Mint Is Pure Love - Chapter 69

[Playlist 04]

Final exams were just around the corner.

The early June breeze already carried that hot, heavy feeling, like a sneak preview of the next season. Fanning the back of her sweaty neck with her hand, Yeonseo was climbing the steep stairs when her phone buzzed in her bag. She flipped open the folder phone, brought it to her ear, and immediately heard a familiar voice.

—”It’s me.”

Funny thing—his voice wasn’t actually cool or anything, but somehow, just hearing it made her ears feel refreshed. She thought that as she answered with a soft, “Mm-hm.”

—”Where are you? School?”

“Yeah. I’m on my way to the library.”

—”You don’t even have class. Why bother studying at school? Just do it at home.”

“I can charge my phone there, use the bathroom as much as I want, and, you know, get my tuition money’s worth somehow.”

A laugh drifted from the other side of the line, as if he couldn’t believe her.

She’d said it like a joke, but half of it was true. Studying in her air-conditioner-less studio apartment meant she was getting more and more days where the heat made it impossible to focus.

—”When are you planning to finish?”

“Hmm… not sure.”

—”You should eat first. I’m having dinner later with a few club members, come with us.”

“…I’ve got a lot to do. I’ll just grab something quick at school.”

—”Why? Still awkward around them?”

“…No, it’s not that…” Her words trailed off without meaning to.

She didn’t remember who had first joked that Class of ‘02 Cha Seokyung and Class of ‘06 Ji Yeonseo looked like something was going on.

The day of the MT, nobody had doubted her when she said she’d gone to the hospital because she wasn’t feeling well. But knowing what had actually happened afterward made her cheeks burn, and it was hard to keep a straight face.

And with the club president, Lee Jeongmin, constantly nudging them together, Yeonseo had been on the receiving end of plenty of teasing at recent Poly log meetings.

She figured it would die down after a few months. She was a little embarrassed anyway, so she’d decided she’d skip the dinner this time.

—”They said there’s a famous fried chicken place near campus.”

“…Wait, Odong-i Chicken?”

—”Yeah, I think that’s the name.”

Now that was tempting. The place never did delivery, only sold a two-chicken set that came with fries, and was impossible to finish alone. It was also her favorite club dinner menu.

As if sensing her hesitation, he chuckled.

—”I’ll meet you in front of the library at five. I’ll call when I get there, so don’t wait outside in the heat.”

Lately, Seokyung felt more relaxed somehow. Maybe that’s just what happens after you start sleeping with someone. His words hadn’t changed much, but his actions were unusually thoughtful, and he’d kiss her whenever he felt like it.

Is this what dating is? Is that what we’re doing?

She was still thinking that when the library came into view.

“Alright, then later—” She stopped mid-sentence.

In front of the school’s famous giant tree, on a bench shaded by its branches, a long-haired girl sat waiting. When their eyes met, the girl stood immediately, as if she’d been waiting for Yeonseo.

“…I’ll call you later.”

Closing the folder phone, Yeonseo let out a small sigh as the girl approached.

She took a sip of her icy strawberry smoothie, and only then did her parched throat cheer in relief. Maybe she had been thirsty. Her gaze drifted to the untouched iced tea across the table.

“Do you like strawberries?”

The question came sharp, almost cold, like the girl had a personal grudge against them. Yeonseo had the strange feeling that if she said yes, the girl would demand to know how she could possibly.

“…Yeah, I like strawberries.”

“Ugh. Seriously.” The muttered complaint was barely audible, but Yeonseo still caught it.

What, is me liking strawberries somehow offensive to you now?

She set down her drink and looked at Yang Jisoo across from her. Today, her long wavy hair tumbled to her waist, her cat-like eyes sharply lined with eyeliner.

Yeonseo wondered how someone could do their makeup that well. Asking for tips would probably come off weird. Before she could think further, the words she had half-expected came.

“Are you meeting Seokyung oppa today?”

At least with Jisoo, she didn’t feel the need to lie. Sitting up straight, Yeonseo nodded.

“Yeah. I am.”

“Are you going to date him? Or are you already dating? Did he confess to you?”

“……”

“Ha. This is ridiculous.”

Jisoo pursed her lips and looked away, out the window.

They hadn’t gone far, just to the café attached to the library. The “view” outside was nothing but a patch of greenery, yet Jisoo kept her eyes fixed there. Yeonseo knew it was to keep herself from crying.

