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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: An Uncomfortable Commute
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An uncomfortable commute began with Mr. Joo in the driver's seat, Eun-seong in the passenger seat, and Yeon-joo in the back.
Eun-seong stared out the window, his senses on high alert. He wanted to eavesdrop on their conversation, but Mr. Joo and Yeon-joo weren't saying a word.
Pretending to adjust his posture, he glanced back and saw Yeon-joo had dozed off. *Ah, she's sleeping.*
“She must be tired. Probably from drinking last night.”
Mr. Joo, who had already noticed she was asleep, added the comment, and Eun-seong held his tongue. The way Mr. Joo must have been stealing glances at her in the rearview mirror was deeply unpleasant.
So, what was the relationship between those two?
He knew Mr. Joo wasn't her husband. So where on earth did this guy pop out from to hover around Go Yeon-joo?
It was easy to tell when a man was interested in, fond of, or pouring his heart out to someone. Mr. Joo kept looking at the sleeping Yeon-joo, and he meticulously slowed down for every speed bump.
He'd raise the car's temperature, then immediately lower it; open a window slightly, then quickly close it.
This wasn't something he'd discovered through keen observation. Any stranger could have figured it out after watching Mr. Joo for just a few minutes. That his heart belonged to her.
…Then what about Go Yeon-joo's heart?
No matter how closely he looked, he couldn't read her heart. Did she know about Mr. Joo's interest, had she already accepted it, or had she given her heart to someone else in a way he would never know?
Though she wasn't a skilled actress, she was adept at hiding her inner thoughts. She had been like that ever since they were dating.
In their early twenties, a time when people are often desperate to prove their lover's feelings through trivial and petty means, she would never reveal any change in her emotions unless asked.
Right. That's how it was. Wasn't I the one who gave and still felt anxious?
She was a person accustomed to swallowing her emotions. It was her nature. Even when sad or angry, she didn't turn her feelings into actions, which made her thoughts difficult to read.
Eun-seong glanced at Mr. Joo. Sitting upright with both hands neatly on the steering wheel, as if reflecting his personality, he exuded the air of a model citizen.
The low-saturation knit sweater, cotton pants, and naturally styled hair punctuated the atmosphere Mr. Joo created. Unlike Eun-seong, whose image was hard to forget after one look, Mr. Joo seemed to have a common image, yet he possessed a versatile quality that would allow him to fit in anywhere.
The signs of a good education and upbringing were evident. Even without hearing his life story, you could feel from his very fingertips that he was a man who had lived an exceedingly proper life.
“We're almost there. Where should I drop you off, Eun-seong-ssi?”
Mr. Joo asked in a very quiet voice, as if he didn't want to wake Yeon-joo yet, and Eun-seong looked around.
They could just pull into the parking lot, so being asked where to be dropped off was absurd.
“Aren't we going in together?”
“You seem to be in a hurry, Eun-seong-ssi, so you can get out first. We still have a little time.”
*Hah.* Eun-seong let out a small sigh.
It seemed he wanted to drive around the area a bit longer with the sleeping Yeon-joo in the car. *Not a chance.*
“Let's get out together. I have plenty of time too.”
“No, it's fine. You can get out first.”
“It's okay. I don't have anything to do if I go in now anyway.”
*Get out. No.* The two men faced off for a moment at a strange impasse. Mr. Joo, who had been staring straight ahead the whole time, turned to Eun-seong with a sullen expression.
Mr. Joo pressed his lips together, afraid that saying more would wake Yeon-joo. He felt he could see right through Eun-seong's intentions in refusing to get out first.
But just then, Eun-seong turned his head, shot a look at the back seat, and raised his voice.
“Hey, wake up. We're here.”
Startled awake by his voice, Yeon-joo groggily opened her eyes. *Hah.* Mr. Joo, looking dumbfounded, repeatedly checked Yeon-joo's face in the rearview mirror.
“You can sleep more. Go back to sleep. You don't have to get up now.”
“Get up. Your eyes are open. You think you're the only one who's tired? I'm tired too.”
“Ah… I must have dozed off. Are we here already? I'm sorry.”
As Yeon-joo covered her mouth and let out a long yawn, Mr. Joo rebuked Eun-seong in a disgruntled voice.
“Why would you wake someone who's sleeping soundly? It's not like we're short on time.”
“Because I'm short on time.”
“You just said you had plenty of time.”
“You told me to get out first. I was going to take her with me.”
“…”
With an expression that said, *I have a lot to say, but I won't,* Mr. Joo tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Unaware of the awkwardly tangled atmosphere, Yeon-joo casually rolled her neck and tapped the headrest of the front seat.
“Instead of this, how about we get some coffee?”
“Later.”
“Sounds good.”
Mr. Joo's and Eun-seong's answers differed. Mr. Joo, who had wanted to have coffee with just the two of them, scowled again at Eun-seong's interference, while Yeon-joo took her wallet out of her bag.
“Then I'll go buy it. Please pull over up there for a moment.”
“I'll go with you.”
“Go buy it by yourself. There's nowhere to park here, so go get it quickly so you don't inconvenience the driver.”
A moment later, the car stopped. As Eun-seong had said, there was no convenient place to park, so after dropping Yeon-joo off, Mr. Joo decided to circle the block.
In the passenger seat, the ever-present freeloader, Eun-seong, remained.
