OTC Chapter 11

She erased the name of the man who had become a ‘nobody’ once again.

Lee Dohyun’s name was buried in more places in her life than she realized. Perhaps it was because they had spent so much time together. She thought she had erased him from her life long ago, but this time, it was the bank that contacted her.

– The installment savings account you opened matured quite a while ago, but you haven’t withdrawn the money. If you wish to continue keeping it as a deposit, I can introduce you to some new products.

The bank employee, in a gentle voice, delved into the remnants of someone else’s past relationship. It was a couples’ savings account, something like a date fund, that she had opened with Lee Dohyun. At the time, the bank had been running a limited-time promotion, and although it wasn’t a large sum, they had both diligently saved money.

Back then, they had joked that if they kept saving like this, they would be able to buy a house together someday.

– Well, there’s currently about 50 million won¹ in the account. Excluding interest, just the principal. 

“That much? That can’t be right…”

– Yes. Mr. Lee Dohyun has been consistently depositing money. But now that this particular product is no longer available, we thought it best to contact you to close the account.”

“That’s not my money. I haven’t deposited anything for the past three years. Contact Lee Dohyun about it.”

– Ah… then, are you forfeiting your ownership of the deposit?

“Yes. I don’t need it.”

– Then I’ll try to contact Mr. Lee Dohyun. Thank you for your time.

The bank employee had his contact information, but she didn’t. No, that bastard, who even answered the bank’s calls, never answered hers.

Thinking about all the heartache she’d endured because she couldn’t reach him made her want to unleash a torrent of curses, but Eunkyo held back and ended the call.

“It looks like they’re installing the air conditioner in the basement today.”

Seontae, expertly preparing a latte, gestured towards the window.

Just as he’d said, appliance store employees carrying air conditioner boxes were heading down to the basement.

“Seontae, can you make me three iced Americanos? To go.”

“Sure, but why?”

“Since Haeda isn’t around, I’ll take care of it. It’s hot, and I figured I’d give the workers something to cool down.”

“Oh, I see. By the way boss… are you and boss Haeda close friends?”

“Yes. We’re business partners.”

“Got it. Sometimes people ask if you’re siblings.”

“I hear that sometimes.”

Where these rumors originated, Eunkyo couldn’t fathom—and frankly, she didn’t care to know. She found people who spread baseless gossip unsettling. Not that Kim Seontae was necessarily one of those people, but the conversation left her feeling slightly uncomfortable.

‘Honestly, what’s wrong with me…. He’s a good kid.’

Taking the coffees Seontae prepared, Eunkyo headed down to the basement while there were no customers. Along with the loud whirring of drills, she could hear people talking.

And she saw Lee Jaeheon’s back, his arms crossed as he leaned against the entrance.

Despite saying he would come over often to shower, Lee Jaeheon had been hard to spot since that day.

Perhaps because he was a graduating senior and summer break was approaching, she was only aware of his presence in the basement through the sounds coming from the studio.

“Um…”

When she approached him and tapped him on the shoulder, Lee Jaeheon’s expression softened instantly as he turned around.

“Sunbae.”

“I brought these for the installers. One is for you, Mr. Lee Jaeheon.”

“Ah… Thank you. Everyone, have some coffee.”

Lee Jaeheon took the coffees with a bright smile. Then, the installers, accustomed to politeness, thanked her profusely.

The installation resumed, and amidst the loud noise, Eunkyo stood blankly next to Jaeheon. She admitted that she didn’t have anything particular on her mind. She didn’t have anything to say, but she also didn’t want to leave immediately.

The blades of the fan, placed right in front of the workbench, rotated, creating a hot breeze.

“I was just about to return the fan.”

He said, looking down at Eunkyo, who was standing in a daze.

“Ah, you can just keep it. You can return it if you don’t need it, but Haeda’s sleeping at my place right now. I’ll get it from you tonight.”

“The male owner?”

“Yes. He was so drunk he couldn’t function, so I just told him to sleep it off until lunchtime.”

Lee Jaeheon’s lips pressed into a thin line. If it weren’t for the noise of the drill, the heavy silence that followed would have been unbearable.

His long eyelashes, as he stared straight ahead, slowly closed and opened. Feeling awkward at his seemingly deep contemplation, Eunkyo finally excused herself and turned to leave.

Then, Lee Jaeheon, following her up the stairs, suddenly grabbed her wrist. As she turned around in surprise, he said with a gentle expression, as if nothing had happened,

“I have something for you. Can you stop by the studio for a bit after work?”

“Something for me?”

“Yes. I made something for you, sunbae.”

“You made something?”

“Yes.”

His grip on her wrist tightened slightly. She quietly looked down at her wrist in his hand, then nodded.

If it was something he had bought with money, she would have refused, but if it was something he made himself, it was a different story. Telling him she would come to see him after work, Eunkyo returned to the cafe.

As she prepared a cake for a customer, acting as if nothing had happened, Seontae, washing dishes, asked, 

“Did something good happen?”

And Kim Haeda didn’t come down to the cafe until that evening.

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

“What about dinner? You both worked hard today, it’s on me.”

Kim Haeda had a sense of decency after all. Back to his usual refreshed and cheerful self, he pointed at a barbeque restaurant in the distance. It was a popular place, always with a long line, known for its exceptionally delicious food.

But Eunkyo, exhausted from working all day while Kim Haeda was away, nudged Seontae forward.

“You two go. I’m going to pass out today. And I need to work on my manuscript.”

