【Book Chapter 4 】
Life was unpredictable; you never knew what would happen next.
The guy she carefully chose on the app turned out to be a rude jerk, and, whether by luck or misfortune, a third party secretly took her away and spent the night with her. It turned out that the third party was her older brother's boss at work, and when she ran into her older brother's boss again, she was lucky enough to be wearing a face mask and avoided a crisis, but in the end, her identity was revealed.
What were the chances that her older brother would find out about this?
"Brother, isn't the pizza delicious?"
"Hmm. It tastes great."
"I think the pasta here is pretty good too."
"The pasta seems kind of mediocre to me."
"You're right. Looking at it again, this isn't great. Should we get rid of the pasta?"
Gajun's expression darkened. He opened his mouth with a puzzled look.
"Hey, Gaeul. Why are you being so weird? Did you do something wrong to me?"
"Me? What could I possibly have done wrong to you, Brother?! Well, I just thought the pizza was really good."
Gaeul reacted excessively and took a bite of the steak pizza.
At that, a shadow of suspicion deepened on Gajun's face.
"You… Did you hit me last night knowing I would black out?"
"Why would I hit you?"
"Then? Ah. I get it."
‘What? What did you get?’
The colour drained from Gaeul’s face in an instant.
He sighed deeply and continued speaking.
“Those Nike sneakers. Is that why you're acting like this? Alright, I'll buy them for you. I'll buy it."
“...”
"What? That's not it?"
"No, you’re right. That’s it. I'll send you the link."
Even if she was going to die, those Nike sneakers were innocent. Since she was going to get kicked out anyway, it would be better to leave comfortably with new shoes on.
Gajun's eyes widened as he checked the purchase link sent by Gaeul.
“What kind of sneakers cost over 200,000 won?”
"An assistant manager from a big corporation like you should be able to afford that for a job-seeking student. Besides, it was Brother who initially set those conditions, not me.”
"No wonder you seemed overly nice since earlier."
Lee Gajun was stingy, but he was a man of his word. Holding back tears, he clicked the payment button.
"More importantly, Brother. You've had that drinking contest three times now, can't you stop? You can't change a person's natural constitution. Instead of drinking, let's compete in something else and stop drinking with Seo Dohyun."
"Seo Dohyun? Why are you calling Team Leader Seo by his name?"
Gajun looked at her with an expression of disbelief.
In that instant, Gaeul, who had been tense and rigid, hurriedly glanced around.
"Oh, Brother’s enemy is my enemy, too. Judging by how he treats you, he doesn't seem like someone worthy of being called Team Leader."
In response to Gaeul’s answer, he would normally say "Right?" but instead, he put down the pizza he was eating and fell deep into thought. After a moment of silence, Gajun finally spoke.
"...You know, I think you’re right; Team Leader Seo isn’t such a bad person after all."
Until last night, Gaeul would have wholeheartedly agreed with him, but not anymore. Seo Dohyun was a force of evil that could potentially shatter the peace of the Lee family and was a common enemy.
"So suddenly...?"
“I was too harsh with you, Lee Gaeul. You’re not the kind of person who would call a complete stranger by their name like that. It’s my fault. I was wrong. That guy is actually a decent person.”
“No, there’s no way you would say that, Brother. Just a little while ago, you said would definitely win against him since you absolutely hated that guy.”
"Actually, I didn't hate him that much. His way of speaking is annoying, but what he says isn't wrong. Sometimes he mixes in compliments without realising it, and when I hear that, it’s oddly satisfying. When he talks about work during drinking sessions, he actually seems quite decent? He explains work-related topics in a more logical and calm manner during those conversations.”
“He talks about work during drinking sessions? Isn’t that the worst?”
“I asked him first. Actually, people from other teams often use what was said during meetings as an excuse to approach Team Leader Seo and ask him various questions without their own bosses knowing. It’s difficult to do that at other times because they have to be careful around their own team leaders, but after a general meeting, they can naturally ask questions under the pretext of providing feedback. After that, everyone’s work quality improves significantly.”
This was a big problem.
Since university, Lee Gajun has always been drawn to individuals who excel at their jobs. Moreover, he had previously suffered under an assistant manager who, while having a good personality, constantly caused trouble that he had to clean up.
The problematic assistant manager had been close to Gajun since he joined the company. After he joined the company, Gajun often had dinner with the team leader or came home after having drinks. On days when things went wrong, the assistant manager would always treat him to dinner and drinks while sincerely apologising. Despite the frequent incidents, he was fundamentally a good person.
The assistant manager resigned after less than three months, stating that he couldn’t adjust to the work environment. Although Gajun’s time of hardship was short due to this, the departure of a close colleague seemed to greatly distress him.
That evening, he cracked open a bottle of soju at home by himself.
