Nothing Has Happened... Yet
Nothing had happened yet. When Eunju opened her eyes, the workshop had grown dimmer. Beyond the window, the daylight had nearly drained away, and the glow from the sign on the opposite building seeped in like a hazy smear. The ceiling light remained off. Only the two laptop screens and the faint red light from outside quietly held the space in their glow.
Eunju lay there a moment, forgetting where she was. She had been dozing at an angle on the sofa, a thin blanket draped over her shoulders. The memory of unpacking the lunchbox, opening the window, and clearing away the cup noodle containers returned to her slowly. When she turned her head, she saw Hyeonwu sitting at the edge of the bed, staring into a laptop screen. Doyun sat on the floor, scrolling through photo files. Both seemed absorbed in their own tasks, but the instant Eunju stirred, they lifted their heads almost in unison.
“Nuna, are you awake?” Hyeonwu’s face brightened at once. Doyun didn’t close his laptop, but his gaze had already shifted to her.
“Did I sleep long?” Eunju asked, a little sheepish.
Hyeonwu shook his head quickly. “No.”
“Not that long,” Doyun said with a low chuckle. “Well, maybe a little longer than ‘not that long.’”
“You looked so comfortable we didn’t want to wake you,” Hyeonwu added.
Eunju glanced down at the blanket. “Did one of you cover me?”
Hyeonwu’s ears flushed instead of answering. Doyun spoke briefly. “Yes.”
“You seemed cold.”
Eunju said nothing for a moment. The realization that these boys had watched over her while she slept settled softly against her heart. Then she looked outside. It was darker than she’d expected.
“Oh, Minjun will be worried.” She sat up. The blanket slid slowly down to her waist. Hyeonwu and Doyun’s eyes flicked downward for the briefest second before darting elsewhere. Eunju felt it but pretended she hadn’t. She picked up her phone.
“I’m going to call my husband.”
Both young men went still at the same time. While she dialed, Hyeonwu stared pointlessly at his laptop screen and Doyun’s hand froze on the mouse. The ringtone sounded a few times before Minjun’s voice came through.
“Yeah.”
Eunju spoke in a softer tone than usual. “Minjun.”
“I’m awake now.”
Hyeonwu’s hand stopped beside the laptop. Doyun didn’t look up, but he was clearly listening. Minjun must have asked something. Eunju smiled faintly.
“Yeah, at the workshop.”
“I dozed off for a bit.”
“The boys even covered me with a blanket.” She deliberately glanced toward Hyeonwu and Doyun. Both of them had gone rigidly awkward. “Were you worried?”
A tiny hint of playfulness threaded through her voice—the easy tone only possible between a couple who had known each other since childhood. But to Hyeonwu and Doyun it sounded strangely intimate, almost tender. Minjun seemed to reply in a low voice. Eunju laughed even more softly.
“Nothing happened.”
“Not yet.”
The words dropped quietly into the workshop. Hyeonwu seemed to stop breathing. Doyun’s eyes rose to Eunju for the briefest moment. She continued as if she hadn’t noticed.
“Yeah.”
“The boys ate well, studied hard, and looked at the photos.”
“They haven’t done anything to me yet.”
The last remark was light, almost a joke. But to the two young men listening, it didn’t land lightly at all. The statement that they were people who hadn’t done anything to her—while simultaneously acknowledging that they were people who could. The dual meaning thickened the air in the room in a strange, subtle way.
Whatever Minjun said on the other end made Eunju laugh softly again.
“I know.”
“I’ll head home soon.”
“Yeah, don’t worry.”
After a short pause, she spoke even lower. “I’m fine.”
“The boys are fine too.”
When she ended the call, the workshop grew even quieter. Hyeonwu spoke first.
“You and your husband… you two seem really close.”
Eunju set her phone down and looked at him. “We are. I like it.” Her answer held no hesitation.
Doyun asked carefully, “But… usually in this kind of situation, wouldn’t he worry more?”
Eunju understood what he meant. Two young men. A private workshop. A nap. A blanket. And that half-joking phone call. She glanced out the window again. In the unlit room, the light from outside traced the side of her face in a thin line.
“Minjun trusts me.”
“And he knows what I’m learning about myself.”
Hyeonwu asked cautiously, “What… are you learning?”
Eunju didn’t answer right away. Instead she folded the blanket neatly over her lap.
“What kind of woman I am.”
Hyeonwu and Doyun stayed silent. Eunju wasn’t smiling. Her expression was calm.
“Minjun and I have been exploring it together lately—what I become when other men look at me. How I feel embarrassed but can’t completely pull away. And what Minjun feels when he sees that side of me.”
Hyeonwu’s face tightened slightly. Doyun watched her but seemed unable to speak easily this time. Eunju continued.
“Minjun… gets a strange feeling from seeing me looked at as a woman by other men. At first I found it frightening and weird too. But lately I think I understand it. I understand that I’m not entirely displeased by those gazes either.”
No one breathed loudly in the room. Hyeonwu kept his hands still on his knees. Doyun had closed the photo files he’d been viewing and simply listened to Eunju’s words. Her voice remained steady.
“We haven’t actually done much yet. We’re just figuring it out together—Minjun and me. And now the two of you… maybe you’ve stepped a little into that process too.”
Hyeonwu swallowed almost imperceptibly. Doyun lowered his head for a moment, then raised it again.
“Then… does that mean us wanting to photograph you is part of that process?”
Eunju looked at Doyun. “It could be.”
Doyun’s eyes wavered. Hyeonwu’s face grew even redder. Watching their reactions, Eunju felt a twinge of guilt. Maybe she had been too honest. But she didn’t want to soften it with euphemisms.
