Chapter 101: A Life-or-Death Push and Pull-4
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 101: A Life-or-Death Push and Pull-4
"P-please... it hurts..."
"......."
Despite the employee’s plea, Garam didn't budge.
"Garam, what are you doing right now!"
All eyes in the cafe were drawn to us by the sound of a tray hitting the floor. The employee’s hand, gripped tightly in Garam’s, was turning white as the circulation was cut off.
"......."
Startled by my shout, Garam turned a look full of resentment toward me before redirecting a gaze of fierce hatred back at the employee.
"Let go of her!"
I grabbed Garam’s arm and tried to force her away, but she didn't move an inch.
"Ugh..."
Instead, her grip only tightened, and the groan escaping the employee’s lips grew louder.
"Garam!"
I put more strength into it. Still, she wouldn't let go.
"Garam. Let go. If you don't, I’m never seeing you again."
"......"
At that ultimatum, she finally relaxed her hand.
As soon as Garam let go, the employee clutched her arm and whimpered in pain.
"I’m so sorry. My friend here is going through some things. I think there’s been a misunderstanding."
I ushered Garam behind me and bowed deeply. I bowed again to the other customers and to the manager, who was rushing out after finally realizing what was happening.
"I’m terribly sorry. We’ll leave immediately. Garam, go wait outside."
"Boss..."
Garam grabbed my sleeve.
I pulled my arm away, brushing her hand off.
"Go to the car first."
With a dull thud of my hand hitting her arm, her body swayed slightly. I turned around and looked her straight in the eye.
Her pupils were trembling violently, and her hands hovered in the air, lost. It was as if she had actually expected me to understand her actions. Seeing her face—the face of someone confronted with an unbelievable situation—gave me a headache.
"I just... Boss, it’s not like that..."
Only now did the original Garam seem to return.
"Just go for now. I’ll talk to the people here and then follow you."
I placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a light push. For someone like her, who could never be moved by such force, she stumbled backward. I turned her around and guided her toward the exit.
Even as I pushed her along, she kept twisting her head, trying to meet my eyes. However, I didn't have the mental capacity to care about making eye contact. My mind was occupied with the desperate need to deflect the dozens of staring eyes.
Once she stepped outside, the glass door became a barrier between us. She lingered in front of the window as if her feet wouldn't move, but when I gestured for her to go, she finally headed toward the car. Her shoulders looked unusually small as she walked away.
Having practically chased her out of the shop, I turned back to the manager and the employee.
"I’ll say it again, I am truly sorry."
I bowed once more to convey my apology. The employee was clutching her arm, which had already begun to swell and turn red, her eyes welling with tears. Seeing that, a heavy weight settled in my chest.
I apologized repeatedly, trying to sugarcoat Garam’s behavior.
"The... the friend I was with, she has some personal circumstances. She’s a bit unwell."
"Ah, I see..." the manager chimed in with a look of pity.
"So, occasionally, she shows violent tendencies. She isn't usually like this. I don't know what got into her today."
I had no choice but to disparage Garam to smooth things over.
"This is a small gesture compared to the pain and shock you’ve suffered... but please take this as a token of my apology."
I pulled whatever cash I could grab from my wallet. I held out a stack of 50,000-won bills to the employee.
"To be honest, money can't compensate for this, but I’d appreciate it if you’d accept it anyway."
I added those words so it wouldn't seem like I was just trying to buy my way out of trouble. Seeing the large sum of money, the manager waved it off, but I forced it into the employee's hand like an uncle aggressively giving New Year’s money to a nephew.
They won't sue or anything, right?
*
"Take care!"
The manager and the employee followed me all the way to the door to see me off. We were the ones who caused the scene, yet they were treating me with such hospitality... I guess money really is king.
Ugh... my money. No matter how rich I am, a waste is a waste.
Trudging back to the parking lot, I saw Garam standing blankly next to the car.
Ah... I didn't give her the keys.
Unlike my lightened wallet, my heart felt heavy.
"!!!"
We noticed each other. She shifted her weight hesitantly as if she wanted to come toward me, but I told her to stay there and quickened my pace.
"Sorry. I forgot to give you the car keys."
It was only a short time, but I felt bad for leaving her standing outside. I hurried to unlock the car, and she silently climbed into the passenger seat.
