Ace
The next day.
Jung Na-yeon sat in the driver's seat of the Grandeur, checked the side mirror once, and turned the ignition. The traces of the previous night still lingered in her body; she twisted her waist with a faint grimace, then glanced sideways at Hyun-soo and smiled.
"After burning through all that energy last night, do you still have enough left to try on safety shoes today?"
She laughed as she turned the wheel.
Hyun-soo grinned right back.
"There's someone who burned even more than I did last night, you know."
"Well, that..."
Jung Na-yeon's face flushed instantly. He wasn't wrong. Normally Hyun-soo took the lead from above, but last night she had climbed on top and thrown herself into it with even more fire. Even after the car left the villa alley and merged onto the main road, her cheeks stayed pink. She searched the navigation for a specialty work-shoe store and set the course toward Gasan Digital Complex.
When they arrived, Jung Na-yeon stepped out first. Hyun-soo followed from the passenger seat. They pushed open the glass door of the shop and found thick-soled safety shoes lined up by size on every display rack—everything from steel-toe reinforced models to lightweight mesh types.
"Welcome~"
As a clerk approached, Jung Na-yeon spoke first.
"He does night-shift loading and unloading at a logistics center. Show us something that protects the instep and doesn't slip."
"Ah—parcel loading and unloading, right?"
The clerk nodded and pulled two pairs of black mesh safety shoes from a middle shelf.
"This model's been selling well lately. Want to try them on?"
Jung Na-yeon nodded, crouched beside Hyun-soo, untied the laces for him, and had him slip them on. Once the shoes were on his feet, Hyun-soo took a few steps across the shop floor while she pressed the toes and checked for heel lift.
"Do these pinch at the ball of the foot? You'll be standing for eight hours—they can't be tight."
"They feel fine, I think."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
She inspected the fit more carefully than the clerk, even fretting over the thickness of the insole cushioning.
"Would you like to try one size up?"
When the clerk suggested it, Jung Na-yeon shook her head.
"If they're too big the foot slides around and you get blisters. This size is right."
"I'll take these."
Hyun-soo nodded in agreement; they fit perfectly.
"Shall we go with these, then?"
"Yes."
The clerk brought out a fresh pair of the same size and slipped the box into a shopping bag. At the counter Jung Na-yeon already had her card out. She paid herself and held the bag out to Hyun-soo.
"First-day present. Don't fiddle with it—just take it."
She folded the receipt into her bag. As they left the store she hooked her arm through his elbow and walked pressed close against him.
"Thank you for coming, customers."
Leaving the clerk's farewell behind them, Jung Na-yeon spoke again once they were outside.
"Go home, eat, and take a nap. I'll have the bento packed before nine."
"Should I?"
"Mm."
In the spring sunlight her face glowed softly. The sight of a married woman fussing over another man's first day of work stirred something strangely sweet in her chest.
"I'll wear these carefully and work hard."
At his words Jung Na-yeon narrowed her eyes and smiled. All the way to the parking lot she kept tapping the shopping bag hanging from Hyun-soo's hand.
"I believe you when you say you'll work hard. But don't overdo it. If your back goes out on day one, what am I supposed to do alone?"
"Got it. I'll be careful."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
She opened the Grandeur's trunk, stowed the bag, then poked Hyun-soo in the side with one finger. It was playful, yet her eyes were completely serious.
Once they were in the car, Jung Na-yeon rested both hands on the wheel and paused before starting the engine. Spring sunlight poured through the windshield; cherry-blossom petals drifted down from the trees in front of the shop.
"Hey, Hyun-soo."
"Hm?"
"I suddenly remembered how I tied his necktie for him the first day he started at the company. Called it a going-to-work present."
"You did?"
She gave a short laugh and pressed the start button. The engine hummed to life smoothly.
"But buying these safety shoes today... it felt strangely good. Is looking after someone supposed to make your heart race like this?"
"Then you're going to have a lot of heart-racing days ahead."
"Tch..."
She shot him a sidelong glance.
Pulling out of the parking lot, she checked the rearview mirror and merged onto the road. One hand stayed on the wheel; the other stretched across and settled on Hyun-soo's knee.
"When we get home, eat right away and sleep. Don't set an alarm—just wake up naturally. I'll come get you around eight."
"Queen of domestic support, huh?"
"Domestic support, my foot..."
Even as she protested, her cheeks colored.
