Taking the Leap
After the housewarming, Seong-min spent Sunday with Hye-suk.
Monday morning he headed to work—Gombang Work, of course.
"Have a good day~"
Hye-suk waved him off, having packed his lunch as usual. Today it was gimbap and inari sushi.
With the car, Seong-min no longer needed public transit. He drove to the destination Team Leader Jeong had given him, parked somewhere convenient, grabbed his bag, and walked the rest of the way to the site.
It was the height of summer, but the car's air conditioning blasted so hard he never felt the heat. Working would be another story.
When he arrived, Min-hyuk and the older guys on the crew were already there.
A short while later Team Leader Jeong appeared with the contractor. They listened to the briefing, looked the place over together, and got straight to work. Day rate for the crew was two hundred thousand won. Seong-min, of course, got three hundred thousand. Ace rates.
So the day began the usual way—hauling materials up by the assigned count. For Seong-min the loads felt almost light. High Stamina and Strength stats made it inevitable.
Once half the materials were moved they took a ten-minute break, then finished the rest. Everything wrapped a little after eleven.
Two jobs today, so they had to be at the next site by one. Most of the guys made do with convenience-store lunchboxes or cup ramen. Sometimes they ate at a restaurant, but the store boxes had gotten pretty decent lately. Seong-min didn't need any of that. He had the lunch Hye-suk had packed.
"Seong-min's really diligent, huh?"
"No kidding. Packing his own lunch and everything."
On double-job days Seong-min always brought one.
"Cooking a hobby of yours?"
Mr. Kim's question got only a wry smile in reply. Seong-min finished eating, stood up, and said he was heading to the bathroom.
"Min-hyuk."
Mr. Seo called him over.
"Yeah?"
"I got the same feeling last time—Seong-min's got a girl, doesn't he?"
"Right? Looking at that lunchbox, no way a guy packed it."
"I forgot about it during the housewarming, but I thought the same thing."
"What? Then what about your sister, Min-hyuk?"
"We don't know for sure yet."
The older men's worried tones matched thoughts Min-hyuk had already been having. At first he'd figured his hyung was packing it himself, but the contents weren't rough at all—anyone could tell a woman had made it. Cherry tomatoes cut pretty, melon sliced into neat bite-size pieces, everything arranged just so. If it were Seong-min's style he would've just washed the fruit and dumped it in. The drinks were the same: plum tea, Solomon's seal tea, green tea—healthy stuff that didn't match the carbonated drinks and coffee Seong-min usually went for.
"Only one way to be sure—ask him when he gets back."
While they talked Seong-min returned from the bathroom.
"Seong-min, sit here a second."
"Huh?"
"Just checking—did you pack that lunch yourself?"
"You didn't pack it, right? You just smiled earlier."
"Come on, be honest."
"I didn't pack it."
"Knew it..."
"Figures..."
"You got a girlfriend?"
He didn't answer this time, but everyone decided he must have one.
Hyung... he really has a girlfriend?
Min-hyuk had wondered too. Seong-min hadn't said no. He hadn't said yes either. But the circumstances left only one conclusion. Min-hyuk worried about his sister.
They made it to the next site by one and finished the afternoon job without trouble. Morning two hundred thousand, afternoon three hundred thousand—five hundred thousand total for the crew. Seong-min pulled three hundred in the morning and four hundred in the afternoon for seven hundred thousand.
"Thanks, hyung..."
"Go home and rest."
"You drive careful too..."
Seong-min's BMW glided out of sight.
How am I supposed to tell Noona...?
Min-hyuk was already sighing.
That evening Min-hyuk ate dinner with his sister Areum after she got off work. Tonight they'd ordered her favorite—tteokbokki with fish cakes.
"Min-hyuk... you're not eating...?"
"Huh? Of course I am..."
He forced a smile and picked up another piece of rice cake with his chopsticks.
"This is pretty spicy. You okay, Noona?"
Areum nodded. They ate for a while.
"Min-hyuk... you're weird..."
"Y-yeah? How?"
"Today... Min-hyuk... you're weird... you keep... watching me... Min-hyuk... something wrong...?"
"Wrong? Nothing's wrong, Noona."
Areum blinked and just looked at him. The stare made Min-hyuk glance away.
"Min-hyuk... liar."
"W-what lie did I tell?"
"Right now... Min-hyuk... you're stuttering... you're lying."
Areum set down her fork.
"Min-hyuk... lied... so I'm not eating."
"You're not eating?"
"Mm."
"For real?"
"Mm."
"Ugh..."
Looking cornered, Min-hyuk finally let out a long breath.
"Noona... actually... there's something I need to tell you."
"...Me...?"
"Yeah."
"What is it...?"
"Don't freak out when I say it, okay?"
Areum nodded. After a moment of hesitation Min-hyuk told her the truth.
