Maintaining Composure

I sat down slowly beside Yujin, my gaze shifting back and forth between her and Jimin. "...How did you two even know each other?"

Jimin took a sip of her coffee. Yujin covered my right hand with hers as she answered. Jimin glanced at our joined hands for a moment before lifting her cup again.

"Huh? The friend you were meeting today is Jimin?" Yujin turned to her with an expression of genuine surprise. "What a strange coincidence, right, Jimin?"

"Yeah... I was shocked too."

I caught the faint tremor in Jimin's hand as she gripped her coffee cup.

"Yujin, would you mind giving us some space so we can talk alone?"

"No, I'll stay. It was getting boring waiting by myself upstairs."

"Oppa, it's okay. Let's all sit together."

Jimin stole a quick look at me before dropping her eyes again.

"...Fine. If that's what you want."

"Order whatever you feel like eating," Yujin said, tapping the back of my hand with a voice full of affection.

"Oh, and Jimin, get anything else you want. It's all on me."

Jimin offered a small smile and nodded carefully.

I turned the situation over in my mind. The relaxed ease radiating from Yujin and the clear tension coming from Jimin suggested some kind of senior-junior relationship. The age gap made it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠unlikely they'd met at school. I'd never heard Yujin mention any friends or acquaintances before, so perhaps that was the connection. Still, the power imbalance between them was far too obvious for them to be mere acquaintances.

I raised my hand to call over a server. The employee approached the table.

"Chamomile tea for me, please. Hot."

"Yes, young master."

I glanced at Jimin. She shook her head from side to side, clearly indicating she didn't want anything. I accepted the gesture.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Wait a second," Yujin cut in.

"Jimin's an adult now, isn't she? Have you ever tried alcohol before?"

"No, not yet..."

"Hmm... Then we'd better go with something sweet."

Yujin rose from her seat.

"I'll pick something suitable. You two talk while I'm gone."

Her heels clicked sharply as she headed toward the display case filled with expensive liquors. The server hurried after her.

"...What is going on?"

"You're the one who needs to explain, Oppa."

"Tell me quickly. What exactly is your relationship with Yujin?"

"What is your relationship with Unnie, Oppa?"

"This isn't the time for word games. Speak."

"You think this feels like a game to me? Have you lost your mind, Oppa?"

"While you were gone, Yujin and I met. We started dating a few days ago. Now it's your turn."

"...You're dating her?"

"Yes. That's what happened."

Jimin's fists shook as she clenched them tightly. The girl's emotions...

"I asked you to wait for me."

"..."

"...Never mind. Just worry about yourself right now, Oppa."

"What are you talking about? Hurry up and tell me what your connection to Yujin is."

Jimin leaned forward and lowered her voice.

"That woman is genuinely insane, so be careful. She's even crazier than your ex-girlfriend or me..."

"Are you two kissing or something?"

Yujin had returned without us noticing. She placed her hands gently on both mine and Jimin's shoulders.

"No matter how close you are to Jimin, this isn't appropriate..."

Jimin leaned back against her chair again, smiling awkwardly.

"No, I was just asking about her CSAT scores. I didn't want other people overhearing because it's a little embarrassing..."

"Ah, I see. How did the exam go?"

Yujin sat back down.

"About the same as my usual mock tests."

The servers who had followed Yujin pushed a tray aside and began arranging glasses and appetizers in the center of the table.

"Then you probably got nearly everything right? Well done~"

Gem-like liquid filled with delicate bubbles rose inside the elegant glasses placed before each of us.

Yujin lifted her glass, now appropriately filled.

"For Jimin, who worked so hard all this time."

Jimin and I raised our glasses to meet hers.

The three glasses clinked together, releasing a clear, resonant ring.

"And after today, don't let me or Jihyun catch sight of you again."

Yujin savored the champagne with a smile.

"If I see you next time, you're dead."

"Yujin, why on earth did you do that?"

I finally spoke the words I'd been holding back once the door was closed and the staff had left.

"Why? You were scared of her. I helped you."

