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chapter 32
She turned her gaze away from the handsome Youngwon to break the awkwardness between them.
“J-just great! Since I said I’d buy lunch, I’ll order something delicious for you.”
“…Outside?”
“Ah! Y-yes! Outside is fine! It’s warm today anyway!”
Trying to lure her back home again… just thinking about it made Yuna flush all over. Feeling shameless even to herself, she hurried into her room to hide her reddened face.
She had planned to just grab a cardigan, but catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she paused.
“Am I looking too shabby? Should I wear jeans?”
Suddenly, her outfit became a concern. But it seemed overkill to change just for one meal. In the end, Yuna simply grabbed the cardigan and went out.
The sun had already set, but the air outside was still warm. Yuna slightly regretted wearing the thick cardigan, but Youngwon took a shirt out of his backpack and handed it to her.
“Put this on too.”
“…It’s already so warm…”
“Still.”
Even though she had messaged him that she was almost fully recovered, he still looked worried. Chuckling, Yuna obediently did as Youngwon instructed.
He led her to an old chicken soup restaurant tucked away in alleys among office buildings. Inside the worn-down place, office workers who had finished their day were chatting noisily.
It was an unexpected choice for a college student, so when Yuna was guided to a seat, she looked around with wide eyes. Most of the patrons were middle-aged men.
Still, the awkwardness she had felt walking with Youngwon had completely dissipated. For reasons she didn’t understand, she let out a small, hollow laugh and watched Youngwon place his utensils down with curiosity.
“I didn’t know you liked this kind of food.”
“…It’s for your health, President.”
“Oh…”
It seemed that his care for her hadn’t ended with his nursing duties. Somehow, it made her feel good. Yuna struggled to calm her twitching smile.
As expected from an old restaurant, the food was served quickly. While eating, Yuna watched with fascination as Youngwon picked the chicken clean with his spoon and chopsticks. How could he eat something so messy so neatly? While she observed his skillful handling of the chicken, Youngwon asked,
“What have you been doing at home?”
“I’ve been checking out stores that sell food and beverages.”
“Why?”
“If I run things this way during my entire enrollment, I might not survive until graduation.”
“…That’s true.”
Youngwon nodded cautiously, as if he had been thinking the same thing. From the time she had been preparing for the college entrance exams until now, he had never seen her properly rest. He had refrained from giving advice, letting her struggle to do her best—but it seemed she had realized it herself.
“Will you sell apple syrup online?”
“Yes. I plan to hire one more employee to manage the café operations while I handle online sales. Since I have the money I got from that guy, I shouldn’t starve for now.”
“…Hahaha. You really know how to swear.”
“Of course.”
Slightly embarrassed, Yuna snorted and picked up a drumstick. That guy deserved scolding.
Youngwon watched Yuna chew the chicken in satisfaction and placed one of his own drumsticks on her plate.
“Why are you giving me the drumstick? You eat it, Youngwon.”
“I prefer the breast meat.”
“Liar!”
“I’m serious. I usually buy it in bulk and eat it.”
“…You like it because it was in the freezer?”
“Yes.”
Seeing Yuna’s uncertain expression, Youngwon just laughed. He didn’t really prefer one over the other. It was just another protein source, and breast meat was easier to cook. What mattered more was what Yuna liked.
Eventually, Yuna nodded and explained her plans to Youngwon. She intended to close the café entirely on weekends and refine her apple syrup recipes for online sales.
Listening seriously, Youngwon asked,
“…Can I help too?”
“…You?”
“…Yes. I just… have nothing to do on weekends, so I’ll help.”
Since he couldn’t say he wanted to be in the closed café alone with her, he made a casual excuse. Yuna considered for a moment and replied,
“Of course I’d be happy! But I can’t let such skilled labor work for free. I’ll pay you hourly.”
“No.”
“Hey, listen to the boss.”
“Weren’t you going to treat me like a close older sister someday?”
“…That’s different!”
As they bickered jokingly during the meal, someone called out to Youngwon very warmly. A middle-aged voice.
“Isn’t that Choi Youngwon? Our sophomore’s future!”
