CH 29

Jang Yoonsung returned to his usual busy life. He treated me with the same expressions and voice as before and he didn’t care much about the words I blabbered out of nowhere. All that changed was my old phone, which became totally useless.

I used to think that I should change it because the battery ran out quickly so it was not much of a problem to purchase a new one. I thought I wouldn’t be efficient if I bought a cheap phone because I wouldn’t be able to use it for a long time, however, the installment price for an expensive phone wasn’t easy.

However, the agony of looking at my unresponsive phone ended with someone’s gift. On Monday evening, Jang Yoonsung came a little early than usual, took off his shoes, and held out a small shopping bag.

“What is it?”

“Cell phone.”

In a way, Jang Yoonsung might be blaming himself because it was because of him I went there in the first place so I couldn’t refuse. But I couldn’t reach out to accept it as well.

“It’s because I’m uncomfortable if you don’t have a phone.”

Jang Yoonsung added those words at the end and put a shopping bag in my hand. Thanks to that, I had been stuck on my phone for the last few days.

Perhaps, it was because the old phone was broken and old, the new phone was a whole new world for me. It included everything, speed, battery, new functions, and image quality. Maybe it was because I had something new to focus on, I completely forgot what I was worried about before heading to the villa.

After lying on the sofa and looking through the phone for a long time, I heard the sound of someone pressing the password and I suddenly rose myself up when the interior light became exceptionally bright. I jumped up and went to greet Jang Yoonsung.

“You’re here.”

Jang Yoonsung took off his phone and laughed at me who rushed like a dog welcoming his owner.

“I don’t have a present today.”

Jang Yoonsung said teasingly as if he knew why I welcomed him like that.

“What kind of person do you think I am?”

Even if it wasn’t a gift, it would be nice to meet someone after staying cooped up in an empty house all day but Jang Yoonsung didn’t retort to my question and smiled softly.

“You haven’t had dinner yet, right? I’ll cook for you once I’m done washing up.”

“What are you going to make for me?”

Jang Yoonsung glanced at his wristwatch and answered, “Fried rice” with an apologetic face because he thought it would be too late to cook a full-fledged meal. It was fried rice yesterday as well. I ate what he cooked for me without any complaints because Jang Yoonsung’s fried pan dishes were delicious so I nodded.

“Wash up. I’ll prepare the ingredients for you.”

“Thank you.”

When I saw Jang Yoonsung reciting the ingredients he needed and headed to his room, I went into the kitchen and rummaged through the refrigerator. When I took out what he instructed, washed and sliced it, Jang Yoonsung soon came into the kitchen. I didn’t know that he would wash up so quickly otherwise I could have stir-fried it on my own.

Jang Yoonsung tried not to lift the pan if possible because last time, it had a huge impact on the taste of the dish. Anyway, while Jang Yoonsung was frying rice, I took the side dishes out of the refrigerator and transferred them onto a plate. Since I ate most of my meals at home, the side dishes were already lessened.

“Right, there’s not many side dishes left.”

“I will tell her to bring some tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? Ah, it’s the day the caretaker was supposed to come.”

I shouldn’t be here then, it was as if Jang Yoonsung heard me muttering, he asked curiously.

“Are you meeting Gunwoo tomorrow as well?”

“I’m not sure, he’s busy so there are not many chances to meet…”

When all the side dishes were taken out, Jang Yoonsung also served fried rice on a plate. Now it was quite familiar to sit face to face and have meals.

Jang Yoonsung’s frequently cooked dinner menu was pasta and fried rice, and he never got tired of using different ingredients each time. Today it was shrimp eggs, chopped onions, and garlic which were stir-fried with oyster sauce. I thought I should remember how to cook that and teach it to Gunwoo later. That was how much I linked the dish.

Unlike me, who was busy spooning and gobbling up the food, Jang Yoonsung leisurely took small bites and opened his mouth to say something.

“I wish we could have lunch together plus I have an event somewhere else tomorrow.”

“Somewhere else?”

Would he be working somewhere else then? Even if Jang Yoonsung allowed it, I didn’t intend to visit his company. It would be rare to run into his family even if I go, but it was a place I wanted to avoid. I thought it was a relief and asked what it was about.

“Kijoon’s company is having an event. I have to show up.”

Jang Yoonsung said so, and he was looking tired already. He was a man who checked last night’s work easily in the morning and never complained about having to work late. I thought the job was given and he would be fulfilling it without complaint, but there must be some things he didn’t like.

I see, I nodded, and Jang Yoonsung added as if he were sighing.

“The weekend is too far away.”

It was a human-like line coming out of Jang Yoonsung’s mouth so I laughed.

I saw Jang Yoonsung on the way to his work and I was preparing to head out. It wasn’t easy to avoid anyone who came twice a week but I couldn’t tell them not to come because I didn’t contribute to the livelihood of that spacious house. In the end, most destinations were cafes because I could call Gunwoo, who was busy studying, there and we could meet in the middle of the day where there were not many people.

When I washed up and dried my hair, the cell phone rang in the living room. It sounded familiar but it wasn’t my phone.

“What’s that sound?”

At the living room table, Jang Yoonsung’s phone was crying without its owner. There was a stranger’s name on the screen.

What should I do? Should I receive the call? I thought it might be a call from Jang Yoonsung himself because he might be looking for his phone but the ringing died down while I was hesitating. I thought it might be urgent so when the phone rang again, I decided to take it. It was an unfamiliar number but when I received it, it was Jang Yoonsung as expected.

“Uh, my phone was here.”

I was nervous so when he answered the phone, he gave me the answer I wanted and I heard a small laugh.

– I’ll send someone so give me your phone.

“I was about to go out so…”

I glanced at the clock as I spoke. I didn’t know when the person would come even if he sent someone, and meeting that person would be awkward. There were many other ways but he must have chosen such a way on a whim.

“Where are you now? At work?”

– I am at the office but I have to leave before evening.

Jang Yoonsung’s house and his office were quite far from each other so it would be fitting to head out now. Also, it would take a long time for the person Jang Yoonsung might send, to stop by the house and go back to the office. If the destination was not his office but the place of the event, I thought it would be okay to show such an act of kindness.

“Where is the venue? I’ll take it to the venue.”

– You will?

Jang Yoonsung who thought it would be okay right away paused for a moment and then recited the address of the place and added for me to take a taxi. The parking lot at venues is always complicated so he replied that it would be better if I did.

After hanging up the phone, I checked my watch again and put on clothes before leaving home. I came to the side of the road, hailed a taxi, and looked out the window blankly as the car drove by. I never thought there would be a day to come when I would be sitting in the back of a taxi at that time of the day. However, there was no spare time as soon as I got out of the taxi since I arrived later than expected due to the traffic.

The building’s lobby was bustling with people. Only then did I feel at a loss on how to find Jang Yoonsung? As I held my phone, I had no choice but to wait until I got a call from him and check the faces of the bystanders one by one.

At least, I believed I could find Jang Yoonsung judging from his tall stature. I saw the back of the man who was at a distance so I approached him, beelining through the crowd.

But it wasn’t him, I realized when I squinted and figured out how strange the man’s hairstyle was. As I stood on the tip of my toes to see if he was the one I was looking for, thankfully the man turned around showing his face.

The moment I stood back down, attaching my heel to the ground, I froze on the spot as I figured that it wasn’t Jang Yoonsung. The man whose eyes met mine at first glance, also narrowed his eyes as if he had found someone and stared at me.

That was it, I was sure.

Jang Yoonsung’s older brother, Jang Hyunsung, found me.