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Chapter 9
Yoon-ah stared quietly at Yeong-won, who stood hesitating in the doorway, before asking softly:
“Why… won’t you come in?”
“…Are you closed already?”
“Yes… no! What would you like?”
Embarrassment washed over her. The memory of getting drunk and making a fool of herself last night burned her cheeks. She hurriedly gathered the applications spread across the table and jumped to her feet, intending to dash to the counter. But at that moment, Yeong-won stepped inside and took a seat.
He didn’t meet her eyes. Instead, while rummaging through his backpack, he asked,
“It’s not that… Did you change your course registration? You didn’t say anything.”
“Ah…”
It seemed he had no intention of bringing up what happened yesterday. Yoon-ah exhaled in relief and sat down across from him.
“The correction period is until tomorrow… right?”
“Yes, but there was an opening in an interesting elective.”
He set his laptop on the table, powered it up, and moved his long fingers smoothly over the touchpad.
Yoon-ah, watching his handsome face intently, blurted out,
“Your girlfriend must be lucky, Yeong-won.”
“…Excuse me?”
Only then did his eyes, startled, flick up from the monitor to meet hers. The instant their gazes locked, she curved her eyes in a smile.
“A boyfriend who’s this handsome, and kind on top of that. Not to mention smart.”
“……”
He ducked his head quickly. Thankfully, she really didn’t seem to remember anything from last night. If he acted suspicious, it would only draw attention to things best left unspoken. He forced himself to look calm.
But had he ever behaved like someone with a girlfriend? He couldn’t think of a reason she would assume that.
Yoon-ah, back when they worked together, had always been like this—praising him so easily with that innocent expression.
She would say “You’re smart,” “You’re amazing,” over the smallest things—ten, twenty times a day.
To someone who had never once thought of himself as impressive—especially compared to his older siblings—her words always left him awkward, unsure how to respond, so he would just bow his head vaguely.
And now kind? That was new. He truly had no idea what she saw in him. So instead of answering, he pulled up the syllabus he wanted to show her.
“…It’s an elective called Understanding Traditional Korean Architecture.”
“Oh, yes, yes!”
Her cheerful reply was followed by her suddenly leaning closer. Startled by the abrupt closeness, he straightened his back and edged away.
“There aren’t weekly lectures. Just one or two orientation sessions. The midterm’s a research paper, and the final’s replaced by a field report after a site visit.”
“That sounds perfect.”
“But the field trip’s a two-day overnight during break. And since grades depend entirely on those two reports, you should think carefully. Most lowerclassmen dropped it—probably why there’s space.”
“Hmm…”
Her brows knitted unconsciously as she bent close to the screen, studying the syllabus in detail. Her long, dark lashes cast shadows over her cheeks. Watching her, Yeong-won hesitated before opening his mouth—
“…You don’t have a boyfr—”
“So you have to get to Andong on your own?”
They spoke at the same time. He nodded. Still, it was a rare chance to secure such a class. Seemingly convinced, Yoon-ah placed her hand lightly on the touchpad where his fingers rested.
“Sorry, Yeong-won. I just want to register before it fills. I’m in a hurry.”
“…Go ahead.”
The moment her cool, soft skin brushed his, he snatched his hand away as if burned.
Se-yeon sat in the passenger seat, glancing at Yoon-ah’s hands on the steering wheel, her voice low and reverent.
“Even the way you drive is so sexy, unnie…”
“…Anyone can drive once they get a license.”
“Nooo… dollars can’t buy that…”
“…Ahem.”
The compliment made Yoon-ah flush. She pressed her palm to her heated cheek and cleared her throat awkwardly. She had chauffeured her socially active mother-in-law for years, and now her driving skills had become something she could actually feel proud of.
In the backseat, boxes were stacked high. Today was moving day.
Se-yeon spoke up again:
“Next time I move, introduce me to that real estate lady. It really pays to keep connections.”
“Of course. She’s so kind.”
Happy to share useful information with her new friend, Yoon-ah smiled softly.
“Anyway, thank you for helping me move. I’ll treat you to something delicious—anything you want. Or I’ll cook.”
She had declined Se-yeon’s suggestion to go buy keychains that weekend, saying she’d be busy moving. Without hesitation, Se-yeon had offered to help instead.
Hiring movers was too expensive for the relatively small load, but it was still too much for one person. Yoon-ah had been steeling herself to manage alone, worried about burdening anyone. Se-yeon saw right through her and insisted she simply give the time and place.
They chatted about campus life until the car rolled into the underground garage. As the surroundings dimmed, Se-yeon suddenly went, “Ah,” and asked,
“That thug, Do-hyun, or whatever—what happened with him? That was the end of it?”
“…How do you know about that?”
Unconsciously, Yoon-ah eased off the gas and turned her gaze toward her friend.
“I was at that convenience store too. Lost a drinking game and went to buy jelly. Only that branch sells this wicked kind.”
“……”
“And that ginseng keychain? Found it outside the store. Gave me such satisfaction.”
“So that’s where I dropped it…”
Now she understood why he had said she had “strong energy.” The memory made her laugh awkwardly.
She parked near the elevator and shut off the engine. That was when Se-yeon thrust her phone into Yoon-ah’s hands. The screen was already lit.
It was a video.
Shot from inside the store, through the window, it showed Do-hyun looming over her, clearly threatening her—even if their words weren’t audible.
Back then, liquor had given her just enough courage to stand her ground, though her hand had trembled. But when he mentioned Yeong-won, she had felt ready to slap him across the face.
And when Yeong-won actually appeared—it had been such an overwhelming relief. She must have leaned on him more than she realized.
Still, he must be sick of teaching a clueless boss. She resolved not to burden him further.
“This could get you in trouble if someone sees it. Better delete it before he sues you.”
“Oh, I know. My cloud’s packed with stuff like this.”
Yoon-ah’s eyes widened.
“…Why?”
“I’m a motel kid. My family owns half a dozen motels around here. People beg for CCTV footage all the time. Dad won’t show it—we’d get burned for it—so he dumps everything on me. Technically it’s all in my account.”
“…But shouldn’t recordings auto-delete after a set time?”
“Dad’s a justice freak. Says evidence against scumbags should be preserved. We wipe them after three years.”
She answered casually, taking her phone back. Shaking her head, she added,
“With everything you know, it’s no wonder you’re divorced. If a man can’t control his crotch, he shouldn’t get married. The world’s crawling with lunatics.”
“…W-what? How did you know I’m divorced?”
Startled, Yoon-ah’s words stumbled. Without realizing it, she gripped the steering wheel tightly. But Se-yeon looked just as shaken.
“…You didn’t know your classmates were talking about it? That’s how I heard.”
