Chapter 2. You Again
The next morning, 8:12 a.m.
“Hyunwoo, safety glasses.”
“Got them on.”
“Chin strap.”
“I haven’t gone up anywhere high yet.”
Taesik Park let out a quiet laugh.
“You’re being thorough.”
Hyunwoo Kang didn’t answer. He slung his tool bag over his shoulder.
It was annoying from the moment he got in that morning.
To be exact, it had been annoying since yesterday.
Normally, he would have loosened his hard hat’s chin strap as soon as he passed through the gate.
But for some reason, he’d been fastening everything properly from the moment he clocked in today.
He even wore his safety glasses over his eyes instead of resting them on top of his hard hat.
He’d brought his work gloves and checked inside his tool bag once more.
Just in case he’d forgotten anything.
“Hyunwoo.”
Jaehoon Kim called to him from the side.
“What?”
“Did you eat something weird today?”
“What about me?”
“Why have you suddenly become so safety-compliant?”
Hyunwoo looked at Jaehoon.
“I was always safety-compliant.”
“You? The guy the safety manager called out four times yesterday?”
“Three times.”
Jaehoon’s eyes widened.
“Four times if you count the chin strap at lunch.”
Hyunwoo thought about it for a moment.
Safety lanyard.
Tool.
Safety glasses.
Chin strap.
“…You’re being loud.”
Jaehoon burst out laughing.
“You remembered, too.”
“Get to work.”
Hyunwoo walked ahead into the inside of the vessel.
But after only a few steps, the name he’d heard yesterday came back to him.
Jia.
He still didn’t know if it was Jia Seo or something else.
But he was sure the other safety manager had called her that yesterday.
‘Jia.’
Hyunwoo shook his head once.
“I remember the strangest things.”
“What did you say?”
Jaehoon, following behind him, asked.
“Nothing.”
All he had to do was avoid getting called out today.
By that woman.
No.
By the safety manager.
The morning work went more smoothly than expected.
They finished one of the piping sections they’d been lining up yesterday and started working on the remaining one.
“A little farther.”
Taesik gestured.
Hyunwoo checked the position of the piping.
“Stop.”
The piping came to a halt.
Hyunwoo checked between the flanges and measured the gap with his finger.
“It looks good.”
“Try putting in a bolt.”
“Sure.”
Hyunwoo bent down.
He picked up a bolt and inserted it into the hole.
Thunk.
It wouldn’t go in.
“It’s a little off.”
“How much?”
“Just a bit.”
Hyunwoo shifted his position again.
That was when he heard several people approaching from behind.
He paid no attention. He figured it was another work crew.
But soon, a familiar voice reached him.
“Hello. We’re here for a safety inspection.”
Hyunwoo’s hand stopped.
No way.
He looked up.
Two white hard hats were approaching from the work passage.
One of them—
It was the face he’d seen yesterday.
Without saying anything, Hyunwoo looked back down at the bolt.
Taesik gave him a sideways grin.
“She’s here.”
“Who is?”
“Your assigned safety manager.”
“What do you mean, my assigned safety manager?”
“If she looked after you four times in one day, she’s your assigned safety manager.”
“Lead.”
“What?”
“Could you be quiet?”
The footsteps drew closer.
Hyunwoo checked his own condition for no reason.
Hard hat.
Chin strap.
Safety glasses.
Gloves.
And safety lanyard.
Click.
Even the lanyard was securely clipped in.
Perfect.
There was nothing she could call him out for today.
Hyunwoo focused on his work again.
“Worker.”
The voice came from directly behind him.
Hyunwoo’s eyes closed.
‘Oh, come on.’
He slowly turned around.
It was her, just as he’d expected.
“Yes?”
The woman looked him up and down.
Hyunwoo stood still, too.
Hard hat: good.
Chin strap: good.
Safety glasses: good.
Safety lanyard: good.
Gloves: good.
Well?
What this time?
Her gaze moved back up.
Then stopped for a moment.
“You’re doing a good job today.”
Hyunwoo blinked.
“…Excuse me?”
“Your PPE.”
She pointed it out.
“You’re doing everything I told you about yesterday.”
Hyunwoo was momentarily speechless.
He’d expected another correction.
But she was complimenting him.
And so casually, too.
“I always do.”
That was what came out in the end.
The corner of her mouth lifted ever so slightly.
“You didn’t yesterday.”
“I did yesterday, too.”
“Your safety lanyard was unclipped.”
“I only unclipped it for a moment.”
“Your safety glasses were on top of your hard hat, too.”
“That was only for a moment, too.”
“And your chin strap was undone.”
Hyunwoo shut his mouth.