"Noona... I think... Seong-min hyung... might have a girlfriend..."
He watched her carefully, braced for the blow. Areum just sat and listened.
"Noona... you're not shocked?"
She blinked a few times, then smiled.
"Seong-min... is a good person... even if he has a girlfriend... it's not surprising."
"R-really...?"
She nodded. Min-hyuk felt a quiet relief that she seemed less shaken than he'd feared.
"I was worried you'd take it hard... that's why it was hard to say."
"It's okay... Min-hyuk... thank you for telling me."
Areum smiled at her little brother for being honest.
That night Min-hyuk went to bed feeling lighter. He'd known for a long time that his sister liked Seong-min hyung. The real problem was Seong-min's heart. And now there was a girlfriend.
I had a feeling from the way he kept bringing those lunchboxes.
He'd been afraid she'd get hurt. At least she seemed okay.
"Noona, I'm heading out. Have a good day at work too."
Min-hyuk left first; Areum saw him off.
"Mm... Min-hyuk... work hard..."
With his sister's send-off, Min-hyuk went to work. He worked hard that day, and Wednesday and Thursday too.
"Hello?"
He had just gotten home, showered, and was about to make a late lunch when the phone rang. The caller was none other than one of the teachers from the center where Areum worked.
"Areum's been making a lot of mistakes lately and she seems really low-energy... like she's had some big shock. Is everything all right at home...?"
"Ah... no. Nothing like that, really..."
"Is that so...? When I ask her what's wrong she just says she's fine..."
"I'll talk to her properly when she gets home. Thanks for calling..."
He hung up. Completely unexpected. Or maybe not—looking back, there had been little differences.
She's been eating less, talking less, spending more time in her room...
Once he thought about it, it fit.
So... she wasn't okay at all?
Of course not. He was her first love. Watching from the side, Min-hyuk had seen exactly how much she liked Seong-min hyung. Acting like it was nothing would have been the strange part.
That night, after Areum came home, Min-hyuk watched her face carefully while they ate. Once the table was cleared he made two cups of cocoa.
"Noona, I made cocoa."
"Cocoa?"
"So we can drink it together. You didn't have any yesterday or Tuesday either."
Areum looked at the cups for a moment, then came and sat down.
"Noona..."
She cradled the mug in both hands and looked up at him.
"Are you really okay...?"
"...About what...?"
"About hearing Seong-min hyung has a girlfriend. Are you really fine with it?"
"I'm... okay... Seong-min... is a good person... even if he has a girlfriend... it's not surprising..."
"Do you mean that...? Do you really think that?"
"Min-hyuk... you're weird... you keep... asking the same thing..."
"Noona..."
"The cocoa... Min-hyuk made... is delicious..."
Areum smiled. Looking at that smile, Min-hyuk couldn't push any further.
Late that night Min-hyuk opened his door and stepped out. He walked to the bathroom, flipped on the light, and took care of business.
She really doesn't look okay...
He was having trouble sleeping, but he needed rest for tomorrow. He flushed, washed his hands at the sink, and headed back toward the living room—then stopped.
What's that sound?
A faint, strange noise from his sister's room. Maybe she was still awake. He approached quietly, raised a hand to knock—and froze.
That sound...
He pressed his ear gently to the door. The soft sound coming from inside was sobbing.
"......"
Min-hyuk stepped back without a word.
That night he couldn't sleep. He grabbed a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, went outside, and lit one.
"What?"
After Gombang Work finished, Min-hyuk asked for a ride home and Seong-min readily agreed. In the car on the way back, Min-hyuk told him something that left him stunned.
"Areum noona was crying?"
"I heard it by accident on the way back from the bathroom... I really thought she was fine."
Min-hyuk explained everything—from telling her Monday that hyung probably had a girlfriend, to feeling relieved she seemed okay, all the way through what happened last night.
"I'm sorry for dumping this on you, hyung. But... hearing her cry alone like that, I just couldn't let it go."
"......"
"I'm not asking you to date her or anything. You've got your own life. But... I don't think we can just leave her like this. So... could you maybe go comfort her?"
"......"
"Please, hyung..."
"...All right."
"Really?"
Seong-min nodded.
"It's not a hard thing to do."
"Thank you, hyung...!"
Seong-min didn't just drop Min-hyuk off—he waited at the house for Areum to come home from work. Min-hyuk was so restless he kept going outside and coming back in. Smoking, by the look of it.
Time passed. Finally Areum returned. She opened the front door and froze—there was a guest she had never expected waiting for her.
"Come in, Noona."
Min-hyuk stood up. Areum started walking again and stepped inside. Min-hyuk, meanwhile, put on his shoes.
"I'm gonna step out for a bit."
He left. Only the two of them remained in the house.
"Sit here, Noona."
Areum came closer and sat.
