SU | Chapter 3.2

The victim who requested item rental at Speed Errand wanted to capture concrete evidence to prosecute the stalker. If the stalker had threatened via phone, message, or letter, the matter would have been simpler, but unfortunately, the stalker exploiting legal loopholes didn’t leave direct evidence. They just lurked around the victim, casting sinister glances and other such actions. Moreover, if the victim openly aimed a smartphone camera at the stalker, they would run away quickly, making it hard to gather substantial evidence.

After a moment of looking down at Yoo Han, Ji Youngwon gestured for him to follow. He slung the jacket over his shoulder and tucked his hands into his trouser pockets as he walked out of the warehouse. Yoo Han stared dumbfounded at the impressive back of the Director before slapping his cheeks a couple of times to snap out of it. He hurriedly followed Ji Youngwon up the stairs.

“Are you really taking me?”

Yoo Han asked incredulously as he buckled his seatbelt. Ji Youngwon pulled out a pen recorder from the glove compartment and tossed it onto Yoo Han’s lap.

“We’re late.”

He replied, starting the car. It just so happened that he had a spare recorder in the car, and with no appointments lined up, taking Yoo Han wasn’t a problem. It was also a sort of indirect reward for Yoo Han, who had diligently cleaned the warehouse.

As the car was loaded onto a freight lift on the rooftop, Yoo Han leaned close to the window in awe.

“Wow, this is fascinating.”

Ji Youngwon found Yoo Han’s reaction to every little thing intriguing. Perhaps it was his youth. Yoo Han expressed himself without hesitation. Even a cursory investigation by Executive Director Gu into his past suggested a life full of hardships, yet strangely, Yoo Han’s expressions and actions bore no shadows. Ji Youngwon wondered if he was forcing himself to appear cheerful, but that didn’t seem to be the case either.

…Then it must be his nature. He could never be like me.

Ji Youngwon looked on with a displeased face at the back of the buoyant Yoo Han. A sense of unease momentarily filled his chest. He had a feeling that tonight, too, he would be plagued by inexplicable insomnia.

Upon reaching a college town not far away, Ji Youngwon parked the car in front of a café at the rear entrance. Yoo Han meticulously checked a pouch containing items and a rental agreement listing the amounts. His eyes looked determined as he checked the time.

“They should be arriving soon. I agreed to meet inside the café, so I’ll head in first. Will you come too, Director?”

“Do you have money for coffee?”

Ji Youngwon asked, to which Yoo Han shook his head.

“I’m just going to hand over the items and head out…”

“Put it on operational costs, and don’t be so miserly, get one.”

“……”

“Why. You don’t even have money to bill?”

Instead of answering, Yoo Han just smiled awkwardly. Ji Youngwon, who might have expected a sigh, just silently watched him. Tapping on the steering wheel, Ji Youngwon muttered under his breath and opened the driver’s door. Yoo Han stared blankly as Ji Youngwon stepped out of the car and circled around to the passenger side, knocking on the window.

“Get out.”

Yoo Han then unbuckled his seatbelt and hurriedly got out with the pouch and agreement. Ji Youngwon led the way, and Yoo Han quickly followed behind.

The bell chimed brightly as Ji Youngwon opened the door of the café and strode confidently to the counter. He silently turned to Yoo Han, signaling him to order.

“Me? Oh… I, uh…”

As Yoo Han nervously scanned the menu, he timidly asked,

“Director, is it okay if I get a juice instead of coffee?”

“Why are you asking me that?”

Ji Youngwon looked down at Yoo Han as if he were an oddity.

“Then, I’ll have a strawberry juice.”

Ji Youngwon promptly ordered an Americano and a strawberry juice, then quickly walked to an empty seat.

“If you don’t have operational funds next time, get a card from Gu Kangsan and come out.”

“…What? Oh, okay. Thank you.”

The café was noisier than expected, bustling with students tapping on laptops or chattering in meetings, and couples on dates. Yoo Han hurried to catch up and sit next to Ji Youngwon, who seemed surprisingly tolerant of the noise and quietly settled by the window.

The sight of a man in a suit with the top buttons of his dress shirt undone at a college town drew some curious looks. Used to wary glances, Ji Youngwon leaned back deeply into the sofa with his arms crossed. A layer of fatigue shadowed his face, which had gone days without proper sleep. He quietly closed his eyes.

Yoo Han sat across from the resting Director, fiddling with a vibrating bell. He felt a rush of gratitude for Ji Youngwon, who had brought him all this way despite his exhaustion. And he had even bought him a strawberry juice when he had no money. Earlier, he had even complimented him. Despite his harsh words, the Director was indeed very kind-hearted. Yoo Han’s heart thudded painfully as he counted the moments of Ji Youngwon’s kindness.

As the afternoon sun poured through the window across Ji Youngwon’s face, even the slight furrow of his brow blended seamlessly with his flawless features. Yoo Han was mesmerized by his beauty.

Then, the vibrating bell on his lap buzzed loudly. Startled, Yoo Han quickly stood up. Ji Youngwon, undisturbed by the commotion, kept his eyes closed.

Yoo Han approached the pickup area and grabbed two takeaway cups. As he was about to return to his seat, a woman with brown hair and cute hippie curls entered the café, looking around. Yoo Han and the woman’s eyes met.

