Chapter 9
“Mr. Suho, perhaps…”
“What are you doing here?”
It was Junmo, who had eventually come to find her on the rooftop.
Seungri couldn’t finish her question because of his appearance.
As soon as he saw Junmo, Suho jumped up and left.
“Hey, at least take the password with you, you punk! 0505 Star! It’s this big brother’s birthday.”
But Suho went down the stairs without a word.
“Tch, such a nasty temper.”
Junmo, sauntering over, sat next to Seungri.
“Did you talk to him?”
“Not much luck. He knew you were a detective. But seeing him with me even knowing that, I don’t think he’s a bad person.”
“I’ll take care of Suho, so don’t worry too much. If I keep him around, he’ll open up someday. And when he does, he’ll naturally talk.”
“But why did you come up here?”
“Hmm! I was wondering what you two were up to.”
‘Ha, this guy’s doing all sorts of things now.’
Seungri’s smooth brow furrowed slightly.
“That’s surveillance, isn’t it?”
“Oh, right. I need to get the laundry.”
Junmo got up and walked to the drying rack. He reached for the sneakers lined up on the rack.
“Judging by the size, they look like they’re yours.”
Whack!
“Ouch!”
He twisted his body, having been smacked on the back by Seungri.
“What are you touching?”
Seungri, who was always self-conscious about her larger-than-average shoe size compared to other women, reacted sensitively.
Whack!
“Oww! That slap stings!”
She quickly gathered the sneakers, glaring at him with a resentful look.
‘Is she embarrassed? Cute.’
He chuckled and said,
“Is this yours too?”
Junmo flicked at a piece of clothing that hadn’t been taken down yet.
Seungri quickly tried to snatch it away, but he raised his hand high.
In his hand was her red dress.
“You like red too, huh?”
“Give it back!”
It wasn’t an embarrassing piece of clothing, but somehow it felt strange with him holding it, so Seungri tried to grab it, standing on her tiptoes and pulling on his arm, but it was no use.
Chasing after him as he dodged around, Seungri, thoroughly annoyed, jumped high, and the two of them teetered.
“Ah!”
“Whoa!”
He fell backward, holding her waist, and when she came to her senses, they were on the platform.
Seungri, who was straddling him, tried to get up in surprise, but Junmo’s hand was faster.
He held her waist tightly, not letting go.
Thump, thump.
His face was right in front of her.
The passionate feeling in his gaze was completely felt by her as well. Seungri, breathless, froze.
“What are you afraid of?”
His question made her head spin even more.
Her neck flushed as if he had uncovered something hidden deep within her heart.
“…You.”
Falling in love was a fear for her.
Men who would run away at the mention of ghosts, no matter how much they liked her.
He probably wouldn’t be any different.
Right now, he just liked her because he didn’t believe in ghosts.
Seungri tried to get up again, but he quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.
Their faces were even closer, their lips almost touching. If she hadn’t quickly tilted her head back, they would have definitely touched.
Junmo stared at Seungri, whose eyes were wide, more intensely than ever before.
“Why me?”
“Because you don’t believe me.”
It was his freedom to believe whatever he wanted, but loving someone like that was too unsettling and frightening for her.
She said she wanted to live coolly and die, but that was only because it was so difficult to actually live that way.
How could love be only cool? Her heart was pounding like crazy just from being looked at like this.
“His name is Suho?”
Yuri had an endless interest in Suho.
Not only Seungri and Yuri, but also Sungjae were lying side by side in the living room, wearing face masks.
Seungri recalled the conversation she had with Suho on the rooftop.
“He doesn’t know his last name. Or his age.”
“Amnesia?”
Sungjae added to Yuri’s speculation.
“Seeing him become homeless at that age, it’s highly likely.”
“I feel so bad for him. He looks like the youngest son of a wealthy family.”
Yuri seemed to feel nothing but pity for Suho. Sungjae felt the same way.
“Isn’t there a way to find his family?”
“I think he has some kind of story.”
Seungri thought that Suho was deliberately hiding his identity. Then Yuri replied with a troubled expression.
“Of course, he has a story. The problem is what it is. I bet he has something he can’t talk about. Otherwise, would he be living like that?”
If he really had something he couldn’t talk about, as Yuri said, it would be better to just watch him for now.
Seungri decided to think about it more later.
“We should just pretend we don’t know. It’s rude to help someone who doesn’t want it.”
