Episode 3. The Kind of Relationship Where They Call Each Other by Name
The next morning at 9:18 a.m.
“Mr. Hyunwoo Kang.”
Click.
Hyunwoo Kang’s hand, which had been holding a bolt, stopped.
The voice had definitely come from behind him.
By now, he had a pretty good idea who it was without even turning around.
Hyunwoo slowly turned his head.
As expected.
Jia Seo stood at the end of the passage, wearing a white hard hat.
A familiar clipboard was in one hand.
A radio was in the other.
Without realizing it, Hyunwoo first touched his hard hat’s chin strap.
Fastened.
Next, his safety glasses.
Fine.
His safety lanyard.
Click.
Fine.
Jia quietly watched him go through the motions.
“Why?”
Hyunwoo asked.
“You haven’t even said anything.”
“You were about to.”
“I was?”
“Yes.”
“What was I about to say?”
Hyunwoo thought for a moment.
“Safety lanyard.”
Jia pressed her lips together, as if trying not to laugh.
“I didn’t say that.”
“Then the chin strap.”
“Not that either.”
“Safety glasses?”
“Not that either.”
Hyunwoo furrowed his brow.
“Then why did you call me?”
Jia held out what she had been carrying.
A pair of black work gloves.
“Are these yours, Mr. Kang?”
Hyunwoo looked at the gloves.
One left-hand glove.
It looked familiar.
“Huh?”
He checked his waist.
Only the right-hand glove was hanging there.
“Where was it?”
“It had fallen in that passage over there.”
Hyunwoo accepted the glove.
“Thanks.”
“Your name was written on it.”
Hyunwoo looked inside the glove.
Small letters written in black marker.
Hyunwoo Kang.
“You picked it up for me again.”
“What if I hadn’t brought it to you?”
“I’d get a new one.”
“You should take better care of your things.”
Hyunwoo looked at Jia.
“Here we go again.”
“What?”
“The nagging.”
“This has nothing to do with safety.”
“Then it’s even weirder.”
Jia narrowed her eyes.
“I should’ve just thrown it away.”
“No, thanks.”
Hyunwoo quickly put on the glove.
“I’ll put it to good use.”
Jia gave a small laugh when she saw him.
Hyunwoo looked at her for a moment.
She was definitely different from when they had first met two days ago.
Back then, both her expression and her tone had been stiff.
Worker.
Clip in your safety lanyard.
Put on your safety glasses.
Fasten your chin strap.
That was all the woman had said.
But she seemed a little different after learning his name.
Mr. Hyunwoo Kang.
It was strange. Changing just one form of address seemed to have brought them a little closer, too.
“Then get back to work.”
Jia said it.
“Yes.”
“Stay safe.”
“Got it.”
Jia turned around.
At that moment, Hyunwoo called out without thinking.
“Ms. Jia Seo.”
Jia stopped.
She slowly turned back.
“Yes?”
Hyunwoo was briefly flustered, too.
It wasn’t like he had anything particular to say.
He had only called her because it felt strange being the only one addressed by name.
“…Yesterday.”
“Yesterday?”
Hyunwoo hurriedly searched for something to say.
“That thing yesterday.”
“What thing?”
“When the material fell.”
Jia’s expression grew a little more serious.
“Oh.”
“You’re really okay, right?”
“Yes. I’m fine.”
“You didn’t bruise anywhere?”
“No.”
“That’s a relief.”
Jia looked at Hyunwoo for a moment.
Then she asked,
“What about your hand, Mr. Kang?”
Hyunwoo looked down at the back of his own hand.
The bandage Jia had put on yesterday was still there.
“This?”
“Yes.”
“It’s fine.”
“You’re still wearing the bandage.”
Hyunwoo paused.
“Oh.”
He awkwardly hid his hand behind his back.
“I forgot to take it off.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
The corner of Jia’s mouth lifted slightly.
“Why are you laughing?”
“I’m not laughing.”
“You were.”
“Then get back to work.”
Jia turned away.
Hyunwoo watched her back as she walked off and muttered,
“She’s really weird.”
A voice came from behind him.
“Who is?”
Hyunwoo jumped.
It was Taesik Park.
“When did you get here?”
“A while ago.”
“You’re not working?”
“I am.”
Taesik glanced at the back of Hyunwoo’s hand.
“But that bandage.”
“What about it?”
“Are you sure you forgot to take it off?”
Hyunwoo’s expression stiffened.
“I’m sure.”
“Even when you showered?”
“It’s waterproof.”
“Oh.”
Taesik nodded meaningfully.
“Bandages are pretty nice these days.”
“Lead.”
“What?”
“Are you really not going to work?”
Taesik laughed and picked up a tool.
“I am, I am.”
Hyunwoo returned to his work position, too.
But before picking up his tools, he glanced down at the back of his hand without realizing it.
A small bandage.
He had actually tried to take it off while showering last night.
The end had gotten a little wet, too.
But he had just left it there.
