Double Junk - 183

Ajin called out in a light, floating voice. The man who had been turning away swiftly turned back.

“Yes?”

“……”

“Did you call me, boss?”

The revealed face was unmistakably Myungjin. It was undeniably him. The only differences were that he now wore a perfectly tailored suit instead of his previously loose-fitting one, and he no longer had the scar under his chin or damaged fingers. But still, it was him.

Ajin set down his drink as though he were dropping it.

“H-How…”

Ajin’s overly shocked reaction made Myungjin scratch his chin. Then, with a short sigh, he gave an awkward smile.

“Oh, I returned to work last week. My paternity leave ended. I should’ve greeted you earlier, but I’ve been so busy with work… I apologize. I thought if I came to say hello, you might find it bothersome.”

“……”

“Anyway, are you feeling better? I was really surprised when I heard what happened yesterday. That guy is truly awful. But don’t worry, he’s still being investigated at the police station.”

There was a faint dialect in his speech. Although he spoke standard Korean, his accent occasionally revealed where he was from—familiar Busan tones that Ajin could easily mimic.

Ajin stared at Myungjin intensely, almost rudely, before breaking into a faint smile.

“Have you… been well?”

Ajin felt glad to see Myungjin. There was no reason not to be.

So, he’s also living in this world. He managed to escape that harsh era and make it here safely. Wearing a shiny suit, working at a good company, and seemingly doing well.

The mention of paternity leave suggested he had a family and child, too. Ajin felt his heart warm with joy at seeing someone he knew thriving despite being busy and somehow crossing paths with him.

At Ajin’s friendly remark, Myungjin raised his eyebrows. It was a simple greeting, yet he looked extremely surprised. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded repeatedly.

“Oh, yes. Of course, I’ve been well. Watching my daughter grow has been so enjoyable that time just flies.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Oh, and thank you for the generous gifts you sent when she was born. You sent so much that the house was packed! On top of that, you even sent department store gift cards and helped with my wife’s postpartum care… I know Secretary Kang must’ve arranged it, but thank you. My wife loved it.”

Ajin smiled faintly and carefully observed Myungjin. The Myungjin before him was not the same one he had known, but his curiosity lingered. Looking at him, Ajin felt like he might understand more about how Myungjin had lived 70 years ago, during the time Ajin couldn’t see.

He had been the one who must have suffered the most after Ajin and Seokju died.

Someone who grieved deeply and went through countless hardships.

Ajin hadn’t had the capacity to worry about Myungjin back then, but now, belatedly, he felt sorry and pitiful. As Seokju’s longest companion, losing him must have been deeply agonizing. And as the organization’s second-in-command, he probably hadn’t been able to mourn openly.

“Are you… feeling healthy?”

“Pardon? Oh, yes, absolutely. I had a full health check before my wife gave birth. I have to stay healthy until my daughter goes to college.”

Smiling innocently, Myungjin swept his hand from his chest down to his stomach. Ajin laughed along with him. He was relieved to see Myungjin happy and in good health.

As Ajin laughed, Myungjin quietly stepped back, putting some distance between them.

“Well, enjoy the rest of your time. I’ll be outside the room, so if you need anything—”

“What did Secretary Kang say?”

“Secretary Kang?”

Myungjin tilted his head slightly, as though he couldn’t understand what Secretary Kang had to do with this conversation. As he tried to decipher the intent of Ajin’s question, he replied hesitantly.

“Ah, Secretary Kang seemed worried about you being alone. That’s why he urgently called me here. But your taste in coffee has changed. You never used to touch franchise coffee, let alone something this sweet… When Secretary Kang first told me to buy this, I thought he was joking.”

He chuckled lightly. Ajin’s brow furrowed slightly.

“No, didn’t Hwang… say anything to Secretary Kang?”

“Pardon? What do you mean…? Since returning, I haven’t heard much. He just asked me to get up to speed on work quickly.”

It seemed Myungjin didn’t immediately understand Ajin’s question. Caught off guard by the sudden interrogation, he darted his eyes nervously, wondering if he had made a mistake.

“Aren’t you… close to Secretary Kang?”

The strangely disjointed conversation led Ajin to ask directly. In the past, the two had been inseparable friends. He assumed it would be the same in this life. But the unexpected question made Myungjin scratch his chin again.

“Huh? Oh, yes, we’re close.”

“How close?”

“Well… As you know, I’m Secretary Kang’s assistant, so we work on most tasks together.”

That wasn’t the answer Ajin had anticipated. He had been asking about personal ties. Resting his chin on the cushion, Ajin looked up at him.

“That’s it?”

“Pardon?”

Now, Myungjin looked uncomfortable, as though this line of questioning was burdensome. Ajin smiled softly and shook his head.

“No, never mind. Thank you for the drink.”

“…Of course. Then.”

After a polite bow, Myungjin hurriedly left the room. Ajin could clearly picture him sighing in relief as soon as the door closed.

Ajin pressed the tablet’s home button firmly, turning off the screen. Staring at his reflection in the darkened screen, he sipped his smoothie.

In this life, Seokju wasn’t close to Myungjin.

It wasn’t strange, though. He had no memory of his past life. While they had met again through fate, their connection was no deeper than that of regular colleagues at the same company.

As far as Ajin knew, in their previous life, the people most important to Seokju had been himself and his “family”—not bl00d relatives, but loyal comrades like Myungjin who had fought alongside him in countless battles.

But now, none of those “family” members were present. Even Myungjin, the most special one, didn’t share a close bond with him.

