Chapter 3

Eun-Yul leaned against the door and stuck his head to the side, looking around the store. It was to see if Kang Ha-Joon had left or was still present.

‘I don’t think there is anyone…….’

A small face also peeped out near Eun-Yul’s waist. The little face bit the ice cream and copied his dad. He doesn’t know why, but it just looks like it was funny.

“They do the damn same thing.”

Lim Bong-Soon, who was cutting dried radish greens, saw it and clicked her tongue.

“Hurry up and come in!”

Eun-Yul and Ha-Neul rushed inside at Lim Bong-Soon’s shouting. Customers in the store laughed at the two people standing side by side in front of their grandmother.

“I saw there were many customers.”

“If it appears that there are a lot of them, then rush to work and don’t just stick your heads out.”

“Oh, I was busy.”

“Why should a rotten bastard be busy bringing in a child?”

In response to Lim Bong-Soon’s scolding, Eun-Yul pointed to Ha-Neul, who was licking the ice cream that had spilt from his hand.

“I was trying to choose ice cream.”

“Plague.”

Lim Bong-Soon slapped Eun-Yul on the back and headed to the kitchen holding Ha-Neul’s hand. When the two disappeared with nagging that they should not lick their unwashed hands, Eun-Yul collapsed into a chair as if he had lost all his energy.

“That’s a relief.”

He was worried that Kang Ha-Joon would have remained but was relieved to see his grandmother cutting dried radish greens on the spot.

He won’t come anymore.

Eun-Yul messed up the hair on his forehead. He doesn’t know if it’s sweat because it’s hot or because he is nervous.

***

Rep. Han Cheol-Seung’s answer, which he had heard seriously, was unexpected.

He thought that he couldn’t say no. Kang Ha-Joon gave information to help Rep. Han Cheol-Seung secure his position more firmly if he uses it.

However, Rep. Han Cheol-Seung acted as if even using it depends on how Kang Ha-Joon came out.

It was easy to hear, but it was also a difficult mystery because it was a personal thought of Cheol-Seung.

“Prepare information about Rep. Han Cheol-Seung.”

“Alright.”

“And…….”

Kang Ha-Joon was about to say something, but he opened his mouth again.

“Keep Friday’s lunch open.”

“You have plans to eat with Hyun Je-Ha. Should I postpone it?”

“Do it that way.”

“Alright.”

The secretary left the executive office after adjusting the schedule on the tablet. Kang Ha-Joon, who was left alone, buried his back in a chair and recalled the last words Rep. Han Cheol-Seung had said.

What have they been doing…….

***

As expected, Kang Ha-Joon never came again.

He is not the type of person who likes these kind of places.

They said this was a place where they felt affection, but not Kang Ha-Joon.

“There’s no way he would come here.”

His hands, which had been diligently wiping the table, grew slower and slower. Even after he said it, his heart became heavy as if it were a stone.

“Oh, I’m so annoyed. I’m not in a position to worry about anyone right now, what’s wrong with me?”

Eun-Yul sat down with a sigh.

He couldn’t help but feel comfortable knowing why Kang Ha-Joon had mysophobia.

As a child, he lived in a house abandoned by his father and collapsed. At night, he had to fall asleep listening to cockroaches and mice moving, and during the day, he had to go through dirty alleys. He was beaten by a rogue teenager who passed by saying he didn’t like his eyes, and everyone at school treated him like an invisible man.

All that happened after the death of his mother, who was protecting him.

“If you think about it, the main character is also pitiful. All you have to do is be born into a good family, eat well, live well, meet a pretty person and get married. Is it wrong for a novel to flow calmly? Why am I so upset that they can’t give me this?”

Eun-Yul, who finally threw away the dishcloth, pulled his hair roughly. It was most annoying that Kang Ha-Joon knew all the hardships he had when he was young. It is his fault that his situation has come to this, but it is also due to Kang Ha-Joon’s circumstances and the problem is that he cannot hate him completely.

“It’s okay. Let’s stop thinking about him. He won’t come anyway. It would be enough since the pretty Ha-Neul came into my life. There’s no need to hate him because he created a son like a rabbit and I also have a fox grandmother.”

To be blunt, if he hadn’t appeared like that, Grandma Lim Bong-Soon would still have accepted him.

