Yes, It’s Me. The Obsessive Side Top

#023

How can boyfriend be the next suggestion after girlfriend? Judging from Sun Woo’s expression, it didn’t seem to mean male friend. So… Sun Woo is still angry about that incident? Sun Woo looked like he didn’t believe me despite my denial. I had no choice but to bring up the unpleasant family matters I didn’t want to talk about.

“It’s not like that. Father got a bit violent over something that made him snap. That’s how it happened.”

Sun Woo seemed to flinch and waver at my answer. He’s probably thinking he asked the wrong question. I smiled as if it was no big deal. 

“It was my fault. I deserved to get hit.”

‘Damn it, how did I deserve to get hit? It’s abuse.’

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. It’s completely healed now. Want to see?”

While waiting at the red light, I turned my head to show Sun Woo my left cheek. The moment I felt Sun Woo’s gaze touch my cheek, that area seemed to heat up. I hurriedly turned my head back forward in a fluster.

“Ah, I’m driving.”

“Do you usually get hit often?”

“No. This was the first time.”

“Last time you had a scar on your forehead too.”

Good memory.

“Ah, right. That’s true.”

Come to think of it, I did get hit every time we met. Two assaults in just two meetings.

It made me reasonably suspect Ha Jin’s personality turned out this way from getting hit since young. 

After that, there was no more conversation between us. The mood just got heavy from unnecessarily bringing up family matters. I gripped the steering wheel for no reason. I don’t know what Sun Woo was thinking, but he didn’t open his mouth after that. After some time passed in silence like that, we arrived at the restaurant Mi-eun told us about. There wasn’t even a sign up front yet, and as I was hesitating outside, a woman who looked exactly like Mi-eun gestured for us to come in from inside.

The restaurant interior had about 10 tables, and with the beige tones and all wooden furniture, it gave off a warm and tidy impression. I bowed my head in greeting to Mi-eun’s older sister.

“Hello. We’re Mi-eun’s classmates in the same major.”

She welcomed us with a friendly smile.

“She said she was sending two handsome guys but it was really true. Come on in. As you can probably tell, I’m Mi-eun’s older sister. Just call me boss comfortably. I actually want to hear people call me boss.”

“Ah, yes. Boss.”

“You must be Ha Jin?”

The owner immediately called my name that I hadn’t even mentioned. Did Mi-eun send her my picture? As I was wondering, the owner let out a small laugh as she looked at me.

“Mi-eun said the one who you want to shower with affection just by looking at him is Ha Jin. The one who is unbelievably handsome is Sun Woo. Right?”

“Hahaha… Mi-eun said that?”

“You two are exactly as she described. Ah, you must be hungry. Sit over there. I’m going to start making the food now so it’ll take a bit. You’re my first customers so I’ll make you something delicious.”

Watching the owner quickly go into the kitchen, I sat at the table she guided us to. As I was sitting blankly, Sun Woo nodded his head at me. 

“We should take the pictures.”

“Now? Let’s take them after eating.”

If we take pictures in this cold atmosphere, I doubt they’ll come out well. I said it would be better to take them after filling our stomachs and the mood gets more amicable, and Sun Woo simply nodded.

I suddenly wanted to say something to Sun Woo, but in the end I couldn’t get any words out of my mouth. We had another round 2 of silence like this when Sun Woo abruptly asked me a question.

“Are you not drinking these days?”

“Drinking? No, I’m not. I go straight home after school so there’s no chance to drink.”

“You used to hang out and play with friends a lot before?”

“That was… when I was partying without a care. People usually can’t get their mind straight in their first year of college.”

That was when Ha Jin was partying. Now I’m too busy keeping up with my studies, so when I come home I study and have no time. You guys probably prepared for business administration since high school, but I’m barely keeping up with classes starting from zero base. If it wasn’t for Sun Woo’s notes, I would have turned in a blank midterm exam.

“I just got swayed here and there after becoming an adult. Now that I’m a sophomore, I need to get it together.”

Silence stretched on again after my answer ended. Can we even take pictures like this? We need to smile affectionately close together.

I looked at Sun Woo with worry, but he just seemed calm, I don’t know what he was thinking.

Ah, I’m jealous of the protagonist’s mentality. I’m worried if I can take an affectionate photo with Sun Woo right now.

“The pasta and steak are ready.”

The owner appeared with perfect timing, holding plates in both hands. 

Placing the pasta plate down and then the steak plate, she gave a simple explanation.

“This is arrabbiata pasta. Do you like spicy food? And this is tenderloin steak. It’s aged meat so it will be tender.”

“Thank you, boss.”

I thanked her and was about to eat when Sun Woo placed an additional order with the owner.

“Boss, could you make one more cream pasta?”

“Ah, is the portion a bit small?”

“I’m really hungry.”

“Of course I can. Eat up. I’ll make it for you.”

As the owner cheerfully went back into the kitchen, Sun Woo moved the pasta plate to his side and fully pushed the steak plate to me.

“The pasta is spicy.”

