Hearing the man's last words, Ji-Su raised his eyebrows in surprise. He couldn't help but think that something seemed terribly off about that conversation.
'Why does this person sound as though he is forced to do something?'
Having his interest suddenly piqued, Ji-Su quickly sat up. His eyes scanned the area for a moment before he finally identified his target.
A man dressed in a neat grey suit was standing quite near the area where Ji-Su was resting. He had his back to Ji-Su, with one arm raised to his ear, holding onto a phone, while the other was gripping onto the railing.
No one could see, but the man's fingers were squeezing the railing so tightly that his knuckles eventually turned white. With each passing second, the veins on the back of his hand were becoming more and more pronounced, starkly contrasting with his pale skin.
As he continued to listen to what the other party was telling him through the phone, the man's entire body leaned against the railing, his back hunching as if under an invisible pressure. Even from that distance, the man's entire being appeared worn out and feeble. There was no doubt that, whatever he was listening to, wasn't anything pleasant.
After slowly getting up, Ji-Su took a few quiet steps towards the man. His feet were light, stepping onto the pavement alley soundlessly like a feline. Since he made no sound, Ji-Su thought he could easily take his target by surprise.
Just as he was about to reach that person, though, the man unexpectedly turned and took a hurried step forward while keeping his body slightly bent. As a result, he ended up bumping head-first into Ji-Su's chest.
The sudden contact took both of them by surprise, especially the man, causing him to stagger backwards for a couple of steps. The phone he was holding slipped from his grip and landed on a patch of grass nearby.
"Ah, excuse me!" the man hurried to apologize with a bow.
Once he lifted his head, the man's eyes travelled to Ji-Su's face, then slowly took in the young person's entire appearance.
That day, Ji-Su was dressed casually in a cream colored suit. The trousers clung snugly onto his long legs, making him appear tall and lean. The suit jacket was opened, it's lapels and bottom parts fluttering slightly with the breeze.
Despite making the effort to wear a tie, at some point in time, Ji-Su had loosened the brown necktie around his neck. He also unfastened the first button of his white shirt, revealing a small patch of his neck and collarbone.
Like this, Ji-Su looked really handsome in a very fresh and youthful way. His body emanated an attractiveness that was difficult to describe and his clothes, despite appearing casual, were by no means cheap.
As soon as the man took one glance at Ji-Su's appearance he instantly blanched. The body that was not too tall, yet not short either, trembled under the grey suit. The man was wearing black rimmed glasses that were now laying askew on his nose. If before he appeared to be haggard and forlorn, with his face now being paper white, the man's expression turned even more gaunt.
Ji-Su stared at the man with slight curiosity. Their heights were about the same, with Ji-Su being just a few centimeters taller than the other person. As such, it was easy for him to register the swift change in the man's expression, as well as his slight loss in composure.
At the same time, Ji-Su also realized that the man's phone had somehow landed on the grass, very close to his left foot. Glancing down, Ji-Su saw that the call had just ended. A large 'K' flickered on the screen for a second, before eventually disappearing. Then, the phone screen turned entirely black.
Slowly, Ji-Su bent down and picked up the object, then he straightened his back and stretched his hand out.
"Here, you dropped this." he said as he handed out the phone.
The man simply looked at him in silence. The pair of eyes behind the glasses were staring at Ji-Su in apprehension.
For some reason, that gaze made Ji-Su feel odd. It gave him an uncomfortable feeling, as though he had seen that person before, but at the same time he hadn't.
Thinking about this, Ji-Su's eyebrows slowly knitted and he subconsciously began to frown. After a short hesitation, he eventually decided to ask what he was curious about.
"You seem a bit familiar. Have we met before?"
The voice Ji-Su used to address the man was rather calm, yet his eyes carried a strange stubbornness. It appeared that he wouldn't give up until he found out the answers that could assuage his doubts.
"N-no. I don't believe we have." the man stammered.
As he replied, his voice turned low, barely more than a mosquito's sound.
Ji-Su opened his mouth, wanting to say something else, but before he could make a single sound, the man plucked the phone out of his hand.
"T-thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, I am in a hurry."
Looking flustered beyond words, the man hastily bowed towards Ji-Su, then turned around and left the area in great haste.
Ji-Su remained frozen on the spot, staring at the man's departing back in dismay.
Then, a second later, an amused glint flashed through his brown eyes. With the ease of a page being turned by the light wind, Ji-Su's expression turned mischievous. He looked just like a devious child who, after being awfully bored, had finally found an interesting toy to play with.
Ji-Su even forgot about his previous curiosity. The reason for this swift change in mentality was none other than that person's appearance.
Right before the man left, Ji-Su had seen that person's ears flush from embarrassment. They were so red as if they could drip blood. As he ran away from Ji-Su, even the back of his neck appeared to be tinged with a light pink shade.
Thinking about the man's flustered appearance, Ji-Su's lips curved, forming a rather strange smile. He brought a hand to his chin, his eyes narrowing in anticipation.
"What an interesting person." Ji-Su muttered quietly to himself.