Recognizing the man, Youngwon bowed. Yuna, startled, turned and her eyes widened. It was the professor with white hair. Behind him were a few student executives from the Business Department.
“Oh. Hello, Professor!”
“Ah, yes. Sorry, who is this?”
“First-year Han Yuna.”
“Ah! Now I remember. I wouldn’t have guessed you were twenty-seven.”
The professor patted Yuna on the shoulder and asked if they had come together. When Yuna and Youngwon said yes, they naturally joined the table.
“I have to treat our department students. I was coming here for dinner anyway after a late meeting about the festival.”
The student executives seated next to the professor arranged the table efficiently while casting glances at Yuna and Youngwon.
“…Closing the café on weekends, just the two of you?”
Minhee’s brows furrowed at the unexpected news. A student brushing their teeth next to her nodded, blowing bubbles.
“Sanghyun saw it. The blinds were down but it was bright inside, so he peeked through the gap and saw them close together doing something.”
“…Weren’t they also seen eating together late one night?”
“Yes. That one he saw himself. You were gone that day because of academy classes.”
Referring to the first meeting with the professor. Most of the student executives had quietly slipped away after the meeting, including Minhee.
‘Didn’t she say she wasn’t interested in Youngwon?’
Pretending to be neutral while secretly fishing behind his back? And Youngwon didn’t seem to have any feelings for her either.
Kwon Minhee, with such an innocent face yet able to manage a big catch, was more like a millennia-old fox spirit than a mere dog.
‘Was she trying to stir trouble while pretending to help? I got played.’
Otherwise, there’d be no reason for Youngwon to dislike her. Everyone in the department liked Minhee. Now, the mystery seemed solved.
Minhee’s expression darkened. If she was capable of such scheming, she needed to be met with an equal measure.
Since Youngwon wouldn’t have told Yuna everything in detail, she planned to use the situation fully. This time, she needed a bigger strategy.
Noticing Minhee’s unusual mood, a classmate asked through the mirror,
“Why are you suddenly like this?”
“…You know…”
Minhee muttered, sulking for a moment, then met her classmate’s gaze.
“I haven’t told anyone, but… it feels strange…”
“Why are you so serious?”
“…It’s about junior Yuna… Can you hear me out and see if I’m overthinking?”
“…First-year Han Yuna?”
The name startled her female classmate. Minhee nodded, her face full of worry.
Yuna got out of the taxi and hurried toward the café. It was the first day for the newly hired employee, but she had been delayed due to a group project.
Though it was a weekday and shouldn’t be too busy, the café appeared crowded through the glass. Unusually, a group of office workers seemed to be there.
“Of all days…”
In her rush, Yuna removed her jacket and pushed the glass door with her shoulder. One of the group guests, hearing the doorbell, jumped up.
“Yuna!”
“Oh, hello…!”
It was Youngin. Smiling brightly, Yuna bowed politely to her standing in the middle of the group table. Youngin laughed and continued,
“Today is the birthday of one of my close staff, so we came out for dinner. But because some drove, the second round brought us here.”
“You work nearby?”
“Yeouido. The restaurant picked by the staff isn’t far from here. They graduated from a university in this neighborhood.”
“I see. Thank you for finding us.”
“No problem.”
Promising not to be too noisy, Youngin returned to her seat. Yuna hurried to the counter, where Hyeju and the new employee greeted her.
The new employee on the closing shift was also very polite. Hyeju’s contract had been until the start of vacation, but with a new hire, Yuna could extend the shift schedule.
After checking the handover, Yuna heated some bakery items that wouldn’t overlap and brought them to Youngin’s table.
“On the house. We’re not a café known for pastries, but this should be good to share.”
“If it’s free, there’s no point in selling them! Take them back!”
“We’ll eat them! They’re already heated anyway, Senior Director!”
Youngin blushed, but the staff immediately dug in. Seeing well-dressed office workers cut the small pastries with forks looked oddly cute, making Yuna smile quietly.
Back at the counter, while organizing with the staff, Youngin’s table got noisy—they were leaving.
As the Senior Director handed her business card and departed, the rest of the group followed.
While Yuna grabbed a dishcloth to help the busy staff, the last male employee approached.
“Um… President…”
His voice sounded hesitant.
