The Thirty-Third Assignment — Even a Brush of Sleeves ③
The next day.
What's going on? Did something happen without me knowing?
Yeoni seriously considered whether he ought to go check in at the Post Office. First Changmo had shown up out of nowhere yesterday, and now Simyeong had dropped by unannounced. He even entertained the idle thought that Yuhwa might turn up tomorrow.
"What's with that sour look? Your senior's here. Relax — I didn't come bearing bad news."
Simyeong ribbed him with an easy grin. Whatever his official purpose, he'd come to see Yeoni. Meeting the youngest member of the team — a face he so rarely got to see — was enough to put him in high spirits. A smile sat full across Simyeong's face, a rare sight these days.
"Changmo hyung came by yesterday too. When you all start dropping in one after another like this, I can't help getting nervous. I was worried something had gone wrong."
"No need to be so skittish. Hahaha! I was wondering how you've been getting on. We've been so swamped I haven't had a spare moment to come see you."
"As you can see, I'm drowning in schoolwork. That whole 'freshmen can take it easy' thing? Complete lie. If I ever meet whoever started that rumor, I'm having words."
They'd met in an empty lecture hall at Yeoni's university. Yeoni had several textbooks stacked beside him and had been studying hard. His notebook was already worn ragged with writing, and the inside of his head was in even worse shape than the notebook. Even so, he managed to keep up a perfectly decent conversation with Simyeong.
"Then and now, there's no such thing as taking it easy with studying. Whoever said that doesn't know the first thing about it."
"Tell me about it. Anyway, what brings you here? Taking a break, like Changmo hyung?"
Yeoni paused his pencil and asked. If it was a break, he was all for it. He figured he could set the studying aside and chat with Simyeong until lunch. Simyeong gave him a sly little smile.
What he'd brought was a topic far more useful — and far more interesting — than a simple rest.
"It does have something to do with that Changmo kid."
"If it's related to Changmo hyung..."
"You already know, don't you? I figured you'd have picked up on it by now."
Simyeong's eyes crinkled in a light smile — the look of one player recognizing another. If you ranked them, Yeoni was a cut above, and he caught on immediately. His voice took on a sly edge.
"Ah, you mean that. About why Changmo hyung's been acting that way."
"Good, that saves us time. Changmo's out on a long-distance delivery right now, so let's the two of us talk it over. Have you given it any thought?"
At Simyeong's question, Yeoni pulled out a notebook and showed it to him — the one he'd roughly organized the day before. Simyeong took it and read it over carefully. There were only a few lines, but they were more than enough to grasp Yeoni's thinking.
"You didn't even ask anyone in the Underworld, and you still managed to reason it out this far."
"I am a postman, you know. I'd be in trouble if I couldn't pick up on at least this much."
"Fair enough."
Simyeong smiled with satisfaction and glanced around. Once he'd confirmed they were alone, he leaned in and whispered. It was the Underworld news Yeoni had been wanting to hear.
"Nothing's happened in the Underworld. Just as you suspected — if something went down, it went down in the living world."
"Do you have any guesses of your own?"
Yeoni's eyes lit up as he asked.
"I don't know exactly why he's acting that way. One thing's certain, though — it started right after he went out on a particular delivery. My guess is something happened on the way there or back."
"During a delivery..."
"Whatever fits that description is likely the reason Changmo's been acting the way he has."
So it was a living-world problem after all. Something that happened on a delivery run! Yeoni and Simyeong put their heads together, puzzling over what that something might have been. In the empty classroom, a Grim Reaper and a young man from the living world huddled and whispered. The notebook filled, line by line, with everything they came up with.
"It's not related to Gangnim. If it were, he'd be furious — that's not the kind of thing that would make him act strange. Blackmail, though... I'm not sure about that one."
"Blackmail only works if there's something to blackmail with. Changmo doesn't have any weaknesses the rebels could exploit. And even if he did, he's not the type to fold."
Simyeong firmly crossed out the "blackmail" item. Changmo wasn't that kind of Grim Reaper. He'd rather get beaten to death than submit to the Rebel Faction. They could toss that one out entirely.
"This one looks more realistic to me. What do you think?"
The possibility he was pointing to was the one at the very bottom. Which was, of course, the one Yeoni hadn't been taking seriously at all.
"This one?"
"That's the one."
"Come on! That's a stretch."
Yeoni rejected it on the spot. He'd written it down just in case, but even he thought it was a ridiculous possibility. His tone was half-skeptical.
"You think Changmo hyung's acting like this because of someone from the living world?"
That was it. The last possibility Yeoni had written down — the one Simyeong had singled out — was the theory that Changmo had met someone from the living world. It was the most absurd, head-scratching option of the lot. But Simyeong explained his reasoning with complete seriousness.
"There's nothing else that explains it. It's definitely not the rebels, and nothing noteworthy happened in the Underworld — which leaves the possibility that he met someone from the living world. Absurd as it sounds, it's the least far-fetched guess we've got."
"Haa! Even if you're right, we're still stuck. We don't know who he met or what shook him up. We're just running in place, aren't we?"
"I don't know who it was, but I have a pretty good idea what kind of shock it was."
Simyeong wagged a finger at Yeoni, who was still looking at the whole thing negatively. Something seemed to have occurred to him as he settled on that last option. He brought his mouth close to Yeoni's ear and quietly shared his guess.
"......"
Yeoni's face crumpled spectacularly. His complexion went pale, the look of someone who'd just heard something he really shouldn't have. Simyeong found this so amusing he had to stifle a laugh.
"Heheheh! I knew you'd react like that."
"W-well, of course I would. That's a wild leap. A Grim Reaper falling for someone from the living world? If Yuhwa noona heard this, she'd ask if we were writing a novel."
Changmo had fallen for someone from the living world.