“Were you surprised?”
Hyeonwu shook his head quickly. “Not surprised, exactly… just… it made me imagine things.” He immediately ducked his head after speaking. Doyun let out a low laugh.
“Me too.”
Eunju turned to Doyun. He didn’t look away. This time, however, there was no cockiness in his gaze.
“I’m sorry, Nuna.”
“Yeah?”
Doyun hesitated briefly, then spoke with complete honesty. “I’m in a bit of trouble right now.”
Hyeonwu shot him a look. “Hey.”
Doyun smiled awkwardly. “It felt weirder to hide it. The way Nuna talked about it so calmly…”
Eunju paused, then nearly burst out laughing. She didn’t quite laugh, but the corners of her mouth softened.
“Doyun.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t have to report that kind of thing.”
Hyeonwu covered his face with both hands and bowed his head. Doyun laughed, embarrassed. Eunju shook her head slightly.
“Still… trying not to hide it is kind of admirable.” She looked at him for a moment, then added in a teasing voice, “But I can’t help you with it yet, so take care of it yourself.”
This time Doyun’s ears burned all the way to the tips. The tension in the room eased a little. The heavy conversation had passed, but it hadn’t disappeared. Instead it lingered even more quietly among the four of them.
Eunju looked outside. It had grown completely dark. The workshop lights were still off.
“I should go now.”
Hyeonwu couldn’t hide his disappointment. “Already?”
Eunju smiled. “I slept for a long time.”
Doyun stood up quietly. “I’ll walk you home.”
“It’s fine.” Eunju reached for her bag, then paused. She turned back to the two of them.
“Before I go, can I ask one thing?”
Hyeonwu and Doyun looked at her at the same time. Eunju smiled, a little shy.
“What part of me looked pretty today?”
Hyeonwu’s face flushed instantly. Doyun couldn’t answer right away either. Eunju deliberately kept her tone casual.
“I said I wanted to be photographed beautifully. For that, you two need to observe me every time I come. What looked pretty today. What made you want to take pictures.”
The room fell quiet for a moment. Hyeonwu spoke first.
“I… when you were sleeping for a little while. The light from the window came in beside your face, and I thought your earlobe looked really pretty.”
Eunju almost touched her ear without thinking. Hyeonwu grew even more embarrassed and lowered his head.
“It was… really beautiful.”
Doyun spoke more slowly. “For me, it was your waist.”
Eunju’s fingers stilled on the strap of her bag. Doyun chose his words carefully, then continued with honesty.
“When you were cleaning, your knit sweater rode up a little. I didn’t mean to look, but I caught a glimpse of your side waist. The light touched it just right. It looked really good.”
Hyeonwu stared at Doyun as if swallowing hard. Doyun didn’t avoid his gaze.
“Honestly… I also thought it would be nice if it rode up just a little more.”
Eunju’s face warmed quietly. The words were embarrassing. Yet strangely, they didn’t feel unpleasant. She looked at Doyun for a moment, then smiled playfully.
“Then next time you photograph me—” She deliberately caught the hem of her sweater with her fingertips. She had no intention of actually lifting it, but she moved slowly enough for the two young men to see. “I’ll lift it all the way up.”
Hyeonwu froze first. “N-Nuna.” His face scarlet, he raised his hands in a panic. “Please hold back. We’re not mentally prepared yet.”
Eunju finally couldn’t hold back her laughter. Doyun laughed too, head bowed, but the tips of his ears were red. Eunju released the hem of her sweater.
“All right. That’s enough for today.”
“And—”
Both of them watched her. Eunju hesitated a little, then opened her arms.
“You fed me well and let me sleep comfortably, so… a gift. I’ll give each of you one hug. If you don’t want it, just say so.”
Hyeonwu couldn’t say he didn’t want it. Eunju approached first and hugged him lightly. His body was hotter than she expected, and completely tense. Feeling that tension, she smiled softly.
“Breathe, Hyeonwu.”
Only then did he let out an awkward breath. “Yes…”
Eunju stepped back and looked at Doyun. He stood still, but when she came closer he took a step backward. Eunju raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Why?”
Doyun smiled, embarrassed. “Please understand. Right now I’m a little…” He couldn’t finish the sentence and subtly pulled his waist back, as if trying to avoid contact. “It’s all because of you, Nuna.”
Eunju paused, then laughed despite herself. “You’re hopeless.” She reached out and lightly flicked his forehead with her finger. “Stop saying unnecessary things. See you next time, Doyun.”
Doyun touched his forehead and smiled. “Yes. I’ll see you next time.”
Eunju paused at the door. Hyeonwu and Doyun were still watching her. Holding the doorknob, she hesitated a moment longer before speaking.
“And one more thing.” Their eyes rose quietly. “I realized I might have only talked about my own pace.”
Hyeonwu shook his head immediately. “No, Nuna.”
Eunju smiled softly. “No, listen anyway.” She lowered her gaze for a second, embarrassed, then looked at them again.
“If your feelings are moving faster than I think, don’t hide that either. Tell me.”
The workshop grew quiet. Eunju’s voice was low but steady.
“I don’t really understand a man’s pace. How you see me. How far your thoughts have gone. I’d like you to be honest about those things too.”
Hyeonwu couldn’t say anything. Doyun’s eyes deepened for a moment. Seeing their reactions, Eunju felt that if she stayed any longer she would only grow more embarrassed herself.
“That said—” She turned the doorknob slightly. “Just because you say it doesn’t mean it will all happen.”
A very faint smile touched Doyun’s lips at that. Eunju smiled too. “That part I’ll decide.”
Then she opened the door.
“See you next time.”
She liked this.