Chapter 37

I wasn't going to come back again. She thought it would never come to pass. Of course, except in case you need to buy a lottery ticket, there was another sign in front of the lottery room next to the information board that stood last time.

'The place where the 2nd prize winner of Lotto xxx came from.'

'This is where the 2nd prize winner of the xxx lottery also came from.'

.......Should I live too? It was tempting. I wanted to buy more because I didn't know who owned the lottery room. However, there was a master inside who could even resist the temptation of money.

“I knew you’d come again.”

Stop. I narrowed my eyes. Then, what happened with Woo Min-jae was not a coincidence...

“Are you going to buy a lottery ticket?”

“......I’m not buying it.”

“Hmm. I know for sure that you won’t be lucky in the lottery with that head.”

“What’s wrong with my head? And why are you trying to sell me a lottery ticket when I’m unlucky?”

“Then you do business by picking people?”

"......president."

"why?"

“I think you’ve gained weight.”

Wiggle. There was a small twitch in the lady's eyebrows. As expected, this always works regardless of age or gender. I should never gain weight. I made a promise and sat down opposite her aunt.

“Why did you come?”

It was difficult for me to speak right away, so I looked around the narrow store for a moment. The lady managed to wait for me to calm down and then she said something.

“I told you in advance.”

As she turned her eyes, the woman who made eye contact with me spoke after her.

“Your sense is right.”

“You don’t know what I’m going to say.”

“Even if I don’t know, I know what I know.”

This is a fart. I was impressed though. Soon I told him the purpose of my coming here. Without mentioning Woo Min-jae's name, he briefly explained and asked about the good and bad luck that had happened to the person he liked.

“It’s definitely not related to me, right? I’m not really giving that person both good luck and bad luck, right?”

“What is your sense?”

“I don’t know. I think it’s because I’m anxious because of the coincidence. On the other hand, I don’t think so. My feelings that the boss is talking about are definitely not one-sided.”

She took her gaze away for a moment and looked out her window. Although she seemed to be thinking. She then answered lightly.

“It was a mixture of coincidence and fate.”

"yes?"

“It is clear that coincidence is a factor that determines the direction of life. However, it can easily pass by or change the direction of life completely. You and that person. Like a coincidence that happened to you two. Your coincidence has now passed into fate. "

“What does that mean?”

“Literally. It’s fate. You can’t call it a coincidence anymore.”

I looked at her for a moment, speechless.

“Why on earth did this happen? Because I’m a tiger again? This doesn’t make sense. If that bastard was a tiger, he would have been a tiger, not someone who would lose to me with energy.”

“I know.”

"yes?"

"huh?"

what? I think I just said something small. I looked at her with suspicious eyes, but the lady widened her eyes and asked, 'Why?' She looked.

“Anyway, what is it this time? Why did I become involved with Woomin......hmmmm. That person?”

“Does it matter?”

"What do you mean?"

“It doesn’t matter if you’re connected to someone you like. You were destined to be connected to that person anyway, but this only brought you closer. The problem is that the string of connection is completely tied and cannot be broken.”

“You mean you can’t solve it?”

“That’s literally it. You can’t break up.”

“……”

“Are you scared?”

“Well, I guess I’ll live it for 100 years.”

The lady smiled slowly. For the first time she seemed to smile at me.

“Be cautious. You are right.”

After leaving the lottery room, I was on my way home. Woo Min-jae received a call. He said he was going to sleep at home because it was raining in the morning and soccer was off, but he got angry because he came secretly. I don't want something to happen again if I don't receive it. just as expected. he asked right away.

[Isn’t it home?]

“Yeah. I went outside. I was hungry so I wanted to buy something to eat.”

[Good. Come to the accommodation. let's eat together.]

Is that so? I was about to answer right away but stopped. for a moment. If I'm really going to decide his luck, wouldn't it be better to give him luck? I decided to storm in without making any promises.

“I’m sorry. I thought of something else. Let’s eat later... Are you going to stay there?”

[maybe]

Amado.

“Hey. Don’t run around all morning. Just stay in the cool dorm.”

I heard the guy's low laugh. I liked that sound, so I stopped walking without realizing it. At least for this moment, I couldn't think of any bad luck that might come to him.

