Cody was successful.
Was it because of her cold impression or because of her completely black outfit that created a dark atmosphere?
People couldn’t approach me.
But there was one thing I overlooked,
People could not talk to me.
“That dog is so pretty…”
“Go get her number.”
“Is she a model?”
If that’s the case, then just approach me.
No, still, this is better than someone trying to talk.
Dealing with people was still a burdensome task.
The gazes directed at me were extremely intense.
The bus heading to my destination was crowded.
Even though it wasn’t a weekday rush hour, all the seats were filled.
Perhaps there were more people because it was the weekend.
My oddly sensitive senses picked up even the whispers around me.
People couldn’t talk to me, but they couldn’t take their eyes off of me.
Whether they were men or women, all of them.
My fingertips trembled slightly.
It was a response from my body, not the reaction I intended.
Did Ji-eun feel suffocated by such attention?
I clenched my shaking hand with effort.
Sunday afternoon, 5 PM.
Ji-yeon lived in a busy area not far from Ji-eun’s house.
She said she would wait in a nearby café, but it was hard to find because the buildings were so densely packed.
Where should I go?
I was relying on my phone app to find the café where Ji-yeon was.
I felt a gaze from somewhere.
It was sticky and persistent, far beyond what I experienced on the bus.
A stalker?
Through several outings, I had learned about Ji-eun’s appearance.
Appearance is power.
This violent and unreasonable appearance could easily win favor from anyone.
But how that favor could turn into something else was unpredictable.
Usually, love that goes unreciprocated can be difficult.
That’s also why unrequited love is hard.
It might be strange that someone could have feelings and love alone, but anyway.
There are various people in the world.
It wasn’t so strange for a stalker to attach to Ji-eun’s looks.
In this case, looks could be a double-edged sword.
Still, I thought they wouldn’t openly act recklessly in the middle of the street.
It would be enough to go to the café and meet Ji-yeon.
Usually, such types would target women who were alone.
So I was focused on the map app, looking down to reach the café as fast as I could.
Suddenly, I felt footsteps approaching from behind that got faster,
And a shadow fell over my screen.
“Excuse me… Can I help you? It looks like you can’t find your way.”
I looked up at the owner of the voice.
It was a girl with a puppy-like smile.
She was taller than me, so I had to look up slightly to see her, and she was smiling at me softly.
What is this person?
Is this a stalker?
I blinked, surprised by the appearance of a stalker that was different from what I had imagined.
With a kind expression and neat clothing, and even a shyness that prevented her from meeting my gaze.
As the feeling of being watched faded, it seemed that the person I suspected to be a stalker was right.
Yet, it just didn’t match at all.
Her blinking eyes were full of goodwill as if she genuinely wanted to help.
Did I misjudge?
Perhaps Ji-eun’s sensitive perception had overreacted.
I put away my suspicions and looked at the girl in front of me.
She seemed to feel a bit down when I didn’t respond.
But she didn’t immediately back away; she just rolled her eyes nervously.
Ji-eun’s expression was difficult to approach, to say the least.
A prickly and cold impression.
It was undoubtedly hard to strike up a conversation.
That girl mustered some courage to offer help.
It wouldn’t be polite to refuse, right?
“Yes, I’m trying to go here.”
I showed her my phone screen, displaying the café’s location.
“Oh, oh. You’re going to this café. This café is nice. Yes, it’s very winding around here, so it can be hard to find your way—”
The girl regained her energy and chatted away excitedly.
Her demeanor was like a dog wagging its tail, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“When is she coming…”
Ji-yeon murmured softly as she sat in the café.
5:10 PM.
It had already been 10 minutes past the meeting time.
Someone might say it was just 10 minutes and tell her to calm down.
Ji-yeon wasn’t the type to be anxious, so she could usually laugh off being 10 minutes late.
But this time was a bit different.
It wasn’t that she was upset about her sister being late.
She was merely feeling close to anxious.
Ji-yeon chastised herself for not going out to the bus stop where her sister was supposed to get off.
