episode_0101

***

“So, customer… it hurts…”

“…….”

Despite the clerk’s pleas, Mr. Garam remained steadfast.

“Garam, what are you doing now?”

The sound of a tray falling caught her attention, and the clerk’s hand in hers was turning white due to lack of blood.

“…….”

Perhaps surprised by my shout, his eyes filled with resentment turned to my face and then returned to the clerk with fierce hatred.

“Put this aside!”

I grabbed Garam’s arm and tried to force it away, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Ah….”

On the contrary, the strength of the attack only increased, and the moaning sound coming from between the clerk’s lips became louder.

“Mr. Garam!”

Try applying a little more force. However, it still doesn’t come apart.

“Mr. Garam. Put this down. Otherwise, I will never see you again, Mr. Garam.”

“……”

At the ultimatum, she relaxed her grip.

When Mr. Garam let go of his hand, the clerk grabbed his arm and made a groaning sound.

“Sorry. This friend has some circumstances. I guess I misunderstood.”

I send Mr. Garam behind me and bow down in greeting.

I bow again to the other customers in the cafe and to the manager who comes out in a hurry after realizing the situation.

“Sorry. I’ll be leaving soon. Mr. Garam, please stay out.”

“Boss….”

Mr. Garam grabbed his sleeve.

I withdrew my arm and slapped her arm away.

“Please stay in the car first.”

With a popping sound, her body swayed slightly.

I turned around and faced her directly.

Her pupils were unusually trembling, and her lost hands clawed at the air.

It’s as if he thought he would understand his actions.

Faced with an unbelievable situation, my head hurt.

“I just… boss, that’s not it…”

Now I can finally see Mr. Garam’s original appearance.

“First of all, go first. I’m going to have a chat with the people here.”

Place your hand on her shoulder and give it a gentle push.

In a century when she would never have been pushed back, she took a step back.

I turned her around and guided her toward the doorway.

Even as her body was being pushed against me, she turned her head and tried to make eye contact with me.

However, I didn’t have the peace of mind to care about making eye contact with her.

This is because the thought of having to turn away the countless gazes that were pouring in was deeply entrenched in my mind.

She went out the door and was cut off by the glass window.

Perhaps because she couldn’t easily lose her footing, she was lingering in front of the front window, and when I motioned for her to go, she went to the car.

Her shoulders seemed small today as she walked away.

After kicking her out of the store, I turned and went to the store manager and staff.

“Once again, I am truly sorry.”

He bows again and offers his apology.

Before I knew it, the clerk was holding his red, swollen arm.

As I looked at that, my heart strangely felt heavy.

I repeatedly apologized to them and told them about Mr. Garam.

“Well… that friend had some circumstances, and it hurts a bit.”

“Ah, yes…”

The store manager agrees with a sad expression.

“So, there are times when he becomes violent. I didn’t do that often. I don’t know why I did that today.”

I have no choice but to disparage Mr. Garam.

“It’s minor compared to the pain and surprise, but… it’s in the sense of apology…”

I took out as much money as I could get from my wallet.

I handed a bundle of 50,000 won bills to the clerk.

“Actually, I cannot compensate you with money, but I still hope you will accept it.”

I add this so that people don’t think I’m paying money to cover it up.

The clerk waved his hands when he saw that I was paying a large amount of money, but I gave the money to him in an awkward manner, like a relative giving money to his nephew on New Year’s Day.

You won’t sue me or anything like that, right?

***

“Take a look!”

The store manager and clerk come to the door and say hello.

They were the ones who caused the accident, but they treated me so kindly… After all, it seems like money is the best.

Oh… what a waste of money. No matter how rich you are, anything that is a waste is a waste.

When I went to the Teodeokteodeok parking lot, I saw Mr. Garam standing quietly next to the car.

Ah… you didn’t give me the key.

Unlike my wallet, which became lighter, my heart became heavier.

“!!!”

Me and her recognized each other.

She moved her body hesitantly, as if she was trying to get to where I was, but I told her to stay there and increased her walking speed.

“I’m sorry. I forgot to give you the car keys.”

It may have been a short time, but I felt sorry for just leaving it outside.

I quickly opened the car door, and she quietly got into the passenger seat.

Sitting in the driver and passenger seats, we looked ahead.