[I will consider it.]

“And I’ve decided to have dinner with the student head teacher next Saturday evening. You can come too.”

right. Hakju.

“Is there anyone who will give me a reward?”

[huh. It's a pretty good award, so I'm sure the student head teacher will like it.]

Will there be a prize money? If Hakju was embarrassed, I would have to make fun of him, so I was determined to leave. Was there another call on his cell phone at that time? belt. belt. A voice was heard. I quickly called him before hanging up.

“Woo Minjae.”

huh. I heard the answer. I took a deep breath and let it out.

“Let’s get along well from now on.”

In the end, I couldn't find out what the lady at the lottery room said to me the last time. Are you mindful of everything? Are you careful at all? I couldn't even remember what I said. If you're wondering if the lady is closing the lotto store and selling her cell phone as well. I can not know.

Still, judging from the expression on her mother's face at the time, I don't think it was a bad thing to say. But something happened where I heard this again. It was that afternoon. While she was working, the cell phone she had in her back pocket rang. Normally, since I was at work, I would have carried all the items and checked them first, but this time was different. When I put the box down, I saw that it was Woo Min-jae's lawyer who I had spoken to earlier. Why was this person calling?

"hello?"

[You are Kwon Hee-chan, right?]

yes. After answering, something came to mind so I asked.

“What happened to Woo Min-jae?”

[I couldn’t contact you. I contacted you to see if you went that direction.]

I looked at the clock. 12 o'clock at night.

“Have you tried calling the hotel to check if they are there?”

[yes. I already did it. I also sent a building employee to check on the studio, but they said there was no answer from inside. Bad things kept happening these days, so whenever I was going somewhere, I always asked him to tell me the destination. However, I contacted you about work, but I did not receive a call...]

“Since what time have you not received it?”

[11 o'clock. It’s been a little over an hour.]

thud. My heart sank. What on earth is going on?

“So you have no idea where he is? Have you contacted his friends?”

I've already tried everything there is to do. was his answer. Fuck. If I meet Woo Min-jae, I will put a tracking device on his body.

[When the mobile phone is turned on, it shows the location, but strangely it is turned off.........]

He trailed off and suddenly added:

[ah. It’s on.]

The lawyer's tone strangely sounded like he was reading a Korean language book, but what was important was Woo Min-jae's whereabouts.

“Where are you?”

[hmm. Why are you here?]

Oh, where are you? This guy is kind of annoyingly relaxed. It was only after I contacted the lawyer twice more that I received an answer.

[It’s an abandoned construction site.]

Since I was working, I couldn't use the truck, so I took a taxi and got off in front of a construction site that had been on hold for over half a year. In front of the construction site, a middle-aged man arrived first and stood looking at his cell phone, then he said hello to me.

“This is the lawyer you spoke to.”

He held out a business card. I asked, barely holding back from throwing the business card on the floor.

“Now is not the time to give me your business card. What about the police? You said you would call the police, but you didn’t call me?”

“I’ll go inside first, check to see if it’s there or not, and then call them. I can’t bother the police about something I’m not sure about.”

Why bother me a bit? We lost the soccer game too! However, the lawyer was twice as relaxed as he was on the phone at the trial.

“Even if he was kidnapped. Of course, it’s difficult to kidnap such a strong and tall man. Let’s just assume that’s the case. Then, wouldn’t the fact that the cell phone was so big in the middle be a bait to intentionally lure those looking for Woo Min-jae somewhere else?”

“What on earth do you want to say? You can just go in, right?”

After I finished speaking, I headed straight to the entrance. But the lawyer grabbed my clothes.

“You just want to go in?”

Then, should I just go in and do somersaults? He took something out of the envelope he was holding in his hand.

“It’s an abandoned construction site, so there won’t be electricity and it’ll be dark inside, right? And since it’s an uninhabited place, there will be wild animals like rats and cats. You shouldn’t step on it.”

He put a flashlight in my hand. This person...was a strong enemy. Jiyong said that his winning rate was high and his skills were amazing, and it was truly extraordinary. He still hadn't let go of my clothes and they clicked, clicked. After testing a few times to see if the flashlight worked well, we announced our departure.

“I take the lead.”

