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Chapter 2
It was truly unbelievable.
Beomjin attracted attention wherever he went.
With that height, that build, and that face, it would have been stranger if he didn’t draw attention.
Men and women, young and old—even the so-called cultists—took an interest in him. As a result, Beomjin attracted people from the “Do You Know the Way?” variety and the “Guaranteed Health and Longevity Products” variety like a magnet.
Thanks to him, Sui had not only witnessed the infamous heated-floor-mat sales scam she’d previously only heard about in urban legends, but had even experienced the rare honor of being recruited as a salesperson herself.
At least today’s just a standard cult evangelist.
Whether that counted as fortunate or not was another matter.
“Your ancestors are extremely angry,” the woman said. “Haven’t your shoulders been feeling unusually heavy lately?”
“Hmm. A little?”
The woman clapped her hands sharply.
“See? I knew it! One of them is sitting on your shoulders right now. Your grandfather is very upset. He’s asking why you haven’t provided him with travel expenses for his journey to the afterlife.”
“My grandfather’s still alive.”
“Oh my! Then longevity must run in your family. I thought he was your grandfather, but he says he’s actually your great-grandfather.”
“Ah.”
The closer their conversation came to her ears, the more irritated Sui became.
Even after she’d warned him countless times, he was still listening attentively to a stranger who had approached him out of nowhere.
Beomjin was incapable of refusing requests almost as much as she was.
Whenever she said that, people would either look shocked or confused.
They’d say that when Beomjin went silent and stared at someone with his expressionless face, a chill ran down their spine and their body froze.
Who could possibly withstand that sharp, icy gaze?
But Sui couldn’t agree.
To her, Beomjin was just a somewhat absent-minded boy who always looked like he was fighting off sleep.
His eyes happened to be naturally sharp, so apparently other people saw him differently.
In any case, Beomjin rarely managed to brush off people who approached him.
As a result, countless people wasted his time, and in the end it always fell to Sui to grab his hand and drag him away.
That had been the pattern between them for years.
Shouldn’t he have learned by now? He’s smart enough.
So why was he still getting caught up like this?
…Then again, she wasn’t exactly in a position to criticize.
Hadn’t she herself pulled an all-nighter because she couldn’t refuse her team leader’s request?
And as a bonus, she’d had to endure the district office employee assigned to the project constantly trying to flirt with her.
But Sui had her own reason for being unable to refuse such requests.
…Because sometimes she wondered if it might be her father.
Birds of a feather flock together, huh.
Maybe that was why she’d remained friends with Dokgo Beomjin for over ten years.
Thinking that, Sui approached the man and woman standing face-to-face.
“You’re already out here?”
Smiling brightly, Sui took hold of Beomjin’s hand.
His long, thick fingers naturally wrapped around hers.
I wish he’d get as used to rejecting people as he is to holding my hand.
As if unaware of her thoughts, Beomjin smiled when their eyes met.
As though he’d been waiting for her.
“Oh my, you’re a couple! That’s wonderful! Salvation is even better when received alongside the person you love rather than alone.”
“Your relationship with your family isn’t very good, is it?”
“…Pardon? What do you mean by that?”
Sui stared directly into the woman’s eyes.
As if she were peering at someone hidden inside them.
“That’s why you’re hurting so much. And to forget that sadness, you deliberately chose a job where you’re constantly active.”
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about. Hoho. Why don’t we go somewhere and talk properly? Our temple happens to be nearby—”
“There’s someone sitting on your shoulder too. A woman who’s not exactly young, crying tears of blood.”
The woman’s eyes widened at Sui’s words, then began trembling.
“I-Is that true? Wait, can you actually see things?”
“She says instead of wasting time doing this, you should comfort her first. Otherwise something dangerous will happen.”
Having casually thrown out the remark, Sui tugged on Beomjin’s hand.
“Come on, let’s go.”
“W-Wait! Hold on! How did you know that? Tell me before you leave!”
