Chapter 51: Overhearing A Mysterious Conversation
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As he spoke, the man circled the bench and leisurely took a seat next to Su-Jin.
Su-Jin, on the other hand, stared at him in disbelief. His sudden apparition took her by surprise and she was just now slowly recovering her wits. After finally calming down, she once again leaned back into the bench and resumed her former position.
"Don't you ever work?" she asked him with slight amusement in her voice.
"I could ask you the same thing." He retorted, shooting her a playful wink.
At that, Su-Jin broke into a laugh.
"Fair enough." Su-Jin conceded with a wave of her hand.
There was a pause as both of them stared at the sky for a moment. Su-Jin's lips still retained a small smile, while the man appeared to be all giddy as if he was in a very good mood.
He shot a couple of sideways glances at Su-Jin, before finally deciding to break the silence.
"So, what reason brings you to this marvelous rooftop garden?" he asked.
"I just wanted to take a breath of fresh air."
"That, and you probably created another fiasco in the office and are running away from it."
Su-Jin choked again.
"Oh, am I right?" he teased, his eyes twinkling brighter.
"Shut up! I am not such a public menace as to always…"
Su-Jin began to rebuke him, but at the sight of the man's heartfelt chuckle she immediately closed her mouth shut.
"If you say so, Miss Fiasco." He uttered between laughs.
"My name is not Miss Fiasco." Su-Jin retorted, scrunching up her nose in displeasure.
She wasn't offended. On the contrary, that nickname reminded her too much of how her brother always teased her about being a public menace.
"Then, what is your name?" the man suddenly asked.
Even though he had stopped laughing, his eyes were still full of mirth.
At the unexpected question Su-Jin turned her head with a snap. For the second time that day she moved so quickly that she almost strained her neck muscles. Letting out a soft wince, she brought her arm up to massage the back of her. While she moved, her eyes slowly shifted towards the man's face.
"Shouldn't you tell me your name first, before asking for mine? I believe that would be proper manners."
There was another short pause while the man pondered over Su-Jin's words. As if to show that he really was thinking it over, he propped one arm against the back of the bench, his fingers reaching to stroke his chin. Like that, he really portrayed the picture of pensive silence.
"Indeed, you are quite right about that." the man suddenly said after a short while. "My name is Ji-Su." He finished with a smile.
When presenting oneself for the first time, it was usually the norm to give the other person your full name. However, Ji-Su avoided mentioning his first name.
Of course, Su-Jin noticed that, but she had no intention of calling him out on it. Maybe he had personal reasons for only telling her his last name. They were only two strangers who happened to meet each other a few times by chance. Why would she make a big deal out of his manner of presentation?
As a consequence, after hearing his name, Su-Jin bowed her head slightly and replied in the same way.
"And I am Su-Jin."
Once she lifted her head again, Su-Jin's gaze settled on Ji-Su's handsome face.
A smile curved her lips into an attractive arc, reaching her eyes as well. They carried a warm brilliance, making Su-Jin's entire expression change charmingly. Shiny flecks dotted the black of her pupils, giving the impression of a velvety night sky adorned with little stars.
Ji-Su stared speechlessly at the sight before him, as if mesmerized by a fantastical creature. When he finally regained his voice, Ji-Su stretched out a hand towards her. At the same time, his face broke into a wide smile that curved his eyes into crescents.
"Nice to meet you, Su-Jin." he said softly.
Without missing a second, Su-Jin quickly raised her own hand, clasping it around his fingers.
"It's nice to meet you too, Ji-Su." she nodded in delight.
As her fingers brushed against his skin, Su-Jin felt a small tremor of happiness inside her heart. Ji-Su's fingers felt very warm and soft, his touch gentle, yet firm. There was something very pleasant about this person, a certain something that she really liked.
'I think I just made a new friend at my workplace. Such a wondrous thing happened today, I must really be lucky.' Su-Jin thought to herself.
