Chapter 10
Cafe “Oscar.”
While Sungjae went to make a drink and left his spot, a man in his 40s approached the counter to order.
“Aigoo, it’s gettin’ awfully hot. It’s only May, and already this hot, what’s gonna happen later? What’s good here?”
“……”
“I heard this place was tasty and came all the way here. Give me a recommendation.”
Such annoying people. An idiot who can’t even decide what he wants to eat!
Besides, Suho wouldn’t know. He doesn’t eat coffee or sweets.
“I don’t know…”
He added honorifics since the man seemed older. But his expression was the most arrogant in the world.
It wasn’t just his dislike for humans, but also because he couldn’t adapt to working in this kind of cafe.
“Aigoo, you work here and haven’t tried anything? Must be your first day on the job.”
Nod.
“Let’s see. Omo omo. Everything looks delicious. Can’t even choose. Pack it up quick.”
“All… of it?”
“Yep. My daughter saw it online and told me to buy it when I go to Seoul. I have to go all the way to Mokpo, so pack it well.”
There’s no end to human greed and selfishness.
A daughter who makes her father buy cake on a hot day like this, and a man who sweats buckets to buy it because he was told to.
Everything about it was displeasing.
Coldness dripped from Suho’s sharp eyes.
“I’m not selling it.”
“What, what did you say? Did you just say you’re not selling it?”
Nod.
“What kind of rude son of a… Why aren’t you selling it? Is my money dirty?”
Suho’s face grew colder at the man’s outburst.
Why can’t humans understand at once?
“I said I’m not selling it.”
“You impudent brat! Why is your tongue half-cut off? Is this how you treat customers?”
Sungjae, who was making drinks, hurriedly came to the counter.
“What, what’s wrong?”
“Get the owner. I’ve heard of customers being rude, but this is the first time I’ve seen an employee being rude.”
“What’s going on?”
Seungri, who had just entered the cafe, approached the fuming man. The man raised his square jaw and glared.
“Are you the owner?”
“Please tell me what’s wrong…”
“That rude punk is talking down to me and says he won’t sell me the cake. Where does that happen?”
‘I knew he wouldn’t agree so easily. Did he think I wouldn’t hire him if he was unfriendly?’
Seungri suppressed her rising anger and quickly bowed her head.
“I’m really sorry. It’s his first day, so he doesn’t know any better.”
“Even if he doesn’t know, he can’t just say he won’t sell it! Omo, my blood pressure is rising.”
Seungri chose to appease the customer rather than argue about who was right or wrong.
Just looking at Suho’s face, which showed no remorse, she knew it would turn into a fight if she dragged it out.
“What do you need? I’ll give it to you as an apology.”
“You’ll give it to me for free?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I’ll train him better in the future.”
The man’s anger subsided somewhat because of Seungri’s polite bow.
“If you’re going to be like that, miss. Give me one of everything you have here.”
“Yes. I’ll pack it up right away.”
Only after she packed the cakes and handed them to him did the man leave the cafe.
The murmuring of the customers sitting in the cafe reached her ears.
“He was like that to me earlier too. Ugh, so annoying.”
“I’m putting up with it because of Sungjae.”
“I like bad boys. He’s handsome.”
“Crazy. He looks like he has no blood or tears, what’s so good about him.”
Ugh-
Bad boy, check! Handsome, check! No blood or tears, check! I won’t let this go!
Seungri, gritting her teeth, quietly called Suho.
“Suho, can I talk to you for a second?”
She stared in disbelief at Suho, who plopped down on the rooftop bench.
Seungri, with her arms crossed, suppressed her anger. The only reason she could was because she still had some reason left.
You’re lucky today, you know that?
“I would have told you not to do it if you didn’t want to.”
“I was just doing my job.”
“Is arguing with customers part of your job?”
It was the humans who were getting on his nerves in the first place.
Suho wanted to argue point by point, but he didn’t think it was worth it, so he shut his mouth.
Seungri was about to explode because Suho ignored her and didn’t even bother to answer.
She had to reform his mind and make him work, but she didn’t want to go that far.
Because she knew there was nothing worse than doing something against your will.
“I’ll hire someone else, so don’t come down.”
“Who says?”
‘Is he saying he’ll do it, or not?’
Seungri’s expression became stern, as if she were scolding a rebellious teenager.
“I can’t let you until you promise to do it properly. The cafe is where Sungjae’s mom left behind. It’s not a place to be treated carelessly.”
