🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 11
Yoon-ah, flustered by the reaction to her cooking, asked Yeong-won carefully,
“Is it bland, Mr. Yeong-won? Should I swap it with the malatang? I haven’t touched it yet.”
“…It’s fine. I’ve already touched mine.”
“Oh, I don’t really mind—”
“Boss, our Yeong-won is just hinting that he can’t handle spicy food. Probably feels it’s unmanly and embarrassing to admit.”
Ki-tae’s polite jab landed instantly. And right after, Yeong-won deliberately reached out and drank a spoonful of Ki-tae’s malatang.
As Ki-tae tried to ignore the cold stare drilling into him, Yoon-ah suddenly sprang up.
“Ah, I didn’t know! I’ll get some water. Carbonated drinks only make the spiciness worse.”
“…I’ll do it.”
Yeong-won also rose to his feet. Ki-tae stared after Yeong-won’s back as he strode across the small living room and overtook Yoon-ah. Next to him, Seoyeon’s whisper slipped in.
“Nice assist, Ki-tae sunbae.”
“…Me…?”
Ki-tae turned in disbelief. Seoyeon, chewing white wood ear mushrooms, stuck up her thumb with a grin.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Yeong-won opened the fridge while Yoon-ah rummaged through the cupboards. She finally spotted some cups—but they were placed way too high. With the kitchen already cramped, she couldn’t bring in a chair. Rising on tiptoe, she stretched her arms as far as they would go. At that moment, Yeong-won came up behind her and easily took down the cups.
“Sorry. I must’ve put them up too high.”
“You really don’t know a thing about housekeeping, do you, Mr. Yeong-won…”
“…I’ll change the placement.”
“Haha, let’s do it together.”
Yoon-ah smiled softly, taking down little-used bowls from a reachable shelf. Yeong-won replaced the cups with them. As she passed him more bowls, she glanced up at him and asked,
“I’ve always wondered… how tall are you?”
“…187.”
“That tall? Wow… That makes twenty-six centimeters between us. No wonder—when I stand close, my nose practically touches your chest.”
She took a half step closer as she spoke. Her small head suddenly came dangerously near his chest, and Yeong-won flinched back in shock. Yoon-ah blinked, wide-eyed.
“…I… I only meant to hand these to you at once. If I was too close, I’m sorry…”
Yeong-won’s gaze dropped to the bowls in her arms—he realized she had been stacking them all together to pass him. And what on earth had I been thinking… His face burned hot. The memory of the freshman welcome night surged up again, unbidden.
Feeling awkward, Yoon-ah stepped back, holding out the bowls.
“Sorry, could you just… put these up too? It’s the last set.”
“…Sure.”
Yeong-won couldn’t even manage an apology. Heat rushed through his entire body, and he feared it would spill over to her if he moved too close. From where he stood, he only stretched his arm out to rearrange the bowls and cups.
The moment Yoon-ah confirmed everything was in place, she hurried to wash a few cups. Yeong-won snatched one, edged carefully out of the kitchen, and downed cold water as though his life depended on it.
Seoyeon, who had been watching the whole thing, poked Ki-tae’s shoulder with the end of her chopsticks. When his eyes met hers, she screwed up her face and muttered,
“Don’t tell me that senior’s a total prude? A never-dated-before type?”
“…How did you know?”
“Good grief… How could I not.”
Clicking her tongue, Seoyeon gulped the malatang broth straight from the bowl. Yoon-ah, catching sight of it, hurried over with a fresh cup and bottled water.
“Soup like that makes you retain sodium. Drink plenty of water, it helps flush it out. Here.”
“…Honestly, you should give that to Yeong-won sunbae—”
“Hm? What was that? Want it lukewarm instead?”
“…Forget it. Just drink yours…”
Seoyeon looked at the clear, clean water in the cup she’d been handed, and her head throbbed.
Later, after Ki-tae and Yeong-won had left, Seoyeon helped Yoon-ah unpack her things. She kept sneaking glances before speaking.
“Unni.”
“Mm?”
Yoon-ah, holding a hanger, turned around. Her big round eyes blinked expectantly.
