Chapter 21: Unspoken Tensions

Yoo Ji-eun browsed through the photos on her phone.

In the file labeled Moon I-hyun, selfies sent by Moon I-hyun over the past week were collected.

As she looked through them one by one, a certain KakaoTalk conversation came to mind.

• Hey…
• Yes?
• What do you think…?
• You’re pretty ^^ You’re getting prettier by the day.
• Hehe, thank you.

Though she hesitated to send selfies, she thought it was cute how Moon I-hyun subtly hoped for compliments after sending them.

While browsing through the photo album, Yoo Ji-eun satisfied her subtle desire for conquest. The thought that she could make this cute girl keep sending her selfies was thrilling.

Next time, she should suggest some different poses…

But then, she shook her head.

No, I should take more time.

Thinking this, Yoo Ji-eun exited the gallery and opened the Bell app. She was planning to create a community centered around Moon I-hyun.

Slowly, more fixed viewers are starting to appear.

It seemed that Moon I-hyun enjoyed ego-searching (searching her own name).

However, the places where she was frequently mentioned were a bit rough for ego-searching.

But if she built a community on Bell, she could manage it herself, which was why she decided to do it.

When Yoo Ji-eun entered Moon I-hyun’s studio, she saw her own nickname listed as the manager.

Following her plan, she gradually began to infiltrate her daily life. Though they were initially connected through a lawsuit, she planned to lessen its significance over time.

While thinking about this reduction, she eventually reached a conclusion.

At this moment of planning…

…?

A strange nickname appeared in the manager list.

Someone else with a manager icon besides Yoo Ji-eun.

Her expression hardened.

Is this an error?

Suppressing her discomfort, Yoo Ji-eun clicked on that nickname.

dlgusdl123

It seems like a phonetic conversion of Hangul to Roman characters.

She entered a notepad and converted it back to Hangul.

I-hyun123?

Her brow furrowed.

Who could it be?

Yoo Ji-eun knew that Moon I-hyun was isolated from society.

Though it had never been directly mentioned, it was subtly revealed in her broadcasts and phone calls.

She was cut off from her parents and seemed to have no friends left. Judging by the empty friend list, she didn’t even have the common Bell friends.

An astonishingly isolated life.

However, there was one person who knew her besides Yoo Ji-eun.

If that’s the case…

Unni.

If it weren’t for her, it wouldn’t make sense.

The person who has been bothering Moon I-hyun and whom she calls Unni.

Normally, she would wait until nightfall, but right now, Yoo Ji-eun felt an unusual sense of urgency.

It wasn’t outright discomfort, but it was a nagging unease that made waiting until evening feel troublesome.

Recently, situations had arisen where she couldn’t wait for Moon I-hyun’s calls at night.

Usually relaxed, it was evidence that she was feeling a subtle anxiety.

For Yoo Ji-eun, whose default stance was one of arrogance, this was quite a blow to her pride.

She was rarely seen frowning.

Even this subtle change was a surprising transformation to those who knew her.

It might not be something worth worrying about this much.

She hadn’t found any evidence that Moon I-hyun had this inclination, so the probability of her having no relation to Unni was quite high.

The likelihood of one person being gay is difficult enough, let alone one or two more.

Yet, she felt a persistent unease.

It was almost like an instinct for Yoo Ji-eun.

She trusted her instincts.

That Unni made her uneasy.

So, once again, Yoo Ji-eun made the call.

Even the ringing tone was irritating now.

Not long after, the ringing ended.

As soon as it did, Yoo Ji-eun spoke.

“Who is this?”

[Uhh… Yes…?]

A familiar dazed voice came through.

But even that felt unpleasant now.

“Who’s this new manager? I-hyun123.”

[Oh, um, yes? Ah, it’s my Unni, Chae-hyun.]

Moon I-hyun seemed slightly flustered by the abrupt question, but she soon answered.

Just as I thought.

Yoo Ji-eun let out a shallow sigh and spoke.

“Okay. So, why did you give a manager to that Unni? Has the broadcast been discovered?”

[… Yes… It was discovered, and since my Unni was worrying a lot, I met her and gave her the manager role.]

“What?”

Yoo Ji-eun’s pupils dilated.

She met her alone at her house?

“Can you just tell me what happened today? Every detail, including physical contact and the conversation.]

[Uh… Okay…]

Moon I-hyun seemed hesitant at first but then began to explain.

[She first asked if I was broadcasting.]

