“Here, this is for you, Jinhee. If it’s not enough, just let me know. I bought a bunch.”
“…I didn’t expect this much—no, thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
In front of the convenience store.
Lee Yena handed Jinhee a pint of mint chocolate ice cream and slung the remaining bags over her shoulder.
Upon reflection, she had lacked consideration.
Jinhee was a popular broadcaster recognized by many on the streets. Counseling her about relationships outside was probably overwhelming. Even though it was in a private room, the soundproofing was not perfect.
From that perspective… it made sense why Jinhee was more sensitive than usual. Given the topic, it was understandable. She was likely in a distressed situation, not least because of her clueless companion.
Yena gave the ice cream as a gesture of her composite apology and started walking ahead.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been to Yena’s place. The last time was when I bumped into Shihoon oppa, right?”
“…Yeah.”
“I wonder how Shihoon oppa is doing? It’s been a while since I’ve contacted him.”
…Maybe she ought to call Revan later.
Why not? It made sense to confront him a little.
“What on earth did you do?” she thought.
If sweet Jinhee was this upset… Revan must have done something significant.
First things first—give Jinhee the counseling she needed.
* * * *
In the small studio apartment.
As they sat close, they filled and emptied their glasses several times over.
“So, I really want to know. Why did you snipe at me like that?”
“…It was a viewer participation event.”
“…Right. Why did you forcefully include yourself in it?”
Drunk and unable to hold back, Jinhee bombarded Yena with questions.
Empty bottles piled up as their conversation circled without clear resolution. For some reason, the topic of Revan came up frequently. However… Lee Yena kept trailing off, constantly gauging Jinhee’s reactions, making it hard to follow.
To Jinhee, that was irrelevant.
“Because you were a fan, huh.”
“That’s a lie.”
“…I’m innocent.”
With those words, Yena’s gaze lowered slightly. It looked beautiful, not just because Jinhee was already smitten.
The way Yena’s long eyelashes fluttered, her tightly pursed lips, and her lightly flushed cheeks while tilting her head as if genuinely wronged—anyone would’ve been enchanted into believing, “Yeah, you suffered a lot.”
However, Jinhee felt genuinely wronged at that moment.
“No, it’s not! When you—when you got my autograph that day. You said you’d start as a fan from then… Wait, so even on that day, huh? Wow. Wow—wow. You, you, thinking about it, this is really a habitual, malicious, chronic fox—Why, you really are—”
Unable to contain the sudden surge of emotions, Jinhee flailed, reaching out with her hand.
Then, she felt a warm, soft sensation after a moment.
It was an alabaster, supple cheek. In a fit of impulse, she thought of pulling it as a way to vent her frustration, grabbing it firmly for a moment.
However… perhaps because she was too intoxicated.
Jinhee’s hands gently stroked Yena’s cheek, as if she were rubbing a delicate porcelain.
As if she feared applying even the slightest pressure might cause it to shatter—her touch was feather-light, akin to handling a newborn baby.
For some reason, the warmth she felt was oddly unfamiliar to Jinhee. Was it because of the almost transparently white skin? Or perhaps it was the surreal atmosphere, as if Yena might disperse into the air at any moment?
She couldn’t tell.
The only certainty was that Jinhee didn’t have the energy to entertain such thoughts.
“…… Jinhee?”
‘I need to respond. I need to respond.’
But her mind had already gone blank.
Her tongue, rigid and unresponsive, refused to move no matter how much she willed it. Was it the alcohol’s fault? No, no. It was because of the fox in front of her.
As an uneasy silence filled the room, the pounding of her heart echoed so loudly it made her head spin. Jinhee stood there, face flushed, paralyzed. She didn’t even think to remove her hand from Yena’s cheek.
It was a moment that could have happily lasted forever—
But if it persisted too long, it felt like something irreparable might occur.
“…… Then, tell me that thing.”
“…… It feels like your grip is getting stronger. Is it just my imagination?”
Ignoring Yena’s attempt to divert the conversation, Jinhee firmly yet gently held her cheek—forcing out a question that had been festering in her heart.
“Do you really like girls?”
She wanted to confirm it, even through a facial expression if not words. A hint of embarrassment, a flicker in the eyes. Or, though it would tear her heart apart, perhaps a sneer… or an expression of disgust would at least provide her with some kind of answer.
But, as fate would have it, nothing ever goes as planned.
Before the words even left her tongue, Jinhee had already averted her gaze like a frightened puppy.
She was ashamed.
Not being able to boldly confess her feelings, or even ask if Yena liked her. Despite not being honest with herself, she couldn’t suppress the desire to see if there was a chance—a cowardly question driven by hope.
The realization of it hit her, so painfully shameful.
And—
If she were to actually see Yena looking at her with an expression of disgust, just as she’d briefly imagined, it felt like her heart would physically shatter.
“No, no—sorry. That… It’s a sensitive question, right? Sorry. I think I’ve had too much to drink. You don’t need to answer! No, don’t answer.”
