Swallow Hunting - Chapter 44.2
Hae-jun jumped up and suddenly extended his pinky finger. When Lee Kang-ju only stared at it, he thrust it forward, urging him to hook fingers quickly. When Lee Kang-ju finally reached out his hand, Hae-jun searched for the ring finger among them and intertwined it with his own finger.
“Since we’ve made a pinky promise, you can’t take it back.”
Hae-jun pressed his thumb firmly against the other’s to seal the deal with a “stamp” in an innocent manner before letting go. With a refreshed face, he hummed to himself while tidying up the dining table and left a greeting saying he would head out first.
Left alone, Lee Kang-ju stared at the spot where Hae-jun had departed before shifting his gaze to his own hand. A warmth like tepid water lingered on the prints of his pinky and thumb. Feeling unfamiliar with the itchiness provided by that heat, he rubbed his thumb with his index finger. Even then, the sensation did not disappear.
***
Hae-jun finished his deliveries early, returned home, and took out every single piece of clothing in the closet to try them on. He tried this and that in front of the mirror, but he didn’t like any of them.
To begin with, he had been a “man of one suit” when he worked as a host, and most of his casual clothes were just old, cheap things bought from non-branded shops or second-hand stores.
He couldn’t exactly wear a suit and make it obvious he had put in a lot of effort, either. If he were to borrow from Yohan, who had a similar build, he was certain he would get an earful asking why he was polishing himself up so much.
Since he couldn’t afford to buy new clothes right away, Hae-jun picked out the cleanest item with the least amount of pilling among the clothes he owned. It wasn’t satisfying, but it was the best he could do for now.
Grooming his hair also took a long time. He wondered why nothing ever went his way right before an important event. The hair on the sides would stick out, or his bangs would curl in a strange direction. Only after finally completing a style that looked decent did he set down the hairdryer in his hand.
He had never put in this much effort in his life. Not even when he wished to be a beloved pet for Han Young-hwa was it to this extent. Hae-jun let out a hollow laugh at the mirror before shaking his head vigorously to pull himself together.
“I have to do well to get more money.”
The purpose was solely money. The funds that would rescue him from debt and allow him to reclaim an ordinary life.
Who knows? If he wagged his tail hard enough, Lee Kang-ju might find him cute and toss him a watch or something. Engraving Yohan’s sincere plea to strip away everything he could into his heart, Hae-jun stepped out of the house with a dignified air.
However, as if luck were against him, the roads were blocked because it was the weekend, so he was a little late for the appointment. Even when he took a taxi, it seemed to get caught at every red light, and the elevator stopped at every single floor. Hae-jun repeatedly looked between his phone and the floor numbers, gnawing on his lower lip.
He barely managed to get off after squeezing through the gaps in the crowd that was packed like bean sprouts in a jar. Perhaps because it was a popular time for movies, the place was so overflowing with people that there was no room to step. Hae-jun lifted his heels and stretched his neck to scan the crowd.
He found Lee Kang-ju easily. Because he was a tall man who stood a head above the others, Hae-jun could pick him out at once even among the countless people.
Unlike himself, who had prepared noisily, Lee Kang-ju was wearing a black coat over a suit, just as he always did. No necktie was visible. However, that look was actually even cleaner and suited the movie theater well.
People glanced at Lee Kang-ju as they passed by while he stood with his back against the wall. Some even gathered the courage to approach and speak to him. Forgetting for a moment that he was late, Hae-jun hid behind a human-sized promotional panel and eavesdropped on how Lee Kang-ju would react.
He couldn’t hear the conversation. A woman held out her phone, and after exchanging a few words, she put it back. Even from a distance, she looked very disappointed as she stepped away. Lee Kang-ju had rejected her.
Hae-jun pressed down on the corners of his mouth with his fingertips to control his expression. As soon as he removed his hand, the edges of his lips rose upward. He tried his best to eliminate the silly grin by coughing and patting his cheeks. He felt as though he shouldn’t show this foolish face to Lee Kang-ju.
“What are you doing?”
“Hik!” Hae-jun turned around, startled as if he were about to leap into the air. The panel he had bumped into with his shoulder rattled and threatened to fall, so he hurriedly caught it. He felt as if his thumping heart would leap out of his mouth.
“CEO?”
“I was wondering what you were doing standing here for a while.”
“When did you realize I arrived?”
“From the moment you got off the elevator.”
That meant he had watched all of his foolish antics. Hae-jun’s face turned a burning red.
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