A Late-Night Phone Call -1-
We hung out coolly at the book cafe until the sun lost its edge, then headed out for dinner. For the record, our dinner was burgers. Ji-ah noona pouted a bit that something pricier would've been fine too, but she happily went along with burgers anyway.
We took our time polishing them off, grabbed takeout coffee for after, and by then it was past 8 p.m. Even with summer's long days, it was plenty late for the sun to have set.
"Feels like the sun set extra early today..."
"Yeah. The day's flown by."
Ji-ah noona fiddled with the watch on her wrist, sounding a little wistful. I nodded in agreement. It'd been ages since I'd had a full day of fun like this, so yeah, time had flown subjectively fast.
Honestly, the only person I could think of to hang out with this casually one-on-one was Lee Yoon-ju. But now Ji-ah noona's on that list too!
"...Hey, Jae-hyun."
"Yeah?"
On the way to the bus stop, Ji-ah noona paused and called my name. She'd been glancing around restlessly, unable to settle her gaze, but she took a deep breath, let it out, and mustered her usual calm tone.
"Want me to walk you home? It's dark out, and it'd be risky for a guy to go alone."
I blinked for a second—what?—but got it right away. Oh, right. No way a woman from my past life would say that, but in this reverse world, it was standard courtesy.
Under the streetlamp's glow on the dim street, shadows softened Ji-ah noona's face. Maybe that's why her tense expression felt oddly dramatic, like she was steeling herself for battle.
"You sure? You must be tired too."
Her shadowed face lit up instantly. ...Seriously, if she had dog ears and a tail right now, it'd fit perfectly without a hitch. She looked so thrilled, like I'd just invited her on a walk—made me feel all warm and fuzzy too, though a bit embarrassed. What's got her so happy over this?
......Wait, does this noona like me or something?
The thought flashed through my mind, but I couldn't commit to it. Come on, this is the reverse world! It wasn't just roles swapped—men were rare here. Unless a guy was ugly or a total jerk, he got welcomed, respected, and favored by default.
So even a stunning beauty like Ji-ah noona was probably just being extra careful with me because I'm a 'guy.'
"Jae-hyun? If you don't want to, it's fine to say no. Okay?"
Ah, I'd zoned out too long. Thinking I'd been forcing a yes, she waved her hands in a panic.
"No, I don't mind. Just spaced out for a sec. Today was really fun."
Yoon Jae-hyun, you've been a total loner your whole life, past and present—don't get ahead of yourself. No drinking the kimchi soup yet.
Anyway, taxis seemed scarce here—maybe detour to the main road? As I pondered, I spotted a bus alert: one straight to my place arriving soon.
Oh, bus might be quicker. I mentioned it to Ji-ah noona, and she said yeah, let's wait a bit and take it.
"You seem sensitive to the heat. We can take it slow."
She smiled shyly, bashful. Such a considerate, kind person. She expressed goodwill and fondness so purely. No ulterior motives or desires—it was refreshing!
"Okay, let's wait a bit for the bus then."
It came a little early. I strode to the back door, spotting empty seats side by side, and claimed one. I patted the empty spot next to me playfully with a grin. Ji-ah noona burst out laughing—pfft!—and plopped down beside me.
Playing together today must've made her more comfy around me. Felt pretty proud. Nearby women were shooting her looks—half envy, half jealousy. Ji-ah noona noticed but seemed to enjoy it more than anything, smirking like hah! Her smug face was cute, so I pretended not to notice.
-2-
I figured we'd part at the bus stop, but Ji-ah noona clearly wanted to walk me all the way home, so we did without a word.
"Thanks for seeing me home. Today was great."
"No biggie. It's the least I could do."
She scratched her cheek, awkward, like she had more to say. But she slipped back into her usual composed, mature smile and brushed it off.
"You must be beat. Get some rest. I'll head out."
"You too—be safe getting home. Text me when you arrive?"
"Pfft. Got it. Night~"
I watched her go, then headed into the apartment complex.
I popped into the discount ice cream shop in the complex's shops. Cooled off in the AC while loading up a basket with summer must-haves.
Swinging the heavy bag of ice cream, I got home to the cool air from the pre-turned-on AC. Haaah, AC is the best. Willis Carrier—no, Wilma Carrier noona here. Anyway, hail Carrier!
I tossed my phone on the bed, grabbed pajamas and undies, and showered. Fresh out, I toweled my wet hair dry while checking the phone.
