âA boyfriend? Awesome! I thought he was some kind of celebrity!â
Hyejin approached with her eyes wide open, and all the old ladies around muttered with a face as if they knew it.
âLook⊠I told you itâs a boyfriend?â
âThere is no such thing as a male friend.â
âItâs impossible for a man and a woman to sit together after the age of seven. Ah.â
Ha.
I wonder if this is right.
I hurriedly spoke in a voice that only Woohyun could hear.
âBecause that kid is a member of Woo Destiny. So, in case you get into troubleâŠI donât think she can think of your name right away if I say youâre my boyfriend.â
Han Woohyun froze for a moment as if he could hear me, and Hyejin glanced at Han Woohyun as if she was curious.
âWow, how can a normal person be so tall? He looks so handsomeâŠ! Perhaps, is Unnieâs boyfriend Instagram Star? Ha, should I leave Woo Destiny and join this side? Whatâs with that beauty? What do you eat to become so pretty? Yes?â
âŠThis side also has a lot of silly comments.
Friendliness is great too.
It was then.
Suddenly, Han Woohyunâs hand grabbed my shoulder.
Han Woohyun made me stick to him, and he answered Hyejin with a nonchalant face.
âThis Unnie is prettier. So ask this side.â
�!?!
Hyejin, who heard that, covered her mouth with astonished eyes.
It was the same for me.
âYou tear it, really.â
Hyejin laughed.
âHereâs the water.â
Han Woohyun sat down again as if nothing had happened and began to talk to the merchants.
It was⊠an absolute mess.
***
How long did the drinking party last?
Han Woohyun quietly left the drinking party after drinking alcohol for the first time since he awakened.
When he opened the hotel door and left, a quite cold sea breeze greeted him now.
âItâs refreshing.â
He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the old exterior of the Yeongchun Hotel.
It is an incredible place to look and see.
In many ways.
Rustle.
As he walked near the street lamp, he peeled off the lollipop he was carrying in his pocket and put it in his mouth.
As the sweet scent spread, he felt like he was a little sober.
ââŠdo you want a light?â
It was then.
Someone he hadnât seen under the street lamp looked up at him and pushed the lighter in.
ââŠ.?â
When he looked down, it was the head of the womenâs association.
She seemed to have been squatting and smoking.
âN, itâs fine.â
He showed her the candy he was eating.
ââŠ.?â
The head of the womenâs association looked up at him with a strange expression.
âHa⊠Unlike how people see it⊠Itâs cuteâŠâ
Cute?
Han Woohyun froze for a moment at the words he heard for the first time in his life, then squatted down next to the head of the womenâs association.
The head of the womenâs association gave him a âshhâ look.
âMy daughter hates me smoking. Itâs a secret.â
âAh, yes.â
Han Woohyun nodded.
Han Woohyun and the head of the womenâs association sat silently for a while.
ââŠ.â
ââŠ.â
It was the head of the womenâs association who broke the silence.
âWhy arenât you going in? You think Iâll be lonely?â
ââŠ.â
âI have a lot on my mind. t doesnât look like Iâve had that many worries in my life, considering my appearance and expectationsâŠâ
Han Woohyun, who didnât understand what it meant, was drunk and only laughed.
âAre you slow with Yeongchunjang because you have a lot on your mindâŠ?â
With Junghyo?
JunghyoâŠ
Lee JunghyoâŠ
Han Woohyun sighed after reflecting on the name a few times. White steam came out.
âI⊠like Junghyo.â
âI know.â
ââŠHow do you know?â
Han Woohyun was surprised.
âEveryone in there would know?â
However, the head of the womenâs association also looked surprised.
âAh. Junghyo lied that she was dating meâŠ.â
âNo. Not because of that.â
The head of the womenâs association waved her hand.
âYou keep watching her. When Yeongchunjang goes to draw water or no matter what Yeongchunjang says to the guests, there is always Yeongchunjang at the end of your gaze. We would have aged in vain if we didnât know that.â
At those words, Han Woohyun blushed and washed his face dry.
ââŠItâs become a habit to just watch.â
âWhy?â
The head of the womenâs association dropped a cigarette and took out a new one.
Han Woohyun, who saw it, accepted the cigarette pack and lit it with a lighter.
âJust because. As you can see, I donât have the talent to get close to anyone. I never did. Because I failed when I tried.â
Han Woohyun turned off his cell phone.
However, it was clear that there was a text message on his cell phone and that his Aunt had been talking about something in the apartment lobby.
âHow did I raise you? Can you do this to the people who raised you?â
But it was clear that his Aunt had sent him a text message about what she had been talking about in the apartment lobby.
He didnât mind when his Uncle said that.
But his AuntâŠ
His Aunt, who was shaking and crying next to young Han Woohyun, who was kicked out bare in the cold winterâ.
Despite their poor circumstances, she couldnât send him to an orphanage, and his aunt raised him despite his uncleâs objectionsâ.
He didnât even know that person had the qualifications to say that.