“Really?”
Sungjae’s tone was ambiguous.
“You saw him talking. He’s perfectly fine. He’s deliberately not saying who he is.”
Seungri asserted.
She had even thought that Suho might be a grim reaper disguised as an old man. However, it was difficult for grim reapers to appear before people unless it was a special case.
Especially a grim reaper in such ragged clothes, it didn’t make sense.
Thinking that she should ask the old man next time she saw him, Seungri stopped imagining things.
Yuri clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention.
“Then from now on, we’ll pretend we don’t know. If Mr. Suho asks for help, then we’ll roll up our sleeves and help him. How’s that?”
“I’m in favor. What about you, Seungri noona?”
Seungri was still uneasy, but she couldn’t object because the two of them welcomed Suho so warmly.
“Okay, let’s do that.”
After that, Yuri and Sungjae talked about Suho for quite a while.
They already thought of Suho as one of the family.
Early in the morning, the lazy sunlight streamed into the cafe ‘Oscar’.
It was teatime before opening.
Ding-dong!
Yuri checked her text message and frowned. Seungri, sitting across from her, took her cup from her lips.
“Who is it that’s making you like that?”
“Eunji. She must be really sick. She says she’s quitting.”
“Ugh, she must have eaten her brains for breakfast. She knows Saturday is the busiest day, how can she suddenly quit like that?”
Sungjae, sitting next to Seungri, burst out in anger.
He didn’t know it before, but now he knew how hard his mom must have worked running the cafe.
“What can we do if she’s sick?”
“She should have called. Sending just a text message, what kind of manners is that? I didn’t think that noona was like that, she’s really too much.”
“She must be really sick.”
“Ugh, that’s why we’re always getting taken advantage of.”
Even Eunji, whom she had trusted.
Yuri was secretly upset, but she didn’t want to show it.
“Sungjae, can you put up a sign saying we’re looking for a part-timer?”
Then Junmo, who had been sitting at the window table and quietly watching, smiled and said,
“What are you keeping him around for? You should use him at times like this.”
“Him, who?”
At Seungri’s question, Junmo pointed to Suho, who was sitting across from them.
“Him.”
“Oh, that would work.”
Even Sungjae, who usually scoffed at Junmo’s words, was unusually pleased.
“Oh my. That’s great.”
Yuri clapped her hands in delight. She would be the happiest person if Suho worked part-time.
“No.”
Without the slightest hesitation, Suho refused flatly.
“How can a young guy just loaf around? If you want to get out of being a beggar, you gotta work, work.”
“I won’t.”
“You will. Absolutely! Instead! We’ll provide room and board.”
Seungri scolded Junmo, who was shouting loudly.
“Are you the boss?”
“We should at least provide room and board. He’s a penniless beggar.”
Yuri actively agreed with Junmo’s opinion.
“Oh my, of course. It’s usually just dinner for the afternoon part-timer. But for Mr. Suho, it’s three meals a day, all free. In that sense, Detective Pee is still providing a place to sleep, right?”
Oops! She hadn’t thought that far.
‘Continuing is going to be difficult. Am I going to get properly roped in for sticking my nose in?’
“He can just come to my house.”
Junmo quickly cut off Sungjae’s words.
“Uh-uh! That’s not allowed. Okay, fine, since I’m being generous, I’ll be really generous. I’ll guarantee a place to sleep until he’s self-sufficient. Got it? Instead, can you make me some food too?”
He was tired of eating out, and it was a hassle to cook.
Would Junmo’s cleverness work?
“Oh, of course, we should definitely do that for you, Detective Pee.”
Yuri just lived by the principle that whatever is good is good.
Was food the problem? She was going to work with a flower boy. She could see a flower boy and find a part-timer. Two birds with one stone!
“As expected of the boss, she’s different. She’s so generous. She even gives out free coffee.”
Yuri’s mood was even more uplifted by Junmo, who raised both thumbs up.
“I should look for a uniform that fits.”
“Who said you could?”
Suho raised an objection.
This is why I hate humans!
“Our cafe pays well. It wouldn’t be bad to work here once, hyung.”
Suho looked at Sungjae with a troubled expression.
His mission was to protect Sungjae. In other words, he had to stick around Sungjae. But he couldn’t go to school with him, and it would look even funnier to just hang out at the cafe.
In that case.
