Chapter 11
“Phew… That ‘oppa’ title pissed me off for six whole years, so this works out well. I’ll say it straight. Oppa, my ass. When we first met, you lied and said you were a Korea University student, so I called you oppa! No, actually, I called you sunbae, but you kept forcing me to call you oppa! Are you seriously out of your mind, you bastard?”
“Hey, yeah, who the hell are you to get between me and Jisu, huh? You’re a third party, so butt out! I didn’t like you from the start either. Ugh, what kind of girl is this loud and aggressive? Out of all Jisu’s friends, I hate you the most.”
The childish and hopeless conversation continued. True to a neighborhood packed with studio apartments, the sound of windows opening could be heard here and there. Feeling the curious ears pricking up at the commotion echoing through the streets, Jisu wanted to resolve the situation quickly.
“Eunmi, let’s throw this away and go up. Oppa, you leave too. There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Jisu… How can you say that to me? You have to accept my apology. These flowers cost 200,000 won. It’s not my mom’s money, I bought them with my own. Please. Let’s make up. Hmm?”
“This is your last warning. If you come looking for me like this again, I really will call the police.”
Youngbaek flinched at the mention of police and shrank back, but he steeled himself. He couldn’t back down here. He had to get the inheritance. He shut his eyes tight and began to scream at the top of his lungs.
“Im Jisu! I can’t break up with you. We dated for six whole years and saw each other at our worst! We know each other inside and out! How could you throw me away! I can’t leave you either! We’re practically one body! The kind that fits each other so well… some, yeah! A puzzle! A perfectly fitting puzzle piece, ugh! Ow! Agh!”
Kim Youngbaek, who had deliberately used subtle and ambiguous expressions to stimulate the low-minded imaginations of listeners, soon shut his own mouth. It was because Jisu, unable to bear it any longer, swung the plastic bag containing beer cans and hangover soup containers at his face.
It didn’t stop at just one swing. And Jisu, fueled by rage, shouted along with him.
“Get lost! Go! You and me, what! What did we even do! Know each other inside and out, my ass! What do you know! We’re nothing to each other now! When were we ever something special? Go! I can’t even stand the sight of you!”
Only after the cans and plastic containers clattered noisily onto the street and the bouquet was left in complete disarray did the commotion finally subside. In front of Kim Youngbaek, looking pitiful, stood Jisu, huffing and puffing, unable to contain her anger. But he didn’t give up.
“I understand you’re angry. That’s why I let you have it all. Now you’ve let off steam, right? For Chuseok, I’ll go greet your mother without even a single complaint about the countryside. Listen to oppa. Hmm? Our Jisu is a good girl, right?”
Youngbaek’s hand, trying to hand the ruined bouquet to Jisu, was stopped once again.
This time, it was Jaegyeom who appeared.
“Rustbucket, don’t come here. Our Jisu has a hard time looking at ugly things.”
“Our Jisu…? And, rustbucket?! Who are you?”
“I’m the man who’s going to marry Im Jisu.”
“What? No, what?”
“I’ve already finished greeting Jisu’s mother, so don’t even think about showing your face to someone else’s mother-in-law. Clean up these beer cans and trash, and get lost.”
Jaegyeom took Jisu’s hand and headed toward the entrance of the studio building. Eunmi, following behind, raised her middle finger at Kim Youngbaek. She didn’t bother holding back the burst of laughter that seemed to say, “Serves you right.”
Before Jisu could even think about whether it was okay to let Jaegyeom in, or what state her apartment was in, the three of them were seated in Jisu’s studio. Standing awkwardly near the living room-slash-kitchen area, Jaegyeom greeted first.
“Hello. I’m Yoon Jaegyeom.”
“Oh! Yes, hello. I’m Choi Eunmi, Jisu’s best friend. But… is your name really Yoon Jaegyeom? By any chance…”
Eunmi, activating her professional instincts, peered over her horn-rimmed glasses as if she were interviewing him. Both Jisu and Eunmi had forgotten that they had just woken up, hadn’t washed their faces, and had started with hangover soup. On top of that, they were still worked up from yelling at Kim Youngbaek, and Jisu especially had tears welling up in her eyes from frustration. The raw states of the two women were fascinating and cute, but Jaegyeom held back his laughter and answered obediently.
