episode_0027

Sunday evening.

Today, as usual, I finished my part-time job, received my daily wages at Area A, and then got into the pickup vehicle.

“······.”

Isabella, who was on board first, glanced at me.

And then he turned his head towards the window.

I was going to sit by the window…

I can’t bear to ask you to get out of the way.

There are no fixed seats or anything; the person who sits first is the owner.

I sat down next to Isabella without saying a word.

All the way to the drop-off location.

We didn’t talk at all.

Just like when I left work yesterday and when I went to work today.

Well, it wasn’t particularly awkward.

Because silence is familiar.

Also, this kind of atmosphere was natural when I left work.

Everyone else is exhausted from the hard work and is asleep.

of course.

There were people who were overflowing with energy.

“Mr. Ha-hwi. Are you going home right away today?”

The female part-time worker sitting in the passenger seat turned her head and asked.

He was the person who invited me to have a drink on my way home from work yesterday. Of course I refused.

“If you’re not tired, have a quick drink with me today…”

“I’m tired.”

“Yes!”

Today I also refused.

Because drinking alone with strangers is burdensome.

Whether it’s a man or a woman.

***

“Thank you all for your hard work today! Enter carefully!”

“Goodbye.”

“Thank you for the ride.”

“Go in!”

A pickup vehicle stops in the city center.

The part-time workers got out of the car and left the place one by one.

I also bowed my head to the driver.

I walked to the nearby bus stop to go home.

We don’t pick each person up at their house.

When I was moving around looking at my phone like that.

“Kang Ha-hwi.”

A familiar voice came from behind.

“Wait a minute.”

It was Isabella Chambers who called me.

Isabella began rummaging through her pockets.

Maybe again?

It felt like they were trying to give me money for part-time work like yesterday.

just as expected.

Isabella takes out a white envelope from her pocket.

She opened the envelope, took out three 50,000 won bills and handed them to me.

It was more than half of the daily wage.

“Take this.”

“······.”

Why are you giving me so much?

Isabella also did a pretty good job today.

I caught up to about 70% of the other people’s carrying capacity.

So, the amount of transport I helped with was about 30%.

Even if it was accepted, it was reasonable to receive 30% of the daily wage.

Of course, that’s just what they say.

Of course, I had no intention of accepting her daily wages.

I didn’t help you to get more money.

I flatly refused.

“That’s it.”

“What happened? Just take it. I’m giving it to you because I feel uncomfortable.”

Isabella is trying to force me to take the money into my hands.

I stepped back and briefly looked into her eyes.

Then Isabella was startled and stopped her actions.

“···Well, what is it? Why are you staring at me like I’m going to kill you like that?”

I’ve never tried to kill you.

I just looked at it for a moment.

Did you look scary to others?

“If you don’t want to receive that much, well…”

Isabella fiddled with the bill as if she were embarrassed, then put it back in the envelope.

“Then, I’ll buy you some food. We haven’t had dinner yet.”

If it was me before.

I would have rejected it without even thinking for a second.

But it was different now.

It’s not like she’s someone Isabella doesn’t know.

I’m a lunch member of the Academy, so it’s like having dinner together.

It’s a bit burdensome, though.

When faced with a situation like this, you cannot overcome the trauma by just avoiding it like before. Of course, if it was a complete stranger, I would have avoided it.

“Oh, that’s right. Did you say you don’t like it when women buy you food?”

Isabella asked cautiously.

It seems like what Seo Yi-eung said the other day came to mind.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Huh? are you okay? Don’t you hate it when a woman other than Lee Eung-i buys you food?”

“You’re okay too.”

“Huh? Uh…”

Actually, any woman is fine.

Thanks to hanging out with Seo Yi-eung, my aversion to women buying me food has decreased a lot. In a way, this is like Dutch pay.

Isabella crept up next to me and asked, wriggling her hands.

“Well, then what do you want to eat? Do you want to eat something?”

“Nothing…”

I paused before answering.

Because I thought of Seo Yi-eung, who said he wanted to eat anything, but then said he would buy pineapple pizza.

I quickly thought of what I wanted to eat and then corrected my words.

“Pork belly.”

“Pork belly? Not bad. There is a very famous restaurant near here. Should we go there?”

I was a little reluctant to go to famous restaurants.

A place like that would be crowded with people.

Apart from having a hard time with pretty girls.

Due to my nature, I disliked crowded and noisy places.

“Let’s go to a quiet place without people.”

“To a dark place…? Yeah, yeah…”

Isabella trembles and answers.

I guess it wasn’t something strange.

*

*

*

After doing some searching on the internet, I found a pork belly restaurant that I liked.

There don’t seem to be many people.

A place where customers grill their own meat.

I didn’t like places where the owner or employees grilled meat right next to me.

Other people may feel comfortable in such a place.

I feel uncomfortable when someone is standing next to me while I’m eating.

Because they can overhear our conversation.

And since you came to this place because of me, I was going to grill the meat…

“You stay still. Because I will cook you something amazing.”

In the blink of an eye.

The tongs and scissors were taken away by Isabella.

It seemed like he had no intention of handing over the tongs.

Chii Iik-

Isabella rubbed the fat mass on the pot lid, greased it with oil, and placed the pork belly on it.

And when the lower side is properly grilled.

Then flip the pork belly over.

Bean sprouts and kimchi mixed with seasoning were added to the edge.

“It’s good that they serve bean sprouts here, not bean sprouts.”

Isabella said, raising the corners of her mouth in satisfaction.