‘Me, doing human work?’
Honestly, he had never done anything other than catching ghosts. Moreover, this place sold desserts, which were enemies harmful to humans, lumps of flour and sugar.
He should be stopping them from eating it, not selling it.
His personality, which clearly distinguished between good and bad, couldn’t allow it.
“You don’t have to do it if you really don’t want to. I don’t want to force you.”
Suho, who was deep in thought, glanced at Seungri.
‘He’s testing me.’
He must have sensed something strange. As an exorcist, she couldn’t just pass by. It was fortunate that Junmo had appeared on the rooftop, otherwise, he would have almost been questioned by her.
It was forbidden for the identity of a grim reaper to be revealed to humans. Because it could cause confusion among humans.
Even an exorcist who did similar work was no exception. In the grim reaper’s standards, she, the exorcist, also belonged to the category of humans.
Especially in the case of a grim reaper police officer like Suho, revealing his identity was dangerous. Even more so when he was under disciplinary action like now. Three warnings, and he was out.
Humans called this ‘biting the bullet’, right?
Finally, the words of acceptance fell from Suho’s mouth.
“I’ll do it.”
Yuri had quickly made breakfast. Junmo, who had never eaten Western food for breakfast, felt a strong sense of incongruity.
“This is breakfast?”
Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, vegetable salad, bread.
Not only was the portion small, but he had to put something so greasy in his stomach from the morning. He had expected warm rice with soup or stew, but his dream was shattered.
Suho disliked breakfast just as much as Junmo.
‘How ignorant.’
For Suho, who analyzed the calories of any food, bacon and sausage were the worst foods that threatened human health.
As if she had noticed the two men’s inner thoughts, Seungri sharply scolded them.
“Eat without complaining. It’s almost opening time.”
As if those words were a signal, the food quickly disappeared into their mouths. Only Junmo stirred the food with his fork, grumbling with a sulky face.
“I want to eat home-cooked food.”
“Don’t eat if you don’t want to.”
When Seungri tried to clear the plate, Junmo quickly defended it.
“Wow, how petty. Taking away food after giving it is something you don’t even do to dogs.”
“We need to hurry if we’re going to the motor show.”
On the way to the motor show in Yuri’s car, Junmo had a slightly excited face.
“Buying a car at a motor show. She’s a woman with a different scale.”
Seungri, who was driving, was also in a good mood, and the corners of her mouth naturally turned up.
“It’s the only joy in my life.”
“Do you like cars?”
“I tend not to skimp on investing in cars.”
‘I was the one who totaled the car she didn’t skimp on investing in. Tsk. She plays like a tough unnie. I bet this unnie knows how to ride a motorcycle too?’
“Today is the last day of the motor show. You’ve never been to a motor show, have you?”
“I’m not that free of a person.”
Suddenly, he thought that he had been running only forward without even a small hobby.
‘I really lived a boring life.’
Just as the futility of life was about to wash over her, a question popped up.
“I’m curious about something.”
“What is it?”
“What’s your relationship with Sungjae?”
“We’re like sworn brothers.”
“It seems like he doesn’t have parents?”
A shadow fell over Seungri’s face at the mention of his parents.
They weren’t the kind of people to pass away so meaninglessly.
Her heart ached whenever she thought of Sungjae’s mom and Sungjae.
“He lived with his mom, but she passed away in an accident last year. Her will asked us to take care of Sungjae.”
“You must have been close to Sungjae’s mom?”
“Yeah. Somehow.”
She didn’t elaborate, which made it seem like there was something she couldn’t talk about.
“But are you sure you’re okay to drive?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Aren’t you scared?”
“I’ve seen so many terrible things that this is bearable.”
I thought she was tough, but she’s starting to scare me. And I admire her.
He reached out and gently stroked her hair. Seungri, flustered, glared at him.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m proud and you’re pretty.”
Seungri scoffed, dumbfounded.
“What would this guy be if he weren’t a cop?”
“Ruling South Korea.”
“As a gigolo?”
“A gigolo… what do you take me for? I was actually a soccer player until my first year of high school. I’m good at most sports, but I chose soccer.”
“Really?”
Seungri glanced at his firm thighs. One might mistake him for an athlete in heaven.
“I quit because of an injury. If I had been okay back then, I would have been on par with Park Ji-sung. I was pretty good.”
In reality, he had been a youth national team player and was known as a promising soccer player.
