Chapter 38
Chapter 38
Jae-gyu, who had been sitting with his head bowed and ears perked, let his mouth fall open.
“……?”
“Do you not want to……?”
Bom was a bit flustered herself, as she hadn't expected him to be reluctant. Jae-gyu exhaled a breath he had been holding and stammered.
“W-with me?”
“…….”
“No, I mean…… just the two of us, you’re saying?”
It wasn’t like this was their first meal together. They had even visited each other's houses several times, so she hadn't expected him to be this caught off guard.
It was likely because this invitation came right after all that talk about "some" and "flirting," making it unexpected. Bom spoke calmly.
“Yes. Um, if you’re busy…… it’s okay if you just go. I’m sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up so suddenly…….”
Jae-gyu snatched the work gloves he was holding and tossed them toward the shed. Licking his dry lips, he spoke.
“Let us head down immediately.”
⋆★⋆
This wasn't the scene Bom had imagined.
She had planned to maturely bring up the events of that day first, share a drink, and convey her gratitude and apologies for everything he’d done.
And on top of that, the most important point: to clearly state that they couldn't be a couple.
That was definitely what she intended to do.
“Ton.”
Before Bom could even open her mouth, a cold bottle of soju was served to the table.
This was already the third bottle.
“Kat.”
“Su.”
“Ton.”
“Kat.”
“Su.”
“…….”
Neither side yielded an inch. Jae-gyu kept chanting "Ton," "Kat," "Su" in sequence as he twisted the cap off the soju.
He filled Bom’s small, transparent glass about halfway and poured his own to the brim.
“Ton.”
“Su.”
Seeing Jae-gyu get the order wrong, Bom burst into a bright smile. Jae-gyu, who had to take the penalty drink again, gave a short, dry chuckle.
“Ah, I’m going to get drunk if I keep losing.”
Jae-gyu lifted his glass, downed it in one go, and chased the bitter taste with a sip of water.
“Your stomach is empty. Try some skewers, Jae-gyu.”
“I am fine.”
“But these are delicious…….”
When Jae-gyu flatly refused, Bom picked up a chicken and scallion skewer and slid a piece off. The tender meat paired with the well-grilled scallions was quite tasty.
Bom had clearly stated that she was treating him today.
Yet, while they emptied the soju, Jae-gyu hadn't touched a single appetizer.
Does he hate it here?
This place, ‘Two Bridges,’ was the only pub in Cheongseol-eup. It had partitions and the skewers were good, so she thought it would be fine, but…….
As the host, Bom felt a bit slighted. A pouty tone crept into her voice.
“……Jae-gyu, let’s just finish this and go for a second round.”
At those words, Jae-gyu choked on the water he was drinking. Bom quickly pulled out a tissue and handed it to him.
“Bom, this is the second round.”
Right now, they were in a situation where designated drivers wouldn't come and taxis couldn't be caught. Saying "second round" was essentially suggesting they go back to Bom’s house to drink more.
“Yeah……. You don’t like it here…….”
It was stubbornness. It was the first time she was treating Jae-gyu, who was always the one giving, and she didn't want it to end like this.
“It is not that, Bom.”
“Then what is it……. I said I was buying, but, huff, you haven't eaten a thing. I’ll go home and make you shabu-shabu or something.”
“You’re drunk, Yoon Bom.”
It was true she felt a little dizzy, but…….
“I, you know, bought a lot of beef and put it in the fridge…….”
Was she really drunk? Her tongue was getting a bit tied and her thoughts were slowing down.
No. I kept winning the games, didn't I?
Bom slowly shook her head. Feeling the need to explain, Jae-gyu set his glass down with a thud and spoke.
“Bom. Look. These skewers right now—what are they made of?”
Bom scanned the plates sitting on the red table.
Chicken and scallion skewers, heart skewers, spicy chicken skewers, perilla leaf chicken rolls…….
“Chicken.”
“Bingo. That is why I am not eating them.”
“What does that even mean?”
When she tilted her head in confusion, Jae-gyu shrugged.
“Protein. I am currently in the middle of muscle loss, so I must not eat it.”
Bom’s mouth fell open. Only then did Jae-gyu’s strange behavior make sense. She remembered how he had only picked out the bell peppers when they ordered Chinese food earlier that day.
[Your muscles are so big it’s a bit overwhelming.]
Because she had said that……. She had to take back the words she’d said to him.
“You know, Seon Jae-gyu. Actually, all of that……”
After hesitating for a moment, she confessed.
“Was a lie.”
Having finally spat it out, Bom grabbed her glass and swallowed the whole thing.
“I like your body, Jae-gyu.”
“……?”
Bom was so focused on speaking while enduring the slow swaying of her vision that she didn't even notice Jae-gyu’s ears turning bright red at her statement.
“From the beginning…… you caught my eye. I like…… big things…….”
