Vol. 2 Chapter 33: Chapter 33
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Translated by Chef
Edited by Chef
“But the manager looks really young. I was surprised to hear how old he was. He said you were three years older than me.”
Turning the steering wheel, Kim Kangwoo spoke to Inseop. Inseop laughed awkwardly and muttered, “Is that so?” After coming to Korea, it was a pity that he couldn’t say he looked young because I was an Asian anymore.
“Do you hear that a lot?”
“I hear it very, very occasionally.”
“Won’t you be checked for ID when you go to a bar?”
Lee Wooyeon, who was reading a book behind him, laughed briefly. The two of them had had similar experiences several times when they went out for drinks. Hearing Lee Wooyeon’s laughter, Inseop’s face turned red. Lee Wooyeon, who saw the nape of his neck getting red, closed the book.
“How long do we have left?”
“About two hours left.”
In response to Lee Wooyeon’s question, Kim Kangwoo checked the navigation screen and responded quickly.
“Aren’t you hungry?
“Yes. I think I’m slowly getting hungry. Shall we stop at the rest stop next time?”
“No. Go a little further and move toward Chungju.”
“Are you talking about the national highway?”
“I’ll show you the way. If you go off the national highway and go a little, there’s a good restaurant.”
Inseop, who was next to him, cautiously intervened. There was a Korean restaurant nearby that the two of them went to several times. It was a date course that the two often used when going for a drive to the countryside.
“Do we have enough time?”
“Plenty.”
Inseop calculated the time and answered. Lee Wooyeon, who was behind, laughed softly.
“There’s nothing the manager doesn’t know.”
Kim Kangwoo muttered admiringly. Inseop timidly denied saying it was nothing and blushed. It was embarrassing to bring personal information between the two and be praised as competent by someone.
“You probably know me better than I do.”
Lee Wooyeon agreed, and Inseop couldn’t bear to raise his head.
“The CEO said he was doing really well, so he told me to watch closely and learn from the side. I hope to get along well.”
“I really appreciate you.”
Inseop said as if he was embarrassed.
After the car went off the highway, Inseop pointed out the direction. Soon after, they arrived in front of a Korean restaurant in a secluded location.
“I will guide you to your seat.”
Upon entering the store, the owner recognized Lee Wooyeon and responded with a friendly face. As usual, the owner gave them a seat in the innermost room. While Inseop was organizing his shoes neatly, Kim Kangwoo scratched his head and said.
“I’m going to stop by the bathroom. Please order. I can eat anything.”
“Yes. Take your time,” Lee Wooyeon nodded with a smile.
“Three people, please.”
Since the side dishes were made with the ingredients that come in that day, there was no need for a separate order. The owner who brought them water asked them to wait and then closed the door. Only two people remained.
“It’s been a while, so you must be tired.”
Lee Wooyeon said while pouring water into a cup.
“No. it’s okay. Mr. Kangwoo is good at driving.”
CEO Kim’s praise that he was good at driving because he was a former driver was not in vain.
“Have a drink.”
Lee Wooyeon passed the cup to Inseop. It was Sicklepod tea.
Inseop looked at Lee Wooyeon as he slowly drank the bitter-tasting water. Even in the car, he kept thinking about when he could bring yesterday’s events.
“…!”
Lee Wooyeon stretched out his hand. Inseop flinched involuntarily and threw his body back. Wooyeon paused for a moment before removing a piece of hair from the nape of Inseop’s neck.
“…thank you.”
Inseop lowered his eyes slightly and answered. Lee Wooyeon stared at Inseop’s long eyelashes as he moved anxiously. It was a relaxed yet tenacious gaze. Inseop felt his flesh tingle wherever their eyes met. Nothing was said. Inseop picked up the cup.
The inside of his mouth was dry. He glanced at his door, hoping that Kim Kangwoo would come back soon.
“Mr. Inseop”
Like sweet ice cream that disappears without a trace on the tongue, Lee Wooyeon called Inseop.
“Do you sleep well these days?”
“Yes. I sleep well.”
“But what’s wrong with your face?”
Inseop was a little taken aback by the question.
Then the door opened and the clerk brought out the basic side dishes and began to place them on the table. Kim Kangwoo, who went to the bathroom, also returned and sat next to Inseop.
“I think it’s because I had only a bit of sleep yesterday. I was thinking about going to work after a long time. Haha”
Inseop smiled awkwardly and answered like an ordinary office worker’s agony.
“I also had a hard time sleeping last night. I was nervous,”
Kim Kangwoo interrupted, wiping his hands with a wet towel.
“Really?”
Lee Wooyeon said it in a tone that asked him to shut up because he was not interested in his sleeping habits.
But instead, he responded,
“Yes. Because you are such a great actor. In fact, I still don’t believe it. You’re so handsome that even when you’re in front of me, it doesn’t feel realistic.”
Inseop picked up the greens with chopsticks and put them in his mouth, then nodded his head eagerly, agreeing with Kim Kangwoo’s words.
“When you see other celebrities, I’ll look normal.”
Lee Wooyeon answered with a modest smile.