He didn’t know why he had done that himself.
Had he really forgotten?
Or maybe…
Hyunwoo shook his head.
What am I thinking?
It was just a bandage.
11:27 a.m.
Jia Seo was heading to the next work area.
“Jia.”
Sohee Han called from beside her.
“Yeah?”
“Did you finish Block 84?”
“Yeah. I checked it.”
“You’ve been going there a lot lately.”
Jia’s pace slowed just a little.
“It’s my assigned area.”
“I know.”
Sohee smiled.
“But you didn’t used to go that often.”
“There’s more work now.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Right.”
Sohee nodded.
Jia didn’t like that expression.
“What?”
Jia asked.
“What?”
“That look.”
“What look?”
“The look of someone thinking something weird.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
Sohee finally laughed.
“Hyunwoo Kang.”
Jia stopped walking.
“What?”
“Mr. Hyunwoo Kang.”
“Why are you suddenly bringing up his name?”
“No reason.”
“No reason what?”
“It just seems like his name comes up a lot when you talk these days.”
Jia laughed incredulously.
“When have I ever?”
“You said yesterday that worker Hyunwoo Kang almost got hurt.”
“That was something I had to report.”
“And this morning, you even picked up his glove and brought it to him.”
“His name was written on it, so I brought it over.”
“Do you pick up every worker’s gloves and bring them back?”
Jia couldn’t answer.
Sohee laughed.
“See?”
“See what?”
“Nothing.”
“There’s really nothing going on.”
“I haven’t even said anything.”
Jia closed her mouth.
Those words.
They were exactly what Hyunwoo had said to her a little earlier.
Haven’t even said anything.
Jia smiled without realizing it.
Sohee didn’t miss it.
“Why are you smiling?”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“Ugh, I don’t know. Let’s go.”
Jia started walking first.
Sohee followed behind her.
“But he is handsome.”
Jia stopped again.
“Who is?”
“Mr. Hyunwoo Kang.”
“What?”
“Why are you telling me that?”
“No reason.”
“Just do your work.”
Jia quickened her pace.
But for some reason, Hyunwoo’s face came to mind.
Work clothes.
Hard hat.
Safety glasses.
And that blunt expression.
Was he handsome?
Jia thought about it for a moment.
Well…
He wasn’t bad-looking.
No.
What was she thinking right now?
Jia shook her head hard.
“What’s wrong?”
Sohee asked.
“It’s hot.”
“It’s not hot in here.”
“I’m hot.”
“Your face is red, too.”
“Sohee Han.”
“Yeah?”
“Be quiet.”
Sohee laughed.
12:14 p.m.
The cafeteria was packed.
Hyunwoo was eating between Taesik and Jaehoon Kim.
“Hey.”
Jaehoon called to him.
“What?”
“The food tastes good today.”
“Okay.”
“But why do you keep looking to the right?”
Hyunwoo’s chopsticks stopped.
“When did I?”
“You’ve been doing it for a while.”
“I’m watching TV.”
“The TV’s on the left.”
Hyunwoo looked up.
He was right.
The TV was on the left wall.
“I’m watching people.”
“People?”
Jaehoon turned his head in the direction Hyunwoo had been looking.
He found her immediately.
A table a little ways away.
The white hard hat had been set aside, but that familiar face was visible.
Jia Seo.
Jaehoon slowly turned back to Hyunwoo.
“Oh.”
“What?”
“People.”
“Yeah.”
“Watching people.”
“Eat your food.”
“Yes, sir.”
Jaehoon lowered his head.
The corners of his mouth were raised.
Hyunwoo took a big spoonful of rice.
That was when it happened.
Jia, sitting in the distance, raised her head.
It was a coincidence.
Their eyes met exactly.
Hyunwoo’s spoon stopped in midair.
Jia paused, too.
Only for a few seconds.
Jia reacted first.
She dipped her head very slightly.
A greeting.
Hyunwoo awkwardly dipped his head once, too.
That was it.
They both went back to eating their own meals.
But Jaehoon had seen everything.
“Hey.”
“What?”
“When did you two start greeting each other?”
“I learned her name yesterday.”
“You know her name?”
“You can learn someone’s name when you work together.”
“You don’t even know all the workers’ names here.”
That was true.
Even after working in the same area for months, there were countless people whose names he didn’t know.
Just sir.
Foreman.
Welder.
Worker.
Most people simply passed by after being called something like that.
It was a shipyard where thousands of people worked.
There was no need to know everyone’s name.
And yet.
Jia Seo.
He had heard that name only once and remembered it.
Hyunwoo spooned up some soup for no particular reason.
“Just eat.”
“Yes, Worker Hyunwoo Kang.”
“Jaehoon Kim.”
“Yes?”
“Shut up.”
Taesik ate his meal while trying not to laugh.
3:36 p.m.
The work area was quieter than it had been that morning.
Hyunwoo was wrapping up and organizing his tools.
One.
Two.
Adjustable wrench.
