[42nd Chapter]
As the heavy rain from the monsoon poured down, it shattered upon hitting the ground, and the rhythmic sound of the rain was so pleasant that just listening to it made one’s heart feel at ease.
Having received Kirk’s request, I left headquarters early to pick up his daughter. I entered a bustling restaurant. When Yubin asked what I was doing, I replied that I was going to eat alone, and when she said she would come over, I told her not to bother.
I felt it might be disappointing if I said not to come after she agreed to come for dinner tonight, so I promised to have dinner together when she gets home.
Afterwards, a message came from Yura. Instead of a text with only words, a photo was sent. It was a selfie taken in a cafe warehouse showing a large chest, which startled me. I looked around to see if anyone else had seen it.
“This one is really something.”
I diligently replied. Last weekend, while working part-time, I felt a bit guilty towards Yura because I couldn’t respond to her due to fatigue and deep thoughts after helping Green.
Surely, she must have been upset after spending two days of the weekend like this. I decided to make it up to her by treating her well next week during my part-time job.
While sitting alone waiting for my meal, the restaurant became noisy. It was lunchtime, and many people were there, creating a lively atmosphere, but a louder voice broke the pleasant commotion.
“What are you going to do about this?!”
I turned my head toward the direction of the voice full of anger, and I saw a fight break out between an employee and a customer. The customer seemed to be the one who was unilaterally angry.
“I’m sorry.”
The employee also sincerely apologized, and since I was busy sending a text, I wasn’t paying attention to the surroundings. I slowly observed the situation.
It was clear from the picture.
On the customer’s table was spilled food and their clothes were stained. It appeared that the food the employee brought was overturned.
Anger could flare up, but grabbing someone by the collar and yelling as much as this was hard to understand from my perspective.
As more customers’ attention focused on them, even the manager came out to calm the customer down, but the customer, who was clearly still very angry, showed no intention of letting go of the employee’s collar.
Was he incredibly strong? Even with several people trying to restrain him, he didn’t budge.
Suddenly, the face of the angry customer caught my eye. With dark blue hair and sharp eyes, he gave off a shrewd impression, which I felt I had seen somewhere before.
It must have been because his face looked similar to someone I knew that I had mistaken him. Thinking so, I turned my attention away from the commotion. It wasn’t related to me, and all I needed to do was eat my meal and leave.
But the situation didn’t let me have a peaceful time. Due to the ruckus caused by the unruly customer, the shop became even more chaotic, and naturally, my meal was delayed.
“This will be paid back in full. Do you know how much this costs?”
I already felt disgusted by human behavior causing discomfort to others, especially recently after Green’s incident. Although it wasn’t my concern, I tried to endure it despite being slightly annoyed.
“Sorry for the delay.”
“No, it’s okay.”
Finally, my awaited meal arrived. I had ordered fried rice to quickly finish lunch, and it looked delicious. Just as I was about to pick up my spoon, something flew and overturned my table.
“…”
Without thinking, I momentarily realized the situation. It wasn’t a person who had flown, nor was it the employee whose collar was grabbed by the customer. It was one of the employees trying to calm him down, and thankfully, they didn’t seem to be hurt.
The biggest loser was my lunch.
“Are you okay?”
Out of caution, I checked the employee’s condition.
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
Seeing his troubled face, my annoyance naturally shifted toward the unruly customer. Normally, I wouldn’t use force unless absolutely necessary. I wasn’t exceptionally strong, nor did I have any hidden power.
Still, I was aware of the difference between myself and ordinary earthlings, and I tried not to use force in any trouble to avoid hurting anyone.
But just now, the evening made me involved in this situation as the evening pushed the employee toward my table.
“Hey.”
Calling him casually, his sharp eyes turned toward me. Sharp eyes can have charisma and dignity or be shrewd and cunning.
This man, who had shrewd and cunning eyes, gave me an instinctive sense of rejection.
“What are you doing here? Get lost if you’re not involved!”
I grabbed his arm, which was holding the employee’s collar, and applied some strength. Despite his muscular build, I was obviously superior, and feeling the pain in my hand, I released my grip.
The employee managed to escape from his grasp, and the man with furrowed brows and I stared at each other.
“Why are you still here? Didn’t I tell you to get lost if you’re not involved!”
Seeing someone lose their mind to anger, I involuntarily looked at them with contempt.
He showed signs of starting a fight, and just as I prepared myself, I heard the voice of his companion.
“Indigo, stop.”
“What?”
Meeting eyes with his companion, the man looked around. Many people were filming with their smartphones, and he clicked his tongue.
“If you cause another accident, you might face severe penalties.”
“Damn.”
His crude mouth spewed curses, which was quite unpleasant to watch.
He shook off my hand holding his arm and left with his companions. Before leaving, he seemed to glance at me again, but since we likely wouldn’t meet again, I ignored him.
Seeing someone prioritize their emotions and act violently made me think of Green’s father. Why did I feel like I was acting unlike myself, a bit embarrassed?
“Thank you, sir. Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I’m fine. Are the others okay?”
The manager approached me to thank me, and seeing that the only damage was to my lunch, I checked on the employees who were trying to stop the situation. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured.
“The food will be served soon, please wait a little longer.”
“It’s fine. Take your time.”
With the troublemaker gone, I quickly felt better. I thought it was no big deal if the meal was a bit late, so I sat down and waited for my food.