The woman’s desperate cries followed them from behind, but Sui ignored her and quickened her pace.
You do this long enough and you start developing skills.
“A woman who’s not exactly young” was a magical phrase.
Almost everyone had someone who fit that description—a relative, acquaintance, or loved one who had passed away.
She’d reached the point where she could practically toy with people.
The problem was the absent-minded Dokgo Beomjin still standing there looking completely innocent.
“I told you to ignore people like that or leave immediately when they approach you.”
Putting on a stern expression, Sui continued walking while looking ahead.
She didn’t see the look in Beomjin’s eyes as he stared at their joined hands.
How obsessive.
How greedy.
“Okay.”
“Then why didn’t you leave this time?”
“I was worried we’d miss each other.”
“Huh?”
Sui turned her head.
“It was about time for you to arrive, so I was waiting.”
In an instant, all traces of those thick, lingering emotions vanished from Beomjin’s gaze.
His eyes looked bright and pure.
“I heard there have been suspicious people around here lately.”
Thump.
Sui forcefully ignored the sudden pounding of her heart.
For more than ten years, they had never drifted apart.
Friends.
Neighbors.
Constant companions.
A relationship where this level of concern wasn’t strange at all.
At present, the person closest to being “family” to Sui was Beomjin.
And perhaps it was the same for him.
His mother had passed away early, and his father, a lawyer, was so busy that he was rarely home.
As a result, the two of them had spent most of their time together since their first year of high school.
They went to and from school together.
They ate dinner together whenever possible.
Sometimes they even had breakfast together.
They attended the same university.
Even after entering the workforce, their lives remained much the same.
They couldn’t spend as much time together as they had during their school days because of their schedules.
But one thing hadn’t changed.
The person each of them spent the most time with was still the other.
“Come on, it’s morning. It’s broad daylight.”
“Still. This area doesn’t get many people.”
“…If you’re late for work because of this, don’t blame me.”
Beomjin looked at her as if to say, Isn’t that obvious?
When had she started becoming conscious of him?
Of Beomjin, who treated looking after her as the most natural thing in the world.
Sui quickly shook her head.
Don’t be ridiculous.
Their relationship would never change.
Just as it never had before.
“Working the afternoon shift?”
At Beomjin’s question, Sui nodded.
“I didn’t sleep at all. Luckily the paperwork wasn’t too complicated. Otherwise I’d probably still be working right now.”
She smiled despite her obvious exhaustion.
Beomjin silently watched her for a moment before reaching out.
Pat.
His large hand landed atop her small head.
“W-What are you doing?”
But Beomjin said nothing.
He simply stroked her hair.
He was never the type to chatter endlessly or make a fuss.
He just listened quietly and offered silent comfort.
Just like now.
His fingers gently combed through her hair.
The pleasant sensation spreading from his touch made Sui close her eyes without realizing it.
Despite his absent-minded appearance, Dokgo Beomjin was surprisingly attentive.
Sometimes…
He made her want to lean on him.
“When you get to the office, don’t let them do this to you again, okay? If they keep dumping all the difficult work on you, I’ll report them to HR. And don’t stay late trying to handle everything by yourself like last time. Got it?”
When Beomjin didn’t answer, Sui slowly opened her eyes.
“Why aren’t you responding?”
“Then you have to promise me too.”
“Me?”
“You just came home after doing your team leader’s work for them.”
“Ah…”
She had no comeback for that.
Embarrassed, Sui felt her cheeks grow warm.
“You suddenly become good with words every once in a while, don’t you?”
Shrugging, Beomjin stared straight into her eyes.
Silently waiting for the answer he wanted while staring at the other person was one of Beomjin’s habits.
“…Fine.”
“And if you get off work late at night or early in the morning, call me.”
Why is my heart acting like this? Seriously.
Sui bit her lip and looked away.
Seeing that reaction, Beomjin’s brow furrowed slightly in dissatisfaction.
“An Sui.”
His long, thick fingers gently lifted her chin.