"No, that's not... ha..."

Yujin took off her coat as though nothing had happened and hung it up.

"It was a problem I was supposed to handle myself. I did have a disagreement with Jimin, but that wasn't for you to step into."

"I stepped in because it's a problem you would have struggled to solve. Why are you angry with me?"

"Don't you understand that acting like that without even talking to me puts me in an awkward position?"

"What position is that?"

"Now how am I supposed to face Jimin..."

"I helped make sure you wouldn't have to see her anymore."

"She was my client. It was my responsibility to resolve it. I don't need this kind of help, so don't ever do anything like this again."

Yujin stripped down to her underwear, then opened the closet, took out a bathrobe, and slipped it on. The way she behaved so casually, as if she genuinely didn't see the problem, made my head throb.

"Yujin, even though we're dating now, we still have to respect each other's lives."

"Right. That's why I respected that and helped you."

"No, this wasn't helping. Stay out of my problems from now on. Got it?"

I spoke firmly, pouring real emotion into the words. Otherwise I doubted they would reach her.

"...Are you mad at me?"

"Yes, I am. What you did wasn't for my sake. It was you barging in without any consideration and doing whatever you pleased."

"If I hadn't helped, you would have kept being manipulated by Jimin and suffering stress. I took care of it for you, so why are you angry at me?"

"So the moment I have even the slightest trouble, you'll come running and cause a huge scene like that? You think that's looking out for me?"

"I just hate seeing my boyfriend struggling, so of course I want to help. Why are you getting so angry..."

"Just staying quietly in this room would have been enough help. Ha..."

I let out a long sigh and studied Yujin's face. The sight of her looking truly wronged only made my chest feel tighter.

She simply didn't understand yet.

Don't get angry... Calm down.

My earlier outburst suddenly felt embarrassing.

"...I'm sorry for getting angry. This is the first time I've been in a situation like this, so I couldn't control my emotions properly."

I apologized first, then began taking off my own clothes and hanging them up one by one. Maybe because I rarely ever raised my voice, even a short burst of anger quickly left my heart feeling heavy.

I sat on the bed and glanced once more at Yujin, who was staring at her smartphone.

"...No, I think I was the one who was wrong. I'll be more careful from now on."

Yujin sighed, set her phone aside, and offered me an apology.

The argument had ended. This kind of thing wouldn't happen again.

Feeling a little lighter than before, I took a bathrobe from the closet and put it on. The soft fabric wrapped my body in gentle warmth.

I knew how much pride ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she had swallowed to give that apology. She must have been quite hurt, so I walked over to the bed to help ease her mood.

I sat down beside her dejected figure.

"I know you did it because you were thinking of me. Thank you. Still, from now on I'll try to handle things myself. That's how people grow, right?"

I took her hand, comforting her while making my position clear.

"Okay?"

"...Yeah."

She picked up the smartphone she had set down earlier and lay back. Sinking into the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠plush bed, she raised the sleek device high above her head and stared at it.

A little more time and the remaining emotions would settle.

I watched her for a moment, then lay down beside her.

Mirroring someone else's actions tends to earn favor in many situations.

"..!"

The moment I lay down, she flinched violently, turned off her phone, and bolted upright.

"...What is it?"

"Uh...? It's nothing. I was just... going to wash up."

She stood awkwardly, clutching her smartphone, and headed for the bathroom.

It earns favor in many situations, but apparently not this time.

It seemed she hadn't wanted me to see her phone screen.

I remained lying there, turning on the TV with a faint sense of puzzlement.

After flipping channels for a moment, my favorite old variety program appeared. I set aside the complicated feelings, puzzlement, and guilt for a while and watched the people on the square screen who were always smiling and acting sly.

The faint sound of the shower drifted through the room.

I shifted into a more comfortable position and focused on the TV.

But do they really air reruns of old episodes at this hour? These days I watch YouTube far more than television... I wasn't sure.

I simply waited for Yujin to finish her shower, watching the variety show I had enjoyed since long ago.