LM 113

The morning air was fresh, as if the overnight rain had cleared away all the dust. Kwon Siyul took a deep breath and continued walking after pausing for a bit. His stride was much lighter than usual.

Many unfamiliar flowers had bloomed along this path. White dandelions sprouted between the pavement cracks, and in the distant mountains, forsythias dotted the landscape with yellow. Some precocious cherry blossoms had fully opened their five petals, despite it not being their time to bloom yet. It was a sort of spring scenery he hadn’t noticed before.

Passersby’s attire had also become much lighter. Though the fickle weather mixed winter and spring clothes, most wore coats or thin cardigans. Kwon Siyul too had put away his long padded jacket that reached his calves and opted for a single, thick top—his favorite lavender hoodie.

Pressing down his still-damp hair with the hood, he hurried across the crosswalk. Turning the corner after entering an alley, he arrived at the cafe where he worked. The bright yellow sign read “Spring Day.” Due to its location, it didn’t get as many customers as cafes on the main street, but the owner’s skill with desserts managed to bring in a steady stream of delivery orders.

Kwon Siyul was in charge of opening the cafe that day. He would put chairs on tables, sweep and mop the floor, fill empty containers with coffee beans, and diligently wipe the showcase glass until it gleamed. By then, the regular customer who always came at the same time every day would be hovering near the shop.

“Can I come in now?”

It was the owner of the clothing store two doors down. Every time he saw Kwon Siyul, he’d say he reminded him of his son working far away and give him snacks like rice cakes or cookies. 

Kwon Siyul greeted him with a bright smile on his face, “Welcome.

“A warm latte as usual, right? With low-fat milk.”

“Yes. Ah, you don’t even need to ask anymore. This is why I can’t go anywhere else.”

“Please give me your coupon. I’ll stamp it for you.”

Kwon Siyul stamped the coupon the owner handed over and reached for the milk. But today, the gaze following him seemed particularly persistent. Wondering if there was something on his face, Kwon Siyul awkwardly rubbed his cheek. The owner craned his neck, examining Kwon Siyul thoroughly before speaking.

“Did something good happen today, young man? You look radiant.”

“Ah, it’s just the nice weather. I noticed a lot of flowers blooming on the way here.”

“Is that so? I thought you might have a date today or something. You usually look so gloomy when you come here.”

“Did I really?”

“Yes. I wondered what the owner here saw in you when he hired you. You looked like you might cry even when smiling. But today, I don’t see any of that. You look so bright right now. That’s why I asked. I thought maybe you just got yourself a girlfriend.”

The owner, comfortably seated as if in his own home, chuckled. Kwon Siyul smiled back and handed over the finished latte. Having some time to spare, the owner didn’t leave right away. He sat in the chair, sipping his latte while busily scrolling through his phone. After skimming through the news, he sighed repeatedly, “Tsk, tsk.”

“It’s such a mess these days. How disgraceful for a man his age.”

“Why? What happened?”

“Haven’t you seen the news? It’s all they talk about on TV these days.”

Kwon Siyul rarely watched TV, and on his phone, he only played games and texted, so he was oblivious to current events. Seeing Kwon Siyul tilt his head to one side in confusion, the owner leaned in as if ready to gossip in earnest. Carefully checking their surroundings to ensure no one was listening, he whispered to Kwon Siyul.

“It’s about a video. I didn’t get to watch it even though I wanted to, but you know, Young-i’s mom sent it to me…Apparently, a group of people gathered at a villa, all naked and doing that thing. You could see everyone’s faces clearly.”

The owner waved his hand in front of his face, grimacing. Just hearing about it, Kwon Siyul could imagine what they were doing in the video. He made the same expression as the owner and chimed in with an “Ugh.”

“I had no idea. Who was it? A celebrity?”

“No, it’s that guy…What was his name? I can’t remember.”

The owner scratched his head and tapped on his phone. With an “Ah,” he showed the screen to Kwon Siyul. Kwon Siyul stared at the photo quietly before suddenly widening his eyes.

