ACTSV chapter 21

“…Burp.”

Finally, the food that hadn’t digested yesterday seemed to settle. A burp escaped. With that, I felt a bit more comfortable.

I neatly folded a dusty box from one corner of the rooftop and laid a cheap-looking golden cloth over it. No matter how I looked at it, it was clearly a wrapping cloth from a holiday gift set.

“Hm.”

I took several pictures, confirming them one by one. Checking the photos…

“Wow. I took these well. I have a knack for this.”

The pictures turned out quite well. If the background had been better, they would have made excellent sales photos.

Satisfied with myself, I nodded lightly.

By the time I was done taking pictures, it was already lunchtime, and I enjoyed the meal Jinwoo had prepared. Considering how much I ate, he seemed to have prepared just the right amount. Having been busy since morning, I finished it all.

After taking all the photos, I moved the items back inside.

“…I guess I don’t need to work out?”

Just going back and forth from the entrance was tiring. Moreover, being in the sun for so long made my head spin.

After moving everything, I trudged to the bed and collapsed.

“Weak body! Is being pretty all that matters?”

I flailed my fists and kicked the air, then went limp.

“Oh… search.”

I hurriedly plugged my phone into the charger. If I had a computer or laptop, searching would be easier, but there was none here. So, I had to search for the prices on my phone.

As I searched for the names of the items I had written down while taking photos, I diligently checked both the regular and second-hand prices.

Instead of pricing them high and not selling, I priced them a bit cheaper, hoping to sell quickly. Not long after, I started receiving messages.

Once a message came in, they kept coming. Some were for the same product. I responded to those who wanted to deal without haggling.

Since I could only carry a limited amount at once, I arranged meetings with those who could trade today first.

There was a large mart down the hill. I agreed to meet there and packed the shoes I was going to trade into a shopping bag.

To avoid confusion, I labeled each item with a post-it, noting what it was and the price.

“The weather is nice.”

The air was fresh, and the sky was clear. Remembering how dizzy I felt earlier, I wore a cap. Being cautious wouldn’t hurt.

No matter how I thought about it, this body seemed not only sick but inherently weak.

Standing near the mart and waiting for the agreed time, someone approached.

“…A student?”

Why was a student in a uniform coming to trade at this hour?

Seeing my bewildered face, the student scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“I just stepped out for a bit, so I need to go back quickly.”

“Oh… okay.”

We checked the items on the spot, and I received cash. Since I didn’t know my account number or password, I insisted on cash transactions only. Thus, 90,000 won filled my wallet.

“Take care.”

I smiled as I said goodbye, and the student bowed slightly before running off.

After that, I completed four more trades.

Most of the shoes I had were expensive, so my wallet quickly thickened. However, there’s a limit to earning money by selling things.

Moreover, I felt a slight guilt since these were gifts from the fish in Baek Jingyeom’s pond.

Still, it was practically the first money I had ever earned. Though it wasn’t a good method…

“Meat, meat. Samgyeopsal.”

Humming quietly, I stopped by the mart to buy samgyeopsal and leafy vegetables.

Tonight’s dinner would be samgyeopsal. I chose this menu because I heard Jinwoo liked meat. Of course, I wanted to eat it too.

After returning home and organizing the groceries, I gathered the items to trade tomorrow in one place. Then, I lay on the bed and downloaded an app to look for jobs.

Apparently, I’d never had a part-time job at this age, as I didn’t even have an account on the job site.

Fortunately, I had my resident registration card, so signing up was easy. At one point, I didn’t know my phone number, so I had to check my phone’s info.

“I don’t know anything.”

I had to write a resume, but there was nothing to write. I didn’t even have a photo.

I didn’t know which school I graduated from and barely remembered my family background. I recalled that my mom ran away when I was young, and I lived with my dad.

My dad started borrowing money because of Baek Jingyeom’s hospital bills and eventually fell into gambling to repay the debts, then disappeared.

It was Baek Jinwoo who earned money for us to live this much.

Moreover, the debt my father incurred was passed on to his children, and we had to borrow again for Baek Jingyeom’s hospital bills before repaying the previous debt.

“Debt begets debt, which begets more debt, and in the end, more debt!”

Lying on the bed, staring at the resume screen, I filled in only the name, age, phone number, and address. Even if I wrote more, the career section would be empty.

“It’s okay. I’ll get hired for my looks.”

It was baseless confidence.

‘When is Jinwoo coming?’

I planned to grill the samgyeopsal when Jinwoo came home, but I hadn’t asked what time he’d be back. Moreover, his working hours were irregular.

It was a working condition that blatantly violated labor laws. It must have been because his employer was Tak Wonbeom.

