Chapter 36 – Tour – Part 1

Chapter 36 – Tour – Part 1

-A good restaurant?

“Yes.”

-Why a good restaurant all of a sudden?

“If you don’t want to, I’ll go alone.”

-Alright, I guess I’ll go with you for some fresh air. When?

“Let’s meet tomorrow at 8 AM.”

-Hey, what kind of restaurant is it that we have to leave in the morning?

“There are close ones and far ones. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night.”

After the call, Woojin looked at Mansu and Older Cousin.

“The area is small, but the advertising effect will be good. The deposit is 50 million won, and the monthly rent is 1.2 million won. The equipment for cultivating crops is 60 million won. I have 10 million won, so I need 100 million won right now.”

As Older Cousin was pondering, Woojin continued.

“You can think of it as advertising before opening the second branch.”

“Alright! Let’s give it a try! It looks like we’re even going to get a terrestrial broadcast, so we should strike while the iron’s hot! Woojin, but where did you get the money…?”

“It’s money I had. Then I’ll contact the company.”

Mansu muttered.

“It really feels like we’re doing business…”

“Woojin, where is the commercial building? I need to see it tomorrow and sign the contract right away.”

Woojin accessed real estate on his cellphone, showed her a commercial building, talked a little more, and then left the store.

Woojin boarded the subway, taking in every detail: the handrails, the people, and the passing scenery.

Before, he would have recognized each one, muttering to himself so as not to succumb to unconsciousness, but now he observed and judged them comprehensively.

He was gradually gaining control over his unconsciousness, but,

“It’s still not enough.”

When he brought his unconsciousness out and externalized it, Woojin observed it and saw what he lacked.

7,000 different expressions and the six basic emotions he clearly felt from it.

As Woojin thought about these things, there was one thing he didn’t know.

That he was slowly starting to feel emotions.

The next morning.

Woojin sat in the passenger seat of a sleek sports car and handed his cellphone to Hyerim.

“Here it is.”

Lee Hyerim blinked as she looked at the screen.

“Ciabatta?”

“Yeah, it’s a famous restaurant.”

“So, the food tour… was it to go eat fast food?”

“Yes.”

Lee Hyerim laughed dejectedly.

She was embarrassed imagining herself having a nice atmosphere and delicious food last night.

Conversely, she felt like she wanted to go inside Woojin’s unpredictable mind and come back out.

“Let’s go.”

“Alright, alright, we’ll see how delicious it is when we go eat it.”

The car started with an exhaust sound and drove for 20 minutes before stopping at a red traffic light.

“Hyerim.”

As Woojin stared at her, she subtly averted her gaze.

“Why?”

“Can you make me angry?”

Lee Hyerim chuckled.

“What’s with the sudden nonsense?”

“Just… make me angry.”

“Hey, no. It’s not fun.”

“I have something I’m curious about. So, just swear at me then.”

“I don’t swear in a vulgar way.”

Woojin said seriously once more.

“Please.”

Lee Hyerim shook her head.

“Is this like a psychology assignment for a general education class? You want to be sworn at?”

“Something similar.”

It was his own assignment, one that no one had given him.

He wanted to clearly feel the sensation of anger.

“I’ve seen all sorts of strange professors.”

Lee Hyerim searched for curses on her cellphone and said,

“I’m really going to swear? It says here ‘foul language,’ but hey, this is too much…”

“Do it. Please.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Look at me while you do it.”

“This son of a bitch, I’ll pull out his guts and use them as a hula hoop…”

Woojin, who had been quietly listening to her curses, slowly nodded.

Indeed, not even a hint of agitation arose, and he didn’t get angry.

When her mouth stopped, Woojin asked,

“Is that all?”

“No… I really don’t think I can do this because it’ll make me so angry.”

“Do it to the end.”

“You told me to do it, so I’m doing it, okay?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Your MomDad are dirt poor.”

“What?”

For a moment, Woojin felt a surge of emotion.

He didn’t even realize that Lee Hyerim’s family being rich made it hit him harder.

Lee Hyerim quickly spoke to Woojin, whose pupils were trembling.

“See? I told you I wouldn’t do it, didn’t I? You asked me to do it, okay? It’s not my fault, right?”

Woojin, who had been staring at her, turned his head and looked straight ahead.

“You shouldn’t mess with family.”

And Woojin remained silent for a while.

Conversely, Lee Hyerim, who had been glancing at Woojin, asked.

“Are you sulking?”

“No.”

“You look like you’re sulking?”

“You don’t talk about family.”

Lee Hyerim laughed in disbelief at Woojin’s blunt tone. Woojin’s expression somehow felt cute.

After driving for another 10 minutes, they were able to reach their destination.

Even though it was early morning for lunchtime, there were quite a few people inside the store.

“I’ll have the squid ink ciabatta.”

“I’ll have the same.”

They finished ordering and sat down at a table.

“You seem to have calmed down a bit now?”

“Yeah.”

Woojin regained his composure.

And he could tell.

He felt a similar sensation to when he saw him lurking around his villa like a petty thief a long time ago.

No, if he were to compare the intensity, today felt even stronger.

As his thoughts spiraled, connecting to the influence of hormones, the ordered squid ink ciabatta arrived.

Woojin took a big bite, focusing on the taste.

The ciabatta made with squid ink was savory.

And the sauce was…….

“Soy wax, honey, soy sauce, apple, pepper… Even Dashida was in it.”

Just then, Lee Hyerim, who was eating the ciabatta like bird feed, spoke.

“It tastes like junk food.”

Woojin nodded.

“It’s delicious.”

Woojin didn’t stop there and went around to all the fast-food restaurants called Ira.

After visiting fifteen places, his stomach was bursting.