​

 

I finally came to my senses and followed him. I tried to take the lead because he walked slowly, but he blocked me with his arm.

“It’s dangerous. There are construction materials lying around below.”

“Woo Min-jae is more dangerous, right? Are you saying we should save him now or not?”

“We are not sure if it is dangerous yet. However, since contact has been lost and the cell phone is in a strange place, we are suspicious that something bad has happened. Let us be clear. Woo Min-jae may be drinking sikhye in the sauna.”

Sikhye is making the sound of rice being fried! I have never seen someone so frustrated in my life.

“Are you sure you came out because you were worried about Woo Min-jae? How can you be so carefree?”

“Be mindful of everything. Everything in the world depends on how you put your mind to it. There is absolutely no benefit in increasing your worries about things that are not yet certain.”

Be mindful of everything. Yes, that's what I said. It wasn't a cell phone SIM card. And for some reason, I felt bad. Even the lady at the lottery room and the lawyer use that word. However, the lawyer continued to give me leisurely advice regardless of whether I was impressed or not.

“If you rush, you might make a mistake, so let’s take your time and look around. And if Woo Min-jae is right, now that Kwon Hee-chan is here, there won’t be any problems.”

“What did Woo Min-jae say?”

“They say good luck will come when Kwon Hee-chan appears.”

okay. luck. I was lucky with that guy. I don't know about anyone else, but in the special situation between me and Woo Min-jae, I didn't know that we could have made a choice in advance. I just had to be careful about bad luck, and I could make good luck. In this case, if I find him quickly and meet him, I can give him luck and save him. Suddenly, the absurd fate came as a great relief. At that time, there was a sound from the side of the building. I answered, leading the way with a lamp.

“Yes. Now that I’m here, Woo Min-jae is fine.”

And as I rounded the building, I saw a faint light from behind. I immediately prepared to run towards the light. But the lawyer caught me and warned me in a low voice.

“Please wait.”

why? When I asked, I saw a person's shadow far away in the direction of the light. I quickly sent the lawyer behind me and stepped forward. However, they soon relaxed their guard. The black body could be recognized at a glance no matter how far away or how dark it was.

“Woo Minjae?”

Crack. Crack. He walked towards us. The lawyer shined his flashlight. The guy's face was fine. He looked at me and smiled faintly. As if everything makes sense.

“It was because of you.”

"what?"

He tapped. He hit his chest with his finger. The light of his flashlight beamed down from his face. And then I realized that his shirt was torn straight.

“A moment ago, a knife just grazed me. By incredible luck.”

What on earth happened back there? I was curious though. Woo Min-jae was not allowed to enter. It is said that Woo Min-jae was indeed kidnapped. And he was taken there, but it is said that the kidnappers were very sloppy, so they easily untied the straps and left the cell phone on for a while. I don't know if I should believe this or not, but what is clear is that Woo Min-jae defeated his opponent. A police car arrived within a few minutes and the four criminals were taken away. His face and body were battered and torn apart. Since there was only one person who could hit them, I turned to Woo Min-jae. The guy explained.

“They were fighting amongst themselves.”

"why?"

“I guess there was an internal division.”

They kidnapped someone, fought among themselves, and the hostage accidentally untied his straps and walked out? Do you think I would believe that? I looked at him with distrust, but he just smiled. I decided to ask this question again later and checked the most important ones first.

“Do you know who ordered it?”

"Roughly."

He turned his eyes to the lawyer walking towards him with his answer. The lawyer was watching from the side as the police took the criminals away. After finishing his business with the police, he reported various things to Minjae.

Whether they were arrested, visited the police station, etc. Minjae Woo asked.

“Is this enough?”

“That’s quite enough.”

“Is this enough?”

I took turns asking Woo Min-jae and the lawyer. Unlike Woo Min-jae, the lawyer answered honestly.

“It means you can go about with peace of mind now.”

He answered and looked at Woo Min-jae as if he was wondering. I figured out the situation by looking at those two.

“You mean you can put your mind at ease and put the person who instigated them in charge? You created enough evidence by exposing yourself to danger until the evidence comes out?”

When I pointed out that he had made it, Woo Min-jae couldn't help but say one thing.

“It was the fastest way.”

“It must have been the most dangerous method.”

