Chapter 17: Needle in a pouch

The outfit was a success.

Was it because of my cold impression, or perhaps the dark atmosphere from wearing all black?

People couldn’t bring themselves to talk to me.

But if there was one thing I overlooked, it’s that people *only* couldn’t talk to me.

“She’s so pretty…”

“Go ask for her number.”

“Is she a model?”

If this was the reaction, they might as well just talk to me.

No, actually, this is better than them actually approaching. Interacting with people was still a burdensome thing.

The gazes directed at me were unbearably piercing.

The bus on my way to the destination was crowded with people.

Despite it not being rush hour on a weekday, every seat was taken.

Is it because it’s the weekend that there are even more people?

My overly sensitive senses caught whispers all around.

People couldn’t bring themselves to talk to me, but they couldn’t take their eyes off me either.

Men and women alike.

My fingers started trembling slightly.

Not a reaction I intended but a reaction my body had.

Did Ji-eun feel suffocated by all this attention?

I clenched my trembling hand into a fist.

Sunday, 5 p.m.

Ji-yeon lived in a busy area not far from Ji-eun’s home.

She’d said she’d wait at a nearby café, but with all the buildings clustered together, it was hard to find.

Where should I go?

As I relied on the phone app to find the café where Ji-yeon was waiting, I felt a gaze from somewhere.

Much stickier and more persistent than any I’d felt on the bus.

A stalker?

Through a few outings, I’d come to understand the level of Ji-eun’s beauty.

Appearance is a form of power.

This violent and unfair beauty can easily win favor from anyone.

But there was no telling how that favor might be distorted.

Unrequited affection tends to be painful.

It’s also why one-sided love is hard.

Loving someone while harboring feelings on your own might be strange, but anyway.

The world has all kinds of people.

It wasn’t odd that Ji-eun’s looks attracted stalkers.

In this case, beauty was a double-edged sword.

Still, I thought there wouldn’t be any trouble on a main street.

I just needed to reach the café and meet up with Ji-yeon.

These types usually target women who are alone.

Focused on reaching the café, I kept my head down, eyes glued to the navigation app.

The footsteps behind me suddenly quickened, and a shadow appeared on my screen.

“Um… Do you need some help? It looks like you’re having trouble finding your way.”

I looked up and met the owner of the voice.

It was a woman with a puppy-like expression.

She was taller than me, so I had to look up slightly, and she was smiling at me gently.

Who is this person?

Is this the stalker?

The person in front of me didn’t match the image of a stalker I had in mind, so I just blinked.

She had a kind expression, neat clothing, and even a shy demeanor, unable to meet my eyes directly.

Considering the gaze I’d felt was now gone, this must have been the person I suspected.

But somehow, the two didn’t match at all.

Her blinking eyes seemed genuinely eager to help, full of friendliness.

Did I misunderstand?

Perhaps Ji-eun’s sensitive senses had simply overreacted.

I let go of my suspicion and looked at the woman in front of me.

When I didn’t respond, she appeared slightly disappointed, though she didn’t back off entirely; instead, she just glanced around nervously.

Ji-eun’s impression was one that, even on a good day, was difficult to approach.

A cold and sharp appearance.

It probably hadn’t been easy to start a conversation.

After all, she had mustered the courage to offer help.

It wouldn’t be polite to refuse.

“Yes, I’m trying to go here.”

I held out my phone screen to show her the café’s location.

“Oh, oh! You’re going to this café. It’s a nice spot. Yeah, the area is pretty winding, so it’s easy to get lost.”

The woman quickly regained her enthusiasm and started chatting excitedly.

Her demeanor was like a puppy wagging its tail, which made me smile.

“When is she going to get here…”

Ji-yeon muttered to herself as she sat in the café.

It was 5:10 p.m.

Already ten minutes past the agreed time.

Some might say it’s only ten minutes and that she should relax.

Ji-yeon wasn’t one to be impatient, so normally, she could laugh off someone being late by ten minutes.

But this time was different.

It wasn’t that she was upset with her sister for being late.

It was more akin to worry.

