Mint Is Pure Love - Chapter 72

It seemed the long-haired woman had also recognized Yeonseo, as she flinched slightly. Yang Jisoo, biting her lower lip as though debating something, hesitated briefly before suddenly turning around. She went over and sat at an empty seat at a random table.

Since she was only attending her own department’s event, there was nothing to point out. If anything, wasn’t it more awkward for an outsider like Yeonseo to be here? Yeonseo drained the rest of her beer and pushed the thought aside.

Let’s stop thinking about it.

It was all in the past anyway. No matter what, the present and the next six months belonged to her. Once Yang Jisoo appeared, Han Eunmi seemed to hold back from whatever she had been about to say.

Even so, Yeonseo’s eyes kept drifting toward Yang Jisoo, not for any particular reason, just because it felt strange.

Usually at department events like this, you’d expect to have at least one or two acquaintances. Even if there were a lot of students per year, there’d usually be a group you often hung out with, or at least one close peer like Cha Seokyung, someone to save you a seat, greet you warmly when you arrived, and provide a “base table” you could return to no matter how much you mingled elsewhere. That was the typical afterparty scene.

But Yang Jisoo didn’t seem to have any such “group.”

When she had entered the venue, there had only been sideways glances; no one called her over or waved her to join them.

Even now, while one eight-seat table was roaring with laughter and drinking games loud enough to shake the place, Yang Jisoo sat alone like an island. Leaning against the end of a sofa, she stared at her phone, occasionally glancing over with irritation when the noise got too loud.

There was no newly placed glass or appetizer in front of her. She just looked like someone who happened to share a table with strangers on her way somewhere else.

Thinking back to the Polylog MT, Yeonseo guessed it might be due to her unpleasant manner of speaking.

What had Seokyung liked about Yang Jisoo? Was it that she couldn’t stand to see someone sitting alone like that?

“Seokyung can’t just leave pitiful people alone.”

The face of a girl who had once said that came to mind. Now that she thought about it, Baek Hyeji and Yang Jisoo shared a certain resemblance, not in features, but in atmosphere.

What was it, exactly? She was still mulling it over when her phone on the table lit up.

“Ah, Mom.”

— “Where are you? It sounds noisy there.”

“There’s an end-of-term party. I’m here.”

Yeonseo excused herself and stood up.

— “Now that I think about it, universities end their semesters early. Are you coming home for the break?”

As she searched for a quieter corner of the bar, she hesitated to answer. She hadn’t made any specific plans, but Seokyung came to mind.

“I have a club activity, so I’m not sure yet.”

— “Are you that busy? You can’t come at all? Minjae says he wants to see you.”

“No, I’ll come. But I don’t think I’ll stay the whole break.”

— “Alright, just let me know when.”

Recalling the summer schedule they’d set during the Polylog meeting, Yeonseo gave her a rough estimate. She chatted with her mother for a bit, asking about her health, the store, and Aunt Chani. She realized she hadn’t been in touch lately. What an unfilial daughter, Ji Yeonseo.

After the not-so-short call, Yeonseo headed toward the restroom instead of returning to her seat. As was common near universities, the restroom wasn’t very large. She had barely entered a stall when a noisy group of women came in after her.

From the giggling, there were at least three or four of them. She was about to hurry and leave so they wouldn’t have to wait when she heard a name she recognized.

“Eunmi, the girl sitting next to you, she’s that senior’s girlfriend, right? The one from the class of ’02?”

“Yeah. Seokyung sunbae introduced her himself.”

“She’s so pretty. What year is she?”

“Class of ’06. She’s got a great personality.”

“A freshman? No wonder. She didn’t miss the orientation trip. Looks like he found just the right match among the freshmen.”

“Right? I always wondered what kind of girl a guy like that would date… He seems picky. Isn’t this the first time he’s introduced someone as his girlfriend?”

“What do you mean first? There was Yang Jisoo, remember?”

A name Yeonseo had already heard more than once tonight. Someone snorted in laughter.

“Hey, honestly… do you believe everything she says?”

“We all talked about it back then. Some people even asked Cha Seokyung directly—‘Are you two really dating?’”

“And?”

“He just ignored them. You know how he is.”

With two stalls free, the women took turns going in, continuing their conversation.

They gossiped: that Cha Seokyung was the university president’s nephew, that his father was a politician, that he was engaged to a woman chosen by his family and would marry her after graduation, even that he was managing his image for an upcoming debut.

