Chapter 70

A somewhat noisy morning passed. Naru climbed into the car, patting his now-full stomach. Thanks to the bean sprout soup Gyu-yeon had made, his stomach didn’t feel burned.

Fortunately, today was a day to start work an hour late. Gyu-yeon had been considerate for the staff.

“What, when did you get in?”

“Hurry up, Gyu-yeon.”

“I told you not to get in with snacks.”

“Don’t spill crumbs.”

Gyu-yeon launched into nagging the moment he opened the driver’s door. Naru was sitting in the passenger seat eating snacks.

Naru answered brazenly and took a bite of the snack. Crumbs cascaded down and dirtied the car. He’d said he wouldn’t spill anything just two seconds ago.

When Naru gave an awkward smile, Gyu-yeon started the engine as if surrendering.

“You go in first today.”

“Why?”

“I need to briefly pick up some ingredients.”

“Oh, I see.”

The reason wasn’t interesting. Naru quickly lost interest and looked out the window. They had left with an extra hour, and the streets were at least twice as quiet as usual.

The florist was open, and the cake shop he’d always been curious about had its lights brightly on.

Wow, an hour really made that much difference.

As he admired the street in wonder, the car had already stopped in front of the Cafe.

When Naru didn’t get out, Gyu-yeon nodded his chin, urging him to hurry.

“I said go in first.”

“Bring me something tasty when you come back.”

“You’re being cheeky.”

“Buy it.”

That’s so him.

Gyu-yeon’s eyebrow twitched. For some reason, the longer time passed, the less he spoke.

Naru hopped out lightly and waved toward the window. Crumbs from his snack were scattered all over the passenger seat.

To think he’d be waving cheerfully after leaving the car like that.

In the end, Gyu-yeon lost again. He cracked the passenger window a bit and waved at Naru.

After receiving that small greeting, Naru ignored it and turned away.

“That Song Naru…”

His bouncing, energetic back looked especially lively for some reason. Gyu-yeon only drove off again after confirming Naru had entered safely.

Jingle.

Naru opened the shop door and peered into the dark interior. It seemed the lights were off since they hadn’t opened yet.

Is there no one here?

While puzzled, he heard rustling from the counter area. Someone seemed to be working.

“Naru?”

“Hello…”

“Wow, Naru. Are you okay? I really feel like I’m going to die right now.”

The person who raised her head was Seo-yeon. The hollows under her eyes made her look tired, as if she hadn’t slept.

She had pushed her cap down further and rubbed her upper stomach. Maybe her stomach was upset. Looking closer, it seemed she hadn’t even washed her hair.

“Are you okay?”

“Ugh, no. How are you okay, Naru…?”

“I had bean sprout soup this morning.”

“You really sobered up properly. I’m jealous…”

I live alone so I don’t cook that kind of thing often—it’s a hassle.

Seo-yeon added the remark as if muttering. Naru tilted his head. Do people who live alone not cook? He was glad he lived with Gyu-yeon. He even got bean sprout soup for free.

By the way, the new employee Geon-hu wasn’t in sight. Not in the kitchen, not in the hall—had he not come to work yet?

As Naru looked around, Seo-yeon noticed something and immediately gave the answer Naru wanted.

“Geon-hu hasn’t come yet. He looked pretty worn out yesterday. He’ll probably come exactly at the start time.”

True, Geon-hu’s condition yesterday was awful. It would be strange if he were fine.

Naru roughly nodded and tied his apron string tightly. Since everyone else was out of sorts, he had to work hard himself.

Seo-yeon kept saying “tough, tough” under her breath but continued her tasks diligently.

“Ah, Naru, can you take this out and throw it away?”

“Yes!”

Naru took garbage bags in both hands and opened the back door. He was confident about taking out the trash. What could be easier than this?

Seo-yeon smiled contentedly as he watched Naru run off energetically.

An employee who worked that hard. Naru was five, no, ten times better than the employees who had passed through before.

Clatter!

Naru opened the door, stacked the garbage, and shook his hands. Breathing the fresh morning air while working felt good.

‘…so.’

‘…you.’

He returned to the Cafe to help Seo-yeon, but heard voices conversing somewhere.

Naru stopped and turned around. Both were familiar voices he had heard before.

Curiosity stirred again. Naru crept closer and peeked around the corner.

“Uh…?”

He saw Geon-hu. And in front of him was…

Do Geon-hyuk?

It was definitely Geon-hyuk. The same snake-like Do Geon-hyuk who had persistently tormented Naru before.

He wondered why the two of them were together. Naru unconsciously bared his teeth.

To Naru, it looked like Geon-hu was being bullied by Geon-hyuk. After all, Geon-hu was a friend. He couldn’t just stand by and watch him being picked on.

Why would that guy come all the way here to talk to Geon-hu?

Naru’s face grew more twisted. He had to pull Geon-hu away from that rotten man immediately.

“Ahem, hm, what are you doing here?”

“Ah, you—when did you come here?”

Naru picked up the broom leaned against the wall like a weapon and awkwardly swept the floor. Geon-hu stammered in surprise at his appearance.

For a moment Naru and Geon-hyuk’s gazes locked. A chilling stare met his hardened expression. Naru openly showed hostility.

“Do you know that person?”

