Narrow Escape and Extended Stay
At that moment, the realization hit me that cohabitation was utterly screwed, and I suddenly hated Seo Haneul. Why the hell did she have to call Yujia here too? They must've had their own group. I let out a silent sigh and said, “Then go meet Seo Haneul. I've got stuff to do.”
“..What kind?”
“Personal stuff. Hard to talk about.”
At that point, Yujia stopped prying. Sure, she gave me a suspicious look for a second, but that was it.
Creak—
Yujia headed into the pork belly joint, and moments later, I slipped in through another door on the opposite side. The place was massive, with entrances all over.
'At least they've almost finished eating. Lucky.'
They hadn't ordered more booze, and the food was nearly gone. Yuu was happily buzzed too. I'd been wondering when to make my move, but with Yujia showing up right then, it was perfect timing to wrap things up.
“Sino-san..!”
Yuu was grinning to herself, pleasantly tipsy. What a relief. I would've felt terrible if she hadn't enjoyed it, but here she was, having a blast. Feeling reassured, I said cautiously, “Time to go. It'll get risky if we stay longer.”
“Ah.. Yeah.”
Yuu eyed her soju and food with a hint of regret but soon shook it off and stood up.
*
Beep beep beep—Creak—
I unlocked the apartment door first and ushered in Yuu, who was still riding high on good vibes.
“Hehe..”
I figured the fresh air outside would've sobered her up a bit, but the cold breeze seemed to make the alcohol hit harder. What the hell? Doesn't it usually wear off? My head throbbed faintly as I guided the wobbly Yuu to the mattress I'd prepped earlier and laid her down. I'd already taken off the shirt I'd put on her earlier so it wouldn't bother her in her sleep.
“Hentai.. Sino-san..”
Yuu kept mumbling weird stuff, but I didn't need to pay it any mind. She was just messing around, as usual. No point responding to every little thing. I brushed off her nonsense and wiped the sweat from my forehead.
In the cramped apartment, the quiet air mixed with Yuu's steady breathing and the sweet scent of booze. Her hair splayed messily across the mattress on the floor. The tension from nearly bumping into Yujia finally ebbed away, leaving my legs feeling weak.
“Ah.. I was way too stressed.”
I pulled the blanket up from her feet, covering her chest. Half-asleep or still drunk, Yuu curled up contentedly, hugging it close. A dry laugh escaped me at her innocent display. She'd caused such a scene outside, flustering me to no end, and now here she was, blissfully prepping for bed like it was nothing.
I plopped down on the desk chair and gazed at her quietly. Under the light, Yuu's face was a bit redder than usual, her eyelashes trembling faintly. Suddenly, the chill from almost running into Yujia at the BBQ place resurfaced. If we'd been caught there together, this peaceful silence would've been replaced by total chaos right now.
'Don't think about it.'
I shook my head to clear the thoughts. What mattered was that we hadn't been busted, and Yuu had a great time today. I uncapped the water bottle next to my laptop, took a swig, then reached for the wall switch to turn off the lights. My head already ached thinking about how to handle this mess come morning, but for now, I was content with nothing having gone wrong.
'It worked out pretty well, all things considered.'
If Yujia and Yuu had crossed paths there, she could've easily pieced together that I was Sino. Dodging that was pure luck. If my Sino identity got exposed? I'd seriously consider dropping out of school. With those scattered thoughts, I slowly closed my eyes.
*
Chirp chirp—
“Ugh…”
Clutching my pounding head, I sat up to see Yuu zipping around the room energetically. Was it the booze from last night, or the mental strain of dodging Yujia? Rubbing my throbbing temples, I propped myself up. Yuu looked way more lively than yesterday, bustling about—packing her stuff? Or prepping to bolt?
“...Yuu, you're up early?”
My voice made her shoulders jump visibly. Without turning, she mechanically zipped her bag and replied in a pitch higher than usual. “Ah, Sino-san..! You're awake..? Hehe..”
The girl who'd normally tease me was plastered against the wall, avoiding my gaze. Flashes of last night flickered by. Calling me 'Hentai Sino-san,' asking if I didn't want to tease her pale, slender neck. She'd spouted all that embarrassing crap so innocently. Now that she was sober, those memories must be screaming in her head.
“What've you been frantically looking for since earlier?”
“Ah, thaaat..”
Komai Rito. Yuu's mentor and a giant in Japan's manga world. It was time for the real reason he'd delegated this project fully to her and sent her to Korea.
Yuu pulled a fancy folder from deep in her bag and handed it over. Her face was still apple-red, but her hand was steady and serious.
Tap tap.
She whipped out her phone, typed a long message, and passed it to me.
It was a hefty message.
'Better not mess this up. Precision is key here.'
Using the translator was more accurate than verbal back-and-forth. With that in mind, I opened the folder Yuu had given me.
Slide—
Inside was a detailed proposal for the project. We'd already agreed verbally to collaborate, but seeing it formalized hit different—heavy.
“Main focus is the single-volume cover design, huh.”
Yuu fidgeted with her fingers as she typed rapidly. No trace of her usual playfulness. She was clearly crafting each sentence meticulously to not let down her mentor, Komai Rito.
'Can't blame her.'
This was Komai Rito, after all. A living legend in the industry, treated like an elder. And her personal teacher? Slacking off would be weirder.
Over-the-top praise that felt too much for me. Meanwhile, Yuu still couldn't meet my eyes straight while I skimmed the docs. Last night's drunken ramblings must be haunting her.
The room filled only with the rustle of flipping pages. Yuu wiggled her toes awkwardly, trying to shake off the tension. Her sneaky glances at me were like a puppy facing its owner after a major screw-up. Where was the girl clutching my shirt last night, chanting 'hentai'? Now she was all huddled up, ears flushed—kinda cute, honestly.
The proposal was way more extensive than I'd thought. Komai Rito wasn't settling for just a cover; he wanted me handling every fine detail.
Sip.
How much faith does he have in me? One slip-up and I'm toast. Kneading the stress ball on my desk like it owed me money, I noticed Yuu blushing even harder beside me—probably imagining something weird again.
No, what the hell are you thinking right now? Real pervert—
Right then—
Ding!
Yuu's phone buzzed. “Hmm..?” She stared at the screen blankly, then— “Ah..?”
With an incomprehensible sigh, she glanced at me with her flushed face and hesitantly handed over the phone.
Ah. Sudden.