Shin Hari's Story
I never cared much for people when I was young. In elementary school I wasn't popular at all. Red eyes. The other kids teased me, calling them scary or saying I looked like a demon, and the only ones around me were those who avoided me, so popularity was nonexistent. The color of my eyes couldn't be changed, after all. I did resent the children who bullied me simply for being different, but I eventually let it go.
Every day was the same—friendless, nothing but studying—and that was how I graduated elementary school.
My parents, who only wanted my happiness, moved to a new place. They believed another neighborhood would be different. I thought it might be, but a part of me was convinced my daily life would remain unchanged.
That was the middle school I entered. When everyone still looked at me with discomfort, I met Seolah, who loved taking photos.
"Wow. Your eyes are really beautiful. Can I take just one picture?"
The stares from others stayed the same. Still, the fact that someone was approaching me made me happy in a way I hadn't expected.
"Were they red from birth?"
"Yes."
"Oh, you smiled. Stay like that. I'm taking the photo."
That's how Seolah and I grew close, and we spent every day together after that. When I was with her, I could smile and feel genuinely happy.
One day, curiosity got the better of me and I asked, "Seolah, why do you hang out with me?"
"Huh? What kind of question is that?"
"All the other kids avoid me."
Even with my looks, to the girls I was nothing but an object of jealousy and envy. So why did Seolah stay by my side?
"I think your red eyes are pretty, but even if they weren't, I'd still like you as a person. Does that make sense?"
The girl who usually only spoke innocently about taking photos had answered me so seriously that something inside my heart shifted. It felt lighter, easier.
"Yeah. I understand."
I believed Seolah and I could stay together for the rest of our lives.
I still had no interest in boys, so I turned down every guy who came from other high schools. "Hari, why don't you try finding your own happiness?"
The kids were simply avoiding me. When my mother said that to me—someone who still only spent time with Seolah—I thought hard but nothing came to mind. If anything, it was money. With money I could go anywhere and do anything. The easiest path to that was studying.
At school I stayed close with Seolah and studied. In the evenings I worked part-time to earn money. I felt sorry for my parents who worried about me so much, so I wanted to become independent. I wanted to make enough that they wouldn't have to concern themselves with me anymore.
After the college entrance exam, Seolah and I both got into the university we wanted. I was thrilled, but that was when I realized studying wasn't a quick way to make money.
What I came up with then was simple.
"Seolah. Want to start a business with me?"
"Huh? A business?"
"Yeah."
Business. The best way to earn money, but also the hardest to succeed at.
"Won't it be difficult?"
"I can do it."
I was confident. Confident that I would succeed no matter what it took. Seolah must have read that determination in my voice, because she answered seriously.
"What kind of business?"
"An online shopping mall. I've already prepared almost everything."
With the money I'd saved in high school, my mind, Seolah's mind, and the right model, success was more than possible.
"What should I do?"
"Just bring me one model."
"...You know that's an absurd request, right?"
After entering university, balancing classes, running the business, and recruiting part-time models, a year passed.
"I brought someone amazing."
Seolah grumbled but truly brought a modeling talent with her, boasting about how incredible he was.
"Hello..."
A boy with pure white hair unlike anyone else. Gu Yeonwoo. Our first meeting was pure coincidence.
"Nice to meet you. You're Yeonwoo, right?"
He really was perfect. The ideal height, physique, and face for modeling. Not a single flaw. Since I was already earning decent money, I worked with Yeonwoo for a full month. Seolah photographed him in the clothes while I managed the online mall.
Strangely, I felt no distance with Yeonwoo. Before I knew it I wanted to get closer to him. We even went on a few short dates. I don't know how he felt about it, but I bought him clothes and treated him to meals. We never visited a café together, so I only recently learned he likes sweet things.
We met every day while I wore sunglasses. One day I asked the quiet Yeonwoo, "Yeonwoo, if I had red eyes, what would you think?"
"Red eyes?"
"Yes."
Staring straight at my sunglasses, he answered, "I don't care if you have red eyes or not, boss. I just like you as a person, so I enjoy talking and spending time with you."
It was the same thing Seolah had once told me.
"Boss?"
Thump!
While I stood there dazed, Yeonwoo approached with a worried expression and my heart began to race. What was this feeling? It was beating so fast it felt completely out of control.
"...Never mind. You can go home for today."
"Understood. Good work."
I couldn't even think to ask Seolah about it. After that day I kept my sunglasses on. If what he'd said turned out to be a lie, the wound would be unbearable.