Ji-yeon blamed herself for not going out to meet her sister at the bus stop.

She knew her sister was in a fragile state.

The first mistake was letting her come alone without insisting otherwise.

The second mistake was not going out to meet her, even after receiving a text saying she was on her way and not to worry.

After that message, there was no more contact.

And her sister being late only intensified the anxiety.

‘I should have gone out to pick her up.’

Her sister suffered from social anxiety.

What if she was sitting somewhere on the roadside, scared and crying?

What if she had gotten overwhelmed and turned back to her room?

Or maybe she was upset with Ji-yeon for arranging this meeting.

All kinds of thoughts raced through Ji-yeon’s mind.

Last time she visited, her sister seemed alright, so she’d let her guard down.

She knew her sister was struggling to go out after that incident.

Should she go out now to meet her?

Ji-yeon paced back and forth, torn, feeling like a mother leaving her child by the water’s edge.

And then, it happened.

The café door opened, and two women entered.

The woman who entered first wore a warm, innocent smile as she led in the woman behind her.

Perhaps because the woman in front was strikingly beautiful, a few patrons turned their heads toward the entrance.

And then they saw her.

The woman who followed.

Her long, straight hair caught in the breeze and scattered in all directions.

People assumed the wind outside must have been strong, judging by her gracefully windswept hair.

Seemingly annoyed, she kept trying to push her hair back in place.

A woman dressed in black.

Her black attire contrasted against her pale skin.

With her hair blowing around, her slender neckline was revealed, and her expression was one of irritation.

Did something upset her?

Even with a neutral expression, she had a cold aura.

But with her brow furrowed, an even more unapproachable air surrounded her.

A proud, aloof woman who didn’t seem to allow anyone near her.

She scanned the interior of the café in silence, as if looking for someone.

And the people around her could tell—they were right in their assumption.

“Ji-yeon.”

The stern face softened, breaking into a smile as beautiful as a flower in full bloom.

A smiling face so unexpected on a sharp expression, it was hard to imagine.

Maybe it was the sudden change in expression, but a murmur of admiration rose around.

“Wow…”

Ji-yeon felt the same.

Momentarily dazed by the rare sight of her sister’s smile, she quickly came back to her senses.

“You’re here? Sit down.”

Ji-yeon guided her sister, who walked steadily over, to sit.

But her sister had company.

The woman who had guided her sister at the entrance was there.

A moment ago, she had been staring at her sister with her mouth slightly open.

“Sis, who is this?”

Could she be a friend? But she hadn’t mentioned anyone.

Her sister hesitated briefly before answering.

“Um… a stalker?”

“Stalker?”

Ji-yeon’s eyes widened at the word, glaring at the uninvited guest.

The woman waved her hands vigorously, stammering.

“I-I’m not a stalker!”

“Sis, don’t say things like that.”

“Sorry. It just seemed funny.”

I hadn’t realized I had a knack for teasing others.

Watching her big eyes fill with panic was so amusing.

When I laughed and reassured her it was just a joke, the misunderstanding cleared up immediately.

“I ran into her outside, and she helped me find my way.”

“Yes, that’s right… You seemed a bit lost, so…”

Maybe it was the glare Ji-yeon gave her after thinking she was a stalker.

The woman looked exhausted in a way, though the misunderstanding was cleared.

Ji-yeon, however, still cast a suspicious look her way.

“Thanks for guiding my sister to the café, but is there something you need from her?”

When it came to anything concerning me, Ji-yeon was quick to react.

Her tone was sharp, but it cut to the point.

If her intention had just been to help with directions, she would’ve left instead of subtly sticking around.

The woman looked restless, glancing at my face as if she had something to say but was too nervous to speak up.

Whenever our eyes met, she flinched and looked away, as if saying, “I have something to tell you.”

What could it be?

I was starting to get curious myself.

Under my expectant gaze, the woman gasped and finally opened her mouth.

“Um, so… well…”

I looked at her gently, as if telling her to take her time.

Blushing, she finally spoke up.

“P-please… be my model!”

Model…?