The Pizza Delivery Man and the Gold Palace — Chapter 27

WANNA SMOKE?

ALRIGHT.

SO, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR PLACE? DID YOU TALK TO THE POLICE?

I'M GOOD.

THEY'RE STILL INVESTIGATING, BUT THEY'LL KEEP ME POSTED.

THOSE BASTARDS... AND YOU'RE CRASHING AT MINSUNG'S FOR NOW?

NO, THAT WAS ONLY FOR A FEW DAYS. I'M AT ANOTHER FRIEND'S NOW.

ANOTHER FRIEND, MY ASS! WHO ELSE IS THERE BESIDES ME AND MINSUNG?

YOU... JUST DON'T KNOW HIM.

MHM, I SEE. MY BAD FOR NOT KNOWING.

HE HAS A FRIEND CLOSE ENOUGH TO LIVE OFF OF? SOUNDS FISHY...

HAVE YOU TALKED TO YOUR MOM?

NOT YET...

NOT YET? WHEN ARE YOU GONNA TELL HER?

I DON'T KNOW. I MEAN, DO I HAVE TO?

IT'S NOT LIKE TELLING HER WILL FIX THINGS. PLUS, I DON'T WANT TO MAKE HER WORRY.

YOU KNOW HOW SAD SHE'LL BE IF SHE FINDS OUT LATER?! YOU UNGRATEFUL PRICK!

JUST LET HER KNOW!

HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!

Y-YOU'RE RIGHT.

ARE YOU GOING OR NOT?

OF COURSE. YOU BETTER GO, TOO. DON'T WANT OUR PARENTS JUMPING DOWN OUR THROATS.

UGH, A FAMILY DINNER? PEOPLE MIGHT THINK WE ACTUALLY GET ALONG.

IT'S PROBABLY 'CAUSE OF SEOJIN'S MARRIAGE.

SO? HE'S THE ONE GETTING MARRIED, NOT ME. RIDICULOUS.

MAKE SURE TO SAY THAT TO HIS FACE.

YOU THINK I WON'T?

I'VE GOTTA GO. SEE YOU THEN.

WHAT'RE YOU THINKING ABOUT?

THAT...

THAT CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD!

S-SEO-AN!

YOU'RE EARLY...!

YEP. WHAT'S THAT?

OH, MY MANAGER MADE EVERYONE SOMETHING TO DRINK ON OUR WAY HOME. THERE'S ONE FOR YOU, TOO.

THANKS.

COFFEE?

NO, ICED TEA.

COFFEE'S NOT GOOD FOR ANXIETY.

KANG SEO-AN!

CALM DOWN, CALM DOWN.

...KIM MIN-HYEON?

WHAT THE HECK! YOU WERE ALIVE THIS WHOLE TIME?! WHY DIDN'T YOU REACH OUT?!

I WAS DYING TO HEAR FROM YOU AFTER WE BROKE UP, YOU KNOW!

YOU'RE THE WORST!

HOLD ON...

I KNOW, I KNOW. I'M SORRY.

BUT I'M WITH A FRIEND RIGHT NOW, SO IF YOU DON'T MIND...

WHAT? SINCE WHEN DID YOU CARE ABOUT STUFF LIKE THAT?

WAIT, IS THAT YOUR NEW MAN?! HE'S FREAKIN' HANDSOME, YOU SHALLOW JERK!

I GET IT, I'M SHALLOW.

C'MON, LET ME SEE HIM!

ISN'T HE A BIT TOO HUNKY FOR YOU?

BE RIGHT BACK.

SO HE DOES LIKE PRETTY PEOPLE...

SORRY... WHO KNEW I'D RUN INTO HIM?

IT HAPPENS.

WAS THAT... YOUR EX?

DAMN.

UH-HUH...

I SEE.

WHY'D IT HAVE TO BE HIM? WE BARELY EVEN DATED.

AND IT WAS A YEAR AGO, AT THAT...

TELL ME IF I'M MAKING YOU UNCOMFORTABLE. I CAN-

NO!

I'M NOT UNCOMFORTABLE AT ALL! TOTALLY SERIOUS. ABSOLUTELY FINE!

HE DOESN'T LOOK FINE.

THIS MUST BE WHY YOOHAN BROUGHT UP SEO-AN'S PREFERENCE, RIGHT?

THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, BUT... YEAH...

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO REACT, NOW THAT I'VE SEEN IT WITH MY OWN EYES.

I'M GUESSING THINGS ENDED ON GOOD TERMS!

WELL...

YOU WANT EVERYTHING YOUR WAY, DON'T YOU?!

...NOT EXACTLY. BUT WE DO TALK WHEN WE MEET.

MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE WE NEVER HAD A DEEP CONNECTION IN THE FIRST PLACE.

IT'S ALWAYS BEEN DIFFICULT FOR ME TO TRUST MY PARTNER.

WHENEVER THEY ACT EMOTIONALLY INTIMATE, THEIR WARMTH FEELS LIKE A BURDEN.

DO YOU EVEN LOVE ME?

BUT I'M AWARE THAT SOMEONE'S WRONG WITH ME.

AND THAT I HAVE A BAD HABIT OF NOT TRUSTING PEOPLE, AND LETTING THEM GO WHEN THINGS DON'T GO MY WAY.

DO YOU PREFER LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS?

ME? HMM...

NOT REALLY. I'VE ONLY BEEN IN A FEW RELATIONSHIPS, BUT NONE OF THEM LASTED.

I WAS ALWAYS BUSY WITH WORK, AND THAT MADE MY PARTNER FEEL LONELY.

I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND WHY I GOT DUMPED.

WELL, I FEEL YOU ON THAT ONE.

HAHA.

BY THE WAY, I'LL BE HOME LATE ON THURSDAY. I HAVE A FAMILY THING.

A FAMILY THING?

MHM. MY PARENTS WANT TO HAVE DINNER.

I HOPE ALL GOES WELL.

THE COMPANY WILL START THE APPOINTMENT PROCESS FOR OUR OVERSEAS BRANCH SOON.

I WAS HOPING SEO-AN COULD GET BACK TO WORK. BUT BY THE LOOKS OF THINGS, THAT'S OUT OF THE QUESTION.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. BRANCH WILL TAKE OVER SEOJIN'S PREVIOUS POSITION FOR NOW.

IT'S BETTER FOR THEM TO RUN THINGS WITH RESPECT TO U.S. POLICY, ANYWAY.

BUT I'M PLANNING TO APPOINT YOU IN THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT YEAR, SEO-AN.

AS YOU MAY KNOW, THE POSITION CARRIES GREAT IMPORTANCE.

I WON'T ALLOW ANOTHER MISTAKE.

YES, SIR.

SEOJIN, HOW ARE THE WEDDING PLANS COMING ALONG? IS JOO-YEON BACK IN KOREA YET?

WE ACTUALLY CAME BACK TOGETHER. SHE'S UP TO HER EARS IN PLANNING THINGS RIGHT NOW.

WE'LL COME GREET YOU SOON.

YES, PLEASE DO.

HEY, JINYOO. I HEARD YOU'RE STILL DOING THAT BAND SHTICK OF YOURS.

IT'S JUST A BAND, NOT A SHTICK.

AND WHY DO YOU CARE?

WATCH YOUR MANNERS. I CAN'T EVEN ASK A QUESTION?

DON'T EVEN BOTHER. IT'S ANNOYING.

THIS YOUNG LADY IS QUITE A HANDFUL, LET ME TELL YOU. ALL SHE DOES IS PLAY IN THAT PRETEND BAND.

I WAS NEVER LIKE THAT AT YOUR AGE.

I'M TIRED OF THIS.

UGH, STOP IT. YOU SAID YOU'D LEAVE ME ALONE UNTIL I GRADUATE.

HONESTLY, YOU'RE ALWAYS IN YOUR OWN WORLD.

THERE'S NO NEED TO WORRY. IT MAY NOT SEEM LIKE IT, BUT JINYOO ALWAYS PULLS HER WEIGHT.

OH, I SEE. AND WHAT ARE YOU UP TO THESE DAYS?

NICE TRY, BUT I'M NOT TELLING.

I'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE THINKING.

LET HIM BE, SEOJIN.

I DON'T WANT TO HEAR WHAT HE HAS TO SAY.

YOU'RE ALL SO ANNOYING.

THIS IS WHY I DIDN'T WANT TO COME.