Showing Up at the Office
Fortunately, that day had been a Friday, which meant the weekend would be mine and mine alone. I had fully intended to hole up in my apartment and quietly sort through my tangled thoughts in peace, hoping to burn off some of the suffocating stress that had piled up over the week.
A message from Ahra-noona—
As if to mock any hope of rest, cold sweat broke out across my forehead the moment a KakaoTalk notification flashed on my screen.
In truth, nothing particularly dramatic had happened after that. We went to a cafe and had a nice meal. I insisted on paying, but Ahra-noona refused to hear a word of it and swept her card through the reader before I could even reach for my wallet. Other than that lingering awkwardness, that was the end of it. She dropped me off at home, wishing me a restful weekend, and we parted ways.
Come to think of it, exchanging a few texts with her over the weekend isn't unusual.
Right. It was probably just an ordinary check-in asking if I was having a good weekend, if I had gotten inside safely, or how I had liked the cafe. Clinging to that faint shred of optimism, I unlocked my phone and tapped open the chatroom.
My breath hitched, the back of my neck burning. Kim Hayun... Everything was spiraling out of control because of that girl.
Out of nowhere, I had been branded as the kind of guy who frequents red-light districts. Having lived an honest, upright life without ever setting foot near such sleazy establishments, the sheer indignity of the accusation made my blood boil.
"Then again, looking at it from Ahra-noona's perspective, I suppose it's an easy misunderstanding to make."
The trashy outfit Kim Hayun had been wearing, capped off by that glaring tattoo on her leg—it truly had been the icing on the cake. Anyone with even remotely conservative sensibilities would look at her and wonder if she worked in the sex trade.
"Haah... I guess I should just consider myself lucky she isn't spreading rumors around the office."
I swore to myself that I would never cross paths with Kim Hayun again. Yet even as I resolved to cut her out completely, a nagging question tugged at the back of my mind: why on earth had she returned to our hometown, especially while pregnant?
No one here would welcome her back. Even her own family was unlikely to look upon her with anything resembling warmth.
If she graduated from that vocational college up in the city, wouldn't she have found a job there, too?
Her entire foundation should have been established up there, so her sudden decision to come down here was baffling. But I forced my train of thought to halt right there. However curious I might be, I had no desire to know more, so I decided to let it rest. As long as I didn't actively seek her out, our paths would never cross again.
Or so I thought.
"Excuse me... I'd like to file a move-in report..."
I never dreamed she would be the one to come looking for me.
After weathering the weekend in anxious anticipation, Monday morning's commute arrived steeped in dread.
"Siwoo-ssi, have a good weekend?"
"Haha. Nothing out of the ordinary for me. Just stayed cooped up at home."
"Aigoo, missing out on campus life right in the prime of your youth! Still, you really are impressive, Siwoo-ssi. Having the foresight to jump straight into the civil service at your age."
"Thank you for the kind words."
Exchanging brief pleasantries with my colleagues, I pulled out my chair and sat down at my desk.
"So, you sorted things out cleanly, right, Siwoo-ssi?"
The words dropped like lead weights from Ahra-noona, who was already sitting at her desk nearby. What would she do the moment I told her I hadn't resolved it?
Report me to the superiors.
Spread whispers throughout the entire county office.
Sever all ties in disgust.
Countless horrifying scenarios flashed through my mind, but those three topped the list.
In public service, reputation held far more weight than most people realized. The public often scoffed about civil servants having "iron rice bowls," but the reality on the inside was completely different. The instant you became entangled in an unsavory scandal or misconduct, devastating penalties followed. You were passed over for promotions, stripped of meaningful responsibilities, and subjected to quiet, suffocating ostracization.
"I don't know if you'll believe me, but she really is just an old classmate," I insisted. "And we weren't on good terms, either."
"Mmh, is that so?"
I had no idea if it would work, but I had to clear the air. Sticking stubbornly to the truth was far better than meekly nodding and pretending I had some seedy connection to cut off.
"I still have my high school yearbook at home, so if you're curious, I can show it to you."
I had plenty of proof. My graduation album was sitting right on my shelf. Did my earnestness finally reach her?
Ahra-noona wore a serious expression for a fleeting second, then leaned in close to whisper in my ear.
"Can I come over to your place to see it?"
All the way to my apartment? Why there? Couldn't I just bring it to work?
I was about to voice that exact question, but she cut me off, the corners of her lips curling upward into an amused smile.
"It'd look a bit ridiculous if you dragged a high school yearbook all the way to the office, wouldn't it?"
"...What if I just take a picture of the page with my phone and send it to you?"
"Well, AI is so advanced these days~ I really can't trust anything unless I see it with my own two eyes."
As if forging a seamless, faded high school yearbook photo with generative AI was something anyone could casually whip up on a whim. Yet knowing she held complete control over the conversation, I swallowed my protests, let out a resigned sigh, and nodded.
"Fine. But once I show it to you, you have to promise to believe me."
Right. Let's just show her the damn album and put an end to this farce once and for all. That way, she would never suspect me of patronizing brothels ever again.
Besides, what was the worst that could happen? It was just showing her a yearbook.
