OMLM | Chapter 39

– “…No, I’m just a little tired.”

“Ah.”

Well, it wasn’t exactly an early hour. If Cha Hyuk had been working all day, it was only natural for him to be exhausted by now.

– “Sorry for bothering you so late. Please get some rest. I’ll hang up now.”

– “Alright. Yebon, make sure you get home safely.”

“Yes.” I hung up the phone. But I couldn’t shake the strange uneasiness lingering in my chest.

‘No… I’m just overthinking things.’

Yebon tried to brush off the unsettling feeling and walked into the library. The library was about to close soon, so it was time to pack up and leave.

Did Cha Hyuk finally give up?

Until not too long ago, he was contacting me every four hours without fail, but now, not a single message.

Did Cha Hyuk finally realize that spending so much time on someone like me was a waste?

“Kang Yebon!”

“Ah, uh, what?”

Startled by the sudden voice shouting right next to my ear, I quickly turned off my phone screen.

Seeing this, Lee Seunggu narrowed his eyes and smirked knowingly. His expression practically screamed, “Is it because of him?”

I scrunch my nose, signaling for him to mind his own business. Seunggu raised an eyebrow, clearly amused, and then changed the topic.

“Kim Bumjoon’s going to Sky Pub later. Wanna come?”

“No, I’ll just stay at the library.”

“Really? Isn’t the library super crowded right now? Are there even any seats?”

“There’s none on the first or second floor, but if you go to the fourth floor, there’s usually space.”

“Is that so? Alright. Call me if you get bored.”

With that, Seunggu turned and walked away.

I slowly made my way to the library, distractedly pulling out my phone again.

I opened a browser and searched for “Bluemoon bar.” Unsurprisingly, dozens of places with the name “Bluemoon” popped up all over Seoul.

As expected… there were so many.

I sifted through my memories, trying to recall which Bluemoon Cha Hyuk had taken me to, and tapped on a place I suspected to be the one.

Using street view, I scanned the area, and yep, this was the place. Below the store name was an address and a phone number.

The opening hours were listed as 5 PM. It was now 4:58 PM.

Since they were about to open, maybe they’d pick up the phone.

Whoever answered would probably be that guy, Ma Dongpal. I didn’t see any other staff when I was there last time.

But isn’t this kind of overkill? It’s only been a day or two since I haven’t heard from him. I even talked to Cha Hyuk last night.

Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about his voice from yesterday. He said he was tired, but anyone could tell he sounded like he was sick.

‘If I’m wrong, it’ll just be a bit embarrassing.’

After much deliberation, I made the call.

The phone rang a few times before someone answered.

“Hello?”

I froze. The voice wasn’t Ma Dongpal’s, nor was it Cha Hyuk’s. It sounded like a younger man.

Did I dial the wrong number? I double-checked, but since I had copied the number directly from the internet, it couldn’t be wrong.

Maybe there’s a part-timer I didn’t know about.

“If you’ve called the wrong place, just hang up.”

Normally, wouldn’t they at least double-check before saying that? The curt response caught me off guard, and I blurted out.

“Wait! This is Bluemoon, right?”

“Yeah, it is. Why?”

The tone was sharp, almost accusatory. For some reason, I felt a little intimidated.

“Well, um, is there a man named Ma Dongpal there?”

“He’s not here right now. Who are you, and what do you need? I can pass on a message.”

Ugh, this is bad. If it’s not Ma Dongpal, explaining my connection to Cha Hyuk is going to be a hassle.

How many people would believe me if I said I was close to Cha Hyuk out of nowhere?

As the silence stretched, the person on the other end of the line grew more impatient.

“Who are you? Why aren’t you talking? How old are you?”

“…”

Seriously, this guy is so impatient. I hadn’t even been silent for more than a minute, but he was already snapping at me. I felt wronged.

I regretted not calling the ahjusshi directly, but it was too late for that now.

Maybe I should just hang up? No. I decided to just say whatever came to mind. He didn’t seem patient enough to wait for me to carefully explain.

“I was just thinking. I’ve been there before, and I’m calling because I haven’t heard from Cha Hyuk hyung and was worried he might be sick. If you tell Ma Dongpal that the college student who came with Cha Hyuk once called, he might remember me.”

I wasn’t sure if Ma Dongpal would actually remember me, but he did stare at me a lot last time, so maybe.

I braced myself, ready for a snarky reply. But instead, there was an unexpected silence from the other end.

“…Hello?”

“Ah, my apologies. I was trying to recall who you were. Are you Kang Yebon? Hyung has mentioned you a few times. You’re in the same class, right?”

My eyes widened. I never thought Cha Hyuk would talk about me.

“Hyung is resting at home because he’s been unwell since yesterday. Is there anything you’d like me to tell him?”

So, he wasn’t just tired; he was actually sick.

If he’s been resting for two days, it must be pretty bad. Worry crept into my chest.

“Is he… very sick?”

“Well, you could say that. Are you worried?”

“Yes… but you don’t have to pass on my words. I just wanted to check on him. Thank you.”

That was all I could do.

I couldn’t call him directly, nor could I visit his home. All I could do was hear about him and hope he’d get better soon.

After all, even though Cha Hyuk might be a gangster, he surely had plenty of people looking out for him.

Even as I told myself that, I knew I wouldn’t be able to concentrate at the library anymore. Just as I was about to end the call and head home, the voice spoke again.

“Kang Yebon, could I ask you for a favor?”

The tone was much more polite this time.

“A favor?”

“Yes, I’ll send you the bar’s address. Could you come by?”

A favor? To me? Someone with no ties to their world?

His earlier rudeness was still fresh in my mind, and I was ready to decline.

“Well, I’m just an ordinary student, so I don’t think…”

“You can meet Cha Hyuk if you come.”

“…Send me the address.”

It would’ve taken over an hour by public transportation, but the taxi got me there in 30 minutes.

Having been here once before, the building felt somewhat familiar. Standing out front was a tall man. He looked young, just as his voice suggested.

Contrary to my expectations, he didn’t have a bad impression. His friendly smile softened his features.

The taxi pulled up, and the man approached the driver’s side, motioning for the window to be rolled down.

It was a simple gesture, but in his black suit, it felt almost like a threat. Especially given the area, which didn’t seem safe after dark.

The taxi driver hesitated, glancing at me nervously.

I gave an awkward smile and reassured him.

“Ah, he’s going to pay the fare. It’s fine.”

Even after my reassurance, the driver hesitated before finally cracking the window. Meanwhile, the man’s expression had stiffened.

‘Forget it, his face isn’t that friendly after all…’

Maybe it was just my perception, but he now looked annoyingly smug. His sharp eyes and thin lips gave him a stingy vibe.

“Why didn’t you open the window faster? You’re wasting my time. How much is it?”

“…12,600 won.”

Muttering about how expensive taxis had gotten, he pulled out 20,000 won from his wallet and handed it over.

He’s the one who told me to take a taxi, yet now he’s complaining? I bit my tongue and kept my grumbling to myself as I got out of the car.

“Keep the change.”

What kind of logic is that? Complaining about the fare but then not taking the change? Whatever.

The taxi drove off, and I found myself standing awkwardly, staring at the man.

He looked me up and down, a smug smile still on his face.

“Well, well. I’d heard about you, but seeing you in person is even better.”

With his hands in his pockets, he swaggered toward me.

His gaze was unsettling, his dark eyes sharp and calculating. Unlike when Cha Hyuk looked at me, this felt… unpleasant.

He extended a hand, a grin spreading across his face.

“The name’s Kim Hyunwoo. Nice to meet you.”

Why did I come here…?