“No, my brother-in-law was also a celebrity. No, CEO.”
Kim Kangwoo quickly changed his words.
“He’s handsome, too. He still looks like a model.”
Inseop quickly praised CEO Kim.
“You should praise me at times like this. Manager.”
When Lee Wooyeon hardened his expression, Inseop was flustered and changed the object of his praise to him.
“Of course, Lee Wooyeon is very handsome.”
“What makes me so handsome?”
Lee Wooyeon questioned without changing his expression.
“Everything…?”
Inseop answered with all his heart.
CEO Kim had once said in annoyance that the bastard Lee Wooyeon even had pretty nails. Inseop, who knew every corner of Lee Wooyeon’s body better than anyone else, also agreed. Lee Wooyeon burst into laughter.
“Thank you for thinking so.”
“But don’t you know that you’re handsome when you look in the mirror? There’s no way you don’t know. I wish I could look like that just for one day.”
Kim Kangwoo honestly expressed envy. Inseop quickly praised his opponent, saying that he was also handsome.
Lee Wooyeon who was drinking water, stared his love, who was disgustingly praising other men in front of the person he was dating.
The clerk put the food on the table one by one.
“Wow, this place is really good. It’s the best food I’ve ever eaten in my life.”
Kim Kangwoo, who tasted the cold dish, said.
“I’m glad you like it.”
It was a Korean restaurant that Lee Wooyeon found for Inseop. Whether Kim Kangwoo liked it or not was not as important for Lee Wooyeon.
“Manager, don’t you like it?”
Kim Kangwoo asked while looking at Inseop.
“No, I do.”
“But why are you eating like that? Have some of this.”
Kim Kangwoo handed the spicy braised short ribs to Inseop.
“…Thank you.”
Inseop didn’t like meat very much. More so, spicy food. However, he couldn’t refuse the food that someone else gave his. Lee Wooyeon held out his chopsticks while preparing to eat a cup full of water.
“Can I eat it?”
While Inseop was about to eat, Lee Wooyeon took the braised short ribs. Lee Wooyeon had a very neat personality. He didn’t even go to this kind of restaurant because he didn’t like the Korean culture of sharing hot pot or stew. Inseop had never imagined him taking other people’s side dishes and eating them.
Kim Kangwoo pushed the braised short ribs in front of him to Lee Wooyeon.
“There’s a lot here. Eat them all.”
“No, Kangwoo, you should eat a lot.”
Lee Wooyeon pushed the side dish to Kim Kangwoo. Then, Inseop picked his favorite side dishes and ate them in front of him.
“Eat a lot.”
“Yes, I’m eating a lot.'”
Lee Wooyeon could not take his eyes off Inseop even after hearing Inseop’s answer.
He usually did eat less, but he seemed to be eating even lesser these days.
“Oh, that’s right. I was told that the manager was from the United States. Then you must not like Korean food. You must be having a hard time.”
Kim Kangwoo looked sorry as he had roughly spoken to CEO Kim.
“No, I’m used to it now.”
Inseop seemed to smile at the words that worried about him. Lee Wooyeon moved his chopsticks without saying a word.
“If I go to the U.S. later, can I go to the manager’s house?”
Kim Kangwoo’s unrelenting personality reminded him of CEO Kim. He looked like he was his own brother, not his brother-in-law.
“Oh, I…”
Inseop could not answer readily. He didn’t know when he would return to the United States. He may not go back at all. Lee Wooyeon intervened as Inseop could not find anything to answer and hesitated.
“Your brother-in-law has a lot of money. Ask him to pay for the hotel.”
“Hey, no matter how close we were, we’re now strangers.”
Lee Wooyeon drank water, thinking that he was talking well, asking someone he saw for the first time today to let him stay at his home.
While eating the watermelon served as dessert, Kim Kangwoo told a lame story. Inseop listened to his story with the most serious face. Lee Wooyeon, who was staring at Inseop’s slightly opened lips, took out the cigarette he had put in his jacket pocket.
“Do you smoke?”
To Kim Kangwoo’s question, Lee Wooyeon answered, “Sometimes,” holding a cigarette in his mouth.
“You haven’t smoked recently.”
Choi Inseop frowned and said.
Lee Wooyeon smiled with his head tilted. There was something else he wanted to suck on, but there was no way because the owner won’t let him suck him. He didn’t think Inseop will eat his semen for the time being.
“Don’t you like me smoking?”
Lee Wooyeon asked another question affectionately instead of what he wanted to say.
“It’s not that I don’t like it…It’s not good for your health.”
He looked genuinely worried. Lee Wooyeon put the cigarette back in.
“I’ll do as the manager says.”
Kim Kangwoo looked at Inseop with astonishedment. It was not common for an actor of Lee Wooyeon’s level to put down the cigarette he was about to smoke in response to the young-looking manager’s words.
“Actually, the manager is the hidden influential figure of this company.”
“You saw it well.”
Lee Wooyeon added to Kim Kangwoo’s joke.
“Inseop, you’re a really scary person when you get to know him.”
