For the moment, I set my worries aside and opened the refrigerator to satisfy my instinctive hunger.
I grabbed a can of tuna that came to hand and heated up an instant rice pack from the cupboard in the microwave.
I stared blankly at the microwave as it spun with a whirring sound, then sat down at the table.
But even freshly heated, warm rice would not go down my throat easily.
“Aaagh! No, don’t think about it!”
Every time I lifted my spoon and put rice in my mouth, the sensation of those lips came back to me, and I let out a strange cry without realizing it.
Afraid the neighbor might start pounding on the wall, I hurriedly clamped a hand over my mouth and tried to calm down.
‘Phew, calm down. That was just… getting swept up in the mood. Yeah, it was kind of an accident.’
I forced the rice down again and sank into thought.
Could I really date a woman?
The moment I asked myself the question, I shook my head violently and waved my hands in denial.
“No way. That’s ridiculous.”
It was true that Seo-hui was cool and kind, but surely that was within the realm of admiration or friendship.
Still, a promise was a promise, so I had to buy her a meal.
After emptying my bowl cleanly, I took a deep breath and picked up my phone with trembling hands.
Then I sent Seo-hui a message.
[Me: Seo-hui, you haven’t forgotten what we promised today, right?]
The moment I hit send, the 1 disappeared. My heart felt like it was about to leap out of my mouth.
[Seo-hui: Of course not. What time works for you?]
[Me: Um… I think around 2 would be fine.]
[Seo-hui: Sounds good. Let’s meet in front of the bar then. You can take me anywhere, so don’t feel pressured.]
[Me: Got it!]
As soon as the conversation ended, I hurriedly flipped my phone facedown, trying to cool my flushed face.
Just as I was about to flee to my computer, the phone on my desk vibrated again with a buzz.
‘No way, did Seo-hui send something else?’
I swallowed hard and checked the screen, only to see an unexpected name. It was my best friend, Bak Gaeul.
[Gaeul: You free today? I was thinking of coming over to your place and lazing around.]
Was she still worried about me? It was rare for someone as busy as her to suggest something like this.
Normally, I would have said, “Of course,” but today was different.
[Me: What time today?]
[Gaeul: Around 7? If I come by before dinner, that’d be perfect.]
Seven. If I met Seo-hui at 2, had lunch, and the conversation dragged on… 7 was far too awkward a time.
[Me: Sorry, I have something then, so I think it’ll be difficult.]
[Gaeul: Oh, Han Yeonseo? Since when do you have plans? Did you start a part-time job or something?]
[Me: No, I’m just meeting a friend.]
[Gaeul: A friend? Who? You have someone besides me?]
[Me: Hey.]
[Gaeul: LOL sorry. Got it, then I’ll see you next time!]
Leaving Gaeul’s playful interrogation behind, I closed the chat.
I felt a pang in one corner of my heart for turning down the friend who had listened to me complain, but right now my head was completely filled with the 2 o’clock appointment.
Promising myself I would definitely treat Gaeul to something delicious tomorrow, I sank deep into my desk chair.
I turned on my computer and started working again, picking up where I had left off yesterday.
“Phew…”
After pouring three hours of focus into it, I finally finished the song.
The result was satisfying enough that I couldn’t see anything in particular to fix.
I immediately uploaded the video to Neotube.
After confirming the “Upload Complete” window, I checked the clock and saw it was already 1 o’clock.
“Ah, how is it already this late?”
If I had to shower, choose clothes, and get ready, time was rather tight.
I hurried into the bathroom and finished showering.
The face in the mirror looked much livelier than yesterday.
I dried my wet hair, came back to my room, and opened the wardrobe.
“What should I wear…”
I spent a long time holding up one outfit after another.
The black hoodie was something I always wore, so at least this time, I had to resist.
It wasn’t a date… but I did want to look good somehow.
In the end, what I pulled out of the wardrobe was a safe combination.
A gray oversized knit over a white shirt, with light blue straight denim on the bottom.
I hadn’t particularly dressed up, but the person in the mirror looked a little different from usual.
I opened the door of my studio apartment and headed out at a brisk pace.
On the way to the bar, a spring breeze brushed the tip of my nose.
By the time I reached the area near the meeting place, it was ten minutes before our appointment.
