Chapter 136
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 136
Dokyun watched Harim as she continuously puffed out clouds of cigarette smoke, then quietly posed a question.
“What was Eun-seol like back then?”
“Hm?”
Harim’s gaze, which had been fixed on the dissipating smoke, shifted to Dokyun.
She mulled over his question with a thoughtful “Hmm…” before letting out a giggle and continuing.
“She was terrifying, you know?”
Terrifying.
Harim paused, choosing her words, before adding an explanation.
“She was glaring like she was about to kill someone at any moment… Wow, I remember thinking, ‘How can a kid be so ferocious?’ But then, the way she suddenly shoved a bag full of money at me seemed strangely anxious, so she caught my eye.”
Dokyun tilted his head at her words, but then he recalled Eun-seol’s situation at the time and nodded in understanding.
It must have been a time that was even harder than the present.
Like most people, she must have had a period of immaturity.
There must have been a time when she was more familiar with failure than success, a time when she would run for a while only to come crashing down.
And on top of that, wasn't it true that Eun-seol had no one to help her up when she fell?
Through Harim’s words, Dokyun could roughly guess what kind of situation Eun-seol had been in back then.
Seeing Dokyun’s expression gradually darken, Harim flashed a grin and continued playfully.
“Ah, and her looks were a big part of it too. I mean, isn’t the boss gorgeous? It made me think, ‘Wow, people like that really exist in this world….’”
As she giggled, Dokyun blinked and let out a dry laugh.
“Well, that’s just how it was. After that, we built the department store, somehow managed to get things running smoothly….”
Her story went on.
Dokyun listened intently, nodding in understanding and occasionally laughing at the jokes she threw in.
In the middle of her long story, Harim let out a small “Ah,” her expression turning mischievous as she added another detail.
“There was a pretty funny incident, too.”
“A funny incident?”
“The day the boss had her first drink.”
Eun-seol’s first time drinking.
At that, Dokyun’s eyes lit up.
Of course. Even Eun-seol, the alcohol fiend, couldn’t have handled her liquor like she does now on her first try. She must have made a complete fool of herself.
As Dokyun stared at Harim with sparkling eyes, eager for the new topic, Harim shrugged her shoulders with a laugh and began.
“Was that five years ago…?”
Five years ago, which meant Eun-seol was eighteen at the time.
Realizing this, Dokyun let out a smirk and played along with Harim’s story.
“So she was a delinquent.”
“Right? A high schooler, making a fuss about wanting to drink, so I went and bought her some… It was hilarious.”
“What was she like?”
“Well, you know how it is, right? She was just like any other kid drinking for the first time. She didn’t know her limit and just kept chugging, then she was stumbling all over the place and ended up breaking a few glasses.”
A smile spread across Harim’s lips.
“I still remember the line she delivered when she was completely wasted.”
“A line?”
When Dokyun tilted his head, Harim stared at him for a moment before shaping her hand as if holding a glass.
Then, as Dokyun’s eyes focused on her, Harim adopted a solemn expression and tone, vaguely mimicking Eun-seol.
“Hmph… Do you know? People may betray me, but alcohol never will.”
Her voice was low and gravelly.
At that.
“Pfft!”
A laugh burst from Dokyun’s lips.
“Pwahahahaha!!!”
“Man, our boss. Who would’ve thought she still hadn’t grown out of her edgy teen phase at eighteen?” Harim said, shrugging her shoulders.
Then, she hardened her expression and lowered her voice even further.
“Don’t disappoint me. I’m not such a magnanimous person.”
Her hand mimed swirling a glass of wine.
“Bwahahahaha!!!”
The words sent Dokyun’s body shaking with laughter.
Ah, he could picture it.
The gesture was so uncannily similar to Eun-seol’s usual mannerisms that the scene began to play out in his head.
“No, did she really say that?”
“What, you think I’d lie?” she replied with a chuckle.
Dokyun laughed for a long while, a joyful thought occurring to him: he now had new material to tease Eun-seol with.
He was already looking forward to her reaction.
“Ah, and also…”
Dokyun’s gaze turned back to Harim.