Finally, after a brief moment of contact, Ji-Su slowly took back his hand. Despite being fleeting, the handshake left a warm imprint on Su-Jin's skin and she secretly wished it had lasted longer.
However, the idea of gaining a friend was so powerful that it pushed any other thoughts at the back of her mind. For now, she continued to indulge in the happiness given by her small achievement.
~~~
After Su-Jin left, she returned to her task of cleaning up the archive room.
Meanwhile, Ji-Su remained where he was. He showed no inclination of wanting to go back to work. On the contrary, he even found a more comfortable position for himself. With his arms raised and crossed at the back of his head, he laid down on the bench.
His movements were languid, appearing almost lazy. His attitude gave off a strong air of nonchalance and boredom. If anyone were to see him right then, they could swear the man was actually laying down on his own bed at home.
"Ah, this is so nice that I hardly want to move. I'll just prolong my break for a little bit longer. No one will miss me there anyway." He mumbled to himself.
Even before his last word could be swept by the wind, another voice broke the silence.
"Do I really have to do this?"
The voice belonged to a man. Based on its timber, the owner shouldn't have been much older than Ji-Su. Yet, the voice sounded quite strained and hoarse, as though the person was forcing himself to speak.
There was a short pause in which the person probably waited for the other party's reply.
Then, he spoke again. This time, he appeared to have resigned himself, for his voice sounded weak and almost choked.
"Alright, I understand. I will do as you instructed. Just.... give me a bit of time and you will have what you want."
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As he spoke, the man circled the bench and leisurely took a seat next to Su-Jin.
Su-Jin, on the other hand, stared at him in disbelief. His sudden apparition took her by surprise and she was just now slowly recovering her wits. After finally calming down, she once again leaned back into the bench and resumed her former position.
"Don't you ever work?" she asked him with slight amusement in her voice.
"I could ask you the same thing." He retorted, shooting her a playful wink.
At that, Su-Jin broke into a laugh.
"Fair enough." Su-Jin conceded with a wave of her hand.
There was a pause as both of them stared at the sky for a moment. Su-Jin's lips still retained a small smile, while the man appeared to be all giddy as if he was in a very good mood.
He shot a couple of sideways glances at Su-Jin, before finally deciding to break the silence.
"So, what reason brings you to this marvelous rooftop garden?" he asked.
"I just wanted to take a breath of fresh air."
"That, and you probably created another fiasco in the office and are running away from it."
Su-Jin choked again.
"Oh, am I right?" he teased, his eyes twinkling brighter.
"Shut up! I am not such a public menace as to always…"
Su-Jin began to rebuke him, but at the sight of the man's heartfelt chuckle she immediately closed her mouth shut.
"If you say so, Miss Fiasco." He uttered between laughs.
"My name is not Miss Fiasco." Su-Jin retorted, scrunching up her nose in displeasure.
She wasn't offended. On the contrary, that nickname reminded her too much of how her brother always teased her about being a public menace.
"Then, what is your name?" the man suddenly asked.
Even though he had stopped laughing, his eyes were still full of mirth.
At the unexpected question Su-Jin turned her head with a snap. For the second time that day she moved so quickly that she almost strained her neck muscles. Letting out a soft wince, she brought her arm up to massage the back of her. While she moved, her eyes slowly shifted towards the man's face.
"Shouldn't you tell me your name first, before asking for mine? I believe that would be proper manners."
There was another short pause while the man pondered over Su-Jin's words. As if to show that he really was thinking it over, he propped one arm against the back of the bench, his fingers reaching to stroke his chin. Like that, he really portrayed the picture of pensive silence.
"Indeed, you are quite right about that." the man suddenly said after a short while. "My name is Ji-Su." He finished with a smile.
When presenting oneself for the first time, it was usually the norm to give the other person your full name. However, Ji-Su avoided mentioning his first name.
Of course, Su-Jin noticed that, but she had no intention of calling him out on it. Maybe he had personal reasons for only telling her his last name. They were only two strangers who happened to meet each other a few times by chance. Why would she make a big deal out of his manner of presentation?