Right after I went in, Ji-ah noona had messaged: home safe, rest well, no worries.
Replying... felt iffy? She's probably showering and resting too. Don't wanna keep her up with more chats out of politeness. Yeah, leave it.
Finished drying my hair, flopped onto the bed. Cozy sheets, cool AC, soft chill blankets—perfect sleep trifecta.
"Haaah~"
Even mostly indoors, a hot day out all day had worn me down. Body went limp, eyelids heavy—then my phone rang.
Whoa! Shit! Jump scare. Nearly asleep, the ring jolted me awake like a seizure.
"Wha—Ji-ah noona?"
What's up this late? I cleared my groggy throat and answered.
"Noona? Everything okay?"
"Yeah, just... can't sleep. Did I wake you?"
I wasn't some heartless reverse-world jerk to snap, "Yep, so if nothing's up, bye." No way.
"Nah. Just showered and hit the bed. You?"
"Same. Lay down to sleep, but... y'know. Thought of you. First time hanging out with a guy that fun and easy."
She laughed softly, shy. Fair. First time besides Yoon-ju that I'd had such easy fun with a girl.
"Me too. Time flew faster than usual."
"Right? So fun. Food was yummy too."
"Glad it suited you. Next time, your fave spot."
"Oh yeah? And you'll buy?"
"Obviously. Dessert's on you though."
She giggled, "Can't win with you." Rustling sheets—she shifting?
"Deal."
Her voice was warm, relaxed.
"Oh, picky with spices. No allergies, but strong smells are out."
Southeast Asian or Chinese with heavy spices? Nope. Indian curry meh. Chinese, prefer Korean-adapted over authentic. Curry too—Japanese-style over others.
"Noted. What do you like then?"
"Nothing specific. Go for gukbap or baekban when stuck."
"Tough tastes for a guy."
By this world's standards, yeah. Past life? Totally average dude palate.
"Oh yeah—that mystery novel at the book cafe? I can lend similar if you want. Same author has more."
"Perfect for next cafe visit! I'll get cookies."
"No need."
The sudden call flowed naturally, stretched long. Fave foods, fun movies/books, recent tunes—stream of consciousness chat.
"Haaah~"
Phone warming up, fatigue hit—yawn.
"S-sorry. Tired? Hang up?"
"No, I'm good. You sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine? Girl powers~"
"Tiredness doesn't care about gender."
"Pfft! Jae-hyun, your voice is all slurry. Sleepy—go to bed. 'Kay?"
Coaxing me like a kid. Felt patronized, pouted—but voice call, she couldn't see.
"Noona. I'm 20. Not 2!"
"Heehee. Cute."
"Not cute!"
Bickering woke me a bit, but soon eyes drooped slow. Ji-ah noona caught on, voice softening to a gentle murmur.
"Mmm... sooo... the boss... haam."
Lulled by her voice, I conked out phone in hand.
"Night, Jae-hyun. Thanks for today."
In my doze, I swear she said something... super tender and warm...
-3-
Next morning, alarm woke me as usual. Half-asleep, showered—then it hit: fell asleep mid-call with Ji-ah noona last night.
"Oh crap."
Didn't mumble weird stuff in sleep, did I? Wait—no, she said she wasn't tired, we'd chat more, then I just... passed out? Face burned with shame.
Embarrassing or not, had to check. Sent in a panic—reply quick.
Text, but I could see her giggling. Wanna crawl into a hole. No clue why, but mortified AF!
Aaaah!!! Done for!!!
-4-
The early-morning KakaoTalk made Seo Ji-ah's lips curve naturally upward. She vividly recalled last night: him insisting he wasn't tired, wanting to chat more, holding out till he finally dozed off peacefully.
A tad creepy, but she regretted not recording it—that adorable sleep-talk was replay-worthy! His soft snores, sleepy mumbles—all etched in memory.
"Ha. Crazy. What do I do?"
Idol-level handsome, fresh and kind personality matching hers perfectly. Tall, toned from workouts. Every girl's dream guy. Freshly 20 too. Seven-year gap? His bright eyes, spring-sun smile and voice calling "noona~" so sweetly—heart-melting. And it was pure, genuine—no schemes. Lethal.
"Pfft! No way. How could I forget."
No video, but she pictured his red face, him squirming. Seo Ji-ah wondered if she'd ever had a morning this joyful. Laughter unstoppable—perfect start to a happy day.