Birthday Day
Gombang work was always hard.
As grueling as it was, the daily wage came out thick.
It started at a base of two hundred thousand won.
But when the job ended, Seong-min received four hundred thousand.
On today’s gombang work the others had taken home three hundred thousand, yet Seong-min walked away with a hundred thousand more than that.
Whenever the team got two hundred thousand, Seong-min got three. When they got two hundred fifty, he got three hundred fifty. Naturally, he always pocketed an extra hundred thousand in daily pay over the rest of the crew.
“Today the work time got shortened by more than two hours again.”
“That’s all thanks to Seong-min, hyung-nim.”
“Damn right.”
Team Leader Jeong looked around at the others.
“Seong-min here showed such incredible stamina and efficiency that the rest of us couldn’t help but push harder to keep up. That’s how we managed to cut the time by a full two hours.”
“Hahaha! So thanks to Seong-min we’re all living the Spartan life now?”
“What’s wrong with Spartan? Efficiency’s up and the jobs keep rolling in.”
“True enough~!”
“Speaking of which… I mentioned there was good news today, right?”
“Yeah, what’s this good news?”
“Another job come in, hyung-nim?”
Team Leader Jeong nodded at their questions.
“That’s right. This week the work’s pouring in. Thursday for sure, Friday, and if we’re lucky we might even be out on Saturday.”
“Whoa… this is huge!”
“Seong-min! You’re seriously our team’s lucky charm~!!”
“Wait, so we’re working through Saturday?”
Min-hyeok’s startled face made the others burst out laughing.
“What, you scared?”
“Young guy like you getting cold feet already?”
“Scared? No way~! I’m just happy there’s so much work… hehehe…!!!”
“What? Hahahahaha!”
“Kid’s got spirit~!”
“Alright, alright~ Everyone worked hard today. Whether you hit the sauna on the way home or handle your own business, just remember one thing. We’ve got work tomorrow, so take care of your condition. Got it?”
“Don’t worry~ As long as there’s work, we’re out here no problem. Right, Seong-min?”
“Of course. We’re pros, aren’t we?”
“Pros?”
“That’s right~! Pro mindset! That’s how you take responsibility for the job!”
“Like Seong-min said, keep that pro attitude and enjoy the rest of your afternoon. That’s all.”
The dismissal finally came. They exchanged goodbyes and headed off in high spirits.
“You used to gombang work yet?”
“Gombang work? Still hard as hell. But… when I get this, even strength I didn’t have shows up… hehehe…”
Min-hyeok held up a thick envelope stuffed with three hundred thousand won.
“Now I get why we take cash instead of bank transfers.”
“That’s why the team leader always stuffs the money in an envelope and hands it over the second we’re done.”
“Parcel loading, gombang work… turns out we do it all for the taste of this envelope, huh?”
Seong-min let out a short laugh.
They walked together to the subway station, rode for a while, and Min-hyeok got off first.
“Hyung, I’m out.”
“See you tomorrow.”
He had to transfer. After Min-hyeok left, Seong-min rode five more stops, switched to a bus, and headed home.
Before turning into the alley he stopped at a café, bought two iced Americanos and a slice of cheesecake to go with them.
He opened the front gate, stepped inside, and rang the doorbell at the first-floor entrance.
After a short wait, Hye-suk opened the door.
“You’re back from work…?”
“Yeah. I stopped by the café and got coffee and cheesecake.”
“I see… But Seong-min.”
“Yes?”
“I’m so sorry… I’m not feeling great right now… Still, I’ll put the coffee in the fridge and enjoy it later. You go ahead and eat the cheesecake yourself…”
“Are you feeling that bad?”
“A little… yeah…”
Hye-suk gave an awkward smile.
Seong-min pulled out one of the coffees.
“Here.”
“Thanks, I’ll drink it. You must be tired too… Go on up…”
“Yes. Take care of yourself, Auntie.”
“Mm… I will.”
The door closed slowly.
Seong-min turned and climbed the stairs.
On the other side of the closed front door, Hye-suk stood rooted to the spot.
I ended up lying.
Saying she felt sick had been a lie.
The moment she saw Seong-min the words had just tumbled out.
What’s wrong with me?
She found her own behavior utterly bewildering.
Maybe I really am sick?
Inside the Rooftop Room, Seong-min flipped on the light and thought the same thing.
That awkward face.
It almost looked flustered.
She’s been different ever since the birthday…
Even when she said she was fine, Auntie Hye-suk had always come out to see him off.
Yet yesterday and today she hadn’t appeared.
When he brought coffee she claimed she felt unwell and only took one cup.
As if she were trying to put distance between them.
Is it because of that night?
The only reason Seong-min could think of for Auntie Hye-suk’s change was what had happened that night.
Whether she truly felt sick he couldn’t say.
But he knew this wasn’t the Hye-suk he was used to.
The next day.
Heading out for gombang work, Seong-min again saw that Hye-suk did not come out to see him off.
As he opened the gate and stepped outside, she watched him leave for work through a curtained window at the edge of the living room.
That pattern continued for a full week.
Seong-min worked gombang jobs on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday as well.
Adding the hundred seventy thousand from parcel loading, the total he earned came to two million seventy thousand won.
In a single week Seong-min had pulled in two million seventy thousand.
