LA0S | Chapter 20

Lee Jinha. Take one of these.” Kim Chayoung extended one of the two pizza boxes he was holding.

“I meant to order only bulgogi pizza, but I pressed the wrong button. I can’t eat all this alone, so help me out.”

The only things Lee Jinha had eaten that day were a triangle kimbap, a sausage, and a cup of ramen. That was his total intake for the whole day, not just one meal. And even then, he had bought the smaller size of the cup ramen. It was a curious experience to see the noodles disappear with just two bites of the chopsticks.

“How do you even end up ordering a different type of pizza?”

Hawaiian pizza was so divisive that it was listed under a separate tab as a best-seller. Lee Jinha didn’t mind pineapple and enjoyed it well.

The sweet aroma of pineapple mixed with the savory scent of cheese wafted through the slightly damp box.

Gurgle. His stomach responded to the delicious smell.

Did he hear that? Could he have heard it? Lee Jinha’s face flushed red. He was truly glad he was wearing a helmet.

What Lee Jinha overlooked was that the helmet only covered his face.

Kim Chayoung’s eyes wandered over the flushed neck and collarbone of Lee Jinha, his gaze as heavy as the soil after a heavy rain. That stare vanished the moment Lee Jinha looked up, replaced by a sly smile as if he hadn’t been staring at all.

“Fine, you just…”

“Eat up? Got it. I’ll eat both plates then.”

Kim Chayoung nodded, lowering the hand holding the pizza box.

“I’ll be going then.”

“Good work. This is your pay for five days. There were particularly many reviews saying the delivery guy was kind, so I added a bit extra.”

Kind delivery guy, huh. No need to say who wrote those reviews.

“Thank you. Call me again next time.”

After receiving an envelope from the pizza shop owner, Lee Jinha bowed and left. This money would cover his living expenses for a while.

He was unusually tired today. He was tempted to take a taxi, but instead, he got on the bus.

Thanks to the reviews, he had received more money than expected, so maybe he could afford a special treat tomorrow?

He slowly climbed the winding hill. The envelope in his pocket made his steps lighter than usual. When he was about halfway up, his mother called him.

“What’s up? Is something wrong at home?”

[Nothing’s wrong. Just wondering how you’re doing.]

He knew she wouldn’t call without a reason. Lee Jinha tightened his grip on his phone.

“It’s okay, tell me what’s going on.”

[Well… Seonha has a school trip next month…]

His mother hesitated, and he guessed the reason for the call.

“How much is the fee? Don’t understate it, just tell me. It’s easier that way.”

[They’re going to Jeju Island. It seems to be about 250,000 won per person. You don’t need to worry about it.]

If she really didn’t want him to worry, she wouldn’t have called. But it was better to pay for his sister’s school trip than deal with debt collectors hounding for their father’s debts. He was the eldest, after all.

“I’ll send the money tomorrow. Don’t worry and go to sleep early.”

[I’m always sorry. As a parent, I have no shame, always reaching out to my children for help.]

Always. The word perfectly matched their current situation, bringing a bitter smile to his face.

[And Jinha, don’t tell Seonha I talked to you about this.]

“I won’t.”

After hanging up, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the envelope, rustling it. He peeked inside, and there were four yellow bills.

The trip cost 250,000 won. If she was going, she’d need spending money too… Sending all of this wouldn’t even cover everything. Where would he get the rest? He sighed and continued up the hill, fatigue clinging to his shoulders and legs like a heavy burden.

As he passed the only supermarket in the neighborhood, he met the landlady. She held a shopping bag in one hand and a watermelon in the other.

“Lee Jinha, are you just getting home? Good timing.”

She naturally extended the watermelon towards him. He took it without a word, and she handed him the rest of the bags as well.

“Watermelons are out already?”

It was early May, and they were expensive. Of course, Lee Jinha was better off than her, but the landlord’s family wasn’t that well-off either. Everyone in the neighborhood knew her husband had lost a considerable amount of money in stocks.

Compared to that… Lee Jinha thought about Kim Chayoung’s studio he had delivered to earlier. It wasn’t far from this neighborhood, but the difference in land value was like heaven and earth.

“My husband said this is some pocket money, and he’ll buy a big present soon to make up for all the hardship. Just wait a little longer.”

“That’s good to hear. Maybe things are looking up this year.”

“If things go well for us, I’ll make sure to take care of you too. I remember how you helped our Jun-kyung with his studies, so look forward to it.”

“Thank you just for saying that.”

“It’s us who should be thankful. Keep looking after our Jun-kyung. He’ll be your junior after all.”

