PUCKD Ch 28
by soapa“Ah, I apologize. We’ve known each other since he was young, so I just… I still can’t get used to calling him CEO.”
“It’s fine if you call him comfortably.”
It was said without much thought, but at those words, the owner’s face lit up with noticeable joy.
“He must have been five.”
At the words that sounded like he was talking to himself, he lifted his eyes, and the man met his gaze and smiled brightly.
“When Junghyun came to my three-stall tailor shop, holding his mother’s hand.”
“……”
“Since then, every year, I have been making the suits Junghyun wears with my own hands. Excluding the time Junghyun was in America, this year marks exactly 15 years.”
The owner, perhaps out of habit, continued speaking while busily tidying up nearby items.
“You have no idea what a great joy it is for an old man like me that the son of such a large corporation still visits a small tailor shop like this.”
“……”
“When you think about it, it’s all thanks to the CEO that my shop has grown so splendidly and that I’m still working so vigorously. I can’t neglect my studies for fear that people will look down on the suits I make as old-fashioned. And so, it naturally turned out this way.”
A sense of pride was evident on the owner’s face as he smiled and said so. Seeing Hojae lost in thought and silent, the owner, perhaps thinking his story was boring, stood up, gathering the surrounding fixtures.
“It’s the first time the CEO has brought someone, so this old man has been chattering away indiscreetly. I’m concerned you might have been bored.”
“…Not at all.”
“Ah, it seems he has arrived. I will bring him right in.”
At the sound of a car from outside, the man left the reception room.
“……”
Hojae rolled his eyes and slowly chewed over the owner’s words.
‘Even though he became the son of such a large corporation.’
It was a strange thing to say.
One wouldn’t use the phrase ‘became the son of a large corporation’ for someone who was a third-generation chaebol from birth.
This tailor shop was the same. It felt rather modest for a place where a third-generation chaebol had been getting suits made every year. Of course, there was no rule that chaebols had to wear only luxury brands from department stores, but…
Then, a jingle sounded, and he heard the sound of dress shoes approaching. Hojae, without realizing it, wet his dry lips.
Kwon Junghyun, who entered the reception room, was in a suit. His hair was not a single strand out of place, and a faint smile graced his lips, a appearance no different from usual.
“I’m sorry. Did you wait long?”
“…Not at all.”
Even though he cleared his throat before answering, his voice cracked slightly. It was only for a moment, but the fact that he had been conscious of it hurt his pride, and his face hardened slightly.
The owner, who followed Kwon Junghyun in, asked in a worried tone.
“You’ve lost more weight.”
“That again. You always say the same thing.”
“Do you think you can deceive the eyes of an old man who has been making clothes for 30 years? It seems you had a fever again.”
Kwon Junghyun just smiled with his mouth instead of answering and sat down in front of Hojae. Hojae inadvertently scanned his body. Even if not as much as the owner of this place, Hojae was also sensitive to changes in a person’s weight.
It was because his body was his asset in his profession. Even from his perspective, Kwon Junghyun looked like he had lost at least 2 or 3 kg in the past week.
He had a fever again. Does he normally get fevers often?
“He’s not usually so talkative. It seems he’s taken a liking to you, Hojae-ssi.”
“……”
“What were you doing? You two weren’t bad-mouthing me, were you?”
Shin Hojae just stared at Kwon Junghyun silently without answering. Junghyun, as if he had expected that reaction, didn’t seem to mind and accepted the teacup the owner had brought. He smelled the tea and smiled slightly.
“It’s Silver Moon.”
“Of course. I always keep it in stock so it doesn’t run out.”
“……”
It seemed Silver Moon was the name of the tea. Hojae inadvertently muttered the name, which felt somewhat romantic, to himself.
“Then shall we make a new summer suit today?”
“Today, I came not for myself, but to have a suit made for Shin Hojae-seonsu here.”
“Ah, you were an athlete. I apologize for not recognizing you. I thought from your physique that you didn’t have an ordinary profession, but I’m a complete layman in that area.”
“He’s an ice hockey player.”
“Ice hockey, you mean binggu (氷球)? You play a wonderful sport.”
“Of course. It’s really wonderful.”
The corner of Hojae’s mouth twitched.
“Please take your time and talk. I will bring the fabric samples and a measuring tape.”
The owner smiled brightly and left.
Hojae quietly opened his mouth towards Kwon Junghyun, who was slowly drinking his tea.
“…CEO.”
“I’m not just saying this because it’s my regular place, but the owner’s skills are really good. It’s always good to have many well-fitting suits made of good fabric, so just accept it.”
