episode_0087

Crunch.

As the clock was about to strike nine, the sound of the front door opening was heard.

“You’re late… ?”

“While playing… .”

It feels like silence, even though there is clearly a conversation going on.

I should have at least turned on the TV.

“… Have you been waiting?”

Mirae must have sensed that the atmosphere was ominous, as she walked around the house for no reason and cautiously approached me.

It wasn’t that I came home late. I was worried after it got dark, but even so, a 9 o’clock curfew is too much for a high school-aged daughter. I might get scolded for being overprotective when Mirae goes to see her friends for the first time in a while.

“No, did you eat dinner?”

“Yeah… I ate at my friend’s house.”

A girl with pink hair. She looked so pretty, and her every expression and movement was feminine. I wonder if she’s good at cooking… I’m sure she’s good at it. She’s the kind of girl who packs her own lunch every morning and carries it around.

My hands, which were holding the cushion, gained strength.

“Where did you go with your friend?”

“I was playing at home… ?”

Thud.

I must have been scratching the cushion with my fingernails without realizing it, because soon I could hear the sound of the cushion’s threads being ripped.

We played at our friend’s house…?

There’s no way I could have mistaken the face of the future. Once I had a clear outline, I could tell it was the future just by looking at the way it walked. So does that mean the big mart was my friend’s house?

“I see… Was it fun?”

There must be a reason for everything being hidden.

But why?

Is it something you should hide from your mom if you go to the supermarket with a friend?

I didn’t understand it at all, but I had no choice but to pretend to understand and move on.

No, I wanted to. I didn’t want to continue this exhausting conversation any longer.

“No, I like being with Mom better.”

And what always consoled me when I was upset over trivial things was the future.

Mirae wraps her arms around the back of my head and pulls me into her chest.

The outside air was a bit stuffy, but it smelled sweet, like someone had sprinkled a handful of sugar on it.

“Would your friend be upset?”

“Not now.”

“Then you say you like your friends in front of your friends?”

I know that I’m feeling very annoying and selfish towards the future.

You just spent the day with Tachibana yesterday, and today you’re complaining that you’re lonely because there’s no future.

It wasn’t the time to be talking about responsibility and such. It wasn’t the time to be nitpicking about Mirae being a bothersome woman.

“No, Mom will say yes.”

What do I want to be like in the future?

What kind of answer do I want to give to Mirae, who gives me an unwavering ‘like’?

“Mom.”

“Huh… ?”

Can I say that the feelings I feel now are the same as the feelings the future will feel?

I raised my head slightly and stared blankly into the future.

“What happened?”

The future that faces me with a faint smile on its lips.

At that moment, all the thoughts that had been jumbled up in my head flew away.

“No, there wasn’t. I guess I was a little tired.”

He blinked his eyelids and smiled bashfully.

It was the first time that Mirae had gone out for a whole day, so she was just a little flustered. The reason she felt a little uneasy after seeing her friend Mirae was because she didn’t know him yet.

Rather than that, you’re a friend to the future. Shouldn’t you at least prepare a party?

“I’ll wash up and come out soon. Let’s sleep together.”

“Yeah… … .”

Of course, I didn’t put it into practice because I thought it was too excessive.

No… To be honest, it was because I wanted to lie down with Mirae a little longer. If I throw a party, the time I can lie down with Mirae will decrease.

* * *

“Euh… … .”

A small park located behind the company.

I hug a flower pot filled with candy of various flavors hanging from it, and reminisce about the day while absentmindedly watching people passing by.

First of all, the trouble started when I brought candy to the guild to give to the chairman.

I brought it with me with the intention of stopping by the chairman’s office on the way home, but it received a lot of attention from the morning and I was bombarded with questions.

‘Mr. Haru, do you have a boyfriend?’

‘Mr. Iharu… They say the quiet cat is the first to climb into the hut. He pretends not to do anything but does everything… … .’

‘Well, you were popular in high school too.’

‘This day… .’

Even Hanna Yeon, who had gone to buy candy with me, was shocked, so I had to clean up the mess by myself.

Actually, it would have been okay if it ended there.

[You have an appointment today, so go first.]

A text message arrived right after I finished my guild work. The cold notice from the future dealt a fatal blow to my exhausted mind.

I clearly told you that I was going to meet the chairman.

He somehow replied absentmindedly, saying, “Yeah, yeah.” It seemed like his mind was elsewhere.

Of course, it’s fortunate that Mirae has friends. However, if she just hangs out every day like she does now, Mirae might end up going down a bad path…

I neglect my family relationships, I get home later and later, and before I know it, my ears are full of piercings…!

‘Hey, Mom, give me five thousand won. I need to buy a new piercing!’

“No!”

He shut his eyes tightly and shouted.

People glancing this way from afar.

I shook my head and erased the image of a bad future from my mind.

I should have just asked what kind of friends he was meeting… .

But if you ask that question, you might get a response like, “Who is your friend? Does your mom know?” and you might never be able to get up again.

