Chapter 27
“Something about Seo-ha noona wearing this meat restaurant uniform feels really fresh. Maybe it’s because she has the vibe of a successful career woman.”
“Uju! Who is this? She’s so pretty…!”
“Wait, there’s such a pretty person around Kang Woo-joo? Why haven’t you mentioned her until now?”
As expected, Park Jae-seong and his partner’s eyes widened in surprise the moment they saw Seo-ha noona, and they rushed to ask about my detailed relationship with her.
I mean, while Yoo Na-yeon might be unaware, Park Jae-seong has known me since elementary school, so his astonishment must be twice as great.
Can you believe there’s such a pretty person around a loner like me? Honestly, I couldn’t believe it myself.
“She’s my noona who watches my broadcasts regularly and we became close after meeting a few times recently. Her name is Ryu Seo-ha, and she’s two years older than us.”
“Hello, I’m Ryu Seo-ha. I was going to pretend I didn’t notice and not interrupt your conversation, but I’m sorry for butting in.”
With my introduction, she greeted them with a clean and perfect line and smiled softly.
I always feel like noona must have been educated somewhere on how to speak because her eloquence is off the charts. It’s a skill I truly envy as someone who clumsily interacts with others.
“Interrupt? Not at all, unnie! I’m just so happy to meet someone as pretty as you!”
After finishing the introductions, Yoo Na-yeon raised her hand and argued against noona’s words.
Speaking of which, that girl really loved pretty people.
According to her, she longs for things she doesn’t have, so when she first saw my noona, she was speechless and quickly became close.
In a way, she has such a simple character.
“By the way, how did you end up here, noona?”
“Ah… to be honest, I know the new owner here. They said they suddenly needed help, so I’m just here for a few days…”
Noona answered while avoiding my gaze, showing a hint of anxiety.
Now that I think about it, Yoo Na-yeon said the owner changed. And with a few employees leaving, it makes sense that there’d be a gap to fill urgently.
It reminds me of the Twip Party back then.
“Noona, if you’re not too busy, want to eat some meat with us? They gave us way too much as a service, and the three of us can’t finish it anyway.”
Since the restaurant was kind of empty, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to invite noona to join us. If she says she can’t because of work, then no big deal.
“Is that okay? I feel like it might be rude…”
“Oh please, it’s not rude at all! I’m sure they’d be happy to have someone like you!”
“Right, unnie! Meat is always better when shared with more people!”
“I agree.”
Surprisingly, noona, who seemed hesitant earlier, looked like she actually wanted to join in on the conversation with us.
Then, with our collective persuasion, Seo-ha noona glanced towards the kitchen at the back of the table as if waiting for some approval.
I guess since it’s not a break time, even though she’s meeting a friend, it’s hard for her to join. But I couldn’t just ask the owner for her to join, that would be too much.
Just as I was lost in thought, the owner, a sturdy figure, came out from the kitchen and spoke up first.
“Director… ah, I mean Seo-ha! Since there are no guests, take a break and eat with your friends! Enjoy the meat!”
“Really? Thank you so much!”
“Wow, the owner seems really nice.”
It’s surprising that the owner is giving this kind of consideration to an employee, but it’s equally impressive that noona accepts it without a hint of being flustered. Normally, people would show at least a bit of gratitude in such situations.
Instead, Yoo Na-yeon nearby gasped and hurried to praise the owner. Is this some kind of reverse world or something?
Anyway, since everything turned out well, I immediately patted the cushion next to me and called for noona to sit.
“Sit here, noona. It must’ve been tough working. Have some meat.”
“Thank you, I will enjoy it.”
I was worried that she might feel uncomfortable sitting beside me, but noona hopped right up and sat down without hesitation.
But is it just me, or is the space a bit too narrow? Just a feeling, I guess.
“With one more person here, I gotta grill even harder.”
When I thought about grilling meat for Seo-ha noona instead of the couple across from me, my excitement skyrocketed.
As I snapped the tongs together, noona, who had been gazing at me, reached out.
“I can grill it for you…”
“It’s alright, just eat, noona. I may not be good at much, but I can grill meat perfectly.”
I felt a bit silly bragging about such a small thing, but it was my way of being courteous to her.
Noona seemed to catch on to my gesture as she chuckled and said, “Then I’ll leave it to you.”
She picked up a piece of meat, dipped it into the sauce, and brought it to her mouth.
Even when we ate together before, I felt how graceful she was while eating. Wouldn’t this be how a noble lady from a fantasy novel would look while dining?
“Pfft. Kang Woo-joo, aren’t you staring a bit too hard? Unnie will get indigestion.”
“Uh, um…?”
Without realizing, I had been gazing at noona with a dazed look, and Yoo Na-yeon broke into laughter, teasing me about it.
“…Ah.”
“…Ugh.”
Only then did I snap back to reality and met noona’s gaze as she was chewing on the meat, both of us simultaneously turning our heads away as if we had an agreement.
But the image of noona’s flushed face lingered in my mind, refusing to disappear.