That meant in Seokju’s current life, with his narrow circle of relationships—no family, no friends—there was only one person who truly mattered to him.

Ajin smiled slyly.

The smoothie, filling his cheeks, tasted exceptionally sweet and satisfying.

Holding the smoothie, Ajin gazed out at the pouring rain. It was coming down hard enough to blur the view ahead, and the sight felt wonderfully refreshing.

Seokju approached behind Ajin. He handed over the thick stack of medical certificates and doctor’s opinions he had gathered to Myungjin. He had spent the entire day meeting doctors and talking to the police.

As he sighed lightly, his phone in his jacket pocket vibrated. Seokju took out the phone.

[Chairman]

It was Seonhwa. Seokju quickly swiped to answer the call.

“Yes, Chairman.”

• • Hmm, Seokju. Have you had lunch?

Her graceful voice asked how he was.

“Yes, I have.”

• • I see.

Seonhwa’s voice suddenly went quiet. Seokju easily sensed her down mood. His shoulders instinctively straightened.

“… Is there something you wanted to say?”

At Seokju’s words, Seonhwa spoke as if she had been waiting.

• • Yes. It seems that Ajin’s name is… being mentioned at the police station.

“…”

• • As you know, I have some connections with that side. The news reaches my ears directly.

Seokju exhaled a long breath through his nose. He had expected this question. It was impossible to hide this kind of thing from Seonhwa. He stepped a few paces back from Ajin and calmly explained the situation.

“Yesterday, for Juhyeok’s birthday, we went to Cheongdam-dong, and there was a brief confrontation with a staff member. The staff accused Ajin of wanting to take a watch.”

• • So, did Ajin get hurt?

“A little. It’s nothing to worry about.”

Seonhwa let out a faint sigh. Seokju clenched and unclenched his fist, feeling tense.

• • …Alright. I won’t ask more. I just need to know that Seokju is handling it, right?

“… I’m sorry.”

• • It’s not your fault. I know you always try hard for us. What can we do about the situation? It’s probably because of you that this was resolved so easily, right?

“…”

• • Thank you, as always.

“It’s nothing.”

• • If you need anything, just let me know, okay?

“Yes.”

The call ended shorter than expected. With a heavy heart, Seokju put his phone back in his jacket pocket and sighed again. He should have stayed by Ajin’s side despite his stubbornness. That was his job. He felt ashamed to face Seonhwa. Frustrated, he splashed his face with cold water.

While he quietly wrestled with his feelings of self-loathing, Ajin was peacefully watching the rain. The rain falling in a misty world felt refreshing.

If it had been in his past life, this heavy rain would have been quite inconvenient. He would have had to wash dishes under an eaves, stepping into muddy water with every step. It would have been damp, with a lot of laundry, water splashing onto the floor, and cold at night.

But now, nothing was inconvenient. The rainy season had been going on for days, yet Ajin hadn’t stepped in the rain once. Every day, his shoes were always shiny, and his body remained fresh. His hair stayed dry.

Every morning, he took a car parked in a garage with a roof, went to work, and stayed in the air-conditioned office. The same was true when he left work.

His house was still a hanok, but it was different from Seokju’s house 70 years ago. Ajin’s status was different, too. He was no longer someone working in a house but the owner of the house. Whether it rained or not, he would lounge on the sofa, sipping iced chocolate brought by the staff, reading a book, and occasionally looking at the rain-soaked garden.

For Ajin now, rain was not something to be endured but something to enjoy.

“It’s nice… the rain…”

Ajin gulped down the remaining smoothie in one go and clicked his tongue in disappointment. He thought about asking Seokju to buy him another one on his way to the office. Just then, he heard the sound of footsteps and saw Seokju standing beside him.

“Shall we head back to the office? Or would you prefer to go home? After yesterday’s incident, it might be better for you to rest today.”

Seokju took the empty smoothie cup from Ajin’s hand and threw it into the trash can. Then, he took out a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wiped the moisture off Ajin’s fingers.

“Will your brother be with you if you go home?”

Ajin asked in a calm voice. Seokju’s hand froze as he carefully wiped the moisture between Ajin’s finger joints. He stared at Ajin for a moment. Then, he nodded.

“Yes. I’ll stay by your side.”

“Then, let’s go home. Together.”

“… Yes.”

After wiping off all the moisture, Seokju folded the handkerchief. Ajin, turning his attention back to the window, let out a silly little laugh. Seokju looked at him with a confused expression.

“You look happy.”

Ajin was smiling after everything that had happened yesterday. It was strange, but at least it was a relief.

Ajin made a humming sound, then nodded and answered positively.

“Yeah, I guess… I feel like that.”

Ajin bit his lip to hold back his laughter but couldn’t stop himself from letting out a giggle. Seokju smiled too. Seeing him smile so brightly, Seokju felt reassured.

“Can I ask why?”

Seokju asked. Ajin raised an eyebrow teasingly. He made a playful motion as if he might boast, but then answered vaguely.

“Hmm, just… I met someone I was happy to see.”

And that person was happy because you’re not close with them. He hid the latter part of the sentence, too embarrassed to say it out loud.

Those two, who used to be so close, like family, like brothers, were now in an awkward relationship. Meanwhile, I still maintain a close relationship with Seokju, like this, standing right next to me. It wasn’t a competition, but it felt like a win. It was a childish feeling, but it felt good, so there was no help for it.

Ajin, seeing Seokju’s confused expression, laughed again.