Extra 1: Yoonsoo and Eun-kyung (2)

Eun-kyung had a fun and fulfilling day on her own. She confidently walked into a restaurant for a solo meal, visited a café for a coffee under the pretext of market research, went to a coin karaoke, then had chicken and beer for a solo drinking session. Before she knew it, it was late in the evening. 

Feeling accomplished, Eun-kyung returned to the café with confidence. Though it was almost closing time, so she couldn’t stay any longer.

“Everything okay?” 

“Oh! Boss, you’re back?” 

Eun-kyung asked her staff cheerfully as she walked through the café door. The café was quiet with hardly any customers since it was nearing closing time. The staff, noticing Eun-kyung, nodded vigorously in affirmation.

“Good job. I’d like to finish up, but tonight you’ll have to handle the closing. I’ve had a drink, so I can’t work. I hope you understand.”

“Oh, it’s my job anyway. But, boss…”

“Yes?”

The staff trailed off, glancing furtively towards a corner of the café. Following the direction of the glance, Eun-kyung turned her head and her eyes widened in surprise. Yoonsoo was sitting there with his arms crossed, glaring at her like a stone statue. Yes, glaring. 

Who does he think he is, coming to my store and glaring at the owner like that?! 

“Anyone who sees this will think I’m having an affair.”

Muttering to herself, Eun-kyung walked over to Yoonsoo. Only when she sat down across from him did Yoonsoo finally speak.

“What are you doing here?” 

“… Did you have a good time?”

“Customer, you shouldn’t be doing this here.”

“Judging by the fact that you’ve been drinking, it seems like you had a good time, huh? I’ve been fasting all day, and you didn’t even think of me, did you?”

Amazingly, he was blaming Eun-kyung. 

“Oh my, did I stood you up or something? Did I unknowingly make a promise to meet with you, Mr. Park?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know? “You know, we have lunch and dinner together every weekend.” 

“That’s the weird part.”

“What’s so weird about it?” 

Eun-kyung squinted at Yoonsoo, deciding to address the issue now that it was brought up. 

“It’s weird that you and I meet every week. I mean, we’re not even dating, so why do we meet for meals every week?”

“Don’t you eat with your mom and dad every day?”

“How is that the same thing?”

“What’s the difference?”

Eun-kyung took a moment to calm the anger rising from deep within her. She couldn’t raise her voice in her own café.

“Kim Eunhye. You two are very close, right? You even went to Siyeon’s brother-in-law’s wedding together. You two should enjoy meals together.” 

“Where did you hear that from? Director Yang? Or the team leader?”

“Does it matter where I heard it? The fact is what matters. Anyway, this is good timing. Since we’re on the topic, let me tell you something. Don’t come here anymore. I’m going to be busy every week from now on.” 

“Ha! You must have really liked the guy you met today on your blind date.”

Yoonsoo’s lips twisted into a sneer, clearly showing his mocking expression.

“He’s a famous manager from a well-known company in Seoul. He even graduated from a university in Seoul.” 

Eun-kyung wanted to boast more, but unfortunately, that was the only notable thing about the man. Moreover, even that didn’t stand as an advantage in front of Yoonsoo. 

“Hey, I’m a manager too. And don’t you know I graduated from the top university in the country?”

“What does that have to do with me?” 

“What I’m saying is, wouldn’t I be a better dining companion than that guy?”

“I’m not looking for a guy to have meals with; I need a man to marry.” 

“You’re only thirty, and you’re already obsessed with marriage?”

Eun-kyung, exasperated, clamped her mouth shut. Normally, she would have retorted playfully, but she wasn’t in the mood for that now. Whether she ate with someone or got married, Yoonsoo had no reason or right to interfere. He came by every week, making her feel unsettled while pretending not to care about her. She found him utterly despicable. Deciding to speak her mind, she began: 

“Aren’t you doing this because you don’t want to give me to someone else, but you don’t want me for yourself either?”

“What? You? Did you just call me ‘you’?”

“Yes, I called you ‘you’! You want to hang out with me but don’t want to date me, right? You want to marry someone with similar conditions, so you’re just playing with me while keeping a distance! You selfish bastard, did you think I wouldn’t notice that?” 

As soon as she spoke, regret washed over her like a tidal wave. 

This is why drinking is dangerous.

Yet, she also felt relieved to finally voice what she had been holding inside.

“You’re worse than Siyeon’s brother-in-law! At least that guy was openly superficial, but you pretend to be someone you’re not! Don’t come to my café again. I don’t have time to play with you anymore, and since I’m obsessed with marriage, I’ll be busy meeting men every weekend!” 

