Chapter 30
It had only been a few days, but Baekgu had grown noticeably bigger in that short time. Byeol looked him over with a fascinated expression.
Even human babies seemed to grow so much that you sometimes couldn’t recognize them after a while, but with animals, the change was even more obvious.
Byeol stroked Baekgu’s head as he rubbed himself against her, wagging his tail and panting with his tongue hanging out.
âWhat have you been eating to get this big, huh?â
Of course, he couldn’t answer, but he barked enthusiastically anyway.
According to the auntie who was packing up the tofu, the dog had run away from home a few days ago.
Apparently, mating season had come early for him, and he suddenly disappeared, causing the whole neighborhood to search everywhere for him.
He had returned covered in dirt, as if he’d rolled around somewhere, and strangely enough, after that day, he’d become much more obedient.
They say experience makes up half of life, whether you’re human or animal.
Yeah, you understand now, don’t you? That leaving home means suffering.
Byeol tugged gently at Baekgu’s cheek with a sympathetic expression. Unlike the cats, he was affectionate and constantly stuck close to people.
She had just placed a hand on her knee to stand up when a bright-red compact car pulled to a stop. A man got out and greeted the auntie at the little neighborhood store.
âMa’am, give me one block of tofu. And some makgeolli, too.â
âOh, you’re here, Mr. Dink. A new kind of makgeolli just came in. Want to try that one?â
âYes, yes. I’ll take that.â
Byeol immediately recognized him as the male owner of Dink.
Since she had gotten strangely attached to the cute Baekgu, she quietly hid behind him. The man grinned and reached out to pat the dog’s head.
âHe listens well, doesn’t he?â
âHuh?â
âHello. Aren’t you the person who came to buy nachos last time?â
âOh, you… remember me? Hello!â
It almost seemed as though she could hear some old-fashioned song playing somewhere.
I’m smiling, but it doesn’t really feel like a smile.
She forced a smile, and the man gave her a small nod before entering the store.
Byeol looked at Baekgu, whom the man had just petted, and hugged him tightly for no particular reason. But he didn’t seem frightened in the slightest.
Instead, he wagged his tail and peeked toward the store as though he were happy to see someone, looking at her expectantly.
âByeol! I’ve packed all the tofu. Take it. I put it in a big bag. Can you carry it? Should I put it in a box?â
âThereâs a basket on the back. Just pack it so it won’t fall over. But, Auntie, how many days was he gone?â
âTwo days. Goodness, I wonder if he’ll come back a few months from now with a whole line of puppies that look just like him.â
Though she spoke with a sigh, the auntie seemed quite pleased. Perhaps because they were neighbors, the two of them seemed fairly close.
After taking the tofu, Byeol couldn’t quite bring herself to leave. She looked back several times.
I really don’t know about this…
Besides, despite the warning she’d given last time, there wasn’t a police officer anywhere nearby.
Am I overreacting?
But Byeol couldn’t forget what she’d witnessed last timeâthe woman dragging a dog there and abandoning it, and the man putting ice into every black plastic bag before storing them in the freezer.
Wait… then…
She was pregnant the last time I saw her, too. Was she drinking alcohol?
âWow, that house is complicated…â
At her muttered words, the man who was coming out after buying his things gave her a sideways smile, got into his car, and drove away.
Byeol narrowed her eyes and stared at the back of the bright-red compact car for a moment before abruptly turning away.
Just then, the auntie came outside with some treats for Baekgu and clicked her tongue in exasperation.
âHey, you’re still here? Your mother has to open the shop for the afternoon!â
âAh! I’m going!â
âGet your head together, Byeol!â
In this neighborhood, she was nothing more than Byeol, the eternal part-timer who wasn’t married, lived off her parents, and spent her days doing nothing.
It wasn’t as though she wasn’t a little offended, but she’d brought it upon herself.
She looked at the basket on the back of her scooter, which was packed full of tofu.
Then she noticed the sign in front of the neighborhood store:
Delivery fee: 2,000 won.
Well, that explains it.
She understood her mother’s decision to send her daughter instead of paying the delivery fee.
After saying goodbye to Baekgu and the auntie, she wheeled her scooter back toward the restaurant.
A prickling sensation seemed to start somewhere far away, from the Dink with its pink sign lighting up in the distance.
Her instincts went on high alert.
âWhat the… this late at night? Is that you, Byeol?â
Haeseong glanced at the clock hanging on the pillar in the editing room and stretched his stiff neck. Every day was overtime and work.
Many of his colleagues had chosen to work from home, but he still insisted on commuting to the office.
[Check your email. You remember the dead dog from before? I wrote a column about it, and I was wondering if you could publish it under your name or a pseudonym.]
âA column?â
Haeseong put his glasses back on and immediately clicked open his inbox.
There really was an email with Byeol’s name on it.
Could she have picked up her pen again?
âWhat are you doing? Didn’t you say you were going to work as a ghostwriter? Now you’re writing articles, too?â
[It’s a column, I told you. I’m not specifically targeting anyone. I just thought the police officers might have forgotten about it.]
âWhy? Don’t tell me another dog died?â
[No, things are quiet. You must have seen the police go into Parapara Hotel back then. I was hoping that would be enough to make them stop killing animals and things like that, but you never know. The police don’t seem to be watching the place very closely.]
