40화 그날 저녁

발표가 끝난 그날 저녁, 사무실에 두 사람만 남았다.

은호가 먼저 말을 꺼냈다.

"왜 그러셨어요?"

"뭘요."

"슬라이드요. 어젯밤에 바꾸셨잖아요."

태경이 자료를 정리하던 손을 멈췄다.

"…원래 그렇게 했어야 했으니까요."

"평가에 안 좋다면서요."

"누가 그래요."

"과장님이요. 복도에서 하시는 말씀 들었어요."

태경이 짧게 웃었다. 웃음 같지 않은 웃음이었다.

"그건 맞는 말이에요."

"그럼 왜—"

"은호 씨." 태경이 은호를 봤다. 2주 만에 처음으로 제대로 마주 보는 눈이었다. "제가 2주 동안 거리 둔 거요."

은호가 숨을 멈췄다.

"이유가 있었어요. 근데 그 이유가, 은호 씨한테 말하면 안 되는 이유라고 생각했어요."

"…지금은요?"

"지금도 말 못 해요." 태경이 담담하게 말했다. "근데 거리 두는 걸로 해결하려던 건 잘못이었어요. 그건 사과할게요."

은호는 뭐라고 답해야 할지 몰랐다.

한참 뒤에 겨우 말했다.

"…그럼 다음엔 그러지 마세요."

"네."

"거리 두지 마시고, 그냥 말 못 한다고 하세요. 그건 괜찮아요."

태경이 잠깐 은호를 봤다.

"…알겠어요."

창밖에 다시 눈이 내리기 시작했다. 2월이 끝나가고 있었다.

English

That evening, after the presentation, only the two of them were left in the office.

Eunho spoke first.

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what."

"The slide. You changed it last night."

Taekyung's hands stopped moving over the papers.

"…Because that's how it should have been in the first place."

"You said it doesn't help your evaluation."

"Who told you that."

"Ms. Kang. I heard her in the hallway."

Taekyung laughed briefly. It didn't sound like a laugh.

"She's right about that."

"Then why—"

"Eunho." He looked at him. It was the first time in two weeks he had properly met his eyes. "About my keeping distance these two weeks."

Eunho held his breath.

"There was a reason. But I thought it was a reason I couldn't tell you."

"…And now?"

"I still can't tell you," Taekyung said evenly. "But solving it by pulling away was wrong. I'll apologize for that."

Eunho didn't know how to answer.

After a long moment, he managed:

"…Then don't do it again."

"All right."

"Don't pull away. Just say you can't tell me. That's fine."

Taekyung looked at him for a moment.

"…All right."

Outside, snow began to fall again. February was ending.