sangwoo had never wasted time waiting for something so futile as eating, but he thought he could endure it just this once.
âI think thereâs a seat. Letâs enter.â
When the employee opened the huge door on the second floor, there was a rattling sound from the bell. As soon as he entered the expansive restaurant, Sangwoo looked around everywhere. All tables were occupied and there were three waiters walking around in black aprons.
Jang Jaeyoung was taking orders from a table far away from Sangwoo. The handwritten letters on the memo had to be so messy that nothing else could be recognized. Jaeyoung wrote everything down and put the memo in the pocket of his apron. When he turned towards Sangwooâs direction, Sangwoo thought that they had made eye contact. However, he seemed to have been mistaken as Jaeyoung quickly walked into the kitchen.
ââŚâ
He must have been naĂŻve to have thought Jaeyoung would come so far just to take their order, like last time. An unknown man came to their table and asked to take their order. Jihye ordered pasta vongole, and Sangwoo ordered whatever was on the very top of the menu.
âOppa, you seem to like seafood. You got lobster last time,â Jihye said while smiling after the part-time worker had left.
âWhat?â
âYou ordered pasta with musselsâŚIsnât that only for people who know what theyâre doing? I noticed it again.â
âWhat the hell is she talking about?â
Sangwoo was busy looking around for Jaeyoung, so he wasnât paying attention. It was impossible to answer all Jihyeâs questions at the same time. Then, he saw Jaeyoung leave the kitchen and head for the exit. If he left with an apron on, it meant that he was going to run a quick errand. Did he have something urgent come up? Had he seen them and was avoiding him?
The food was being served while he was wasting time worrying about a question that he wasnât able to answer. Jihye got regular spaghetti, but Sangwooâs entire plate was filled with red soup with mussels. Sangwoo wasnât fussy about food, but he thought it was annoying to eat something he would have to deshell. He started eating after he was forced to pick the mussels out with a spoon and a fork.
âIs it delicious?â Jihye asked.
âNo.â
âIâm sorry.â
Sangwoo kept glancing at the door throughout their meal. Jaeyoung still hadnât returned even after Sangwoo had deshelled about half of the mussels and put them in his mouth, as if it were a task. Sangwoo was so bothered that he couldnât stand it anymore. Jihye looked surprised when he got up.
âWhere are you going, oppa?â
âIâll just go outside for a minute.â
âYouâre just gonna leave me behind again, arenât you!â
âIâll leave my wallet here.â
Jihye was a kind kid, but she was filled with suspicion. Sangwoo left his wallet as her hostage and got out of his seat. His steps got increasingly faster after he left through the door. He ran down the stairs, and as soon as he left the building, he stopped completely.
It was a dark place, but he could spot him in a second. Jaeyoung was leaning against the side of the building and smoking while talking to someone on the phone. Sangwooâs chest started pounding as he saw him. This was the bad guy who had broken down his daily life and who had become an error that ate into his body.
How long had he been looking at him? The shadow fell, and only dark eyes were looked at Sangwoo. Jaeyoung narrowed his eyes as if he were in a single-frame scene of a Noir game.
âIâm planning on doing it for the time being⌠Iâm on a quick break right nowâŚâ
For a moment, Sangwoo thought that he might hang up and maybe talk to him. Thatâs what the glance he gave him seemed like.
âNo, Iâm not busy right now so tell me.â
However, Jaeyoung took his eyes off Sangwoo, and he simply held the cigarette that was between his fingers and put it to his mouth. He looked at his wristwatch while holding the cell phone between his ear and shoulder.
âJaeyoung sunbae,â Sangwoo spat out.
Jaeyoungâs eyes, which were gazing at the wall, slowly returned towards him. Sangwoo made eye contact with Jaeyoung.
âTell them that youâre busy and hang up. I have something important to tell you.â