Chapter 111: By fountain (9)

Part 15

In the café, they didn’t order food—just a cup of tea each before heading to karaoke, as if it were the most natural thing. The teasing continued briefly, with Sihyun pointing out Yoonseo’s recent improvements and lingering flaws, but unlike the lively start, their conversation gradually fizzled.

Amid the city’s noise, they crossed a sunset-tinted main road. Spring’s warm breeze brushed Yoonseo’s cheeks and hair as she walked beside Sihyun. They moved in sync like companions but kept a distance that wasn’t too close. No words passed between them.

Yoonseo considered breaking the silence with mundane small talk but decided against it, choosing to soak in the city’s ambiance. Car engines, casual laughter, chatter, and faint clinks filled the air. Despite the soundscape, everything seemed strangely still. Swimming through these colorless noises, meaningless to her, was an oddly unfamiliar sensation.

“Isn’t that your phone?” Sihyun asked.

“Huh?”

“The ringtone. I hear it.”

Lost in thought, trudging toward the karaoke place, Yoonseo hadn’t noticed her phone—set to vibrate—playing a soft melody. Was I too distracted to hear? How’d he catch it? Before those thoughts settled, another hit: Should I answer?

Had she ever seen Sihyun’s phone ring while they were together? Her gaze instinctively drifted to his expression.

“Not picking up?” Sihyun asked, his usual unreadable smile in place.

His casual tone felt like it affirmed her hesitation, and she nearly blurted “No.” Swallowing a cough-like breath, she clamped her mouth shut, nodded silently, and checked her phone. “Mother” on the screen felt heavier than usual today.

“…Hello?” Yoonseo said.

“Thought you didn’t hear it, being outside,” her mother replied.

“It’s noisy on the main road. What’s up?”

“Nothing, just checking.”

Yoonseo glanced at Sihyun. Answering a call while with someone wasn’t rude per se, but she felt oddly guilty, like she was doing something wrong. Sihyun didn’t seem to care about her call, yet the feeling persisted.

Following Sihyun’s back, half a step ahead with his easygoing smile, she lowered her voice. They were too close for it to go unheard, but she hoped anyway.

“It’s hard to talk while walking outside,” Yoonseo said.

“Right. You left saying you were meeting a friend without details. Just wondered when you’d be back.”

“I’ll be home tonight. Not too late, so don’t worry,” she assured.

“Should I wait up?”

“You can sleep if it’s late. You’ve got work tomorrow.”

Being worried over something so small—should she be happy, sad, or annoyed? To her parents, their child—now not a son but with a noticeable face—out late was cause for concern.

Cutting off her mother’s attempt to add more, Yoonseo ended the call with polite words. She quickened her pace to walk side by side with Sihyun again.

“You could’ve talked longer. Why rush?” Sihyun asked.

“Noise makes it hard to hear, and talking while walking’s dangerous,” she said.

“Worried a truck’ll come up the sidewalk?”

“If I miss a horn, it’s trouble.”

Sihyun’s chuckle met her own smile. His usual laugh, familiar from every meeting, carried emotions that felt dulled by routine. But that lingering unease from last night whispered, pulling those dulled things back into focus.

This is who he is. Always a bit broken, a bit faulty. Always with that lingering unease.

Part 16

The karaoke machine blared its score with tacky effects. Forgot to turn that off. Staring at the gaudy 90-point display, Yoonseo fiddled with the remote to disable it.

“Phew…”

Exhaling heavily after a tense song, she glanced at Sihyun. Normally, he’d toss out a snarky critique by now, but he was staring blankly at his phone.

“Sihyun-ssi?”

“You’ve mostly dropped that forced throat strain. You’re singing pretty well now,” he said.

“Really?”

Actual praise? Sinking into the chair, she relaxed. The coin karaoke’s spacious two-person seat kept them at opposite ends, not touching, but close enough that a glance showed his phone screen.

“…What’re you watching?”

“Stream.”

“You’re supposed to teach me singing.”

“Jealous?”

“Ugh.” She grimaced exaggeratedly, and his gaze finally shifted from the phone to her. A low chuckle echoed in the small room.

“I’m listening to your singing, don’t worry. I was thinking about what to teach next,” he said.

“While watching a stream?”

“Not listening, just reading the chat.”

Why watch a stream then? The question nearly escaped.

“It’s your brother’s stream. Tons of people asking for you. Jealous,” Sihyun said.

Her body stiffened. His casual tone and the way he set the phone on the low table, as if inviting her to look, amplified her unease.

“Sihyun-ssi—”

“Kidding. I was watching because Bonfire’s streaming with your brother, and I got curious,” he cut in.

Was he serious? Or dodging? The hidden emotions behind his laugh felt more frustrating than ever. She paused, searching for words. Sihyun, watching her with a grin, picked up the remote and browsed songs.

“…You watch Bonfire-nim’s streams?” Yoonseo asked.

“He’s probably popular with girls too, that Bonfire,” Sihyun said.

“That sounds so weird coming from you.”

“Like you talking about the military?”

“When did I ever bring up the military?!”

“Just a vibe.”

She decided to let it go. Bury it. Later. Much later, when things feel safer. Then I’ll bring it up carefully. Hoping for a more stable future, she buried it for now.

Part 17

“Next Thursday, right?” Sihyun asked.

“The day I’m drinking with friends. Youngjin, Juyoung, Seokyun, Seongyun,” Yoonseo said.

“How do you know all their names?”

“I asked Youngjin to introduce me to his friends. He said they drop by once a month or so. I’ve heard all three others’ voices at least once,” Sihyun explained.

“You’re so polite to Youngjin, in and out of the shop, but so casual with me?”

“Isn’t there a bigger issue to focus on?”

“What’d you say to Youngjin to get him to spill about his friends? That you’re a lonely outcast?”

“Wow, how’d you  guess so perfectly?”