“Heechan.”

“Why? You fucking idiot?”

The guy smiled faintly. The lawyer next to me chuckled. Who do you think is kidding? Perhaps because of the glaring eyes, the lawyer said hello and said he would go.

“I have some work to finish when I go back to work.”

“At this time?”

I felt sorry for no reason. He complained to the head of the family who worked late into the night, so I offered him an apology and comforted him.

“It must be difficult.”

The lawyer smiled at those words. At that moment, I saw the smile of a Buddha who had mastered everything.

“It’s okay. I make a lot of money.”

.......... It was a money Buddha. As I looked at the lawyer's path, I made eye contact with Woo Min-jae, who was looking at me. When I saw it, I started to get angry again. Before I could open my mouth, Woo Minjae stopped me first.

“It’s okay. It wasn’t dangerous.”

How do you know that? He said he lived because of me even when he was riding a motorcycle. You said you avoided the knife because of me this time too. He was about to spit out the words that had reached his throat, but Woo Min-jae stopped him first.

“This isn’t even a risk to me.”

“Then what is the danger?”

"gun."

what? The answer came right away and I was taken aback.

“Hey. Even so.”

'I've been fighting every day for over 10 years. "I don't care about anyone."

You've been fighting for over 10 years? What kind of martial arts player are you....huh? Do you exercise? It was only then that I brought up the question that had been buried and ripened.

“What kind of exercise did you do?”

The guy grinned.

"Ice Hockey"

‘Ice hockey? It's a strong exercise. In Korea, there aren't many teams, but it's a popular sport in North America. I don't know, but body checking allows you to attack and defend by bumping into someone with your body. This is probably no joke. If I was pushed by too much force on the already slippery rink, I would fall completely. But that's also why ice hockey is popular. There are times when physical fights escalate into big fights. It's definitely not an easy match. How dare there be a team that hires a martial arts athlete?'

It was an explanation from Chungyeon, who knows everything. So let’s say he’s good at fighting. But why would you do something crazy like expose yourself to danger for a week just to get evidence? Because of that, I made a lot of noise that was uncharacteristic of me, and I stayed next to him as if I was keeping an eye on him for fear of possible danger. Then, what is it that only Woo Min-jae likes to die for? But these minor worries didn't matter right now. Saturday. I arrived home in the morning to pack my luggage. Woo Min-jae asked as he looked around the house that I had left almost empty for a week.

“What if I sell this house?”

Stop. I looked up from putting my clothes in my bag. And I asked seriously.

“Do you need money?”

“......If I need it, I’ll earn it and spend it.”

It was good. You got the idea right. I was happy and packed my tea bag, but then stopped again.

“Come live with me.”

“……”

"no?"

“I like this house. It’s close to the store. I’ve lived there since I was young, so I’m familiar with the surroundings. How about you move in here?”

“It’s narrow.”

......It was unlucky.

“Hey. What’s narrow?”

“There is no need to choose a small place when you can live in a sufficiently spacious, comfortable, and convenient place. All you have to do is just put it back together.”

“Jeong, give me a sticker? Put it on and take it off?”

“It depends on what you think. Are there any other reasons why you can’t leave this house?”

“Nothing like that. Just.”

I don't know. Maybe you just don't want to leave a familiar place. This house was my history. Just as time is engraved in the rings of a tree, my time remains in this house. There are some very painful times in between. Now that it has faded, it has become a lingering feeling that prevents me from leaving this house easily.

“I found a house near the market. I’m moving there next week. It’s closer to the store than here. It’s near the market, so I’ll be familiar with it.”

I couldn't answer and just packed my bags. The guy who was looking at me said something.

“Ah. I didn’t say that.”

“What?”

“I love you.”

“.............”

"love you."

“....Shut up. It’s making me skinny.”

I got up from my seat, swearing. But I couldn't see his face properly.

“You may be okay with this because you’ve said it before. I’ll make my hands and feet cringe, so don’t say this again.”

“It’s my first time too.”

what? I turned around and realized what he was talking about. But we dated before...

“It’s my first time, so please don’t do it three times.”

The guy frowned slightly and brushed his hair for no reason. As if he was embarrassed. what. It's cute. This guy said something cheesy and showed off that it was his first time... I liked it. Does he think I'm watching him? Minjae Woo looked back at me with even more frowning eyes.

