Chapter 70
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Shadowman (2)
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3 PM.
"Order 93, your iced Americano is ready."
Yujeong gave a friendly smile to the customer picking up their drink.
"Thank you. Enjoy!"
Kim Sujin, tidying up the tray beside her, asked,
"Not going?"
"I have to."
Yujeong checked the time on her phone.
Right on cue, a text popped up.
[Kim Minwoo] Waiting at the crosswalk by the intersection
[Choi Yujeong] OK
If she met up inside the cafe or waited outside, Sujin would obviously think something was up.
Yujeong quickly pocketed her phone.
The afternoon shift sister, who had just arrived and changed, smiled at Yujeong.
"Good work~"
"Yeah. See you."
Yujeong headed to the break room-cum-changing area and changed her clothes.
She checked her face in the mirror, turning her head side to side.
'Makeup... should I?'
She knew she looked pretty even without it.
But wouldn't it make her even prettier?
'And my clothes...'
Luckily, she'd worn jeans instead of her usual shorts today, so her bottom half was fine.
The top was the problem.
The baggy hoodie she wore at home or to the convenience store just didn't sit right.
She wanted to run home and change, but there wasn't time.
Plus, Kim Minwoo might think she was overdoing it for a non-date.
So she decided makeup was a must.
The issue was she sucked at it.
She knew that well.
And she didn't even have any tools.
'Ugh, seriously. What's with this sudden movie date?'
Still, excitement bloomed on Yujeong's face more than annoyance.
With no other choice, she poked her head out of the break room.
"Sujin."
It was a slow time, no customers around.
Sujin followed her in, and Yujeong asked,
"Got any tint or BB cream?"
"Out of nowhere?"
She opened her locker, pulled out her bag, and handed over what Yujeong asked for.
"Where... you going?"
The Yujeong Sujin knew only used lotion and sunscreen, nothing more.
Yet her skin was just as good as Sujin's, despite all the money Sujin dumped at the dermatologist. She felt a twinge of jealousy.
Yujeong answered awkwardly.
"Huh? Oh... just. That place... you know. The... movies."
She'd never been good at lying, especially not to her best friend Sujin. She spilled the truth.
"Movies? With who?"
"...Alone."
Yujeong went to the mirror and applied tint to her lips.
"Got a free ticket from some telecom promo..."
Sujin tilted her head.
"You use a cheap MVNO. They do that too?"
"Huh? Oh yeah. Switched carriers recently."
Yujeong smacked her lips in the mirror.
She handed back the tint, and Sujin passed her the BB cream.
Eye contact made Yujeong look away awkwardly.
As Yujeong applied it, Sujin quietly asked beside her,
"What movie?"
"Uh... Shadowman. Hero flick."
Figured it was fine to say what movie.
Sujin leaned against the locker.
"That's the one Minwoo likes."
"Kim Minwoo? He likes that? ...N-no idea."
Yujeong desperately kept a poker face.
She made sure not to avoid Sujin's eyes.
Sujin said,
"Minwoo's probably lazing at home anyway. Go watch with him. He'd make a great popcorn stand."
"Yeah? Whatever. ...No. Waste to buy his ticket."
Sujin chuckled.
"Why buy his? He can buy his own with his own eyes."
Yujeong handed back the BB cream.
"Movies are better alone anyway."
Sujin smiled faintly.
"Didn't know you had that hobby."
Yujeong checked the mirror one last time and asked Sujin,
"Looks okay?"
Sujin nodded.
Yujeong smiled in relief.
"Thanks. Heading out."
"Yeah. Have fun~"
Yujeong left the cafe.
Sujin, finishing up at the locker and back at the counter, heard from their coworker sister,
"Yujeong seems in a good mood? First time seeing her bolt out like that."
"Who knows. Off to meet a guy maybe."
The sister asked,
"She still seeing that boyfriend from back then?"
Meaning Kim Minwoo.
"Yeah, sorta."
Sujin nodded naturally, then stared blankly at the cafe door still swinging from Yujeong's exit.
Unconsciously, she pressed her tongue against the inside of her cheek.