"Whoa, is that girl out of her mind?"
"Seriously. I'll never understand youngsters these days."
Murmurs began rippling through the civil service center. Wondering what the commotion was about, I turned my head—and froze. Standing near the entrance was a woman who clashed violently with the buttoned-up atmosphere of a municipal government building.
Bleached blonde hair, skin-tight hot pants, and a prominent rose tattoo inked boldly across her bare thigh.
...Kim Hayun?
What was she doing here? Had she come all this way just to see me? A spike of sheer dread gripped my chest. If she sauntered over and started acting familiar with me in front of everyone, things would get agonizingly messy.
And if she acted the way she did at the cafe... God, please no.
"For that matter, please head over to the counter marked Number 8," a clerk at the guidance desk directed.
"Yes... Counter eight... Ah."
Our eyes met.
A vivid flashback of Friday slammed into me—her sweet, desperate voice calling out to me as if no time had passed. Kim Hayun locked her gaze on me and started walking toward my desk. Watching her approach, cold sweat drenched my palms. To be brutally honest, I was terrified she would blurt out something like, Hey, Siwoo! So this is where you work!
"Excuse me... I'd like to file a move-in notification."
"...A change of address, you mean?"
"Yes."
Contrary to my fears, she made no indication that she knew me. In fact, unlike Friday, she was remarkably polite and formal.
With slightly trembling hands, I slid an application form across the counter.
"Please provide your identification, and fill in the highlighted sections here and here."
"Yes, understood."
Kim Hayun diligently filled out each line. I watched her in silence until she finished and handed the paperwork back. Checking for any omissions or errors, my eyes scanned down to the address field—
Wait, this isn't where her family lives, is it?
My eyes locked onto the address, and my posture stiffened. Wondering if she had written it wrong by mistake, I pointed to the line.
"Could you double-check this part right here, please?"
"Ah... Yes, that's correct. That is where I'm currently residing."
Perhaps her family had moved in the years she was gone, or perhaps she wasn't living with them at all. But I cut my curiosity short right there. It wasn't my concern.
And with that, the interaction was over. Having completed her errand, Kim Hayun turned and quietly departed.
It was only a moment later that I noticed a small, folded scrap of paper left behind on the edge of the counter. Without a second's hesitation, I scooped up the note and dropped it straight into the wastebasket.
I swore I wouldn't get involved with her anymore.
"Hmm. So you really didn't know each other like that?"
"See? I told you. We're just high school classmates."
The moment Ahra-noona brought it up over lunch in the cafeteria, I answered without missing a beat. There was a faint, tiny prickle of indignation in my voice from how thoroughly she had doubted me.
Even so, it was surreal how, back within the county office walls, she had slipped effortlessly back into the sweet, gentle Ahra-noona I had always known. All weekend, I had dreaded whether that chilling, unfamiliar woman from the car would rear her head again. That gaze had haunted me—the hungry look of an apex predator eyeing helpless prey.
"Mmh, but you're still going to show me your yearbook, right?"
"Wait, what? Didn't that clear everything up?"
Why was she still insisting on seeing it? Surely any lingering suspicion had been dispelled by now.
Instead of answering immediately, she glanced around the noisy cafeteria, then leaned in close to whisper in my ear.
"To be honest, I never really cared about that woman. I was just curious to see what our dear Siwoo-ssi looked like back in high school."
"Huh?"
My high school days?
As I blinked at her in confusion, Ahra-noona plucked a Vienna sausage—my favorite side dish—from her tray and gently placed it onto mine with a radiant smile.
"You're still growing, so you need to eat plenty, Siwoo-ssi~"
Park Ahra had been watching without Lee Siwoo ever noticing. Every flick of their eyes, their tone of voice, every minute gesture passing between them.
She had even considered stepping in to intervene if a scene like Friday's unfolded again.
Yet today, she treats him like a total stranger.
It was a complete contrast to the cafe. Of course, a palpable yearning and sorrow clung to the woman's eyes, but Siwoo seemed utterly oblivious to it.
Then, when Ahra spotted the woman surreptitiously slipping a folded note onto the counter, she clicked her tongue in disgust.
Sly little vixen, wagging her tail everywhere she goes.
Should she quietly snatch and dispose of it before Siwoo noticed? Or should she wait until he discovered it and observe how he reacted?
Classmates. Acquaintances. Meeting privately at a cafe.
A bizarre, heavy tension clearly hung between the two of them, especially given the clandestine note left behind.
Ahra deliberated, ultimately settling on the latter.
What truly mattered was Siwoo's heart. And if his heart still harbored feelings for her?
Then I'll just have to tear that heart away from her completely.
Holding her breath, she waited in calm anticipation.
The instant Siwoo spotted the note, he threw it straight into the trash. Watching him discard it without a second thought sent a thrilling shudder straight through the backs of Ahra's knees.
She wanted nothing more than to wrap Siwoo in a suffocating embrace, petting his hair like rewarding a good, loyal puppy. But knowing it was not yet time to bare her true fangs, she shoved the craving deep down inside.
Now then... just what kind of history do those two really share?