Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Bungeoppang
Walking alone at night with a girl around my age.
It’s been quite a long time since something like this happened, so I can’t help but feel tense without realizing it.
I rub my slightly damp hands against my pants, pretending not to care.
“If you’re heading toward the station, it looks like you live near it. Or is your house far from here?”
Trying to sound natural and not nervous, I start a conversation, and Seorin lets out a soft “hmm.”
And then, as if thinking, she doesn’t respond for a while.
…Was that question weird?
For a moment, I wonder if I asked too thoughtlessly and feel a bit startled.
I don’t know whether she lives with her parents or alone.
But I think that if a stranger who she just met, a man living nearby, starts asking about her home, it could feel a bit scary from her perspective.
If she’s living alone, it would feel even more so.
Our relationship is still friendly, but it’s not wrong to say she doesn’t yet have a solid reason to trust me.
“I’m sorry. Was that too thoughtless of me? I’ve heard you shouldn’t casually ask about someone’s home location.”
“...Huh?”
“I didn’t mean anything strange by it, but the world is a bit rough these days. If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to. It’s okay.”
I quickly apologize, worried she might dislike me, and Seorin shakes her head in surprise.
“No… It’s not like it’s something you can’t ask. What are you imagining on your own?”
She chuckles softly, laughing at how flustered I look.
What’s going on. So that’s not why she was silent.
“I can tell at a glance that you’re not the kind of person who would do something like that, Lee Jun.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I can read faces a bit, and you don’t seem like someone who’d be involved in crimes like that.”
“Then what kind of face do I have?”
“The kind of man who’s devoted to only one woman? Loyal, good with kids, and family-oriented.”
“That’s not entirely wrong. I’ve been living my life only looking at Ravier for four years.”
“Right?”
When I agree with her joke, Seorin covers her mouth and laughs softly.
“So don’t think weird thoughts. It’s not because I’m scared or anything.”
“That’s a relief. You suddenly went quiet, so I thought I asked something wrong.”
“Oh… so that’s why. Sorry. The reason I went quiet wasn’t actually because of that.”
“Yeah?”
“…It’s because of that.”
She points to the side I had been blocking.
There stood a familiar orange-colored street cart.
Golden Bungeoppang.
Steam was rising from the cart with a big sign that read just that.
“Bungeoppang?”
“Yes. I was walking by and it looked so delicious that I was thinking whether to buy it or not, so I couldn’t answer for a moment. I’m not very good at multitasking.”
So that was the cute reason.
I can’t believe how far ahead I had gotten in my own head.
I let out a small, involuntary laugh at myself.
“You seem pretty serious about food, Seorin.”
“Is there anyone who isn’t?”
“Did you know there are people called small eaters in the world? They supposedly don’t like eating.”
“What? Don’t joke around. That’s just a concept for shows.”
She shakes her head, unable to believe it.
Even while answering me, I notice her gaze fixed on the bungeoppang displayed on the rack and smile.
“Would you like one?”
“Just me?”
“If it feels awkward to eat alone, we can share.”
“Okay. Actually, three would be too much for me to eat alone, so I was hesitating. If I buy them, will you eat one with me?”
“Sure.”
After I nod, Seorin walks toward the bungeoppang cart with a happy expression.
For someone who likes eating, she doesn’t seem to eat that much.
Judging by how she hesitated over just three bungeoppang.
Maybe she’s the so-called gourmet type.
It was a fairly common type among girls.
“Do you like bungeoppang?”
“Yes. It’s easily in my top five favorite winter snacks.”
“Did you know Ravier also likes bungeoppang?”
“Oh, right. I didn’t care much about it before, but after watching her broadcast, I started eating it and got hooked.”
“Have you seen Ravier’s bungeoppang mukbang? You can’t resist it after watching that. I went to buy bungeoppang the very next day after watching it.”
“Hehe. I’ve seen a lot. She eats more than you’d expect during streams. She shouldn’t do that.”
Seorin says that as if she’s lecturing.
“Really? I actually liked it when Ravier eats during streams.”
“What? Why? Isn’t that kind of inappropriate for a streamer? Eating things in front of viewers like that?”
“She looks cute when she eats. Her cheeks puff up and she munches like a hamster.”
“…Finding someone eating cute is kind of a strange taste.”
At that, her cheeks somehow turn slightly red.
But Ravier’s eating streams were already widely known among her fans as being cute.
A large portion of popular clips were her eating, after all.
“What? I’m sure it’s not just me. If you look at Ravier clips, there are tons of eating ones.”
“Anyway, that’s a bit much. More importantly, let’s get bungeoppang. Between red bean and custard, which do you prefer?”
“I’ll go with custard.”
“Then I’ll get three custard ones. Auntie, please give me one thousand won worth of custard. I’ll pay by bank transfer.”
She quickly taps on her phone and completes the payment, then receives the bungeoppang.
She looks satisfied.
Like a puppy that successfully hunted something and proudly carries it back to its parents.