Seoyeon studied her again. Yoon-ah’s thick brown hair had lost its curls, but tied up like that, she looked adorably youthful. Her pale eyes always sparkled with curiosity. Even her tear-streaked face earlier had looked cute—Seoyeon, six years younger, had wanted to pinch her cheeks.
With her gentle looks, words like pure or ethereal might have suited her—but her bright smile made her come across more as lovely and sweet.
But Yoon-ah tilted her head when Seoyeon stayed quiet.
“Do you need something?”
“No, it’s not that.”
“Then?”
“Well…”
Should she even ask? Seoyeon hesitated. But Yoon-ah was only twenty-seven. Wasn’t it a waste to live on, burdened with scars, without ever dating again? Finally, Seoyeon voiced the question burning inside.
“Unni… do you ever think about dating again?”
“…What?”
“I mean, why not? You’re young, your whole future’s ahead. Marriage aside, you could date a hundred times if you wanted.”
It had been more than a year since the divorce. After learning about her ex-husband’s second affair, the last bit of affection had shattered. Yoon-ah had never even imagined starting a new relationship with anyone else.
The thought of letting another man into her life still felt strange. During her marriage, her ex had consumed her entire world.
Hanging clothes on the rack, Yoon-ah murmured,
“…I haven’t really thought about it.”
“Why not?”
“Well… I’m not sure I can trust a man again. And right now, my top priority is getting my degree.”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t do both, right?”
“Well… not exactly, but…”
Her voice trailed off, leaving silence between them.
Seoyeon understood, at least in part. Relationships weren’t everything in life. But no matter how she looked at it, Yoon-ah and Yeong-won seemed like a perfect match.
Hadn’t he already moved beyond denial? She could’ve sworn he had switched his mentee just to be paired with Yoon-ah. And today, he’d been watching her the entire time—running to help whenever she overextended herself. Meanwhile, Ki-tae had lugged around heavier things, completely ignored.
And once denial ends, well… we all know what comes next.
Seoyeon smirked inwardly. She decided to be blunt.
“So… what do you think of Yeong-won sunbae?”
“…Yeong-won? As in Choi Yeong-won?”
Yoon-ah’s eyes went wide. Seoyeon just nodded. Yoon-ah fumbled, dropping a hanger.
“W-why bring him up all of a sudden?”
“Because he’s a catch, that’s why. After all you’ve been through, wouldn’t it be nice to meet a man who makes you happy just by looking at him? He’s only four years older, practically nothing. They say even compatibility readings don’t count that gap.”
“Well… he is handsome…”
She picked up the fallen hanger and stalled, but Seoyeon didn’t relent.
“That’s it?”
“N-no. He’s impressive in lots of ways. Tall like a model, smart, dependable… He looks stoic, but he’s actually kind. He just feels a little hard to approach.”
Kind? Seoyeon almost burst out laughing. On campus, Yeong-won was notorious for being aloof, his good looks wasted on that frosty personality. She barely held in a chuckle, a snort slipping out.
Yoon-ah misread it, flushing red as she rushed to explain,
“A-anyway, what I mean is… someone like me isn’t good enough for him. He’s single, he could meet someone amazing anytime. Don’t you dare say that sort of thing out loud! He even said he has a girlfriend!”
“…He said that?”
“He didn’t exactly confirm it, but he didn’t deny it either. He never talks about himself, so isn’t that basically a yes?”
How that bookish senior had managed to get saddled with that rumor, Seoyeon couldn’t guess. But it was only a matter of time before the truth came out—about his lifelong single status.
With a snort, she suddenly pulled out her phone.
“Unni, did you join the mentor-mentee community? The link’s in the group chat notice.”
“Yes, but hardly anyone was there. It’s not mandatory?”
“Not mandatory, no. But the student council still manages it. They said there’d be awards later, too. Anyway, did you see the second mission?”
“Mm-hmm. ‘Make a Michelin Guide of the campus cafeteria.’”
This wasn’t just a casual mentoring program. First- and second-years were paired and given missions every week—though it didn’t attract much attention.
Seoyeon smirked at her.
“Guess you two will be busy touring the cafeterias together, huh…”