Damn it, Kang Woo-joo, you idiot. Is this your first time seeing someone eat meat? Quit being a lonely loser and just sit still, why make things uncomfortable for Seo-ha noona?
“Hey, stop it. She’s clearly from a different world than ours.”
“I know that without you saying it, man.”
After Park Jae-seong’s blunt comment, I could only weakly protest with a quiet voice.
Great, I hope noona doesn’t think something weird. Ugh, I really didn’t mean it that way.
“By the way, what brings you three here today?”
“Huh? Oh, that’s…”
As I scolded myself internally and tried to break the awkward tension, noona spoke up first.
It seems she didn’t catch the announcement broadcast recently or forgot that we were supposed to meet here.
“Actually, I was looking for a YouTube editor. Coincidentally, Yoo Na-yeon works in that field, so I met her to propose the job.”
“Oh, I see… So you’re planning to become an editor?”
“I think I will, especially after being treated to beef. It’d be disgraceful if I didn’t!”
Shrugging casually, noona eyed Yoo Na-yeon across from her with a slight hint of worry.
Is she worried about getting a weird editor like some of the other viewers? Even if she seems a bit scatterbrained, I’m pretty meticulous when it comes to work.
“You three seem really close.”
“Well, Uju and I have known each other for nearly 20 years.”
“Has it been that long? Wow, how boring that must be.”
Hearing it stated in numbers made me realize how long we’ve known each other, and I reacted with mock disbelief.
It’s not that I genuinely dislike them; it’s just a typical reaction you see among good friends. In fact, both Park Jae-seong and Yoo Na-yeon grimaced and let out a ‘gag’ sound at the same time.
“That’s rich coming from you. Talk about having no shame.”
“Is it a surprise to you that he’s like this? Let it slide.”
Well, what a comedic couple they are, perfectly in sync with their teasing. At least I had Seo-ha noona on my side; otherwise, I would have been hopelessly outnumbered.
As I chuckled to myself in the happy atmosphere, I suddenly felt a piercing gaze on me.
Turning to look, I saw Seo-ha noona staring at me with wide eyes as if she had heard something bizarre.
What’s going on?
“Um, Mr. Cosmo. Are those two dating…?”
As I tilted my head, our eyes locked and she took a step closer, lowering her voice as if to whisper, covering her mouth with her hand.
But the moment she spoke, the two people across from us naturally turned their attention our way.
It suddenly struck me that I hadn’t informed noona that those two were dating, and I finally spoke up.
“Oh, I must not have mentioned it. Yeah, they’re dating since middle school. That’s how I got close to Yoo Na-yeon.”
Since they always hang out together, there was no way I wouldn’t bump into Yoo Na-yeon. But before high school, we weren’t close.
In high school, we would exchange greetings if we happened to pass by, but it was only when we became adults and lived in nearby neighborhoods that we started seeing each other more often.
“Ooh, I didn’t know that…!”
“…Noona?”
As I briefly explained our relationship, noona lowered her head, hiding her blush and murmur something as if she was deeply embarrassed.
I couldn’t quite catch what she said, but it was clear she felt very embarrassed.
I hope I didn’t have any food stuck in my teeth? That’s something I don’t usually pay attention to.
“Hehe…”
While noona seemed to be squirming like a criminal, I tried to comfort her, but I heard a small giggle from Yoo Na-yeon across the table.
I wondered what was so funny while I glanced over, only to find her resting her chin on her hand, looking at me with a satisfied expression.
What kind of nonsense is she about to say?
“Hey, Kang Woo-joo.”
“What? I’m busy, so you can just grill your own meat.”
“No, not that.”
I brushed her off, irritated by her playful tone, but she didn’t budge and continued talking.
Realizing it would be pointless to try to ignore her, I shot her a look filled with exasperation.
“I don’t want to be your editor anymore.”
With that, she challenged me with an amused grin, alternating her gaze between me and noona before finally dropping the bombshell.
Now?
“What? I treated you to beef and you…!”
“What are you talking about, the beef was given by the owner. You didn’t spend a single penny today.”
Okay, that’s true, but does that really justify refusing in this manner?
What’s the reason for this sudden change? Just the other day, when we were messaging, she was showing a positive attitude. So, what’s going on now?
It felt like I’d been hit in the back of the head with a blunt object. At the very least, she could provide a reasonable explanation.
“Why so sudden?”
“I can’t tell you. Right, unnie?”
Her response was taunting, sticking out her tongue in a playful manner while shifting her focus to noona.
What does noona have to do with this?
In that moment, I was left utterly confused, realizing how transparent her ploy was.
“Ah, I guess you’re right.”
“…Noona?”
Out of nowhere, Seo-ha noona unexpectedly agreed with her.
Though it was framed positively, it felt like noona was implicitly siding with Yoo Na-yeon, leaving me feeling betrayed.
“Unnie, since we met, let’s exchange contact info!”
“Should we…?”
Regardless of how I felt, the two women enthusiastically closed the distance between them and exchanged contact details, leaving me baffled.
What happened in such a short time?
Someone explain this to me.