Yes, It’s Me. The Obsessive Side Top

#051

While receiving greetings from many people, I pondered what the meaning of this charity event was. They said everyone would offer their own art pieces for auction. With the profits being donated. Well, as long as a lot of money is donated, that’s good. Thinking good is good, I was looking around at the artwork presented at the charity event when people kept trying to talk to me. I wish they’d stop… Right now, I’m in a state where articles have come out about a shooting incident involving me. I had neither the desire nor the face to attract attention. 

Looking around to avoid somewhere, I saw people with similar outfits to me gathered in one place and thought I could avoid attention if I blended in there, so I quietly moved my steps in that direction. Three men were standing in a circle and conversing.

“Wow, nice. This kind of charity event. We have to bail out of something tomorrow and work.”

“Ah, this place with air conditioning is heaven.”

“Siri. What’s tomorrow’s high temperature?”

– Tomorrow’s expected high temperature is 37 degrees Celsius.

A mechanical voice was informing the temperature. 

“Oh hallelujah.”

“Secretary Park, didn’t you do volunteer work last year?”

“Yeah.”

“But why are you doing it again? I know you just need to fill the required hours after joining the company to have no issues with promotion?”

“That’s right. Didn’t you know, Secretary Park?”

“I know. But my second kid was born recently. I need to get promoted to Secretary. To raise my HR evaluation score, I have to do this and that.”

“Wow. I respect that.”

“Ugh. It makes me want to throw up how they hold donation events in air-conditioned places while grinding employees to build a pro-common people image.”

Quietly listening to their conversation, I was reminded that corporate volunteer activities are also recognized as school volunteer hours. Since I have to do it anyway to graduate, I thought it would be better to do it somewhere I know, so I joined their conversation.

“Hello.”

“Ah. Yes. Hello.”

When I suddenly interjected into their conversation and greeted them, they awkwardly greeted back.

“I overheard you’re doing volunteer work tomorrow.”

“Ah. You look young. An intern?”

The person named Secretary Park asked me with a kind smile if I was an intern. I was about to answer no when one of the people next to him hurriedly took out his cell phone from his pocket and stopped me from speaking.

“Huh? Wait a moment.”

He quickly moved his fingers and then looked back and forth between the screen and me with big eyes.

“What, what is it? The prince?”

“Ha, employee. He is handsome but what prince. Gross.”

“No. Really the prince. Our Eunha Group’s prince.”

“…”

Secretary Park snatched the phone as if taking it away, and looked at me with a surprised face like the previous person. After a few seconds of that, he shook his body as if struck by lightning and bowed his waist 90 degrees to greet me again.

“Hello.”

The other people were also startled and bent their waists to greet me.

‘Ha, damn it. It’s not easy living as a chaebol.’

“Hello.”

I also bent my waist and greeted them the same way. Then they glanced at each other and got up one by one. As I also straightened up, they had an awkward smile, perhaps embarrassed.

“Our conversation was a bit much, right? It wasn’t serious, just joking around. We’re close so we were playing around.”

At Secretary Park’s words, the other two nodded their heads in agreement. What did they say? I wasn’t listening carefully so I don’t know well. Anyway, that’s not important so I said what I wanted.

“I was wondering if I could also participate in the volunteer work tomorrow.”

“You, prince? Ah, no, young master?”

…What did Ha Jin do to be called prince by the group employees? Being called young master isn’t pleasant to hear either…

“I’m Ha Jin.”

When I revealed my name, I felt them having difficulty as they glanced at each other.

“Please treat me comfortably. I’m 21 now. You’re all older than me, right?”

“That’s true, but…”

“Just treat me comfortably, please. I want to go to the volunteer work tomorrow too, so how can I do that?”

“But why volunteer work?”

“My school says I have to do it to graduate.”

“Wow, for us too, it’s like a custom we have to do to get promoted, a forced non-force. What era is it to have this culture. Ouch! Ah, why did you hit me, Secretary?”

“Ha, employee?”

Secretary Park called him through gritted teeth and he grumbled asking if he was wrong. Then Secretary Park poked his side again.

“Employee Ha is still new.”

Indeed, new employees are the most courageous.

* * *

Upon entering the hospital room, the only one welcoming me is Sun Woo. The hospital bed was empty as Grandmother had gone somewhere.

“Did the event go well?”

“Yeah. Where’s Grandmother?”

“She said she’s taking a tour of the hospital. She just left.”

“Will she be back soon?”

“Who knows. But she’ll probably come in by dinner time at the latest. Come here.”

Sun Woo was sitting on the sofa and wiggled his finger as if telling me to come over. Approaching at that gesture, I thought ‘This seems similar to calling a mutt?’ and frowned. But still, I was walking towards him. Clearly it’s annoying, but strangely, Sun Woo has an irresistible force.

“Ha Jin. Is it because of yesterday?”

Perhaps concerned about my frowning face, he asked and I tilted my head.

“Yesterday?”

“Because I didn’t stay with you.”

It was totally off the mark.

“It’s not that.”

“Come here. Were you disappointed that I left you alone yesterday?”

“I said no.”

As I sat on the sofa, Sun Woo slowly leaned his head on my shoulder. At his tired-looking gesture, I couldn’t move my shoulder and supported his leaning body. He must be anxious and tired from just waiting for Grandmother’s test results. Wanting to tell him there will be good results, my mouth was itching. As I barely held back, Sun Woo’s fingers caressed my lips.

