Mint Is Pure Love - Chapter 56

Seokyung seemed… angry. Or maybe not? Yeonseo couldn’t tell for sure.

When they met in the clubroom for their project, he treated her normally. He called her “Minseo” without fail, never subtly excluding her or ignoring her like before. She even found herself wondering if she’d chosen to stay friends with him after all. Everything about the way he acted toward her was ordinary, unremarkable.

But outside the clubroom, there were no calls, no texts, no meet-ups. It was as if the scene where he’d kissed her—where he’d made those breathless, desperate sounds—had been nothing more than a dream. From the moment they stepped out of the clubroom, it was like he’d cut off all interest in her.

Or maybe… he really had lost interest.

“If things move too slow, guys lose interest,”

Yeongeun’s voice chirped over the phone.

“Men only think about one thing. That’s the whole reason they date in the first place.”

“I don’t know what rumors you’ve heard. For me, the relationship comes first.”

Seokyung’s voice echoed in her mind—how he once said he didn’t date women just for s3x. That relationships mattered to him. Which, if she flipped it around, meant he valued being in a relationship more than the s3x itself.

That made her curious. What kind of women had Seokyung been in those all-important relationships with? The ones he’d no doubt treated with care?

— “Ooh, but Minseo… I think you got yourself a man, huh?”

“…No, nothing like that.”

— “Pfft, as if. So? Is he big? Is he good?”

“…Most people would ask if he’s handsome first.”

— “What’s the point of handsome? As the saying goes—size is generosity.”

Yeongeun had been her class president back when Yeonseo transferred to Chungju. Her father was a pastor at a small local church, but despite her wholesome family image, Yeongeun was a total smut addict.

She’d constantly corner Yeonseo to enthusiastically explain things like “the angle matters” or “here’s how you can tell when a guy’s close.” Most of what Yeonseo knew about s3x had come from Yeongeun.

“You sure talk big for someone who’s never even done it.”

The funny thing was, Yeongeun couldn’t stand actual men in person.

— “Real guys smell and they’re ugly… ugh.”

Yeonseo chuckled. If Yeongeun saw Seokyung, she wouldn’t be able to say that. He always smelled good and looked good. Some things about him were simply undeniable. Especially his looks, which had only gotten sharper in his twenties.

As they were talking, Yeonseo’s phone buzzed with a text. She wrapped up the call after hearing Yeongeun’s plan to visit Seoul soon, then checked her messages with a little flicker of hope.

[Minseo, you didn’t forget, right? ^^]

Oh. Right. She’d completely forgotten about Kim Jawoon after canceling their last plan. Things with Seokyung had kept her mind occupied.

What should she do? Jawoon had treated her to an expensive meal that day and even given her a ride home… plus, Eunjoo sunbae had been there too.

Thinking of her dwindling bank balance, Yeonseo opened the chat and typed a reply.

***

“Alright, first agenda, decide on the MT location for our project team.”

“Kangchon.”

“Again? Why is it always Kangchon or Eulwang-ri for MTs… Can’t we try somewhere else?”

“We’re just gonna stay at a pension anyway, so why bother? Kangchon it is. Bam. Next agenda—summer event ideas?”

“What about Yeouido outdoor pool? It’s got that summer vibe.”

“That’s too plain. Foreign countries do that better. Most universities here already have pools, indoor or outdoor. We need something that screams Korean summer, Korean college life. That’s what gives it meaning.”

Ideas bounced back and forth. Yeonseo jotted down thoughts and English keywords in her notebook.

Across from her, Seokyung was unusually quiet. Maybe he had plans later—he kept glancing at his watch before turning back to listen.

Her gaze caught on the silver watch strapped to his wrist. Different from last time.

Jeongmin sunbae had told her about it—some luxury brand starting with R, their signature line. She wasn’t into watches, so she’d forgotten the details. But she could tell, just like the other guys had gushed about, that all his watches were expensive and somehow suited him perfectly.

What happened to him? She remembered him delivering newspapers, living with his brother, and a father in prison.

Six years could change a lot. Even back in those hard times, he’d shone so brightly you’d never guess his circumstances.

Now, though, his situation was clearly different. Not in a showy way, but in a this is just what I have way.

Minted.

That was the word that came to her mind. Once he’d just been “mint”—fresh and sharp like peppermint—but now he seemed like a newly made man. And also… rich.

As if the old Seokyung no longer existed.

The meeting wrapped up after deciding on a few things. People bustled around, making dinner plans. Yeonseo packed her bag, debating whether to text Seokyung to talk later.

That’s when the clubroom door swung open.

A tall, slender woman with waist-length hair swept it back with one hand. Her eyes locked instantly onto someone.

Yeonseo recognized her face—from a Cyworld minihompy.

“…Seokyung oppa.”

Her trembling voice and the pitiful, tear-brimmed eyes made Yang Jisoo look like she was about to collapse.

***

“Think they’re getting back together?”

Haemin spoke with a knowing tone over burgers and fries near campus.

“Doubt it. From the look earlier, Jisoo didn’t even know Seokyung had come back to school.”

“But she was crying, and he took her outside. You don’t think seeing her all pretty and pitiful like that shook him?”

Not a chance. Seokyung hated crying faces. Yeonseo popped a fry dipped in ketchup into her mouth.

“Why’d they break up in the first place?”

“Didn’t he dump her for another girl?”

“Nah. I heard Jisoo wanted to get married, but Seokyung said it was too soon.”

The oldest female sunbae, Yu Sojeong—same year as Seokyung—spoke up. She froze with her cola halfway to her mouth.

“What? How old was she, talking about marriage already?”

“It’s Seokyung. He’s going abroad next year, and Jisoo’s family suggested they marry before he left. She was crazy about him. And since his family’s well-off too, they figured they could have an early, comfortable start.”

“Where’d you hear that?”

“From Jisoo herself. After they broke up and he took a leave to go to the States, she used to drop by the clubroom a lot. Bought her a beer once, and she spilled everything.”

Yeonseo’s appetite vanished. She’d known they’d dated, and it wasn’t any of her business—she wasn’t anything to Seokyung.

She’d even turned down his suggestion to date for real last time. It hadn’t been serious.

So why did it feel like betrayal? It was irrational—she knew it. But heat still rose in her chest, bubbling up like a pot about to boil over.

On impulse, she opened her phone and typed.

[Can we talk today?]

What was she even going to say? She didn’t know. She tried to focus on the conversation, but her ears kept catching stray comments.

“They did look good together, though.”

Still? She didn’t want to listen, but the voices kept reaching her.

“I still remember during our freshman retreat—Jisoo was a first-year then too. Lost her shoes or something, so Seokyung carried her piggyback from the mountain lodge all the way down to the parking lot. Fifteen minutes.”

A picture flashed in Yeonseo’s mind—a girl clinging to Seokyung’s broad back, walking down a steep paved road. Like that night he’d carried her home.

Her nose stung. Her eyes prickled. Her chest tightened. Just then, her phone buzzed again.

[Can’t today. Got something important.]

Something important. Important to him. But not her.

She already knew that. But the words still hit strangely. And in her mind, she kept seeing that long hair swinging at her waist.