*
There must have been a lot of people ordering, because Yeon-joo didn't come out even after they'd circled three times. Mr. Joo started another wide loop.
He'd found himself drinking coffee more often lately, and as he drank it, he grew to appreciate the unique taste of the beans. He also started drinking it because Yeon-joo liked it.
“I'd quit coffee for a while, but it's impossible not to drink it on set.”
Mr. Joo tossed out the topic as if to start a conversation, and Eun-seong agreed, continuing the thought.
“With something addictive, you're only ever taking a break. It's hard to quit for good.”
“I know. I lived on coffee when I was studying, so I thought about quitting.”
Recalling old memories, Mr. Joo let out an involuntary “Ugh” and shuddered. Just thinking about those days made his stomach turn.
“Just smelling coffee automatically reminds me of the smell of workbook paper. And the smell of the early morning bus.”
“You must have lived diligently.”
“I suppose everyone does. But when it comes to being busy, weren't you on another level, Im Eun-seong-ssi?”
The trees lining both sides of the road were beginning to show their autumn colors. It wasn't a perfect transformation, but the patches of red and yellow here and there seemed to announce the arrival of fall.
Eun-seong delayed his answer, gazing at the scenery. Just as the smell of coffee reminded Mr. Joo of workbooks, the single word 'busy' made Eun-seong feel nauseous.
The past ten years. He hadn't had a personal life.
“Whoa, that was a shock!”
Mr. Joo went over a speed bump so hard that Eun-seong was jolted back and forth. Mr. Joo raised a hand as if to say it was a mistake.
“Oh, did I startle you? I'm sorry.”
When she was sleeping, he'd crawled over them like an ant carrying its belongings, but now he was practically flying over the bumps.
*This bastard…*
Eun-seong's eyes narrowed. Ignoring him, Mr. Joo went back to gripping the steering wheel neatly and focused on driving.
“Overcome the smell of workbooks with a cup of coffee.”
“Ugh, it's a really unpleasant memory. But I'll have to try to get over it.”
“You must have been quite a good student. Well, I guess that's how you became a veterinarian.”
“Yes. Well, it's the only thing I have to boast about. I was a pretty good student.”
*Look at this guy. Bragging so shamelessly just because we're alone.*
*Should I start bragging about myself? Talk your ear off all night?*
“I didn't know anything but studying. My personality has been a certain way since I was young.”
*Aha. So his personality has always been terrible?*
Eun-seong couldn't bring himself to say it and just chewed on his lip as Mr. Joo continued.
“Ever since I was young, I've had a personality that can't stand wrong answers.”
As they completed their fourth loop and returned to the starting point, Yeon-joo came into view, carrying the coffee.
Mr. Joo smiled, while Eun-seong looked displeased.
“I dig until I find the right answer. Because I hate wrong answers.”
“…”
“Once I latch onto something, I don't give up until I get the answer. Ah, is that a bad personality trait? I suppose it could be.”
Eun-seong remained silent at Mr. Joo's heavily loaded words.
Yeon-joo settled safely into the back seat.
*
Yeon-joo gathered the luggage taken from the trunk. Mr. Joo took half, and Yeon-joo took the other half.
As Mr. Joo stepped away to take a call from the clinic, Eun-seong approached Yeon-joo.
He tried to grab her bags as if to snatch them away to help her, but Yeon-joo, as if expecting it, tightened her grip and resisted.
“Don't touch them. I'll carry them myself.”
“What kind of law says you have to embarrass someone who's trying to help?”
“I don't need your help. This is my job. Why do you keep coveting my work?”
When Yeon-joo refused and pushed him away, Eun-seong felt a surge of anger and his eye twitched.
*Then what about those bags Mr. Joo is carrying? Are those not yours?*
*Does she have to discriminate against people like this?*
“Give them to me. Consider it payment for the tuna gimbap and coffee.”
“It's fine. Why would I need payment for something like that?”
“You do. If you don't like this, then make time for me. I'll buy you a meal instead of tuna gimbap, and drinks instead of coffee.”
“N-No, it's fine!”
Startled, Yeon-joo recoiled, and Eun-seong stared her down, demanding she hand them over.
*Hand them over. I said give them to me.*
In the end, Eun-seong took Yeon-joo's bags as if snatching them. Then he glanced around, gesturing at their surroundings, and muttered as if to make sure she heard him.
“Hey, Rookie.”
“Yes, Baeunim.”
“I'm not trying to help you. I'm creating my own heartwarming story, so please play along.”
Eun-seong lifted his chin, telling her to look around. When Yeon-joo turned her head, she saw staff members looking at Eun-seong with pleased expressions.
“See? Everyone loves my heartwarming story except you. It's not like you're going to post about it on social media for me.”
*Heartwarming story…? I'd have to have one to post…*
*Was there anything heartwarming in the car? Maybe a malicious story, but not a heartwarming one.*
“So if you're not going to help, at least don't ruin my subtle and warm heartwarming story.”
*He really knows how to leave a person speechless…*
Yeon-joo, feeling awkward with her empty hands, just fidgeted with her fingers while Eun-seong looked up at the sky.
His head was throbbing, maybe from yesterday's drinking, and Mr. Joo's provocations only made the headache worse.
“Hey.”
“Yes, Baeunim.”
He needed a painkiller.
“Tonight, after work, what are you doing?”