She was giggling nonstop as if she was having the time of her life, and for a moment, the thought, ‘Is it really okay for her to spill everything like this?’ crossed his mind, but he deliberately ignored it.
She’ll handle it herself, I guess.
Whatever happened, it wasn’t his problem.
*
After they had been talking for quite some time, a summons came from Eun-seol.
Dokyun entered the office and saw Eun-seol sipping her coffee.
“Are you finished with your work?”
“Mostly.”
Eun-seol set down her cup and looked at Dokyun.
He tilted his head in question.
“You’re still ugly.”
That was her response.
Flinch.
Dokyun’s body trembled.
“…Why are you bringing that up again?” he muttered, shrinking back instinctively.
Why did she have to poke at that wound? A sense of resentment welled up inside him, and as he grumbled, he belatedly realized that Harim hadn’t mentioned his face. He looked over at her.
Harim met his gaze and let out a giggle.
“What? He’s not that hard to look at.”
Would it be an exaggeration to say he was moved by her words?
After his face had become a running joke for the past few days, Dokyun had been feeling down. He felt a pang in his chest and wrinkled his nose as he muttered his thanks.
“…Thanks.”
“Hey, I’m just telling the truth.”
She gave him a thumbs-up.
A warm atmosphere briefly settled between them, but Eun-seol, who had been watching from the sofa, scowled slightly and cut in.
“Stop with the nonsense and sit down.”
Dokyun’s eyes narrowed at her words.
She’s the one who started it…
Is this what they call a double standard?
Her vaguely displeased expression was irritating, and Dokyun was glaring at her when—
“What.”
—he immediately backed down at the ferocity in her eyes and whimpered as he went to his seat.
“Nothing…”
He may have overcome his trauma of Geun-tae, but that glare was still terrifying.
Eun-seol, seated at the head of the office, glanced between Dokyun and Harim, who were seated on either side of her, before casually asking a question.
“So, did you two get a chance to talk?”
At Eun-seol’s question asking if they’d gotten friendlier, Dokyun recalled the story he’d just heard about her drunken antics.
An eighteen-year-old Eun-seol who hadn’t recovered from her edgy phase… wasn’t that a rare treasure?
A “pfft” escaped Dokyun’s lips at the thought. When Eun-seol tilted her head at the sight, he barely managed to suppress his laughter and nodded.
“Yes, she’s a very interesting person.”
“Oh, come on…”
Another round of empty compliments was exchanged.
Eun-seol clicked her tongue with a “Tsk” before continuing.
“Alright, it seems you’ve gotten acquainted, so that’s settled. As for why I introduced you…”
“You want me to introduce her to Eun-ah, right?”
“Correct.”
Dokyun looked at the nodding Eun-seol, then shifted his gaze to Harim.
Feeling awkward under their combined stares, Harim scratched the back of her head and spoke in a playful tone.
“Wow, it’s my first time meeting the original boss. I’m a little nervous. She doesn’t, like, kill people or anything, right?”
Thump.
Dokyun’s hand, which had been reaching for his teacup, froze.
Was that supposed to be a joke? Dokyun shot furtive glances at Eun-seol, and only after seeing that she showed no particular reaction did he let out a small breath and reply.
“…I doubt she’d kill anyone.”
“Huh?”
Harim tilted her head.
Seeing Harim glance back and forth between him and Eun-seol with a clueless expression, Dokyun thought, Does this woman have no sense? before shaking his head to clear the thought.
Whatever. Hadn’t they said that staying quiet gets you halfway there?
It was better for his mental health not to care whether this woman caused trouble or not.
As he was lost in thought, Eun-seol, who had been quietly sipping her coffee, spoke with a sigh.
“I still have some work left, so I’ll be here until tomorrow. When Go Eun-ah comes out the day after, bring her here.”
“Ah, yes.”
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Dokyun’s mind as he nodded.
His gaze turned to Harim.
But will Eun-ah even be able to talk to this person?
It was a natural concern.
Eun-ah was an extreme hikikomori with end-stage social anxiety. She was the type to flinch if someone so much as walked past her.
Wouldn’t she be completely incompatible with someone who seemed to not know the meaning of shyness?