Lee Jinha had been able to rent cheaply because he was a student at Hanguk University. Whenever he had time, he helped the landlord’s son with his studies. Naturally, it was for free.

The son had taken the college entrance exam last year but hadn’t done well, which was to be expected since he hadn’t studied much. Lee Jinha had suggested a less competitive private university in the provinces, but both the mother and son had fiercely refused.

They only wanted Hanguk University or Sege University, or at least a university that was well-known, which was impossible unless their capacities suddenly expanded by 5,000 students.

Lee Jinha responded with a faint smile.

As payment for carrying the groceries, he received an ice cream. It was an unexpected treat.

✥

“5,300 won…”

That was what remained in his bank account after sending money to his mom.

At least with this amount, he could survive a few days. Lee Jinha bought a triangle kimbap. He unwrapped the vinyl and took a bite from the corner.

If he ate his fill, it would disappear in two bites, so he nibbled it as sparingly as a squirrel with a nut. Maybe he should have taken that pineapple pizza.

When he had eaten about half, a tall man entered the break room.

Kim Chayoung, who walked in expressionlessly, broke into a wide smile upon seeing Lee Jinha waiting.

What’s so funny?

He himself felt only discomfort, yet that guy seemed cool as a cucumber. Or maybe he just didn’t care enough to feel any emotion. Either way, it was bitter to think he was the only one bothered by it.

“You’re early.”

“Just show me the work.”

“Demanding the work as soon as we meet. Even an editor would be less nervous than you.”

Kim Chayoung set down his tablet in front of Lee Jinha and sat opposite him.

“How about it? It’s almost like creating something out of nothing, right?”

The comment was laced with laughter. Lee Jinha couldn’t argue because, honestly, Kim Chayoung’s statement was true. He had only roughly sketched out the scenes and frames, but compared to the current work, it was kindergarten level.

“See? This is how good I am.”

“What a pain.”

“Painfully good? Even you have to admit it’s impressive, right?”

Despite Lee Jinha’s cursing, Kim Chayoung just smirked. With results like these, he had every right to be proud. Lee Jinha caught a fleeting glimpse of the dimple on the scoundrel’s cheek before looking away.

“But you didn’t add any backgrounds or effects?”

“That comes after the coloring. Gotta work on the dialogue and sound effects too.”

So this wasn’t the final version?

“How about it, are you glad you chose me? Lee Jinha.”

It was worth enduring the discomfort of working with an ex-boyfriend if it meant getting this kind of output.

“Hm?”

Lee Jinha twitched his nose. At the next table, someone was eating ramen. Eating food other than drinks was forbidden in the break room, but almost no one followed that rule.

The problem was the distinctive smell of ramen was making him hungrier. It just so happened he had no part-time job that day, so there was nowhere to scrounge a meal. Maybe he shouldn’t have eaten the kimbap. It just made him feel hungrier.

“Should I call Yoon Sejin?”

If he agreed to help with a project, he might get a meal out of it. He fiddled with his phone in his pocket.

Thud! That’s when it happened. Kim Chayoung suddenly stood up. The movement was so abrupt that even the table shook slightly. A shadow loomed over Lee Jinha, who looked up, startled. The backlight pouring over Kim Chayoung’s head made it difficult to see his expression.

“Get up.”

“Why? Are you finally ready to fight?”

“Not yet. But when I am, it’ll be enough to make you sick of it, so be prepared.”

A declaration of war, already? Did he think I’d just stand here and take it? Lee Jinha had never formally learned to fight, but he wasn’t weak.

“You be prepared.”

“I am. Always have been.”

Kim Chayoung crinkled the corners of his downturned eyes into a smile. It was bright enough to turn heads, yet oddly alienating. What was it? Before he could sort through his thoughts, Kim Chayoung gestured with his chin.

“Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“You’ll see. It’s something important related to the contest.”

Reluctantly, Lee Jinha got up, determined not to let him get away with any nonsense if it turned out to be a waste of time.

“Hey.”

And his fears were realized. Lee Jinha scoffed as he saw the sign for the PC room. Kim Chayoung had always been hard to understand, but now he was just baffling.

“What are you doing? Not going up?”

“Do you think we’re in any state to play games together?”

“Who said anything about playing games nicely? I told you, it’s something that’ll help with the contest. I’m as serious as you are. I’m not here to waste time.”

Kim Chayoung answered calmly and began climbing the narrow stairs. Lee Jinha didn’t see what a PC room and a webtoon had in common, but the guy seemed earnest enough. Curious about what he was thinking, Lee Jinha followed quietly.