Side Story 1.8

That spring, at twenty-one, Junhee truly lived her life to the fullest.  

It was the university she had longed for. The one she entered after putting her father and grandmother through hardships and hurting Dowook in the process. Having gone through so much to get there, Junhee didn’t want to attend half-heartedly or disappoint them.  

To her father, Junhee was still “Nonsan’s pride, Woo Junhee. Woo Donggu’s daughter, Woo Junhee.” Although the debt that remained as collateral at home was still unpaid, and their financial situation was far from easy, her father smiled at her. He told her not to worry about anything and just focus on her studies. Her grandmother patted the back of her hand gently.  

Because her father and grandmother tried so hard to smile, Junhee smiled brightly too. She also wanted to make them smile.  

So, she worked hard at both her studies and part-time jobs. On weekdays, she tutored two students; on weekends, she worked at a convenience store. She never forgot to review and prepare for her university lectures during her spare time. And in the time that remained, she met Dowook.  

Fortunately, they attended the same university. Besides, thanks to Dowook centering his entire life around Junhee, making time for dates wasn’t too difficult.  

‘Good call. You wouldn’t have been able to hide it anyway.’

Dowook was right. When choosing his timetable, liberal arts courses, academic societies, and clubs, Dowook’s sole criterion was her.  

Because of the way he stuck to Junhee’s side throughout their university life, rumors spread quickly.  

It was said that Choi Dowook was completely infatuated with Woo Junhee. More often than not, Junhee was referred to as “Choi Dowook’s girlfriend” rather than by her own name.  

She knew that the whispers weren’t always friendly, but at that time, she liked the title “Choi Dowook’s girlfriend.” Even though her own life felt shabby, Choi Dowook still sparkled. And because that sparkling Choi Dowook liked her, she, too, could forget reality and shine alongside him while she was by his side.  

***

“Ah, damn it. Would it kill you to just open it and stick it on for me?! Hey, are your fingers broken? Is your wrist sprained? Why are you acting like it’s such a hard thing to do? Damn it, how can someone with such a poor sense of service work as a part-timer? Huh?!”

‘Woo Junhee.’ 

“Hey, part-timer. Are you listening to me? Are your ears blocked? Damn it, are you mocking me?”  

‘I love you so much.’ 

“All I asked for was a bandage, and you’re looking at me like I’m some kind of bug, you damn brat!”  

Even when the shabby reality left unsightly marks on her life—  

‘Don’t you know that yet?

—thinking about Dowook’s grinning face made her feel as if flower seeds were floating in her chest. 

“I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable, Sir.”  

So, Junhee bowed her head to the man.  

“Where are you hurt? I’ll apply it for you.”  

She spoke calmly, opening the packaging of the bandage. There was no point in escalating the situation unnecessarily; it would only cause more trouble. If she endured for a moment, it would all pass.  

The man seemed momentarily taken aback by her composed demeanor, then spat on the ground with a loud “Hock, spit!” The sight of the phlegm stuck to the floor dragged Junhee’s mood down, but her expression didn’t change.  

The man extended his hand, which was cut by glass, toward Junhee. 

“You should’ve done that from the start.” 

He said arrogantly. His breath reeked of something like rotten alcohol, making Junhee feel nauseous.  

Suppressing the rising discomfort within her, Junhee carefully applied the bandage to the man’s finger.  

“You’re quite good at it. Wasted my energy for nothing. Hey, I live around here, okay? Because of the effort you put in today, I’ll use this convenience store from now on. So make sure to keep up this level of service. Got it? Don’t get cocky just because you’re a little pretty.”

After lecturing her for a while, the man waved his hand as if they were old friends. His leering gaze seemed to scan Junhee from head to toe, so she pretended to look at the POS system and turned away.  

“Embarrassed, huh?”

His unpleasant laughter lingered. Staggering, he made his way to the door, and Junhee mechanically said, 

“Please come again.”  

As the man left, he bumped into the next part-timer coming in for their shift. The man cursed again and staggered off.  

“Ugh, he reeks of alcohol. What’s his deal? Drinking like that in broad daylight on a Sunday? He looks young, but those dark circles are intense.”  

Jinyoung wrinkled her nose and then smiled brightly at Junhee.  

“Ta-da! It’s Jinyoung, who didn’t show up late today!”  