More than the week before.
Because there had been a gombang job every day from Tuesday through Saturday.
With the extra income, life grew that much more comfortable for him.
Then came Saturday.
After stopping by the Gym, working out, and showering, Seong-min once again dropped by the café for two coffees and a cheesecake.
First time since Tuesday.
And the first time since Tuesday that he went to see Hye-suk on the first floor.
He arrived home, stopped by the Rooftop Room long enough to change into comfortable clothes, then carried the two café coffees and the cheesecake downstairs.
He rang the bell and waited a moment.
“What… is it?”
Hye-suk opened the door with a smile that looked forced.
“I bought coffee and cheesecake.”
“You went out…?”
“I worked today too. There was a gombang job.”
“I-is that so? Actually, Auntie…”
“Can I come in?”
Seong-min cut her off.
“Uh… what?”
“I can come in, right?”
He looked straight into her eyes as he asked.
“……”
Hye-suk couldn’t answer.
Seong-min saw her pupils tremble.
How long did the silence last?
“Come in…”
She stepped back.
Seong-min opened the front door and walked inside.
Nearly a week since the birthday.
He slipped off his shoes and looked around the living room.
Something felt cold.
Even though it was July.
“Give those to me and wait on the sofa…”
“Mind if I use the bathroom?”
“Go ahead…”
Seong-min headed for the bathroom, opened the door, and stepped inside.
Hye-suk watched the closed bathroom door with complicated eyes.
After finishing and washing his hands at the sink, he came back out.
Hye-suk was nowhere in sight—probably in the kitchen.
Seong-min moved to the sofa and sat.
He left the television off.
After a while she approached carrying the two iced Americanos and a plate with the cheesecake slice already set out.
“Cheesecake again, like last time?”
She asked as she sat on the sofa.
“Last time you said you weren’t feeling well, so I bought it again.”
“Thinking of me…?”
“Of course.”
“……”
A sudden silence settled over them.
“Sh-shall we eat?”
Trying to break the mood, Hye-suk forced a smile and asked.
“I tried it and this cheesecake’s really good.”
“Is it…?”
“Have some.”
Hye-suk cut a piece with her fork and brought it to her mouth.
The distinctive rich, sweet flavor was delicious.
“Not bad…”
“Auntie.”
“Mm…?”
“Have you not been eating well lately?”
“Why the sudden question…?”
“Your face… you look a little thinner.”
“Ho… hohoho… What are you talking about? It’s not like I’m on some special diet…”
But she had lost weight.
Her mind had been so unsettled that she had no appetite and barely managed one meal a day—just whatever side dishes happened to be in the house.
“If you worked gombang through today, that means every day this week…?”
“Pretty much.”
“Amazing~ Looks like the jobs keep coming because Seong-min’s doing well… Something else to celebrate, just like a birthday?”
“Yes. Just like a birthday…”
Another brief silence followed.
Hye-suk’s throat must have felt dry; she lifted the iced Americano and took a couple of sips through the straw.
“Auntie.”
Seong-min spoke then.
“Mm…?”
She set the iced Americano down and looked at him.
“Is it because of what I said that day?”
“What… are you talking about?”
“Because I told you it was okay… is that why?”
“S-Seong-min… what do you mean? That day we both…”
“Or why else are you avoiding me?”
Seong-min looked at her.
“Can you really say that’s not it?”
He hadn’t touched the cheesecake or the iced Americano.
The question was far too sudden.
A sudden demand.
Hye-suk couldn’t form an answer; her lips only trembled.
Then she suddenly laughed and spoke.
“Ho, hohoho! Seong-min, of course… i-it’s not… We were both so drunk that day, weren’t we…? And it was just a joke… This week I’ve just been a little busy…”
“Auntie.”
“Y-yes?”
“Do you know something?”
“What… is it?”
“That laugh of yours right now, and the way you’re acting… it’s all awkward, not like usual…”
“……”
“I’ll ask one last time. Hand on your heart—is it really not true?”
Hye-suk said nothing.
Seong-min waited for her to open her mouth.
“…Then what am I supposed to say?”
“Pardon?”
“If you ask me like that… what am I supposed to tell you…? That it is true? That that day… I was so flustered, and when I honestly said my heart raced because of you…?”
“Your heart raced because of what I said?”
“……”
“Looks like it did.”
A shadow fell across Hye-suk’s face.
“I… make you uncomfortable, don’t I?”
“Pardon?”
“Feeling this kind of flutter… toward someone young enough to be my son… I know. I know I shouldn’t. If my words make you uncomfortable, just say so. Whatever you want…”
“Whatever I want—what would you do then?”
“……”
“If I said I was moving out of the Rooftop Room, would you kick me out right away?”
“…I’m sorry, Seong-min.”
In that instant Hye-suk couldn’t hold back. She covered her mouth with her hand and fled straight into the master bedroom.
“……”
Seong-min sat alone on the sofa.
He lifted the iced Americano and took a sip through the straw.
From beyond the closed bedroom door, Hye-suk’s quiet sobbing reached him.
He stayed seated like that for a while.
Listening to her muffled crying, he sat.
Seong-min raised the coffee again and took a couple more sips through the straw.
Then he gently set it back on the table.
And walked toward Hye-suk’s room, where the sound of her sobbing still came.