“Uh? Well, that’s—no, just go inside. I’m heading to work soon…”

“Come behind me.”

Geon-hu, babbling as he tried to calm the situation, clamped his mouth shut. The mood between Naru and Geon-hyuk felt awkwardly tense.

Naru grabbed Geon-hu’s arm and pulled him, hiding him behind his small frame. Though he was tall and not fully hidden, his determination to protect his friend was strong.

Geon-hyuk gave a derisive chuckle. His mood had already been bad from meeting Geon-hu that morning, and with Naru intervening, he was annoyed.

Geon-hyuk glanced at Geon-hu and applied pressure. His look asked for an explanation of how they knew each other.

Geon-hu tried to separate his brother and Naru.

“Hey, let’s just go in. Huh? Don’t interfere for no reason.”

“Are you hurt anywhere? That person’s hand habits are bad.”

“No, it’s just, ha…”

He tried to pull Naru inside, but it was no use. Naru planted himself there and wouldn’t budge.

Geon-hyuk was the same. He didn’t avert his eyes and continued the stare-down to the end. The only one in trouble was Geon-hu.

His eyes were perpetually unpleasant.

After staring intently at Geon-hyuk to keep him in check, Naru snapped his head away. There was nothing good that would come from engaging him.

“How do you know Do Geon-hu, huh?”

“Let’s go in, I said not to deal with people like that.”

Naru ignored Geon-hyuk’s taunt and walked forward. Ignoring him was the best way to avoid unnecessary trouble.

He yanked Geon-hu’s arm and his heavier body followed. He walked, glancing between Geon-hyuk and Naru in confusion.

Then Geon-hyuk’s voice came from behind. His nasty tone pierced the ears and was unpleasant.

“Do Geon-hu, get your act together and live properly.”

“…”

“Why are you hanging around with trash like that?”

“Hyung…!”

“Trash like that.” Geon-hyuk called Naru “trash like that.” Geon-hu, who had been walking quietly, couldn’t hold back and shouted.

Geon-hu, usually swaggering about, became a meek lamb in front of Geon-hyuk. Though he shouted, there was no sharpness to it.

“Don’t answer. That’s a son of a bitch.”

“…!”

“Let’s go.”

Naru didn’t yield to the oppressive attitude. If Geon-hyuk called her “trash like that,” he could just throw a harsher word back at him.

Geon-hyuk, suddenly labeled a “son of a bitch,” flushed bright red. He seemed so angry blood rushed to his face.

Naru, unbothered, pulled on Geon-hu’s arm.

Clunk!

Naru, having entered the Cafe, pressed his ear to the door. He wanted to check whether Geon-hyuk was following.

“….”

Outside was quiet. It seemed Geon-hyuk had left quietly, probably because it was near Gyu-yeon’s Cafe.

Only then did Naru breathe a sigh of relief. Geon-hu was staring blankly at him.

“Do you know that person?”

“Yeah, I do. He’s a bad person.”

“…”

A bad person, huh. At the clear answer, Geon-hu lowered his eyes. He had seen his brother bully others many times.

But to think Naru had been among those targets, a sudden wave of guilt washed over him.

“How do you know?”

“Huh?”

“That person.”

“Ah, just…”

Geon-hu hid the fact that Geon-hyuk was his brother. He thought Naru would be disappointed if he knew.

He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, and no more questions followed.

Clink.

At that moment the Cafe door opened. Naru glanced at the entrance and waved.

The one who came in was Gyu-yeon. As soon as he saw Geon-hu and Naru together, he immediately came closer.

“Why are you two standing here?”

“Oh, Gyu-yeon.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Well, it’s that I just, u-bu-beup!”

Geon-hu, nervous and watching Gyu-yeon, hurriedly clamped his hand over Naru’s mouth.

At the same time two gazes landed on Geon-hu: one displeased and the other sharp, asking why he was stopping things.

There was another reason Geon-hu had covered his mouth.

First, he’d heard rumors that Gyu-yeon and Geon-hyuk had fallen out recently. He assumed his brother must have been at fault.

Gyu-yeon was known to be ruthless to someone who’d turned his back once. If he honestly told Gyu-yeon that Naru and Geon-hyuk had met like this…

He didn’t even want to think about what would happen next. Regardless of others, Geon-hu knew Gyu-yeon’s angry face better than anyone.

These days he seemed to hold back without throwing tantrums, but in the past he had been a hopeless ruffian.

“U-woobu-beup!”

“I was taking out the trash and this kid kept interfering, so we bickered over who was at fault.”

Geon-hu spat out the lie smoothly. Gyu-yeon, whose eyes had been full of suspicion, nodded as if to let it pass this time and released Geon-hu’s arm.

“Huh, haah, ha, why are you stopping me!”

“Come on, let’s work, work! Hyung—no, boss, should I wipe the windows?”

With Gyu-yeon’s attention diverted, Geon-hu shook his head at Naru—a signal to keep what had just happened a secret.

“Boss! We’re a bit short on ingredients here.”

Just then Seo-yeon, checking the ingredients, called Gyu-yeon. Geon-hu naturally tried to follow, but his ankle was grabbed.

With a grab.

“Hey, wait a sec. I know what you’re trying to say.”

“If you know, then don’t go.”

Were his eyes always this scary?

Geon-hu, held by Naru, broke out in a cold sweat.