***
“This is the place. I don’t see any better places than here.”
An office on the fourth floor in Nonhyun-dong.
Eunyoung entered the office, followed by the real estate agent.
The office seemed like it had been vacant for a long time, so there were mold stains here and there, and a quirky smell all over the place.
“Hmm.”
Eunyoung furrowed her eyebrows due to the unpleasant smell.
“Come over here and look at this, please.”
After the real estate agent noticed Eunyoung’s displeasure, she quickly led her to the window.
“This place has a great view.”
The agent smiled and quickly opened the blind for her. However, contrary to what the agent said, there was nothing visible because of the tall building in front of the office.
“I’m sorry, it’s not this side, it’s over there. Haha.”
The agent smiled awkwardly and opened the other side of the blind.
This time, half of the view was covered in trees, so she could only see half of the road.
“What do you think? Do you like it?”
The agent looked at Eunyoung with a smile as if he thought this place was the one for her.
“Is there anything else?” Eunyoung reluctantly asked.
“Hah…” The broker sighed loudly on purpose. “Honestly, it’s hard to find the office that you’re looking for with the money you have. Few people even know about this place but me. Hmm…”
Eunyoung’s expression hardened because of his distasteful cough.
“I don’t think anyone can actually work here. It looks like an old cabin on the mountain.”
“Did you just say an old cabin on the mountain? Hey, let me help you to realize your situation here. With the money you have, you can’t even afford a small apartment in this area. I think you’re too naïve.
“What, what? What did you just say? Hey, did you just say that I don’t know anything?”
“Do whatever you want. I don’t care whether or not you have a contract. You’re crazy to look for an office in Gangnam with that kind of money. Good luck with that.”
The broker left the office and Eunyoung behind alone.
“Wow…” Eunyoung could not say anything in frustration. “Stupid…”
She was trying to chase the agent right away, but at that moment, her cell phone rang.
“Who is it at this critical moment?”
Eunyoung raised her phone and checked the caller.
‘Bzzzzzzz,’
The caller’s ID was unknown on her phone screen.
Eunyoung was still watching her phone and did not return the call, seemingly reluctant about answering it.
After a while, the phone became quiet.
“Hah…”
After a moment of nervousness, Eunyoung finally exhaled a sigh of relief.
‘Bzzz.’
Then, a message came with a short vibration on her phone.
‘It’s a lot too late, but let’s start all over again…’
Her eyes wobbled after seeing the unexpected message.
With a long sigh, Eunyoung put her phone in her bag and stepped out of the office.
***
When Sun tried to open the office door, she hesitated.
‘There’s no more reason for us to see each other anymore.’
Her own cruel words to him and him nodding with a bitter smile kept coming to her mind.
Her eyelids trembled slightly when she closed her eyes.
“I didn’t have to say it like that to him…”
She had never regretted the words she had spoken to someone. However, she didn’t want people around her to worry about her anymore, so she took a moment to relax.
She looked up a few times and opened the door with the most energetic look she could have.
“I’m back!”
“… Hey, you’re here.” Hearing Sun’s bright greeting, Eunyoung replied weakly.
“What’s going on?” Sun asked carefully, feeling an unusual reaction from Eunyoung.
“… There is no place for us to move.” Ari, who was next to Eunyoung, intervened.
“What are you talking about?”
“The office.”
“…”
“Is it because of the money for rent?”
“That’s not the only thing of concern.”
“… Let’s be quiet. I don’t want to think about it now.”
Eunyoung, who had a stern look on her face, pushed her forehead with her hands.
“Why can’t we just stay here?” Ari carefully started speaking.
“Honestly, it’s not easy to find a big enough place with air-conditioning and heating. I also like the security system with the card at the entrance.”
Ari looked at the employee card around her neck and spoke with a sad look.
Sun felt so sorry for Ari and Eunyoung as she looked at them.
“Please stop saying nonsense, Ari. This decision is on me, okay?” Eunyoung said it boldly, but when Sun looked at Eunyoung’s face, Sun knew that Eunyoung didn’t seem to have any alternatives.
“If we don’t have any options, then we can go back to the basement office where we used to stay before we moved in here,” Sun said.
“You mean the humid basement…”
Eunyoung quickly stared at Ari. Eunyoung’s crumpled expression in frustration didn’t seem to get better thereafter.
Then, Eunyoung’s cell phone vibrated.
Looking at her cell phone without answering the phone, Eunyoung seemed nervous,
“Are you not going to take the call?” Ari asked, in doubt.
“Huh? Oh, yes.”
However, Eunyoung was only looking at her cell phone, like she was nervous.
“Huh…”
Her expression was relieved after she confirmed the caller, but she still had a sense of doubt with her.
Ari started to speak as she watched Eunyoung.
“What’s so complicated? Who is it?”
“Nothing, it’s just one of my friends.”
Eunyoung rose from her seat while glancing at Sun.
“Hello.”
Eunyoung quickly left the office while talking on the phone.
“Huh? Why does she have to go out to answer the phone?”
Ari looked at the door while squinching her eyes.
“No way…. her ex-husband?”
Ari said, making a fuss about it. Sun approached and knuckled her head.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
“If it was him, would she have answered the call?”
“I guess you’re right, but why does she do things she would never do? I don’t understand.”
Ari still looked curious while tilting her head.
“Me neither…”
Sun was also worried about Eunyoung and looked at the door where Eunyoung had left.
“I don’t know. We just have to go back to work. Here it is. The one you’ve asked last time.”
Ari handed out a box with an apple cutter, a banana cutter, and a pineapple corer.
“Thank you.” Sun smiled and reached out.
Suddenly, however, she had this sudden pain in her shoulder like electricity fled through it, so she dropped the box.
“Oops, I’m sorry.”
Ari thought she had missed the box, so she quickly picked things up from the floor.
“No, I’m sorry too.”
Sun sat and tried to pick things up too, but she felt a twinging pain in her shoulder again.
The pain in her stiff shoulder was getting worse than before. However, Sun endured the pain while biting her lower lip tightly.