Chapter 2
I thought, ‘This person is really kind-hearted…’
Then I said, "That's enough, just leave."
I didn't know what else to say. Getting involved would just be exhausting. The only person I'm okay with getting tangled up with is Ki In-hwa.
"Get lost, Yoon Yu-seon. Stop messing around, you jerk."
I heard the voice of the rude guy who had been badmouthing me earlier, shouting from the end of the table. The bespectacled man, called Yoon Yu-seon, showed no signs of standing up, just placing the napkin near the fallen soju glass in front of him.
He’s more oblivious than he looks.
As I sighed inwardly, the atmosphere suddenly became chaotic, the air stirred so much I could feel it. When I turned around, Noh Joo-eun had made her entrance, wearing a light violet dress that fluttered as she walked, commanding everyone's attention like a queen. And then, a few seconds later, Ki In-hwa appeared.
In a plain black t-shirt and ordinary jeans. His face, expressionless, with a shadow of boredom.
Yet, I can say with certainty that every single eye in this place is on Ki In-hwa. Not a single person is looking at Noh Joo-eun anymore. That's the kind of presence Ki In-hwa has, and that's exactly why Noh Joo-eun can never let him go despite her resentment against him.
*
But the reason Ki In-hwa is special to me is different.
"Are you here for In-hwa too?"
The bespectacled guy across me—no, Yoon Yu-seon—asked, but I didn’t answer. I focused all my attention on the table across from us.
There’s an empty seat next to me, but Noh Joo-eun chose to sit at the table in front of us instead, with Ki In-hwa naturally taking the seat beside her. Because of that, the person who had to give up their seat was now awkwardly sitting at the corner of the table, constantly getting in the server's way.
There’s an empty seat right next to me. Guess she doesn’t want to sit here.
Well, I don’t want her to either.
"Is it because I keep saying 'you' that you're not answering?"
Yoon Yu-seon persistently asked again, placing a few pieces of well-cooked meat on a plate and offering it to me. I didn’t answer, and I merely glanced at the meat he handed over without even picking up my chopsticks.
"You’re like a cat. An ill-tempered one."
Funny. If I were an animal, I'd be a turtle. A symbol of longevity. And a topi antelope, a formidable female competing fiercely with others for the best male.
"I know your name. Can I call you by it?"
"No."
"Selective answering, huh? This is kinda fun, like playing a game."
I inwardly thought ‘Oops,’ but didn't show it. I answered absentmindedly while paying attention to the table across from me, but that’s not important right now. Noh Joo-eun was pretending to be drunk, leaning on Ki In-hwa and whispering something in his ear.
Noh Joo-eun has a boyfriend. Of course, that boyfriend wasn’t Ki In-hwa. Noh Joo-eun always behaved like this, even though she has a boyfriend. She deliberately chooses the bad boy type to date and enjoys using Ki In-hwa to humiliate them by making them feel inferior.
Noh Joo-eun is a man-hating seductress. Despite doing such things without pause, she never faced serious trouble and remains perfectly fine because Ki In-hwa’s always by her side. He’s always protecting her.
I thought things had calmed down while Ki In-hwa was serving in the military, but recently I learned that wasn’t entirely the case. It was information I obtained unintentionally from an accident, and as terrible as that information was, I judged it would be useful to me.
“......Jo Yoon, are you still there? I asked if I can speak to you informally since I’m your senior, but why aren’t you answering? Should I take your silence as a yes...?”
Screech.
I had been watching the front table the whole time, not caring whether Yoon Yu-seon was talking or not, and the moment I noticed Ki In-hwa moving strangely, I stood up. The noise of the chair scraping the floor echoed loudly around me. I could feel Yoon Yu-seon looking at me with surprised eyes as he stopped talking, but without hesitation, I started walking toward the entrance. Ki In-hwa had already left the restaurant.
Even though I hurried, I still lost track of Ki In-hwa. Since he’s tall, his strides are long, and he walks fast. Ki In-hwa is like that with everything. He does everything quickly and efficiently, even though he never seems to rush. Whether it’s eating, drinking, walking, or talking, he’s always fast and precise.
Where did he go? He couldn’t have gone far.
I remembered Noh Joo-eun whispering something. It was probably about that. She must’ve told him to get something, buy something, or bring something.
“That witch.”
I muttered quietly and crouched near the entrance of the barbecue restaurant.