"Hey, Lee Gaeul, society isn’t all that complicated. If someone benefits you, they’re a good person; if they’re a problem for you, they’re a bad person. No matter how nice someone may be, if they make you miserable, they’re just a bad person, plain and simple. Work isn’t a place to make friends; it’s a place to get things done. There’s no use worrying about your colleagues."
"I see."
"Ah. Still, it would’ve been nice if someone with a good personality could also do their job well. I can’t forget the sight of that assistant manager as he left. He seemed so genuinely happy when he first joined…"
His expression seemed a little sorrowful as he said that.
Since he didn’t say much while he was at the company, she assumed he was doing okay. But it seemed he wasn’t entirely fine. After that, he really only kept strictly professional relationships with his colleagues. Then he changed jobs and eventually met Seo Dohyun.
Wait, but wasn’t the issue that he disliked Seo Dohyun because of his harsh criticisms, regardless of how well he did his job?
“Then why did you dislike him until now? Either way, he indeed made comments you didn’t want to hear."
"Yeah, at first, I genuinely hated him. But lately, he hasn’t been speaking as harshly. And looking back, his criticism was justified. I misanalysed several areas. In my field, lacking analytical skills or failing to read the market trends can be disastrous."
"So, if you initially disliked him because he spoke harshly, then why did you still dislike him until just a few days ago?”
“I was frustrated with myself for not being able to perform my duties flawlessly, leaving no room for Team Leader Seo to point out any flaws.”
Why was Lee Gajun having a self-reflection now of all times?
As Gaeul silently sank into her despair, he carried on with his words.
“And he always takes his completely drunk subordinate home without a word of complaint, never even hinting that they shouldn’t drink anymore. If it were me, I’d be sick of it and wouldn’t want to drink with them. Even when I try to stop before I get blackout drunk, he just smiles and tells me to drink as much as I want, reassuring me that he’ll take me home. Actually, even though I enjoy drinking, I don’t overdo it because, if I get to the point of blacking out, I can be a handful. So my friends and I usually stop well before that happens."
Gaeul hadn’t known this about him because he never invited his friends over. No wonder she’d thought Lee Gajun disliked alcohol and didn’t drink much.
“Of course, that doesn’t mean he’s a person with a completely good personality. But even if I still find him a bit annoying, he’s a decent boss and a reliable drinking buddy.”
Though Gaeul didn’t like it, it seemed wrong to make Lee Gajun distance himself from Seo Dohyun.
"Then at least try to control yourself a bit. If you keep this up every day, he’ll probably get fed up and won’t want to drink with you anymore. You should take good care of the drinking buddy you’ve made now.”
“You’re right. Even when I try to limit myself, he just naturally refills my glass, so without realising it, I drink more than planned. I should put an end to this. Even if Team Leader Seo doesn’t show it, I can only imagine how hard it must be for him, too.”
“Exactly. It’s really a nuisance for an office employee to act like that during the weekdays."
Gaeul nodded vigorously.
・・・・・
Was it due to the comment about weekday drinking being a nuisance?
For a while, Gajun was relatively quiet, but by the following Friday, it was as if he had attempted to drink all the alcohol he had missed throughout the week in one go. He was dragged home in a state so chaotic and unruly that it could easily be declared the most outrageous drunken episode of his life.
"You can't carry him in this state. Where is Assistant Manager Lee's room?"
Perhaps because Team Leader Seo knew Gajun was about to black out, he dropped the honorifics the moment he learned her identity, not caring whether he was in front of Lee Gajun or not.
"This way."
"Excuse me."
Dohyun carried Gajun on his back as they entered the apartment. Though half-conscious, Gajun managed to take off his shoes by himself as they reached the entryway. As Gaeul guided Team Leader Seo to the room, she gave Gajun a smack on the back.
“Brother, are you seriously out of your mind? Why did you drink so much?”
At that, Lee Gajun, who was leaning on Team Leader Seo, slowly opened his bleary eyes and mumbled softly.
“Oh, it’s Lee Gaeul. Hic… I wasn’t going to drink, but I heard Team Leader Seo’s dog passed away. How could I possibly not drink after that…?”
"Ah..."
Gaeul’s gaze shifted to Seo Dohyun’s face, which was frowning as if her stare was irritating him.
If his dog had died, that would make sense. Despite the expression on his face, he must be hurting deeply inside. A sudden pang of sympathy tightened in her chest.
He stepped over the threshold and headed towards Gajun's bed. Just as Dohyun was about to set him down…
"Poor Maple... Uggghhhhhhhhh."
Lee Gajun heaved hot vomit onto Seo Dohyun's crisp white shirt.
“Ugh, blergghhh.”
In the silent room, Gajun seemed ready to vomit everything he had in his stomach. Fortunately, he managed to avoid the bed, but the floor and Seo Dohyun's shirt were ruined with vomit. The state of his suit pants was no better. Ironically, Gajun, who was being carried by Seo Dohyun, was otherwise perfectly fine, except for his mouth.