Eun-Yul hastily grabbed a dish towel as the store door opened. It was an unconscious defense against being chastised for messing around while working. Then, because there was no sound, Eun-Yul realized that he was a guest and smiled to greet them.

“Welcome, Please take a seat at your convenience…….”

……The words were stuck in his throat.

Eun-Yul, who made eye contact with Kang Ha-Joon, swallowed dry saliva and lowered his head. In his head, he was screaming ‘why did that human being come back?’.

He was wondering who he came with, but he could only see one pair of shoes.

Eun-Yul’s heart also beat to the steady sound of his shoes.

As he could hear the chair dragged back and sat down vividly, Eun-Yul repeatedly grabbed and let go of the dishcloth in his hand as if he were biting it. But why now…….

There was no one else in the store right now.

“I…… grandmother went grocery shopping, and we are not entertaining customers right now because it’s after lunch.”

“Give me hangover soup.”

“It’s break time, so I think it’s going to be hard.”

‘I’m sorry, but you can’t eat. Come back next time.’ Eun-Yul, who murmured these words, sneaked a look at Kang Ha-Joon.

“I didn’t know there was such a thing. I think I came at this time last time, too…….”

“Oh, that…….”

Of course, there’s no break time. Today, his grandmother went to a go-stop revenge match and the customer who was always sitting in the store followed to watch.

“You just told me to come here.”

“I was going to ask you if you’d like to eat while sitting in a comfortable place. Many grandmothers and grandfathers come here and use it like a living room.”

“Then I will do the same.”

“Oh, no. I didn’t mean to do that.”

Eun-Yul shook his hand in a hurry. He made it up to send back what he just said, but he hated it even more that he would wait for his grandmother to come.

“Can’t I have a bowl of hangover soup?”

“……Wait a minute.”

Eun-Yul thought he’d leave if he said no?…… Eun-Yul gave up halfway and turned around. He already didn’t recognize him the last time he ran into him and he didn’t even think about seeing his face today. Eun-Yul trudged to the kitchen with the thought that he would not be interested in him because he was looking around the store.

As he was putting side dishes in a small container and the hangover soup that had been boiled in an earthen pot, he sighed. He wonders if his saliva might go into the earthen pot, but he doesn’t see any of that now.

It has already been 20 years since Kang Ha-Joon barely ate one meal a day.

Eun-Yul would rather give it to him quickly and stay in the kitchen.

Then, the grandmother will come in, and after that, he can look around moderately and escape under the excuse that he would pick up Ha-Neul.

He added the side dishes that he usually eats and the side dishes that his grandmother prepared separately. He gave him egg rolls, so he could eat whatever he wanted.

He continued to mutter that Kang Ha-Joon is a chaebol now and a wealthy man who would not even notice if he used hundreds of thousands of dollars at night.

The tray was filled with dried squid, braised quail eggs, homemade seaweed and kimchi, which Ha-Neul likes.

Before lifting it, Eun-Yul looked in the mirror and ruffled his bangs. He was trying to reduce the area of his face that is exposed even a little.

He took the tray and put it down one by one in front of Kang Ha-Joon. He was worried about his eyes following his hand, but he thought he was just watching what side dishes he was giving.

“Enjoy your meal.”

“There are more side dishes.”

“Uh…… I didn’t know how much rice costs because I don’t usually cook it. And I don’t know how many side dishes are served…….”

Eun-Yul hugged the tray and mumbled. He consistently said that he doesn’t know the amount of rice, doesn’t know the number of side dishes, etc.

He forgot his grandmother’s nagging that rice should only be filled in the bowl and three side dishes should only be used.

“Is that so?”

“Eat it.”

Eun-Yul took a step back and said very quietly. It also slightly means to stop now.

“By the way…….”

Kang Ha-Joon, who still had his eyes on the hangover soup, caught Eun-Yul, who was trying to run away this time, wondering what else he was curious about.

Should he pretend he didn’t hear it?

Is it because there’s no water?

It was time for Eun-Yul to turn around to open the dishwasher next to the water purifier and take out the cup.

“I think I’ve heard your voice somewhere before.”

“.…….”

His whole body stopped as soon as he grabbed the cup.

He was caught in the back of the head while being careless because he didn’t see my face.

“Have we met before?”

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