VDN Ch 194

“You rest on the weekends, but I get busier on the weekends.”

“…But we did it last week and the week before that.”

“Ah, I don’t know. I can’t concentrate because tomorrow is the opening day for chocolate taiyaki.

Nam-woon pushed Seo-oh away with force. Seo-oh, who usually stubbornly endured even rare strong rejections, soon backed off. Then, as if Nam-woon had been waiting for it, he slipped the pajama t-shirt he had taken off next to him over his head and headed to the bathroom. Seo-oh stared blankly at his retreating back.

***

「I bought it with this」

「Gayber shopping – Children’s Youth Team Baseball Glove Blue ver./Black ver.」

「Good job」

「When are you coming home?」

「Same as yesterday.」

「Can’t you close the store early today and come home early?」

Nam-woon let out a short sigh as he looked at the arrived message. Recently, the requests to close the shop early and come home had increased.

After unexpectedly running into Seo-oh’s company assistant manager at the restaurant, Nam-woon, still uneasy, found himself subconsciously observing Seo-oh closely. And then, he became certain—Seo-oh didn’t like him selling taiyaki.

The lukewarm responses whenever he brought up the shop, the secret sighs, the annoying “Oh, really?” repeated with lifeless, dull eyes. Even though he tried not to care, Seo-oh’s every move was etched into his mind.

Is he really embarrassed of me?

Seo-oh had gone to a good university and landed a job at a reputable company. Although still a rookie, with his abilities, he could quickly get promoted or move to a larger firm

And what about me? I didn’t graduate high school properly and don’t have a single decent qualification. I’ve lived without being discouraged, even though I have nothing to boast about. But when it comes to someone I like, I can’t help but feel endlessly small, comparing myself unnecessarily.

I don’t really have any talent or hobby other than running the shop. Should I get those forklift or heavy equipment licenses I thought about before?

He wrestled with all sorts of worries, hoping Seo-oh would think of him with a little more pride. Yet, a subtle rebellious feeling rose within him. These days, people quit their jobs and pursue other things if it doesn’t suit them, so what’s the big deal about what kind of job you have?

Thump, thump.

Nam-woon, who had been gloomily mashing the innocent red bean filling, soon closed the lid of the filling container. What good were all these worries now? It was cold, so he should just hurry up and close. Just as he was collecting himself and busily moving, he heard the sound of shoes. Nam-woon raised his head.

“Welcome…Oh?”

“It’s been a while.”

A man in a neat suit and glasses stood in front of the shop. He had definitely seen him somewhere… Nam-woon narrowed his eyes at the man and soon recognized him, pointing a finger at him.

“Hey! How did you find this place?”

He was Jin Hae-geon’s manager, whom Nam-woon had encountered a few times before! He quickly looked around, wondering if Jin Hae-geon was also there, but no one else was around.

“Is the taiyaki still available?”

“Ah, you came to buy taiyaki. You should have said so beforehand.”

Nam-woon, still suspicious that he might have been investigated again, saw the man take out his wallet and immediately brightened up.

“How many would you like?”

He asked, opening the warmer, when a check was suddenly held out in front of him. Looking down at it with a puzzled expression, the manager said calmly,

“The boss sent this, saying that we should help the less fortunate in the winter season.”

“Less…fortunate?”

“Yes. He said, it’s our duty to live by practicing noblesse oblige^[1].”

Noblesse oblige… He didn’t know foreign languages well, but he understood “Less fortunate” perfectly. Nam-woon threw off his gloves and burst out angrily.

“Who’s the one calling whom ‘Less fortunate? Is that bastard Jin Hae-geon out of his mind?!”

“Please give me all the remaining taiyaki… Oh, then you don’t need this large order, do you?”

Nam-woon paused at the mention of a large order. Even with a taiyaki business, sales were poor during the cold weather because very few people were out and about. Because of that, there was more leftover batter than usual. Nam-woon immediately grabbed the man’s hand.

“I’m very much less fortunate here. How about it? I’ll give you all that’s left?”

The man nodded. Nam-woon handed the check back and asked for only thirty thousand won. Then he poured out all the remaining dough and baked the taiyaki. While baking, he asked a question.

“How’s he doing?”

“Yes. He’s very busy. As soon as he went to the US branch, he was immediately put into practical work, so he doesn’t even have time to properly sleep. You might already know from the many articles, but he’s scheduled to come back to Korea this summer.”

As expected. Jin Hae-geon also seemed to be living a busy life. Nam-woon was amazed that he was steadily taking over the Mooyoung Group and firmly walking the path of a businessman. He had been secretly worried, but he was relieved that he seemed to be doing well.