While thinking of Jinwoo, a question that had been on my mind resurfaced.

Was Baek Jinwoo happy after Baek Jingyeom, his only weak spot and the one he had to protect, disappeared?

Did Tak Wonbeom really love Baek Jinwoo sincerely?

Were they happy in their respective endings?

I didn’t finish reading “Gray”, so I didn’t know the answer.

‘Well… it doesn’t matter now!’

I was curious, but it wasn’t the important thing.

I hoped Jinwoo’s ‘present’ was happy.

‘He was swayed by someone all his life. Living another swayed life would be pitiful.’

Though I wasn’t the real Baek Jingyeom, I hoped Jinwoo would be happy enough to overshadow the painful times.

After lying down a bit more, I got up to take an ID photo. Originally, these things should be done when you’re motivated. If you put it off, it becomes bothersome.

The sun was even brighter when I stepped outside. Squinting at the glare, I locked the front door properly.

It’s a fragile house with a rare glass door these days, making it easy for thieves to break in.

‘Indeed… no matter how good the view, I need to move.’

If I had a healthy body, it wouldn’t matter where I lived, but this body was too frail. After lunch, I choked on water and coughed, experiencing firsthand that one could die from coughing.

When you have a cold, coughing makes your lungs feel squeezed. It was just like that.

Yesterday was even worse.

“There was a reason for the overprotection…”

Everything must have been according to Baek Jingyeom’s intentions, but having such a weak family member would surely warrant overprotection.

Checking the constant Carrot Mart messages, I found a photo studio and took an ID photo. I thought the printing time would take longer, but it was quick, so I sat down and looked around while waiting.

‘Being a model might be good too.’

Though I’m short, I could be a model for ads or internet shopping malls rather than runway fashion.

Wondering what job I’d be good at, a profession suddenly came to mind. Secretary. The same job Jinwoo had now.

“Certification…”

Having a related certification would surely be advantageous. Of course, I didn’t know if I had any certifications or my educational background, so I quickly gave up the idea.

Soon, I received my printed ID photo.

“…There’s really no disgrace at all.”

I thanked the photographer, paid, and went outside. On the way home, I took out an ID photo and took a picture of it against the sky as a background. Then, I sent a message to Jinwoo.

4:23 PM

Me: Photo

Baek Jinwoo: You took a passport photo.

4:24 PM

Me: How do I look? Pretty, right?

Baek Jinwoo: Yeah. You look pretty.

4:24 PM

Me: Excited emoji

4:24 PM

Me: What time will you be done?

Baek Jinwoo: 6 PM. What should I bring?

4:24 PM

Seeing the reply, I subtly raised the corners of my mouth.

4:26 PM

Me: I’ve got some samgyeopsal ready! Come right away!

Baek Jinwoo: Got it. I’ll head over right away.

4:26 PM

4:26 PM

Me: Brightly smiling emoji

***

Jingyeom alternated between the message above and the one he had just sent. The mood was distinctly different.

In the previous message, Baek Jinwoo’s tone was commanding, while Jingyeom’s was concerned yet somewhat formal.

The message even had a period, which was rarely used in their texts. It felt like it captured Jinwoo’s personality perfectly.

He really wanted Jinwoo to come over soon and have samgyeopsal.

He had completely forgotten about the time he had fainted due to an allergy or had digestive issues from eating too much Hanwoo.

Jinwoo hadn’t slept so deeply in a long time. Recently, he had been tossing and turning due to Jingyeom’s worries, and even though he wasn’t insomniac, he usually had light sleep. But today, it was a deep slumber.

He woke up to his usual alarm and first checked if Jingyeom was awake.

Even though it took a long time for him to fall asleep, once he was out, he slept quite deeply and usually didn’t wake up to the alarm.

But perhaps because he had slept a lot yesterday, Jingyeom was tossing around.

“Sleep more.”

“……Really?”

“Yeah. I’ll make breakfast. Be sure to eat.”

“……Okay.”

Jingyeom, unable to open his eyes, muttered a few words before falling back asleep.
Jinwoo tucked the thin blanket properly over him and left the room. It had been a while since he had slept in the room since moving here.

Initially, they used to sleep together, but as their belongings increased, he had been pushed out to the living room.

It felt quite strange to lay down with a blanket on the bed inside. Still, he couldn’t help but smile.

Jinwoo continued to smile as he prepared breakfast.

He made the doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) that Jingyeom liked and also grilled some ham.

To avoid too much salt, the ham was low-sodium and only a few pieces.

Before leaving, he slightly opened the door to check inside.

“I’m heading out.”

It was his usual farewell to the sleeping Baek Jingyeom.

Normally, he would say this with a neutral expression, but today was different. The smile didn’t leave his lips.