Sitting in our respective seats, we both stared straight ahead. It was a typical city parking lot with no scenery to speak of. Just a constant stream of passing people and cars.
Outside the car, life went on as usual. Inside the car, the abnormality continued. I felt as hopeless as if I were holding a tangled ball of yarn—one I couldn't bring myself to cut with scissors or give up on untangling.
"Garam. Why on earth did you do that?"
"I’m sorry."
"I don't want an apology. I want to know why."
I hoped she would say she had misunderstood the situation and reacted that way.
"Th-that woman was flirting with you... she brought you cake to try and seduce you..."
I had a lot to say, but I decided to stay quiet, feeling it wasn't right to cut her off.
"And then, if you g-got close... I thought you wouldn't even look at me anymore..."
Garam’s voice grew smaller and smaller. It seemed she realized how ridiculous her words sounded even as she spoke them.
"Th-then I’d be all alone again..."
Whatever was so sorrowful, I could see her hands gripping her knees with immense strength. She was going to crush her own kneecaps at that rate.
"Garam, first of all, that cake was being given to every customer in the cafe for a new product evaluation."
"And there’s no way I’d become close with an employee just by eating a piece of cake."
I tried my best to make her understand and reassure her. Rather than blindly scolding her, I coaxed her toward logic. If there’s a "push and pull" to managing people, this was the "pull."
"But..."
"No buts. Garam, you must never resort to violence."
Especially since she was so strong. Now, it was time for a slight "push."
"And even if I did become close with the employee, that doesn't justify you using violence."
"What? You’re going to get close?"
She looked at me, startled.
"You know better than anyone that’s not what I meant."
"......."
"Anyway, if you hit people and hurt them like this, I’m going to be very disappointed. I was a little disappointed today."
Finishing my sentence, I started the engine.
"I’m sorry. I was really wrong."
As I paid the parking fee and prepared to exit, Garam spoke softly. I forced a smile to try and change the atmosphere.
"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to the employee later."
"Okay. But... where are we going now?"
"Let’s call it a day."
"What?"
"I’m taking you home."
"Ah... I, well... we were supposed to do our afternoon workout..."
Normally, that would be the plan, but how could we work out or do anything in this atmosphere? I shook my head.
"No, I think it’s better for both of us to stop here for today."
"That..."
She looked like she wanted to say something, but she never let the words out.
The car drove on and on until we arrived in front of her now-familiar house.
"Garam, we’re here."
"Boss. I was really wrong. I won't ever do it again."
She apologized again. I patted her shoulder a couple of times.
"Yes. Just reflect on what happened today and don't do it again. Don't take it too much to heart."
"Then... you don't hate me, right?"
"I don't hate you. Don't worry."
I spoke firmly to reassure her, and only then did she show a smile.
"Thank you, Boss. Then I’ll go home and 'reflect'."
She opened the passenger door, got out, and gave me a deep, ninety-degree bow.
"See you tomorrow," she said as she closed the door.
*
"Honey, go check on the neighbors."
As soon as Kim Geon-woo walked through the door after work, his wife made the sudden request.
"Why the neighbors all of a sudden?"
Geon-woo asked his wife, who looked thoroughly irritated.
"I don't know, there’s been a strange noise coming from there for a while now. It’s so loud..."
He felt a bit slighted that she was pestering a man who had just finished a long day at work, but since he couldn't refuse his lovely wife’s request, he put on his slippers and headed next door.
Thud, thud, thud.
When he knocked on the iron door with its peeling paint, he heard a sign of life from within.
Thud, thud, thud.
"Excuse me!"
Creeeeeak.
The door opened just a crack, and a woman’s voice came through the gap.
"Is something the matter?"
"Well, I don't know what you’re doing in there, but we can hear the noise next door. Could you please keep it down?"
"Ah..."
The door swung wide open.
"I’m sorry for the noise."
A woman wearing a shabby sleeveless shirt and shorts bowed at the waist.
"...Right, well, as long as you understand."
Flustered, Geon-woo gave a half-hearted acknowledgment of her apology and immediately retreated to his own home.
"......."
"What did they say? Did they say they’d be quiet?"
His wife came over to ask, but he leaned his back against the door, gasping for breath.
"Wh-what did I just see?"
Recalling the image of the woman next door—her entire body drenched in blood as if she had been cut and torn apart—Geon-woo collapsed right there on the floor.