Chương 5: 5. What to Drink Soju With 2 check
"Hey, Yeong-su! Come over here. It's been a while."
The place where I arranged to meet Kim Yeong-ha.
As soon as we entered Dongpyo Pojangmacha (Dongpyo Bar), the owner who was in the kitchen came out enthusiastically to greet us.
Dongpyo Pojangmacha, a place we always end up at after the first round for a drink with Kim Yeong-ha.
In these days where it's hard to distinguish between clubs and regular bars, Dongpyo Pojangmacha is quite shabby compared to the modern bars.
Nowadays, it's a place that can easily be called an old pub.
But strangely, it evokes a sense of sentiment and, most importantly, the taste of the owner's food is superb. Even if we go elsewhere for the second round, we always come here for the first round.
Well, even if it's not busy with customers, it's a good place to have quiet conversations.
"Yes. Owner. Have you been well?"
"Yeah, Yeong-ha came in first and was waiting. He's at the table inside. By the way, who's the lovely young lady next to you? Your girlfriend?"
"No, she's my junior from work. Have you taken our orders, Yeong-ha?"
"Both of you always order the same thing. I'll get it ready quickly. Please go in."
The owner laughed and then went back into the kitchen.
"It seems like you come here often."
"Yeah, it's nice to eat quietly. The owner is kind and the food is good. So, don't take offense at his jokes with Ye-ri."
"What do you mean? Calling her a pretty lady or assuming she's your assistant's girlfriend?"
"Both."
A mischievous smile appeared on Choi Ye-ri's face.
"Why? It's not bad to be both 'pretty lady' and 'assistant's girlfriend,' is it?"
"Ye-ri, your face, which seemed like the world was ending a moment ago, is now bright and cheerful."
Choi Ye-ri playfully scratched her head in response to my words.
"Oh! There's Assistant Manager Kim over there. Assistant Manager Kim!"
Kim Yeong-ha was focused on his phone with a serious expression.
His shoulders were hunched, and his hands holding the phone were tangled up, making it look like he was about to be sucked into the phone.
Amidst Choi Ye-ri's voice spreading through the quiet bar, Kim Yeong-ha suddenly looked up.
"Oh, what the heck! Ye-ri is here too?"
"Yes, she said she wanted to have a drink as well."
"Can I join too? Assistant Manager."
"Oh my, welcome! Please come and have a seat."
Kim Yeong-ha and I sat down side by side, and Choi Ye-ri took a seat in front of us.
"You were staring at something so intensely."
"I was just looking at my cryptocurrency. Nothing special."
"Is it going up?"
"Hyung, it's better if you ask me when the world is going to end."
Kim Yeong-ha has invested a considerable amount in cryptocurrencies.
He invested 500,000 won in coins, and within two weeks, it turned into 7 million won. He proudly shared this achievement a year ago.
It would have been good if he had stopped there, but he was enticed by the sweet taste of coins and even bet on coin investments, despite the risk.
At that time, everyone believed that Bitcoin would surely reach 100 million won.
However, who could have known that it would be the peak of the market.
A downhill slide, a small rebound, followed by another downhill slide.
Kim Yeong-ha even took out a significant loan recently, but his initial investment recovery was elusive, and he still had more than a fraction of his investment left.
Kim Yeong-ha's feelings were not incomprehensible.
Around the age of 20, he stood on the peak of Namsan Mountain and looked down at the night view of Seoul.
The night in the capital of South Korea was as dazzling as daytime.
The lights of numerous buildings shone like stars pouring down from the night sky, creating a beautiful sight.
In his youthful heart, he was sure that he must have had a place somewhere around here.
But as it turned out,
He couldn't even secure a small place to live in the outskirts of Seoul, let alone the city itself, after saving up for a decade or so.
Yet, the world is full of splendor.
On social media, the feeds are filled with the rich and rich riding in luxury cars.
In this world, if you have money, you can live like a king.
For young people who can't find hope in monthly salaries of 200,000 or 300,000 won, it's as if they're moths drawn to a flame, seeking a big hit and ending up burned.
"Ah, Assistant Manager Kim is into virtual currencies too. I have many friends who are into them."
"Ye-ri, let me say one thing."
"Yes?"
"Never, ever get into cryptocurrencies."
Kim Yeong-ha's expression was firm.
I, on the other hand, have no interest in stocks or cryptocurrencies; my biggest bet might be on the lottery, at best.
Lately, the jackpot in the lottery hasn't even reached 2 billion won, right?
And then they deduct a huge chunk in taxes.
Certainly, 2 billion won is a huge amount of money. But it's a rather vague sum to completely change one's life.
"Now, the appetizers are here."
The owner came to our table with appetizers, side dishes, and a bottle of soju.
"Thank you, owner."
The appetizers we always start with at Dongpyo Pojangmacha are spicy fish stew and assorted skewers.