Gaeul hurried to the kitchen and grabbed a roll of paper towels. On her way back, she tore off a handful and handed it to Seo Dohyun, but it was nowhere near enough to clean up the mess. After laying Gajun down on the bed, he opened his mouth to speak.
"...Where is the bathroom?"
“It’s the door on the right, just outside the room…”
Seo Dohyun let out a short sigh, quickly wiped up the vomit with the paper towels Gaeul had handed him, and then headed into the bathroom.
・・・・・
The sound of running water could be heard from the bathroom.
So, this was the price of those 200,000-won shoes. Gaeul cleared the floor with precision, bundled up the trash bag packed with the paper towels and wet wipes she used to wipe up the vomit and set it firmly beside Gajun's bed. Tomorrow morning, she planned to present this evidence to him as she laid down a strict drinking ban on him.
"Something that should fit Seo Dohyun’s body... Is this okay?"
After cleaning the floor, Gaeul rummaged through Gajun’s closet to find something Seo Dohyun could change into. Thankfully, she spotted a new tracksuit Gajun had recently bought. While Dohyun was taller and broader than Gajun, it seemed like a better fit than anything Gaeul herself could offer.
She stepped out of Gajun's room, carrying the tracksuit, and bent down to place it beside the bath mat.
At that moment, the bathroom door opened, and a misty cloud of steam drifted out. She spotted a man's foot — taking up about half the mat. When the second foot joined, both now firmly planted on the mat, she gradually raised her gaze. Her eyes first met the long, toned calves, then moved up to the solid, muscular thighs. The crucial areas were hidden by the towel wrapped around the thighs and waist, but the defined contours of his abs, chest, and arms came into view, one by one.
Tap, tap.
As he towel-dried his hair, droplets of water fell down onto her. Dohyun turned his head and, spotting Gaeul, his gaze locked with hers.
"What are you doing there?"
"I brought you something to change into. Ah, I'll get your shirt and pants dry-cleaned and return them to you. For now, please just wear these."
Gaeul stood up and held out Gajun's tracksuit to him.
"Do I have to wear this and leave?"
"Your family is probably waiting for you, so you should head home."
"I don't have to go. I live alone anyway."
He lived alone.
Come to think of it, she’d heard that people who lived alone often had pets. He must have been so heartbroken after losing his dog that he even convinced Lee Gajun — who said he wouldn’t drink — to drink with him. Then again, it seemed likely that someone with a personality like his probably didn’t have any drinking buddies either, just like her brother.
"If I have to go, I won't wear it."
With a shameless expression, Dohyun gave his hair a final shake to get rid of the remaining water and strode over to the living room sofa. He settled back against the sofa draped in just a towel.
"Huu..."
His sighing face was slightly flushed.
He was handsome. Honestly, while he looked great and neatly dressed, there was something especially appealing about his face with his damp hair falling naturally around it. Even with his bare body on display, he had a rare, effortless beauty that was easy on the eyes.
Whatever Seo Dohyun’s situation was, it wasn’t really her concern, but she felt a slight pang of sympathy hearing that he had lost his dog. She placed the tracksuit on the dining table and opened the refrigerator. Come to think of it, she didn’t have any proper drinks for guests, probably because she so rarely had any over.
“Would you like some ice cream?"
“What kind?"
“Melona."
“Melona?"
"Do you dislike it?"
"I haven't tried it. Do you like it?"
“Yes."
“Then just bring one, and let me watch you eat it.”
“I have to go to sleep, so I won’t be having any.”
Gaeul closed the refrigerator door and headed to the living room. She stood in front of Dohyun and pointed to the room next to the kitchen.
“That’s the guest room over there. If you’re staying the night, you can sleep there. It’s mostly a storage room, but there’s a bed, and there should be a blanket folded on it.”
“Is your room right in front of the living room, then?”
"Yes."
“Why not use the inner room?"
“It's more comfortable being as far away from my brother’s room as possible. That way, when I come in, I can avoid running into him and head straight to my room.”
“Your relationship doesn’t seem that bad, though.”
“That's just how siblings are."
“Can I take a look at your room?”
“Of course not."
Gaeul replied firmly. He raised one eyebrow in apparent discontent, but she had no intention of backing down easily.
“I’m sorry, but while I would love to offer you some coffee, it’s been so long since we’ve had a guest that we really don’t have anything here. If you don’t want ice cream, I’ll head to bed. I left the clothes for you on the dining table. Good night.”
As Gaeul started to head toward her room, Dohyun grabbed her wrist.
“This isn’t a good situation.”
“...”
"I went to great lengths to get Assistant Manager Lee to drink, just so we could have a quiet moment alone to talk. I even ended up getting drunk myself while trying to get him in that state."
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