Knowing that her sister was in such an unstable state.
Not stopping her from coming alone was her first mistake.
Ignoring the text saying she didn’t need to come out because her sister was on her way was her second mistake.
With that message cutting off and no further contact, she felt uneasy.
Being late to the agreed time was only adding to her anxiety.
‘If I had known, I should have gone to pick her up myself.’
Her sister has social anxiety.
Was she sitting somewhere on the side of the road crying out of fear?
Had she gone outside and then retreated back into her room?
Maybe she hated the idea of me making such an appointment.
Ji-yeon’s mind spiraled with all sorts of thoughts.
Last time she visited, her sister seemed fine, so she had let her guard down.
Her sister had to be struggling a lot to go out since that incident.
Should she go pick her up right now?
Ji-yeon fidgeted, at a loss for what to do, feeling like a child left by the water’s edge.
Then it happened.
The café door opened, and two women entered.
The first woman came in with a simple smile, guiding the second woman behind her.
Perhaps because the woman in front was beautiful, some people unconsciously turned to look at the entrance.
And they saw her.
The woman coming in behind had long hair fluttering in the wind.
People thought the beautiful hair was a sign of strong wind outside.
The woman seemed displeased, tossing her hair around.
She was wearing all black, and her contrasting snow-white skin made her stand out.
With her hair blowing around, the beautiful woman had a frown on her face.
Was she perhaps in a bad mood?
She already had a cold impression, and with that frown, she seemed even less approachable.
She didn’t look like someone who would allow anyone to approach her.
The woman kept her furrowed brow for a long time.
She was quietly surveying the interior of the café, as if searching for someone.
And people were soon to find out that their prediction was correct.
“Ji-yeon.”
Her stiff face broke into a bright smile.
The small smile that bloomed like a flower was beautiful.
Perhaps it was due to her prickly gaze, but it was hard to imagine her smiling face.
Was it an unexpected change of expression?
Admiration flowed from those around her.
“Wow…”
Ji-yeon was in agreement.
She was momentarily taken aback by her sister’s appearance, but soon collected herself.
“Did you come? Sit here.”
Ji-yeon walked up and sat her sister down.
But her sister had someone with her.
It was surely the girl who guided her in at the entrance.
She had just been staring at her sister with her mouth agape.
“Sis, who is this?”
Is she a friend? But she hadn’t mentioned any details.
After a moment’s hesitation, her sister replied to Ji-yeon’s question.
“Well… she’s a stalker?”
“A stalker?”
Ji-yeon looked at the unexpected guest with wide eyes, as if she had heard a word she shouldn’t have.
The guest shook her head vigorously, stammering.
“I-I’m not a stalker!”
“Sis, don’t say things like that casually.”
“I’m sorry. I thought it would be funny.”
I didn’t know she had a hobby of teasing others.
The way her big eyes were filled with confusion was so amusing.
As we laughed and cleared up the misunderstanding, all awkwardness disappeared.
“I met her outside; she helped me find my way.”
“Yes, that’s right… I thought you looked lost.”
Perhaps it was because she received a sharp glance from Ji-yeon for being suspected of being a stalker.
The girl appeared fatigued for some reason.
Yet even after the misunderstanding was cleared, Ji-yeon didn’t fully dismiss her suspicion of the girl.
“I appreciate you bringing my sister to the café, but what business do you have with her?”
Ji-yeon often became sensitive if I was involved in something.
Although her tone was a bit sharp, she got straight to the point.
If she was only here to give directions, she wouldn’t have lingered like this.
The girl kept glancing nervously at my face, restless as if she had something more to say.
Each time our eyes met, she would turn her head away in a fluster.
It looked like she wanted to say something to me.
What on earth was she going to say?
I became curious.
With her insistent gaze on me, the girl finally spoke up.
“I-I… um…”
I looked at her, urging her to take her time with her words.
Finally, the girl, her face flushed, spoke up.
“Could you… please be my model?”
Model…?
