Friday’s Time Traveler - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A midwinter’s night dream (5)

Translated by Gigi

“Are you going home already?”

“I want to work at home.”

Seonwoo got up from his seat with his laptop. Kim Junghyuk, who was buried in documents at the desk across from him, shook his hand with a sullen face.

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Seonwoo’s complexion wasn’t much different from Junghyuk’s. It was only this evening that they just got back from a local business trip, and if he was tired, Junghyuk was tired, too. It was funny to think about each other’s fatigue in a difficult situation, but Sunwoo didn’t look good today. This was all because of drinking. After leaving for a business trip to Pohang a few days ago, they had filled their stomachs with alcohol at night throughout the short business trip.

With all his heart, Seonwoo really wanted to go back to the dorm and fill up the lack of sleep time, but it was hard to get out of the company dinner, whether openly or quietly. This was because the big bosses sat across from them and filled them with liquor one glass after another. Thanks to that, Seonwoo was suffering from a severe hangover from this morning. He couldn’t even eat a spoonful of rice because of his stomach, and his head hurt as it would break. He couldn’t drink a sip of coffee all day because pouring coffee on an empty stomach was too much for him to do, and now he was showing signs of caffeine withdrawal.

So trying to survive was the only thing to do right now, but it’s a hard life where he couldn’t even fall asleep at ease.

In a word, it tastes like death. But a hard life that I can’t even sleep with my heart. Seonwoo mechanically chewed the bread that Kim Junghyuk threw a while ago and headed to a 24-hour cafe near the company. In order to live, he has to eat and drink anything. There was no time to eat based on nutrients such as vitamins and protein, but fortunately, there was time to buy coffee.

“Your Americano is here.”

Only then Seonwoo eagerly ate the crusty bread as if chewing stone. His stomach was no longer empty, so if he drank the coffee,  it wouldn’t bother his conscience. He made various excuses, saying that he would have to drink coffee to finish his work even when he got home, or that he would not be able to overcome the tiredness and sleep, but his sin was nothing more than a self-excuse for drinking coffee. And so Seonwoo left the cafe with a sigh for the first time today.

It was already close to midnight. Dark darkness fell in the nearby buildings, and few people walked by the roadside. Roads that have always had traffic jams were taking a slow break. Only luxury cars with drunk owners and chauffeur in the driver’s seat often passed by. Come to think of it, what day was it today? It was Tuesday that he left on a business trip, so it was probably Thursday since it was scheduled to come back two days later. After trying to figure out the date, Seonwoo soon gave up. It was a date that would change after a few minutes anyway. Different dates and different days of the week didn’t mean that life would change, so it was pointless to keep stressing his tired head.

The weather was freezing cold even though the cold wave warning went away, and because it was January after all. One good thing about the cold weather was that the busy downtown area was rarely visited by people. Although it was a bit lonely and desolated, he had no more good news than to rush to and from the busy streets. Before he knew it, Seonwoo passed the busy streets and entered a dreary residential area.

The streetlights that appeared from time to time dimly lit the streets, and it was darker and lesser than he thought. In the past two days did his eyes become unfamiliar just because he went to the countryside? Seonwoo hurried his steps as he was sipping the coffee that was gradually cooling off. However, by the time he got to the promenade leading to the house, he stopped slowly without knowing it.

Under the streetlights winding yellow lights, Jina stood quietly leaning against a tree. As if receiving a waterfall of light with her whole body, she had brown hair tied up, and her eyes, looking down boringly only at the tip of her toes, were particularly bright because of the yellow color. As Seonwoo watched her still, he felt a very strange sense of incongruity. Was it because he met an unexpected person in a completely unexpected place, or was it because he was all alone in a dark winter? Anyway, Seonwoo couldn’t take his eyes off her for a long time. Unusual, strange scenes kept getting stuck in his sight. Then, suddenly the woman turned her head. As she met his eyes, a bright smile came to her face instantly.

“Cha Seonwoo!”

Jina ran to him in a single step. The voice that she could not hide was filled with joy.

“Well, it’s been a while?”

“Yeah.”

Regardless of the trembling response, Jina smiled and pointed at her wrist. Seonwoo, who was watching her hand gestures, raised his  wrist in a strange expression. Then Jina quickly lowered her head to his wrist. At first, he was embarrassed, but it turned out Jina was looking at his wristwatch.

“Wow, 11:50. You’re late again today. There must be a lot of work.”

“It’s a busy season.”

Jina had been convinced, lightly touched her cheek and looked up at him.