“But how did you think of becoming a cop?”
“Rebellion against my father, I guess.”
“What?”
“Something like that.”
He glossed over it, but Seungri couldn’t. It was because of the faint sadness she sensed in Junmo’s expression.
He avoided talking about his family even on the rooftop. What kind of story is it?
“I’ll take this one, this one, and this one.”
Suho lowered his eyes and asked the woman who was choosing slices of cake from the display case in a blunt tone.
“Eating here?”
Judging by the looks of it, he’s a new part-timer, but he’s already speaking informally and being a jerk.
The female customer in her early twenties widened her eyes.
“Excuse me?”
“I asked if you’re eating here.”
“Oh, yes… but why are you speaking so informally…?”
The age difference doesn’t seem that big. Maybe mid-twenties at most? Not only is his appearance shocking, but his way of speaking is shocking too.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I lived abroad for a long time. I didn’t learn how to use polite language.”
“I see. You startled me. Give me the cake.”
“Yes. Please wait a moment.”
Sungjae diligently placed the cake on a tray.
It was already the umpteenth time because of Suho’s informal speech. It would be good to call him aside and give him some training, but today it was packed with people.
Next, a large male student weighing nearly 220 pounds placed an order. He was also a regular at the cafe, who was Sungjae’s school friend. He invested most of his allowance in games and sweets.
“Cafe mocha. Lots of whipped cream. And a fruit roll and pancakes.”
“I’m not selling it.”
The male student stared at Suho with a blank face, and Sungjae, seeing this, called out to Suho and hurriedly approached.
“Hyung!”
Not knowing what he meant by not selling it, the male student asked blankly.
“Why?”
Because doing things that are harmful to humans goes against the rules.
Of course, there was no grim reaper as picky as this, but Suho, who was meticulous in everything, was different.
“It’s bad for your health.”
At the simple and clear explanation, the male student blinked his eyes, dumbfounded. The standard of obesity is that the anger gauge rises the most when someone interferes with eating.
“What’s it to you if I eat it? Hey, Han Sungjae. What’s up with this part-timer?”
I can’t even use the foreign excuse for this.
“Do you think it’s common to find a cafe that cares about the health of its customers? These are all words that will be medicine. Take it to heart.”
“Screw you. I’m not eating it, you jerk.”
As the male student stormed out in a huff, Sungjae wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
He knew without even looking that the fat pig would go to school and spread rumors again. He was trying to make sure he never used his fists again, but somehow he felt uneasy.
“Hyung, come on…”
“Iced Americano and strawberry smoothie, please.”
Sungjae was about to talk to Suho, but he stopped when customers started pouring in again.
“Yes, welcome.”
Busy, busy.
“Please take orders properly, Hyung.”
They looked around the motor show for about an hour. The flashy cars and the hot models caught people’s attention.
Junmo also repeatedly exclaimed “Wow!” and “Awesome!” everywhere he went, as if he had come to a new world. It was unclear whether it was because of the cars or the models.
Finally, Seungri chose the one she had been eyeing and even finished paying with her card. She was told that it was a popular model, so she would only be able to receive it in a few days.
Thanks to this, Junmo only had to buy his own car. He was told that the car he purchased would be delivered directly to his house in the afternoon.
Junmo gave her a suspicious look because she had no intention of filing an insurance claim from beginning to end.
He worried that he might have to pretend to believe in ghosts even if he didn’t want to. He really had no talent for such lies.
“Are you really okay with this?”
“With what?”
“Are you really going to pretend the car accident never happened? I still don’t believe in ghosts.”
“I told you, believe what you want to believe.”
“So you made a deal from the start?”
“I’m grateful that you moved in.”
Seungri was sincere. Just having him nearby was a comfort to her. When people’s lives are at stake, is the price of a car important? Rather, she was the one who should be trying to get on his good side.
“What are you doing tomorrow?”
At his childlike, bright face, Seungri’s heart came to a screeching halt. It felt like her hard heart was softening in an instant.
She awkwardly turned her gaze away and said,
“The cafe is closed, so of course I’ll be resting too.”
“Give me a day to repay my debt.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I can’t live with owing someone, that’s just my personality. I’ll treat you properly.”
“You need a whole day to repay a debt?”
“Yeah, I need it. Meet me in front of the cafe at 9 a.m.”
“That early?”
What on earth is he planning to do?
