The Country Life Diary of a Gangster’s Secretary

This chapter is paid for by Mimzy! 

The reason for falling in love is simple. It was a topic covered in a rather abstract liberal arts lecture on human emotions. He only signed up for it because it was a required course, but the class wasn’t very interesting. While others were at an age of being true to their emotions and pouring their energy into them, Hyeseong was different. 

Studying and money. Specs and grades. These were the most important things to university student Hyeseong.

“Hyeseong. Doing homework?”

It was a hot summer day. Despite the forecast of monsoon season coming, the scorching heat continued day after day. Lately, whenever Hyeseong had free time after classes or during breaks, he would usually come to the Taesung office. It had air conditioning and was cool here. Also, he didn’t have to compete for seats like in the library and could freely use the internet.

“Yeah.”

“Oh-ho. University students these days learn such difficult things?”  

Seongjin, dressed in a Hawaiian short-sleeve shirt he got from somewhere, sat next to Hyeseong who was using a laptop on the sofa.

“Since I’m a university student, of course, I learn difficult things.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Seongjin scratched his army-style short hair as if feeling awkward. Taesung didn’t have that many members compared to its current reputation. He had said that in movies, gangsters always move in crowds, but it didn’t seem like that here. Then Seongjin explained that it was Ihyeok’s preference. 

The sight of Hyeseong sitting upright in a typical gangster office doing a liberal arts assignment on his laptop was a bit contradictory and strange, but it was a familiar scene to Taesung’s family. As Hyeseong took on Ihyeok’s errands one by one and gradually opened up to the people here, he was told by Ihyeok that he could come and rest anytime, and use the place like his own house.

At first, the other members weren’t very pleased to see a scrawny-looking university student come and stay around. However, sometime later, to be exact, as Taesung started raking in money and gaining fame in their world thanks to Hyeseong’s strategies and advice, the others also treated him without reserve. 

But there was a bit of a problem.

“Hyeseong. How do you like the clothes I bought this time?”

“Not good. Don’t wear that kind of printed shirt.”

Seongjin frequently asked Hyeseong for fashion advice.

“Hyeseong, I have a girl I like, but how should I confess…?”

“Usually women don’t like gangsters. If she’s not from the same industry, you’ll have to quit this job to increase your chances of a successful confession.”

Some members were busy seeking dating advice.

“Hyeseong, what are you doing this weekend? We’re going to the amusement park, come with us!”

“I don’t want to go to a place full of dreams and hopes with rough-looking ajusshis. Sorry, but count me out.”

Every weekend, they tried to take Hyeseong out to play here and there. In other words, the problem was that they became too comfortable with him.

Today as well, after answering a barrage of questions and serving as a counselor, Hyeseong was able to get some free time as the members went out to work. Fortunately, he at least finished his assignment properly.

“I’m tired.”

These days, between group projects, exam studies, and looking for extracurricular activities one by one, he was quite exhausted. On top of that, whenever he came here, he talked a lot, unlike his usual self, so the fatigue hit him even more.

Hyeseong sank onto the sofa. He tried hard to keep his drowsy eyes open but to no avail. Right, he’d just sleep for 5 minutes and wake up. Just a short nap. Like that, Hyeseong’s eyes gradually closed.

“……”

Sometime later, Hyeseong, who had been sleeping soundly, slowly opened his eyes.

“Awake?”

A low voice came from close by. Realizing that he had been sleeping while leaning on someone’s shoulder, Hyeseong quickly straightened up.

“Why are you so startled?”

“…..It was you, ahjussi.”

The one who had lent his shoulder to Hyeseong was Kwon Ihyeok. He seemed to have been reading, with a book in one hand. There were many new things Hyeseong recently learned about Kwon Ihyeok, one of them being that he liked reading, unlike his profession.

“Hyeseong.”

“Yes.”

“How about calling me something different? I don’t want to be called ahjussi in my mid-thirties.”

Ihyeok looked at Hyeseong while closing his book.

“We have an 8-year age gap, you’re making quite a shameless request. And ahjussi just rolls off the tongue, it’s comfortable.”

“Call me hyungnim like the other kids.”

“Don’t want to.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not an employee here.”

Noticing that it was getting darker outside, Hyeseong prepared to leave soon to get ready. He had an important group project presentation scheduled for tomorrow, so he planned to go to bed early.

“Not giving in, huh.”

Hyeseong heard Ihyeok mutter something quietly, but he was busy putting his books into his backpack.

“Hyeseong. Aren’t you overexerting yourself these days?”

Studying is good, but do it in moderation. Hyeseong looked at Ihyeok’s faint smile for a moment, then resolutely shouldered his bag instead of answering.

“I’ll get going.”

“Bye.”