"The bento will have spicy pork stir-fry, rolled omelet, and kkakdugi. I'll pack seaweed soup in a thermos, so make sure you eat it while it's still hot."
"Okay."
Stopped at a light, she turned her head toward him. Spring sunlight slanted in and lit the left side of her face; her loose hair stirred gently on her shoulders in the breeze.
"Honestly... I don't want to send you out tonight."
"You love me that much?"
"Don't say weird things."
Yet a smile still tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"But since you said you'll work hard—Hyun-soo, fighting!"
She faced forward again and smiled softly.
Back home, once she had watched him finish the meal she prepared and disappear into the master bedroom, she quietly cleared the table. She set the dishes in the sink, turned on the water, and glanced once toward the bedroom. The door stood half open; she could hear the rustle of him pulling the blanket up. Jung Na-yeon paused with the scrubber in her hand and smiled faintly. After finishing the dishes she dried her hands on a dish towel and peeked through the crack in the bedroom door.
Hyun-soo already had his face half buried in the pillow, breathing deeply.
She approached without a sound, set the air conditioner to twenty-four degrees, and drew the thin blanket up over his shoulders.
"Sleep well, Hyun-soo..."
She whispered it almost soundlessly, then slipped quietly out of the room.
All afternoon Jung Na-yeon moved between the living room and kitchen, keeping every noise to a minimum. She turned the television volume down and put on a drama with subtitles, but her eyes never stayed on the screen. Every so often she passed the bedroom door just to check his breathing; when the washing machine's spin-cycle alert chimed she stabbed the button to silence it at once. While hanging laundry on the veranda she set aside an old pair of training pants for him to wear as work clothes.
At seven in the evening she stood in the kitchen.
She laid pork shoulder on the cutting board and pounded the grain open with the back of the knife. When she dropped the gochujang-marinated meat into the pan, a sizzle rose and the spicy fragrance filled the house. She rolled the omelet into neat rectangles, let them cool, and arranged them carefully in one side of the bento box. Kkakdugi went into a small sealed container beside it. She filled a thermos with seaweed soup, locked the lid tight, and packed everything into the lunch bag.
Between the napkins she slipped a small memo.
Don't overdo it. If you get hurt, I'll cry.
Looking at her own handwriting made her face burn, but she left the note where it was.
At eight she opened the bedroom door and sat on the edge of the bed. She brushed the hair that had fallen across Hyun-soo's forehead with her fingertips and called him in a low voice.
"Hyun-soo, wake up. It's eight."
"Mmm..."
Watching his eyelids flutter, she cupped his cheek in her palm and stroked it gently.
"The bento's all packed. Safety shoes are out by the front door too."
Worry and excitement mixed half-and-half in her voice. Outside the window the early-evening dusk was settling.
When she heard him go into the bathroom she poured warm water into a cup in the kitchen. The moment the shower stopped she stood in the hallway holding out a towel.
"Don't just rough-dry your hair. Night wind will give you a headache."
"It's fine if I just rough it."
He took the towel and scrubbed at his hair; she clicked her tongue.
"Oh, come on—use the dryer."
Under her nagging he went back to the bedroom and dried his hair properly.
"Wear these. If you go in new clothes the boxes will snag them and ruin everything. What a waste."
"Okay."
While he changed she crouched in front of him, loosened the safety-shoe laces in advance, and pressed the insoles once more with her palm.
"Did you put on thick socks?"
"I did."
"Thin ones and your heels will blister."
She looked up at him, lips parting.
"Did you put on the gray socks I left in the drawer earlier?"
"These ones?"
When he came out she checked, then lifted the lunch bag with both hands.
"Spicy pork on the bottom, rolled omelet on top, kkakdugi separate. The seaweed soup's in the thermos so be careful when you open the lid—it's hot."
"I will."
He laced up the safety shoes and stood in the entryway. Jung Na-yeon slipped the bag strap over his shoulder and tugged the knot once to make sure it was secure.
"If you get hungry in the middle of the night, grab something from the vending machine."
She zipped his training jacket all the way to his throat and patted the collar flat with her palms.
"Got your ID?"
"It's in my wallet."
"Phone battery full?"
"Charged it completely."
Under the entryway light her eyes darted restlessly over his face.
"It's the first day, so don't get greedy—look after your body. Your back can't start hurting."
When he nodded she finally smiled.
"Come back safe. Text me for sure, okay?"