episode_0011

Fortunately, it was a sunny weekend.

With the temperature gradually rising, it was the perfect day to go out.

I had arranged to meet Lee So-yoon between early morning and lunchtime to have lunch together and stroll around the city.

I suggested meeting early to avoid the crowds, as it might be uncomfortable if we went out too late.

…Wait, this isn’t a date, right?

I briefly entertained thoughts that could be expected of someone our age, but quickly dismissed them.

Still, even though we were just two girls of the same age hanging out together, I felt a bit guilty about dressing too casually in front of Lee So-yoon.

So, I made an effort to dress nicely and left the house.

I arrived at the meeting place, the subway station, 10 minutes earlier than the agreed time. Lee So-yoon was already there, waiting for me.

“You’re early.”

I lightly tapped Lee So-yoon’s head as she looked down at her phone.

Lee So-yoon’s round eyes turned towards me.

Surprisingly, she had made an effort to dress up a bit.

She was wearing a knit sweater that wasn’t too thick, a checkered skirt that didn’t accentuate her figure too much, and a small bag on her arm.

But, well… she still looked more like a child than a high school student. Yet, it didn’t seem strange.

“What’s with you? Did you put in extra effort today?”

“I-I’m just wearing the usual… Is something strange?”

Not at all.

I still vividly remembered when we used to hang out in middle school, and she would wear training clothes. Compared to that, she looked like a fairy now.

“No, it’s not strange. You look pretty.”

“Uh, thanks… You look cool too.”

“Oh, thanks.”

After exchanging formal greetings and compliments, Lee So-yoon stood next to me.

“What do you want to eat?”

“Um, anything?”

Did you just say ‘anything’ now, So-yoon…?

To answer ‘anything’ when asked what you want to eat is the number one response you shouldn’t give. She’s a tricky one.

“Um… How about ramen? There’s a new place that opened recently. It’s known for its chicken broth base, so it’s light.”

“Yeah! Let’s go there.”

Fortunately, Lee So-yoon wasn’t the type to oppose every suggestion until she got what she wanted after shouting ‘anything’.

It was a good decision to pay attention to the gourmet information shared by the girls at school.

With Lee So-yoon by my side, it felt like I had gained a little sister.

Lee So-yoon seemed excited for the rare city exploration.

“Have you thought about a gift for Yi Se-ah?”

“Yeah. When I went out with Se-ah, she mentioned a skincare product she wanted, so I’m planning to buy that for her.”

I nodded.

Since Lee So-yoon and Yi Se-ah became friends, they often went shopping together.

Sometimes, Nana and Yoon Ji-woo would join them too.

…Not the best memories.

A whole day of shopping with the girls. Scary. I prefer the outside world. Inside the blanket, inside the house is better.

“What about Jin?”

“I haven’t thought about it at all. Let’s see when we get there.”

“Se-ah will probably like whatever she gets.”

“Probably.”

There’s no way that guy would show any signs of disliking it.

We briskly walked to the ramen restaurant in the alley.

“There seems to be a bit of a wait.”

Since the restaurant had recently opened and was quite popular among the girls, even at a slightly earlier time than usual lunch hours, there were already customers waiting in line.

“But it doesn’t seem like there are many people ahead of us.”

Fortunately, we just had to wait a bit after sitting down. If the line had been too long, we would have had to look for another place to eat.

I wrote our names on the waiting list and went to the area where makeshift chairs were placed in front of the restaurant.

“Have a seat.”

As a seat had just become available, I gestured for Lee So-yoon to sit down.

“Oh? Uh, thanks…”

Sitting down with her legs crossed and her hands clasped on her knees, Lee So-yoon looked up at me.

“Is your leg not hurting? It feels like we’ve been walking for about 10 minutes.”

“It’s okay! I’m used to walking.”

Well, at this rate, we won’t be able to shop all day long.

When it comes to morning exercise, it’s easy to get tired quickly.

There’s something fascinating about a woman’s stamina.

After waiting for about 5 minutes, a team that was in front of us left, and Sooyoon was able to sit next to me.

“They have a menu here, too.”

I chose the rich Toripaitan ramen and nutritional rice set, while Sooyoon chose the light Toripaitan ramen.

“Are you going to eat two?”

“The rice is mini-sized. And, guys should eat this much to feel full.”

That’s why they sell it as a set in the first place.

It’s a shame to just eat ramen, and it’s also a shame to just eat rice.

As we waited for our table, silence settled between us.

I checked the notifications on my phone for a moment and then looked up again.

Sooyoon’s face, peeking out of the corner of my eye, seemed to want to say something with her mouth half-open.

I thought about waiting for her to speak first, but Sooyoon looked uncomfortable, so I decided to start the conversation.

“…What’s wrong?”

“Oh! Ah, nothing!”

Sooyoon was surprised and turned her head.

She’s usually a bit shy, but when there are fewer people around, she can’t express herself well.

