TBE 11

chapter 11

Startled by Yoona’s question about the taste of the food she had served, Yeongwon responded.

“Is it too bland, Yeongwon? Should I swap it with the mala soup? You haven’t touched it yet.”

“…It’s fine. I already had some of mine.”

“Oh, I don’t mind—”

“Boss, what she’s saying is that our Yeongwon can’t handle spicy food. I suppose it’s a little embarrassing not to be more manly.”

Gitae’s polite teasing immediately followed. In response, Yeongwon deliberately took a sip of Gitae’s mala soup.

As Gitae tried to ignore Yeongwon’s cold glare directed at him, Yoona suddenly stood up.

“I didn’t realize! I’ll get some water. Carbonated drinks make it even spicier.”

“…I’ll do it.”

Yeongwon also stood. Gitae watched in confusion as Yeongwon strode past Yoona through the narrow living room. From the side, Seoyeon whispered.

“Nice assist, Senior Gitae.”

“…Me…?”

Gitae looked over at Seoyeon in bewilderment. Chewing on her white fungus, Seoyeon gave a thumbs-up.

While Yeongwon was retrieving water from the fridge, Yoona opened the cupboard. Since she hadn’t organized the kitchen herself, her eyes finally caught sight of the cups—but they were placed too high.

The kitchen was already crowded with Yeongwon inside. Yoona couldn’t pull a chair over, and just as she stood on tiptoe to reach, Yeongwon appeared behind her and effortlessly grabbed the cup.

“Sorry, I guess I put them too high.”

“Yeongwon, you really don’t know anything about household chores…”

“…I’ll move them for you.”

“Hahaha, let’s do it together.”

Yoona chuckled softly and chose some of the less frequently used dishes from the reachable shelves. Yeongwon swapped the cups’ positions with hers. Yoona, offering more dishes, glanced at Yeongwon and asked.

“I’ve always wondered, how tall are you?”

“…187 cm.”

“Wow… that’s really tall. We’re 26 cm apart. No wonder when you’re close, your nose almost touches my chest.”

As Yoona spoke, she stepped half a step closer to Yeongwon. Seeing her small head suddenly so near his chest, Yeongwon flinched and stepped back. Yoona blinked her round eyes.

“…I-I was just trying to hand it to you all at once… I’m sorry if I got too close…”

“….”

Only then did Yeongwon notice a new dish stacked atop the ones Yoona was holding. Whatever she had been thinking alone… Memories of the freshman welcome night still lingered in Yeongwon’s mind, making his face warm.

Yoona stepped back two paces, embarrassed, and offered the dishes silently to the frozen Yeongwon.

“Sorry… could you just put these up…? It’s the last ones…”

“…Okay.”

Yeongwon couldn’t even bring himself to say “sorry.” Afraid the warmth in his body might transmit to Yoona, he simply stood in place and reached out to adjust the dishes’ positions.

Once the dishes and cups were back in place, Yoona hurriedly took a few cups to wash. Yeongwon carefully grabbed one and stepped behind her, sipping the cold water.

Seoyeon poked Gitae’s shoulder with her chopsticks. When their eyes met, Seoyeon furrowed her brows and murmured.

“Could it be… that he’s never had a girlfriend?”

“…How did you know?”

“…This is crazy… how could I not know…”

Seoyeon, exasperated that people like them always ended up together, scoffed and gulped down her mala soup straight from the bowl. Seeing this, Yoona quickly returned with washed cups and bottled water.

“You should drink plenty of water if you eat the soup. Helps flush out the sodium. Here.”

“…No, this is for Senior Yeongwon…”

“Huh? What did you say? Should I give you some lukewarm water?”

“…It’s fine… just go to sleep already…”

Seoyeon looked at the pure, clear water in the cup Yoona handed her, feeling a throbbing in her head.

After Gitae and Yeongwon left, Seoyeon, helping Yoona organize her personal belongings, glanced at her and called out.