“Right, this person. His name was Woo Jung-ryeol! Ugh, he was talking about becoming the floor leader and whatnot, but how can such a sleazy person be a leader?! They should strip him of his position as a member of parliament, absolutely.”

“This person…”

Even though they showed him others, saying there were more people, Kwon Siyul couldn’t take his eyes off the first person that showed up on the screen. Unlike the sharp, cold gaze that had looked down on him, the profile picture showed a rather gentle smile.

The person who had taken him to the mansion, beat him up, and made terrifying threats. He thought he was called Chairman and ran some company, but it turned out he was a National Assembly member with a golden badge.

“Anyway, you’ve got to know that politicians are different on the inside from the outside. Ugh, disgusting.”

The owner put away his phone with a shudder. Kwon Siyul laughed heartily, “Haha.” He had only heard of the idiom “karma” but never thought it would actually happen. However, seeing this, it looked like the way the world worked wasn’t so bad after all.

The cafe work was busy only during opening time, but afterward, it was quiet. After dusting every corner and watering the plants, there was nothing left to do. He habitually grabbed his phone and saw that Kwon Yuwon had sent a message while he wasn’t paying attention.

Kwon Yuwon had returned recently. How long had he waited desperately for his return? Kwon Siyul hugged Kwon Yuwon and cried loudly.

But instead of staying put after returning, Kwon Yuwon would go out every night as if he had secretly hidden a honeypot somewhere. There were times he came home close to morning, past dawn.

Worried that he might be involved in dangerous business again, Kwon Siyul asked about it, but Kwon Yuwon said it wasn’t like that. When pressed, he would just brush it off, so Kwon Siyul eventually shook him by the collar and demanded he spill the beans.

“Ah, it’s not what you’re worried about! I met someone!”

“Who is it?”

“Park Hae-jeong!”

He was shocked. Kwon Yuwon’s ears and nape were flushed pink as he shouted that name.

Kwon Siyul had seen Park Hae-jeong before. He was the person who had helped Kwon Yuwon out.

“Isn’t that person an Alpha?”

“…That’s how it turned out.”

Kwon Yuwon mumbled, turning his head away, seemingly very embarrassed. At first, it was shocking. But Kwon Siyul soon nodded. Hadn’t he himself presented as an Omega and spent time with Woo Hyunse while keeping it a secret from Kwon Yuwon? When had he ever imagined being with a man, an Alpha? Life was unpredictable.

[I might be late today.]

[Go to bed first.]

In the past, he wouldn’t have understood, but now he knew what that “might be late” implied. He thought about telling him to just sleep over at Park Hae-jeong’s place comfortably and not to worry about it, but knowing Kwon Yuwon would call and insist it wasn’t like that, he just sent two “okay” responses.

Kwon Siyul absently scrolled through his messages. Then, feeling like he was desperately waiting for something, he quickly put the phone down on the table.

“…”

For a moment, he lowered his head and cupped the back of his neck with his palm. Just thinking about it made his skin feel hot. His cheeks and ears had surely turned red. He could tell without looking in a mirror.

Now he admitted it. Even at the moment he had stormed out of Woo Hyunse’s house, and afterward, his feelings hadn’t changed one bit. They remained the same. Enough that his sorrow would melt away at that one sentence about realizing love too late. If it was true that the one who loves more loses, he could never win against Woo Hyunse.

The bell on the door jingled. Kwon Siyul quickly raised his head to greet the new customer. A smile like early-blooming cherry blossoms spread across his face. His voice was full of energy as he welcomed them.

At first, he was awkward making coffee, but as more time passed, he could brew it quickly and deliciously. It was fascinating how the taste changed depending on the roasting, and how the beans’ unique characteristics came out based on their origin and soil. Occasionally, when a customer complimented the coffee’s taste, his shoulders would puff up with pride.

It wouldn’t be bad to learn it properly. For the first time in his life of living day by day without plans, he found something he wanted to do. It wasn’t just about making money. He wanted to learn systematically and make coffee with a deeper aroma and better taste. …And he also wanted to have a special someone taste it.