With a satisfied expression, she holds the bungeoppang bag in both hands and looks at me.
“Alright, I will now begin distribution. Please hold out your hand.”
“Here.”
“Here’s one for you, Lee Jun—ugh.”
And then it happened.
A middle-aged man suddenly appeared from the side, bumped Seorin’s shoulder, and entered the bungeoppang cart.
As a result, the bungeoppang in her hand fell straight to the ground and rolled away.
Watching the helplessly rolling bungeoppang, she muttered from the side.
“Damn it… watch where you’re going! What is a young woman doing? Tsk.”
Who was the one who suddenly ran into someone.
Yet the man acted as if he were the victim and got angry.
The strong smell of alcohol coming from him made it clear he wasn’t in his right mind.
Seorin, having lost the bungeoppang so helplessly, seemed to get angry at his words and retorted.
“Why are you yelling at us when you were the one who hit us first, mister?”
“What?! When did I hit you? You’re the one who bumped into me!”
The man raised his voice and glared threateningly.
Seorin, seemingly dumbfounded, let out a “ha” and said,
“I was just standing here. You came over and bumped into me. Can’t you see the bungeoppang on the ground?”
“What are you talking about! I’m already having a bad day, and now some rude brat who hasn’t even dried behind the ears is picking a fight? Annoying.”
The drunk man slowly stepped toward Seorin.
Sensing something threatening, she flinched and took a step back.
The man’s arm clenched into a fist and began to rise slowly.
It felt like things could escalate into something unpleasant.
I felt I couldn’t let this continue, so I stepped forward in front of her.
“Mister.”
“Huh? Who are you now? What’s with you all of a sudden?”
Standing slightly in front of her as if to shield her, I said to the man,
“I’m sorry.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry. It seems we stood too long in front of the cart. I think you were coming and bumped into us.”
“Oh, yeah! This isn’t your house, so don’t block the entrance like that!”
In truth, we weren’t blocking the entrance.
We had been standing in front of the cart with enough space for people to pass.
And we hadn’t been standing there long either.
But I knew that logic wouldn’t work here.
Someone that drunk wouldn’t listen to reason.
“We’ll be more careful next time. I’m sorry.”
After I apologized politely once more, the man seemed unable to keep his anger up.
His demeanor softened, and he stepped back cautiously.
“Alright. Hey, miss! I’ll let it slide because your boyfriend apologized like this. Honestly. If that guy is your partner, keep him in check properly.”
“Yes. Please go in.”
Grumbling, he walked back into the cart area.
Phew. That finally ended it.
After sending the man away, I approached Seorin, who had been silently staring in that direction.
“Are you okay? You must have been startled.”
“…Yes. A little. But I’m okay. It’s just the bungeoppang I’m upset about.”
She looked at the fallen bungeoppang with regret.
“I’m sorry. For stepping in and apologizing on your behalf.”
“Huh?”
Seorin tilts her head as if she doesn’t understand why I’m apologizing.
“No, it’s just that you didn’t do anything wrong. I said it was our fault, in case he got upset.”
“…Ah, no, it’s fine. It’s not like that.”
“When I was in college, I worked part-time at a bar for a while. I learned that you shouldn’t engage with people like that.”
“…I see.”
“There’s nothing to gain by fighting back. Usually, apologizing and moving on ends things better, even if it feels bad in the moment. That’s why I did it. Sorry if it bothered you.”
If there was one thing I learned from working at a bar,
it was simple.
No matter how annoying it is, never engage with drunk customers. That was the only useful lesson.
“No, why are you apologizing to me? You’re making me feel bad… you didn’t do anything wrong, Lee Jun.”
Flustered, Seorin looked around before continuing,
“You were trying to help me. I should be the one apologizing. I should’ve just let it go, but I ended up getting angry and making you step in…”
“No, getting angry is normal. I felt a bit angry too.”
“I think I got upset the moment he yelled first after dropping the bungeoppang. Even though the other person was rude, I’m not usually the type to get into fights like that.”
She lowered her head slightly, looking embarrassed as she spoke.
She likely knew there was nothing to gain from fighting in a situation like this.
Though I hadn’t known her for long, Seorin didn’t seem like someone overly emotional to the point of acting recklessly.
So she seemed a bit embarrassed at having snapped in that moment.
Looking at her, I casually throw out a light remark so she doesn’t feel awkward.
“You got angry because the one I was going to eat fell, right? Because you were getting upset on my behalf. I actually appreciated it.”
She had been apologizing to me, a bit discouraged, but at my teasing words, she slowly lifted her head.
“…Ah… yes… that’s right.”
“Right? I knew it. From the first time I saw you, I thought you seemed loyal. You even readily lent me a seat today.”
As I joked around and eased the atmosphere,
she seemed to realize it was my way of being considerate, and smiled softly while nodding.
“Hey, Lee Jun.”
“Yes?”
“…Thank you. For helping me.”
She then quietly expressed her gratitude.