“…….”
“Don’t get rid of your muscles……. I tried imagining it, and it was really not good…….”
Bom picked up the soju bottle and brought it to her empty glass. Jae-gyu reached out and caught her wrist.
Their eyes met.
“I do not think you should drink any more.”
Now that she’d confessed one truth, the alcohol was going down easily. Bom spoke slowly.
“Ha. This much is fine.”
Bom pushed his hand away from her wrist and filled her glass just enough.
“I can take you home later, but what are you going to do tomorrow? Your stomach is going to be all messed up…… I mean, you’ll have heartburn.”
“Hehe.”
Bom, giggling to herself with a breathy laugh, picked up a skewer and munched on it.
“What are you gonna do, I mean……. What are you planning to do, drinking like this?”
“I told you, I’m fine.”
“I’m really, no, I’m really worried, that’s why.”
Flustered, Jae-gyu began to mix his dialect into the Seoul accent he had been forcing all day. Bom found that unique intonation incredibly welcoming.
“What’s this? The dialect……. That was a lie, too.”
Giggling again, Bom sipped her drink.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Can’t you stop using that awkward Seoul accent? I like it better when you just…… mix it in naturally like you usually do.”
Jae-gyu went silent for a moment, then grabbed the soju bottle and poured it into his glass until it was overflowing.
He tilted his head back, downed it in a flash, and gave a slight smirk.
“Ah, honestly, I felt like I was gonna die of embarrassment too.”
Pfft. Bom started laughing along with him. He was almost back to the original Jae-gyu.
“The suit, too…… it suits you, but it looks really uncomfortable. Hurry up and take the jacket off…….”
“Right now?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
Jae-gyu immediately shucked off the jacket and set it down beside him.
Whoa, look at that chest. What am I thinking! But still…….
His shirt and vest looked like they were about to burst. If he took those off too and put on a tight T-shirt, Jae-gyu’s charm would truly overflow. But since there were no clothes to change into, she had to be satisfied with this. Her eyes kept darting toward him.
“Honestly, it was a bit hot today, wasn't it…….”
“I almost died 'cause it was so hot. Look at all this sweat.”
Jae-gyu, grinning, raised his hand high. When the server approached, he looked for the menu and started ordering.
“Give us the oden hot pot, the fried gyoza, and the assorted sausages. Oh, and one more bottle of soju.”
My bank account is going to be empty. Even as she thought that, Bom smiled radiantly. Even through the intoxication, she could feel things were going well.
But she felt like she was forgetting something important…….
She decided to set that aside for now. Currently, she was busy watching Jae-gyu tear into the skewers, looking like he was about to shed tears of joy.
“This is the most delicious skewer I’ve ever had in my life. Wow.”
Since Jae-gyu said it was delicious, her mood lifted as well.
So this is what it feels like. She remembered how proud he looked when she gave a thumbs-up to his lunch boxes.
She felt full even without eating any more.
“You know, Bom-Bom. Do you know how to eat raw fish?”
Jae-gyu, who had opened the newly served soju bottle, poured a tiny drop into Bom’s glass and filled his own to the brim again.
“Um……. Yes. Why?”
“Next time, let’s go down and have some tilefish sashimi. After you finish the fish, if you mix rice in water and put a piece of grilled tilefish on top, it’s incredible.”
He looked truly excited. Since he’d said he’d been starving for days, it made sense he was so sincere about eating. Bom nodded slowly, playing along.
“I’ve had grilled tilefish, but I’ve never had it as sashimi.”
“I was sick of seafood so I didn't eat it, but I had some on a business trip last month and it was quite good. We must go.”
Bom, listening to the story with eyes that were gradually closing, picked out an interesting detail.
“Why were you sick of seafood……?”
“My hometown is a small fishing village down by the coast.”
Her eyes, which had been almost closed, snapped open. She had always been curious about Jae-gyu’s past.
“Have you ever heard of Haechon Village?”
“It’s my first time hearing of it.”
Was Jae-gyu’s secret finally being revealed?
“Then…… did you live in that fishing village with your parents the whole time?”
What were his parents like, and what was his childhood like? And how did he end up settling in Shinsu-eup?
As Bom was mentally organizing the questions she was curious about, just as she was about to ask the first one, Jae-gyu frowned slightly.
“Well, enough about my past. It’s not interesting.”
His voice had turned strangely stiff. Jae-gyu looked away, his lips pressed into a firm line.
Is he telling me not to ask?
Her brain was working slowly. Since it felt that way, she couldn't ask any further.
A brief silence fell between them.
I thought we’d gotten closer again…….
Was it just her own delusion? Then again, she couldn't unilaterally ask about his past without sharing her own story.
Bom’s lips twitched as she took another sip from her glass.
“Jae-gyu, you know……”
Her judgment clouded, Bom began to tell a story she normally wouldn't have.