“What should we do…. It’s too late already…”
Due to taking a shower and doing makeup one after another, Arna ended up spending more time than expected.
Arna hurried to the meeting place. First of all, she needed to apologize for being late. After all, she had made the other person wait for a long time.
“No!”
However, that thought lasted only for a moment. Arna shook her head.
“Why should I be the one to apologize? Who’s the one who made an impromptu arrangement without asking?”
That’s right. The one who initially suggested meeting was none other than Shin Yoon-seong. Moreover, Arna was summoned unilaterally without any time coordination.
In this situation, Arna didn’t need to bow her head at all. On the contrary, she should be thanked just for showing up.
So, there was no need to be in a rush.
Thud, thud─
But despite her thoughts, Arna’s body was unable to remain calm. She moved her feet more briskly than before. She was practically running.
“Hmph… I didn’t even have time to finish my makeup properly…”
Arna took out a mirror from her pouch bag for one final touch-up. Due to the rush, her makeup looked less polished than usual.
Ah. If only there had been enough time, she could have made herself look a bit prettier. What if he teases me about my makeup wearing off when we meet later.
“Hmph! Whether the makeup is good or bad, why is that important? Since when have I cared about such things!”
Clack─!
Arna shoved the mirror back into her pouch bag and continued walking with her head held high.
“…”
Finally, Shin Yoon-seong came into view in the distance. That detestable face looked the same whether day or night.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
But why? The closer the distance becomes, the more her heart beats faster. Her body gets hotter, and her breathing quickens.
“Ugh…!”
No, I can’t let this happen. I need to pull myself together. The other person is Shin Yoon-seong, right? What kind of different feelings could I have for that villainous character?
This hatred for Shin Yoon-seong hasn’t changed at all. It’s a feeling that will never change.
“You’re here, you oversized baby monster.”
“…”
Shin Yoon-seong greeted Arna as usual. In contrast, Arna, who was extremely tense, nodded her head without saying a word.
“Hmm?”
At that moment, Shin Yoon-seong furrowed his eyebrows and stared intently at Arna’s face.
Then…
“You actually look quite pretty today.”
“Wha…t?”
“Compared to usual, your makeup looks good.”
Of course, Arna was expecting to be teased about her makeup wearing off. But Shin Yoon-seong was unexpectedly giving her compliments, contrary to her expectations.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
What should I do.
This shouldn’t be happening.
He’s just a villain after all.
How can such sweet words affect me now?
“Was the person who called… Arna?”
At that very moment, another voice pierced through Arna’s ears.
Arna quickly turned her gaze toward the source of the voice.
“Uhhh…?”
Nearby was a food truck, where Choi Soo-eun from the medical division was stationed.
“…”
What exactly is this situation? Clearly, Arna came to this meeting place at Shin Yoon-seong’s invitation.
It was clearly a date proposal.
Why is Choi Soo-eun here?
“Why… is Arna here…”
Soo-eun was equally confused. How could the person who came to support her turn out to be Arna? Her lips suddenly went dry.
“What’s with all the blank stares? If you’re here, we might as well start the task already.”
And then…
The villain behind this situation, Shin Yoon-seong, gave orders to the two women in the usual tone.
“…”
“…”
Arna and Soo-eun shot daggers at Shin Yoon-seong, each thinking the same thing in their minds.
How could one be so shameless, they wondered.
“So, all I have to do is eat here, right?”
Arna had roughly figured out the situation. Choi Soo-eun opened a shop at this festival, and Shin Yoon-seong appeared to help out when business wasn’t going well.
Somehow, Arna ended up being dragged along as well.
“Yes. After eating, I would like you to leave an honest review. Also, do you have Instagram?”
“Yes, I do, but why does that matter?”
“I’d like you to post something there when you have time. With a picture of the food, of course.”
“Are you asking me to advertise for this shop?”
Shin Yoon-seong nodded. Arna let out a wry laugh at the absurdity of the request.
“Hah! I thought it was something important, but you dragged me here for this?”
After taking a shower and putting on makeup just for this? And after thinking it was a date invitation and building up expectations — well, not exactly, but splitting her precious time to rush over here only to be asked to help out someone else?
“EEEEeeek…!”
Arna really wanted to punch Shin Yoon-seong’s face right there. And, for the first time, this was completely genuine.
“Hold it. At least lower that hand. I think I understand why you’re upset, Arna, but…”
“What do you think you understand? You don’t know anything!”
Suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes. Lately, how much mental anguish has Yoon-seong caused her? And every time she sees his face, her mind gets completely jumbled.
What does he know about her confusing emotions, tangled even in her own eyes?
In the end, Arna is still a woman. One who projects numerous meanings onto small actions and gets easily hurt by a single word.