Suho’s eyes turned even colder when Sungjae’s mom was mentioned.
As someone responsible for Sungjae’s mom’s death, he couldn’t ignore it. If he could, he wanted to fix everything.
He could never miss this last chance.
“I will.”
“Are you serious?”
Nod.
“I’ll trust you one more time.”
Suho perfectly memorized the names and prices of the drinks in half a day, and his attitude changed 180 degrees from before. He was so polite that it was scary.
The only things that hadn’t changed were his stiff, mechanical tone and expressionless face, but that was just a habit, so it couldn’t be helped.
Junmo and Seungri stood side by side on one side and watched the scene in disbelief.
“How did you do it?”
“He doesn’t want to get kicked out.”
“He wasn’t a complete psycho after all.”
“I guess so.”
But Seungri’s face was still worried.
He was really someone you could never understand. Who would have imagined he would change so drastically?
When you lower your expectations, you’re surprised by unexpected things.
“Oh my, Suho is doing a really good job.”
Yuri, who had been stuck in the kitchen all day and didn’t know what was going on outside, came out when she had a free moment.
She looked at Suho with heart-filled eyes.
“It’s better not to tell Yuri, right?”
Junmo leaned over to Seungri and whispered.
“What good would it do to tell her?”
Seungri, who was nervous when his face suddenly came close, grumbled. Her neck tingled again.
“Ahem!”
She coughed for no reason and took a step away from him, but Junmo soon closed the distance.
If she told him to back off, it would be obvious that she was conscious of him.
Seungri pretended not to notice and walked towards Yuri.
Pfft.
One side of Junmo’s mouth turned up slightly.
‘Cute.’
Should he check if ghosts really exist?
He thought that was the only way to know if her words were true.
The words that she was afraid because he didn’t believe her. Those words were engraved in his mind and wouldn’t disappear.
“Why are there so many people living hard lives?”
Junmo muttered to himself, his eyes filled with pity for Seungri.
“I’m so glad Suho is adapting well.”
Yuri, sitting in front of her dressing table in the evening, smiled contentedly as she removed her makeup with cleanser. Seungri, reflected in the mirror, was sitting on Yuri’s bed, doing the accounting.
“How is he in your eyes, unnie? Suho is charming, right?”
‘Charming? I want to give his butt a good spanking.’
If it were Yuri, she might have been fascinated by Suho’s unconventional and prickly attitude, calling it unique.
“Don’t fall too deeply. He’s like the wind.”
Seungri defined Suho in one word.
An existence that has no form but can be felt. That strange energy felt from Suho was exactly that.
“The wind? Is Suho a playboy?”
“I mean he’s like the wind that comes and goes without a trace.”
That kind of man is dangerous.
“Hmm. Isn’t it a woman’s charm to make that kind of man settle down? He’s totally my ideal type.”
“Your ideal type changes often.”
Ouch.
Yuri laughed awkwardly, feeling embarrassed.
“He’s definitely the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. His vibe is unique too. Why did he become homeless?”
“He’ll tell you when he opens up.”
But it’s uncertain if that day will come.
Judging by what he’s doing, it doesn’t seem like that day will come soon.
“That’s why I’m going to be nice to him no matter what.”
“Don’t overdo it. Don’t give your heart away and get hurt.”
She was worried about Yuri, who had failed in love a couple of times.
“Why did you make Detective Pee move in, unnie? Isn’t it a bit awkward?”
She didn’t want to say that she and Junmo were destined to die on the same day, or that he was holding her lifeline. It would only make her worry.
“To prevent burglars.”
“What? That’s the reason?”
“If a detective lives in the building, thieves won’t even come near it.”
“Hahaha. What a fresh idea. I thought…”
“You thought what?”
“Hehe. I thought unnie liked Detective Pee.”
“I’m thinking of trying to like him.”
That way, I won’t feel so wronged even if I die.
“What!”
“Is it that bad?”
“No, no, it’s not that, but… I just think it would be nice if unnie dated someone normal.”
“You don’t like cops?”
“Honestly, I don’t.”
Yuri also had prejudices against the police, no less than Seungri, because of the incident four years ago.
Why wouldn’t she? The trauma of the incident had a huge impact not only on the victim but also on their family.
“Where did I count up to?”
She forgot the calculation while talking to Yuri. Yuri, who had gotten up from the dressing table, said as she walked to the bathroom.
“Just leave it, I’ll do it.”
