When I Reach You

Seonwoo’s gaze was perfectly directed to one place. His mind went blank and only the ringing of the bell on the table filled Seonwoo’s world.

Even today, I couldn’t even count how many times your face passed through my mind.

Every time the bell rang, I reflexively turned my head, just in case, and I couldn’t let go of my phone all day long.

Did I keep waiting for your name to appear like this?

Even in the chaotic situation, like an instinct, his nerves toward women puzzled Sunwoo.

The bewilderment, absurdity, and absurdity I felt a moment ago had long since been forgotten.

I don’t know exactly what the root of this emotion that extends to the woman is, but I’ll check later. The urgent thing now was to listen to the woman’s business.

Without thinking further, Seonwoo’s hand moved toward the phone without hesitation.

yes or no answer. Whatever it was, it didn’t matter anymore.

“Call me later.”

Hyeji mustered up courage for the first time. When Sunwoo tried to pick up his phone, he reached out and blocked his phone.

“Let’s do it with me, Seonwoo.”

If he was the usual Yoon Seon-woo, his eyes should have turned cold already.

What are you doing, put your hands up. I should have poured out the angry words.

However, Seonwoo’s eyes, which did not say anything, were strangely warm.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

So that I can’t hate you, I can’t resent you, and I can’t cling to you.

It seemed I had already heard the answer. Hyeji held back the tears welling up with a miserable feeling.

“He’s too sincere for someone who is trying to change his situation.”

“why. If you’re serious, can’t you?”

Meanwhile, the loud ringing of the bell died down. Seonwoo looked down at the cell phone blocked by Hyeji’s hand.

“I have to go.”

“Where?”

To the woman who will break the link of this disgusting encounter.

“I thought I’d never see you again, but it seems I’ve changed my mind.”

To the woman who will give me love.

“I liked it quite a bit.”

Sunwoo smiled lightly and unfolded the napkin placed in front of me. The napkin fluttered onto Hyeji’s hand.

Seonwu raised Hyeji’s hand with a napkin and picked up his cell phone underneath it.

“If you marry me, you will have to live like this for the rest of your life.”

“doesn’t care.”

“Look at it. You are talented and pretty.”

For reference, my eyes are high. Seeing Seonwoo continue to laugh, Hyeji chewed her lips until they bled.

“I am not rejecting your offer because of this woman. My answer from the beginning was no.”

Seonwoo grabbed a napkin and slowly but carefully scrubbed the phone.

As if trying to buy time to talk.

you are always like this He’s usually very indifferent and picky, but sometimes he’s kind like this. It’s like saying don’t answer or refute anything you say.

It stayed with him for quite some time. I thought as I looked at the empty seat next to him, which I had never given up to anyone.

I thought maybe that seat could be my seat.

It was an illusion.

It’s just that you couldn’t reach anyone, so it was like that.

I was no different from anyone else.

“You and I, 10 years. I don’t want to lose a talented comrade like this.”

colleague… … . Words he never wanted to hear flew out of his mouth and pierced him like a dagger.

The bitter smile spreading across his lips was not pleasant.

“It’s 13 years.”

the time i fell in love with you

I lived asking for such a long time, but I wanted to be honest in front of you once. It’s never been allowed for me.

“Yes, thirteen years.”

I have never thought of you as a friend.

From the first time I saw you in front of the school gate, from the time I knew you were in the same department as me, from the time you casually handed me a can of coffee.

You may not even remember, but since then I’ve liked you.

“He said he wouldn’t marry like your parents.”

“…….”

“Although you clearly know why I want to marry you.”

Hyeji’s parents had an arranged marriage. There was no affection between the two, and soon after Hye-ji was born, they eventually turned their backs on each other.

So, I wanted the person next to me to be you.

Then I thought I would be happy.

“I am not someone who can make you happy.”

The back of Seonwoo, who got up without hesitation, and was gradually moving away from me, was sadly in Hyeji’s eyes.

The phone call hung up in vain.

Shall we walk again?