“We can just eat quickly and come back. You have to eat dinner too.”

“I’ll eat in bed. Ah, you tidied up my bedding before you came down, right?”

“I cleaned up your entire place, okay? You seriously live in a pigsty.” 

“Mmm, thanks. Then, Seontae, have a nice date with our boss. Okay?” 

At Eunkyo’s words, Seontae slung his backpack over his shoulder with a slightly disappointed expression.

“Then I’ll eat your portion too, boss.” 

“Milk Kim Haeda dry for me.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

After seeing off Kim Haeda and Seontae, whose eyes were full of suspicion, Eunkyo began cleaning up alone. Thanks to Seontae’s thorough cleaning, all she had to do was organize the receipts and some small tools.

Feeling like a hamster on a wheel, she finished cleaning, locked up, and headed down to the basement.

The space, which used to smell only of unpleasant cement when it was empty, now held the distinct scent of another person.

It was strange. Wherever someone’s hand touched, a trace remained. Whether they wanted it or not, a mark was left.

Knock, knock. 

She knocked, but there was no answer. She could hear music playing, so he was definitely inside…

She couldn’t repeat her mistake from last time. Closing her eyes tightly for a moment and then opening them again, Eunkyo knocked firmly.

Then, the double doors opened. There was a glass door on the inside, and a regular metal door on the outside.

Greeting her with a cool blast of air, he smiled and wiped his hands.

“Come in, sunbae.”

“Excuse me.”

“Have you eaten dinner?”

“I just got off work, so not yet. I was planning to either eat something after going up or just go to sleep. I’m too tired.”

Following Jaeheon inside, Eunkyo marveled at the transformed interior. Unlike when it was still a mess, the space now exuded a unique artistic flair, as if she had stepped onto a movie set.

And unusually, there were a lot of plants, which was unexpected. Plants she’d never tried to grow herself were thriving, their lush leaves filling every corner of the space.

“Wow… an artist’s studio. This is exactly what I imagined. It’s amazing.”

At her genuine admiration, he chuckled, having just finished washing his hands at the sink. He then took her by the shoulders, guided her to the sofa, and made her sit down.

Eunkyo looked up, startled.

“Wait a moment. It’s almost done.”

“What is?”

“That.”

He pointed to what looked like a large machine. Inside, something was being created as the X and Y axes moved.

“It’s a 3D printer. I upgraded it when I moved in. I was thinking about what to make first, and I thought of you, sunbae.”

Just then, a short beep sounded from the machine. Lee Jaeheon walked over and opened the glass protective cover, revealing something the size of an adult’s fist.

He brushed off the dust with a brush and then smoothed the surface with tools like a file, sandpaper, and a sponge. The way he leaned over the table as he worked meticulously, looked impressive.

A while later, Eunkyo burst out laughing when he presented her with the finished object.

It was a transparent rabbit, crouched like a person, with its long ears drooping down on either side. What was unique was the rabbit’s heart. Shaped like a swirling blue wave, the heart seemed to contradict the rabbit’s otherwise listless appearance.

“It’s a paperweight. It’s for holding down books, but… you can use it as a decoration too. I saw you had a lot of books at your place, sunbae.”

Eunkyo accepted the gift carefully, genuinely delighted. It had been a long time since she received a gift from someone. Moreover, a handmade gift was practically a first.

“Thank you so much… I don’t know what to do for you in return.”

“You’ve already given me a lot. The fan, and your shower…”

“You never came to shower even though I told you you could. And the fan was in return for you chasing away those jerks.”

“I was planning to come today.”

He stood up from where he had been perched on the edge of the table in front of the sofa. Eunkyo’s gaze followed his movement.

“I was going to come shower today, but you said the owner was there. Is he… still there now?”

He asked casually and started cleaning the machine that had just produced the paperweight. He brushed off dust and material residue, dumping it into a large trash can nearby.

“No, he’s gone now. Do you want to… go shower?”

She stood up slowly, holding the heavy paperweight carefully, and asked.

He replied, “Yes. Just a moment.”

Her heart felt like it was going to explode, yet why was Lee Jaeheon so calm? A strange sense of injustice washed over her, but she knew she shouldn’t overthink it. Once again, she resolved to find herself a proper relationship.

While he was cleaning, Eunkyo casually looked around the inside of the studio. She then noticed a box that hadn’t been unpacked yet.

“You haven’t unpacked this yet?”

“Ah, those are things I made when I was bored, so I’m going to leave them as they are.”

“What are they? Is it similar to what you gave me?”

Curious, she tried to peek into the half-open box, but he came up behind her, wrapped his arm around her waist, leaned down, and closed the lid of the box.

“They’re dangerous. It’ll be a big problem if you see them.”

Her head spun slightly as he half-embraced her, and she let out a nervous laugh.

“Wh-What’s so dangerous?”

“Hmm… Should I call them dildos? Or dicks?” 

A cold sweat ran down her spine as she couldn’t believe her ears. She turned around with a shocked expression, and he turned her back around, stifling a laugh.

“It’s just a joke between the guys, but they left them in my studio. Some of them are mine, so I can’t show you.”

“…Are you crazy?”

“It was just a joke. It would be a lie to say I’m not a little crazy though.”

“Ha, you must be out of your mind. Why would you even…!”

“Want one?”

Eunkyo shook her head vehemently. Amused by her intense refusal, he burst into laughter and grabbed her arm, tugging her along.

“Let’s go shower,” he said, leading her out of the studio.