As soon as I turned the corner of the alley, I saw Seo-hui waiting for me beneath the afternoon sunlight.
“Yeonseo, you came early too.”
“You got here even earlier…”
The moment she spotted me, Seo-hui waved and came over.
She was wearing a black T-shirt with a miniskirt of the same material.
It wasn’t excessively short, but for some reason, my gaze kept lingering there.
“Seo-hui, do you usually not go out dressed as a man?”
At my question, Seo-hui tilted her head slightly and answered.
“I do sometimes, but today I’m meeting an acquaintance. I thought it would be right to show you my real self.”
The word “acquaintance” gave me a strange sense of relief, but on the other hand, I wondered if she had come in her real appearance because she thought of me as someone special.
“Did you decide where to go? Since it’s a meal you’re buying me, I came with high expectations.”
“Ah, yes. There’s a really good pasta place about ten minutes’ walk from here. Would that be okay?”
“Wow, pasta! I was actually wanting to eat it again after so long. Perfect timing.”
Seo-hui smiled brightly, as if she was truly happy, and looked back at me.
The moment I faced that innocent smile head-on, the face I had seen yesterday came to mind.
“…R-re…ally?”
My pronunciation stumbled before I knew it.
Flustered, I hurriedly turned my head away and began walking ahead.
I widened my stride so she wouldn’t notice my face heating up, but the light sound of her footsteps beside me kept falling out of sync with my heartbeat.
And so we arrived at the pasta restaurant.
We took seats by the window in a small, cozy spot with a nice atmosphere.
I ordered a thick cream pasta, and Seo-hui ordered a tomato pasta with a tangy aroma.
In the brief silence while we waited for the food, Seo-hui spoke first.
“Yeonseo, it looks like you put quite a bit of thought into your outfit today.”
Her gaze swept over my clothes.
Had she somehow seen through the ridiculous performance I’d put on in front of the mirror? I fiddled with the hem of my clothes, trying to seem as calm as possible.
“No. I just had nothing to wear, so I put on something ordinary…”
“I thought you’d wear a hoodie again, but this is a new look.”
“I can’t keep wearing that forever…”
“Is there anything strange about my outfit?”
“No, you dressed much better than I did.”
Contrary to my answer, my inner thoughts were churning.
In truth, the Seo-hui I had imagined would have a neater, more classic style, but her outfit today was quite bold and hip.
I thought again that you really shouldn’t judge people by appearances alone.
Before long, the pasta was placed on the table.
Since we were hungry, we focused on eating without speaking.
Just as the smooth sauce filled my mouth and gave me a pleasant sense of fullness, Seo-hui suddenly threw out a remark.
“Doesn’t this make it seem like we’re on a date?”
“Ghk—cough!”
At that one line, tossed out like a joke, I choked at exactly the same timing as yesterday.
“Oh my, sorry. Did I startle you too much?”
Watching me hurriedly gulp down water, Seo-hui burst into a mischievous laugh.
After barely calming down, I grumbled at Seo-hui with a reddened face.
“Seo-hui, you’re really… not just good at comforting people, but also very talented at teasing them.”
“Hehe, am I?”
At her relaxed smile, I was left speechless.
In the end, I let out a helpless laugh as if surrendering, and we spent a long while laughing and chatting as we cleaned our plates.
I held out my card to pay.
I had rushed out so quickly that I hadn’t even checked whether my allowance had come in, but since the payment was approved, my account balance had clearly been replenished.
“Thank you for the meal, Yeonseo. It was a really delicious lunch thanks to you.”
Once we stepped outside, Seo-hui thanked me in a sincere voice.
I scratched the back of my head, feeling embarrassed.
“It’s nothing. I was supposed to buy you a meal anyway, so it’s only natural.”
That was what I said, but one corner of my heart stirred.
It felt far too disappointing to part here with a simple “goodbye.”
The person who had told me she liked me. But I still couldn’t be sure whether I liked her in a romantic sense.
Was it really right to keep meeting her in this state?
Even as I hesitated, my feet wouldn’t move.
If anything, a desire rose within me to face Seo-hui’s sincerity directly.
To confirm the direction of my own heart, which even I couldn’t understand.
I took one deep breath and mustered the courage to speak.
“Seo-hui, if you have time… should we go somewhere else and hang out a little more?”