Seungri also knew that it would be faster that way.
She had been tormented by ghosts for the past four years, so she was clumsy at everyday tasks.
It was like being good at math but bad at arithmetic.
“Ugh, my head.”
Seungri, as if she had a headache, put down the bills she was holding and lay down on the bed.
Looking at the ceiling, Junmo’s face floated up. She thought of him several times a day.
Her heart was pounding, her face was flushed…
A smile came naturally…
She missed him…
“I’m crazy.”
“How’s this outfit?”
Junmo, in the middle of the night, took out all the few clothes he had and held a fashion show.
Suho, who was tired from being around people all day, lay in the living room and looked at him listlessly.
That human is not in good shape either.
As he quietly got up and tried to go into his room, Junmo shouted.
“How’s the outfit!”
“……”
If Suho said it wasn’t good, he would pester him until he liked it. Suho reluctantly answered.
“Good.”
“I don’t like it. Hey, look again. How about this?”
“Good.”
Junmo scolded him for his thoughtless answer.
“Look at it before you say anything.”
‘What do you want me to do?’
He was complaining even though he said it was good, he was a guy he couldn’t see positively at all.
Before he bothered him anymore, Suho slammed the door shut and went inside.
Bang!
“That ungrateful crow. Is he prickly?”
No matter how he looked at it, it was just old-fashioned.
“There was a time when I was called the king of fashion.”
That was true. In the days when he was rebelling against his father, he cared about fashion.
But while becoming a patrol officer and then a violent crimes detective, he was left with only a shabby man far from fashion.
He had neglected it too much.
“This is a disaster.”
“Didn’t you say we were meeting at 9 in the morning?”
“Something suddenly came up. You’ll come with me, right?”
Seungri crossed her arms and looked at him with dissatisfaction, with an expression that said, “Why would I?”
“I’ll treat you to late-night snacks, I will.”
When he said it confidently, she gave him a sarcastic smile as if she was dumbfounded.
“I’m not eating and I’m not going.”
“Eyy, don’t be like that.”
“Can’t you see my sleepy eyes?”
Swoosh.
He still came right up to her face at any time.
Seungri, startled, poked his forehead with her finger. Junmo, who staggered playfully, complained.
“It’s too dark to see.”
The streetlights were bright, what was he talking about.
“I’m going in.”
Junmo turned Seungri, who was turning around, back to her original position.
Thwack!
He exaggeratedly twisted his body after finally getting hit in the chest.
“I told you not to touch my body!”
“You’ve hugged me several times already…”
Glare!
“…Your fingers just barely touched my shoulder. Just barely. And aren’t you watching me?”
“What?”
“Is it okay to leave me like this? You know how dangerous I am.”
Junmo, teasing and smarmy, made Seungri frown.
“Hey, don’t wrinkle that pretty face. I really need you.”
“Where are we going?”
Junmo grabbed her wrist and pulled.
“You’ll see when we get there.”
“Isn’t my wrist part of my body?”
Seungri protested, but he gripped it even tighter.
“Who was it that said it’s not just your body alone? Your body is my body, and my body is your body…”
Whack, whack!
Seungri, freeing her wrist in an instant, slapped his broad back with her palm.
All the way to the underground parking lot, their bickering didn’t stop. Occasionally, Junmo’s hearty laughter joined in.
They arrived in Dongdaemun in the car he’d picked up that afternoon.
A test drive of his new car with her.
A proud smile spread across Junmo’s face.
“We came to buy clothes?”
She knew he was nocturnal because he was a cop, but she didn’t know his shopping habits were too.
“I don’t have any decent clothes to wear. I’ve been neglecting myself lately.”
“So, you’re finally thinking of being devoted?”
Junmo stared at Seungri and nodded.
“I’m agonizing over whether to try.”
“What’s with that look? Why is it so lecherous?”
“There you go again, being unnecessarily wary.”
Dongdaemun was even more lively at night. They rushed through the fourth-floor men’s clothing store, buying clothes at a very fast pace.
Seungri picked out all the clothes.
Junmo didn’t care about color or style, he just paid.
He was generous enough to buy a few outfits for the flower beggar, Suho, too.
“Do you really like them?”
Seungri looked doubtful as they sat facing each other at a nearby snack bar.
She’d only ever bought clothes for her dad and Sungjae, so she wasn’t sure if she’d picked them out properly. But this guy wasn’t complaining at all.
“Don’t worry. I love them.”
“I wonder if the clothes will suit you?”