“Eunmi seems to remember me. In high school, I was Kim Jaegyeom.”
“Yes! That’s right! How could I forget a face like that! It’s Kim Jaegyeom! The young master from Seoul!”
Jisu turned pale upon hearing Eunmi’s words.
“Why? What? I didn’t say anything I shouldn’t have. Back then, there was a rumor that he was arrogant because he wouldn’t answer even when someone tried to talk to him, no. Why are you hitting me!”
“Say it a bit more nicely.”
“Im Jisu. You really don’t remember? When he transferred, the whole school was in an uproar! A super handsome guy from Seoul transferred, but he was crazy rude! I dragged you to go see him!”
While Jaegyeom let out a hollow laugh at the sharp assessment of his past self, Jisu thought hard. It was a school tucked deep in the countryside, but transfers happened occasionally because of the tricks and schemes for college admissions, and problematic students coming to get their diplomas.
If a face like that had transferred, as Eunmi said, she couldn’t have seen and forgotten it… but still, no memory came to mind, so she shook her head. Just then, the hair roller holding her bangs plopped down.
“Eek!”
The moment she looked down at the hair roller that had fallen next to her big toe, Jisu’s current appearance was immediately imprinted in her eyes.
A stretched-out cotton tee, Gyecheon High School gym class shorts, possibly even eye crust. Her bangs kept poking her eyes so she’d rolled them up…
As soon as she picked up the hair roller, she fled to the bathroom. Eunmi also realized that she was currently wearing Jisu’s borrowed training clothes and had her hair twisted up with a tail comb, and hurriedly followed Jisu. In the cramped bathroom, the two women busied themselves whispering.
“What do I do. Meeting him looking like this. I’m so embarrassed, Eunmi. I’m doomed!”
“Ha… Our appearance really is serious right now. But why has your forehead been like that? Are you a unicorn or a goblin? Are you growing a horn?”
“Earlier… I was blaming myself and banged my head on the table.”
“I can’t live. Hey, but still, the way Kim Jaegyeom looks at you, honey’s dripping from his eyes. Looks like he loves even this barbaric version of Im Jisu.”
“Love, my foot…”
Looking at herself in the mirror, Jisu sighed.
Her face was puffy and bloated from drinking and sleeping. Her hair was a mess, and her forehead was red and swollen, making her look like she was still drunk.
Leaving Jisu shuddering with embarrassment, Eunmi went out first. She asked Jaegyeom to step out for a moment so Jisu could change clothes.
When Jisu finished washing up briefly and came out, the apartment was completely empty. Eunmi had left a message and disappeared.
[Eunmi: For our Im Jisu’s new romance, this unnie will disappear without even washing her face or putting on makeup, looking all shabby]
[Eunmi: Let’s push our weekend plans to next week]
[Eunmi: Jaegyeom will be waiting outside the door for you, so hurry and open it]
[Eunmi: My friend, fighting!]
She didn’t know what the fighting was for, but Jisu hurriedly changed into the relatively decent training clothes and opened the front door.
“Thanks for waiting.”
“Can I come in? Earlier I went in without thinking because things were hectic, but now that I think about it, it was very rude.”
Come to think of it, Jisu felt a bit conflicted too. Earlier Eunmi had been there, but if Jaegyeom came in now, they’d be alone…
“Uh, um, do you want to come in and watch a movie? Or a drama?”
Jaegyeom let out a soft laugh.
“Jisu. If I… go inside now, I think I’d want to dry your hair first.”
Come to think of it, she had only roughly towel-dried her hair, so her shoulders were getting damp little by little. She gripped the towel in her hand tightly from the unnecessary tension.
“And after drying your hair, I think I’d want to do something other than watching a movie or drama.”
At the look in Jaegyeom’s eyes, Jisu felt her face flush bright red. Jaegyeom, quietly watching the blush on her cheeks deepen, finished his sentence.