She made an exaggerated gesture and even did a medieval European-style bow before quickly heading to the counter. Her cheerful greeting pushed aside the dreary reality of just moments ago. Junhee smiled back warmly.  

“I was late yesterday, so I came early today to make up for it, Unnie.”  

“Yesterday, you were thirty minutes late. But now you’re here an hour early?”  

Before Jinyoung could notice the spit left by the man earlier, Junhee grabbed several wet wipes and went outside the counter to clean it up.  

“I was thirty minutes late without even saying anything. Sigh, I’m such a terrible person. I deserved those laser-like glares from your boyfriend yesterday. By the way, he hasn’t come by yet today, has he? I came early specifically to avoid running into him!”  

“He hasn’t come yet. He doesn’t come this early. At most, he’s twenty or thirty minutes early.”  

Casually responding to Jinyoung’s chatter, Junhee wiped the spit off the floor. Meanwhile, Jinyoung changed into her staff vest and adjusted her appearance.  

“Phew, that’s a relief. Your boyfriend scared me so much yesterday. He looks super handsome, but when he stiffens his expression, he’s terrifying. I seriously thought he might hit me if you weren’t there.”  

Junhee laughed with a clear, bright sound.  

“He just seems intimidating. He’d never do anything bad like that.”  

“Well, judging by how he treats you, he’s super sweet. He always waits to pick you up after your shift, asking if you’re hurt, hungry, or if anyone bothered you, bombarding you with questions like he’s doting on you.”  

“It’s not that extreme….”  

Oh, it is. I’ve even seen him sneak kisses all over your face in the store’s storage room. And those honey-dripping eyes of his? He looks like he wants to carry you around on his back.  

But knowing how shy her Junhee would be if she said all that, Jinyoung held back.  

“Oh? What are you doing, Unnie?”  

“Nothing. I just forgot to clean this earlier.”  

“Come on, I’ll do it. I need to make a good impression on your boyfriend. Go take a break already.”  

“I’ll just throw away these wet wipes. But why do you want to impress my boyfriend?”  

Jinyoung narrowed her eyes as if to ask, ‘Don’t you know why?’  

“Your boyfriend is super handsome. And they say birds of a feather flock together, right? He must have equally handsome friends. If I impress your boyfriend, he might set me up with one of them!”  

Junhee burst out laughing at the unexpected answer.  

“So, the guys from your group blind date weren’t your type?”  

“Sigh. Unnie, I don’t even ask for much in a guy. Just someone taller than me with a decent face. But why is that so hard to find?”  

After sighing dramatically, Jinyoung suddenly pushed Junhee toward the desk in the corner of the counter.  

“So, Unnie, just sit here and study or play on your phone or whatever. I’m going to work hard and show your boyfriend how diligent I am. This year, I’m definitely getting myself a tall and good-looking boyfriend!”  

Jinyoung was bursting with lively energy.

While chatting idly with Jinyoung at the counter, Junhee quickly forgot the unpleasant incident from earlier. She thought Jinyoung’s charm lay in her always bright and honest demeanor and felt relieved that someone as young as Jinyoung hadn’t encountered such a rude customer.  

“Ah, your boyfriend needs to come quickly and see how much I’m helping you out!”  

Jinyoung stretched her neck and peered beyond the glass door, looking as though she was more eager to see Dowook than Junhee herself. Junhee smiled and joined Jinyoung in gazing outside.  

Though she didn’t show it as openly as Jinyoung, Junhee was also looking forward to seeing Dowook. She missed the way he would stride confidently toward her, greet her with an arrogant grin, and act as if the world belonged to him.  

For Dowook, she had secretly prepared two tickets for a movie in his favorite genre. Since Dowook always paid for their dates, she wanted to treat him this time. Her plan was to suggest they visit the nearby theater after her shift ended. She imagined how happy he would be and felt a flutter of excitement in her chest.  

At that moment, raindrops began to fall. It was the first rain in a long time, after a warm and dry spring. It was the kind of spring rain her grandmother, who tended a field in Nonsan, would love. Perhaps because she took after her grandmother, Junhee also enjoyed rainy spring days.  

She walked over to the glass door and looked outside. People were caught off guard by the sudden downpour, scurrying to find shelter. Some even ran into the convenience store where Junhee worked.