“But why do you stare at me so much?“

Even a bizarre person like her seemed a bit burdensome to see he kept staring at her. But Seonwoon didn’t answer, and there was no shaking in his gaze. Yoo Jina. The last three meetings were embarrassing and amazing, and he remembered her name.

In the off-season, when there was nothing to be done, there would be plenty of time to worry about a suspicious woman, but these days, when he had to go back and forth between the provinces and Seoul every few days, he didn’t have the ability to think differently. He even forgot about the birthday of his only sister, and he barely sent a happy birthday message in time before the birthday was completely over. However, he remembered her name. Perhaps because of that, he felt nice seeing Jina after a long time. It felt like he was reading a novel in which the character, who he thought had left for good, appeared in surprise at an unexpected time.

“Yoo Jina.”

“Yes?”

The sudden call made Jina nervous. Then, Seonwoo slowly opened up his speech with his characteristic dry tone.

“Isn’t that my coat?”

Jina faced him blankly and slowly looked at her clothes. A red scarf that covered half of the face and a black coat that left much room in the arms. These were all the clothes that Seonwoo gave her last time.

“Oh right. I will return it now.”

As Jina began to loosen the scarf in a hurry, Seonwoo shook his head with an astringent expression.

“It’s alright.”

“Yeah?”

At first glance, her white sweater was visible through the half-unwrapped scarf and collar. No matter how thick the sweater was, it was impossible to overcome the cold of winter.

“To give it back in the first place, shouldn’t you have to bring another coat? What will happen if I take it back? Ah, just keep it.”

However, Yoo Jina came closer with her big eyes opened more clearly.

“Just keep it?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s not just the only coat I have.”

“Cha Seonwoo, are you a person who likes to give others free coats because you have many of them? For some reason, It seems to me that you see me like a beggar, is it my own mistake?”

Seonwoo tried hard to pull the corners of his mouth and laughed. It was a little smile at a glance, but Jina didn’t care at all. He has light brown eyes and has little playfulness.

“Why are you so sensitive? Then give it back to me.”

“What?”

“My coat.”

“Why? You said I can keep it.”

“Because I changed my mind. Give back the scarf, too.”

“No! Why would you take back what was already given? Are you an elementary student?”

Only after Jina’s loud voice came out did Seonwoo stopped talking. The corners of his mouth trembled as if he was not feeling well, but if he refuted it in vain, he could have really fallen to the level of elementary school students.

“Anyway, I’m not a mean person. And those clothes…,” Seonwoo pointed to Jina’s outfit with an unpleasant look.” I can’t say anything because I gave them to you, but that’s man’s clothes. You should wear something different if you can.”

“It’s warm and nice, so why not?”

Seonwoo knew well that they were warm and nice clothes, but they didn’t fit her right. It was natural that it was too big for a woman, but somehow, a strange feeling that could not be explained in words suddenly came up.

“You look like a little kid dressed in your father’s clothes.”

“Is it a little big? I’m not short though, just Cha Seonwoo is big.”

“Not a little, but a lot, a lot .”

“No one sees anyway.”

Jina looked around as if anyone was there, and by looking at her eyes, Seonwoo could see that Jina was willing to wear the coat often in the future. Seonwoo, who couldn’t keep up with her words, only threw an embarrassing gaze, sipping a lukewarm coffee and muttering without fail.

“Yes, do as you please.”

Now that coat was strictly owned by Yoo Jina, the right to wear it or not was up to her. But every time he looked at her, it only made him feel weird. As she moved her footsteps while tightening the hem of the coat blowing in the wind, she caught up with Seonwoo’s eyes.

“What is with the coffee at night?”

“I have overtime work.”

“It’s still night.”

“It’s okay. I’m used to it.”

Seonwoo responded by sipping coffee. Jina, looking carefully at his complexion, asked with a faint face.

“What about sleep?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you sleep well?”

“I sleep well when I am tired.”

Then there wasn’t much to say for a while. Seonwoo, belatedly sensing something strange, glanced at Jina. He couldn’t see the details of her face because their height was quite different, but it was certainly not a smiling face as usual.

“It means you can’t sleep if you’re not tired.”

In response to the slow return, Seonwoo asked back with hesitation.

“Isn’t that the same with other people?”

“It’s quite different from sleeping well because you’re tired from working until dawn, and sleeping well just from everyday fatigue.”

“It’s okay. I usually work until dawn.”

The life of every accountant was the same and it was normal for them so coffee was a must. However, Seonwoo had no intention of explaining such a tired life to her, because a person who had not personally experienced his hardships could not easily understand. Then Seonwoo started walking. As he walked passed, Jina glanced at his coffee cup and said in a whisper.

“Will you buy me one tomorrow?”