As a consequence, after hearing his name, Su-Jin bowed her head slightly and replied in the same way.
"And I am Su-Jin."
Once she lifted her head again, Su-Jin's gaze settled on Ji-Su's handsome face.
A smile curved her lips into an attractive arc, reaching her eyes as well. They carried a warm brilliance, making Su-Jin's entire expression change charmingly. Shiny flecks dotted the black of her pupils, giving the impression of a velvety night sky adorned with little stars.
Ji-Su stared speechlessly at the sight before him, as if mesmerized by a fantastical creature. When he finally regained his voice, Ji-Su stretched out a hand towards her. At the same time, his face broke into a wide smile that curved his eyes into crescents.
"Nice to meet you, Su-Jin." he said softly.
Without missing a second, Su-Jin quickly raised her own hand, clasping it around his fingers.
"It's nice to meet you too, Ji-Su." she nodded in delight.
As her fingers brushed against his skin, Su-Jin felt a small tremor of happiness inside her heart. Ji-Su's fingers felt very warm and soft, his touch gentle, yet firm. There was something very pleasant about this person, a certain something that she really liked.
'I think I just made a new friend at my workplace. Such a wondrous thing happened today, I must really be lucky.' Su-Jin thought to herself.
Finally, after a brief moment of contact, Ji-Su slowly took back his hand. Despite being fleeting, the handshake left a warm imprint on Su-Jin's skin and she secretly wished it had lasted longer.
However, the idea of gaining a friend was so powerful that it pushed any other thoughts at the back of her mind. For now, she continued to indulge in the happiness given by her small achievement.
~~~
After Su-Jin left, she returned to her task of cleaning up the archive room.
Meanwhile, Ji-Su remained where he was. He showed no inclination of wanting to go back to work. On the contrary, he even found a more comfortable position for himself. With his arms raised and crossed at the back of his head, he laid down on the bench.
His movements were languid, appearing almost lazy. His attitude gave off a strong air of nonchalance and boredom. If anyone were to see him right then, they could swear the man was actually laying down on his own bed at home.
"Ah, this is so nice that I hardly want to move. I'll just prolong my break for a little bit longer. No one will miss me there anyway." He mumbled to himself.
Even before his last word could be swept by the wind, another voice broke the silence.
"Do I really have to do this?"
The voice belonged to a man. Based on its timber, the owner shouldn't have been much older than Ji-Su. Yet, the voice sounded quite strained and hoarse, as though the person was forcing himself to speak.
There was a short pause in which the person probably waited for the other party's reply.
Then, he spoke again. This time, he appeared to have resigned himself, for his voice sounded weak and almost choked.
"Alright, I understand. I will do as you instructed. Just.... give me a bit of time and you will have what you want."
As he spoke, the man circled the bench and leisurely took a seat next to Su-Jin. Su-Jin, on the other hand, stared at him in disbelief. His sudden apparition took her by surprise and she was just now slowly recovering her wits. After finally calming down, she once again leaned back into the bench and resumed her former position. "Don't you ever work?" she asked him with slight amusement in her voice. "I could ask you the same thing." He retorted, shooting her a playful wink. At that, Su-Jin broke into a laugh. "Fair enough." Su-Jin conceded with a wave of her hand. There was a pause as both of them stared at the sky for a moment. Su-Jin's lips still retained a small smile, while the man appeared to be all giddy as if he was in a very good mood. He shot a couple of sideways glances at Su-Jin, before finally deciding to break the silence. "So, what reason brings you to this marvelous rooftop garden?" he asked. "I just wanted to take a breath of fresh air." "That, and you probably created another fiasco in the office and are running away from it." Su-Jin choked again. "Oh, am I right?" he teased, his eyes twinkling brighter. "Shut up! I am not such a public menace as to always" Su-Jin began to rebuke him, but at the sight of the man's heartfelt chuckle she immediately closed her mouth shut. "If you say so, Miss Fiasco." He uttered between laughs. "My name is not Miss Fiasco." Su-Jin retorted, scrunching up her nose in displeasure. She wasn't offended. On the contrary, that