“uh… … “Where should I sit?”
“Over there. If you feel uncomfortable having to take off your shoes, another place is fine. Please sit wherever you want. “You can hang your coat on the hanger over there.”
As if Namgung-hyuk was fascinated by Seong Eun-yul’s flowing and gentle guidance, he took off his leather jacket and hung it on a hanger, then took off his shoes and went up to the direction where he was first guided.
It wasn’t that the seat was uncomfortable, but the warmth rising up my buttocks even with the cushion was awkward. As I was squirming a few times because of that, Seong Eun-yul approached me holding a water bottle and a cup.
“Are you a little hot? There are a lot of elderly customers here, so it’s warm like the lower neck. “I’ll give you ice water instead.”
Namgoonghyuk, who already felt a little thirsty, obediently took some ice water. And as soon as he drank the water, he felt refreshed, as if he had come to his senses.
“please wait for a moment. “I’ll bring you some hangover soup.”
“wait for a sec.”
“Do you need anything else?”
“I don’t need anything, I…” … .”
Just as Namgung-hyuk was about to get straight to the point, he stopped talking when he happened to see his reflection in the mirror on the wall. No, I came to threaten Seong Eun-yul, but he was making such a stupid expression.
“Is there anyone else coming?”
“no.”
“Then are you looking for another menu? But what should I do? It’s a single menu, so there’s only one hangover soup. “I think it’s your first time, so I’ll bring you some more side dishes.”
Before Namgoonghyuk could answer, a protest was heard nearby asking why they did not provide side dishes. However, Seong Eun Yul spoke without the color of her face changing at all.
“It’s time for us to attract younger customers. Don’t you know how to attract customers? And I provided side dishes to everyone once.”
Customers who were dissatisfied with Seong Eun-yul’s harsh remarks began to silence their mouths. Seong Eun-yul, who freely changes his mood, looked back at Namgung-hyuk.
“So, is some hangover soup okay?”
“I want two.”
“Oh, was that something like that? We also need to target the younger generation. That way, you can sell one bowl or two bowls… … .”
Seong Eun-yul got up and disappeared with a happy face. Namgoonghyuk, who was still dazed even then, looked at his face as he remembered that he had ordered two servings.
“What am I doing?”
Seong Eun-yul Don’t you still owe money? Give it to me right now. Otherwise, you will have to pay with your own body. You should have been suspicious until the end, it was all because you were stupid… … .
“customer?”
“huh?”
“You keep talking to yourself. Are you okay?”
“Nothing. “But why did you call me?”
“Haejangguk was served.”
“ah… … .”
Namgoonghyuk, who was acting stupid again, looked at the hangover soup to avoid eye contact.
“A fried egg is a service. This isn’t just an egg. If you try it once, you will be truly amazed. “I guarantee it.”
They talk about it as if just a fried egg is a great dish.
“Try it.”
“… … “Aren’t you going?”
“yes.”
Seong Eun-yul sat across from me.
“From the way you’re talking to yourself, it looks like you need someone to talk to, so I’ll give it to you.”
“There’s no need for that.”
“Then shall I go?”
“no.”
I didn’t come to eat, I came to see Seong Eun-yul, so I can’t let him go.
“Please eat.”
Seong Eun-yul waited with twinkling eyes, not knowing his own speed. Looking at those expectant eyes, Namgoonghyuk had no choice but to pick up the spoon. I didn’t really have an appetite because I had brunch earlier… … .
“hmm?”
Namgoonghyeok took a bite of his rice and looked up at Seong Eunyul.
“It’s delicious, right?”
“Not bad.”
I wonder what they are doing when they come to get money and say the food is delicious… … Let’s eat and do it.
“But the customer is young and tall, so I think he will enjoy it, but the hangover soup at my house is very large. So you can eat both bowls… … “I guess?”
Seong Eun-yul opened his eyes wide in surprise when he saw that he had already eaten more than half of the bowl. Namgoonghyuk glanced at that cute figure and went back to eating.
“It’s delicious, right? “I boiled the broth that goes into the base here.”
“Did you actually cook some food?”
“hmm… … . I lived alone a lot, so I got used to it, right? “It was expensive to order and I wanted to eat something delicious, so I became very interested in food.”
“alone… … It’s expensive… … .”
I cursed at the parentless guy for being very mean, but I never thought about anything like this. Considering the circumstances in which I emptied my pockets, yes… … I can’t eat expensive food.
And yet you are smiling so brightly.
This bastard… … .
“Taste… … “It’s Jin-gook.”
It’s Jin-guk.
Seong Eun-yul smiled with pride as he must have heard Namgung-hyuk’s words.
* * *
Namgoonghyuk came out after a satisfying meal and refreshed his mouth with cool carbonated beverages.
“All the buildings are one-story.”