“Unni.”

“Hm?”

Yoona turned, holding a hanger, her round eyes blinking expectantly.

Seoyeon scrutinized her again. Her brown hair, though losing its curl, was tied up neatly, making her look cute. Her light-colored eyes always sparkled with curiosity. Today, she looked so adorable even when she cried that Seoyeon felt like pinching her cheek despite the six-year age gap. Her pure appearance combined with her warm smile gave her an endearing charm.

Yoona tilted her head.

“Do you need something?”

“Not really.”

“Then?”

“Hmm…”

Seoyeon hesitated slightly but eventually asked what she was curious about.

“Do you want to date again?”

“…Huh?”

“Come on. Life’s ahead of you. Even if not marriage, you could date thousands of times.”

It had been over a year since her consensual divorce. Learning of her ex-husband’s second affair had shattered her remaining trust, making the idea of starting a relationship with another man something she had never considered.

For Yoona, anyone other than her ex, Seonghee Lee, entering her life still felt strange. During the marriage, her ex had been her life itself.

Yoona hung up the hangers while answering.

“I… haven’t really thought about it…”

“Why?”

“Well… I’m not sure I could trust another man… Right now, my top priority is getting my degree.”

“You can’t get your degree if you date?”

“W-Well… not exactly….”

Yoona trailed off. Silence fell between them.

Seoyeon partly understood Yoona’s hesitation. A romantic relationship wasn’t a necessity in life. But no matter how she thought about it, Yeongwon and Yoona seemed perfect together.

Even Yeongwon appeared to still be in denial, but Seoyeon saw him constantly watching Yoona and immediately rushing to her side whenever she tried to overexert herself. Meanwhile, Gitae had been struggling with heavier items nearby, unnoticed by Yeongwon.

‘Once the denial phase ends, it’s obvious what’ll happen,’ Seoyeon thought, stifling a giggle, and decided to directly probe Yoona.

“What do you think of Senior Yeongwon?”

“…Yeongwon? The Ye Choi Yeongwon I know?”

Yoona’s eyes widened as they turned to Seoyeon. Seoyeon simply nodded. Startled, Yoona dropped the hanger.

“W-Why are you suddenly asking about Yeongwon?”

“Come on. After all the crap you went through, don’t you want to meet a guy like him, who’s fun just to look at? He’s only four years older than you—no need to check compatibility for four years.”

“Yeongwon… is handsome, I guess…”

Reorganizing the hangers, Yoona trailed off again. Seoyeon didn’t give up.

“Is that all?”

“Oh, no. He’s good at a lot of things. Tall like a model, smart… dependable, appears stoic but kind… a bit difficult to get close to, though.”

Kind? Yes, everything else was true, but not quite kind. Rumor had it Yeongwon was well-known on campus for his looks. Seoyeon stifled a laugh.

Perhaps misunderstanding, Yoona blushed furiously and defended herself.

“Anyway, I’m saying I’m not good enough for him. He’s single, can meet lots of great women. Don’t ever say that anywhere! He might even have a girlfriend!”

“…Does he?”

“She didn’t exactly say yes, but didn’t deny it either. He’s the type who doesn’t talk about himself much, so isn’t that a yes?”

Whatever misunderstanding that refined senior had gotten himself into, it was only a matter of time before people realized he was inexperienced with women.

Seoyeon scoffed and took out her phone.

“Unni, did you join the mentee-mentor community? The link’s in the group chat notice.”

“Yes, but not many people have joined. It’s not mandatory, is it?”

“Not mandatory. Still, the department manages it. There’ll be awards later too. Did you see the second mission?”

“Yes. ‘Create a Michelin map of the cafeteria.’”

The mentee-mentor program paired first- and second-year students, giving them weekly missions. It wasn’t very popular, but it encouraged interaction.

Seoyeon grinned at Yoona.

“You two better get out there and explore the cafeteria diligently…”