“Your mouth is going wild. What do you want to say?”

“I have nothing to say?”

“Give me a kiss? Are you too shy to say it if you’re not drunk?”

“…”

When I look down to the side with a pathetic gaze, my eyes meet Sun Woo’s who is laughing with raised eyes.

“Today, I’d like you to do it, Ha Jin.”

As soon as I saw Sun Woo sticking out his lips, I shrugged my shoulders to make him sit up straight. He does this every chance he gets. As if Sun Woo had predicted my reaction, he didn’t fall over, and that’s a bit annoying too. The guy is too perfect.

“Ha Jin. Stay at the hospital tonight. There’s a small room inside.”

Sun Woo pointed to a spot with his finger.

“I have to go out early tomorrow. I think I should go home and sleep. Instead, I’ll sleep over next time.”

“Where are you going?”

“To do volunteer work.”

“With whom?”

Again, he asks this and that about my plans. Sun Woo suddenly turned his body towards me and grabbed my shoulders with both hands. Influenced by that, I also turned my body towards him.

“With company people.”

“People on your father’s side?”

Well, it’s not wrong. But the nuance sounded strange. Calling them people on my father’s side made them feel like villains.

“I guess?”

“I’ll go with you.”

“Why?”

“I have to repay the favor.”

“Repay the favor? What favor-repaying magpie are you? Are you going to hit paper with your head?”

“I have to hit to save.”

Save what. What’s dangerous about doing volunteer work. I sincerely want to see inside Sun Woo’s head just once. As the culprit, I can’t even guess what he’s thinking.

“What about Grandmother?”

“Grandmother is fine. I told you you’re as important to me as Grandmother.”

I didn’t know that importance was the same as Grandmother. I thought about what to do, but I already knew it was no use refusing once Sun Woo had made up his mind. Thinking the more the merrier for volunteer work, I told him to come.

* * *

After having a hospital meal with Grandmother who returned to the room and spending time, I was on my way back. Walking down the hospital building corridor, a student in a school uniform was picking up fallen paper from the floor in an uncomfortable posture.

Being originally good-natured, I couldn’t just watch the student picking up the paper dropped by the person ahead.

I quickly approached next to the student, picked up the paper and handed it to him.

“Thank you…”

The student, who received the paper and was expressing gratitude, checked me and trailed off the rest of his words. The boy wearing the uniform of the prestigious B High avoided eye contact and crumpled the paper I had barely picked up for him in his hand, shunning me.

“Huh? You?”

I didn’t expect to run into him like this. The boy my age who had been hit and came out of my father’s office still had a cast on his right arm and was wearing a school uniform. Slightly shorter than me, he had a small build for a high school student. His face, which I thought was ordinary, had no flaws anywhere when seen up close. His eyes that stretched refreshingly without double eyelids and the corners of his mouth were downturned, but his thick lips were charming like a sullen cat.

“High school student?”

Was it a problem that I was short-spoken at our first meeting? The student bowed his head deeply and didn’t answer.

“I mean…”

You got hit by my father, right? It was a bit much to act like I knew. Why would I blurt that out with my own mouth as if it’s something to boast about? I was curious who he was, but he didn’t seem to want to talk to me. I wasn’t tactless enough to keep holding onto someone like that, so I shut my mouth.

I’m tall too, so I felt a little like I was extorting money from a high school student. Thinking his round head was cute as he bowed, I reached out my arm to him.

“Then. Be careful on your way.”

I really just wanted to pat his shoulder without any ulterior motive. I had absolutely no intention of molesting him, but the student quickly pulled his body back and stepped away as if I were some shameless pervert. Withdrawing my arm that was awkwardly stretched out with nowhere to go, I scratched my cheek with my finger in embarrassment.

The student, still with his head bowed, walked past me and quickly left the hospital lobby.

“…This is new. It’s the first time someone showed such dislike.”

The student was doing exactly what Sun Woo did to Ha Jin in the webtoon. Avoiding people as if detesting them. Then, when I imagined Sun Woo in that behavior, I only got hurt for no reason.

‘Wow, just imagining it hurts my heart.’

Rather than a Sun Woo with normal thinking who acts cold, I much preferred the slightly strange magpie guy who says he’ll repay the favor.

[The Lives of the Golden Spoons]

-Ha Jin’s Forbidden List 13. Sleep startle disorder forbidden

└ Um… Teacher? What is that? Sleep startle disorder?

└└ It’s when you wake up moving your body as if having a fit while sleeping.

└└└ Oh… So that’s what sleep startle disorder is called… I’m learning all sorts of things here.

└└└ LOL It’s truly an educational 19+ webtoon.

└ Kicking the desk leg while slumped over during class. Isn’t that a required course?

└└ How dare you slump over in class? Death penalty!

└└ LOL As if Ha Jin would do that. He’ll just skip class and sleep comfortably at home.

└ Agreed, this should be banned by law. The favorite doing that? His favorite qualification should be revoked immediately.

└└ There’s a favorite qualification? LOL Is it a national certificate?

└ As I’ve said numerous times, the only time Ha Jin wakes up startled is when Sun Woo ran away. Remember that.

└ As if it goes as he wants just because he doesn’t want to LOL His muscles aren’t ready to sleep!

└└ Yeah, all body control is possible.

└└└ What? Teacher? Are you in your right mind?