The Pizza Delivery Man and the Gold Palace — Chapter 14

WHENEVER I RUN INTO A BRICK WALL...

...I FEEL THE DOMINOS I WORKED HARD TO SET UP FALLING DOWN.

AFTER THEY FALL, THE PIECES I HAVE TO SET UP AGAIN BECOME BLURRY, AND I WONDER IF I'M DOING ANYTHING RIGHT.

I THINK I UNDERSTAND.

WHEN EVERYTHING FEELS USELESS.

THANK YOU FOR TODAY.

YOU THANK ME TOO OFTEN.

HAHA.

OH, YEAH. MAY I ASK HOW OLD YOU ARE?

I'M 29. HOW ABOUT YOU?

WOW, REALLY?! WE'RE THE SAME AGE!

THE SAME AGE...?

I DEFINITELY THOUGHT YOU'D BE YOUNGER THAN ME.

THAT'S A COMPLIMENT, RIGHT? HAHA.

THEN...

...CAN WE SKIP FORMALITIES FROM NOW ON?

WE'VE SEEN EACH OTHER QUITE OFTEN, SO I FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT CLOSER...

ALRIGHT, SOUNDS GOOD TO ME.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE THING YOU LOST EARLIER?

THE MONEY POUCH? I COULDN'T FIND IT.

SO, NOW WHAT?

I JUST HAVE TO COVER THE LOSSES OUT OF MY OWN POCKET.

GOING THROUGH A ROUGH PATCH, HUH? EVEN AFTER YOU HURT YOUR ARM.

OH WELL. IT WAS MY FAULT, ANYWAY.

HUH? ISN'T THAT...

MY BRACELET?

UH... YEAH.

I THOUGHT IT'D BE A WASTE TO THROW AWAY...

CRAP, I FORGOT TO TAKE IT OFF.

CAN I KEEP IT?

THE BRACELET? YEAH, BUT...

ARE YOU SURE? IT MIGHT BE UNCOMFORTABLE SINCE IT BROKE.

I DON'T MIND.

I JUST WANT TO HAVE IT.

GO AHEAD, TAKE IT.

WELCOME, SEO-AN. YOU'RE HERE EARLY.

SORRY I'M LATE, I WAS MAKING COFFEE.

HELLO.

HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?

HAVE SOME.

THANK YOU.

I'VE HAD WORSE DAYS.

IS THAT RIGHT? DID ANYTHING HAPPEN IN PARTICULAR?

...I TRIED YOUR SUGGESTION FROM OUR LAST SESSION.

OUR LAST SESSION?

LET'S SEE.

OH, RIGHT! WHEN I ENCOURAGED YOU TO GET CLOSER TO THE PERSON YOU MET?

OH MY, HOW WAS THAT? A BIT AWKWARD, I ASSUME.

AN OPPORTUNITY AROSE THAT LED TO US MEETING MORE OFTEN THAN EXPECTED... BECAUSE OF THAT, I THINK WE GREW CLOSER.

THAT'S GREAT! MEETING BY CHANCE MAKES THINGS MORE NATURAL AND LESS BURDENSOME.

HOW DO YOU FEEL NOW THAT YOU'VE BECOME FRIENDLY? IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE YOU'VE FALLEN IN WITH A STRANGER.

I...FEEL ODD.

THAT'S ALRIGHT. HE'S STILL SOMEONE UNFAMILIAR, AFTER ALL.

IF I MAY ASK, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HIM? DO YOU GET ALONG?

...HE MIGHT NOT FEEL THE SAME WAY...

BUT I THINK WE GET ALONG WELL. I FEEL REALLY COMFORTABLE WHEN I'M WITH HIM.

WHENEVER I WAS WITH SOMEONE, I'D BE ON EDGE AND PUT UP MY GUARD.

DON'T PUSH YOURSELF TOO HARD.

BUT STRANGELY ENOUGH, I'VE NEVER FELT THAT WAY AROUND HIM.

HE SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD PERSON.

...I SUPPOSE.

OR...IT COULD ALSO BE THAT YOU'RE EXTREMELY FOND OF HIM.

YOU'RE RIGHT.

I THINK I AM.

HELLO, THIS IS UP- PIZZA.

I'D LIKE TO PLACE AN ORDER.

AH-HEE! I'LL DELIVER THIS ONE.

STAFF ONLY

HUH? TO WHERE?

THE GOLD PALACE, MY OTHER DELIVERY'S EN ROUTE.

OKAY! THANKS.

HI.

HEHE I SAW THAT YOU ORDERED, SO I OFFERED TO COME.

OH, OKAY... WELCOME.

I CAN'T BELIEVE HE ACTUALLY CAME.

ARE YOU GETTING READY TO GO OUT?

NOPE! I JUST CAME BACK HOME.

I SEE!

HANG ON, I'LL GIVE YOU YOUR PIZZA.

WOO-WON...

YEAH?

LET'S EAT TOGETHER. IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR LUNCH.

YOU CAN PUT THE BAG DOWN WHEREVER.

OH, ALRIGHT!

WOW... I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH A HOUSE BEFORE.

SO COOL.

WHAT DID YOUR MANAGER SAY?

PLACE YOUR CLOTHES TO THE SIDE.

OKAY.

YEAH, I LIVE BY MYSELF.

HOW'S YOUR ARM?

TAKING LONGER TO HEAL THAN I'D HOPED. IT'S A BIT UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT I'M GETTING USED TO IT.

I JUST HAVE TO BE BACK ON TIME.

ARE YOU HOME ALONE?

WELL, IT HASN'T BEEN THAT LONG SINCE YOU GOT INJURED.

I WISH I COULD'VE KEPT HELPING YOU OUT.

OH, NO, I COULDN'T ASK FOR MORE. I'M ALREADY DEEPLY INDEBTED TO YOU.

BY THE WAY, I HEARD THAT YOU KNOW HEE-IN HYUNG.

YOU KNOW HIM, TOO?

HE'S MY MOTHER'S APPRENTICE. HOW DO YOU KNOW HIM?

Coca Cola

WE WENT TO THE SAME SWIMMING POOL WHEN I WAS YOUNGER. I USED TO SWIM, SO...

I'M SURPRISED. THE WORLD IS A SMALL PLACE, HUH?

YEAH, REALLY SMALL.

DID YOU SWIM COMPETITIVELY?

SORT OF... IT NEVER WOULD'VE WORKED OUT, THOUGH. I HAD SOME HEALTH ISSUES AND SOME PERSONAL PROBLEMS...

REALLY?

HMM

...HE LOOKS DOWN. MAYBE I SHOULDN'T HAVE ASKED.

ARE YOU...

...SEEING SOMEONE RIGHT NOW?