CHAPTER 10: Distance

Is this you, Seongwoo Hyung?

Seongwoo paused in confusion to see Daniel watching him deeply. Fortunately Minhyun was aware of Daniel's arrival and approached them.

"Oh, you're here, Niel?" Greeted Minhyun woke Daniel up from his thought.

"Ah .. y-yes, hyung .. this is.. the order." Daniel answered while giving a big box of food to Minhyun.

Minhyun received it and then immediately took out his wallet. At that time, Seongwoo immediately prevented it. "My treat, Manager Hwang .."

"Eh, no, just use this, it's our team’s money." Minhyun wanted to pay for it but it was preceded by Seongwoo who already gave some money to Daniel.

Daniel, who was still trying to calm himself, could only accept the money, his hands trembling.

"That's a token of gratitude for you all, for wanting to help me at the meeting earlier .." said Seongwoo at Minhyun full of smile.

Daniel fell silent again at Seongwoo's smile. A smile that resembled a smile that made him feel calm all those years ago.

"Okay, thanks then." Replied Minhyun before he realized something. "Oh, I haven’t introduced you both.. Sean, this is Daniel. Daniel, this is Sean Ong, a new employee here .."

"Just call me Sean, happy to meet you." Said Seongwoo kindly while offering handshakes.

Daniel stared at the waiting hand for a moment, disappointed.

Sean?

Ong?

So it isn’t...... Kang Seongwoo?

Daniel reached for Seongwoo's hand and shook it slowly. "D-daniel .."

"Your name is cool!" Seongwoo replied friendly.

"Yes, his friends say he's a foreigner." Minhyun said for the silent Daniel.

"Really? Then, should we talk in English?" Seongwoo's joke made Daniel forcing himself to laugh.

Wanting to end the confusion he felt, Daniel chose to leave. "H-hyung, I'll excuse myself .." He bowed making a greeting before finally walking out of the office.

Somehow, Seongwoo felt sad that his encounter with Daniel should be that short.

While Minhyun brought food into the conference room, Seongwoo chose to remain standing watching Daniel's back disappear from his gaze.

Does he know me?

Why did he look so shocked?

"Come over Sean, let's eat!" Called Chief Kim to break his mind.

"Oh yes, Chief!" Seongwoo replied, then decided to stop thinking about the delivery man.

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While outside the building, Daniel stood silent, still trying to calm himself.

He's not Seongwoo hyung, Niel! Stop thinking everyone is him! He shouted to himself.

Daniel thought he was acting really stupid. He hadn’t even counted the money the man had given and immediately accepted it.

He opened his right fist containing the money, the money the man gave him was excessive, but Daniel didn’t dare to go back inside and meet him again.

I’ll just give this to Woojin. Let him return it. Said Daniel silently as he walked away.

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It wasn’t only Daniel who was thinking about that brief encounter. Even though didn’t know the reason, Seongwoo also kept thinking about the man who delivered the food, how his shocked face looks very awkward.

Why should he be surprised to see me?

Or maybe he's ....

Not wanting curiosity to continue to haunt him, Seongwoo asked Minhyun. "Manager Hwang, the man earlier .. I mean who delivered the food earlier .."

"Daniel?"

"Yes, Daniel .." Seongwoo replied quickly. "How old is he, Manager Hwang?"

Minhyun looks surprised by Seongwoo's question. "Why suddenly asked his age?"

Seongwoo wondered how to explain it. "Mmm .. no, it's just .."

Minhyun who is quite observant was immediately asked, "Does he look like your brother?"

Seongwoo was overwhelmed with Minhyun's question. "Ah .. no.. It was just.. he saw me with a different look .. So it made me .."

Minhyun stopped tidying up the file and then looked at Seongwoo while saying, "Daniel is an orphan, Sean."

"Oh?" Seongwoo was shocked to find out.

"He lives with his friends at the roof house above the restaurant building where they work," said Minhyun, "If you asked how old he is, I think Daniel's age is about a year or two below you."

Seeing Seongwoo shocked again, Minhyun added the question, "Is your brother’s age around that?"

Seongwoo who was still bewildered nodded slowly. "Y-yes .. He's a year and a half below my age.."

Minhyun smiled a little. "Woah, it’s really coincident.. No wonder you immediately remember your brother when you saw Daniel .."

"Ah .. yes, coincidentally .." Seongwoo felt himself doing something stupid, how he suddenly thought the stranger was Euigeon.

"Someday I will bring you to visit them. Even they are living a life of deprivation, but they support each other, and spending time with them is fun, I even have a foster brother there, Jinyoung."

Minhyun's words just shocked Seongwoo. "Foster brother?"

Minhyun nodded. "Yeah, I'm determined to help to pay Jinyoung's tuition fees go to college. The kids are actually really smart and talented. I dislike it if they don’t get a decent education just because of the cost problem." said Minhyun with a sad face.

He added, "Daniel is good at fiddling with automotive engines. Actually I advised him to go to take a major in mechanical engineering. But he refused, he said it rather be used for his younger brothers to go to college. But in fact, Jihoon and Woojin also refused to go to college. So I wish Jinyoung, their youngest brother will obey me. " Minhyun finished his story with a smile like a father.

Seongwoo's heart was warm, he was amazed at Minhyun. The man is not only handsome, but also has an angelic heart.

"Yes, next time take me there, Manager Hwang, I want to get to know them better." Said Seongwoo with a smile.

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