"Surprised I showed up out of nowhere, right?"
She nodded.
"Areum noona..."
She didn't open her mouth.
"You've lost weight since last time."
"...Yes..."
"......"
Seong-min knew exactly why.
"Noona... I know."
"...What...?"
"I know you like me."
Areum's lips parted slightly.
"That's why I came..."
Seong-min stopped mid-sentence.
"N-Noona?"
His eyes wavered. He couldn't help it. Right in front of him, Areum's eyes had gone wet and shining.
"I... I'm sorry..."
"Sorry? What are you talking about..."
"Seong-min... is a good person... you... listened to my request... you saved Min-hyuk... so... you're a good person... someone I'm grateful for..."
The moisture at the corners of her eyes spilled over and ran down her cheeks.
"I... shouldn't have... feelings like this... because I'm... a fool..."
"What are you saying?! A fool...? Why would you say that...?"
Areum smiled through the tears.
"I'm sorry... I don't want to... make things hard for Seong-min... Seong-min should meet a good woman... I'm... okay... I'm... sorry... I'm so sorry..."
"Areum... noona...?"
Seong-min was shaken. This wasn't why he had come to talk to her. He hadn't come to see her like this, to receive an apology. He stared at Areum crying and apologizing to him with trembling eyes.
He went home after that. He had managed to soothe Areum noona, but his heart was anything but settled.
Through the weekend, through Sunday, Seong-min kept to himself. Maybe that was why Hye-suk looked so worried. But Seong-min couldn't bring himself to explain easily.
He was supposed to go to work Monday, yet sleep wouldn't come. Careful not to wake the sleeping Hye-suk, he slipped quietly out to the living room, then into the yard. He took out a cigarette, put one between his lips, and lit it.
"Hooo..."
"Decided to start again, have you?"
The front door opened and her voice reached him.
"......"
Seong-min didn't answer. Hye-suk closed the door and came closer. She rested her head gently against his back and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"I wish you'd tell me... what's got you so troubled..."
He was smoking again after quitting. All weekend he had looked deeply unsettled. He smoked for a while longer.
"Auntie."
"Mm...?"
"I don't know what I should do..."
"......"
"You're so good to me... you take such care of me... and right now I'm..."
"Is it... a girl problem?"
"......"
"I see..."
Hye-suk lifted her head. She walked around in front of him.
"Do you remember what I said?"
"What...?"
"Thank you... for accepting me. That."
He remembered. He had heard it that night in the bedroom.
"Just because you accepted me... I don't want to make things hard for you... Do you understand what I'm saying...?"
"......"
Seong-min looked at her steadily. Hye-suk met his gaze with a warm smile.
They went back inside together. Seong-min sat on the sofa and told her everything—the whole story, including everything about Areum noona. Hye-suk waited quietly until he finished.
When the last word left him, she spoke.
"I've already been married... and I have a son. I'm always grateful that you accepted someone like me..."
She reached out and covered his left hand with hers.
"Right now I'm... very happy. But I don't want my happiness to make things hard for you. So... go see that young woman again tomorrow..."
"Auntie...?"
Seong-min stared at her in surprise.
"If you can just keep treating me the way you do now... that's more than enough for me. So... go comfort her..."
She had been married. She had a son. The fact that Seong-min had accepted her, had treated her as a woman—that alone was enough. She was that grateful to him. She didn't want him suffering because of her.
"Noona."
Areum was about to punch in the villa gate code when she heard Min-hyuk call her name.
"Min-hyuk... why... are you outside?"
"Just getting home from work?"
She nodded.
"Curious why I'm out here?"
She nodded again.
"You'll know when you go up..."
"Min-hyuk... you're not coming?"
"I'll come up in a bit."
Areum tilted her head. Min-hyuk entered the gate code for her himself.
"Noona... go on up."
The way he smiled at her looked strange. Areum went inside the villa, walked to the elevator, pressed the button, and waited. When the doors opened she stepped in and hit the button for the fifth floor. The numbers climbed. At last the doors opened on five. She walked to unit 507 and entered the code. The door opened. She started to step through—
"......?"
Someone stood up from the living room beyond the doorway and came toward her. Areum stared with her lips slightly parted. Seong-min smiled.
"Did you... have a good day at work...?"
Areum nodded—slowly, very slowly.
"You worked hard... Areum noona."
Her lips parted and closed again. She wanted to say something, but no words came out.
"Wondering why I'm standing here...?"
She still couldn't answer. Seong-min put an arm around her shoulders and gently drew her into a hug.
"Don't call yourself a fool... Never say that again... Areum noona."
The shock of finding Seong-min waiting for her made Areum's eyes slowly blur. Tears spilled over.
"...Uuhhk..."
Seong-min held the sobbing Areum and stroked her hair with a warm hand.