“Do you hate bean sprouts?”

“It’s not that I don’t like it, but I like bean sprouts more than bean sprouts.”

Nod.

“I see,” he said quietly and shook his head.

And then he closed his mouth again.

Although I succeeded in gathering up the courage to ask a question.

I don’t know how to continue the conversation from here on.

They say Tiki Taka is difficult.

‘Everyone else does it naturally, but why is this so difficult for me?’

Well, this much was okay for now.

I am satisfied with the current situation itself.

Because I, an idiot who can’t make eye contact with women, can’t communicate properly, and get scared over trivial things, got to the point where I was eating grilled meat outside in the evening alone with a pretty girl.

In the past, this would have been unimaginable.

Having a peaceful meal out with a pretty girl on the weekend.

“It’s almost cooked now.”

The meat was cooked golden brown.

After checking it, Isabella grabbed three pieces of meat together with tongs.

and.

Cheeek-!

I pressed the scaffolding part onto the pot lid and started baking.

“If you bake the scaffold part separately at the end, it becomes more chewy and delicious.”

Have you baked quite a lot?

His skill in grilling meat was extraordinary.

So much so that I wonder if he’s from England.

Isabella asked as she finished grilling the meat and cutting it into bite-size pieces.

“Mmm. Soju is served with pork belly… Would you like to have a drink too?”

“You have to go to the academy tomorrow.”

“Wouldn’t it be okay since Monday is a day for club activities anyway?”

“···That’s right. Then let’s drink a little bit.”

I didn’t really have any intention of drinking.

I just gave up on refusing.

He says he wants to drink, so I have to match him.

I’m sorry for asking you to drink alone in a desperate situation.

“Ah. It’s not like you can’t drink, right? If your drinking capacity is low, you don’t have to force yourself to drink.”

“Don’t worry because you drink well.”

“What is the amount of alcohol consumed?”

“About one to two bottles.”

“Really? It’s normal. Then, let’s just order one bottle and share it.”

In this way.

Somehow, we naturally ended up drinking alcohol together.

***

Take a bite of pork belly with bean sprouts on top.

braided.

We clinked our glasses together.

Then, layer the kimchi and pork belly and put them in your mouth.

braided!

We clinked our glasses together again.

One drink, two drinks, three drinks…

The more alcohol goes into it.

I was getting more and more drunk.

“Kang Ha-hwi.”

“Ugh…”

Isabella called me.

My tongue was a little twisted.

But it was still okay.

“You know. Did you know that I didn’t like you?”

“A little…?”

“Well, it was so obvious that I couldn’t have known… But why did you help me even though you knew that?”

“Just.”

“Just?”

“Because we are in the same academy and in the same class.”

“···I see.”

Isabella’s eyes changed slightly as she looked at me.

I couldn’t guess what he was thinking.

“Contrary to appearances, you have a very nice personality… I guess I misunderstood you a lot…”

Isabella muttered softly.

Even though it was close.

I was dizzy from the alcohol, so I couldn’t hear what I was saying.

“I’m sorry.”

“Huh? What?”

“Oh, no! It’s okay if you didn’t hear it. Let’s do it!”

“Yes…”

*

*

*

As soon as I drank alcohol, the awkwardness disappeared and I spoke fluently.

As the conversation continued naturally, the atmosphere became increasingly heated.

We are swept away by the heated atmosphere.

Somehow I ended up ordering an extra drink.

There are already four empty soju bottles on the table.

“U······.”

I was so drunk that I could hardly control myself.

···To be honest.

My drinking capacity is less than one bottle.

After being born again.

Since my physical and mental strength have become stronger, I thought it would be about one to two bottles, so I just said between one and two bottles.

I think one bottle will do for now.

Two bottles seemed like too much.

Strangely enough, he had a weak body.

On the other hand.

“Are you okay? I was really drunk…”

Unlike me, Isabella looked very fine.

I drink better than I thought…

***

After Isabella finished paying.

I helped Kang Ha-hwi, who was speechless, and got out of the store.

“Kang Ha-hwi. Call me your home address, and I’ll take you home.”

Kang Ha-hwi lowered his head and made no reply.

When Isabella, who was embarrassed, kept calling out to Kang Ha-hwi.

“Wow. The man is so fucking handsome.”

“I’m jealous of that woman…”

“As expected, adopted daughter. A man like that is easy to seduce.”

“You’ll go straight to the motel now, right?”

“Why are you asking something so obvious? If you just send that away, you’re an idiot.”

I could hear passers-by murmuring.

Isabella pretended not to hear and turned her head.

Then, swallowing his saliva, he glanced at Kang Ha-hwi’s face.

“······.”

gulp.

When I saw him up close, he was really handsome.

It was to the point where I instinctively felt impure thoughts.

But Isabella resisted the temptation.

If you do something strange to a drunk man, you’re not a human being, you’re just an animal.

‘That’s right, you only do things like that with people you like…’

After learning about Kang Ha-hwi’s inner self.

Isabella developed a slight crush on Kang Ha-hwi, but denied those feelings.

Kang Ha-hwi is the guy my friend likes.

In other words, he was a man whom she morally should not have coveted.

‘Let’s come to our senses. ‘Don’t think strange things…!’

Isabella was taking a deep breath, barely suppressing the desire boiling inside her.

“···Huh?”

A woman who was passing by on the street stopped in her tracks as if surprised when she saw Kang Ha-hwi and Isabella.

“What are you guys doing here…?”

It was Seo Yi-eung.