Thatâs why he always listened to such words like that.
It was Han Woohyun who couldnât keep his promises to be happy together and to make sure to give her a good rest later.
Because it was on my side that broke our once-solid solidarity.
âHeâs not even as good as a dog.â
âEven dogs wag their tails at the owner who raised them.â
âIf Uncle goes to jail, Iâll go out and die.â
He thought it was the last thing to be covered in blood in front of so many sharp wordsâ.
âIâll let you run away.â
The moment he heard Junghyoâs words, all his patience ran out.
After all, it was because of what you said, not anyone else.
You are always in my escape.
ââŠBlack cat.â
Itâs understandable that people say that Junghyo looks like a cat.
An elegant cat that sometimes just watches silently without even knowing itâs there, but when itâs absolutely necessary, it casually comes up to you with a haughty step and does what it needs to do.
A person who becomes a sanctuary for anyone with that small body.
That was Lee Junghyo.
Like that, Junghyo has always been a resting place for me, but to Junghyo, I⊠What can I be?
âI donât even know what to do to get closer⊠I donât even know what to do.â
âYou donât need to do anything⊠right?â
The head of the womenâs association scratched her neck and asked.
âYes?â
âThe old people gathered here today. A young man whose name I donât even know listens to us and drinks with us, so it was fun enough.â
ââŠ.â
âThose children. I think itâs nice to give gifts on holidays, but what we really need is someone to listen to us and pour us a drink.
There was bitterness in the head of the womenâs associationâs eyes.
However, she smiled again and pointed to Han Woohyun, who was squatting with her.
âJust sitting close like this gets you closer. Is there any other way to get closer? Donât you think so?â
ââŠ.â
Han Woohyun didnât answer.
* * *
When a box of soju is gone.
After all the other merchants returned home, the head of the womenâs association was drunk and slept and returned to Yonggung Sashimi Restaurant with the help of Han Woohyun.
The head of the womenâs association said this while stroking Hyejinâs hair, who was sitting next to her and watching YouTube intently, and smiling broadly until the very end.
âItâs great that so many young people come to Yeongchun-myeon. I love it. I was lonely because I was alone. And what about this coffee? Huh? Where else can an old person like us eat something like this?â
The head of the womenâs association laughed and pointed to the Americano I gave her.
âItâs the first time Iâve tried it, and itâs bitter, but itâs really good~.â
âBecause our coffee has no caffeine awakening effect.â
Miyeon didnât miss the time and worked on marketing, and the head of the womenâs association, who was watching her daughter, clicked her tongue.
âIâm a businessman too, but youâre too much.â
âI learned it from my mother. Like mother like daughter~.â
âAnyway, talking back!â
I laughed as I watched the conversation between the mother and daughter.
The mothers and daughters, Han Woohyun, and Hyejin, headed for Yonggung Sashimi Restaurant.
The head of the womenâs association arrived at the Yonggung Sashimi Restaurant after being carried by Han Woohyun, and Miyeon, who had been blaming her mother for being absurd, went to Hyeyuâs room to soothe the waking Hyeyu.
Hyejin also went to that room.
In the meantime, we gave water to the drunk head of the womenâs association.
âWow⊠The water tastes good.â
âAre you okay?â
âYes, itâs fine. The owner of the sashimi restaurant is not drunk because she drank this much soju. Itâs because Miyeon made a mess.â
After saying that, the old lady shook her head.
âShould I just change it? That guy?â
âWhat? With whom?â
âWith this young man here. I like him. Be my son.â
Han Woohyun hesitated for a while at what the head of the womenâs association said while pointing to Han Woohyun.
Then, the head of the womenâs association smiled and fell on the floor.
âIâm just saying. What are you surprised about? I just want you to come down here and have a drink once in a while.â
ââŠCan I?â
At Han Woohyunâs words, the head of the womenâs association laughed.
âOf course, you can. What do you mean?â
The head of the womenâs association reached out and messed up Han Woohyunâs hair.
At that time, Miyeon called Han Woohyun.
âCome down and drink.â
Han Woohyun put on a blank face for a moment, then left the room first, saying he would go.
I saw it and took out a blanket from Auntâs closet.
At that time, Aunt reached for her jacket.
âHere you go.â
âUgh. thank you. I think I left my cigarettes hereâŠ.â
Aunt rustled something in her pocket and laughed at what she took out.
It was a pile of lollipops.
She looked down at it, then said to me with a serious face.
âYou know youâre in trouble if you just ignore what an old person says, right?â
ââŠ.?â
âThat young man. Definitely take him. Okay?â
I thought for a moment, not knowing how to respond to that.
âWell, I actually picked him up today as well.â
âThatâs. Itâs actually because I picked him up today.â
I said, thinking back to the time I dragged him by the arm from the apartment complex.
âHuh?â
âShould I say I kidnapped him to our hotel before others took him away?â
At my words, the head of the womenâs association made a puzzled face but soon burst into laughter.