“No, what if I didn’t get it on purpose?”

No, are you a bit busy? You may not have received it.

Eun-jae, who was frantically going back and forth in front of the front door of the man’s officetel, stopped in one place and bit his nails.

Lost in his own thoughts, he repeatedly created and erased the various situations he was currently in.

Complex thoughts and emotions intertwined. Eun-jae tidied up her hair using the clean glass door as a mirror without a single fingerprint, then put on her hat again to remind herself of her thoughts.

Then, all of a sudden, he felt pitiful at his reflection in the glass door.

Why did you come all the way here?

I just need to find a key chain. Shall I leave a message? I can’t help it if I don’t have it, but if there is, ask me to leave it in the lobby, then I’ll take care of it.

A deep sigh flowed from Eunjae’s mouth as he tried to transfer the contents that he had been thinking about repeatedly in his head to a text message.

The hand holding the phone fell to the floor without any strength.

“under… … Ji Eun-jae, let’s be honest.”

It wasn’t because of the key chain.

The fact that I came all the way here to find the key ring was just an excuse.

I don’t know exactly. It was difficult to tell what was real now because of the mix of unknown emotions.

I wanted to find a keychain, and I also wanted to talk to a man more… … .

“it’s okay. Let’s go, go.”

If I took one step, it was really a cliff. I rejected it with pride in the subject, but what are you talking about now?

Eun-jae put her cell phone in the pocket of her jacket and began to move her steps little by little.

Was it just one step away? The phone in my pocket started ringing. Eunjae stopped walking and quickly took out his phone.

After confirming the caller, Eun-jae hurriedly pressed the call button and held it to his ear as if he had waited.

“Honey… … .”

[How are you now? I’ll go.]

It was before the usual greeting when answering the phone was over. A man’s voice came through quickly. After that, I think I heard a beep, the sound of the car unlocking.

The man’s voice erased all the thoughts that had been shaking anxiously a moment ago.

“Oh, it’s in front of the teacher’s officetel.”

A man’s laugh comes over the receiver. Maybe it’s because they call me teacher. Eun-jae stuttered and searched for something to deal with.

“ah! So, a name worth calling… … .”

[I think it will take 10 minutes, but can you wait that long?]

You’re coming sooner than expected.

He nodded his head and was about to answer.

[5 minutes, wait.]

There was a moment of silence with the sound of a car door closing. Gulp, swallowing dry saliva, Eunjae answered as if he was embarrassed.

“Oh, no. come slowly I’ll be in the lobby.”

[See you later.]

After the answer mixed with laughter, the sound of the engine being turned on is heard. Even after Eunjae answered ‘yes’, the phone call hung up after a while.

I only found out after hanging up the phone.

“Ah, what is it, Ji Eun-jae, why are you laughing?”

that you were laughing

“therefore. Did something good happen?”

Eunjae’s expression cooled down at the familiar voice. After checking the three men getting closer, Eun-jae took a step back.

a few weeks ago.

These are the men I met at the hospital.

In just two steps, my back touched the wall. A chill ran down his spine like the faces of menacing men.

“Someone said they saw you here. I came here just in case, and you showed up just like this.”

Contrary to the smiling words, the man’s gestures and actions were rough. In an instant, I could feel the man’s clumsy grip as he lifted Eunjae’s chin.

“Thank you, Eunjae.”

Eunjae shouted in a trembling voice.

“I tried. If only the men hadn’t come all the way to the office and made a fuss!”

The men who turned the house into a mess started a riot at Eun-jae’s workplace a few days later. It was a small company, but I was satisfied with it.

Due to this incident, I was notified of my dismissal a few days later without a word of explanation.

“When did you receive that salary?”

It was night, but it was the entrance to the officetel. Occasionally passers-by glanced at him, but those glances did not last long.

“Then what are you going to do with me? I have to work to pay the money back!”

“What, wait for about 10 years?”

At Kwon Seung-chul’s words, the laughter of the two men behind him grew louder. It was a laugh.