The leptin phenomenon caused by overeating could be burned off with aerobic exercise.

“It’s already 9 o’clock.”

Lee Hyerim, who had just gotten into the car, clicked her tongue.

She knew Woojin liked food, but he kept saying it was delicious and eating without getting tired of it.

Lee Hyerim sat with her legs crossed and just watched him.

“Are you satisfied now?”

“Yeah.”

“Anyone would think you’re going to open a fast-food business.”

“My friend’s older cousin started a business, and I decided to help him.”

“A business? Fast food?”

“Yeah.”

“So you’re business partners with him?”

“Something like that.”

For a moment, she felt as if Woojin had been taken from her.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to join our company?”

“I think it’s not bad to gain various experiences before becoming an office worker.”

The more she got to know Woojin, the more she felt she didn’t know him.

Just when she thought she knew what kind of person he was, the Woojin she knew would disappear like a mirage, just like now.

He was utterly unpredictable.

A business, if the business Woojin was involved in grew and grew, would he still want to join her company?

What would be the point?

No matter how she thought about it, if the business was doing well, there was no reason for Woojin to join the company.

She thought she’d be able to see him more closely over time, but…

She spoke as if something had just occurred to her.

“Woojin, do you know that my dad’s company is hiring university student interns? Even first-year students can apply. There’s an interview the day after tomorrow, you know?”

“An interview? If it’s in two days, then the document screening must have already passed. To miss such a good opportunity…”

Woojin, who was looking at himself, muttered.

“What a shame. What a shame…”

“No, no!? You can still have an interview.”

Suddenly, a sparkle seemed to flicker in Woojin’s eyes.

***

Late at night, Lee Hyerim hesitated with her phone in hand.

To press the call button or not.

After a long period of deliberation, she seemed to have made up her mind and pressed the call button.

The other person was her father.

“Dad, I have a close friend who couldn’t submit their documents due to circumstances. I’ll submit the documents to the Human Resources Department. I hope you can consider them for the intern position.”

-An intern? You called me this late just to say that?

Lee Hyerim bit her lip.

She had agonized so much before making this call, but as expected of her dad, his reaction was blunt.

She thought he would ask who she was recommending, but there was nothing of the sort.

-Do what you want.

That was the end of the call.

“I was a fool to expect anything.”

Lee Hyerim looked at Woojin’s resume that she was holding.

Contrary to her crestfallen expression from a moment ago, a smile played on her lips as she looked at Woojin’s half-business card photo.

He might be ignoring her now,

‘But he’ll soon realize that my judgment wasn’t wrong. Definitely.’

At that moment,

Woojin, who had finished showering, entered his room.

Then, he turned his gaze to the mirror he was passing.

It was as if his subconscious was asking.

‘You knew about the intern recruitment, didn’t you? Why did you pretend not to?’

Woojin opened his mouth as if to answer.

“Because I was curious to see how she would react.”

In other words, how Lee Hyerim would react to his existence.

He thought it was a natural outcome.

But it felt a little strange.

Even after searching his mind for how to describe this feeling, he couldn’t find the right words.

Is this anger, towards myself? It feels stifling, as if a stone has rolled and lodged itself in my chest.

Woojin lay on the bed, quietly observing his state.

But no particular answer came to him.

It seemed like a good method to just let himself be carried by this flow.

And so, Woojin eventually fell asleep.

* * *

Early in the morning, Woojin met Mansu and his Older Cousin.

They signed a contract for a commercial building at the real estate office and met with a designer who could cultivate crops using LEDs without soil and sunlight.

They arranged for construction to begin in three days.

Mansu looked at the empty commercial building and said,

“So, vegetables will grow lushly here now, right?”

“That’s right.”

“It’ll be built with full-pane glass so the inside is all visible… people will definitely find it interesting to watch.”

“I think it will have a good advertising effect.”

“Shouldn’t we hold a ritual?”

“Brother, what era are we in to be doing things like that?”

“Why? Even film directors hold rituals, don’t they?”

As Mansu and the Older Cousin chatted, Woojin took out his cellphone and looked at the screen.

[My dear Woojin, how are you doing? This brother has been busy and hasn’t been able to contact you much lately. I miss you.]

It was Detective Kim Taehyun, and Woojin unconsciously chuckled.

“Huh…?”

Woojin blinked at his reaction.

The emotion appeared quickly and then vanished, disappearing before he even had time to fully feel it.

It felt warm…

Woojin sent a message to experience that feeling once more.

-Is something wrong?

[I’m dying. Some crazy psycho appeared. Can you take a look?]

Woojin once again observed his condition, but what he had felt earlier did not react.

Wouldn’t it be felt better if he met the detective?

-I’m free this afternoon.

[OK! I’ll pick you up at your place, right?]

-Drive safely.

[Ah! As expected, only our Woojin worries about this older brother. See you later, our handsome Woojin!]

After that, Woojin talked more with Mansu and his older cousin, and thought as he headed home.

If he passed the interview, he would be doing two jobs.

One was an intern, and the other was a franchise.

Woojin thought simply.

Because a side job was an ordinary thing everyone did.

Having arrived home, Woojin spent some time lounging around before meeting Detective Kim Taehyun in front of his house.

He approached Woojin with his arms wide open, as if to hug him.

“How have you been?”

“Yes. Did you get promoted this time?”

“Oh! I told you not to worry about such things, little brother. Don’t worry about your older brother, Woojin, just focus on studying hard….”

Woojin got into Kim Taehyun’s car and started heading to the scene, looking at the tablet PC where the day of the incident was stored.

How long had they driven like that?

They were able to reach Bugaksan, and walked up the path where the car couldn’t go.

The crime scene was not far, and the yellow police line came into Woojin’s sight.

But surprisingly, a thug was standing inside it.