Churu for the Angry Guide

57

With the secretary’s active permission, Siwoo decided to stay longer at the Baekya Guild’s accommodation. No specific time limit was set.

At first, he thought he was being asked to leave when told that Geonho would be staying at the accommodation. However, he was inwardly relieved to see the secretary’s welcoming attitude, saying he could stay as long as he wanted.

Siwoo wanted to have at least some conversation with Geonho while staying at the accommodation. It seemed like there wouldn’t be another chance if not now.

The secretary had an early dinner with Siwoo and left. Seojun said he wouldn’t be coming in today, and Jihan also didn’t show up.

I wonder what that Yoo Jihan is up to.

Siwoo frowned as he looked out the darkening window. It was already almost time to go to bed.

Staring blankly at the clock hands approaching midnight, he left the room again under the pretext of going to the bathroom. Even though he had just gone 10 minutes ago. Since Geonho arrived, Siwoo had been constantly wandering between the bathroom and the living room.

“Where did the remote go?”

He looked for the remote of the living room TV he had never watched before, glancing up at the second floor.

There was no sign of anyone upstairs, to the point where he wondered if there really was someone there. It was just as quiet as if it were empty.

Surely he didn’t leave through the window?

Slowly approaching the stairs one step at a time, he carefully looked at the room at the far right end of the corridor. It was Geonho’s room.

Thinking that he wouldn’t have disobeyed his brother’s orders, Siwoo climbed the stairs one by one. It didn’t seem like he had left; he was probably lying in bed or asleep. There was no TV sound either.

“The remote… I can’t find it.”

Even while climbing the stairs, he pretended to look around for the remote. Although there was no one watching, he kept glancing around, acting cautious.

He kept up the pretense of looking for the remote until he reached Geonho’s door.

“…”

Siwoo closed his mouth tightly as he arrived at the door. Hiding even his breathing, he gently pressed his ear to the door.

As expected, the room was quiet. Only a settled silence could be detected.

What on earth is he doing in there? Not even eating.

His temperament made him want to barge in and shout at him to eat, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Rustle.

Instead, he placed a chocolate bar he had brought in his pocket near Geonho’s door. After hesitating, he added a few vitamin candies. They were the mysterious candies he had received in the hospital room.

Siwoo pushed the snacks closer to the door before returning to his room. As he went down the stairs, he kept glancing at the door, but there was still no sign of it opening.

The next day, Siwoo, who had been tossing and turning until late at night, overslept again.

He got up after checking the clock, rubbing his heavy eyelids. It was just lunchtime.

Pressing down his messy hair with his hands, he opened the door. He was going to the bathroom first, but he heard movement from the kitchen. Siwoo turned towards the kitchen as if entranced by the sound.

“You just woke up?”

Seojun, who had just closed the refrigerator, tilted his head as he saw Siwoo. Seojun was already dressed and ready to go to work. Or maybe he had returned after working all night.

A faint disappointment crossed Siwoo’s face upon seeing Seojun. It wasn’t the person he had expected.

“When did you come in?”

“During the day. Not long ago.”

It seemed he had come after working the night shift. However, he didn’t look like someone who hadn’t slept. He looked as if he had slept well.

“You’ll eat bread, right?”

Seojun pointed to a plate piled high with toast on the table. Judging by the amount, it seemed he had toasted an entire bag of bread.

“I just made it.”

He put jam and milk he had taken out of the refrigerator on the table. His attitude suggested he assumed Siwoo would eat too.

Siwoo felt slightly disgruntled at being treated like a glutton but sat down at the table anyway. The smell of freshly toasted bread was overwhelmingly appetizing.

“Do you drink coffee?”

“I don’t.”

Siwoo’s eyes were fixed only on the bread. As soon as he sat down, he picked up the edge of a steaming piece of toast and blew on it to cool it down.

Seojun, who had brewed coffee, sat opposite Siwoo. Siwoo was hurriedly eating the bread before the person who had made it. Even though it must still be hot, he chewed the bread while blowing into his mouth, as if in a hurry.

“Have some together.”

Feeling as if his own palate was burning, Seojun poured milk into a cup for Siwoo. As if he had been waiting for it, Siwoo took a sip of milk and then stared intently at the strawberry jam. Seojun perceptively opened the jam jar and scooped some into a small bowl for him.

“Do you want more?”

“No, that’s enough.”