A common parking lot in the city. There was no scenery like this.

Just a series of people and cars passing by.

The scenery outside the car is a continuation of daily life.

The situation inside the car is an extension of the extraordinary.

I felt at a loss, like I was holding on to a tangled thread.

A skein of thread that you can’t give up on cutting with scissors or unraveling.

“Mr. Garam. Why on earth did you do that?”

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want to hear an apology. I wonder why you did that.”

I hoped she would say that she had reacted that way because she had misunderstood the situation.

“Well, that woman was flirting with the boss…and even brought him a cake to seduce him…”

There was a lot I wanted to say, but I didn’t think it would be necessary to cut her off, so I decided to stay quiet.

“And then, if you become friends… I think the boss won’t even notice me…”

Mr. Garam’s voice gradually became quieter. He seems to have realized how nonsense he is saying.

“Well, then I’m lonely again…”

What is so sad? I can see the hand on my knee tightening.

If I do that, my knee will be shattered.

“Garam, first of all, the cake was given to all cafe customers as an evaluation of new products.”

“There’s no way I can become friends with the clerk just by eating that cake.”

Try to make her understand as much as possible and make her feel at ease.

Rather than just pushing her, soothe her and make her understand.

If there is a push and pull in dealing with people, this would be a push.

“But….”

“But, just the judge… You can’t use violence, Mr. Garam.”

He’s already strong.

Now it’s time to give her a little push.

“And even if I become friends with the clerk, it is not justifiable for Mr. Garam to use violence.”

“Yes? Are you saying we’re getting closer?”

He looks at me in surprise.

“You know better than that.”

“…….”

“Anyway, I think I would be very disappointed if Mr. Garam hits and hurts people like this. I was a little disappointed today.”

After finishing speaking, I started the car.

“I’m sorry. I really didn’t do well.”

After paying the parking fee, I was about to leave when Mr. Garam spoke quietly.

I tried to change the mood by making a smiling face.

“Please don’t apologize to me, but to the clerk later.”

“Yes. But, where are you going now?”

“That’s all for today.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll take you home.”

“Ah… Well… I was planning to exercise in the afternoon…”

That would be the case as originally planned, but what kind of exercise and activity would you do in an atmosphere like this?

I shook my head.

“No, I think it would be better for both of us if we stop here today.”

“That….”

She tried to say something, but didn’t get the words out.

The car ran like that and arrived in front of her now familiar house.

“Garam, we’re all here.”

“Boss. I didn’t do very well. I won’t do that again.”

She apologizes again. I tap her shoulder a couple of times.

“Yes. I’m reflecting on what happened today, and I can’t do it anymore, so don’t take it to heart too much.”

“So, you don’t hate me?”

“I don’t hate you. Don’t worry.”

He speaks strongly, as if to assure her, and now she smiles.

“Thank you. president. Then I’ll go home and ‘reflect’.”

She opened the passenger door, got out, and greeted me with a folder.

– See you tomorrow.

She said as she closed the passenger door.

***

“Honey, please go next door.”

As soon as I get home from work, my wife says something out of the blue.

“Why is the house next door suddenly?”

Mr. Kim Geon-woo asked his wife, who was very angry.

“I don’t know, it’s been making strange noises since a while ago. Noisily…”

Although he was secretly sad about having to help the head of the family who had just gotten home from work, he couldn’t refuse his lovely wife’s request, so he put on his slippers and went to the house next door.

– Thump thump thump

When I knocked on the peeling iron door, there was a roar from inside.

– Thump thump thump

“Hey.”

– Squeeze

The door swung open, and a woman’s voice came out through the crack in the door.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know what you’re doing, but I can hear the sound all the way to the house next door. Could you please be quiet?”

“Ah…”

The door opens wide.

“Sorry for being noisy.”

A woman wearing loose sleeveless tops and shorts bends her back.

“…Well, I hope you know better.”

In a hurry, Mr. Kim Geon-woo received her greeting and immediately returned to his house.

“…….”

“What are they saying next door? You said you would be quiet?”

His wife came and asked, but he pressed his back against the door and was breathing heavily.

“My, what did I just see?”

Mr. Geon-woo sat down on the floor, recalling the image of the woman next door with blood all over her body, as if she had been cut or torn by something.