Yeah, it’ll be the pink-haired girl again today. I don’t really get a bad feeling about her…

To calm my agitated mind, I fiddled with the candy pot on my lap.

“Sigh… .”

It’s been over ten minutes since I started waiting for the chairman.

You’re a person who keeps your promises like a sword, but is there something that needs to be taken care of urgently?

I kept turning my phone screen on and off out of worry, but then I made up my mind and called the chairman.

“Chairman… .”

[Yes, what’s going on?]

It seems that he was busy. Judging from the relaxed tone in the chairman’s voice.

“I called because you haven’t been coming out for a while… .”

[Ah, time is already…]

The clicking sound of a mouse echoes urgently.

“You’re busy, so it’s okay if you don’t want to come. Just leave it at the security office and go.”

[No. Wait a minute…]

Soon, a rather loud noise was heard, followed by the sound of clothes hangers rattling, and silence descended.

[I’ll go out for now.]

Did you prepare this in a hurry?

The chairman hung up the phone, gasping for breath.

And then wait again for about 5 minutes.

The chairman, dressed in a neat suit, came out of the back door of the company and looked around.

“Here it is! Here, here!”

As I shook my hips and waved my hands, the chairman noticed me and came over to me with quick steps.

“Making you wait… … .”

“No, I didn’t wait that long.”

The chairman quickly cut me off before he could apologize. Since I had nothing to do after work anyway, it was ambiguous to count the wait as 10 or 20 minutes.

“Rather than that, here. Thank you always for your convenience in many ways.”

I thought the chairman was busy, so I got to the point right away.

A fake tree the size of my forearm was filled with candies. I chose this candy because I thought it would look good on my desk in the office.

However, the chairman was not that busy, so he hesitated and lowered his head without accepting the candy.

“I feel so embarrassed. In the end, I couldn’t choose a candy… .”

“You weren’t doing any work and were just picking out candy?”

Were you so lost in thought that you missed the scheduled delivery time? You probably wouldn’t have even received the delivery in the first place.

No, if it was the chairman, he might have somehow resolved the issue of delivery. In the end, it doesn’t really matter since the choice itself was a failure.

“Oh, no. Most of the work is done, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Anyway, that’s fortunate. The chairman didn’t prepare anything.”

It’s better not to receive it at all. Even if it’s called a candy tree, it’s just a 20,000 won decoration bought at a convenience store. It’s more uncomfortable to receive something in return for giving something like this.

I placed a pot containing a tree in the chairman’s arms.

“Aren’t you happy? I thought the former chairman would receive it and smile.”

Although he happened to receive a flower pot, the chairman’s face did not brighten up.

It’s kind of funny because it kind of makes him look like he’s upset because he doesn’t like the gift.

“I’m happy. But… .”

The chairman muttered, unable to shake off his regret. If you’re happy, you should show it. The chairman was wearing a gloomy expression that was hard to believe even if you told him a hundred times that you were happy.

“Then let’s do it like this!”

I guess the solution will come down to me getting the candy.

I rummaged through my bag and took out the fruit candy I usually carried around. I gave it to the chairman, who looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“The chairman opens the package and gives it to me. That’s enough for me.”

“This is also a day’s supply of candy… .”

“It’s the chairman’s candy because it’s in the chairman’s hand. Now, hurry up!”

She urges him with her lips slightly parted, asking for candy.

The chairman opened the candy wrapper with a look of disapproval on his face, then stuffed the round orange candy between my slightly parted lips.

“Um… .”

My index finger, cool from the outside air but smooth and pleasant, touched my lips.

The finger didn’t leave until the sweet and refreshing scent of orange spread through his mouth.

Rather, it only increases the pressure by slightly pressing down on her lips.

“Chairman… ?”

“Ah… .”

The chairman was surprised and pulled his finger away when his lips were almost touching his gums.

“Your lips are colder than I thought… You must have waited a long time.”

The chairman, who had been flustered as if making excuses, smiled bitterly and rummaged through his suit jacket pockets.

“That’s….”

What came out of the chairman’s pocket was a hot pack, which can be commonly seen anywhere.

“When I’m in the office, my hands often get cold… Of course, it might be uncomfortable because it’s something I’ve used before… .”

The chairman speaks quickly while fiddling with a hot pack.

It’s still chilly once the sun starts to set. It’s hot during the day, so it’s hard to wear thick clothes. It would be nice to carry around something like a hot pack.

“It’ll still be warm, though. Because I was using it.”

The chairman quickly finished speaking and put a hot pack in my hand.

A hot pack that the chairman warmed up with his own body heat. It’s warm. Well, they say that the value of a hot pack increases a lot when it’s used.

I put the hot pack on my cheek and smiled faintly.

“Thank you… .”

To me, this felt like a more meaningful and precious gift than candy.

Warmth and a warm heart.

Because the most important things that should be included in a gift have been conveyed.