“No, it’s not…”
Inseop immediately refuted it, but Kim Kangwoo had already passed on to Lee Wooyeon’s words.
“There has been a quarrel at a drinking party before. When Inseop stepped up, it was organized at once. Since then, I never go against what Inseop says.”
“Is it a martial arts master or something like that? Like a hidden master?”
Kim Kangwoo looked like a boy reading an exciting martial arts book.
“I don’t know. He doesn’t say that.”
“No! Lee Wooyeon is joking. Hurry up and tell him no.”
Inseop asked Lee Wooyeon in cold sweat, but it was useless.
“Kangwoo, you should be careful, too.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kim Kangwoo answered with a posture like a private with close military discipline. Inseop cried and refuted that he was not, but the talk of Choi Inseop’s master skill had already been lodged in Kim Kangwoo’s mind.
“Where did you learn? Oh, is this a secret?”
“I’ve never learned it.”
“You didn’t learn it, but did you learn it yourself?”
“No, really…”
Inseop looked back at Lee Wooyeon. He was drinking water with his eyes half closed. With a sly smile
Inseop sighed. It was no use trying to stop Lee Wooyeon at that time.
“Shall we head out?”
Lee Wooyeon said, putting down the cup.
“..I’ll quickly go to the bathroom.”
Inseop muttered in a small voice.
“I’ll wait with the car started,”
Kim Kangwoo replied, standing up from his seat. Inseop sighed and walked to the bathroom at the end of the hallway. He took the mouth wash out of his pocket, rinsed his mouth, and washed his hands. Then he checked his face reflected in the mirror.
A hidden master?
He didn’t understand how he could believe such a thing even after seeing his pale face. Rather, if he had a superpower with a hidden ability, he will be warned that he will be in big trouble if he visit Kang Youngmo and made fun of him.
“That would be great…“
“What’s good?”
Inseop was surprised by the voice that came after muttering to himself.
Lee Wooyeon went inside, closing the bathroom door.
“I was going to leave right away.”
Is it like that, Lee Wooyeon answered and locked the bathroom door. The clicking and ringing metallic sound made the muscles of the whole body tense at once.
“Did you enjoy your meal?”
“Thanks to you, I ate well.”
“I think you don’t eat as much as usual. You don’t have an appetite?”
Inseop pondered for a while and nodded. Lee Wooyeon sighed.
“You don’t have to worry too much. I think it’s because it’s summer.”
“Then shall we come back after summer?”
Inseop hesitated for a while and asked at Lee Wooyeon’s words.
“Did you leave early on purpose to come here?”
It was an earlier departure time than usual. Although he was curious, Inseop obediently followed his words, saying there must be a reason.
“No.”
Lee Wooyeon took a step closer and continued to talk.
“I wanted to see Inseop a little early, so I asked to meet him early.”
The atmosphere was gradually getting weird because it was just the two of them in a small enclosed space. Inseop moved to the side of Lee Wooyeon. However, Lee Wooyeon smiled and stood in front of Inseop.
“Kim Kangwoo, do you like him?”
Inseop thought for a moment and answered.
“I don’t know because we just met, but he seems like a good person.”
“I’m glad you like him, Inseop.”
“You should like him, not me.”
“There’s already one manager I like.”
“Thank you. I’ll go out,”
Inseop said in a crawling voice. The distance from Lee Wooyeon was too close. Even if he tried not to, he was conscious enough to be on edge. He was embarrassed that he would be conscious of himself and drink kimchi soup like before.
“Sure.”
Lee Wooyeon stepped back. Inseop passed by, trying not to reach him. As soon as he reached out to open the locked door, Lee Wooyeon grabbed the door handle first.
“Wait a minute.”
A low voice called up to Inseop. He couldn’t move, like he was shackled to the ground.
“Is there something stuck in my hair again?”
Inseop asked, trying to pretend to be calm and grope around his neck.
“Let me ask you something.”
Lee Wooyeon’s voice stuck close to the back. Inseop did not dare to look back and nodded a few times.
“How was it in America?”
“What?”
Inseop turned his head unknowingly to a question that he did not understand.
Lee Wooyeon’s face, standing within a narrow distance, caught his eye.
“I’m suddenly curious about how you’ve been in America. Maybe it’s the diet.”
What Kim Kangwoo said earlier seemed to be bothering him.
“Since my father was Korean, I often ate Korean food. Spicy food is still a little hard, but it’s okay. I got used to it a lot.”
“Isn’t everything else uncomfortable?”
Inseop shook his head.
“There’s nothing uncomfortable. It’s all right.”
“But why…”
Lee Wooyeon clicked his tongue as if he had something in mind. Then, he continued to talk with a cool smile.
“Yes. If you have any concerns or problems, let me know anytime. I’ll take care of everything.”
It was a sweet tone, but the word that he would solve it came in a particular cold way. It was as if there was such a thing, he would get rid of it all. Inseop also vowed not to talk about Kang Youngmo.
“Then I’ll go out first.”
Lee Wooyeon opened the door himself. Inseop went out, and the smile on Lee Wooyeon’s face collapsed without a trace.
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