She slid a packet of tissues across the table, then stared at the same flowerbed for a while. She could hear the faint rustle as Jisoo dabbed her eyes.

“If you dated him, you think it’d be nice, right? You think it’d be nothing but happy?”

Her voice had its edge back, cutting straight at Yeonseo.

“Not a chance. He’ll never let you into his world. He won’t introduce you to his friends or his family, no one. That’s the kind of guy Cha Seokyung is. He’ll let you have his name, but never show you anything that’s truly his. You wanna know how miserable and lonely it feels, loving someone who refuses to let you get any closer?”

“…….”

Jisoo stopped, maybe trying to keep her emotions in check. But her face, raw with hurt and frustration, held more than just the feelings of someone thinking about an ex.

“But me? I’m fine with it. I don’t care if he makes me miserable and lonely. I don’t care if he does whatever with other women. As long as I can be next to Cha Seokyung, that’s enough for me.”

Her words tumbled out in a rush, until they didn’t.

“But… he doesn’t want me, does he?”

Yeonseo picked up the thread for her, and Jisoo’s reddened eyes locked on hers.

“That’s why you’re telling me this now. You want me to know just how much you like him.”

Maybe love, at its core, was really just the desire to be acknowledged. Maybe it was a feeling that only felt complete when someone else recognized just how much you cared.

Like when you were a kid, waving a colorful balloon in the air, singing out loud in front of everyone just to say, I like you, those gestures probably came from that same need.

Even as adults, the urge to say I love this person this much and feel satisfied only after you’ve declared it out loud… maybe that was just the grown-up version of it.

And the opposite was probably true too, maybe love only felt real when the other person openly showed you how much they loved you back.

If that was the case, then maybe Seokyung’s quiet, drama-free way of loving had left Jisoo lonely all along. One side so desperate, the other so still.

But what about me? If Seokyung didn’t make a big fuss over me, would I feel lonely too? Could I handle that for a whole year, even if it was just a year? I don’t know. Some things, you only find out by living them.

Instead of making a hasty decision, Yeonseo turned back to Jisoo.

“You know it’s pointless telling me all this, right? There’s nothing I can do for you. This is between you two. You’re not asking me to tell Seokyung to meet you, are you?”

When Yeonseo raised a brow, Jisoo just sniffled without answering, maybe embarrassed.

“I don’t really have anything against you, Jisoo sunbae.”

Jisoo’s face showed surprise, but Yeonseo meant it. Sure, it made her jealous knowing Jisoo had seen parts of Seokyung’s life she hadn’t. And yes, it would be a lie to say there was no envy. But strangely, she didn’t feel like fighting over him.

“It’s just… I get how much you like him.”

The color of Jisoo’s feelings was unmistakable, deep, saturated red, the cliché symbol of love. The kind most people would use to fill in the shape of a heart.

That’s why she couldn’t be angry. If what they’d had was really love, then at least Seokyung must have been happy.

“But you and I, we’re different.”

“…….”

“I couldn’t stand it if he saw other women. If he ever tried that two-timing crap, I’d pinch his lips till he yelped. I couldn’t let it slide.”

She meant it. For at least a year, Seokyung would be hers alone. She hadn’t even realized she had this possessive streak. The idea of him sharing his feelings so freely with someone else was unbearable, even in her imagination.

“Have you always been like that?”

For the first time, Jisoo’s tone actually matched the question mark at the end.

“Or… do you just think I’m not even worth competing with? How can you be this calm? Isn’t it normal to be pissed just sitting here with me?”

“The past is the past. I can’t change that. I wasn’t there.”

Sometimes the truth stung, but there was nothing she could do about it. She’d left that space in his life empty. With a short sigh, Yeonseo added.

“And you’re plenty of a threat as competition.”

Jisoo bit her lip, maybe realizing she wasn’t being dismissed. Her voice turned stubborn, like a kid who hated losing.

“That’s only because you don’t like him that much.”

“……”

“When you really like someone, you just overlook whatever they do. You close your eyes to it.”

She wiped her eyes, grabbed her bag, then froze in place. Worrying her lower lip, she seemed to make up her mind.

“But… you know…”

When Yeonseo gave her a puzzled look, Jisoo shook her head, stood quickly, and all but fled. From the untouched iced tea, a drop slid down the glass like a bead of cold sweat.