Chapter 25: A Displeasing Lunch

Jung Hanseol returned to his desk, half-resigned. Since he hadn’t even taken off his coat or changed his shoes since arriving for work, retrieving his wallet from his bag was all it took to be ready to leave.

Without a moment to catch his breath, he quickly emerged and found himself diligently trailing Ryu Yishin, who was striding briskly out of the office.

Even amidst this hurried departure, Jung Hanseol wished to avoid standing too close. He subtly widened the distance while waiting for the elevator.

Sensing this, Ryu Yishin abruptly grabbed his hand and pulled him closer.

“Anyone would think I was tormenting you?”

“Ah… haha… no way…”

Stumbling, Jung Hanseol ended up right beside Ryu Yishin. He hid his flustered feelings behind an awkward laugh.

‘Weren’t you just tormenting me?’ his inner voice nearly escaped, but he managed to compose himself just as the elevator arrived on the fifth floor.

Jung Hanseol had hoped someone would be inside, but it seemed his luck was truly rotten today, as nothing went his way.

“……”

“……”

Inside the silent elevator, Jung Hanseol quietly watched Ryu Yishin press the button for B2. He glanced sideways at Ryu Yishin, wondering if he had pressed the wrong floor.

After all, the cafeteria was on B1, while B2 and B3 were dedicated to staff parking.

Unable to suppress his rising curiosity, Jung Hanseol covertly watched Ryu Yishin again. He stopped pondering deeply when the elevator reached the first floor, its doors opening and then closing.

Ryu Yishin, maintaining his usual impassive expression, casually ran a hand through his hair. He then stepped out as if on cue the moment the elevator arrived at its destination.

Jung Hanseol diligently followed Ryu Yishin, who walked ahead without a word. He yearned to keep a significant distance, to avoid appearing as part of Ryu Yishin’s party, but the memory of what had happened just before they entered the elevator kept him close.

Ryu Yishin stopped first in front of a black SUV parked nearby, unlocked it with his smart key, and then gestured vaguely with his head towards Jung Hanseol. Interpreting it as an instruction to get in, Jung Hanseol quietly opened the passenger door, and Ryu Yishin climbed into the driver’s seat without a word.

Jung Hanseol worried he might be asked to drive, despite not having a license. Fortunately, Ryu Yishin took the wheel himself and started the car.

“……”

Ryu Yishin’s silence naturally led Jung Hanseol to maintain his own. Breaking the quiet felt burdensome, as they weren’t close enough for casual banter.

‘What could he possibly want to eat that requires driving out?’ He silently chewed on the unspoken question, his clasped hands fidgeting on his thighs.

Meanwhile, the car left the quiet roads and entered a bustling area. It was Jung Hanseol’s first time in a downtown area like those he’d only seen in TV dramas, and his curiosity led him to involuntarily fix his gaze out the window.

Having graduated early for a job before even taking the Suneung, his life had diverged from the ordinary. Such a scene was entirely unfamiliar to him.

The moment the light changed, Ryu Yishin urgently pressed the accelerator. Jung Hanseol’s upper body lurched, pressing him fully into the seat, as Ryu Yishin sharply turned the wheel, veering into an alleyway.

Before Jung Hanseol’s eyes, an exotic-looking building abruptly appeared.

“Get out.”

“Ah, yes.”

Ryu Yishin, who had been driving so roughly it felt like a city race, slammed on the brakes before tossing a single word at Jung Hanseol. As Jung Hanseol hastily unbuckled his seatbelt and got out, a man could be seen running from a distance, approaching the car.

Soon after, Ryu Yishin exited the vehicle, and the man immediately approached him to receive the car keys. The practiced ease of their actions suggested this was a frequent occurrence.

“Are you just going to stand there?”

“No…”

Jung Hanseol, amazed at what he presumed was the valet parking he’d only heard about, quickly followed Ryu Yishin’s urging. Feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the building’s ambiance, he took a shallow breath before stepping inside, where a breathtaking sight awaited him.

Antique wooden furniture, magnificent chandeliers, paintings adorning the walls, and perfectly subdued lighting all harmonized. It created the feeling of having stepped into an entirely different world.

Ryu Yishin, who had entered ahead of Jung Hanseol, exchanged a few brief words with a courteous staff member before being led to another area. Jung Hanseol, keenly observing his retreating figure, also followed Ryu Yishin into the space the employee had indicated.

“Shall I prepare your usual order?”

“Yes.”

While the staff member confirmed Ryu Yishin’s order, Jung Hanseol meticulously surveyed the room, which mirrored the elegant ambiance of the corridor they had just walked through. The cutlery on the table seemed too exquisite to touch, leaving Jung Hanseol to simply gaze at it for a long while.

“What are you staring at? Is there something on the plate?”

“Ah… no. It’s just my first time in a place like this… so it’s quite fascinating…”

Before joining the National Security Agency, he had lived in an orphanage. Even though the region was part of the metropolitan area, it was far from Seoul, so places like this were something he had only experienced indirectly through TV dramas.