Beside him, Taesik turned his head away.
He was definitely laughing.
Hyunwoo said under his breath, “But I’m wearing everything today.”
“Yes.”
She nodded.
“That’s why I said you’re doing a good job today.”
Hyunwoo had nothing to say.
It was strange.
Yesterday, she’d been so irritating, but today she was smiling again as if nothing had happened.
“Please keep it up.”
The woman turned away.
Hyunwoo spoke without thinking.
“Hey.”
She turned back.
“Yes?”
Hyunwoo didn’t know why he’d called out to her, either.
After hesitating for a moment, he asked, “You don’t do this only to me, right?”
Her eyebrows rose slightly.
“Do what?”
“You always say something whenever you see me.”
Taesik’s expression grew strange beside him.
The woman studied Hyunwoo for a moment before answering.
“I speak up when someone is doing something wrong.”
“There are plenty of other people here.”
“I speak to them, too.”
“You called me out four times yesterday alone.”
“Because you were doing four things wrong.”
This time, Taesik finally lowered his head.
His shoulders shook.
Hyunwoo clenched his teeth once.
The woman added, “And, worker.”
“What now?”
“You’re doing everything right today, so I’m not saying anything.”
She smiled.
“If you keep it up, it makes things easier for me, too.”
Then she turned and walked away.
Hyunwoo stared blankly at her back.
Taesik finally burst out laughing.
“Ha-ha-ha!”
“Oh, come on.”
“Hyunwoo.”
“What?”
“You lost.”
“Lost what?”
“You completely lost.”
“Just get to work.”
Hyunwoo turned back around.
For some reason, his ears felt hot.
He decided it was because he was annoyed.
10:41 a.m.
The work was in full swing.
Hyunwoo stood on a narrow platform, positioning a flange.
Below him, Jaehoon was organizing the tools.
“Hyunwoo, do you need the adjustable wrench?”
“The big one.”
“Hold on a second.”
Hyunwoo held the piping with one hand.
Taesik was checking the position on the opposite side.
“Hyunwoo, pull it in a little more.”
“Sure.”
Hyunwoo shifted his body.
That was when it happened.
Something struck above them.
Clang—
Hyunwoo reflexively looked up.
“What the hell?”
A small piece of steel material that had been standing nearby was wobbling.
It looked like someone had bumped it while passing by.
It wasn’t very large.
But it would be dangerous if it fell.
“Below!”
Hyunwoo shouted.
Jaehoon startled and stepped backward.
The piece of steel slid down.
Clang!
It bounced off the floor and rolled toward the work passage.
Someone was standing there.
A white hard hat.
Hyunwoo’s expression hardened.
“Look out!”
Jia Seo turned her head.
Too late.
Without time to think, Hyunwoo climbed down from the platform.
“Wait!”
He grabbed Jia by the arm and yanked her hard toward him.
“Whoa—!”
Jia stumbled.
At the same time, the piece of steel passed right beside where she’d been standing.
Crash!
The loud impact echoed through the passage.
The area fell silent.
Hyunwoo’s hand was still gripping Jia’s arm.
Jia stared at the floor in shock.
It was where she had been standing only a moment ago.
If he’d been even a little slower, it would have struck her ankle or leg.
“Are you okay?”
Hyunwoo asked.
Jia slowly raised her head.
Their eyes met.
It was the face he’d been seeing since yesterday.
But this was the first time he’d seen it from this close.
Jia answered softly, “Yes.”
Only then did Hyunwoo realize he was still holding her arm.
He immediately let go.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
Jia rubbed her arm once.
Hyunwoo looked toward the fallen material.
His expression hardened.
“Who left this standing here?”
His voice had changed.
It was completely different from the voice he’d used while bickering with Jia moments ago.
“Don’t you know you can’t leave it propped up like this?”
Jaehoon looked around.
“I don’t think it belongs to our crew.”
Taesik came over, too.
“No one hurt, right?”
“No.”
Hyunwoo looked at Jia once more.
“You’re really okay?”
“I’m okay.”
“Nothing hit you?”
“No.”
This time, Jia answered more firmly.
“Because you pulled me out of the way.”
Hyunwoo was silent for a moment.
Then he picked up the fallen material and moved it somewhere safe.
“Something like this needs to be secured.”
Hyunwoo muttered under his breath.
Jia quietly watched him.
When they’d first met yesterday, she’d thought he was just a stubborn worker.
Even when she told him to clip in his safety lanyard, he’d said it was fine just for a moment.
Even when she told him to wear his safety glasses, he’d looked annoyed.
He was the kind of man who talked back over something as small as a chin strap.
But just now, he’d spotted the danger before she did.
