Chapter 59. The Sound Youth Makes When It Drowns (15)

As the staff flipped the meat on the grill with kitchen tongs, a sharp sizzle echoed and juices began to spill out.

While Eunkyo was out to the pharmacy, Park Seungjoo, now on his third glass of wine, turned to Haeda and asked,

“That guy who followed her out just now—he’s the basement tenant, right?”

Haeda, who had been staring intently at the grill, picked up the tongs and moved some abalone to the edges. He joked to the staff that he preferred his abalone medium rare.

His silence didn’t sit well with Seungjoo, who was beginning to get irritated.

“From the looks of it, that kid’s totally into Eunkyo… Am I wrong? It sure felt like something was going on between them.”

Finally, Haeda lifted his gaze from the grill.

“Hyung.”

“Yeah?”

Seungjoo leaned forward, nodding as if to say, I’m listening.

“Don’t you know the saying? ‘Neighbors are closer than distant relatives.’”

“Come on… don’t treat me like an idiot. That kid’s not just some neighbor. Do you know what he said to me when he came looking for you?”

“You met him? Privately?”

“Yeah, it just happened. And man… this little brat told me not to call Eunkyo while she was asleep. Said I was being ‘disruptive.’ Can you believe it?”

With an unusually cold expression, Haeda asked,

“So?”

“What do you mean ‘so’? It was ridiculous, that’s what. But the kid acts like some guard dog. A mutt who only knows one master.”

Seungjoo let out a dry laugh at his own words and sipped more wine. Haeda sighed.

“Hyung, try to understand. I’ll apologize on his behalf. He’s just a kid.”

“Why should you apologize? Kids these days are just… shameless. They can endure injustice, but not personal disadvantage. He was just being territorial.”

“Maybe. But didn’t Eunkyo already turn you down and apologize? Then you should move on, too. She’s not the type to be swayed just because some guy’s persistent. Honestly… she just wasn’t into you.”

When even Haeda started siding with Jaeheon, Seungjoo had nothing more to say. He stuffed a piece of grilled meat in his mouth and grumbled that he should never have agreed to the blind date setup in the first place. Then, suddenly, he tapped the table with his chopsticks.

“Oh, by the way—I saw Lee Dohyun recently. That bastard’s still alive and well.”

“What?”

“Seems like he’s making the rounds, maybe prepping for some business. He’s been showing up at clubs, cozying up to the CEOs I know. Didn’t he date Eunkyo for a long time?”

“Yeah. They broke up though.”

“Oh yeah?”

“How did you know?”

“Who didn’t? They were that famous couple on campus.”

Hearing that Seungjoo knew about Eunkyo and Dohyun’s past drained the color from Haeda’s face. If he’d known, he wouldn’t have introduced them in the first place.

Knowing Seungjoo’s personality, he definitely would’ve brought it up—wearing his polite smile while saying all kinds of crap like, “The past doesn’t matter,” and pretending it was no big deal.

“Anyway, since you’re her friend, tell her. Dating someone that much younger when you’re over thirty—it can look weird.”

“She’s not dating him. And come on, hyung. Don’t be such a fossil. You sound like someone’s grumpy old uncle.”

“Fine, I’m a boomer, whatever! Still, you should be grateful to me, kid. Who got you that money-making gig? Remember how I helped you score that holiday bonus?”

“Yeah, yeah, thank you, thank you. Can I eat in peace now? Why are you so obsessed with someone who clearly said no?”

“I told you she was my type! You should’ve introduced her to me way earlier—ugh!”

Everyone has multiple faces. Park Seungjoo was no exception. Publicly, he wore the mask of a young, successful CEO. But in private, he was just a whiny, ordinary guy.

When drunk, he got soft—sometimes stopping by the convenience store to clear out the cat food aisle, sometimes passing out on a park bench and waking up soaked in morning dew.

It was those human cracks and flaws that made Haeda think he’d be a good match for Eunkyo. If someone was too perfect, she might just keep comparing them to Lee Dohyun.

But in the end, the person Jung Eunkyo chose… was Lee Jaeheon.

Of all people.

“Sorry, I was looking for a pharmacy that was still open.”

Eunkyo returned, her expression much brighter than when she had left. Across the way, Jaeheon’s group also welcomed him back with loud cheers.

Seungjoo, who had been sulking just moments earlier, now wore a soft smile as if nothing had happened, gently taking her hand.

“Burns take a while to heal. Doesn’t it sting when it gets wet?”

“Yeah, a bit… but the wound isn’t that bad. I think it’ll heal quickly.”

“If it leaves a scar, let me know. I’ll take you to a good dermatologist.”

“No, it’s fine. I hope I didn’t kill the vibe.”

“Of course not. Oh look, everything’s cooked—please, eat.”

This—this is what real adult social survival looks like. Haeda quietly stacked perfectly grilled meat onto Eunkyo’s plate while watching the two of them pretend like nothing happened.