MC Bookstore Chapter 5 Why are you staring at me?
Chapter 5 Why are you staring at me?
Kim Min-jun was nowhere to be seen early in the morning.
When Su Yu woke up, only the broken pipe on the ceiling was still making noise in the semi-basement. Tick, tick, tick, like a countdown, it was incredibly annoying.
There was a note on the table, the handwriting looking like it had been scratched by a chicken claw: "Eun-jung invited me to breakfast, I won't be back tonight, don't wait for me."
Su Yu glanced at it, crumpled it into a ball, and casually tossed it behind him. The paper ball arced through the air and landed squarely in the trash can. He didn't even look back.
I walked to the sink, turned on the tap, and splashed cold water on my face.
Look up and look in the mirror.
His face hadn't changed. He looked exactly the same as yesterday. But Su Yu felt even more uneasy, as if a knife was hanging over his head, refusing to fall, which was more unsettling than if it had.
When I arrived at the convenience store, Boss Park was squatting on the floor arranging soju.
"You're here quite early today," the boss said without even looking up.
"When have I ever been late?" Su Yu pulled on the apron and tied it around her neck.
Boss Park finally looked up and sized him up, his gaze quite strange. "I've been observing you for two days. Your reactions, your eyes, your gait—everything's changed. It's not just a temporary improvement; you're a completely different person."
Su Yu paused for a moment. "You really have nothing better to do."
"There's nothing I can do," Boss Park said, dusting himself off and standing up. "The contrast is too stark. Who wouldn't take a second look?"
There were no customers in the shop. The oden was bubbling away in the pot, steam rising into the air. Su Yu didn't respond, and Boss Park didn't ask any more questions.
Around noon, the doorbell rang.
Shirley came in. High ponytail, black T-shirt, denim shorts. Empty-handed, she went straight to the cashier.
"You're here so early?" Su Yu glanced at Zhong.
"I'm afraid if I'm late, you'll change your tune again." Shirley braced her hands on the table, leaned forward, and stared straight at him without flinching.
Su Yu subconsciously took half a step back. "Why are you staring at me?"
"Let's see if my personal barbecue chef is up to par today." She tilted her head and smiled. "He's alright, his face didn't break down."
"I don't change every day."
"That's hard to say." Shirley raised an eyebrow. "Your change is quite outrageous."
Su Yu was too lazy to argue with her and took off her apron. "Come on, let's eat meat."
The sun was scorching hot outside, and the asphalt was practically smoking. Shirley wasn't wearing a hat; she raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sun as she walked beside him.
"You even walk differently now," she said as she walked.
"Were you a failure before?"
"It's not that I'm slouching," Shirley thought for a moment, "It's just that I used to look downcast, with slumped shoulders and a wobbly gait. Now my back is straight, my steps are steady, and I look... kind of intimidating."
Su Yu didn't reply.
He knew it wasn't an act. His body had changed on its own; his posture, reactions, and strength were all beyond his control.
The owner of the barbecue restaurant recognized Shirley and led them directly to the innermost seat.
Shirley pushed the menu towards us as we sat down. "You order, you know your stuff."
Su Yu didn't stand on ceremony with her. "Two portions of pork belly, beef short ribs, kimchi soup, cold noodles, and an extra portion of mushrooms."
Shirley paused, taken aback. "You didn't order pork skin?"
"You said last time that if you kept eating, you'd get so fat you'd die."
He actually remembered just a casual remark. Shirley's ears burned a little, and she stubbornly pouted, saying nothing.
The baking pan is heated up, the meat is placed on it, and with a "sizzle", oil splatters everywhere and the aroma explodes.
Su Yu flipped the meat with a steady rhythm, neither too fast nor too slow, cooking it to perfection—crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Shirley watched him, resting her chin on her hand.
"You weren't this good at grilling meat before."
Practice makes perfect.
"You're kidding me." She bit her chopsticks, her smile slowly fading. "Su Yu, I'm not that easy to fool. You always say you've slept well, but you know in your heart that you've completely changed."
The restaurant was noisy; the customers at the next table were playing drinking games, and the sizzling sound of the grilled meat drowned out everything else. Su Yu remained silent for a few seconds.
Some things are better left unsaid.
Shirley looked into his eyes and didn't press him for an answer. She nodded.
"Okay. I won't ask."
The meal was eaten quite quietly.
After finishing her meal, Shirley was about to leave; she had a shoot in the afternoon. She stood up, glanced back at him, and waved.
"Wait for me after get off work tomorrow, we'll come to this place again."
Not long after Su Yu returned to the convenience store, Yoon Shi-yoon arrived.
The bruises on his face had completely disappeared, leaving him clean and clear. He placed a bottle of sports drink on the table.
"1500." Su Yu scanned the code.
Yoon Shi-yoon handed over the money, but didn't leave; he just stood there staring at him.
"What are you looking at?"
"We had barbecue for lunch." This is not a question.
Su Yu was taken aback. "You could even tell that?"
"Oil stains on your cuffs, the smell of smoky clothes on you," Yoon Shi-yoon said calmly, "you can't hide it."
He unscrewed the bottle cap, took a sip, and leaned back. "More and more strange things are happening around you. You can hide it for a while, but you can't hide it forever. Sooner or later, the people around you will notice that something is wrong."
"Let nature take its course."
"Don't be too optimistic." Yoon Shi-yoon glanced at him. "That girl is very perceptive; she's just pretending to be naive for now. Sooner or later, she'll see through it."
After saying that, he finished his drink, threw the bottle into the trash can, and left.
I get off work at 8 PM.
My phone vibrated as soon as I stepped out of the store.
Shirley: "The meat smells amazing today, all thanks to your cooking."
Su Yu: "It's because you have a good appetite."
Shirley: "Wait for me after get off work tomorrow."
Su Yu: "Okay."
The evening breeze was hot and sticky. Su Yu put her phone in her pocket and walked towards the semi-basement.
The hallway light turned on and off. I pushed open the door to my room; water was still dripping from the ceiling.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
Su Yu lay down on the bed, her mind filled with Shirley's eyes and Yoon Shi-yoon's words.
Everyone could tell something was wrong with him. Only he himself couldn't say anything.
If I can't figure it out, I'll stop thinking about it.
Life goes on, and we still have to go to work.
As for the rest, we'll just have to take it one step at a time.