But if he’s in the US, why did he order the taiyaki when he wouldn’t be eating it himself? While tilting his head at the incomprehensible action, Nam-woon diligently put the taiyaki into paper bags and handed them to his manager.

“When he comes back in the summer, tell him that there won’t be any taiyaki left.”

“Understood. And this.”

The manager held out a large shopping bag he was holding.

“What is this?”

“Please open it.”

Inside the shopping bag was a large dust bag. Opening the mouth of the dust bag revealed a luxurious-looking black leather backpack. Nam-woon looked puzzled at the unexpected item, and the man explained.

“The boss sent this to Kwon Se-han. He’s going to be going into fourth grade soon, and how long was he going to be carrying around that old yellow bag?”

“What? For Se-han?” 

Nam-woon was surprised. Sometimes, Se-han complained that Hae-geon smelled like poop or something when he was nearby. Yet, Nam-woon never imagined they would grow close enough to exchange gifts. Even the phone calls now seemed purely for fun. It was astonishing that Jin Hae-geon even answered.

The manager, who noticed Nam-woon’s trembling expression, quickly added

“It’s sturdy, so it will last a long time. There have been many crimes targeting children these days, so I deliberately chose one without a logo. It’s not as expensive as you might think, so please accept it.”

“Still, receiving something like this is a bit…”

Just as Nam-woon frowned and muttered, a low voice interrupted him.

“Hyung.”

Nam-woon turned his head and shouted in surprise.

“What! Why are you here?”

“I came because I missed you.”

Seo-oh, wearing a black coat over his suit, smiled gently. Nam-woon admired him every time he went to work, but seeing him outside after a long time made him look like an actor who had just finished filming a movie. Nam-woon stared at Seo-oh with his mouth open before quickly asking,

“Is work all done? Why didn’t you go straight home?”

“It’s freezing today, so I came to pick you up, Hyung. Let’s go home together.”

Seo-oh, walking towards him with a smile on his face, suddenly stopped. Then, he cast a sharp gaze at Hae-geon’s manager standing in front of the shop. Seo-oh’s face hardened as he slowly scanned the shopping bag and the bills in Nam-woon’s hand.

Nam-woon and Hae-geon’s manager both paused at Seo-oh’s atmosphere, which had changed in an instant like flipping over a palm. Sensing the strong alpha pheromones emanating from him, Hae-geon’s manager immediately stepped back and gave a short bow.

“Then, I’ll see you again next time.”

Then, he hurried to the car parked on the shoulder of the road. Seo-oh’s gaze fixed on his retreating figure was unusual. As expected, a sharp tone flew out.

“Who is that?”

“Just a customer… I think?”

“Just a customer who gives you gifts?”

Seo-oh asked quietly, looking at the shopping bag. Nam-woon hesitated. The name Jin Hae-geon was still like a trigger for Seo-oh, so he was worried about being honest. But he didn’t want to lie either. Nam-woon finally quickly tidied up the cooking utensils and said,

“Let’s clean up the shop first. I’ll tell you on the way.”

***

There was only silence in the car. Nam-woon rustled the taiyaki bag in his hand and opened his mouth.

“That customer earlier was Jin Hae-geon’s manager.”

“……”

As expected, Seo-oh’s gaze sharpened immediately. Nam-woon added urgently.

“Jin Hae-geon didn’t come. He’s in America. He gave Se-han a bag as a gift.”

“Why would he give Se-han a gift?”

“I don’t know either. But you know, too. These days, Se-han’s been keeping in touch with him.”

Nam-woon finished speaking and observed Seo-oh’s reaction. In the past, he would have gotten angry and cursed at Jin Hae-geon or vented his anger at Nam-woon, but Seo-oh was silent for a while, seemingly lost in thought. After a moment, Seo-oh spoke in a frighteningly calm voice.

“Give it back. I’ll buy Se-han a bag myself.”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

After that, they didn’t exchange a single word as they headed home. It was the first time in a while they were leaving work together, yet the atmosphere felt strained. Nam-woon sighed inwardly, staring out the window in silence. When the car stopped in front of their house, Seo-oh quietly got out of the driver’s seat and, without a word, carried Nam-woon’s bags from the back seat up the stairs, his hands full. Nam-woon followed behind him, equally silent.

Once home, their routine was no different from usual. Nam-woon went to the bathroom to wash while Seo-oh unpacked the bags and cleaned the cooking utensils needed for the next day’s business. When Nam-woon stepped out of the bathroom, he deliberately avoided Seo-oh’s gaze as he began to speak.

“I’m done washing up, so go in.”