Yujeong, jogging lightly out of the cafe, spotted me midway and slowed to a walk.
Red light.
She awkwardly came to stand beside me.
I stared openly at her face.
Yujeong fiddled with the back of her head awkwardly.
"Quit staring."
I asked,
"Lip tint?"
"Huh?"
"Nah, just looks different from usual."
"Can't I wear it, shithead?"
"No. Looks good. Suits you."
"Uh. What?"
Light turned green.
I started walking first, and Yujeong hurried to match my pace beside me.
We walked silently for about five minutes.
As we entered the building with the theater, Yujeong spoke up.
"Hey. Told Sujin I'm watching alone. So act like you haven't seen this movie. Got it?"
"How'd that come up? Ah. Borrowing tint, huh."
"Shit, dude. You know I suck at lying."
I muttered like to myself,
"Wasn't yours, huh."
Meaning why bother with borrowed tint?
Yujeong whipped her head toward me but said nothing.
The elevator filled with people as we got on.
Probably heading to the same screening time.
In the corner, Yujeong hunched up to keep her chest from brushing the guy in front.
After hearing guys make pervy jokes about her jiggling chest, she'd even quit track, which she was good at.
Maybe that's why she'd been putting off paizuri too.
Elevator arrived, people got off.
The newly opened theater smelled faintly of butter and popcorn.
I asked Yujeong,
"Want something?"
"Me? Just water..."
Yujeong looked intimidated by the theater vibe.
"I'll grab stuff. Wait here."
I nodded at the sofa in the middle of the lobby.
Yujeong ignored me and trotted after.
I printed our tickets at the kiosk, then ordered a popcorn and two-cola combo at the drink stand.
"Um, can I swap one cola for a non-carbonated?"
"All our drinks are carbonated..."
Yujeong tugged my shirt and cut in,
"Whatever, dude. Just colas."
"Got it."
We waited a bit and got our popcorn and colas.
I carried the drinks, Yujeong the popcorn.
She popped one in her mouth.
I asked,
"Good?"
"Decent."
We headed straight up to the screening rooms.
Ads were playing.
"K 15 16"
We found our seats.
Way fewer people than expected.
Theaters weren't doing great lately, and it was a weekday afternoon.
Plus a dying franchise, so even emptier.
Yujeong leaned toward me.
"Hey. Those elevator people must be for other movies."
I nodded, and she whispered,
"Movie must suck. Heh."
Yujeong looked thrilled, sucky movie or not.
Theater had maybe under ten including us.
We were center-back, closest other viewer five rows down.
Close your eyes a sec and it felt private.
"Hey, hold this."
Yujeong shoved the popcorn at me and slurped her cola straw.
Movie started.
Once it began, I thought,
'Boring as hell.'
Feeling the flop vibes, I glanced at Yujeong.
She held popcorn mid-mouth, eyes glued to the screen.
'Oh. Her thing?'
I trashed the movie in my head while munching popcorn.
Her hand reaching for popcorn on my lap every so often was more fun than the film.
Our hands brushed in the bucket now and then, but after all our hookups, it wasn't heart-pounding.
Then, a bit later.
No hand from her side for a while, so I turned to look.
"Huuuuh—"
Yujeong had her head back on the seat, mouth agape, asleep.
...Yeah.
Of course she'd crash.
8-hour shift from morning, then this sleeping-pill snoozer.
Just wish she didn't snore softly.
I poked her arm.
Still soft nasal sounds.
Mischief struck; I plugged her nostrils with my finger.
"Guhk."
She jolted awake, rubbing her eyes.
She smacked my arm.
"Die."
I giggled and slurped some cola.
Yujeong leaned toward me.
I tilted my ear; she whispered,
"Why's the movie like this."
"...?"
"No momma?"
Meaning it had no roots.
I nodded in agreement with her spot-on critique.
Yujeong whispered again,
"Better memorizing English words right now."
I chuckled.
"Tomorrow's not all memorized yet?"
"Done."
"Already?"
Yujeong pulled her vocab book from one hoodie pocket.
Then breathed hot and teasing into my ear.
"Wanna check?"