An answer came back immediately, as if he knew what he was going to say.
Shin Hojae made a reluctant face. He knew the meeting place was a tailor shop, but he hadn’t thought it would be a place to have his suit made. If he had known, he would have refused from the beginning.
“Or, would you like to pay with two hours of something else?”
Junghyun made a mischievous expression. Immediately, the messy kiss in the medical office came to mind, and Shin Hojae looked away.
“Then… I’ll wear it well.”
“Good. Think of it as a work uniform.”
It was an unwritten rule for ice hockey players to wear a suit to work on game days.
When he was in Canada, he had two suits made with a sponsorship from the main company. He had worn them like a school uniform for every game, so now they looked quite worn out.
He tried to buy a ready-made one, but the size didn’t fit, and he thought it was a waste of money to have a new one made, so he had been wearing that suit all last year. His mother had shown she was upset about it, so it had been on his mind.
Well, this is good.
Let’s not think too much and just accept it.
“Then, Hojae-nim, please come this way.”
The owner, who had returned with the fabric samples and measuring tape, guided Hojae to the fitting room inside the reception area.
When he took off his shirt as instructed, the owner began to measure him with a skilled hand. He heard Kwon Junghyun’s voice from outside the curtain.
“It would be good to make shirts for both summer and winter. It’s hot now, and the season ends next winter.”
“Understood. We can embroider on the inside of the shirt or jacket. Would you like to decide on the location and wording?”
“Is there anything you want, Hojae-ssi?”
“…No. I don’t really need embroidery.”
He heard the sound of the curtain being drawn. Slightly surprised, he lifted his eyes and saw Junghyun’s face reflected in the mirror. He had a smile on his lips, as if he were enjoying himself.
“That won’t do. People who buy clothes usually want to show that they bought them. If you don’t decide, I’ll do it as I please.”
“…Then I’ll just have my name.”
In the meantime, the owner, having finished writing down all the measurements, stood up with his measuring tape and notebook.
“Did you find a fabric you like?”
“Hmm… I think everything would look good on Hojae-ssi…”
Saying so, Kwon Junghyun draped a fabric sample over Shin Hojae’s shoulder. The feel of the fabric against his bare skin was soft and light.
“I’ll bring some shirt samples. It will be easier to choose if you try them on.”
“Then please bring white, black, and blue by tone, and the stripes by color.”
“Of course.”
As the owner left, Hojae opened his mouth as if he had been waiting.
“…This is too much.”
“Hmm?”
“One suit is enough.”
Kwon Junghyun stretched the corners of his mouth into a long smile. His gaze inadvertently went to his lips, and he quickly looked down and narrowed his brow.
“What’s the big deal? The more good clothes, the better. There’s also a saying that what a person wears defines them.”
“No matter what you wear, a person’s essence doesn’t change.”
Kwon Junghyun’s eyes widened slightly. As if he had heard something unexpected.
“So it is for you, Hojae-ssi.”
“……”
“That’s nice. I should say that next time too.”
Shin Hojae stared at his face. He thought it was a teasing remark as usual, but looking at his expression, it didn’t seem to be the case.
He heard a phone ring from outside. The owner hurriedly hung the sample shirts on a hanger and asked Junghyun to wait a moment before leaving.
Kwon Junghyun, with a familiar hand, sifted through the colorful shirts hanging on the hanger, then took out a white shirt and handed it to him. It meant he should put it on.
Hojae put his arms through the white shirt. His arms were a little short and it was tight in the chest, but it wasn’t unwearable.
As he was buttoning it up from the top, Kwon Junghyun took a step forward and draped a dark navy fabric over his shoulder. He felt Junghyun’s body heat, who was standing behind him, touch his side lukewarmly before moving away.
“As expected, blue suits you well.”
“……”
“No matter what you wear, your essence, Hojae-ssi, will remain the same, but the saying that clothes make the man isn’t for nothing. Please understand at least one of my pleasures.”
His hand slowly traced the fabric, lightly touching his chest and stomach.
He felt his muscles tense automatically. Shin Hojae was careful not to let his breathing sound too loud.
It was then that Junghyun, who was looking at Shin Hojae through the mirror, began to speak in a voice as if recalling a happy memory.
“I was very surprised when I suddenly heard the news that you were playing for a Korean team, but there was one thing I liked. The Blue Wolves uniform.”
Shin Hojae slowly blinked and looked at Junghyun.
It was a sudden thought, but today, Kwon Junghyun seemed somewhat excited. Was it because he was comfortable, having known the owner of this tailor shop for a long time?