Chapter 6

The rest of March passed fast and was relatively calm.

Maybe even a little too calm. Kim Dokja was sure that if he were reading a book whose main character could suddenly read people's minds at that point he would have already discovered a great world-threatening secret that would have led him into a life of danger and adventure.

But no, so far the secrets he's uncovered have been casual things like Lee Hyunsung apparently having a crush on Jung Heewon, or finding out that one of the men in the finance department named Han Myungoh had stolen Yoo Sangah's bike. About the first secret he thought it best not to interfere and let the two of them figure it out for themselves and at their own pace, as for the second he casually told Yoo Sangah one day when they met on the subway that he had heard a rumor about who had stolen her bike.

He figured she would just keep away from the guy, but to his surprise Yoo Sangah complained to management that she was being stalked by a senior member of the financial department after getting evidence that the bike was actually in the possession of Han Myungoh, which led to the guy being fired.

He ended up making a scene and building security had to be called to take him off the premise, Han Sooyoung filmed the whole thing and put it on youtube.

That had been a little exciting, but soon the office routine was back to normal.

.

.

.

The beginning of April fell on a weekend that year. That Sunday, shortly after waking up Kim Dokja texted Han Sooyoung:

happy birthday i hope you have a good day/year

He then took a book and began to read. He was almost at the end of the third chapter when the cell phone vibrated indicating that she had answered.

thanks, you're coming to my party, right?

He waited a minute and wrote:

do I have to?

And immediately she replied:

YES

He let out a grunt. Kim Dokja's birthdays tended to be quiet events, this year being the first time in a really long time he'd had a birthday cake. But the same couldn't be said for Han Sooyoung, in fact her birthday parties seemed to get bigger every year. Which was kind of weird because she didn't have many friends, Kim Dokja even suspected that he might be her only real friend, but she had a large number of fans and admirers. Both in her work with webnovels and in videogames. And she also knew people who just liked to go to parties. So it would probably be something big again.

.

.

.

The invitation said that the party would start at seven pm but Kim Dokja didn't arrive until ten, having only left his apartment after finishing the book he had started that morning.

Han Sooyoung had really gone overboard that year, the penthouse where she lived was full and the music was playing loudly.

"Finally! I thought you were going to bail on me." she said coming to him.

"I considered doing this actually...who are all these people?"

"Admirers that came to celebrate the birthday of one of this generation's greatest geniuses."

"Is there anyone I know here?"

Han Sooyoung smiled.

"Yes there is, Yoo Joonghyuk is here, I saw him on the balcony just now."

Kim Dokja felt really confused for a moment, he couldn't decide which was more strange, Han Sooyoung inviting Yoo Joonghyuk to her birthday party, or him showing up. Due to their jobs, the two often had to work in close proximity, but closeness in their case did not seem to breed friendship, only hostility.

Noticing his confusion Han Sooyoung decided to clarify the situation:

"I wanted to see if your theory was true. So I invited him, and he said, 'Why would I want to come to your party?' and then I mentioned that you would be here all alone and that he should come and keep you company. He told me to go to hell and left, so I thought he wasn't going to show up today. But right after the party started he arrived."

"Oh…okay."

"It's so hilarious, you're not even together, he's already so whipped. Can you imagine what it will be like if you two really get together?"

"You shouldn't have done that, you're being mean."

"I'm not being mean, I've generously decided to use my party to try and help the guy's love life and give him a chance to talk to his crush outside of work. Anyway, now that I did my good deed for the night I'm going to dance." she said already heading towards the part of the penthouse that was being used as a dance floor.

For a moment he considered leaving without talking to anyone. Something like a lesson for Han Sooyoung, to show her she should not set up this kind of thing for him. But he ended up deciding not to. 

It seemed very unlikely that Yoo Jonghyuk had come to the party just because of him. But on the unlikely chance that he had actually shown up just to see him out of the office for a bit, it seemed a bit of a dick move to walk away without even greeting the guy.

Like Sooyoung said, Yoo Joonghyuk was on the balcony, he was looking at the city below, his arms braced against the balcony railing. In one hand he had an empty glass of wine and in the other a cigarette.

Kisses that taste like cigarettes probably don't feel so good, but he does look hot smoking. Kim Dokja thought.

Yoo Joonghyuk always looked handsome, he was just one of those guys who had been blessed by genetics. But somehow Kim Dokja thought he looked better that night, maybe it was because he wasn't under the unflattering fluorescent lights in the office, or maybe it was something about seeing him without the distractions of their work routine.

I should leave, Kim Dokja thought.

As he was about to turn around Yoo Joonghyuk seemed to finally notice his presence.

"You came."

Yoo Joonghyuk didn't smile or show any signs of being happy to see him.

He didn't come to the party because of me , Kim Dokja decided.

He went to his side and leaned his elbows against the balcony railing.

"Yeah, I almost didn't come. But Han Sooyoung insisted. Did something interesting happen before I arrived?"

"No, it's a pretty boring party, I probably won't stay long, I told the babysitter I'd be back early."

"Babysitter?"

"Yes."

"Do you have kids?"

"No. I have a younger sister who lives with me. She is ten."

"Why? Did something happen to your parents?"

"They're both alive, if that's what you're asking. They're just irresponsible jerks, we're both better off without them."

Yoo Joonghyuk moved slightly and his elbow touched Kim Dokja's.

He must think I'm a bad person now for not liking those assholes. Yoo Joonghyuk thought.

"I think I understand a little about your situation."

Don't lie to me, Yoo Joonghyuk thought.

Kim Dokja realized that if he wanted Yoo Joonghyuk to believe he would have to explain a bit about his childhood. Usually he avoided doing that, but somehow that night with Yoo Joonghyuk it seemed okay to talk a little.

"I don't think parents deserve respect just for being parents. My father died when I was ten but if he were alive I wouldn't want him around me or would I do anything for him, the man was literally the worst person I ever met in my life and my mother is alive but I don't see her for years. Neither he nor she were good people, and I don't care whether I honor them or not. So you see, I can't judge you for not feeling filial duty to your parents or not wanting them around because I'm the same. Maybe even worse."

You're like me, Yoo Joonghyuk thought.

If Kim Dokja had heard that thought a month earlier he might even have laughed, because the idea of him and Yoo Joonghyuk being similar in any way seemed so bizarre, but somehow that wasn't the case anymore.

Maybe I am, Kim Dokja thought.