Leaving behind Ihyeok waving his hand, Hyeseong left the office. Strangely, being with that person made him feel at ease. At the words telling him to take it easy, the tiredness from assignments and the urgency about the future seemed to lighten a bit.

When Ihyeok saw him, he would sometimes tell him to relax like that. It might be just a passing remark, but it had a really reassuring aspect. He acted as if he knew everything about his situation without Hyeseong saying it. And he didn’t dislike that. Maybe because there weren’t many people around him who said such things.

That night, even as he was falling asleep, Hyeseong recalled Ihyeok’s gentle voice.

* * *

“……With that, Group 3’s presentation will conclude.”

As the presentation materials Hyeseong displayed on the screen ended, the lecture room fell into a brief silence. It was the moment when perfunctory applause should have burst out after the presentation ended, but the students only exchanged glances with each other.

“I know Group 3 has a total of 5 members.”

Then the professor asked while pushing up his glasses.

“Yes.”

“But the member names on the PPT only include two people, including the presenter?”

“The other three members did not participate. So I had no choice but to exclude their names.”

In an instant, the lecture room buzzed and the other students’ gazes naturally turned to the members of Group 3.

“Hmm, yes. I see. I’ll keep that in mind when grading.”

Like that, as the lecture ended and Hyeseong was about to leave the department building for an important schedule.

“Hey! Cheon Hyeseong!”

A sharp shout was heard from behind. He knew who it was without looking.

“Damn, are you out of your mind?!”

The three members who didn’t participate in the project out of five slowly approached Hyeseong.

“I heard you told them to remove our names?”

The tall male student in the middle asked in an excited voice. The other two silently stood next to him with frowns, as if guarding him.

“Yeah. Since you didn’t participate.”

“Hey, I told you I couldn’t do the research because of my grandmother’s memorial rite, right?”

“You had your grandmother’s memorial for a whole week?”

“That’s…!”

“So I told you if research was difficult, at least do the presentation, but you guys came in when the lecture was almost over today.”

Hyeseong spoke without batting an eye. He didn’t forget to check the time now and then. There was still some leeway until the bus time.

“Still, how can you exclude our names without discussing it with us? You really have no blood or tears, you bastard.”

That kind of sarcasm was something Hyeseong had often heard while living his life. The guy who had been huffing and puffing turned around and left with the guys next to him.

“That bastard probably didn’t even cry when his parents died.”

The three snickered and spoke loudly so that Hyeseong behind them could hear. Because they glanced at him while saying that.

Hyeseong slowly walked out of the building.

“Ah……”

As the saying goes, when it rains it pours, and suddenly heavy rain starts pouring down. Seemed like the talk about the monsoon season starting was true after all.

“I don’t have an umbrella.”

To go to the bus terminal, he had to take another city bus from there. The pre-booked bus time was quite tight. Would he be able to make it? It’s his parents’ death anniversary. He had to go.

The next bus tickets were probably already sold out. Like that, Hyeseong took a step without any plan. While walking to the bus stop to take the bus to the terminal, he didn’t think about anything. To be exact, he didn’t want to think about anything right now. Whether he’d be able to catch the pre-booked bus, what he’d do if he couldn’t, he didn’t worry about it.  

Like the drizzling rain, Hyeseong’s mood was also plummeting. He tried not to be ashamed in front of his deceased parents. He worked hard got into a prestigious university, and was putting in more effort than anyone else here. But sometimes when he heard words like what those guys said earlier, he felt drained. To the point of wanting to give up everything.

“Damn it, of course, I cried.”

Just as Hyeseong was about to utter a curse that didn’t suit him, a shadow loomed above and his shoulders were no longer getting wet.

“You’ll catch a cold.”

“…..Why are you here, ahjussi?”

Ihyeok, holding a black umbrella, was wearing a black suit.

“Hmm, I came to pick up Hyeseong.”

“I can’t go to the office today.”

“I know. You’re going to Seo-in City, right?”

“…..How do you know that?”

“Because it’s your parents’ death anniversary.” 

“……”

Ihyeok shrugged his shoulders. The heavily pouring rain. The hot and humid temperature. The voices those guys spat out earlier. There was nothing pleasant about any of it.

“Hyeseong.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t overdo it. Let’s go now.”

The reason for falling in love is simple. In a situation where nothing was good, only that person’s expression, voice, and face were visible. With Kwon Ihyeok’s presence alone, the noisily falling rain had somehow become a beautiful melody, and the voices dragging him down were easily shattered.

No. The reason for falling in love is not simple. How can you say that this situation, which turned all the unpleasantness into something else, that Kwon Ihyeok, is simple?

The love Kwon Ihyeok made him feel was not simple at all.

This chapter is paid for by Mimzy!