Jealousy Toward a Friend Is Just Wrong
"Order whatever you want."
We had originally planned to meet at a cafe.
But since neither Yoon Seolah nor I had eaten dinner yet, we met outside and walked a bit further to a famous snack food chain.
"...Did they always sell kimchi stew here?"
"There isn't much Kimbap Country doesn't sell."
Some might wonder why I brought a girl to Kimbap Country for a meal.
But it wasn't a date, so there was no reason to go out of our way for pasta or something.
And it was about time I had some tonkatsu anyway.
It felt like it had been over a month since I last ate it.
It was time to replenish the tonkatsu levels in my bloodstream.
"Oh, and it's my treat, so you can really order whatever you want."
"Your treat?"
"..."
Yoon Seolah's reaction wasn't dramatic.
Still, she was definitely surprised.
Her eyes were wide as she asked.
Well, of course.
"Naturally."
It would be awkward if I didn't.
It wasn't that I had some outdated mindset like 'a man must buy a woman dinner.' It was just...
"I decided where we were going on my own."
Since I picked the place.
She might have wanted to go somewhere other than Kimbap Country.
But since she tagged along, it was only fair to pay.
Does she not like people buying her food?
"Then..."
Apparently, she didn't mind.
Yoon Seolah fixed her gaze back on the menu.
Before long, the dish she chose was...
"Tuna kimbap?"
It was tuna kimbap.
I wondered if that would be enough.
Last time we met at the convenience store, she said a single triangular kimbap would do, only to end up eating a small cup of instant ramen as well.
But thinking about it a bit more, I realized it might actually be enough.
She doesn't seem like a big eater in the first place.
A snack shop's tuna kimbap usually had a lot of rice, so it would probably fill her up.
"Excuse me."
I called the owner over and placed the order.
After pouring a cup of water and handing it to Yoon Seolah, I got straight to the point.
"So, why did you want to meet?"
There was no point in dragging it out.
Yoon Seolah hated beating around the bush, so she probably preferred this anyway.
"..."
*Tap, tap.*
Yoon Seolah tapped her pink lips before speaking.
"You know what Taeseong proposed."
"Yeah."
"I'm not sure... what to do."
So it was this after all.
Kwon Dain had told Yoon Seolah to think about it.
But even after mulling it over, Yoon Seolah must have found it hard to reach a conclusion.
That was why she called me.
When you get bogged down in a dilemma, you need someone to look at it from a different perspective.
"To start with what's certain..."
"..."
"I think it's best to meet with Taeseong at least once."
"Of course, I'm not saying you have to sign a contract with them," I added, explaining my reasoning.
Taeseong hadn't officially offered us a contract yet.
Their current stance was more of a 'shall we just meet up and chat?'
It wouldn't even be a grand meeting; they'd probably just talk over coffee.
At the same time, getting to know someone from Taeseong would be beneficial.
"So, you don't have to look at it in such black-and-white terms."
"...I guess so."
By the time I finished explaining, the food had arrived.
Having ordered the extra-large portion, I diligently cut up the sizable tonkatsu.
Then, I said to Yoon Seolah, "Have some if you want."
Sharing was the whole reason I ordered the extra-large portion in the first place.
It was only polite to offer her a taste.
Delicious.
I shut my mouth and focused on eating.
"But..."
Yoon Seolah spoke up when I was about halfway through the tonkatsu.
"Am I going alone? If Taeseong wants to meet?"
"Huh?"
*Chew, chew.*
I quickly chewed and swallowed the tonkatsu in my mouth.
"Usually, yes."
"...Really?"
Come to think of it...
Yoon Seolah was surprisingly open about her thoughts.
And not just with her words.
So that's what shaking pupils look like.
Her actions, especially her facial expressions, were completely transparent.
The only reason people at school thought she was stoic was because the changes in her expressions were so subtle that you wouldn't notice unless you looked closely.
Anyway, seeing her pupils shake like that, she clearly didn't want to go alone.
I could understand her plight.
It was her first time dealing with anything like this, so it was bound to be intimidating.
"Should I go with you?"
When I made the offer, Yoon Seolah's face instantly relaxed.
Her slightly furrowed brows smoothed out, and the crease between them vanished.
Her anxiously shaking pupils locked onto me, her eyes beginning to shine softly.
