TPWA 18⚽

Chapter 18

Yeongwon silently handed the keyring to Yoon-ah. Seeing it up close, it reminded her even more of her brown hair. For the first time in a while, she felt a little at ease.

Yoon-ah blinked.

“…You’re giving this to me?”

“…What else would I do with it?”

“But…”

“It was fun enough for me.”

Was it really fun? Yoon-ah wasn’t sure, but she accepted the keyring anyway. The small rabbit inside, wrapped in shiny plastic, looked up at her with tiny black eyes. Its white heart on the belly was impossibly cute, and a soft smile spread across Yoon-ah’s lips.

“…Thank you, Yeongwon-ssi. I’ll treasure it forever.”
“…Yes.”

Yeongwon, meeting her demurely curved eyes, simply turned away. His neck felt warm and flustered.

A few days later, after class, Yoon-ah came to see Yeongwon while he was packing his bag. Pushing her way through the bustling second-year students, she reached him as he stuffed his belongings carelessly into his backpack. She stopped beside him just as he slung the bag over one shoulder.

“Why come all the way in with so many people around?”
“I wanted to give this to you quickly. I heard your next class is back-to-back.”

Yoon-ah smiled warmly and handed him a paper shopping bag. Yeongwon accepted it, puzzled.

“…What’s this?”
“It’s to make up for the apple preserve I couldn’t give you on your housewarming day, and the towel I ruined because of me. I also got you something nice in return for the keyring you picked for me. I wasn’t sure what other gift you’d like.”

Talking about that day made Yoon-ah suddenly feel like she could see Yeongwon’s torso under his sweatshirt again. She quickly diverted her gaze to some random spot, fiddling with the rabbit keyring on her eco bag. The soft fur gave her a quiet sense of comfort.

Yeongwon felt equally embarrassed. Quickly lowering his gaze away from wherever hers seemed to be going, he pulled out a box of towels from the shopping bag.

The logo on the box looked familiar. Thinking back, he realized he had seen it at his sister’s house before.

Yoon-ah had always been proud of her natural wealth and didn’t hesitate to show it off. If his sister used it, it was probably expensive.

“…Isn’t this a bit too much?”
“…Yes?”

Startled, Yoon-ah gently pushed his hands away with both of hers, refusing to take them back.

“No! You even lent me your house. That day, your kitchen probably smelled like food all day… Please just accept it. And for the keyring… you spent eighty thousand won on it anyway…”

“….”

Yeongwon’s fingers brushed the soft fur. After a few days, it had fluffed back up, and the money spent on a claw machine now seemed worth it. Most importantly, he liked knowing the keyring would stay attached to Yoon-ah’s bag.

“…Thank you. I’ll put it to good use.”
“Yes! Then, have a good rest of your day, Yeongwon-ssi.”

With a bright smile, Yoon-ah bowed and ran off. Seeing the brown rabbit swinging from her beige eco bag, a faint smile appeared on Yeongwon’s lips.

At that moment, someone approached him.

“What gift did you get, Yeongwon-seonbae? Can I see too?”

It was a girl who had been wandering around since the first day of classes. He didn’t even remember her name. Yeongwon’s expression immediately hardened as he stepped forward.

“I’m busy.”

But the girl followed. Matching his pace, she asked again.

“I heard you had a housewarming with Yoon-ah-hoobae? Did you move?”
“…”
“What’s the story with the keyring? It was so cute. Next time you meet Yoon-ah-hoobae, let me come too. I want to get close to her—”

Seeing her constantly use “Yoon-ah-hoobae” made Yeongwon’s irritation flare. He stopped and spoke.

“Stop.”
“…Yes?”

His terse words froze her in place. He looked down at her with a dry gaze.

“It bothers me.”

“….”

She flinched, but Yeongwon ignored her and walked away.

The girl clenched her fists tightly as she watched his retreating figure. Then someone called her name.

“Minhee, aren’t you coming?”

Minhee quickly smoothed over her dark expression and turned. A group of girls had gathered, and one said:

“The blind date organizer said you had to come. They went crazy over your Outstar profile. Are you an idol or what?”
“What? Seriously… so embarrassing. You’re all pretty too.”

Twisting slightly, Minhee smiled politely and tapped a classmate’s shoulder before asking:

“By the way, do you know the first-year Yoon-ah-hoobae?”
“She’s famous enough that I know her. Why?”
“I want to get close, but I don’t know how.”
“Aren’t you fine? I don’t know how far the rumors are true, but… it feels distant.”
“I think she seems like a nice person.”
“Minhee definitely grew up loved a lot.”

Her classmates nodded in agreement. Minhee smiled softly, humbly yet proudly, and glanced at where Yeongwon had disappeared.

“I’ll head in first. See you tomorrow, boss!”

The bright young part-timer, the same age as Yoon-ah, bowed. She was diligent and quick, and Yoon-ah could trust her to manage closing duties. Yet, the boss couldn’t completely skip coming to the cafe. Yoon-ah always stayed later than her employees to handle small tasks.

Turning the “Open” sign to “Closed,” she first went to the storage room and grabbed her bag. The keyring Yeongwon had given her made it impossible to forget.

Sitting down in the first available seat, Yoon-ah stroked the brown rabbit.

“A little rest for the heart…”

Closing her eyes, feeling the soft fur, a calming sense washed over her. Balancing school and the cafe was no easy task. Her stamina, already unimpressive, seemed to shrink further each day.

Raising her eyelids, she rested her chin on the table and gazed at the rabbit, lightly tickling the white heart on its belly.

“Should I give you a name?”

It would make living together feel a little more real.

Yoon-ah was naturally prone to loneliness. Her older brother was rarely home. Her mother, always busy with chores since her youth, couldn’t play with young Yoon-ah.

At the age when a child needed a mother’s love, she often wanted to play but was rarely allowed. There were no friends her age in the neighborhood, and visiting other families was always time-limited. By evening, she returned home, and loneliness crept back.

She realized this was why she had easily fallen for a passionate ex-husband—she had always been starved for love.

Stroking the edge of the heart on the rabbit’s belly, Yoon-ah pondered.

“Hmm. How do you feel? You can see the heart.”

Of course, the toy didn’t respond. Yet somehow, the small, round plastic eyes seemed happy. Yoon-ah chuckled and stood up.

As she walked to lock the door and pull down the blinds, a shadow appeared on the other side of the glass. She sensed someone and looked up just as a knock sounded.

“….”

Recognizing who it was, Yoon-ah’s expression instantly turned cold. It was her ex-husband, Lee Sunghee. Standing outside the glass, he glanced around and spoke to her frozen figure.

“What are you doing? Open up. Before anyone sees.”

Frowning, he pushed the door open as Yoon-ah released the locks.

“Why aren’t you answering my calls?”
“…You called?”
“I sent multiple texts and made several calls.”

Sunghee frowned at her as he stood, dressed in a suit, still exuding a strong, lingering scent of cologne.

Yoon-ah suddenly remembered she had blocked his contact. Today wasn’t the “appointed day” they had arranged to meet. Then why had he come?