I’m the opposite. I get quieter when there are more people around.

“I just, um. I wanted to say something. It’s too quiet.”

“Oh, I see.”

Yeah. It does feel awkward to be like this when the two of us are here.

But we have our phones, after all.

After a while, our names were called, and we entered the store.

The interior of the store had a Japanese-style atmosphere.

Customers could sit at the counter and watch the kitchen while eating.

I went to the kiosk to order ramen first and then sat down.

“Oh, money. I’ll send it to you now.”

“It’s okay. I called you today to help me anyway. I’ll buy you lunch.”

“Okay.”

She agreed, but Sooyoon looked hesitant.

“I have a lot of money.”

“…I know that too.”

Sooyoon poured cold water from a large bottle into a cup and handed it to me.

“Thanks.”

Meanwhile, I took out the chopsticks and placed them in front of Sooyoon.

Sooyoon and Isaea know that I draw pictures to earn pocket money.

“You. Do you think I’m doing this for money?”

I heard a grumbling sound from the side, but I ignored it.

Due to the high turnover rate of the store, the ramen arrived quickly in front of us.

I first placed Sooyoon’s ramen, which was difficult for her to reach because of her short height, in front of her.

I also brought my ramen and took a sip of the broth. It had a rich chicken flavor but wasn’t too heavy, making it a delicious ramen.

“Oh. This place is good.”

Sooyoon, who also took a bite, complimented the food.

“It’s delicious.”

Even though it was a compliment, I said it quietly in case the kitchen could hear us.

Shy people like her have a hard time speaking up in places like this.

The noodles were chewy without breaking easily, and the broth was flavorful, with bits of chicken adding to the satisfaction.

We enjoyed our meal in silence.

After a satisfying meal, we rinsed our mouths with cold water.

When we came out of the store, the waiting line was much longer than before.

“Wow. We came at the right time.”

“There are so many people.”

As we walked away from the store, I spoke to Sooyoon.

“Let’s come back here whenever we have time. The food is delicious.”

“Okay! Sounds good!”

Sooyoon, who was smiling widely, seemed happy and satisfied.

“We should bring other friends next time.”

“……”

…No? Not too happy about that?

Sooyoon suddenly looked gloomy.

Teenage girls must be tired.

* * *

I wandered around the cosmetic stores in the city center.

Actually, the gift Soyun chose was bought at the first store.

As Soyun was out, she ended up taking a longer walk as she browsed through various cosmetics.

She seems to have developed an interest in dressing up these days. Is she really going through puberty?

While following Soyun, I noticed a small accessory shop.

“Hey, Soyun.”

“Yeah?”

Soyun, who was walking ahead, turned around.

“How about that as a gift?”

Soyun’s eyes followed the direction of my finger.

“A pin? It seems fine. You can carry it around with you all the time.”

“You won’t be disappointed because it’s too cheap, right?”

Soyun nodded her head in response to my words.

“Se-ah would probably like that more.”

“Then let’s go with that.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

We headed towards the store. I picked up a pin that caught my eye on the display in front of the store.

“This. It seems like it would suit her.”

Soyun nodded as she looked at the small yellow star-shaped pin I chose.

“Indeed. You have good taste?”

I picked it because the design wasn’t too flashy and would go well with Se-ah’s neat impression. I quickly received Soyun’s OK sign.

“…Did you really think about it before saying it?”

“She will really like it.”

In the end, I picked up the pin I first chose and headed to the cashier.

Come to think of it, isn’t it customary for a man and a woman to give at least one gift to the companion they came with when they visit such places together?

Glancing at Soyun waiting outside, I hesitated for a moment.

Then, the female clerk waiting at the cashier spoke up.

“Are you buying this for your girlfriend? How about this one?”

“She’s not my girlfriend… Oh, that looks nice.”

It was a hair tie with a small flower decoration attached.

“Two, please wrap them separately. I’ll give them as gifts, so please use pretty wrapping paper.”

“Oh my. Are you giving them to two different women? Well, they do look like that!”

The clerk seemed somehow excited.

They are indeed two different women, but neither of them is my girlfriend….

After quickly wrapping the two accessories and putting them in a paper bag, I handed over my card to the clerk and went outside.

“Let’s go. I bought everything.”

“Okay.”

Now, should we go home?

As I was thinking about it, Soyun spoke up.

“Jina.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you have anything to do at home?”

“I was just going to sleep.”

There was nothing urgent to do. I had planned to relax on the massage chair.

“Then, how about watching a movie with me?”

“…A movie?”

“Yeah! A new action movie came out and it’s supposed to be really good! If you’re free, let’s go.”

It’s a bit bothersome.

It’s bothersome, but…

It was too difficult for me to reject someone who looked at me like that.

“Okay. Let’s do that. Which movie is it?”

“Really? Hehe. This one! It’s the latest installment in the series and the reviews are really good.”

It’s okay to spend a day like this, right?