As his thoughts lingered and his gaze shifted between Eun-seol and Harim, Eun-seol, who had read his mind as always, answered in an indifferent tone.
“She’s sharp, so she won’t get on her nerves for no reason.”
“Oh my, you flatter me.”
Dokyun narrowed his eyes at Harim, who was scratching the back of her head.
Her?
In what way?
Doubts sprouted in his mind, but he didn’t say anything more.
It was Eun-seol’s judgment, so it was probably correct.
“…Well, I understand for now.”
Dokyun gave a small nod of acknowledgment.
When he thought about it, it wasn’t something to worry too deeply about. If Harim did something to upset Eun-ah, he could just step in and stop her.
A brief silence followed. Eun-seol, having finished her coffee, stood up and spoke.
“Keep that in mind. Let’s go get something to eat. I’ve finished everything for today, anyway.”
“Ah, should I call the usual place?” Harim asked, standing up with Eun-seol.
Dokyun watched Eun-seol nod at Harim’s words, thinking, Isn’t this the first time those two have spoken like a boss and her subordinate? He stood up to follow Eun-seol.
As Eun-seol was putting on her coat, she noticed Dokyun, who had left his off until now, and her lips twitched.
“Grab your coat. We have to walk a bit.”
“Ah, yes.”
So we’re eating out.
The thought made Dokyun nod automatically.
Well, this is a busy district, so there must be plenty of places to eat.
This was a commercial district in one of Seoul’s prime locations. A short walk would reveal all sorts of restaurants, so there was no need to eat here.
Suddenly, Dokyun felt a twinge of embarrassment at his own poor imagination—he had assumed they were just going to the department store’s food court. He followed after Eun-seol.
Harim was in a corner of the office, making a phone call.
Dokyun followed Eun-seol out of the office, leaving Harim behind. Feeling an inexplicable sense of mischief bubble up, he let a few words slip out.
“…Even if people betray me.”
Flinch.
Eun-seol’s steps halted.
Her body gave a slight twitch.
Dokyun’s eyes caught it instantly.
He knew at once. She flinched like that from just one phrase, even before he’d finished the sentence? It was obvious.
That moment was her life’s most embarrassing memory, one that Eun-seol herself remembered all too well.
Realizing this, a wicked smile spread across Dokyun’s face.
The humiliations of the day flashed through his mind.
—You’re fucking ugly.
—Sorry. My mouth gets sore if I lie.
—You’re still ugly.
How… how mortifying those moments had been.
The insults had been continuous from the moment he woke up. A surge of indignation welled up inside him. He grinned at Eun-seol, who was now staring at him with trembling eyes, and spat out the next words.
“…Alcohol never betrays…”
“Shut up.”
“…Don’t disappoi…”
“I said, shut up.”
“Magnanimous…”
“Hey.”
Her voice was a low growl.
Dokyun, who had been thoroughly enjoying Eun-seol’s reaction, felt a shiver run down his spine. He quickly scanned her expression.
Her earlobes were flushed red. A vein pulsed in her neck. Her eyes were wide, glaring at him.
At any other time, he would have been scared, but… knowing that this reaction stemmed from pure shame made it seem strangely comical.
Dokyun fought back the burst of laughter that threatened to erupt and played innocent.
“Well, that phrase just popped into my head for some reason…”
Twitch, twitch.
He wiggled the corners of his mouth and glanced at Eun-seol. Her face was beet red, looking like it was about to explode as she glared at him. Then, she turned her gaze toward the office door.
“…Wait here a moment.”
Click-clack.
The sound of her heels echoed down the hallway.
With those words, Eun-seol went back into the office.
Thud.
The sound of the door closing was followed by voices from inside.
—Huh? Boss, you didn’t leave ye—Ack!
—W-wait… Aack!!! A bone, a bone!! Boss, you hit me with a bone! Aack!
A series of thuds and bangs followed.
Dokyun flinched at the sounds, his gaze dropping to the floor as he avoided looking at the office door.
A budding sense of guilt was quickly shaken off.
…This is what you call karma.
Dokyun hadn’t forgotten the grudge from the party supply store.