19.3

The Seonho Chaeyoon remembered was sexy and charming but seemed lethargic and often unpleasantly impactful.

Yet, the Seonho on the phone now was still sexy and charming, but also sweet and tender.

• That’s the generic Seonho. Right now, you have your own Seonho. Maybe I have a bit of a split personality.

“Ah, is that so? You have a personality just for Han Chaeyoon?”

• Yeah. You must like that, right?

“Not really.”

• Really?

“…I’d like to say that, but I’ll give you extra points for comforting me today.”

• I miss you.

“Out of the blue?”

• I always miss you. Just wait a bit longer.

“Didn’t I tell you not to come until you get transferred here?”

• I’ll take a vacation and come. Is that not allowed? So wait.

“Even if you come early, I’ll be too busy preparing for my graduation project to spend time with you.”

• Who said anything about hanging out? Just seeing your face is the best healing and rest for me.

Then she heard Junsu say something over the phone.

• I better hang up now.

“Okay. Work hard.”

• I’d rather you say, ‘Come see me.’ because then I’d be running to you.

“That’s why I don’t say that.”

Once again, Junsu’s urging voice was heard.

“Hurry up. I’ll hang up first, bye.”

Chaeyoon said goodbye first. It always ended like this, so Chaeyoon had to be the one to end it.

Otherwise, Junsu might send another email. Recently, Junsu had politely sent a manual suggesting how he’d like their calls to be, one of which was to hang up at an appropriate time, just like now.

• I’ll call you again.

After hearing Seonho’s urgent voice, Chaeyoon pressed the end button.

“Oh, you shouldn’t have said that. I suddenly miss you too.”

The disappointment over the assignment had vanished, and now Chaeyoon found herself missing Seonho.

If anything had changed, it was that she used to push away thoughts of wanting to see him, but now it was okay to openly want it.

However, Chaeyoon was still reserved about the issue of dating. Technically, it would definitely mean they were dating, but officially, she was still ostensibly thinking about it.

Chaeyoon took out the perfume Seonho had given her from her bag and sprayed it on.

She would give Seonho a gift. By then, she hoped her deliberations would be over, and she wanted to ask him to be her boyfriend.

The design for Seonho’s gift was decided. It was going to be a pair of piercings, one for each of them.

But she had yet to purchase the gemstones for the piercings. Partly because not only had there been no time to shop, but she hadn’t found any gemstones that caught her eye.

Now that the assignment was over, she planned to look around for gemstones and stones, including recycled ones. Stone-cutting styles change with the times, and cuts not commonly used today have recently caught Chaeyoon’s interest.

High-quality antique stones were too expensive to consider. Then, at the flea market, she met someone who collected and sold vintage jewelry that was either too damaged to repair or too unfashionable to wear.

Sometimes she could find good stones there, so she frequently visited when she had time. It was the perfect place to unwind.

[I’m glad we met today.]

Chaeyoon said to the owner. The last time she was here, they hadn’t been.

[There was a family event.]

The owner recognized Chaeyoon and welcomed her warmly.

[Got any new stuff?]

Chaeyoon looked at the vintage jewelry laid out on a fold-out display stand. To the untrained eye, they might look damaged and old, but the quality of the gems was surprisingly good.

[Take a look. I swept through the area since I didn’t come out last time.]

The owner laughed heartily.

True to the owner’s words, new items caught her eye. Chaeyoon examined the jewelry with an eagle eye, as if taking a gem appraisal exam.

One piece caught her eye instantly. It was a rough, round pendant with a dark red gem and a green gem that drew her gaze.

Chaeyoon picked it up to see what kind of gemstone it was. The colors were different, but they were both tourmalines. The contrast in color should have been too much, too stark, yet oddly harmonious.

Especially the dark red tourmaline, known as rubellite, was strangely sexy.

It was unbelievable. The gemstone felt sexy.

It reminded her of the sexy vibe she felt every time she saw the tear trough under Seonho’s eyes.