“Move. Let’s stay together.”

“Later. Think about it.”

As I was putting off my decision, my phone suddenly rang. It was my eldest mother. I deliberately answered calls that I shouldn't have answered to avoid talking about it.

“Yes. Uncle.”

[Are you home?]

yes. I replied and immediately added it just in case.

“I’m about to leave now.”

[I made young radish kimchi. I'm on my way to bring it to you.]

“Please call me in advance. How long does it take?”

[I heard it will arrive in about 20 minutes?]

I heard you do it? For a moment, an ominous feeling enveloped my entire body like flames.

“Isn’t Big Mom coming?”

[no. Your uncle is going.]

thud! My heart broke once. The surroundings collapsed once again due to dizziness. It froze for a few seconds. Woo Min-jae barely saved the day when he was shocked by the cut-off phone call.

"what's the matter?"

“......They say they’re coming home.”

“My eldest mother?”

1. I raised my despairing eyes.

“She said her big mother made radish kimchi and that she would bring it to me after birth.”

“What’s the problem with that?”

No way! It's a big problem!

“The person bringing it is my father. And he’s already on his way!”

A real curse came out. I looked around the house and gave orders to Woo Min-jae.

“Hey. Move quickly! I’ll clean out the sink, so you can quickly clean up the refrigerator! Oh, by the way, there’s recycling trash piled up in the utility room! Ugh! Today isn’t even throwing away day!”

I pulled out my hair and opened the door to the utility room. Recyclable waste that had been collected was piled up. A swear word suddenly came out. The sick past me! Why didn't you throw that away on time?!

“What do you say when you see uncle dirty?”

What are you doing? That's better.

“Don’t say anything. Don’t say anything, just stand in front of the problem area and look at me and the problem for 10 minutes. Damn. You have to be there. Really........”

scary. If there's something I'm most afraid of in the world, the first one is bugs with many legs and the second one is my uncle. Originally, my uncle was the first, but in the military, a giant centipede climbed up my body and up to my neck. While I was standing guard at night, I was unable to move due to my illness, so I almost fainted with my eyes open. Thanks to this, all bugs with many legs are creepy and scary after that.

“You organize the refrigerator until I come. Throw away everything that has passed its expiration date. Put the vegetables in the vegetable section. Kimchi in the bottom section. Organize the rest in the top section. As for the freezer... you do it yourself. . Understand?"

He ordered Woo Min-jae and held his arms full of recycling waste.

“Throw it away now?”

“Are you crazy? If you throw it away when it’s not a day to throw it away, you’ll have to pay a fine! I’ll hide it on the rooftop. You focus on the refrigerator!”

I didn't give the pepper to the security guard for no reason. I got a key to the rooftop just to use it for times like this. Minjae Woo asked as he watched me moving quickly.

“You haven’t done it once or twice, have you?”

“Woo Minjae.”

"why?"

“If I get caught with the refrigerator, I’ll call you an imbecile who can’t keep things tidy for the rest of your life.”

The guy’s eyes narrowed. And then I immediately started organizing the refrigerator. I also carried the recycling to the rooftop and came back and started cleaning the house. And exactly 17 minutes later, the doorbell rang. There was absolutely no luck in getting stuck in traffic. I ran to the front door and looked back at Woo Min-jae.

"Hey. Are you done? Then you can just leave..."

Only then did I realize that I hadn't sent him in advance. omg!

“Isn’t it already too late for me to go?”

He pointed out the error. And then he asked lightly.

“Can’t I say hello to my uncle too?”

"no."

"why?"

“I’m not ready to be spanked yet.”

Get beaten? He looked at me quizzically, but I really wasn't ready.

“Shiba. If you tell me you’re dating a guy, I’m sure he’ll say something.”

“Then introduce yourself as a friend.”

The doorbell rang again. I frowned and headed back to the entrance.

“How can you call me a friend when you’re not my friend? Be prepared to get hit with me too.”

And I opened the door nervously. Dutong. Strong eyes. A stronger impression. An uncle with bronze skin appeared. Startle. I was so surprised that I took a step back and greeted him politely.

“You’re here.”

