Heroine App 87

Chapter 87 – 87화 – This Shouldn’T Be Happening (2)

“Sooo… you know what that jerk said? Huh?”
“What did he say?”

I don’t know how long we’d been talking.

There were three empty soju bottles on the table, and Yoon Yujeong was holding another bottle, just enough for one more glass.

She poured the soju into the glass, the liquid trickling down.

Then, she downed it in one go, and a sharp sensation shot up!

“Kuhh…!”

Yoon Yujeong let out an exclamation, reeking of alcohol.

I was supposed to get drunk after just half a bottle of soju.

Jinhyun had drunk more, but Yoon Yujeong had definitely had her fair share too. At least a bottle and a half, I think.

Ugh.
But I still feel okay, maybe?

Yoon Yujeong looked at the man across from her, Jinhyun, and said,

“What did he sayyy…? He said, ‘We’re late clocking in anyway…! We get paid less, so isn’t it okay to be a little late!?’ He actually said that…! Does that even make sense?”

Unaware that her pronunciation was slurring, Yoon Yujeong continued to ramble.

Jinhyun immediately chimed in.

“Wow. That’s a completely messed up person. It must have been really hard for you, noona.”
“You think so too, right? Hee…”

She put a piece of cold meat in her mouth and chewed.

Usually, she had no one to vent to, but Jinhyun listened so well that Yoon Yujeong was able to unleash all the stories she had been keeping bottled up.

Once she started talking, it was like a dam had burst, and all the hard things came pouring out.

There were some exaggerated reactions, but that was fine.

She just needed someone to talk to comfortably.

“But from now on, you’ll be working with me, so it’ll be okay. I’ll carefully select only the most responsible part-timers. There will be less for you to struggle with, noona.”

Come to think of it, I’m supposed to work at Jinhyun’s place from now on.

Yoon Yujeong squinted at Jinhyun.

“Youuu, are you really going to give me 20,000 won an hour…? It’s a lie, isn’t it…? Right!?”
“A lie? Not at all. If the store does well, I’ll give you extra bonuses too, noona.”
“Psh, a lie…”

At the restaurant, she was getting a little over 10,000 won an hour, and at the convenience store, she was getting minimum wage. But these days, the minimum wage was high, so with the weekly allowance, she was making a decent amount of money each month.

But if she worked here with the 20,000 won an hour that Jinhyun had offered?

She would be making twice as much as she was now.

“It’s true. I’ll open soon and give you a contract. Oh, should I give you some money as an advance now? Money?”
“Ah, no. No, it’s okay. It’s not like that.”

Yoon Yujeong shook her head exaggeratedly.

It didn’t seem like Jinhyun was lying.

Yoon Yujeong took a spoonful of the cold soybean paste stew and, with a familiar motion, picked up the soju bottle.

“Huh?”

Drip, drip.
As she poured the soju, only a few drops came out, and no more soju came out.

“Ah…”

Yoon Yujeong looked at Jinhyun.

“No more soju… Let’s order another bottle.”
“No, noona. Let’s stop drinking for today. I think you’re too drunk right now.”

I’m drunk!?
Yoon Yujeong shook her head at Jinhyun’s worried expression.

“Ugh. I’m not drunk…! Or, youuu. Do you want to go home quickly?”
“It’s not like that. Sigh, okay, let’s just drink one more bottle.”
“Okay! I will. Hehe.”

Soon after, Jinhyun ordered another bottle of soju, and not long after, the lady brought it over.

“This time, let’s mix it with water or cider and drink it little by little. Oh, and there’s ice cream here, so I’ll go get it. Just rest for a bit?”
“Huh? Okay… I got it.”

Jinhyun got up and went to get the ice cream.

Yoon Yujeong stared blankly at Jinhyun’s back, then quickly opened the soju bottle and filled her soju glass.

Then, she gulped it down.

It’s like I’m the only one who’s drunk!
Jinhyun seems too sober.

Feeling stubborn, she emptied two glasses from the newly opened soju bottle, and Jinhyun came back with wide eyes.

“No, why did you drink so much again?”

Yoon Yujeong didn’t respond to Jinhyun’s words and asked something else.

“More than that, youuu…! Didn’t you say you called me out because you had something to say to me?”
“Something to say? Hmm. I think I’ve said everything…?”

Jinhyun tilted his head, puzzled.

No, not that.
Yujeong shook her head, feeling frustrated.

“Not that, I mean, about having dinner right now. You said you had something to say to me, so I left Dajeong behind.”

At Yoon Yujeong’s words, Jinhyun laughed, “Ah, I see.”

It was a normal laugh, but for some reason, her heart skipped a beat.

“Don’t you know?”
“Huh?”

What does that mean?
As she was thinking that, Jinhyun asked with a sly smile.

“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

The same usual voice.
But in Jinhyun’s voice, Yujeong felt an inexplicable force.

Jinhyun placed the ice cream in front of Yoon Yujeong.

Then, changing the atmosphere again, he spoke to Yujeong in a comfortable voice.