Ratchet wrench.
Impact wrench.
This time, he checked the area around him, too, so he wouldn’t lose his gloves like he had that morning.
“Got everything?”
Taesik asked.
“Yes.”
“We should be done here by tomorrow morning.”
“Seems like it.”
Hyunwoo zipped up his tool bag.
At that moment, someone walked over from the opposite end of the passage.
A white hard hat.
Hyunwoo recognized her the instant he saw it.
He found her almost unnervingly quickly now.
It was Jia Seo.
Jia spotted Hyunwoo, too.
“Heading home?”
“Not yet. I’m cleaning up.”
“Didn’t lose anything today?”
Hyunwoo let out a dry laugh.
“Do I look like someone who loses things every day?”
“You lost your glove this morning.”
“That was one time.”
“One time can become two.”
“I have everything.”
Hyunwoo lifted his tool bag to show her.
Jia smiled.
“That’s a relief.”
She moved to pass by him.
That was when Hyunwoo called out.
“Ms. Jia Seo.”
“Yes?”
“Hold on.”
Hyunwoo searched through the pockets of his work clothes.
Jia watched him with a puzzled expression.
A moment later, Hyunwoo pulled something out.
A small canned coffee.
He had bought two that morning, drunk one, and had the other left over.
Hyunwoo held it out to Jia.
“Here. Have this.”
Jia blinked.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“Why all of a sudden?”
“Just because.”
“Why?”
Hyunwoo hesitated for a moment.
“For the bandage.”
Jia looked at the back of his hand.
The bandage was still there.
Then she looked back at the canned coffee.
“If I get a can of coffee for one bandage, I’m coming out ahead.”
“Then do you not want it?”
Hyunwoo started to take it back.
Jia quickly accepted it.
“No.”
Hyunwoo gave a quiet snort of laughter.
Jia smiled down at the canned coffee, too.
“I’ll enjoy it.”
“Yes.”
“Mr. Hyunwoo Kang.”
“What?”
“Make sure you clip in your safety lanyard tomorrow, too.”
Hyunwoo’s smile disappeared.
“Give the coffee back.”
“No thanks.”
Jia hugged the canned coffee to her chest and took a step back.
“It’s mine now.”
“I’ll give you the bandage back.”
“Just throw it away.”
Jia turned around with a laugh.
Hyunwoo smiled, too.
This time, without realizing it.
Jia walked a few steps, then turned back.
“Mr. Hyunwoo Kang.”
“Yes?”
Jia lifted the canned coffee in her hand slightly.
“I’ll enjoy it.”
Then she walked away again.
Hyunwoo watched her back for a long while.
Until yesterday, she had been someone he didn’t want to run into.
Even seeing a white hard hat from a distance had been annoying because he assumed she was about to call him out for something else.
But today was a little different.
When she called his name that morning.
When their eyes met in the cafeteria.
And now.
When he saw her smile as she accepted the coffee.
For some reason, it didn’t feel bad.
No.
It felt a little good.
“Hyunwoo Kang.”
Taesik’s voice came from behind him.
Hyunwoo turned around.
“What?”
Taesik stood there with his arms crossed.
“For the bandage?”
“Yes.”
“How much does one bandage cost?”
“I don’t know.”
“What about the coffee?”
“Fifteen hundred won.”
Taesik nodded.
“That’s one expensive bandage.”
“Give it a rest.”
Hyunwoo picked up his tool bag.
He was about to leave the passage first when Taesik spoke from behind him.
“Hyunwoo.”
“What now?”
“Be careful.”
Hyunwoo turned around.
This time, Taesik wasn’t smiling.
“Careful of what?”
Taesik glanced in the direction Jia had disappeared.
“Word gets around fast at a job site.”
Hyunwoo’s expression stiffened slightly.
“What rumors?”
“It’s nothing yet.”
Taesik gave Hyunwoo a light tap on the shoulder.
“That’s why I’m telling you.”
Taesik walked off first.
Hyunwoo stood there for a moment.
They weren’t anything to each other yet.
They didn’t even know each other’s phone numbers.
They had never met outside of work.
They simply knew each other’s names.
He had received one bandage.
And handed her one can of coffee.
That was all.
Hyunwoo followed after Taesik as if it were nothing important.
But Taesik’s words from a moment ago lingered in his mind.
Word gets around fast at a job site.
Hyunwoo didn’t know it yet.
He was going to realize just how true those words were much sooner than he expected.
And the next morning.
The moment he entered Block 84, Jaehoon Kim came rushing over to him.
“Hyung.”
“What?”
Jaehoon’s expression was strange.
He looked like he was smiling and flustered at the same time.
“What is it?”
Jaehoon glanced around once.
Then he moved closer to Hyunwoo and lowered his voice.
“You and that safety manager…”
Hyunwoo’s eyebrow twitched.
“What?”
Jaehoon said,
“I heard people are saying you two are dating.”
Hyunwoo’s expression froze solid.