However, even though the door was open, my uncle just turned his eyes and looked behind me. I quickly made Woo Min-jae stand next to me.

“This person’s name is Woo Min-jae.”

“What relationship?”

My uncle asked briefly. While I paused for a moment, Minjae Woo calmly answered.

“A high school classmate. We are friends.”

"no."

I added right away. Woo Min-jae looked at me, but I said without paying any attention.

“I’m not a friend.”

Then who is it? I prepared my mind to honestly answer the questions that would soon be asked. But the words that came out of my uncle’s mouth were different.

“Then Woo Min-jae, who is both a friend and not a friend. I have something to say to Hee-chan for a moment.”

Woo Min-jae glanced at me and said he would wait outside and left. Only then did I realize that my uncle had not just come to bring me kimchi.

“What’s wrong?”

“Do you live without cleaning?”

.........I did it 1 minute ago. Although his heart was greatly hurt, he endured it at least once, thinking of the frog Wangnuni, who was able to overcome wind and rain.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s young radish kimchi.”

He held out the container of kimchi in his uncle's hand. I didn't receive the kimchi container right away. There was one thing that came to mind. This is a story that would make my uncle hesitate to tell me this. But I deliberately didn't want to say it out loud first. As I took the container of kimchi and stood in front of the refrigerator, I felt my uncle's sharp gaze behind me. Woo Min-jae must have cleaned out the refrigerator, right? You won't be able to do it perfectly in 17 minutes with expert skills like me, but...

“You definitely cleaned the refrigerator.”

I heard my uncle praising me from behind. The wounds in his heart increased one more time. Seeba. So what is the cleaning I did? Although it was unfair, Wangnuni got up even after falling seven times. About two wounds...

“But why is the sink like that?”

​

 

“Are you here on your father’s business?”

In the end, when I asked first, my uncle looked at me quietly and said yes. I answered.

“Your father wants to get in touch with you. He wants you to meet him.”

"why?"

Before, I would just say no, but this time, when I asked why, it seemed like there was hope. Her uncle opened her mouth as if she was glad.

“No special reason. I just wanted to see you. Would you like to meet me?”

“Uncle.”

"huh?"

“To be honest, when I met my father before, I had to be angry, but I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to. I wasn’t ready for this, so I refused. But not now. I don’t want to be angry at my father.”

“Yeah. That’s a relief.”

right. thank god. I nodded and continued speaking.

“So now, it doesn’t matter if we meet or not. But if we meet, it’s annoying because I’m wasting my time. So I don’t want to meet.”

My uncle just looked at me without saying anything. He has never scolded me for my father's work so far, so I know he will do so this time as well. However, the silent stare was a bit different from before. Is it because you are older? A look of sadness appeared on his face.

“But even though I hated him before, he seemed to think of me as his father. Now he talks to me like a stranger.”

If you don't see your family for over 10 years, you become strangers, right? Family is a special thing, though. It may not be a big deal. The employees who work at the store are also family. Organic members too. The family in room 406 below is also family. And Woo Minjae too. When Woo Min-jae's name came to mind, the inside of his chest was filled with warmth. Suddenly, I realized that what I had hesitated to do earlier was not difficult anymore. A house is just a house. Memories and times here can be made elsewhere. I may have laughed without realizing it. I heard my uncle’s voice.

“You look good.”

yes. I like it these days.

I really think there is compatibility. There are people who are not compatible not only in romantic relationships but also in general interpersonal relationships.

“See you again. Kwon Hee-seon.”

Hakju greeted me. I wiggled my eyebrows and vowed revenge, but unfortunately I didn't know Hakju's name. shit!

“Wasn’t Mr. Minjae Woo coming along too?”

"teacher."

"why?"

“Woo Min-jae is no longer a student? We are the same student. Why is it that I am Kwon Hee-chan and that child is Woo Min-soon?”

What a petty guy. Hakju’s eyes said this. Of course, I never gave in.

“Woo Min-jae went inside first. I heard that the teacher was nearby, so I came out to pick him up on purpose.”

Are you still going to treat me poorly?

“It must have come out while I was going to the bathroom.”

Startle. How did know? Did you see me come out of the bathroom?

“It was a bathroom, after all.”