Before Yena could even respond, Jinhee stumbled backward. Even in the confined space of the room, where there wasn’t much room to retreat.
“…… Jinhee.”
“Heh, I just wanted to get closer to Yena. You know, talking about… secret relationships and stuff. But I went in too fast, right? Slowly, yeah. I should have done it slowly. Talking about things like high school crushes. Did I ever mention that? I was super popular in high school… I even dressed up as a guy for the festival, you know? Ah, ours was an all-girls high school, so we had cross-dressing competitions during the festival… Yena might not know. Anyway, all the other girls did it for laughs, but I borrowed a suit and won. I even destroyed all the photos physically—what, you don’t believe me?”
She rambled. In a state where she herself couldn’t make sense of what she was saying, she just spewed any words that came to mind endlessly.
“No, I think you were probably very popular.”
“It feels like I’m making you compliment me. Ah—why don’t I have any female fans these days? Where did it all go wrong? What do you think, Yena? Our show does have a bit of a male-centric vibe, but even male-centric shows usually have female fans, right? Why don’t I have any?”
“You’re looking at one right here. A fan.”
Seeing Yena raise her hand with a cheeky, expressionless face, she momentarily felt breathless and slowly closed her gaping mouth.
“… It’s true. I’ve even posted on the fan cafe. I’m a woman, and lately, our Ark has been on fire… Everyone around me is an Ark fan…”
“No way, please don’t… What? You already posted it?”
“Yes. Do you want to see?”
She wondered if Yena was serious. Judging by that smile, it seemed highly likely. Considering there were no loose cannons flying, she must have used a secondary account.
Why Yena would sign up on someone else’s fan cafe with a secondary account, she couldn’t fathom.
“… Back then, when we moved past being just fans.”
“… We’ve progressed so much that I became a fan again. You know, in RPG games, after you defeat the legendary overlord, there are those slimes that come in different colors again. It’s kind of like that.”
“I don’t get what you mean.”
Despite grumbling with a sulky expression, she couldn’t help but giggle.
Yeah.
She slowly fell for these sides of her.
Appearance was secondary. She could say with certainty that she didn’t like her just because she was pretty.
It might sound unconvincing, but it was an unashamed and sincere feeling. In hindsight, even her gender was just that. Until just a year ago, she never imagined she could like a woman.
So—
Jinhee simply liked Lee Yena as a person.
Regardless of her looks or gender.
Someone who seemed endlessly fragile yet sturdy somewhere, shameless yet cautious. Someone who lived as if half a step out of reality, as if she’d disappear unless held tightly.
Someone who performed bottle tricks when drunk and obsessed over peculiar things.
And—someone who always made her nervous yet eventually made her smile.
She liked Yena.
—Huu.
With a deep, helpless sigh, Jinhee reached for the bag placed nearby.
“I should get going. I think I’ve had too much to drink.”
“You can stay over. I’ll sleep in the kitchen.”
“What are you… No, it’s fine. I’ll be home soon by taxi.”
“I’m fine too. When I’ve had a lot to drink, I sleep like the dead wherever I am.”
“…… Seriously, you always choose the most worrying things to say…… Anyway, stop saying weird stuff and rest up! Don’t come out.”
It was time to get up. Lee Jinhee couldn’t control herself any longer with Yena by her side.
She had to leave. Before she said—or rather, did something she would definitely regret.
“Yena.”
One day—one day, she might gather the courage to speak her mind.
But not today. In her drunken state, Jinhee’s feelings were too precious to tell someone who was also intoxicated.
“Yes.”
Still, there was something she just couldn’t hold back.
“I don’t know when or why you got that misunderstanding, but…… I’m just friends with Shihoon oppa. I don’t have those kinds of feelings for him.”
“…… Oh.”
Leaving the blushing Yena behind, Jinhee stepped out of the house, feeling a slight sense of relief.
* * * *
An empty house.
Amid the silence, the cold touch of the spoon in her mouth felt particularly vivid.
If mint chocolate tasted overly good, it meant she was drunk—
But why did it taste bitter?
In her dazed mind, Jinhee’s face—asking if she really liked women—kept circling around. For the first time, Yena saw a half-crying expression on her friend’s face.
Why couldn’t she affirm or deny it?
Her alcohol-soaked brain couldn’t easily provide an answer.
It was a difficult time to live through. She was already cowering in fear of leaving even the smallest mark.
Imagining holding onto someone else was too much.
But—
She couldn’t go on like this forever.
With a shallow sigh, Yena poured the remaining drink into her mouth.
For now—she needed to take care of what had to be done first.
Once it was all over… yes.
But…… she felt quite drunk—more than usual.
Surely her memory wouldn’t fail her.
With faint anxiety, she let herself sink into her bed.
She decided to trust tomorrow’s her.
After all, today’s her had been a dependable friend who hadn’t complained even once.