Her tightly closed lips parted naturally into a faint smile.
It seemed I had given her the best possible answer she could have hoped for.
"See you tomorrow."
Jeong Jisul waved gently with a bright smile.
Yoon Seolah waved back, keeping her eyes on him until he turned away.
He had said he would stop nearby because walking her all the way to her door might be burdensome, but...
"At this point..."
It wasn't just nearby; he had practically walked her right to her doorstep.
"Still, it feels nice."
It was the same feeling she'd had before.
Jeong Jisul's consideration always put people in a good mood.
"Whew..."
Entering her house, Yoon Seolah quickly shed her clothes and headed straight to the bathroom.
It was a small bathroom without a separate shower booth, but she was used to it, so it didn't bother her.
Turning on the hot water, she let it soak her body as she fell into a daze.
"I'm really lucky."
In Yoon Seolah's eyes, she was a lucky person.
She only had three friends, but those three were incredibly helpful in her life.
"Dain... always takes good care of me."
Jeong Jisul was the same.
Though they had only known each other for two months, his consideration and character were so outstanding that it almost felt like she had known his true nature all along.
And what about Choi Saeron?
If she hadn't worked so hard to start the band, an opportunity like this would never have existed.
"Then what about me?"
What could she do for her friends?
Yoon Seolah continued her thoughts as she washed off her makeup with cleansing oil.
Dain and Saeron...
They were girls, so it was easy to help them.
But what about Jeong Jisul?
There was nothing obvious she could help him with.
He was better at music than her, had better grades, and above all, he was a guy.
Since she had no idea what guys wanted, it was a difficult question to answer.
I want to repay him somehow.
Over the past two months, there had been so many moments of joy thanks to Jeong Jisul.
So she wanted him to feel happy because of her at least once.
That thought filled Yoon Seolah's mind.
Even after finishing her shower, the thought lingered.
And so, Yoon Seolah...
...Ah.
It seemed her friends didn't know much about Jeong Jisul either.
Just as Yoon Seolah's worries were about to deepen...
"...Soccer?"
If he liked soccer, should she buy him a ball?
"A ball... no."
Right, there were plenty of balls lying around at school.
"Oh."
Food.
She happened to have some Nigu gummies frozen to eat cold.
"I can just bring him these."
At the same time, in another house.
Kwon Dain, who had just finished her tutoring session and lay down on her bed, stared blankly at the DM window.
"..."
Her lips remained closed, but the corners of her mouth were slowly curving upward.
I...
I seem to know quite a lot about Jisul.
That confidence was the culprit behind her rising smile.
Then, a sudden thought made Kwon Dain flinch.
...I shouldn't be feeling proud of this.
"It's not like I like him..."
Not yet.
She wasn't at that stage yet, so why was she feeling proud?
"Of course, it's because I could help Seolah..."
Trying to rationalize it, Kwon Dain pressed the back of her hand against her burning cheek.
This sense of pride was not born from helping Yoon Seolah.
"Wait."
At that moment, a thought flashed through her mind.
"What if Seolah also has feelings for Jisul...?"
Was this what they called a love rival...?
"...Rival, my foot."
Kwon Dain quickly shook her head to dispel the stray thoughts.
After spending the night like that, Kwon Dain arrived at school the next morning.
"Morning, Seolah."
"Hey."
She greeted Yoon Seolah, who was the second to arrive.
"Hey."
She also greeted Jeong Jisul, who walked into the classroom shortly after.
"Oh, look at you. You're not sleeping?"
"I have something to give you."
"What is it?"
"Frozen Nigu gummies."
Watching the two of them converse, Dain realized something was wrong with her.
"Here."
"You brought the whole container? You must really like them."
"No, I just... brought them for you."
Jeong Jisul popped a gummy into his mouth.
"Oh, this is good. It's really sweet. The texture is nice and crunchy, too."
He followed up with a natural smile, thanking Yoon Seolah.
...This is wrong.
Because of that, Kwon Dain's mind was thrown into disarray.
Jealousy toward a friend is just wrong, Kwon Dain...!
It was because she felt a tiny, faint spark of jealousy toward Yoon Seolah.
At that moment, Yoon Seolah spoke to her.
"Do you have something to say?"