And he’d run over without giving it a second thought.
Jia’s gaze shifted to Hyunwoo’s hand.
“Worker.”
Hyunwoo turned around.
“What?”
“Your hand.”
“Excuse me?”
“The back of your hand.”
Hyunwoo looked down at his hand.
He must have scraped it against the edge of the steel plate when he climbed down in a hurry.
There was a small cut between his glove and sleeve.
A little blood was seeping out.
“Oh.”
Hyunwoo shook the back of his hand as if it were nothing.
“I’m fine.”
Jia’s expression hardened.
“You’re bleeding.”
“A little thing like this happens all the time.”
“If it happens all the time, doesn’t it hurt?”
Hyunwoo looked at her.
It was a question he hadn’t expected.
“Well… something this minor…”
“Wait a second.”
Jia opened the small bag clipped to her waist.
Then she took out a bandage.
“Give me your hand.”
Hyunwoo looked back and forth between the bandage and Jia.
“It’s really fine.”
“Give me your hand.”
It was the same tone she’d used yesterday.
Firm and unyielding.
Hyunwoo gave a short laugh.
“Do safety managers always talk like this when people don’t listen?”
Jia shot right back, “I don’t think you get to say that, worker.”
Hyunwoo finally held out his hand.
Jia checked the cut between his glove and sleeve.
Then she carefully put on the bandage.
Hyunwoo silently watched her.
It was strange.
He could hear the grinder.
People kept moving around them.
Voices calling to someone crackled over the radios.
And yet, for a moment, all those sounds seemed far away.
“There.”
Jia let go of his hand.
Hyunwoo looked down at the back of his hand.
A small bandage was stuck there.
“Thank you.”
“I’m the one who should be thanking you,” Jia said.
“If you hadn’t grabbed me, I could have been hurt.”
Hyunwoo shrugged.
“Anyone would’ve done the same.”
“Still.”
A brief silence passed.
Jia held out her hand first.
Hyunwoo looked at it quizzically.
“What?”
“We’ve kept running into each other since yesterday, but we don’t even know each other’s names.”
“Oh.”
“I’m Jia Seo.”
Hyunwoo looked at her hand.
Then he slowly took it.
“I’m Hyunwoo Kang.”
“Hyunwoo Kang.”
Jia repeated his name once.
“I’ll remember that.”
Hyunwoo gave a short laugh.
“Why? So you can write down my name if I get called out again?”
Jia narrowed her eyes.
“Maybe.”
“I knew it.”
“I’m kidding.”
It was the first time.
The first time Hyunwoo had heard her joke.
Jia let go of his hand.
“Then get back to work, worker Hyunwoo Kang.”
Hyunwoo replied immediately, “Just call me Mr. Kang.”
Jia stopped.
“Why?”
“It sounds weird when you keep saying ‘worker.’”
“Then, Mr. Kang.”
“Yes.”
Jia nodded.
“And check your safety lanyard.”
Hyunwoo’s expression immediately hardened.
“Oh, come on.”
Jia smiled.
This time, unmistakably.
Then she turned and walked toward another section.
Hyunwoo stood there for a while.
“Hyunwoo.”
He heard Jaehoon’s voice.
Hyunwoo turned his head.
Jaehoon and Taesik stood side by side, staring at him.
Their expressions were strange.
“What?”
Jaehoon pointed at the back of Hyunwoo’s hand.
“The bandage.”
“What about it?”
“Must be nice.”
“What’s nice?”
Taesik added from beside him, “Hyunwoo.”
“What now?”
“Don’t wash your hands.”
“Are you insane?”
Jaehoon burst out laughing.
Ignoring them, Hyunwoo climbed back onto the platform.
“Let’s work.”
But even after he started working again, the back of his hand kept drawing his attention.
It was just an ordinary bandage.
The kind you could buy a whole box of for a few dollars at a convenience store.
Yet every time he gripped a tool, his eyes kept landing on it.
And he kept thinking about what she’d said a moment ago.
Hyunwoo Kang.
The voice that had called his name for the first time.
Hyunwoo shook his head once.
“Get a grip.”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
He picked up his tool again.
Click.
He tightened the bolt.
It was the same work as always.
But today was a little different from yesterday.
Until yesterday, she had been nothing more to Hyunwoo than an annoying safety manager.
A woman in a white hard hat.
Someone who pointed out something every time she saw him.
But now he knew her name.
Jia Seo.
And Jia Seo knew his name, too.
Hyunwoo didn’t know it yet.
Learning someone’s name at a shipyard—
Remembering each other’s names at this enormous site where thousands of people came and went—
For the two of them, it was the beginning of a much bigger change than either of them expected.