Listening to the murmurs of the customers, I learned that the troublemaker and his companions had their orders but were still lying on the table with their arms and legs up, talking loudly. When the staff asked them to move their arms and legs to place the food, they suddenly got angry.
They thought the staff spilled food on their clothes and grabbed their collars, but actually, it was the opposite—grabbing their collars caused the food to spill onto their clothes. There are truly crazy people in the world.
When I finished eating and went to pay, the manager refused to take payment, saying it was a gesture. I insisted on giving cash and left. I didn’t want attention for such incidents, and since people took videos, I asked them not to mention me if this incident went online.
Just as I stepped outside, I received a call from Green.
“Hello.”
“Hello. Did you have your meal?”
“Yes, I just finished.”
“Hmm…”
I sensed disappointment in her voice and wondered if something was wrong.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, I was just wondering if you could meet for lunch since I’m going to eat now.”
She probably wanted to meet for lunch since the park and the headquarters, which she thought was my workplace, were nearby.
“How’s the investigation going?”
“It’s wrapped up. I’ll contact you again later.”
“That’s good news. We can eat next time. I’ve already eaten, and I’m out for a bit today.”
“Next time? Sure!”
Her sudden bright voice made me wonder if eating was that great. Regardless of the reason, I smiled thinking she was happy.
“I need to go somewhere else, so I’ll end the call here.”
“Okay. Be careful with your work.”
After a pleasant conversation, I decided to head to the kindergarten where Kirk’s daughter attends.
It was almost time to wrap up, so arriving now would be perfect timing.
Walking slowly, I admired the scenery of this new place while searching for the kindergarten address on my map. Although it didn’t differ much from my neighborhood, there was a certain unfamiliar familiarity about it.
Even though it was similar to my neighborhood, I enjoyed the journey to the kindergarten, taking in the sights around me.
“What a nice neighborhood. People living here must be wealthy.”
Despite the lack of significant differences, Seoul has specific areas known for their property values. Although the buildings were similar to my one-room apartment, the prices varied widely. It felt like only wealthy people could live here.
Upon arriving at the kindergarten, it was exactly dismissal time. I saw young parents coming to pick up their children. Most of them were mothers, and I was the only father.
Waiting for Kirk’s daughter, I knew her name and face and had met her before, so I didn’t need to check if the child coming out was her. The problem was, other children were leaving with their mothers, but Kirk’s daughter wasn’t among them.
Kirk’s house was close to the kindergarten, so they didn’t take the bus. So, waiting here should have been right, but something seemed off?
“Ah?! Uncle A is here!”
After waiting for a long time, I saw a girl with brown hair tied in pigtails walking toward me under an umbrella. She clearly exuded a mischievous vibe.
“Cho Eunji. Long time no see.”
Kirk’s daughter, named Eunji, had the surname Jo. Since I had visited his house a few times and played with her, we considered ourselves friends.
As Eunji walked closer, our eyes met. She was holding hands with a boy, which puzzled me.
“You didn’t know I was coming?”
“Dad was explaining, but then stopped. Mom and Dad are excited about their date tonight.”
Eunji was a mature child for her age. She understood her surroundings and knew adults had different perspectives. Therefore, she happily agreed to let her parents go on a date for their anniversary without picking her up.
While exchanging greetings, I noticed the boy holding Eunji’s hand.
Turning my head, our eyes met. The boy, who seemed nervous meeting an adult, greeted me timidly.
“Hello…”
“Yes, hello.”
As I greeted him, I looked at Eunji with a questioning gaze.
“My boyfriend. Ho Young.”
Being called a boyfriend by a 6-year-old girl was shocking, but each generation has its own dynamics. Still, I couldn’t help but laugh, though it wasn’t a laugh at children dating.
“Boyfriend? Does Dad know?”
“No, that’s why we’re playing together today.”
Despite his sturdy build, Kirk, a meticulous man, adored his daughter so much that he went overboard when Eunji was born six years ago.
“Your dad would faint if he knew.”
“Don’t betray Uncle. Got it?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Smiling at Eunji, who gave a warning without any pressure, I looked back at the boy, Ho Young.
“What’s your last name, Ho Young?”
“Yoo. Yoo Ho Young.”
Children’s whims are like the wind, unpredictable, but I thought it best to remember.
Today, I was here to pick up Eunji, and Ho Young came with her, but I didn’t see his guardian.
“Did your parents come?”
“My parents…”
At that moment, Ho Young’s mouth opened,
“Ho Young~”
a gentle voice called out from afar, and the three of us standing still turned toward the source of the voice.
The woman, running over with an umbrella, was wearing a simple skirt and shirt, with her blue hair tied up in a ponytail. Despite her modest appearance, I recognized her immediately. She was the one holding Eunji’s hand, and she greeted me with a nod.
“Hello.”
“Oh, yes, hello.”
She was also unfamiliar with the current situation and was assessing the scene.
“Hello! I’m Cho Eunji, 6 years old, and Ho Young is my boyfriend!”
Eunji, with her bold personality, introduced herself and greeted her.
“Boyfriend? Ho Young.”
Her eyes met those of the composed Ho Young, who nodded and said,
“Auntie, can we play a bit longer before we go?”
Hearing this, Eunji’s eyes lit up as she looked at me.
“Uncle! Can we play a bit longer?”
The two adults, bewildered, met each other’s eyes.
My reflection appeared in the clear blue eyes of the flustered Ho Young.
I never imagined I would meet Blue in such a way.