“Pasta can be spicy too? No matter how spicy pasta is, how spicy can it be?”

Despite his warning, I twirled the pasta onto my fork without concern and stuffed a mouthful. After chewing once or twice, my face quickly turned red.

‘What is this? Why is this pasta so spicy?’

As if he knew this would happen, Sun Woo let out a small sigh and went to get water from the water dispenser at the entrance, and in the meantime, the owner came out with drinks in her hands. 

“I forgot to give you drinks. This is our restaurant’s signature ade that I personally made, try it. It will be refreshing and sweet.”

Placing the drinks on the table, the owner went back into the kitchen. I was put off by the description of it being sweet, but I felt like I had to drink it for now to put out the chaos in my mouth. Just as Sun Woo arrived with a cup of water in his hand, I chugged down the iced ade the owner brought.

“Drink mine too.”

Sun Woo held out his drink to me who had finished the whole drink. Putting the water he brought in front of himself. Is it because I dumped it all into my mouth at once? My throat was burning. And it was terribly sweet. Because my body doesn’t like sweet tastes, I didn’t really want to drink more. But I thought I should force myself to drink it since Sun Woo considerately gave it to me, so I took a sip and put it down while internally shouting ‘Ugh, sweet’.

I don’t think I can eat that pasta. I should just eat the steak in front of me.

“Sun Woo.”

I was about to cut the steak in front of my eyes when I raised my head and affectionately called Sun Woo.

No, I didn’t mean to call him… I mean this… What is it? My body is out of control again?

“Can you cut the steak for me?”

Sun Woo, who was watching me smile prettily with my eyes curved, hesitated for a moment. I, who once again showed my drunken behavior to Sun Woo, am going to die.

“Ha Jin.”

“Hmm? I’m hungry. Sun Woo, can you cut it for me?”

“Did you drink?”

“No.”

Sun Woo looked around trying to find a liquor bottle. When a bottle still wasn’t in sight, he took the ade he had handed to me and took a sip to try it. I was curious too. What made me drunk again? Damn it… I really can’t stand the settings given to Ha Jin.

“Was what you drank the same as this?”

“Mmhmm. Super sweet, right?”

“It’s alcohol. Seems like wine.”

“Really? I can’t really tell.”  

I’m screwed. Wine? The owner definitely said it was ade when she gave it to us? Look, you can see the bubbles fizzing even now. Contrary to the thoughts in my head, my body was pushing the steak plate to Sun Woo.

“Cut it for me.”

Sun Woo blankly stared at the plate I handed him.  

As he was silently looking at it, I thought he might smash the plate on my head, but Sun Woo took the plate in front of himself, picked up the knife, and started cutting it into pieces.

Damn it, my body should just wait for the steak plate that will soon come back, but it unnecessarily stuck out my upper body and opened my mouth.

“Ah.”

To my body begging Sun Woo to feed me like a baby bird… rest in peace…

Instead of stabbing my neck with the knife in his hand, Sun Woo cut the steak, picked it up with a fork, and held it out to me.

“Oh my, what’s this? You two are being so cute.”

As I was receiving the steak, I internally shouted no! No! countless times at the owner’s words. But contrary to those inner thoughts, my drunken body was just smiling ever so brightly. When I saw the owner place the cream pasta on the table, the corners of my eyes naturally drooped. I didn’t know my expressions were this diverse. Seeing my expression filled with emotion, the owner laughed merrily.  

“Heehee, this is the first time I’m envious of Mi-eun. Mi-eun will have college life together with you guys, right? Should I go back to college too? Will the school accept an older student like me?”

“You want to attend together?”

“Yeah. Then will you take the same classes as me?”

“Boss.”

In the middle of the conversation, Sun Woo suddenly interjected. Thanks Sun Woo. Thanks to you, no useless words came out of my mouth.

“I tasted wine in the ade. Is it alcohol?”

“Huh? Ah, that’s wine ade. It’s made by adding wine and fruit syrup to carbonated water. Tastes good, right? I was wondering what young people would like these days and thought that would be good, so I added it to the menu. How is it?”

“It’s delicious. We already finished it all.”

I held out the empty glass to the owner. 

No, if drinking this much makes me lose control, at least make me lose consciousness too. Watching my body do things with a clear mind is hell.

“You already finished one glass? Want more?”

“No, just cola please.”

Sun Woo refused and asked for cola.

“Okay. One moment.”

The owner cheerfully went back into the kitchen again. Sun Woo now held out meat on a fork to me even without me opening my mouth. Ah… I wish he would just hit my head with anything nearby.

What’s the point of feeling ashamed? My body diligently accepted the meat he held out. While smiling ever so brightly at that.

The small silver lining is that at least I didn’t say anything atrocious like your lips look tasty.

Yeah. Let’s console ourselves with that.

The owner soon placed a glass of cola on the table and left. Sun Woo handed me the cola glass. 

“Just drink cola.”

“Should I? The wine ade was a bit sweet. I don’t like sweet things.”

“I know.”

He said it like it was obvious. His response somehow moved me.