Chapter 17
Cody was a success.
Was it because of the cold impression I gave off, or was it the gloomy vibe from wearing all black?
People couldn’t even approach me to start a conversation.
But one thing I overlooked was:
People could only not talk to me.
“That dog is so pretty…”
“Go get their number!”
“Are they a model?”
If that’s the case, just speak up already!
Nah, this is still better than someone actually talking to me.
Dealing with people was still a burdensome task.
The gazes directed at me were intensely uncomfortable.
The bus headed to my destination was packed with people.
It wasn’t even rush hour on a weekday, yet every seat was taken.
Maybe there were just more people out on the weekend.
My unnecessarily sensitive senses picked up even the faintest whispers.
People could only not talk to me, but their eyes never left me.
Men or women, it didn’t matter.
My fingertips started to tremble a bit.
This wasn’t the response I intended, but my body was reacting.
Had Ji-eun felt suffocated by this kind of attention?
I clenched my trembling hand tightly.
Sunday afternoon at 5.
Ji-yeon’s place wasn’t far from Ji-eun’s house in the bustling district.
She said she’d wait at a nearby cafe, but with so many buildings packed together, it was hard to find.
Where should I go?
While relying on a phone app to find the cafe where Ji-yeon was, I felt a gaze from somewhere.
Much stickier and persistent than the gazes on the bus.
Is this a stalker?
Through a few outings, I had learned the status of Ji-eun’s appearance.
Looks equate to power.
This violent and unreasonable beauty can easily capture anyone’s affection.
But I had no idea how that love might be warped.
Unrequited love usually ends up being hard.
That’s also why one-sided love is tough.
It’s weird to have someone just like that while loving me on their own, but well,
There are all kinds of people in the world.
It wasn’t that strange for a stalker to be attached to someone like Ji-eun.
In this case, was beauty a double-edged sword?
But I didn’t think they’d do something blatantly rough on a main road.
It was just a matter of going to the cafe and joining Ji-yeon.
Usually, these types target women who are alone.
So I was focused on the map app, trying to make it to the cafe while keeping my head down.
Behind me, the sound of footsteps sped up,
And a shadow fell over my screen.
“Excuse me… can I help you? You look like you’re lost.”
I looked up to see the owner of the voice.
It was a woman with a puppy-like impression.
I had to look up a bit since she was taller than me, and she was smiling gently at me.
What’s with this person?
Is this a stalker?
The image of the stalker I had in my head was nothing like this.
With her kind demeanor, neat attire, and a shyness that kept her from meeting my eyes,
It looked like the gaze I’d felt had disappeared, so maybe it was her I’d suspected.
But it was just so mismatched.
Those blinking eyes seemed filled with genuine desire to help.
Did I misjudge?
Maybe Ji-eun’s sensitive senses had overreacted.
I decided to throw my doubts aside and looked at the woman in front of me.
The woman appeared slightly dejected when I didn’t respond right away.
Yet she didn’t immediately back off; she just rolled her eyes nervously.
Ji-eun’s impression, when kindly put, was tough to approach.
She seemed prickly and cold.
It probably wasn’t easy to strike up a conversation.
That girl mustered enough courage to offer help.
Refusing wouldn’t be polite, right?
“Yeah, I’m trying to get here.”
I showed her my phone screen with the cafe’s location.
“Oh, I see. You’re going to that cafe. That place is great! Yeah, this area is so winding, finding the way can be—”
The woman regained her spirit, rambling excitedly as if nothing had happened.
She looked just like a puppy wagging its tail, which made me smile.
Woof woof!
“Where are you…?”
Ji-yeon quietly mumbled at the cafe.
5:10 PM.
Ten minutes had passed since the appointment time.
Some might say it’s just ten minutes and to stay calm.
Ji-yeon wasn’t the type to be anxious, so she could laugh it off if she was late by that much.
However, this time felt a bit different.
She wasn’t upset about her sister being late;
It was more of anxiety.
