Seolhyo sipped her strawberry milk, her gaze lowered. "So what are you gonna do now?"
Irina looked away, visibly flustered, her cheeks faintly tinted red.
"What can I do? He'll handle it himself… whatever it is."
Jinkyung groaned and dropped her head onto the table.
"I didn't even eat anything yet, but I already feel like throwing up."
"Same," Seolhyo muttered, taking another slow sip of her banana milk.
Irina suddenly tilted her head, eyeing her. "Anyway, what about you? Did you and Seojin fight or something? He didn't talk to you when you guys came back."
Seolhyo let out a deep sigh and leaned back in her seat.
"Ugh… it's not like I didn't want to talk. He's the one ignoring me."
She covered part of her face with her palm, clearly frustrated.
"He started acting weird at the tteokbokki place after Choi Giryang brought it up. About the night he gave me the bracelet while Seojin was right there."
Irina looked at her strangely, brows lifting. "Seriously…? You don't know why? You're really showing that this is your first relationship, huh…?"
Seolhyo immediately squinted at her. "Hey! What do you mean by that!"
Irina rolled her eyes and leaned back slightly. "Well, put it this way. If your boyfriend met up with some girl, she gave him a gift, and he didn't tell you about it… what would you think?"
Seolhyo paused.
Her lips parted slightly as the words slowly sank in.
She unconsciously imagined the situation happening to Seojin instead.
"…I'd probably think something is going on," she admitted in a small voice.
Irina pointed her chopsticks at her. "Exactly. That's probably what he's thinking right now."
She started eating her ramen again, speaking between bites.
"You should've told him. Why did you keep it from him anyway?"
Seolhyo hesitated. "…Well, I thought it wasn't a big deal."
Irina stared at her in disbelief. "You're kind of stupid, you know that? That oppa was obviously trying to hit on you or something. He waited near your house just to give you a gift, and you thought, 'It's not a big deal, my boyfriend doesn't have to know that some guy trying to hit on me waited for me and gave me a gift in the middle of the night.'"
She scoffed lightly. "You're hopeless."
Jinkyung nodded slowly. "You should just tell him tomorrow. It's the weekend anyway. Seojin will probably stop being mad if you explain it."
Seolhyo lowered her gaze. "…I didn't tell him because he might do something like confront that guy. I don't want him to get into a fight."
Irina shrugged. "So you chose to keep it from him? Well, that was your choice."
Jinkyung added quietly, "You know this could put a crack in your relationship."
Their words landed heavily on her chest.
Seolhyo didn't reply.
She stayed silent, staring down at her drink.
Jinkyung glanced at her and softened her tone. "Just tell him. Seojin doesn't seem like the type to make a huge scene. He's probably just angry because you didn't say anything about it."
Irina nodded in agreement. "Yeah, just tell him. And honestly, if that guy gets beaten up, he deserves it anyway. He keeps bothering you even though you're already in a relationship, and bringing up that night when Seojin was right there? That felt intentional."
She slurped her noodles casually. "Boys getting into fights is normal. He's not going to turn into your brother and beat someone up in some random alley every single day."
Irina's tone sharpened, the teasing edge fading into something more pointed."You're not doing yourself any favors by keeping it quiet," she said, eyes narrowing slightly. "Or are you more worried about some guy getting hurt than your own relationship falling apart because of this?"
Her gaze shifted, turning openly suspicious as she studied Seolhyo's face.
"…Or," Irina added slowly, tilting her head, "are you thinking of ending things with Seojin to be with that oppa?" A faint smirk tugged at her lips. "Do you like him?"
Seolhyo's head snapped up instantly.
"It's not like that!!" she shot back, glaring at her without hesitation.
Her voice came out sharper than she intended, laced with pure indignation. "I'll tell him tomorrow, okay? Where is your mind even drifting to?"
Jinkyung blinked once then laugh quietly.
Irina stared at Seolhyo for a second before breaking into laughter, the tension dissolving just as quickly as it had formed.