That's not it. I was upset and got angry for no reason.

“Teacher, live a round life.”

“I’m round enough. I’m living my life cautiously, so don’t worry.”

Stop. It was that word again. Is it by any chance a buzzword? I looked back at Hakju with astonished eyes.

“Your sister plays the lottery and her brother is a lawyer?”

"what?"

I was confused when I saw his expression as he asked what kind of nonsense this was. Are you saying it doesn't run in your family? Are you saying I have three blood relatives in this world?

“Mr. Minjae Woo said she has one more guest. Who is it? Another graduate?”

“No. He’s an older man.”

They said he was the chairman of the board, but I deliberately hid the information because I was afraid that Sangju would be found out if I told him. As I was taking Hakju to the embrace provided inside, I heard him muttering while looking at the atmosphere of the luxurious restaurant.

“Why are you eating at such an expensive place? You can just eat pork belly.”

“I’ll buy you some pork belly later.”

"okay."

I stopped walking right away. Is it too foolish to say that I will buy it for you? Looking at me with suspicion, Hakju added:

“For your information, I only eat beef and pork belly.”

"!"

​

 

After a brief argument with Hakju while walking down the hallway. I finally arrived at the room. I felt tired, as if I had come to Seoul from Busan, but I opened the door, expecting to see a historical scene that would make Hakju ashamed. When I went in first, the two people inside got up from their seats. And then Hakju came in behind me. Crack. He stopped at the entrance. Why don't you come? When I turned around, I was looking at Minjae's guest with surprised eyes. Minjae’s guests were the same. I looked at Hakju with surprised eyes. Why? Are they first loves who broke up a long time ago?

“Student...isn’t he the head teacher?”

Minjae's guest asked, and Hakju lowered his head with a nervous face.

“I didn’t know the chairman was coming.”

uh? The chairman that Hakju knows? There was a flash of light. That person was the president of my alma mater. A mean person who tried to kick Hakju out. I looked at the two people in turn and then looked back at Woo Min-jae, who was observing the situation. The guy just shrugged his shoulders as if it was no big deal, like when he was plotting.

“Teacher Woo Min-jae. Then, he is a great teacher who should receive an award...”

“That’s right. I am the student head teacher. I was really impressed when I worked as a teacher for a short time. The student head teacher is a true teacher who should always be at school.”

Woo Min-jae then looked back at the chairman and smiled.

“Of course, I think you know, Chairman. If you know what I am doing after only being here for half a year and are so late in contacting me, you must also be aware of the great efforts of the student head teacher who has been working for over 20 years. Isn’t that right, Chairman?”

The chairman smiled and nodded his head. He suddenly approached Hakju, pretending to be friendly, and held his hands tightly.

“You have no idea how much I think highly of the student head teacher. The student head teacher should continue to stay at our school and guide our students.”

Hak-ju just looked at the chairman with bewildered eyes, and Min-jae Woo offered a word from next to him.

“For that, the position of assistant principal, who is retiring at the end of this year, would be a good fit.”

The chairman looked back at Woo Min-jae, but then nodded his head. The pupils were shaking violently.

“Well, then. The assistant principal position is perfect.”

Unfortunately, the plan to make fun of Hakju did not come to fruition. The embarrassed Hakju remained frozen and couldn't make an interesting expression. no. Should I call him vice principal now?

“The air has become quite cool.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

I agreed with Woo Min-jae’s words. Should we walk? At his suggestion, we walked on the dark sidewalk. I think I just walked in silence for a while.

“Why don’t you ask me? Aren’t you curious why your uncle came to visit me?”

When I asked as if I had remembered something, Woo Min-jae nodded.

"curious."

“My father said he wanted to meet me, but I said no because it was too much of a hassle.”

The guy just smiled. Strangely enough, his smile is comforting. Even though I wasn't hurt this time.

“Actually, I went to the lottery room before.”

"okay?"

“Yes. I wanted to ask you if the bad luck and good fortune that happened to you was really because of me.”

"what?"

“That’s right. It’s fate.”

How do you feel? When I turned around, he answered with a faint smile.

“It’s the best.”

Sigh, I smiled too. After a while he said:

“Move.”

And he smiled brighter. Maybe it's because of my answer.

'Of course.'