Chapter 24: 13.1

“Would you like to eat ramyeon again tomorrow?”

Woo-hyun asked, after they had ramyeon for lunch. After looking at Woo-hyun for a long time, Yoo-hwa said, ‘Yeah.’; and starting with that, they ate ramyeon together occasionally.

The place was still on the stone steps in front of the house, and the only thing they ate was ramyeon, but neither Yoo-hwa nor Woo-hyun expressed their dissatisfaction. While the two ate ramyeon, they sporadically shared small stories about the weather, the grandma, etc.

But there were more times when they were silent. The stories to be told were limited, and no one talked about the past as if they had agreed on it. The silence changed from a choking discomfort to something tolerable.

Woo-hyun sometimes went to the office with the excuse that he was going to do a day job. He changed his clothes on the way back, after doing the things that had been delayed and receiving the report from Jun-kyung. He changed into clothes that were old and shabby, clothes that were about to be thrown away.

Jun-kyung tried not to show it as much as possible, but he still didn’t like the idea that Woo-hyun was wearing such clothes. And, as usual, Woo-hyun didn’t pay much attention to Jun-kyung’s intentions.

Urgent matters were dealt with by talking on the phone with Jun-kyung. Woo-hyun, who briefly talked to Jun-kyung today, looked at Yoo-hwa through the small window in the room.

Having a meal with him seemed to be quite natural now. Although her expression did not show it, her wariness, as sensitive as an herbivore, had softened a lot more than before.

Woo-hyun raised his head and looked at the sky. They said it would rain this afternoon. The weather forecast came true when Woo-hyun pushed the door to come out. With great timing, a drop or two of rain began to fall and wet the ground.

“It’s raining.”

Woo-hyun looked up at the sky and spoke, as if he had become aware only now. He frowned.

“… Seems like it.”

Yoo-hwa pursed her lips. Woo-hyun briefly glanced at Yoo-hwa and then turned his gaze back to the sky.

“It’s impossible to eat outside like this… What should we do?”

The ramyeon was ready.

Woo-hyun spoke as if hinting at it and stared at Yoo-hwa. He naturally passed the decision-making authority to Yoo-hwa. That was the extent to which he pushed it himself. All that was left was for Yoo-hwa to walk towards him on her own.

Yoo-hwa looked alternatively between the sky and Woo-hyun with a puzzled expression, and then clutched the kimchi container as if she had made a decision.

“… Still, we already prepared it, so let’s eat together.”

“Where?”

Woo-hyun, who got the answer he wanted, asked with a soft smile.

“Anywhere.”

“…”

“It doesn’t matter as long as the door is open.”

“…”

“Because I can’t be misunderstood by other people.”

Yoo-hwa added something and made an excuse, but it made no sense. They knew better than anyone that except for them and the grandma with dementia, there was no one else there.

“Alright.”

However, Woo-hyun did not ask anything. The wall that Yoo-hwa had built was not going to break even if he pushed it with all his might. It was close to a wall of ice that had to be melted slowly from a distance.

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“Then let’s eat at my house. The cup ramyeon is in my house anyway.”

“Yeah. It will be hot…”

Adding one more reason, Yoo-hwa went to his house. Yoo-hwa entered his house with awkward steps. The inside of the house was so empty that she felt sorry to say it was plain. All she could see was a desk, a luggage bag, and a blanket.

Yoo-hwa’s expression as she looked at his house, which gave a feeling that it wouldn’t be weird even if he left right away, was unclear.

“You must be tired today.”

Woo-hyun spoke to Yoo-hwa while sitting in front of the small table and taking off the lid of the cup ramyeon. As if asking what he meant, Yoo-hwa looked at Woo-hyun.

“Because you look like that.”

“Are you saying that my expression is somber?”

Yoo-hwa asked in a sinking voice. Woo-hyun nodded his head lightly. Yoo-hwa stirred the ramyeon with the chopsticks instead of answering, and then opened her mouth after a while.

“The lady next door is moving.”

“Is that so?”

Although Woo-hyun already knew, he asked as if it were the first time he heard it.

“Yeah. She said she couldn’t stay here.”

“It must be inconvenient to take the grandma.”

“Yeah. So, she’s moving next week. Her relatives said they would help. She shouldn’t be taken to a place where the security is not good…”

“It must have been difficult to take care of the grandma with dementia.”

At Woo-hyun’s words, asking if it wasn’t better like this, Yoo-hwa’s expression collapsed a little.

“… It’s a lie to say it wasn’t difficult, but there were more good times.”

Focusing on the cup ramyeon, Yoo-hwa’s expression slowly softened.

“Still…”

Because there was someone next to her. Because even if they didn’t share a conversation, even if they didn’t make eye contact, the warmth was still transmitted through their skin.

Unable to say it, Yoo-hwa shoved the ramyeon into her mouth. Woo-hyun stared at Yoo-hwa, who swallowed her emotions with the ramyeon, with calm eyes.

To Yoo-hwa, the grandma was like a crutch. She was the only person on whom Yoo-hwa, who was thrown out by everyone, unknowingly relied on.

How would she react if she found out the truth? That he was the one who gave money to the old lady and sent her away?

“Eat a lot.”

Unlike Woo-hyun’s cold expression, he spoke in a soft voice.

That’s how she will struggle and hold on to him.

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