Ji-yeon reprimanded herself for not going to meet her sister at the bus stop.
Knowing how unstable her sister was,
Not stopping her from coming alone was her first mistake.
When she received a text that said she didn’t need to come out because she was on her way, not going was her second mistake.
The text had stopped coming, and with no contact, her anxiety was growing.
Getting late was just adding to that anxiety.
‘If I’d known this would happen, I should have gone to get her myself.’
Her sister had agoraphobia.
What if she was huddled on the road, crying in fear?
What if she came out and then went back inside because she got scared?
She might’ve even grown tired of making such an appointment with me.
Ji-yeon’s mind raced with various thoughts.
Last time she visited, her sister seemed okay, so she had let her guard down.
Her sister had struggled a lot since that incident.
Should she go to get her now?
Ji-yeon was pacing back and forth, unsure of what to do, feeling like a parent who’d left their child unattended by the water.
At that moment, the cafe door swung open, and two women came in.
The one who walked in first had an innocent smile as she guided the woman behind her.
Maybe the first woman was pretty; some people unconsciously turned their attention to the entrance.
And then they saw her.
The woman who followed had long, flowing hair that danced in the wind.
Everyone thought the beautiful, flowing hair was due to the wind outside.
This woman seemed not too pleased, flipping her hair around.
She wore all black and had contrasting snow-white skin.
The graceful neck revealed by her flying hair made her look even more beautiful, but her expression was slightly furrowed.
Was something bothering her?
She already had a cold impression, but frowning made her look even harder to approach.
She seemed like a proud, prickly woman who wouldn’t permit anyone to come near her.
Her furrowed brow was not relaxing any time soon.
She silently scanned the cafe, as if searching for someone.
And people soon realized that their guess was right.
“Ji-yeon.”
Her stiff face lit up brightly.
A small smile bloomed like flowers blooming in spring.
Because of that cold-eyed expression, it was hard to imagine her smiling.
Maybe it was the unexpected change in her expression that elicited gasps from those around.
“Wow…”
Ji-yeon was just as surprised.
She momentarily lost herself in the sight of her sister, then snapped back to reality.
“You’re here? Come sit.”
Ji-yeon walked up and guided her sister to a seat.
But her sister wasn’t alone.
She was accompanied by the woman who had guided her in earlier.
The one who had looked like a fish out of water just now.
“Who’s this?” Ji-yeon asked.
Is she a friend? But she hadn’t mentioned anything.
When Ji-yeon asked, her older sister pondered for a moment before answering.
“Um… a stalker?”
“A stalker?”
Ji-yeon’s eyes widened as if she’d heard something she shouldn’t have and stared at the uninvited guest.
The uninvited guest shook her head vigorously, stuttering.
“No, I’m not a stalker!”
“Hey, that’s not something you just throw around.”
“Sorry, I thought it’d be funny.”
I also didn’t know she had a habit of teasing others.
Watching those big eyes change to surprise was incredibly entertaining.
When I chuckled, all misunderstandings cleared up.
“I met her up front; she helped me find my way.”
“Yeah, right… I thought you were lost.”
The woman seemed somehow drained, perhaps from having borne the burden of being misunderstood as a stalker and receiving Ji-yeon’s fierce gaze.
However, even after the misunderstanding was cleared, Ji-yeon didn’t drop her suspicious look.
“I appreciate you bringing my sister to the cafe, but what are you doing with her?”
Whenever it involves me, the younger sister reacts sensitively.
Her tone was sharp but hit the nail on the head.
If your purpose was just to help with directions, you wouldn’t have smoothly joined us here.
The woman glanced nervously at me, shifting in discomfort, only stealing quick glances.
Whenever our eyes met, she’d panic and look away.
Anyone could tell she had something to say.
What could it be?
Now I was curious myself.
As my persistent gaze locked onto her, she gasped and opened her mouth.
“Um, well… mmm…”
I slowly gazed at her, urging her to take her time, and the woman, who had turned red, finally spoke.
“Could you please be my model?”
A model…?