With those words, Eun-kyung sprang to her feet. Yoonsoo looked up at her, his face a mix of disbelief, bewilderment, and anger. 

“Are you… breaking up with me?” 

“Yes, it’s over. The end. Sayonara. Farewell, Park Yoonsoo. It’s over between us!”

Saying goodbye to the insufferable Yoonsoo suddenly made her feel a lump in her throat. Despite her words, Eun-kyung actually enjoyed spending time with Yoonsoo. Eating meals together and chatting were a source of vitality in her life. She looked forward to weekends because of him. Thinking that she couldn’t do that anymore made her feel sad, but she resolved not to regret her decision. Their relationship needed to be sorted out one way or another.

“If you’re going to drink, you should know your limits. Why are you acting out of control and talking nonsense?” 

“I’m not drunk, and I’m not talking nonsense. You have interest in me, but you don’t want me as a marriage partner. I really like Director Yang and the team leader. I don’t want to lose them, so you need to stop this.”

“…”

Having made such a bold statement, tears started to well up in her eyes, making her look less impressive. She tried hard not to cry in front of Yoonsoo, but the alcohol and her heightened emotions caused tears to trickle down. Yoonsoo’s eyes narrowed.

Eun-kyung turned her back on the tightly-lipped Yoonsoo. Her staff member, Yeon-ji, looked at her with a visibly flustered expression. 

“Yeon-ji, I’m sorry, but you’ll have to close up alone tonight. Can you do that?” 

“O-of course! Yes, of course! Go home and rest, boss!” 

Sensing the tense atmosphere between the two, the staff member nodded vigorously. 

“…Thank you. I’ll head out first.” 

Eun-kyung opened the cafe door and stepped outside. The word “ruin” kept circling in her mind. She knew their relationship couldn’t develop into anything serious, but she had pretended not to know and maintained it with a chuckle. And now, in a drunken fit, she had put an end to it.  Knowing she wouldn’t be able to meet Yoonsoo personally anymore, her heart ached already.

“…Damn it. Bastard.” 

Eun-kyung stopped in her tracks and wiped away the tears welling up in her eyes. Yet the tears continued to flow. Even though they hadn’t been dating, it felt like she had just broken up with a long-time lover.

***

“Boss, you cut your hair!”

She had chopped off her long hair. She wanted to cut it herself but restrained from doing so. Eun-kyung’s parents were disappointed by her failed blind date, especially her mother, who fell into deep sorrow. Unable to bear the piling misfortunes, Eun-kyung visited a local hair salon early in the morning. She wanted to cut off her hair as if it were the source of her unhappiness.

“Ah, how is it? Looks refreshing, doesn’t it?”

“Isn’t it a bit too short? It might be hard to grow it back.”

Eun-kyung proudly swished her short bob haircut. The staff looked at her with concerned expressions.

“I was going to cut it even shorter, but this is good enough. It’s quite nice, isn’t it?”

“Boss, you look like you’re in your twenties now.”

“If someone heard, they’d think I’m in my mid-thirties. But remember, I was in my twenties just last year like you all.”

“Has the Big Boss seen it yet?”

The big boss the staff referred to was Eun-kyung’s mother. For convenience, they called Eun-kyung and her mother the boss and the big boss, respectively. 

“Not yet.”

To avoid her parents’ nagging, especially her mother’s, Eun-kyung planned to stay out of sight for a while. Her mother, who thought long hair made her look feminine, would surely freak out and scold her. 

“Boss, are you going to meet another blind date this week?”

“How did you know I went on a blind date?” 

“Last weekend… Mr. Park mentioned it.”

Realizing her slip-up, the employee looked flustered. Park Yoonsoo had spilled the beans about Eun-kyung’s blind date while hanging out at the café all day. 

What a useless person he is. 

After Eun-kyung’s harsh words, Yoonsoo had stopped contacting her completely. 

“That’s right. And I plan to go on another one this week. I’ll be going out every week from now on, so you’ll have to cover for me.” 

“Of course! We’re very enthusiastically rooting for your romance and marriage!”

“Don’t just cheer with words, but if you know any eligible bachelors, brothers, neighbors, uncles, please introduce them to me.” 

The employees burst into laughter at Eun-kyung’s joke.

“And by the way, since you cut your hair, it seems like you’ve also lost some weight… Your face looks slimmer.”

Eun-kyung smiled faintly. She had been heartbroken for days after ending things with Yoonsoo. Though she hadn’t cut ties completely and could still see him with Director Yang and the team leader, but the change in their relationship still hurt her deeply. 

Yoonsoo had occupied a larger part of her heart than she had realized. The space he left behind made her feel empty and lonely. Even though it wasn’t a formal breakup, the change in their relationship was painful.