Stranger - Chapter 21.2

…

The quality of the buffet looked good, and I was hungry since I had been busy this morning. As I was putting food on my plate, I saw Yeon Woojeong’s plate and clicked my tongue. It was a small sound, but it made him look back at me.

“I haven’t done picking.”

“I know.”

If he had done with picking his food, it wouldn’t have ended with just a click of the tongue. After checking to see if he’d loaded up on more food, I headed over to the steak section. The steaks were grilled on the spot, plate by plate.

“Mr. Yeon, I’ll get yours. You can go sit first.”

“Alright. I’ll be over there by the pillar.”

“Okay.”

I followed Yeon Woojeong’s back with my eyes before looking away. Thick slices of meat sizzled on the grill. Although the meat wasn’t huge, it seemed like a good amount for me, since I was sure Yeon Woojeong would leave some of his behind if he ate it with other food. 

Soon, two plates of steak arrived, and I moved the steaks to my plate. As I walked away with my plate, I saw other people sitting next to Yeon Woojeong. I assumed they were his friends. As I got closer, I heard the voice of a man sitting diagonally across from Yeon Woojeong.

“You’re the only one left of the three musketeers. Seriously, when will you get married? It’s a tragedy to grow old and die alone. A man should have a wife.”

What a strange thing marriage is. Everyone married, and that man, too, but he became arrogant just because he did it. I hastened my steps, set my plate down on the table, and pulled out my chair. The man was Kim Jihun. It was the first time I had seen him since Kim Sarang’s wedding, and I thought it was quite a talent that he didn’t change at all.

“You’re the same as always.”

“What?”

Kim Jihun became dumbfounded and looked at me. After moving a slice of steak onto Yeon Woojeong’s plate as he smiled at me, I checked his plate. Perhaps waiting for me, he hadn’t touched his food.

“Who… Oh? You? The one from that time?”

Kim Jihun quickly gave me a scan. I ignored his gaze and picked up my fork. I cut the steak into large pieces and put it in my mouth. The meat was tender, oozing juices with each bite. Yeon Woojeong looked at me questioningly, and I nodded to express that it was delicious.

“Are you still… hanging around? I mean…”

Kim Jihun’s gaze stayed on me. I swallowed the thing in my mouth and then glanced at his plate.

“Are you not eating? It’ll get cold.”

“…”

“Mr. Yeon, do you want me to get you some water?”

Yeon Woojeong replied that it was okay. Finally, Kim Jihun shut up, and I could hear murmurs from the side asking about me, but I ignored them.

“The food in this place is really good.”

“Mhm, it is. How about we go eat at this place next time? It says this buffet has a restaurant.”

“Sure. Try this.”

We exchanged food that wasn’t on each other’s plates. Each one was delicious, but I made sure not to eat too much. As I emptied my plate, I checked the inside of my suit from time to time. I felt nervous whenever I felt the bulge behind it.

“Oh! Mr. Yeon, you know Assistant Manager Jang’s baby? He’s having his first birthday party already.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Time’s sure fast.”

“I know. I feel it was just yesterday you told me that he’s having a baby. What did you catch on your doljabi?”

(TN: doljabi is a tradition at the first birthday party. The baby is placed in front of various items and then the baby will choose one item. The chosen item will kind of predict the future of the baby.)

“Me? I don’t know. I think it was a pencil.”

“A pencil? Not a spoon?” 

With a smirk, Yeon Woojeong pointed to my almost empty plate. I replied to his playful remark, “This is a fork.” After clearing away the last of the food, I put the fork down. I thought it was time to get up. 

With that, we got up from our seats. After buttoning my jacket and putting on my coat, I extended my hand to Kim Jihun. I didn’t really want to greet him, but I wanted to keep him from saying something to Yeon Woojeong.

“It was great to see you again.”

“Uh… Yeah, sure.”

Looking at me, Yeon Woojeong smirked before walking away to say farewell to his friends. I let go of Kim Jihun’s hand and then followed Yeon Woojeong.

Outside, the heat of the sun was waning. It was relatively mild today. I sniffed the cool air and climbed into the car. I made sure Yeon Woojeong was in the passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt before we set off.

“Let’s take a walk around here a bit.”

“Sure. Did you do your hair?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you do it alone? You did well.”

“I grew up watching you.”

Yeon Woojeong reached out his hand and touched my cheek. The road was deserted because it was far from the city center. As I drove down the empty road, I replayed the route in my mind. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yeon Woojeong. With his usual face, he was looking out the window.

“How do you feel, Mr. Yeon?”

“Feel what?”

“I heard you’ll feel strange when a friend you’ve known since childhood gets married.”

“Well, it wasn’t a big thing to make me feel strange.”

It was an indifferent answer, but it didn’t feel cold. A statement with just the right amount of distance. I guessed that was to be expected. Kim Sarang had married first, and many of his acquaintances had married, so it shouldn’t be anything new to him.

“Why? Are you feeling strange?”

Yeon Woojeong asked back, and I peered into my feelings. Rather than feeling strange…

“No, I’m only amazed.”

“About what?”

“Although she isn’t my friend, this is my first time coming to a wedding of someone I’ve known for a long time.”

“I see. You’re going to have many of your acquaintances married from now on.”

I nodded in agreement. Some people my age were already dating with the idea of marriage. I remembered how Lee Cheolwoo and his girlfriend had asked me to accept the bouquet when they got married.

The lake came into view and Yeon Woojeong’s gaze fell on the calm waters. He tapped his nail on the window.

“This place is…”

He seemed to be unsure. As we drove further, the Ferris wheel appeared. The colorful Ferris wheel was still there. Yeon Woojeong stared at the Ferris wheel before looking back at me.

“This place was close by?”

“Yeah. I guess friends are friends, they got married in the same area.”

Yeon Woojeong laughed even though it wasn’t funny. I pulled up in front of the café with the Ferris wheel. Letting out a long breath as I dusted off my suit and coat, I could feel my heart beating. I got out of the car and went to stand next to Yeon Woojeong, who was looking around the café.

“Let’s get a coffee and get on that.”

“Sure. Nothing’s changed here.”

“Yeah. The owner must take good care of it.”

Upon entering, we were greeted by a server. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was quite cozy inside. The yellow lighting and wooden furniture gave the place a somewhat dated feel, but not worn out.

“Mr. Yeon, americano, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Warm?”

“Mmm.”

“Drink the warm one.”

“Then why did you ask?”

Yeon Woojeong smiled and poked me on my flank. I grabbed his finger, let it go, and then ordered our coffee. Two hot cups of coffee soon arrived. I told the server that we wanted to take the Ferris wheel, and she led us outside. We boarded the Ferris wheel, which felt smaller than ever. It seemed like we were the only guests taking this ride.

“Is yours americano too?”

“Yeah.”

“Ah, this makes me sad.”

“What?”

“I feel it was just yesterday that you said coffee was bitter and looked only for sweet drinks.”

“It was a long time ago.”

“How could you say it was a long time ago?”

Yeon Woojeong muttered weakly, and I was perplexed because his expression truly looked sad. Making a note to myself that I should never say what I just said earlier in the future, I reached out my hand and touched his knee. To my relief, he seemed to feel better quickly. 

The Ferris wheel slowly rose, and we looked out the window. The smell of coffee wafted through the air, and the lake was framed by a small window.