Oddly enough, they'd landed on the right answer in one shot — like a cow stumbling backward and catching a mouse. Yeoni let out a hollow laugh, and Simyeong shrugged. Neither of them seemed to be taking it entirely seriously.
"So what if it's a wild guess? Until we actually find out, it's all speculation and imagination anyway. We can look into the rest properly."
"There's a limit to speculation and imagination, you know."
He was worried about what would happen if the person in question — or any other Grim Reaper — overheard. Their Team Leader, always so mature, acting like this? Yeoni vowed then and there that he would never breathe a word of today's conversation. Simyeong's smile, for its part, showed no sign of stopping.
"It's entertaining, what can I say? One of my juniors has fallen for someone. If it's true, I'd love to see who it is."
"They're from the living world. Even if they dated, would it work out? The gap's just too big."
"It doesn't matter who the other person is. If you're sincere, and they like you back, that's enough. The heart doesn't keep track of age."
Whether he was simply enjoying himself, or whether he had someone particular in mind — Simyeong's peculiar smile held more than one kind of feeling.
"I still think he's just looking for a break. But hearing you lay it out like that... it's not completely without merit."
"I'm not saying you're wrong. He might well just want a rest. I'll look into it quietly. Don't let it show in front of Changmo."
"Got it. Oh — since you came all this way, want to grab something to eat? My treat."
Their discussion had more or less wrapped up. Yeoni offered a meal, but Simyeong waved it off. The look on his face, though, held something other than regret. With the same hand he'd used to decline, he pointed behind Yeoni.
"I'd like to, but it looks like you already have a prior guest."
"A prior guest?"
Yeoni looked puzzled — then immediately realized who Simyeong meant. From behind him came that "prior guest's" playful voice.
"What's this? You said we'd get lunch, and now you're making eyes at someone else?"
"Aigoo. You're here already?"
He turned around to find Dayeong standing there with her arms crossed. She strode over, planted a hand on Yeoni's shoulder, and gave it a little squeeze. The firm grip carried a hint of pressure. Yeoni pouted at her, though he was just as full of mischief.
"It's Simyeong hyung. He's not a girl — no need to get jealous."
"If I were actually jealous, I wouldn't be doing this. It's been a while, Uncle Simyeong. Hard to catch a glimpse of you these days."
"It's been a while for me as well, Miss Dayeong. Well then, I'd best be on my way."
Simyeong returned the greeting and immediately stepped back. He really was leaving. He had work to get back to, and besides, he had no interest in crashing a couple's meal. Interrupting a sweet moment wouldn't do, would it?
"I only said I was stepping out for a bit. A Team Leader can't leave his post for too long. You'll have a letter assigned to you soon, too. Do your best."
I don't particularly want to watch you two eat sugar with your eyes, either.
There was, just a tiny bit, some single-person jealousy mixed in.
"I'm in a better spot than you, hyung. Take care."
"Take care!"
The two of them saw Simyeong off. And the instant he vanished, Dayeong locked her arm firmly through Yeoni's. She'd been waiting for this moment, and she moved fast. She whispered in a sly tone.
"Uncle Simyeong's so quick on the uptake. I like that about him."
"I'm a little disappointed. I wanted to eat with him too."
"You can treat him some other time. Today it's just us. It's spring — something light and fresh. How about it?"
Whether she wanted something fresh or something sweet was anyone's guess. Her bright, beaming smile was as lively as could be. They ate together several times a week already, and yet she still seemed this happy about sharing a meal. Not wanting to spoil the mood, Yeoni simply smiled back in silence.
Right. Should I ask Dayeong about it too?
Then it occurred to him, out of nowhere, that he might tell her about the conversation he'd just had. A groundless sort of hope welled up — the hope that she'd dig into it more delicately than he, a guy, ever could. He glanced around in every direction and carefully opened his mouth.
"Hey, Dayeong."
"Yeah? What's up?"
"I wanted to ask you something. I was talking with Simyeong hyung just now, and he and I couldn't really reach a conclusion. I thought maybe you could help."
He didn't even need a bait like a reward. For a curiosity addict, a new story was delicious enough on its own. Dayeong's ears perked up at once. The love that had filled her eyes ignited into burning curiosity.
"So you need my help, huh?"
"Even a sheet of paper is lighter with two people carrying it."
"If you're the one asking, of course I'll help. Tell me the details over lunch. Even Mount Geumgang is best after a meal, right?"
She rubbed her palms together with a grin. Jackpot! Her whole body was saying it. She was even more enthusiastic than when she'd suggested they eat together.
This might actually be fun.
Dayeong's smile deepened — with a different kind of meaning.
At the same time, in the Director's office of the Underworld Post Office.
"So there aren't any other signs, then?"
Director Heukchi had his eye on Changmo as well. Managing postmen was his calling to begin with. If one of them was showing unusual behavior, there was no chance he'd just sit back and watch. Nahee, who'd been tasked with the report, laid out everything she'd found so far.
"That's correct. I asked around discreetly, and everyone who's seen Senior Team Member Changmo had nothing particular to say. For now, he seems to have gone back to normal."
"A temporary whim, then? Still doesn't sit right with me."
"It could be. Or it might not be. Senior Team Member Changmo came out of the Inspection Department, and he's the most socially adept postman we have. He's skilled at hiding any ordinary agitation on his own. I think it's too early to let our guard down."
She spoke stiffly in front of the Director, but her face was full of worry. Heukchi felt the same. He clutched at his throbbing head and muttered.
"Being too capable is a problem in its own right. If he'd just show it plainly like that Yeoni kid, it'd be easier to help him. Aigoo, my head."
When trouble broke out, it was always the people in the middle who suffered.
It's this damn Director's seat that makes me suffer, Heukchi silently howled.