Siwoo ate the hot toast, dipping it deeply into the jam with a satisfied expression. Thanks to the cold jam cooling the heat, he could stuff it into his mouth in one bite.

“Why are you eating so hurriedly? With such a small mouth too.”

Siwoo couldn’t answer because his mouth was full of bread. His bulging cheeks moved vigorously as if dancing. Then he showed interest in the coffee Seojun was drinking. The deep coffee aroma seemed like it would go very well with the bread.

“You often get indigestion, don’t you?”

Seojun poured a little of his coffee into a new cup and handed it to Siwoo. Siwoo received the cup with his palm to avoid touching it with his greasy fingers.

“The cup is hot.”

“It’s not hot.”

He drank all the hot coffee in one gulp before he could feel the heat. Seojun had intentionally poured only a little, knowing Siwoo would do this.

“Stop talking and eat quickly. Before I eat it all.”

“You can’t even eat that much.”

Even when they ate together in the cafeteria, Siwoo couldn’t eat even half of what he ordered. Seojun had finished almost all of it himself.

“Is your stomach the same as mine? I eat a lot, you know.”

“Ah, I see.”

His tone suggested he didn’t believe it at all. Siwoo glared at Seojun and took the bread he was about to pick up.

“Does Kang Geonho… not eat?”

He casually asked before putting the bread in his mouth. He was concerned, wondering if Geonho was still in his room.

“He’ll eat if he’s hungry.”

“It’s time to be hungry.”

Seojun retorted that it’s different for everyone. Not everyone feels similar hunger at set times.

“Or you can go up and ask him. Ask if he’s not hungry.”

Siwoo lowered his eyes and took a small bite of the edge of the toast. He had already used up all his courage yesterday. He needed time to recharge before gathering courage again.

“Do you want me to go ask?”

Siwoo suddenly raised his head and locked eyes with Seojun again. He was about to tell him to go up quickly and come back, but then remembered that he had been working all night.

“Never mind.”

He felt uneasy about asking someone who had been working all night without sleep to do this for their first meal. And Seojun was right. He would eat if he was hungry.

“That’s a relief. I was too lazy to go up.”

Seojun continued eating his bread. Siwoo glared at him while sipping his milk.

“If you were too lazy, why did you offer to go?”

He was quite displeased with Seojun, who seemed to say things he didn’t mean so easily. It was clear how much he must have done things he didn’t want to do.

“It seemed like you wanted it.”

Seojun smiled that gentle smile he always put on. Then he quickly relaxed his expression and chuckled. A genuine laugh came out because Siwoo pretended to vomit.

“You were threatening me with your eyes. How could the youngest not go?”

“I wasn’t threatening.”

Siwoo picked up his empty coffee cup and put it down a bit forcefully. Seojun, interpreting this as asking for more, poured him more coffee. Siwoo glared but drank it without refusing.

As he watched Siwoo eat and drink diligently, Seojun spoke up.

“Have you been to the guide dormitory recently? Since coming to our accommodation.”

Siwoo shook his head while licking the jam off his fingers. He hadn’t been anywhere near the guide dormitory building since coming here. He had hardly gone out at all.

“Why?”

Seojun shrugged lightly. It meant it wasn’t that important.

“There’s a strange rumor going around. Don’t worry about it. It will die down soon.”

“What rumor?”

Siwoo asked, biting into a piece of toast overflowing with jam. He had put too much jam, so his mouth and hands were all covered in it.

Seojun, seeing Siwoo’s messy hands and mouth, first pulled out some tissues for him. When Siwoo tried to lick it off instead of taking the tissue, he forcibly put it in his hand. Instead, he opened the lid of the strawberry jam and placed it right in front of him.

“I asked what rumor.”

Siwoo, frowning, asked again while looking at the jam. Seojun, seeing Siwoo only interested in food, regretted bringing it up.

He had mentioned it because he heard every guide knew about it. But the protagonist of the rumor seemed completely unaware. It seemed like only food was filling that small head of his. And money.

“Is it serious?”

At that moment, Siwoo put down the bread he had been eating. His expression, which was never bright to begin with, became even sharper.

“If it’s an insult, I don’t want to hear it.”

“It’s not like that.”

Seojun immediately denied it. At the same time, Siwoo picked up his bread again.

“Then what is it?”

Before answering, Seojun briefly reached out towards Siwoo. He subtly moved away the sharp and fragile objects near Siwoo. Just in case.