As Yeonseo listened, trying to make sense of the conflicting stories, the topic returned to a name she knew.

“Anyway, I think it’s all BS. Who cares? That guy barely comes to school, and took a leave right after. With Yang Jisoo’s personality, no way she’s good at dating.”

Yeonseo recalled Yang Jisoo sitting alone like an isolated island. That, more than anything, matched what she’d just heard.

“She’s kind of… socially maladjusted. Like she doesn’t know boundaries?”

There was laughter mixed with more chatter. Someone responded while drying their hands.

“Come on, would she really lie about that? And if it wasn’t true, would Cha Seokyung have stayed quiet?”

“…Still, there’s something weird…”

Han Eunmi’s vague remark drew laughs, and soon the restroom door opened as they left. The noise from outside spilled in, then faded as the door shut.

Click. Yeonseo stepped out of the stall, washed her hands, and looked at her reflection. As always, her pale face was neat, save for the faint flush on her cheeks from the beer, and the subtle tremor in her brown eyes.

Cha Seokyung had plenty of rumors. If asked to name the ones that weren’t true, Yeonseo could confidently list several. Things that were clearly false were being passed around as unquestioned fact, just like when she was eighteen.

You’ve had a tiring life too, Cha Seokyung.

Then a thought struck her. Could she really say the things she believed about him were true? Did the Cha Seokyung she had seen, heard, and experienced fit neatly with everything she “knew”?

Something gnawed at her, like Han Eunmi’s last remark before leaving.

“Is it possible not to know your boyfriend’s phone number?”

Some questions simply couldn’t be answered by thinking alone. Knowing she wouldn’t reach any conclusions just standing here, Yeonseo returned to the noisy main hall. The music felt a bit disordered somehow.

“That’s why I said I’d wipe it for you!”

There was a quarrel at one of the tables. On her way back, Yeonseo glanced over toward the youthful voice.

“This is ridiculous. You spilled beer, how does ‘I’ll wipe it for you’ solve anything?”

The sharp, cutting tone was unmistakable—Yang Jisoo, arguing with a part-timer.

“I’ll pay for the cleaning.”

Jisoo scoffed.

“Who cleans luxury bags? What’s your hourly wage here, three thousand won? How much are you offering for cleaning? Shouldn’t you at least apologize first?”

It wasn’t hard to guess what had happened. She was demanding an apology before anything else, but her abrasive manner made it hard for anyone to side with her. Most people here are probably related more to the part-timer.

“Hey, Yang Jisoo, stop ruining the mood and let it go.”

“Why should I? They’re the ones at fault!”

Her stubborn refusal drew irritated looks. Someone mocked her, asking why she brought such an expensive bag to a dingy place like this. The tips of her ears turned red. Someone else muttered that she was ruining the drinking mood, earning a few chuckles.

Biting her lip, Jisoo grabbed her bag and abruptly turned to leave. She bumped someone’s shoulder without looking back and pushed through the glass door.

The bar quickly returned to normal. The part-timer got a few pats on the back, and that was that.

With Jisoo gone, peace returned.

This isn’t my business.

Still, Yeonseo’s steps unconsciously carried her toward the entrance. Near the counter, something pink rolled to a stop, it was familiar.

She stepped outside, looking left and right. Down the slope, Yang Jisoo was walking quickly, clutching her bag.

“Yang Jisoo sunbae!”

Jisoo glanced back at the call, then quickened her pace.

“…Hey, wait! You left your phone—”

The faster Yeonseo called, the faster Jisoo’s bootcut-jeaned legs moved, until she broke into a run.

If someone’s chasing you, you want to run. And if someone’s running away, you want to chase them.

Yeonseo ran after her.

“Hey!”

A sudden chase unfolded in the late evening. Jisoo seemed to have the lead, but high heels were no match for Yeonseo’s long legs in red Converse.

“You left your pho—”

Just as Yeonseo was about to catch her, Jisoo’s heel gave out with a sharp snap. She fell forward, her beloved bag tumbling to the ground, spilling its contents.

Judging by the heavy thud, she had fallen hard. Yeonseo hurried over and helped her up.

“Are you okay?!”

Jisoo looked up at the gentle voice and, locking eyes with Yeonseo’s round gaze, suddenly burst into tears, loud, childlike sobs.