Irina covered her mouth, shoulders shaking as she laughed. "Why so serious..? geez."
Seolhyo's glare only deepened.
Still grinning, Irina casually picked up her bowl and finished the rest of her ramen in one long sip, completely unfazed.
She set it down with a soft clink and wiped her lips.
"I'm just kidding," she said lightly, waving a hand as if her earlier accusation meant nothing.
Then her smirk returned, playful and mischievous. "Who knows? Maybe after you tell him, Seojin will get all soft again and give you another bracelet. Hahaha."
Seolhyo groaned, dragging a hand down her face while keeping her glare fixed on Irina.
"…You're seriously the worst."
Yet her annoyance lingered longer than usual, her fingers curling slightly against the table as Irina's words replayed in her head not the joke, but the part before it.
Ending it with Seojin?
Her brows furrowed.
"…As if," she muttered under her breath, still scowling, though the edge of her voice had softened just a little more defensive than angry now.
-
In her room, Seolhyo sat at her desk, an open workbook in front of her the same one she had been using in the study room earlier.
Her pen tapped idly against the page, but her eyes weren't on the book at all.
Across the room, resting neatly on her bed, was a small stuffed rabbit the first gift Seojin had given her on their very first date.
Her hand slowly stilled.
She stared at it for a long moment before quietly pushing her chair back and standing up.
Walking over, she picked up the little rabbit and raised it to eye level, her lips curving into a faint, nostalgic smile.
"…Do you think he's really mad at me?" she murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
After a brief hesitation, she reached for her slider phone on the table and scrolled to Seojin's number.
Her thumb hovered over the call button for a second before she finally pressed it.
The phone rang.
A few rings later, his voice came through calm, low, and tired.
"Yeah?"
"Jin…" she said quietly, her grip on the rabbit tightening slightly. "Were you… angry earlier?"
There was no response.
Only silence on the other end.
Her expression faltered.
Slowly, she lay down on her bed, hugging the stuffed rabbit tightly against her chest as if seeking comfort from it.
"…Can we meet tomorrow?" she asked softly.
Another long pause followed.
When Seojin finally spoke, his voice sounded distant lacking the usual softness and affection he always had when talking to her.
"…Sure."
The call ended right after.
Seolhyo slowly lowered her phone and stared at the screen, biting lightly on her lower lip, her brows knitting with unease.
After a moment, she opened the message and typed with hesitant fingers.
'Let's meet at the park.'
After sending it, she set the phone aside.
She stared up at the ceiling, hugging the stuffed rabbit with both arms, her fingers curling into its soft fabric as her eyes gradually closed.
The next day, Seolhyo stood in front of the full-length mirror in her room for what felt like the fifth time.
She turned slightly to the side.
Then faced forward again.
Then adjusted the hem of her skirt.
Then fixed her hair.
She was wearing a light beige Adidas T-shirt with light blue trim, a light blue denim pleated mini skirt, white crew socks, and white sneakers with yellow stripes.
She stared at her reflection, lips pressed together in quiet concentration.
"…Okay."
A small, satisfied nod.
Finally satisfied, she glanced at the time on her phone.
Still one hour before they were supposed to meet.
Sat on the edge of her bed.
Stood up again almost immediately.
Her fingers fidgeted with the strap of her bag before she suddenly grabbed it, slinging it over her shoulder.
Even if she arrived early, it was better than sitting around.
Just as she reached for the door handle, the door behind her room creaked open slightly.
Seol Minsu leaned against the frame, arms crossed, quietly watching her.
"Where are you going?"
Seolhyo didn't hesitate.
She met his gaze directly.
"Hanging out with my friends. Why?"
Minsu didn't answer right away.
He simply stared at her for a few seconds eyes scanning her
"…Do you have enough money?" he asked instead.
Seolhyo opened the door.
"I still have some. No need. But thanks."
Minsu remained standing there, staring at the closed door for a moment longer, a faint crease forming between his brows.
He exhaled softly.
But in the end, he just turned away, choosing to ignore her sister strange behavior this time.