“Yes.”

[And I denied it, but I accidentally revealed my nickname… so I ended up admitting it.]

After that, Moon I-hyun continued to elaborate. Yoo Ji-eun listened quietly.

As she listened, one particular detail piqued her interest.

[But as soon as I opened the door, she hugged me.]

“Huh?”

[She said, ‘You must have had a hard time’ and hugged me. She didn’t let go for a while.]

Yoo Ji-eun remained silent as Moon I-hyun continued to speak.

[Even though she held me for a long time, for some reason, I couldn’t put any strength in my legs.]

“Why?”

[She told me not to broadcast because it was too harmful to me, but since I was so sad, I approached her and hugged her to show my gratitude.]

“Ah.”

Yoo Ji-eun realized where her ominous intuition was coming from.

The physical contact where they hugged and patted each other back then.

That was excessive.

It had been ambiguous before, but now it felt undeniably strange.

Compared to usual same-sex interactions, it felt vaguely stronger.

Yoo Ji-eun knew this. Same-sex individuals usually don’t act like that.

Even if it’s playful, they wouldn’t hug and hold for several seconds like that.

[My Unni patted my head and back—]

“Stop. That’s enough now.”

She didn’t like how Moon I-hyun was getting more excited as she reminisced, her words speeding up.

Yoo Ji-eun cut her off.

“That’s enough. I’ll hang up now.”

Saying that, Yoo Ji-eun hung up abruptly.

Then, she asked her via KakaoTalk if she had set up a meeting. A reply came almost immediately.

[She said Thursday works for her.]

Yoo Ji-eun briefly calculated what day Thursday was and nodded.

Let’s meet.

Once they meet, she would know everything.

She was sure about half of it, but she needed to fill the remaining half with certainty.

With that determination, Yoo Ji-eun left one last message for Moon I-hyun on KakaoTalk.

[When we meet.]

[Be sure to wear the clothes I bought for you.]

Song Chae-hyun let out a breath as she sat in the dimly lit room, nestled in a corner of the bed.

She had been struggling to control her emotions since earlier.

No, to be precise, it had started since she parted ways with Moon I-hyun.

No matter how hard she tried to forget, she couldn’t.

When she had held her tightly, bending her waist.

When she had crawled into her embrace and hugged her.

The difference in their physiques at that moment, the way her slender waist fit into her one arm, her shallow breaths, the thump of her heart, and her warm body temperature.

She thought she wanted to feel it even more.

Did I really enjoy holding such a young child this much?

Since she spent a lot of time with her younger sibling, Song Chae-hyun liked children.

A so-called maternal smile would surface, and she would be overwhelmed with a desire to care for them.

However, even in the days when she frequently held Song Chae-rin, it never felt this good.

No, it felt like it was incomparable to holding her own siblings.

When she had held her last time, it felt somewhat similar, but now it felt entirely different, like a liquid and solid with almost no similarities.

This heated emotion was probably—

Thud.

Song Chae-hyun bumped her head against the wall in front of her.

Why am I acting like this?

I-hyun was still a minor, barely in middle school.

I should be protecting her.

Yet, Yoo Ji-eun again sank into the memory of a scene.

When Moon I-hyun had come close and hugged her, when she had patted her head with her left hand and her back with her right.

Her right hand brushed against her butt.

Song Chae-hyun still vividly remembered that sensation.

It had felt absurdly small and soft compared to her hand.

She flinched for a moment but, realizing it wasn’t intentional, Moon I-hyun comfortably held her again.

But Song Chae-hyun kept chewing on that fleeting moment.

She thought she shouldn’t feel this way, yet she couldn’t stop.

She’s a minor, a minor.

She repeated that in her mind.

Yet, perhaps the words she thought were brakes might be the accelerator.

Lesbians recognize each other.

It’s a common saying among gay people.

Yoo Ji-eun was waiting for them at the restaurant she chose.

Originally, one would have to wait weeks for a reservation, but Yoo Ji-eun was an exception.

Standing quietly at a corner, she waited for them.

After a few minutes, she spotted two women turning the corner.

In an instant, they approached Yoo Ji-eun.

The two women had a significant height difference.

They were holding hands.

It was Song Chae-hyun and Yoo Ji-eun.

Their eyes met.

As Song Chae-hyun faced Yoo Ji-eun, she felt a subtle sense of rejection.

When Yoo Ji-eun looked at Song Chae-hyun, she felt discomfort deep within.