***

Chaeyoon held her breath momentarily as she concentrated. She was still clumsy, so setting the dark red rubellite into the piercing was a bit tricky.

“Phew, done.”

Chaeyoon looked over her handiwork. The sleek silver body shone with the dark red rubellite.

Definitely a sexy piercing.

It was natural. She had felt it was sexy from the moment she saw the gemstone. Having crafted it with that feeling, it could only become sexier. Now that it was made, it seemed even more reminiscent of Seonho.

Chaeyoon finished with polishing and cleaning, then placed it on black velvet.

[What’s this? A piercing?]

Joan, passing by, stopped and looked.

[Yes.]

[It’s very simple, but why does it look so sexy?]

Joan’s eyes lit up as she examined the piercing.

[Do you see it that way too?]

[Yep. Interesting. What is this? I don’t think it’s a ruby.]

[Rubellite.]

[It’s a beautiful color. Rubellite has a lot of pink in it.]

[That’s why I found it more appealing than ruby. The size seems just right for a men’s piercing.]

[For a man? Your boyfriend?]

Joan asked meaningfully, but Chaeyoon responded with a smile.

[But are you only doing one side of the piercing?]

[I’m planning to make the other side with verdilite.]

[Wow, that’s exquisite! Both are tourmalines but one is red and the other green. It feels symbolic.]

[What kind of symbolism?]

[I feel like the verdilite piercing would seem more feminine.]

Instead of answering, Chaeyoon just smiled knowingly at Joan’s remark.

Perhaps this symbolism is only noticed by those who know about gemstones.

Tourmaline, known as an electric stone, comes in various colors. Pink or red is called rubellite, and green is known as verdilite.

The symbolism here is that despite the different colors and names, they are essentially the same type of stone, the same species.

The original shape of the pendant containing these gemstones wasn’t particularly appealing, but perhaps its maker had used these stones for the same reasons as her.

[Couple’s jewelry usually has something in common, like matching colors or shapes. I thought it would be interesting to have the same name but different colors due to their chemical composition. It feels more intimate that way.]

[That actually sounds quite plausible.]

Perhaps this symbolism is only noticed by those who know about gemstones.

[I’ve made a pair of piercings, but it might also be interesting to combine them in one design, making one a piercing and the other a necklace or ring.]

[I find it so hard to create storytelling in jewelry because I lack imagination. But you seem to be so good at it.]

Joan’s voice was filled with admiration.

[Really?]

Chaeyoon felt pleased with Joan’s praise.

[You really impressed me during your portfolio presentation in design class. How do you weave such good stories?]

[Really? I wasn’t very satisfied with my practical craftsmanship graduation project, so I really put effort into it. It feels good to be recognized, hehe.]

Chaeyoon had to adapt her practical craftsmanship projects to match her skill level. However, for design tasks, since they were made by professional craftsmen, she could let her imagination run wild.

[They said they want to exhibit the piece you submitted for the assignment at the jewelry fair, right? And they told you to put some extra effort into your graduation project too.]

[The news is already spreading?]

Chaeyoon was surprised.

[There are no secrets in this world. Congratulations.]

[It’s still early. The physical production needs to go well. It’s a delicate design, so I need to find a good craftsman.]

[There are more challenging things out there, surely it’ll be fine?]

While it might seem easier for Joan to say, as it’s often the case that other people’s tasks look simpler, finding skilled craftsmen who are not already overloaded with work can be tricky.

However, adopting a positive mindset like Joan’s wasn’t a bad idea. From experience, the doors of opportunity tend to open to those who walk toward them. Even if the door you hope for doesn’t open, behind it often lies another path leading to different opportunities. But if you give up from the start, you won’t encounter any doors at all.

[I think it’s a great opportunity too.]

Encouraged by Joan’s bright and positive energy, Chaeyoon spoke energetically.

After chatting a bit more, Joan returned to her own workstation. With Joan gone, Chaeyoon began working on the verdilite piercing, slightly larger than the rubellite one, engrossed in her task.

She was so focused that she didn’t realize anyone was watching her.