“……”

“…Oh, are you the client?”

The quick-witted woman approached Yoo Han first. He nodded eagerly.

“Hello. You’re the client, right? Just a moment, please.”

Yoo Han hurried back to where Ji Youngwon was sitting, gently whispering.

“Director, the client is here.”

Ji Youngwon opened his eyes and lazily pointed to the table nearby, signaling Yoo Han to take care of it there. Yoo Han moved the strawberry juice, pouch, and rental agreement to the next table. Meanwhile, the woman, who had just placed her coffee order, stood in front of Yoo Han.

“Hello.”

“Hello.”

The woman smiled warmly and then glanced around, her movements subtly guarded. Yoo Han offered her the agreement to check.

“Please check the list and quantity again. And… make sure to carefully review the rental conditions and sign in the recipient’s section.”

After the woman carefully reviewed the agreement, she asked,

“Is there a repeat customer discount if I rent again?”

Taken aback, Yoo Han glanced at Ji Youngwon, who made an ‘X’ sign with his fingers while his eyes were closed. Ah, no repeat customer discounts then.

“Sorry, but we don’t have any discounts like that.”

“Oh… okay.”

As the woman looked disappointed, Yoo Han quickly added,

“Since our equipment performs well, most clients don’t usually need to rent it more than once… um, you probably won’t need to.”

Yoo Han reassured her gently.

“If you manage to collect the evidence well this time, you won’t need things like repeat customer discounts, so don’t worry too much about that.”

“Wow, how can you speak so beautifully?”

The woman covered her mouth and laughed, clearly surprised. Ji Youngwon, overhearing the conversation, chuckled blandly and turned his head towards the window, his skills at dealing with people evident even in such trivial interactions.

After wrapping up, the woman stood up. As she reviewed in her mind the instructions on using the items Yoo Han had provided, she asked,

“Will you be the one to come out when I return these?”

“Me? Oh, yes. Yes.”

Yoo Han stuttered, caught off guard by her sudden use of ‘oppa’. The woman looked around once more and then said,

“See you next time then.”

As the woman left the café, Yoo Han scratched his neck. It was truly unfortunate that such a bright and kind woman was being troubled by a stalker.

“Acting all manly,” Ji Youngwon sneered as he watched. Gays like being called oppa, huh. He bit back the rest of his comment and sipped his coffee through a straw, his demeanor unmistakably that of a street thug, which made Yoo Han’s neck heat up.

“…It’s not like that.”

While Yoo Han gathered his files, Ji Youngwon casually dropped his cup onto the return tray. As he was about to leave, he caught a glimpse of the hippie-curled client outside the café, talking to someone on her phone while looking up at the sky.

“……”

Ji Youngwon suddenly looked across to the opposite building. Someone in a black hat quickly hid himself.

“Uh…?”

It seemed Yoo Han had seen the same scene.

“Director. That person… was watching Min Yujin, right?”

Ji Youngwon didn’t respond but kept his gaze on the building where the man had hidden.

“Could it be a stalker? It’s weird. I heard they usually only show up near her house…”

“They even choose the place, such a considerate stalker.”

Yoo Han let Ji Youngwon’s sarcasm wash over him as he anxiously alternated his gaze between the woman and the building opposite.

“Stop dawdling and come on.”

Ji Youngwon nodded, signaling for Yoo Han to follow. As they headed towards the parked car, Yoo Han kept glancing back towards the woman. Eventually, he called out to Ji Youngwon, his face pale.

“Um… Director.”

“What.”

“About that stalker earlier…”

Leaning on the open driver’s door, Ji Youngwon looked back at Yoo Han, his head tilted questioningly.

Ji Youngwon stared blankly in response to Yoo Han’s concerned suggestion, making Yoo Han feel even more uneasy.

“Maybe we should at least take Min Yujin home…? If you’re tired, Director, I can go alone,”

“What’s your assignment?”

“What?”

“Weren’t you just supposed to deliver the items?”

Yoo Han, at a loss for words, scuffed the toes of his worn shoes against the ground. It was excessive to offer to escort her home, especially since it wasn’t part of the protection services they were tasked with. Yet, he couldn’t just ignore what he had seen. If he did nothing and something happened, he’d be wracked with guilt.

“…Or maybe we could just call Min Yujin to warn her? Tell her it looked like she might have a stalker?”

Ji Youngwon watched Yoo Han, who was anxiously tapping his foot, and fell into thought. There had been similar situations before. He remembered comforting a woman who had requested evidence of infidelity, offering her a jacket, and his kind words in the early morning to soothe Lee Sungmin’s elderly mother, who was left alone.

“You didn’t answer earlier. What happened to that person?”

The genuine concern in his eyes for a stranger pulled into dire circumstances, “In short, that bastard’s fine.”

Ji Youngwon’s insincere reassurance had prompted a relieved sigh and a faint smile from Yoo Han. It wasn’t hard to see his good nature, even in such brief interactions.

But Yoo Han was an orphan with no one to rely on, a situation that could easily corrupt even the kindest of hearts in a harsh and brutal environment. In a world rife with betrayal and manipulation, such goodness could be a poison.