“I just called you out because I wanted to talk like this. I came out today to meet noona, but it felt like I was talking too much with Dajeong. I was also curious about how you’ve been doing.”
“Ah…”

Yoon Yujeong felt her face flush slightly.

Yujeong decided to suppress the heat with ice cream.

The sweet taste spread in her mouth, and it felt like her stuffy insides were being cleansed.

‘But wait a minute…!’

Thinking about it, it’s a bit annoying.
He called me out because he wanted to talk to me, and he was curious about how I’ve been doing?

“Youuu, someone like that…! Then why haven’t you contacted me at all?”
“Ahaha. I’ve been a bit busy too.”

Jinhyun scratched his head with a wry smile.
Yoon Yujeong suddenly became gloomy.

“Busy…?”
“Yes.”
“…”

Busy.
Busy…

It was a convenient excuse. No matter how busy he was, he could have sent a few messages. Yujeong felt something boiling up inside her.

It’s a strange feeling.

She took another spoonful of ice cream.

The sweetness of the cheap ice cream was strangely addictive.

Yoon Yujeong stuck the ice cream spoon deep into the ice cream and looked at Jinhyun.

“Thennn, if you’re so busy…! Were you still meeting Dajeong?”

Yoon Yujeong looked at Jinhyun’s face.

What kind of expression is that?
He seemed a little surprised, a little flustered, and a little like he was smiling. It was hard to tell what his expression was.

In the first place, her head was a little dizzy, and the world was spinning slightly.

Yujeong continued to speak.
Once she started talking, she couldn’t stop. There was a kind of inertia to words.

“I knew you first, but you went to my sister…! You like Dajeong more…! Well, it’s okay to like Dajeong… Dajeong is a really nice kid…”

What am I saying?
The thoughts in her head were all jumbled up.

I was supposed to help my younger sister, Dajeong, get together with Jinhyun, and I was supposed to just have dinner and part ways.

Suddenly, the voice in her heart came out on its own.

“You kissed me, and then rejected my confession…! But you secretly met Dajeong… Youuu…! Did you like Dajeong that much!? Huh!?”

Ugh.

Yoon Yujeong bowed her head after saying everything.
She ended up saying it all.

Come to think of it, isn’t this almost like confessing twice?

Yoon Yujeong was able to realize to some extent that she was drunk because of what she had just said. I’m definitely drunk.

Gulp…

She swallowed and waited for the time that seemed to be flowing strangely slowly.

The air was heavy. The surrounding sounds were not heard, and it seemed like she could only hear Jinhyun’s breathing.

‘Why isn’t he saying anything…!’

Wait a minute.
Did Jinhyun not hear me?
Is what I just said just my imagination, and the thought of wanting to say it myself was just an auditory hallucination!?

Thinking that, she glanced up at Jinhyun, and Yoon Yujeong could see him smiling gently.

Ah.
Oh, no.

“That’s right. I did like her.”
“Huh?”

Her heart sank at Jinhyun’s sudden words.

“How cute and nice Dajeong is. She listens well, and she studies hard…”

Jinhyun calmly listed Dajeong’s good points.

“She draws well, she’s pretty, and her voice is nice…”
“Huh? Uh…”

It wasn’t a statement she had said hoping for a positive response.
But, Jinhyun was agreeing.

She usually thought Dajeong was pretty and cute, and she liked her more than anyone else.
But when Jinhyun praised Dajeong, her heart strangely ached.

Good for you, Dajeong.
When I get back, I should tell her that Jinhyun praised her a lot…

Gloomy.

“But.”
“Huh?”

Just as she was thinking that.

“I like noona more now.”

Suddenly, Jinhyun moved closer to Yujeong and sat right next to her.

“Hiccup…?”

Suddenly, she hiccuped.
Wh-what did he say?

Did I just hear wrong…?

It felt like the hazy mind she had from being drunk was instantly clearing up.
It felt like she had been splashed with coolant on her face.

Yoon Yujeong was completely out of it, feeling Jinhyun’s presence right next to her.

“If you keep comparing me to your younger sister, and if I call you out like this to drink, don’t you know?”
“Uh, uh?”

It wasn’t a square table, but a round table with a grill in the middle.

Because they were sitting on cylindrical wooden chairs, Jinhyun was sitting right next to Yoon Yujeong.

“Even today. You keep making room for Dajeong, and you’re deliberately avoiding me. Even at the movie theater, you made Dajeong sit in the middle. Come to think of it, it seems like it’s been like that since we left the Japanese restaurant. What did you two talk about?”

Jinhyun moved closer and closer.
Yoon Yujeong lowered her head, avoiding his gaze, and said in a small voice.

“Ah, nothing…”
“Really?”
“Hiccup?”

Jinhyun grabbed Yoon Yujeong’s shoulder and pulled her into a hug.
Yoon Yujeong couldn’t resist and hiccuped again.

No.
We’ve even kissed, so why is this happening?

Yoon Yujeong barely held onto her fading consciousness and said,

“D-don’t do this…”