“That’s enough. I’ll handle it myself, anyway.”
Meanwhile, Choi Soo-eun, who had silently observed the confrontation, spoke up. Soo-eun resumed preparing ingredients with a composed expression.
“You look really busy. I’m fine, so you should just go back and tell her that.”
Is Soo-eun saying she doesn’t need Arna’s help? Shin Yoon-seong confirmed with a follow-up question.
“Are you sure you’re alright?”
“Uh-huh. It’s a waste of time for her to stay here for me. And it’s inappropriate to be a burden.”
On the surface, it sounded like concern for Arna, and considering how busy Arna was during the event period, it wasn’t entirely unwarranted.
“…”
But Arna perceived it differently. This wasn’t concern for her; it was an attempt to push her away.
At the very least, it felt that way from her perspective.
“So now I really don’t want to leave…”
Suddenly, an odd sense of competitiveness flared up. It was strange. This wasn’t any battle situation or regular exam, yet it suddenly felt like losing was unacceptable.
To whom exactly, Arna didn’t know. Was she competing with Shin Yoon-seong in front of her eyes?
Or Choi Soo-eun further away?
Or was it a personal battle against herself?
“I’ll do it! Why not?”
Arna decided to stand her ground. She couldn’t easily back down in a place like this and marched resolutely toward the food truck.
“Give me the food!”
Flash─!
Arna’s eyes blazed as she extended her arm.
“Oof…”
Caught off guard by her intensity, Choi Soo-eun’s jaw clenched involuntarily. She hadn’t anticipated this escalation.
“Let me clarify—I have quite the picky palate, so it’s going to be challenging for your food to make it onto my Instagram!”
This time, Arna was issuing a direct challenge. She wanted to see what the fuss was all about, and why Shin Yoon-seong ended up involved in this matter.
“Alright then, I’ll make you one…”
Now that it had come to this, Choi Soo-eun accepted the battle as well.
Even if she wasn’t sure what exactly was happening, a purposeless but fierce showdown had begun between the two women.
“Hmph. What a great day to suddenly get called out. I have work in the medical division that I can’t put off, you know…”
Stepping out of the medical training hospital, the junior of Choi Soo-eun looked up at the darkening sky.
“But I wonder if the senior is doing alright. Standing guard alone in the store must be pretty tough.”
The junior was genuinely worried about Choi Soo-eun, who was left alone to manage the store. Originally, the plan was for both of them to handle it together, but circumstances left Soo-eun by herself.
“This isn’t the right time. The senior must be waiting for me.”
Deciding not to delay any longer, the junior hurried back to the food truck. Certainly, the senior must be struggling right about now. Having to handle everything from taking orders to cooking all alone would be tough for anyone, no matter how capable.
“Yes, set menu for three, correct? Here’s your number.”
“Wait…?”
However, upon arriving at the food truck, all previous concerns vanished. The shop was running smoothly.
“Set menu for five? It might take a little time, but are you okay with that? Oh, it doesn’t matter how long it takes? Thank you. Here’s your number.”
There was an impressively long line of customers. It was the longest at the food truck—longer even than the famous Hawaiian pizza place.
“…”
What happened while I was gone? The shop was deserted this morning with only flies buzzing around. Why is business suddenly booming?
“Yes, pictures? That’s available with orders of ten or more, but are you really ordering that many? Oh, great!”
The cause was found at the point-of-sale machine. There, none other than Han-yul Military Academy’s idol and world hero, Arna, was hard at work handling customer service.
It was Arna’s presence that had drawn in all these patrons.
“Why… why is Senior Arna at our shop?”
Had the junior come to the wrong place? She peered toward the inside of the truck.
If this is the right shop, then Soo-eun should definitely be in there.
“Withdrawal is not an option… I refuse to lose!”
Fortunately, the kitchen did contain Choi Soo-eun. But her state was unusual. Soo-eun was clenching her teeth and furiously cooking, managing three woks all at once.
She seemed more motivated than ever before, sweating profusely, something unusual for her.
“Absolutely not going to lose…!”
And then there was the constant muttering. It was unclear what she was saying—something about not losing—was she fighting someone somewhere else?
“No! That’s not important right now! What exactly is going on here?”
The junior couldn’t believe her eyes. At the register, Arna was handling customers, and in the kitchen, Soo-eun was aggressively cooking up a storm.
How did this combination come to be exactly?
Tatatata─
“Bringing Arna here really was the right move after all.”
Meanwhile, at the back of the truck, a man was seen counting banknotes. None other than Shin Yoon-seong from the combat division, a regular at their hospital.
“…”
In an instant, the junior understood.
That it was all the doing of this man.