Of course, the appetizers served in bars might seem similar, but the flavorful broth of the spicy fish stew here is truly amazing.
I fell in love with its taste and became a regular here, along with Kim Yeong-ha.
"Wow, the broth is really amazing."
Choi Ye-ri tasted the broth by scooping it into her plate and then playfully extended her index finger.
Crunch—
I tore open the cap of the soju bottle with force.
"Ye-ri, is soju okay?"
"Of course. I'll have some of that soju too."
Choi Ye-ri smiled bashfully at me.
The three of us poured soju into our glasses and raised them high.
"Cheers to another day of hard work."
As the soju flowed down my throat, my body quickly warmed up.
What do you drink soju with?
Since it's something that countless people put to their lips, the answer to that question can vary greatly.
For me, I like the sound of soju.
The sound of the cap being forcefully opened.
The sound of soju being poured vigorously into the glass.
The sound of soju being swallowed with a gulp.
And even the loud slurp that can't beat the smell of alcohol in a solo drink.
This is the taste of soju that I enjoy.
"Ye-ri, are you okay? Should we head
back?"
After pouring a glass of soju for Choi Ye-ri, Kim Yeong-ha looked at her with concern.
"Already? It's just the first round."
"Well, I just asked because you looked a bit down. If you're okay, then let's enjoy the drinks."
Choi Ye-ri slightly shook her head and smiled.
"Ye-ri, can you drink? You're not sick or anything?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just drank a bit too much yesterday."
"Is that so? By the way, how did you end up drinking with Yeong-ha?"
As I asked, I turned to Kim Yeong-ha.
"Oh, I bumped into her on my way home yesterday. Since we live in the same neighborhood, we had a meal together. And well, we ended up having a drink since we were here."
"It's great to see you, Assistant Manager."
Choi Ye-ri smiled brightly.
Kim Yeong-ha scratched his head awkwardly.
"Well, yeah. Since we met by chance, I thought we could have a drink."
The tone of his voice was strange. A little awkward, a little shy.
Choi Ye-ri seemed to sense that awkwardness too.
"Assistant Manager, you can just be honest. You were actually looking for someone to drink with, right?"
Kim Yeong-ha turned red and scratched his head again.
"No, that's not it. I mean, yeah, I guess. Since I was feeling down, I thought a drink would be nice."
"Feeling down?"
Kim Yeong-ha's voice became softer, and he stared blankly into his glass.
Choi Ye-ri didn't ask any further. Instead, she poured soju into Kim Yeong-ha's glass.
"Here, have a drink."
"Thanks."
Kim Yeong-ha raised his glass and gulped down the soju.
I silently observed the scene unfolding before me.
Kim Yeong-ha's eyes, slightly bloodshot from last night's drinking, were now filled with exhaustion.
Choi Ye-ri, who had been all smiles earlier, seemed to be looking at Kim Yeong-ha with concern.
As the glasses clinked and the soju flowed, the atmosphere at our table became a bit heavier.
It's not like we're close enough to share personal stories with each other, but there was something about the situation that made it feel natural to be this way.
"Hyung, do you have any concerns or worries?"
Suddenly, Choi Ye-ri's voice broke the silence.
"Hmm, concerns?"
"Yeah, something you're worried about these days."
Kim Yeong-ha and I exchanged glances.
"Of course. I'm worried about the evaluation that's coming up. It's that time of the year again."
"Right. Performance evaluations."
Choi Ye-ri nodded understandingly.
"Assistant Manager, you'll do well for sure. You're always working so hard."
"Thanks, Ye-ri. What about you? Any concerns?"
"Me?"
Choi Ye-ri paused for a moment.
"Well, I'm a bit concerned about this year's project. It's a big project, and I'm not sure if I'm handling it well."
"You're doing fine, Ye-ri. Just believe in yourself."
"Thank you, Assistant Manager."
As the conversation continued, our glasses emptied and were refilled over and over again.
With the worries and concerns we had each shared in mind, we clinked our glasses once more.
"Cheers to our hard work."
"Cheers!"
The clinking sound echoed in the air, filled with a mixture of hope and determination.
The three of us smiled, even though our shoulders felt a bit heavier.
The atmosphere was different from when we first started drinking.
It had become a bit more serious, a bit more intimate.
But at the same time, there was a sense of camaraderie.
The feeling that we were all in this together, navigating the challenges of work and life.
As the night deepened, our laughter became a bit softer, our words a bit more sincere.
The clinking of glasses continued, accompanied by the warmth of the soju and the comfort of shared understanding.
And in that moment, amidst the ups and downs of life, there was a simple joy in the company of colleagues and friends, in the sound of soju and the stories we shared.
In that moment, the worries seemed a little lighter, the concerns a little less daunting.
In that moment, all that mattered was the present, the connection, and the shared experience of being human.
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