It was a very unsightly neighborhood, as it was only two stories high at best. While drinking my drink, I saw the name of another store. Suni’s Haejangguk, Youngi’s Supermarket, and Cheol’s Hardware Store.
“Do people who know everything live here?”
So, when I was wondering if the name of the store would be the same, Eunyul followed suit.
“The customer left this behind.”
Namgoonghyuk glanced at what he was holding in his hand and then looked ahead at the road. She finished the can of soda and threw it into the trash can next to her.
“It’s not mine.”
“yes? But you brought this. “I saw you eating next to me.”
“It’s not mine.”
Eunyul’s lips were about to pout at Namgoonghyuk’s harsh rejection. This isn’t a central area and I know it’s hard to get back even if I leave something behind, so I packed it up as best I could, but they didn’t pick it up.
“If it’s not yours, can I open it and take a look?”
“Like that.”
Since I had no intention of taking it to the end, I intentionally provoked it, but the response came back as if it didn’t matter. Eunyul, who had tried to stop him with verbal threats, was wondering what to do, but reluctantly opened the top of the envelope carefully. If something is said later, it should be put back together.
“There’s a bell inside.”
“Then you thought there was money in it?”
“… … .”
They say it’s not yours… … .
“Try to take it out.”
Do you think you can’t do it if you do it? Eunyul took out the paper and unfolded it as if to show off. I glanced at the difficult terms written at the top and immediately checked the name at the bottom.
“Here’s the customer’s name. Last name… … rate.”
Eunyul’s voice quieted down at the sound of my name. If that man is not the same person as me, this document is purely mine.
As Eunyul stayed still, Namgoonghyuk turned around and made eye contact.
“Hello, baby. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“… … who are you.”
For the first time, Eunyul looked wary at Namgoonghyuk’s greeting with a grin showing his teeth.
“Namgoonghyuk.”
As soon as she heard the man’s name, Eunyul unconsciously took a step back.
‘Namgoonghyuk? Namgoonghyuk?’
Even though it was the first time I had heard that name in a long time, I couldn’t help but think of who it was. A sub-gong who loved Hyeon Je-ha, the main character of the original work. He was the man who knew that Hyun Je-ha was getting along well with Kang Ha-jun, but couldn’t let go of his feelings and chose to stay with her in the name of being a friend.
“why… … .”
Eunyul, who was about to ask why he came, fell silent again. Namgoong Hyuk just said to himself that it’s been a while. That was because Namgoonghyeok was the man who took away everything that Seong Eunyul had. In return for borrowing money from Namgung-hyuk, everything I owned, including my real estate, was taken away, and I came to the inn with the 5 million won I received from Kang Ha-jun and was about to commit suicide when I became Seong Eun-yul.
“Did you think you wouldn’t find me if you hid in a place like this?”
Namgoonghyuk wandered around Eunyul and looked at the restaurant.
“I am an expert in finding missing humans.”
“… … “I’m not hiding from you.”
Eunyul looked directly at Namgoonghyuk with sunken eyes. He lost everything and became penniless. The only reason he disappeared was because he was pregnant. He may have wanted to hide it from Kang Ha-jun, but he did not want to hide it from Namgoong-hyuk.
“Whether it’s me or not, that’s not important. “Look again.”
Namgung-hyuk kindly pointed to the paper, and Eun-yul felt that she couldn’t respond without looking at it, so she forced herself to read the contents again. The text at the top, which was written in the thickest form, was now visible.
Debt, demand… … .
The document represented Eunyul’s debt.
The principal amount was truly incomparably small and insignificant compared to the increased interest. The interest accumulated over five years was no joke.
“Why this… … now. No, if you have a debt, you should tell me sooner. Did you do that on purpose to increase the interest? So isn’t this illegal? extinction… … “Isn’t it subject to a statute of limitations or something?”
“huh. “It won’t get caught.”
Namgoonghyuk answered while touching somewhere on the paper.
“Person-to-person transactions last up to 10 years. But instead of waiting until then, I cut it in half and came back after 5 years? “You should thank me.”
Namgoonghyuk smiled and patted Eunyul’s cheek. It’s been 5 years and he’s still soft.
“I came to get money. “For your information, this is not me, it’s something I borrowed from my father, so I can’t give it away as I please.”
Eunyul couldn’t take his eyes off the paper. It felt as if each word written on the paper became a knife and was stabbing Eunyul. I couldn’t even hear Namgoong Hyuk’s words.
“If I don’t have this money… … .”
Eunyul took her eyes off the paper and looked at Namgoonghyuk.
“Are you going into that cave?”
In the novel, it was a slang term created because it was a store where people had to work to repay debt, and it looked like an anthill.
“If you can’t repay, you have to go in.”
Namgoonghyuk’s clear answer made Eunyul think about her bank account balance. It was possible to repay the principal, but it was too little money to prevent interest.
‘How have I lived so far, only to fall into the abyss in an instant?’