nickname reminded her too much of how her brother always teased her about being a public menace. "Then, what is your name?" the man suddenly asked. Even though he had stopped laughing, his eyes were still full of mirth. At the unexpected question Su-Jin turned her head with a snap. For the second time that day she moved so quickly that she almost strained her neck muscles. Letting out a soft wince, she brought her arm up to massage the back of her. While she moved, her eyes slowly shifted towards the man's face. "Shouldn't you tell me your name first, before asking for mine? I believe that would be proper manners." There was another short pause while the man pondered over Su-Jin's words. As if to show that he really was thinking it over, he propped one arm against the back of the bench, his fingers reaching to stroke his chin. Like that, he really portrayed the picture of pensive silence. "Indeed, you are quite right about that." the man suddenly said after a short while. "My name is Ji-Su." He finished with a smile. When presenting oneself for the first time, it was usually the norm to give the other person your full name. However, Ji-Su avoided mentioning his first name. Of course, Su-Jin noticed that, but she had no intention of calling him out on it. Maybe he had personal reasons for only telling her his last name. They were only two strangers who happened to meet each other a few times by chance. Why would she make a big deal out of his manner of presentation? As a consequence, after hearing his name, Su-Jin bowed her head slightly and replied in the same way. "And I am Su-Jin." Once she lifted her head again, Su-Jin's gaze settled on Ji-Su's handsome face. A smile curved her lips into an attractive arc, reaching her eyes as well. They carried a warm brilliance, making Su-Jin's entire expression change charmingly. Shiny flecks dotted the black of her pupils, giving the impression of a velvety night sky adorned with little stars. Ji-Su stared speechlessly at the sight before him, as if mesmerized by a fantastical creature. When he finally regained his voice, Ji-Su stretched out a hand towards her. At the same time, his face broke into a wide smile that curved his eyes into crescents. "Nice to meet you, Su-Jin." he said softly. Without missing a second, Su-Jin quickly raised her own hand, clasping it around his fingers. "It's nice to meet you too, Ji-Su." she nodded in delight. As her fingers brushed against his skin, Su-Jin felt a small tremor of happiness inside her heart. Ji-Su's fingers felt very warm and soft, his touch gentle, yet firm. There was something very pleasant about this person, a certain something that she really liked. 'I think I just made a new friend at my workplace. Such a wondrous thing happened today, I must really be lucky.' Su-Jin thought to herself. Finally, after a brief moment of contact, Ji-Su slowly took back his hand. Despite being fleeting, the handshake left a warm imprint on Su-Jin's skin and she secretly wished it had lasted longer. However, the idea of gaining a friend was so powerful that it pushed any other thoughts at the back of her mind. For now, she continued to indulge in the happiness given by her small achievement. ~~~ After Su-Jin left, she returned to her task of cleaning up the archive room. Meanwhile, Ji-Su remained where he was. He showed no inclination of wanting to go back to work. On the contrary, he even found a more comfortable position for himself. With his arms raised and crossed at the back of his head, he laid down on the bench. His movements were languid, appearing almost lazy. His attitude gave off a strong air of nonchalance and boredom. If anyone were to see him right then, they could swear the man was actually laying down on his own bed at home. "Ah, this is so nice that I hardly want to move. I'll just prolong my break for a little bit longer. No one will miss me there anyway." He mumbled to himself. Even before his last word could be swept by the wind, another voice broke the silence. "Do I really have to do this?" The voice belonged to a man. Based on its timber, the owner shouldn't have been much older than Ji-Su. Yet, the voice sounded quite strained and hoarse, as though the person was forcing himself to speak. There was a short pause in which the person probably waited for the other party's reply. Then, he spoke again. This time, he appeared to have resigned himself, for his voice sounded weak and almost choked. "Alright, I understand. I will do as you instructed. Just.... give me a bit of time and you will have what you want."