Seungri muttered, thinking about the clothes she’d bought with Junmo.
“It’s okay. When I wear them, the fit will really come alive.”
“Heh heh.”
She laughed at Junmo’s boastful attitude.
“What are you laughing at?”
“Nothing, nothing.”
“What is it? Are you just really happy to be with me?”
She should have punched that mouth of his that spouted nonsense at every chance.
“I’m just wondering what I’m doing here, that’s all.”
“Ha ha ha!”
His refreshing laughter tickled Seungri’s ears.
A pleasant laugh, a pleasant smiling face. She wanted to keep hearing it, keep seeing it.
“I’m really curious, what’s the name of your perfume?”
Junmo couldn’t help but ask about the deep fragrance she wore.
“I really don’t wear perfume.”
Seungri looked at him suspiciously.
She thought what he said at the villa was just to flirt with her, but was it not?
“It’s not shampoo either.”
“When did you smell my shampoo? Pervert.”
“Pervert? Where do you see that, in me?”
“Looking at you holding women’s clothes and smiling like that. Definitely a pervert.”
“That was just to tease you…”
“Curiosity usually starts as a joke. Does a pervert become a pervert by saying, ‘I’m going to be a pervert’?”
“Pervert, pervert. Anyone would think it’s true if they heard you.”
She found his grumbling cute. Too cute to stop teasing him.
“Smelling a scent that no one else can smell, all by yourself. That’s what a pervert is.”
“Seriously. You’re making me out to be a paraphilia patient.”
Pfft.
“What are you laughing at?”
“I was just thinking about when we first met at the villa. Who were you chasing?”
“A rapist and a drug offender.”
Seungri’s mouth dropped open.
“They were that heinous?”
And she unknowingly made it easier for them to get away.
She felt bitter as she thought of the guy running away naked.
So, the thing the people were hiding when he came down to the first floor was drugs?
“What happened to the people who were there? Did you catch them?”
“No. They all got away already. I went there knowing that.”
“You went there knowing that? Why?”
“To show them. That even if the law gives up, I never will.”
“So, that’s why you were so desperate…”
Seungri looked at him with new eyes.
If he was such a righteous and persistent detective, maybe he could catch the culprit in that case from four years ago.
But she couldn’t bring herself to mention the case anymore.
Since she’d opened up about it at the restaurant that day, he hadn’t said a word about it.
That meant it was a hopeless case, and she didn’t want to burden him.
In the meantime, the ordered tteokbokki, sundae, and a bowl of udon arrived.
“Want some?”
Junmo pointed to the udon in front of him, but Seungri shook her head.
Junmo rubbed the wooden chopsticks together and handed them to her before devouring the udon in the blink of an eye.
Seungri was quietly watching him when she picked up a tteokbokki to put in her mouth!
A chill ran down her spine, and the hairs on her head stood on end.
‘A strong one!’
Judging by the strong energy she felt, it seemed to be a fairly high-ranking ghost. Ghosts also had ranks like the military, and they usually operated with subordinate ghosts.
Seungri quickly raised her head and scanned the store.
‘Who is it!’
It was clear that it had recognized Seungri, the exorcist, and was hiding.
But there was no way to know who it had possessed. They all looked ordinary at first glance.
Seungri got up from her seat without delay. She might have ignored lower-ranking subordinate ghosts.
But it was clear that if she missed this one, someone would be in big trouble.
“Where are you going?”
Junmo, who was eating udon, tilted his head up. He was bewildered by her unusual expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“Keep eating. I’ll go take a look around.”
“Take a look around where?”
The way she carefully walked through the store, step by step, made it seem like she was looking for someone.
Junmo put down his chopsticks and made a grim expression.
‘Ugh, she’s off again.’
Just as he was getting up to stop her.
“You!”
Seungri had already grabbed the back of a man sitting in the corner.
At the same time, the large man pushed her hard and dashed out of the store. He was so fast that everyone in the store looked like they’d seen a ghost.
Seungri chased after the man like an arrow.
“Ah, ma’am. Can you watch my clothes for a minute? Don’t worry, I’m not running away.”
Junmo reassured the employee and immediately chased after Seungri.
Not knowing why the man was running away or why Seungri was chasing him.
When he came out of the store, the two were nowhere to be seen. Junmo quickly looked around.
“Where did they go?”
Then, he caught a glimpse of her back through the crowded people.
“Seungri!”
He unknowingly called out her name and started running.
