NILWM - 8

Something seemed to have burst. Or perhaps something had snapped. When she came to her senses, she was crying, holding a chicken drumstick in her gloved hand.

She wasn’t openly sobbing, but the sensation of tears streaming down her cheeks was distinct. A teardrop, clinging to her chin, plopped onto the chest of her T-shirt.

“Uh... why am I doing this?”

“What’s wrong?”

Han Ju-hyeok grabbed a handful of napkins and offered them to her. Ye-seo took the napkins and looked up at him. Han Ju-hyeok seemed quite surprised, watching her with an unusual gaze. He genuinely seemed concerned. As if he would wipe her tears if he were sitting right next to her.

“Perhaps... you dislike drumsticks?”

As Ye-seo wiped her eyes with the napkin, he asked cautiously.

“Did I force them all on you because you dislike them? If so, I’m sorry.”

“Oh... no. Not that.”

“Then? Is it because it doesn’t taste good?”

Ye-seo’s eyes widened. If she hadn’t been covering her mouth with the napkin, she would have burst out laughing. But Han Ju-hyeok was staring blankly at her, his face devoid of any amusement. A hint of relief was discernible as she quickly stopped crying and tried to compose herself.

“No. It’s delicious, really.”

“......”

“I actually like chicken. And I prefer drumsticks over breast meat...”

He clasped his hands together, resting his chin on them, and waited for Ye-seo to continue. His gaze, never leaving her face for a moment, was a little burdensome. But the opposite feeling was stronger. So, she managed to collect her reddened eyes and choked voice, regaining her composure.

“It’s just... I think my emotions just welled up a bit. I haven’t been feeling well lately and had some tough things happen...”

But her heart, pounding, pounding, remained the same.

“Senior, you’re so, well... you’re so kind to me, I just unconsciously...”

She recalled her mother, who always worried only about her twin brother Jeong-woo, and who never even once asked if she was okay when she was sick. She felt a sudden surge of sorrow, overwhelmed by the concern and kind words that even her family didn’t offer.

“I see.”

Han Ju-hyeok replied calmly. But a sharp, cynical expression appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“It’s a relief it’s not a big deal, but it’s not a very good sign.”

“Huh? What...”

“No. Nothing.”

What kind of environment is she living in? Is she getting too easily moved by such small kindnesses, a few warm words? She looks too easy. She should be more careful around men.

He swallowed his unspoken thoughts and mumbled with a low sigh.

“Actually, I don’t really view the words ‘don’t cry’ in a good light. Sometimes, isn’t it better to just cry if you want to, and let the tears flow as they come? You feel relieved afterward.”

“......”

“Anyway, since you don’t dislike it... eat a lot. Don’t be sick.”

“...Thank you.”

But she couldn’t eat more than two drumsticks, despite his encouragement. She had already eaten well over her fill with pancakes and omelets, and her stomach simply couldn’t take any more. Han Ju-hyeok, who cleanly finished the rest, had already paid the bill while she was in the restroom.

“Oh, I was going to pay...”

“I said I’d pay. Don’t worry about the pen. More importantly...”

He glanced at his wristwatch and rose from his seat.

“Shall we go for dessert now?”

“What? De-dessert?”

Weren’t what we just ate dessert and dinner combined? Pancakes, omelets, and chicken. The order might have been a bit reversed, though.

“Why? Do you have something busy tonight? It’s not even 7 o’clock yet.”

“I’m fine, but Senior, don’t you have other plans? Like meeting someone on a Saturday night...?”

“I’m meeting someone right now.”

Han Ju-hyeok smiled faintly. He seemed to enjoy their slightly off-kilter conversation.

“I don’t have two bodies, so how can I see someone else while meeting you?”

Why was it? At that moment, Ye-seo’s heart began to pound again. A pulsating rhythm, like a drum or a gong, spread throughout her body.

“If you’re full, you can just have coffee. It’s a bit far to walk, so we’ll take a taxi, is that okay?”

Perhaps taking her silence as agreement, Han Ju-hyeok opened the restaurant door and immediately went out to the main road to hail a taxi. When she came to her senses, she was sitting in the back seat of the taxi beside him.

“Um, Senior. Where are we going now...?”

“It’s quite close from here. Do you like the night view of the Han River?”

“Han River view...?”

“I don’t know what’s so great about it, but women seem to really like it.”

Why? His mention of “women” gave her a strange feeling. Who could “women” be...? Come to think of it, does he really not have anyone he’s seeing?

