Chapter 6.2

Chapter 6.2

After a brief pause, a slightly hoarse voice reached Yeon-ha’s ears. Their eyes naturally met. The man, with an empty soju glass in front of him, wore a faintly ambiguous expression that was neither a smile nor a frown. He didn’t seem upset, but there was an ominous air about him.

“Just so you don’t get the wrong idea,” Min-gyu started to say.

“…”

“If you want to leave, you can leave anytime. Got it?”

Yeon-ha swallowed dryly, taken aback by his unexpected words. She couldn’t fathom why he was saying such things. Just a moment ago, he had promised to be with her during the surgery. While Yeon-ha stood frozen, he continued in a strangely casual manner.

“What I mean is, there’s no need to stay if you don’t want to. If you ever want to go, just go. As for the money… well, fine. Work hard and pay me back later. I’m not good at keeping track of that stuff, so you handle it.”

“…Okay.”

Her voice trembled slightly as she responded. Deep down, she felt an inexplicable sorrow welling up. Struggling to conceal her agitation, she tried to maintain a neutral expression, but he laughed, the sound of air escaping his lips.

“Look at your face. Anyone would think I’m kicking you out.”

“…”

“I’m just saying, do what you want to do.”

His nonchalant addition offered no comfort to Yeon-ha. She merely blinked at the bowl of noodles placed in front of her as a dessert. Tsk, he clicked his tongue audibly.

“Eat up. You need to be healthy to repay me, don’t you?”

“You eat. I’m full.”

“Come on, just have a bite.”

Min-gyu persisted, urging her to at least try a spoonful of the broth. Reluctantly, Yeon-ha picked up her chopsticks once again, focusing solely on eating, ignoring the growing turmoil in her heart.

  *

Their next destination was a handcrafted gelato shop near the barbecue place. Yeon-ha absentmindedly watched the people lined up outside the quaint shop. Suddenly, Min-gyu suggested they get some gelato, and she found herself standing in line. While waiting with a somewhat bewildered expression, she noticed couples passing by, smiling with small cups of gelato in hand.

“Why are we standing in line just for ice cream?”

Amid the bustling crowd, Min-gyu grumbled despite being the one who suggested it. He glanced into the cramped shop and then told her to go inside and find a seat.

“I’ll just stay here. We’re taking it to go anyway.”

“Your leg hurts. Go sit down.”

“I’m fine.”

“Then I’ll carry you on my back right here.”

“…”

He actually turned his back to her, ready to carry her, causing Yeon-ha to quickly close her mouth and move towards the shop. If she refused any longer, Min-gyu would indeed lift her up by force. She had no desire to face such an embarrassing situation.

The shop was even smaller inside than it appeared from outside. There was only one staff member taking orders by the window, rushing to serve customers alone. There were only a few small tables, all occupied, except for a corner seat where two people could sit facing each other, just as Min-gyu had said. Sitting down with her back against the wall, Yeon-ha spotted Min-gyu from a distance. Among the women in line, his tall figure stood out, looking out of place in several ways.

Yeon-ha fiddled with her phone and slowly glanced around the shop, filled with loud music. Min-gyu returned sooner than expected, holding two cups of gelato.

“Since we’re seated, let’s just eat here,” he said.

“Okay.”

Nodding quickly, Yeon-ha noticed him silently curl his lips into a slight smile.

“They said this is the most popular flavor.”

She nodded again, somewhat distractedly, and took a spoonful into her mouth. With two cups, one might have expected different flavors, but both were lemon. It didn’t really matter, though.

The tart chill on her tongue instantly lifted her spirits. It was almost exaggerated, but the cold, tangy flavor seemed to ease the fullness that had made walking unbearable earlier.

“This is really good,” she thought.

As she focused on eating, she heard laughter from nearby. Her gaze naturally drifted towards the sound. Two girls, likely around her age, were chatting happily.

Suddenly, the scene felt poignantly surreal to Yeon-ha. Sitting in a small, pretty shop, leisurely eating dessert—she couldn’t remember the last time she had such an experience.

Though her mouth was filled with sweetness, a bitter feeling crept into her heart.

Her slightly crestfallen gaze turned to Min-gyu, who had already nearly finished his gelato with an indifferent expression.

“It doesn’t really suit him,” she mused, finding the small spoon in his hand oddly adorable. She chuckled inwardly at her own emotional swings today. Despite drinking two bottles of soju, his face looked completely unaffected, not at all like someone who had been drinking.