8화 폭염

폭염 특보가 뜬 날이었다.

외근을 마치고 돌아온 태경의 얼굴이 유난히 창백했다. 셔츠 등판이 땀으로 흠뻑 젖어 있었는데도, 소매는 여전히 손목까지 내려와 있었다.

회의 중이었다. 태경이 자료를 넘기다 말고 갑자기 휘청했다. 책상을 짚고서야 겨우 버텼다.

"대리님?"

은호가 놀라서 달려갔다. "…괜찮아요." 목소리에 힘이 없었다.

은호는 억지로 물을 쥐여주며 말했다. "제발 소매라도 걷으세요. 이러다 진짜 쓰러져요."

그 순간, 태경의 표정이 순식간에 굳었다.

"…신경 꺼요."

평소와 완전히 다른, 날카로운 목소리였다. 물컵을 밀치듯 내려놓고 자리로 돌아가는 뒷모습에, 은호는 뭘 잘못했는지도 모른 채 그 자리에 굳어버렸다.

English

It was the day a heat advisory was issued.

Taekyung came back from an outside meeting looking unusually pale. The back of his shirt was soaked through, and yet his sleeves were still fastened at the wrist.

They were in the middle of a meeting. Turning a page, he suddenly swayed. He caught himself only by bracing against the desk.

"Are you all right?"

Eunho rushed over, startled. "…I'm fine." There was no strength in his voice.

Eunho pressed a glass of water into his hand. "Please, at least roll up your sleeves. You're going to collapse."

In that instant, Taekyung's expression hardened.

"…Mind your own business."

It was a sharp voice, nothing like his usual one. As he set the glass down almost forcefully and walked back to his desk, Eunho stood frozen, with no idea what he had done wrong.