Waiting is my specialty. It’s been nearly four years since I started stalking Ki In-hwa. So discreetly that even Ki In-hwa himself would never suspect it in his wildest dreams. Stalking someone without them knowing takes considerable skill and patience. Of course, it also means that I don’t even cross his mind.
A cold breeze blew, and I reflexively hunched my shoulders. It had been somewhat warm during the day, but now that the sun had set, the temperature dropped significantly. Today was the last Friday of March. Even though it wasn’t strange for the temperature to fluctuate, I regretted not wearing something thicker.
I stayed crouched and wrapped my arms around my knees, resting my chin and lips on my arms, watching people pass by. I idly observed people for a while before looking up at the starless sky. The repetitive pattern made me melancholic. I couldn’t tell how much time had passed. Maybe about 20 minutes? Or 30? I regretted leaving my phone inside the restaurant, feeling the anxious need to check the time.
As I stood up to stretch my stiff legs, the glass door opened, and a man wearing a snapback came out. Judging by his vibe, he seemed to be part of the same club. He glanced at me once, then took a cigarette and lighter from his pocket and started smoking. The wind was blowing in my direction, and the cigarette smoke drifted toward me.
I hesitated for a moment before moving to the opposite side of the man. Now the wind was blowing from my side toward him. Despite this, the acrid smoke lingering in the air still irritated my senses.
I dislike smokers. I hate secondhand smoke even more. How could he fill the air with carcinogens when my goal is to live to be at least 120? But in this world, there are too many things that shouldn’t happen but do.
“Where have you been? And what’s that in your hands?”
I had been covering my nose and mouth with both hands, but I snapped my head around at the sound of the man's voice. Sure enough, Ki In-hwa was walking toward us, carrying a large box in both hands.
“Wow, what’s all this? Did you buy it?”
The man approached Ki In-hwa, checked what was inside the box, and noticeably lit up.
“You just joined the club and you’re already buying all this stuff? I heard rumors that you're rich, I guess that’s true.”
He stuck a cigarette in his mouth with a smirk, took a deep drag, and exhaled. Watching nervously, I steeled myself and started walking toward them. My first thought was that I needed to get Ki In-hwa out of the secondhand smoke zone. Along with that, I was determined to carry out the life-changing plan that brought me here today.
“Excuse me.”
As soon as I spoke, their gazes turned toward me at the same time. Even though I had braced myself, my heart began pounding fiercely as the blood rushed through my body. I couldn’t even remember the last time Ki In-hwa looked at me. Had he ever glanced my way since that day in the early winter of my first year in high school? Probably not. No, definitely not.
Unable to meet his eyes, I stared just below his chin, trying to steady my breathing. The man’s voice carried through the cigarette smoke.
“Judging by the look on your face, I’m not the one you wish to speak to.”
He exhaled a long puff of smoke, then dropped the cigarette to the ground, crushing it under his foot.
“You’ve got it rough. Good luck.”
He muttered mockingly, patting Ki In-hwa on the shoulder. Unlike Yoon Yu-seon, this guy seemed to be quite perceptive. As I was thinking that, Ki In-hwa lightly called after the man who was about to turn away.
“Senior.”
He stopped and Ki In-hwa handed him the box.
“Could you take this and share it with the others? Give the strawberry one to Noh Joo-eun. I’d appreciate it if you could also get the boss’s permission.”
I glanced at the box and saw it was packed with various café drinks. He must’ve gone to a nearby café to buy them. It was obvious.
Noh Joo-eun must’ve said she wanted something to drink. But he couldn’t just buy one for her. There were too many people watching, too many mouths to feed.
If he did that, Noh Joo-eun might end up getting disliked by the rest of the club members.
“Only the others? What about me?”
The man, accepting the box, asked cheekily. Ki In-hwa replied in a flat tone.
“I bought plenty.”
“Then why is there only one strawberry? I like strawberries too.”
The man grumbled as he turned away, but Ki In-hwa didn’t respond further. Instead, he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket and spoke.
“I’m going to smoke one before I go in.”
I already knew. I mean, I’m practically a stalker at this point, so of course I knew. Ki In-hwa is a smoker.
But even smokers should avoid secondhand smoke when possible.
And one more thing—I also know the answer to the other man’s question. Why is there only one strawberry drink?
That’s because it’s the one Noh Joo-eun ordered.
He couldn’t buy several of the same drink for multiple people to enjoy. That strawberry drink is a special pleasure meant only for Noh Joo-eun.
“If you have something to say, just say it.”
Standing in front of me with his head tilted slightly, Ki In-hwa exhaled another long puff of smoke.