Chapter 9

Chapter 9

“If you’re interested, I could introduce you to a realtor,” I quickly added, trying to be helpful.

“Oh, yeah, I’d appreciate that,” he answered with a small smile.

“Umm—”

He turned to face forward again and nodded thoughtfully.

Wow. That’s all it takes?

But then, I felt something was a little off, so I stole a little sideways glance.

I saw him mumble, as if to himself, “So you were born with a silver spoon.”

He said it with a lingering smile on his face, and not necessarily for me to hear. It was a far better misunderstanding than a “beggar,” but…

“Hi! What can I get for you today?”

We were finally first in line.

“Yes, could I get an iced Americano, and… What would you like, Daon?” Sunghyeon stepped forward, put in his order, and looked at me.

I took a step forward as well. “Oh, for me…”

I didn’t realize until right then that I was the type to hold a petty grudge.

“I’ll get the berry berry Frappuccino with whipped cream and white chocolate chips, please. Oh, is it also possible to add the white chocolate drizzle? I’ll get that too.”

I could feel a stunned gaze looking at me. I looked over, and sure enough, Sunghyeon looked floored.

After meeting his eyes briefly, I turned back to the cashier to finish my order. “A venti, please.”

I then turned to face him again and saw his thoughts and emotions written clearly on his face. I could tell exactly what he was wishing for.

You know what…? Right back at you.

* * *

Rrring.

Before my alarm could ring twice, my eyes burst open. For the first time in a while, I’d had a deep night’s sleep without any dreams. I didn’t feel the urge to snooze, so I immediately turned off my alarm and got up.

I placed my feet on the ground and gave myself a nice big stretch. Any lingering grogginess was gone in a flash. I felt light and refreshed all around.

As always, I headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth, but I grabbed my phone on the side table to double-check the date and any appointments I had today.

I let out a chuckle and continued on my way to wash up.

Feeling refreshed in mind, body, and soul, I cooked an egg and toasted a piece of bread for a quick and simple breakfast. But when I started to dress, I wasn’t pleased with the clash in color between the top and bottom of today’s outfit, so I ended up changing three times. The slight delay set me back on my usual timeline.

With no more time to waste, I hurriedly snatched up my car keys, slipped on my favorite dress shoes in the foyer, and whisked out the door.

“Oh, yeah.”

I’d forgotten something, so I rushed back in and opened the hallway cabinet. A flashlight, fire extinguisher, and a toolbox sat neatly in place. I reached for an open box in the innermost part of the cabinet, grabbed two cans of cat food, then rushed out the door once more.

With just a tiny bit of friction, the tires came to a stop on the polished garage floors. After checking the distance between me and the car next to me, I turned off the engine and unbuckled my seatbelt. I grabbed the cat food I’d tossed in the passenger seat, then stepped out.

I crossed the parking garage with quick steps, checking my watch. Thankfully, I wasn’t going to be very late, but the person I was meeting had a razor-sharp biological clock. Luckily, the elevator was open on my floor, so I was able to get on immediately.

A short elevator ride later, I arrived at the first floor and stepped out. I crossed the lobby, against the flow of people who were getting to work a bit early, then walked out of the building. I circled along the exterior, then made a sharp turn to head toward the back when…

“You little rat!”

As soon as I turned the corner, I heard someone yell. I stopped immediately. Sensing some tension, I quickly pressed my back to the wall on the other side of the corner before cautiously taking a peek. I saw a familiar silhouette: Sunghyeon Joo.

Crouched opposite him were two stray cats that seemed like enemies, yet were always together. The black one hissed, its mouth open wide with hostility.

Is he bothering the cats? I got angry. I gripped the tins in my hand like they were weapons and immediately stepped forward.

“Oh, you grumpy little thing. How is Smudgy supposed to eat when you’re hogging it all like that? If you keep stealing Smudgy’s food, no more Churu for you… That’s right. You gotta soften up a little if you want people to like you. No wonder they adore Smudgy, hm?”

When I saw him fearlessly reach his hand out toward the hostile cat and soothe it with affection, I stopped in my tracks. The black cat calmed down under Sunghyeon’s touch. I also realized there was already food in the dish on the ground.

“By the way, you two mooch plenty off of other people, don’t you? Keep up the good work.”

Upon checking that a small sign he’d propped up against the wall was still there—[Please don’t remove the food bowls]—he praised the cats and patted their butts, one with each hand.

“Okay, you two. Time for me to go.”

Upon checking his wristwatch, he stood up. Startled, I quickly turned away and headed back to the building entrance. There, I squinted at the light reflected off the glass doors and stopped in my tracks.

I looked down at the cans of cat food still in my hands, then pivoted to head in the opposite direction.

“Good morning.”

“Oh, yes, thank you so…”

Sunghyeon had just sat down and was turning on his monitor. Without hesitation, I walked over and, with a flat morning greeting, set down a disposable cup with a cafe logo sleeve on his desk.

His eyes brightened, then he looked up. The moment he saw it was me, his face immediately went sour and his words trailed off.

Feigning ignorance toward his reaction, I got straight to the point. “A thank-you for yesterday.”

“Oh… Thank you.”

Still wary and taken aback, he slowly reached for the cup and awkwardly thanked me.

“It’s nothing,” I responded and went right back to my desk.

Unable to shake his suspicions, he examined the cup in his hand and even stole a quick glance at me over his partition. Eventually, he took the lid off and went as far as smelling the coffee first as a precaution.

It seemed he was making sure I hadn’t poisoned it, but it was too nice a day for me to do something like that.

At long last, he cautiously took a sip. With a look of both relief and delight, he leaned back in his chair, the tension finally leaving him. What a simple man.

I turned on my computer.

* * *

I tilted the rearview mirror to see that my curly bangs had already grown so much that they took on a life of their own. I combed through them with my fingers and even tried to pull them into place, but it was no use.

Maybe I should’ve gone home and washed my hair again…

But it was too late now. Feeling a bit disappointed, I climbed out of my car. After checking the sign for the wine bar on the wall of the building, I walked in.

I went down to the basement floor, pushed open the heavy door, and a manager waiting in front of the entrance welcomed me with quite the elegant voice.

“Welcome. Do you have a reservation?”

“Oh, I’m meeting someone.”

After giving them a slight nod, I scanned the room. The bar was softly lit to make it easy on the eyes, and jazz was playing at just the right volume. I spotted him immediately.

“Hyung…!” I called out excitedly, immediately breaking into a bright smile.

A man sitting at the bar, his arm propped beside his partially filled glass of wine, turned around.

“You’re early!” He greeted me with a warm smile.

I let out a breath I’d been holding as if I’d run all the way here.