I realized this emotion was love exactly one month later.
"I'm enlisting."
Yeonwoo's shocking words woke me up.
"...What?!"
"I'm leaving for the military next month."
"...Can't you avoid it?"
"It's already been decided."
The firm nod that said he wouldn't change his mind made my chest ache.
"I'm sorry."
"...No. It's something you have to do anyway."
A month later, Yeonwoo left. The pain was overwhelming. Just thinking about him made my heart race as if he were right beside me, yet I wouldn't be able to see him starting tomorrow. I wanted to stay with him forever. I missed him so much I thought I would go insane.
"Ah..."
With my heart feeling like it was shrinking, I finally understood this was love. I wanted to see Yeonwoo's face flush red. I wanted to tease him. I wanted to live the kind of life where Seolah took photos like always. The reason was simple. Because I liked him.
While Yeonwoo was gone I took a leave of absence. Rather than forcing myself through classes I had no interest in, I decided to grow the business instead. I expanded our domestic operation overseas. That was why I'd studied English so hard from the beginning.
It wasn't easy at first, but without Yeonwoo I could focus solely on work, and that focus led to success.
Two years. That was how long I hadn't seen him. He was still in my heart, but with no contact it seemed he wasn't ready yet. Was it because I hadn't shown him my eyes? The thought hurt for no reason at all.
Unlike me, Seolah hadn't taken a leave and had already graduated. I went to her to vent and ask for advice.
"I like Yeonwoo."
"I know."
Her knowing was a small shock, but then she said, "Yeonwoo's attending your university now, so do your best."
With Seolah's words I decided to start our relationship from the very beginning. Approaching him as his boss would only burden him; becoming the campus goddess would be better. If the girl everyone treated as a goddess approached him, surely Yeonwoo would open his heart to me too.
However...
"The white-haired first-year, Gu Yeonwoo, is mine."
I spread rumors and laid the groundwork so no one else would dare touch him.
"We're already dating."
Thoroughly. When the goddess herself spoke so firmly, no one would dare approach him. They could call it obsession if they wanted. For me, it had to be Yeonwoo or nothing.
On the day we shared one class, I walked up to Yeonwoo under everyone's eyes. The face I hadn't seen in so long was unchanged. Still handsome, still cool, still cute. That pure look that hadn't learned a single bad habit.
Thump!
My heart pounded. I spent happy time looking into his eyes.
"This is my real number."
I gave him my personal phone number instead of the business one. Since I couldn't fully read his feelings, I slowly seduced him with my words, teased him just enough that he wouldn't dislike it. After making plans I waited with a fluttering heart, and the day passed in a flash.
On Saturday at the café, when the waitress seemed interested in Yeonwoo, I took his hand and smiled, showing him off. The way his ears turned red when I held his hand, and how he kept his head down all the way home, was too adorable. I could barely hold myself back.
I had worried he might suspect something from seeing so many clothes in his size at my place, but instead I got to see his jealousy, which was wonderful. His focused expression while studying was incredibly attractive, and I loved the way his eyes would drift to my neckline, my chest, my eyes. It made me happy to know he was looking at me not as a boss or a senior, but as a woman. That gaze, so different from everyone else's, brought me pure joy.
After studying I called Seolah.
"Seolah, call Yeonwoo over for me at one tomorrow."
"Why, are you confessing now?"
"Yes."
"Got it."
Hearing Yeonwoo's voice from outside, I confirmed Seolah had done as I asked and left the room. Teasing Yeonwoo, who wore an expression like he'd done something he shouldn't have, made me incredibly happy.
Look forward to it.
After sending Yeonwoo off and meeting the company presidents as scheduled, I returned home and fell asleep looking forward to the next day.
"..."
I fell for him all over again because he listened attentively to even my boring stories until the very end.
"Yeonwoo."
"...Yes."
I wanted to confess properly, so I told him everything except the direct words "I like you, let's date."
"Let's go on a date."
Date. Three words I'd never spoken before. If he accepted, I could finally confess my true feelings.
"...Sounds good."
Seeing you nod, understanding what it meant, I felt we could move to the next stage. From boss to senior. From senior to noona. From noona to girlfriend. You like me, and I like you too. Right?
It sounds like something out of a novel, unbelievable. Two years ago I didn't know your heart and couldn't even dream of reaching for it. I still haven't fully claimed your heart yet, but I want it. Yeonwoo.