Growing up in the orphanage, dining out was an unthinkable luxury. Occasionally, when a corporate chairman, his wife, or their entourage visited as part of social service, they would eat delivery food like chicken or pizza.

Even then, Jung Hanseol was more focused on giving his share of the food to his younger siblings.

As Jung Hanseol recalled those past days and spoke candidly, Ryu Yishin leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. Only then did Jung Hanseol lift his gaze from the plate and meet Ryu Yishin’s eyes.

“Your first time in a place like this?”

“Yes…”

“Team Leader Joo never brought you to places like this?”

‘Why is Team Leader Joo suddenly coming up?’ Jung Hanseol, fearing what new words might ensnare him, tilted his head slightly at the utterly unexpected question.

Since there was no particular reason to avoid answering, he immediately replied.

“No… I usually ate lunch in the company cafeteria. Sometimes, if the older guys said there was a good restaurant near the office, I’d go, but… I’ve never been to a place like this.”

As Jung Hanseol added an awkward laugh at the end, Ryu Yishin stared intently at him. Under that blatant gaze, he felt as though his every secret was being laid bare. Just as he quietly lowered his eyes, a timely knock on the door broke the tense atmosphere.

A staff member entered with a serving cart, bowed slightly, and placed the dishes before them. There was a salad topped with finely chopped bacon, black olives, cherry tomatoes, and corn, alongside a fragrant soup whose savory aroma tantalized the senses.

“Don’t just look, eat.”

“…I’ll enjoy the meal.”

He seemed to have been too engrossed in simply looking. Ryu Yishin prodded Jung Hanseol, who was merely staring at his food, and picked up his own fork.

This was his first time experiencing such a luxurious meal, and he wished to take a picture. However, he had a feeling that quietly eating in front of Ryu Yishin would be better for his future.

Jung Hanseol tucked away his regret and first took a spoonful of soup.

The warm soup left a savory yet subtly sweet aroma in his mouth as it slid down his throat.

As he took another spoonful, marveling anew at the taste, Ryu Yishin was haphazardly stirring his salad. He seemed to lack an appetite or simply dislike the food, dampening anyone else’s desire to eat.

Looking closer, Jung Hanseol saw that Ryu Yishin had pushed all the vegetables to the sides, haphazardly picking out only the bacon and corn from the center. He did so with a thoroughly displeased expression.

‘The soup is delicious… but is the salad not good?’ Driven by curiosity, Jung Hanseol somewhat hastily put a mouthful of salad in his mouth.

The fresh vegetables, well-coated in dressing, crunched pleasantly, while the tomatoes offered a refreshing burst that stimulated his appetite. The occasional bits of bacon and olive added extra flavor.

Jung Hanseol unconsciously let out a faint gasp of admiration, as the salad tasted far more exquisite than he had expected. While he was generally not a picky eater, this was definitely not the kind of food Ryu Yishin’s dismissive stirring suggested.

“Your wrist must be fully healed, seeing as you’ve taken off the brace.”

‘If this place served truly unappetizing food, he wouldn’t have driven all the way here. So why does Team Leader still look so displeased?’ Jung Hanseol pondered, glancing at him, then quickly swallowed his food and replied.

“Yes… it’s fine now, but I plan to visit the hospital again later, just to check its condition.”

He had thought Ryu Yishin was the type who wouldn’t care if a team member was sick or not, but it seemed he had noticed the brace on Jung Hanseol’s wrist. While he now felt Ryu Yishin wasn’t entirely devoid of humanity, Jung Hanseol also knew they wouldn’t become overly familiar, so he chose his words carefully.

Instead, he took another spoonful of soup, only to find Ryu Yishin now propping his chin with his hand, staring intently at him. Their eyes met.

“Is there something you’d like to say…”

“No. Just eat.”

“Yes…”

Jung Hanseol hastily pulled the spoon from his mouth, swallowed the soup, and began to speak, but Ryu Yishin cut him off without letting him finish. ‘Did he truly mean for me to just eat?’ Ryu Yishin’s gaze was so intense it made it hard to concentrate on his meal, making it impossible to discern his true intentions.

‘Who could possibly eat properly with Team Leader staring like that?’ Jung Hanseol swallowed the slightly rebellious thought, drained a glass of water, and then slowly began to savor his salad. He felt certain he would get indigestion if he ate quickly in such an atmosphere.

“Are you always such a slow eater?”

“Ah… I apologize, I’ll eat faster.”

However, Ryu Yishin seemed to have no intention of letting him eat in peace. Jung Hanseol, deciding it was better to finish the meal quickly if he was going to be uncomfortable either way, diligently stuffed salad into his mouth. Ryu Yishin clicked his tongue, observing Jung Hanseol’s puffed cheeks, which resembled a squirrel storing food in its pouches, then refilled Jung Hanseol’s empty glass with water.

“……”

‘What was that? Was he refilling my water for me?’