I know. The fact that 200 million won is not an amount that can be repaid so easily.

At that moment, I felt a vibration in the phone that I was holding tightly in my hand. I could tell without even checking who it was.

As the phone glowed brightly in the dark, Kwon Seung-cheol’s gaze, which was holding Eun-jae’s chin, turned to Eun-jae’s hand.

“who is this?”

“Never mind.”

Eun-jae desperately covered the man’s name on the LCD screen.

Kwon Seung-cheol tried to somehow connect Eun-jae’s people with money. It was like a hyena looking for a hole to get money from.

The man was very grateful to Eun-jae even though he was harassed by talking about grace and come and go.

Even though he was in a situation where he could have put himself in danger, he was a person who did not pass by.

If you keep hovering around me like this, you too will fall into this swamp.

So we’re only going to end here.

Eunjae closed her eyes and then opened them, and spoke in a determined voice as if she had made up her mind.

“Are you moving from your seat? A lot of people pass by, and if the police come, it will be very difficult.”

“Ha, what should I really do with you?”

As Kwon Seung-chul’s other hand slowly brushed her shoulder, Eun-jae struck Seung-chul’s hand roughly.

“Get your hands off me.”

“I didn’t know when I saw it from a distance, but you are prettier than I thought. Haven’t we ever seen each other like this before?”

The man who was holding Eunjae’s chin lifted the corners of his mouth and smiled cunningly. Unpleasant and dirty eyes clung to Eunjae.

Blood was seeping out of his tightly pursed lips. It was better to be bullied and threatened.

At that moment, selfishly, the man’s face came to mind.

I was just pretending not to be, but it’s actually scary. I wasn’t brave enough to do it all alone.

It was the moment I tried to close my red, swollen eyes tightly.

“Take that hand off.”

A voice that sounded a little out of breath, a voice that sounded a little angry.

The familiar yet low bass sound tickled Eunjae’s ears.

“ah… … mister.”

As soon as she saw the man, Eunjae’s eyes filled with tears of relief.

“What are you doing here?”

“I didn’t do anything, I was just about to do something.”

As Seonwoo got closer to Seungchul, two men stood in his way.

In the meantime, a man recognized Seonwoo and flipped his eyeballs. The hand of the pointing man trembled.

“uh… … Uh, you new X. That’s the new X!”

“You got it right.”

Seonwoo looked down at the two men in front of me with a cold gaze.

“that’s right. Then that new X.”

The man, somehow intimidated by Sunwoo’s cool gaze, stuttered.

“this… … this! this new X. Have you lost your coward head?”

“How many times are you going to find the new X, this new X.”

Neither of them could stop Seonwoo while he tapped their shoulders lightly with the palm of his hand and closed the distance with Eunjae.

Seonwoo approached Eunjae at once without much effort. Without any roughness, Kwon Seung-chul’s hand, which was holding Eun-jae’s chin, was removed with his bare hand.

Eunjae’s eyes widened as he watched. Eunjae looked at Seonwoo’s hand and face with wide eyes.

Seonwoo pushed Kwon Seungchul’s chest away with the palm of his hand, widened the distance, and blocked Eunjae as if to protect him.

“What are you?”

“I don’t know.”

Kwon Seung-chul, who had been unexpectedly struck by the pit of the stomach, took a step backwards at the unexpected force and glared at Seon-woo.

“Are you okay with anything?”

Sunwoo’s hand gently wrapped around Eunjae’s shoulder.

“What if anything?”

As soon as he pulled it, Eun-jae was hugged into Seon-wu’s arms.

Surprised, Eunjae looked up at Seonwoo with widened eyes. Seonwoo quietly looked down at Eunjae and smiled while brushing his moist eyes with his thumb.

The most friendly eyes persistently pursued Eunjae. The bent man’s face draws closer and closer.

Before long, the man’s lips landed in his ear and whispered softly.

“Why don’t you pick up the phone like this, honey?”

“…….”

“You were worried.”