“It’s my aunt and my father’s sisters’ regular spot.”

“Ah, I, I see.”

An inexplicable sense of relief spread through her chest. In the blink of an eye, the taxi crossed Hannam Intersection, climbed a steep hill, and stopped in front of a building that looked like a quaint detached house.

As soon as they entered, a woman who seemed to be the owner or manager greeted him warmly. It truly seemed to be a regular spot for his family elders, just as he had said.

When they were guided to an outdoor seat and stepped onto the open terrace, her mouth dropped open. Between Dongho Bridge and Hannam Bridge, the Han River, shimmering mysteriously under the moonlight, stretched out before her eyes.

“Wow...”

A sound of admiration escaped her lips involuntarily. Han Ju-hyeok was already sitting at the end of the sofa facing the night view, looking at the menu. It seemed he had intentionally left the prime seat empty for her, giving her the best spot. Ye-seo hesitated for a moment, then sat there. The view would likely be magnificent from any seat, but she wanted to respect his goodwill.

“I’ll have black tea. For dessert, apricot tart, mille-feuille vanilla. What about you?”

“Senior. I’ll pay here. Since I had dinner on you earlier, dessert is naturally my treat...”

Ye-seo, who had taken the menu and was looking at it, suddenly stopped speaking. She had expected it to be expensive due to the location and the view, but she hadn’t anticipated this much. Han Ju-hyeok’s mentioned items alone already exceeded 50,000 won. For her, who lived frugally by earning her allowance through tutoring and part-time jobs at public institutions and selling coffee at events, it was quite a large sum.

“Um, I... haha.”

It would be rude to just say she’d only drink water, right? She reluctantly ordered the cheapest lemon-lime soda and was about to hand the menu back to the server when he said,

“Don’t worry about the bill. It’s already prepaid.”

“What? When...”

Only then did she remember him busily fiddling with his phone in the taxi. Had he paid in advance via bank transfer?

“Then at least I’ll send you my share via Kakaotalk. Just getting treated like this is...”

“You’re my junior. I’m your senior.”

Han Ju-hyeok turned his gaze from the night view to her.

“What’s wrong with a junior getting treated by their senior?”

His eyes seemed to harden slightly, and Ye-seo swallowed. Just then, the color of the terrace railing lights changed, making the surroundings a bit darker. The moon seemed to briefly reflect and scatter in Han Ju-hyeok’s eyes.

“Yes, Senior... Then I’ll enjoy the meal.”

Ye-seo finally put her phone down on the side of the table. Was it because of the night view? She somehow didn’t want to break the strangely intimate atmosphere. For a moment, she even inwardly chastised herself for thinking it felt like a date.

A date. What nonsense. He might even have someone he’s seeing.

Finally, when the dessert, tea, and drinks were served on elegant plates, Ye-seo’s eyes widened once more. The geometric plate patterns were so intricate and sophisticated, like a luxury collection. Ye-seo cautiously held her cup, fearing she might break it, and blurted out to him,

“Senior. I have something I’m curious about...”

“I have something I’m curious about.”

They both spoke the same words at the same time. Ye-seo quickly swallowed her soda and said,

“You go first, Senior.”

“It’s a bit personal, is that okay?”

Though he said that, he didn’t seem to have any intention of withdrawing the question.

“Do you have someone you’re dating? Or someone you like?”

Gulp, Ye-seo’s Adam’s apple moved again. It was the exact same question she was about to ask him.

“No. I don’t have anyone I’m dating. And no one I like...”

Her answer choked for a moment, and she felt more flustered than surprised. She was sure she didn’t like anyone, so why was her voice trailing off?

“Really?”

Han Ju-hyeok showed no particular reaction. He put his teacup to his lips and devoured the half-divided desserts as if they were nothing. It was unexpected, as she hadn’t realized he was such a big eater. It was even more surprising because when she occasionally saw him in the student cafeteria, she never saw him eating an unusually large amount or eating anything other than his meal.

“Shall we order more?”

“I’m fine. I’m still full...”

“Really? It’s strange, I keep wanting more.”

“Senior, do you usually eat this much when you’re out...?”

“No.”

He shrugged.

“This is my first time being this gluttonous.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. I consider food just fuel, so I’m not really interested in eating. But I like coffee.”

So he was just really hungry today. I was surprised by how much he kept eating without a break.

“It’s strange, I keep getting hungry when I’m with you. I don’t know why, though.”

Han Ju-hyeok smiled faintly at her. It wasn’t sinister, but it was a peculiar smile.