âLet me read it first. But if you’re going to publish it, why not use your own name?â
[I don’t want to.]
âNo. The media is supposed to tell the truth. How can we start using fake names for reporters? You put your name and face on your writing, kid.â
[Fine, then. I won’t do it.]
âHey! Who said I’m absolutely against it? Let me see it first. We’ll read it and talk about it. But did you get permission from your boyfriend?â
[Ah, my head hurts. Don’t say it like that. You knew too, didn’t you? That the person writing the autobiography is Chairman Bang Jeong-sik.]
âWouldn’t it be boring if I told you in advance?â
No one had expected Seo Woohyun and Byeol to become so close.
About five months ago, Byeol had left for Samcheok, and until then, there hadn’t been a single rumor that she’d had anything to do with Mooyoung Group.
If she’d already been involved with Mooyoung before that, Min Chae-i’s lawsuit would never have ended so simply.
If it had been Byeol, she would have done anything she couldâif necessary, she would even have borrowed Mooyoung’s powerâto prove her innocence.
Haeseong chuckled and walked into the break room, grabbing two instant coffee sticks.
Two little paper cups and two sticks of instant coffee.
It was a little depressing that this much was necessary just to stay awake.
[Well, anyway… I’m going to do the work. And there aren’t any words in the article that would make people think of Parapara Hotel. Besides, it’s a column, not a news article. If the culprit reads it, they’ll feel guilty. If they’re innocent, they’ll just click their tongue. And… the police will probably keep a closer eye on things and protect us, too.]
After filling the cups with hot water, he returned to his desk and opened the attached file.
The rich aroma of coffee quickly filled the air. Sweet and slightly sticky, yet with that unmistakable coffee flavor.
Now this is proper instant coffeeâthe perfect 3-3-2 ratio.
âGot it. I’ll read it and get back to you.â
After hanging up, Haeseong read the column Byeol had sent with a relaxed mind.
To the dear people of our seaside village,
Is this a diary?
It began in the first person, from the protagonist’s point of view. As befitted a column, it was highly readable, and Haeseong’s lips twitched and his eyebrows rose as he read.
At times, he made strange noises trying to suppress his laughter. At others, he frowned and clicked his tongue.
Then he let out a hollow laugh and rubbed his rough chin.
Our police officers are busy again today, day and night. They’ve declared an all-out war.
Sir, thank you for letting our little Meonggu dream tonight that he was eating treats again.
âA letter to the people of the seaside village…â
The column was written in the style of a personal contribution, using simple words as though it had been written by an elementary school student.
It told the story of Meonggu, who was sad because his friends kept disappearing one after another. After seeing the graves of his large friends, Meonggu cried a lot.
The writer’s intention became obvious in the line asking why the adults hadn’t told him anything and pleading with them to help so that Meonggu wouldn’t get hurt.
Just as Byeol had said, some people would laugh it off.
But someone living near the sea…
Someone would get nervous.
Still, they needed certainty that this place was Samcheok.
How many seaside villages were there in South Korea, a peninsula surrounded by the sea on three sides?
Haeseong thought about it.
He didn’t believe it was something he should decide alone, so he summarized his opinion and sent it to the editor-in-chief along with the manuscript.
Less than five minutes later, a reply arrived.
Publish it tomorrow. Keep it on the main page for a week. But use Byeol’s name.
Secretary Kim had been deeply troubled lately.
At this rate… if I collapse from overwork and die, will it count as a workplace accident?
Who’s going to collapse first, him or me?
What kind of company was Mooyoung Group?
It was the number-one dream workplace for Korea’s top one percent, ranked among the country’s top ten companies for employee satisfaction, and one of the few with a low turnover rate.
They even had a labor union…
Though, because there were practically no disputes, people joked that the union had become so friendly with the company that it was practically on management’s side.
But that was all just the kind of dream workplace myth created by people who had never experienced it themselves.
The daily life of an office worker was similar anywhere in the world.
Secretary Kim stood at the very back of the cafeteria line, holding his tray as he watched his boss waiting ahead of him.
He bit his lip tightly.
These days, Seo Woohyun worked late into the night and even pulled all-nighters.
He was obsessed with work as though something had gone wrong in his head.
He hadn’t even given them a rough indication of when he planned to finish.
He checked the date about five times a day, and for the rest of the time, he kept a close eye on the Parapara Hotel reconstruction project and the ongoing negotiations to acquire another foreign hotel chain.
Fine. You’re really good at your job. You’re smart, and you’ve got incredible stamina.
But couldn’t you think about the people working with you, too?
He could only mutter those words silently to himself.
Soon, it was Woohyun’s turn.
As usual, he piled food onto his tray.
If you’re going to make us work this hard, couldn’t you at least eat somewhere outside? Somewhere tastier and more luxurious, something that actually looks like a proper meal?
But Woohyun’s tray was already overflowing with food.
Secretary Kim glanced sideways at him.
Woohyun looked her up and down, then nodded.
âYou must be trying to go on a diet. Good thinking. Now that the weather is getting warmer, I suppose it’s about time.â
