6. Relationships

“You’re here, Yoon!”

Rachel greeted Yoon with a bright smile. In response to Rachel’s warm welcome, Yoon gave a barely noticeable smile. Rachel had a natural talent for making people feel good.

“This is a new cocktail I made. Try it.”

Rachel held out the freshly made cocktail with an excited expression. Yoon held the drink up to the light.

The emerald-colored liquid shimmered oddly. As she took a sip, Yoon’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“…Toothpaste?”

“Toothpaste? It’s mint!”

Rachel puffed her cheeks in protest. Yoon shrugged and set the glass down. It wasn’t to her taste.

“I don’t think I’d pay money to drink this.”

At the blunt review, Rachel’s shoulders slumped.

“Is it that bad?”

As Rachel looked at her with a pout, Yoon hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“…The one I had last time wasn’t too bad.”

“But you didn’t finish that one either. I even gave it to you in a small glass on purpose…”

“I’m just picky with alcohol. Other people might like it.”

She meant it to be comforting, but judging by Rachel’s expression, it didn’t seem to help. Yoon scratched her head. She really had no talent for consolation. She spoke honestly.

“I think from now on, you should leave cocktail-making to Danny.”

Danny, who had been carefully polishing a wine glass with a dry cloth, smiled with his eyes. Rachel pouted, looking disappointed.

Yoon naturally picked up another glass and rinsed her mouth. Once the toothpaste taste was gone, she felt like she could breathe again.

Rachel, who had been feeling down, quickly regained her energy and changed the subject.

“How was your day?”

Yoon stayed quiet for a moment and thought about how her day had gone.

Today…

At first, she would’ve brushed it off with something like, “It was okay. Nothing special.” But now, she found herself being a bit more honest about her day.

Of course, she said nothing about her work. Even so, the fact that she could express her feelings at all was probably because of those eyes… filled with so much warmth and kindness.

Spinning her glass lightly, Yoon spoke.

“It sucked.”

She downed the drink in one go and set the glass down.

“What happened? Did something go wrong?”

Rachel refilled the glass and asked with a worried tone.

“…Someone who’s always nagged me when I messed up, but never ignored me… suddenly acted like I didn’t exist.”

Her bitterness slipped out naturally. Seeing Yoon’s face clouded by gloom, Rachel’s expression darkened too.

“…Did something happen between you two? Something that could’ve made him angry or worried?”

Rachel asked carefully.

“…Both.”

“Sorry?”

“Both happened.”

With a sigh, Yoon lowered her head onto the table.

‘Still… he’s never ignored me like this before.’

She’d just realized how silence could be more frightening than Lucas’s nagging.

She wanted to grab him by the collar and shake him… ask why he was the one acting like he was hurt. But doing that would prick her conscience. After all, she had shamelessly enjoyed the way he worried about her. She had no right to say anything.

When she closed her eyes, his face from earlier came to mind.

He wasn’t angry or scowling, but the atmosphere around him was entirely different.

His face had stiffened, his gaze was dull, and most of all, there was a distance between them that hadn’t been there before. The eyes that usually bent with subtle care now carried no warmth.

That strange anxiety, like a tingling in her fingertips, made Yoon clench her fists.

“In that case, you should apologize, Yoon.”

“…Apologize?”

She lifted her head with a frown, as if she were hearing the word for the first time.

Rachel smiled warmly, like she was looking at a cute younger sister, and nodded.

“If you did something wrong, you should apologize. It’s even better if you bring something the other person likes! Then sit down and talk seriously. Tell him what you did wrong… but also explain how you felt. If you don’t say it, he won’t know.”

“…….”

Yoon thought deeply. Had she ever apologized to someone in her life?

She’d bulldozed through things or acted shamelessly, but apologizing? Never.

And now, her long-neglected conscience poked at her chest, demanding attention.

“…What should I bring?”

“How about alcohol? Bring a bottle, lighten the mood, and talk.”

Alcohol… Yoon considered the idea for a moment, then slowly nodded.

“Then I’ll recommend a good bottle for you. Take it with you later.”

“Thanks.”

“For what? It’s nothing.”

Rachel, smiling softly at Yoon, suddenly grinned mischievously.

“But Yoon, is he a guy?”

“Yeah.”

Yoon answered casually.

“Then do you like him?”

“What?”

Rachel looked at her with gentle eyes. She hadn’t known Yoon long, but she felt she was starting to understand her.

Despite her bold and confident exterior, Yoon was awkward with relationships.

Awkward… that word fit Yoon perfectly.

She treated people who showed affection like she was seeing it for the first time.

Even when pretending to be stoic, her discomfort was obvious.

Still, Rachel believed that Yoon was a warm-hearted person.

She might seem indifferent and cold to others, but there was a quiet kindness in her.

Even her clumsy attempt to comfort earlier had been proof of that.

“I mean, do you like him romantically?”

At the unexpected wording, Yoon showed a complicated expression.

Romantic feelings?

If she had to choose between liking or disliking Lucas, it was definitely liking.

To Yoon, Lucas was someone as familiar as breathing.

From the moment they first met, he had been her mentor, her protector, her boss, and the only person who ever truly worried about her.

Had she ever thought of him romantically, though?

Yoon stayed silent for a while.

Seeing this, Rachel smiled mysteriously. It seemed she’d thrown a meaningful stone.

“Think about it. There are many kinds of love, after all.”

Rachel whispered with a mysterious smile.

“There are different kinds?”

It was something Yoon had never heard before.

“Of course. Not all love is the same, you know? The love you feel for family is different from the love you feel for a romantic partner. And of course, it’s also different from the love you feel for friends.”

Rachel continued with a wink. Her voice was gentle, like she was explaining how beautiful the world was to someone seeing it for the first time.

“You can feel love for family, for a partner, or for friends. The form is just a little different.”

Seeing Yoon’s confused expression, Rachel smiled and gave an example.

“Even if you love your family or friends, you don’t get all touchy like you would with a romantic partner, right? That doesn’t mean you don’t love them. You still cherish them, just in a different way. The way love is expressed is simply different.”

Yoon furrowed her brow. She sort of understood, but not really.

“Want me to teach you a quick way to figure out whether you have romantic interest in someone?”

Watching Yoon trying to absorb the new knowledge, Rachel grinned suggestively.

“Imagine kissing the person. That should give you your answer right away.”

“A kiss?”

Yoon looked at her like she couldn’t be serious.

“Yes, a kiss.”

Rachel made a playful kissing motion as if to tempt her. Yoon asked with a baffled expression,

“Did you figure things out that way too?”

“I don’t usually imagine it. I prefer trying it directly.”

At the provocative reply, Yoon let out a dry laugh.

“I’ve had my lips bump into someone else’s before. It was totally possible even without romantic feelings.”

She had once grabbed the doctor by the collar and crashed lips with him out of necessity. It was about as emotional as kissing an object.

“Wasn’t that for a different reason though? Not like you actually meant to kiss them?”

Rachel smiled with her eyes, and Yoon looked at her with slight wariness. Every word she said was spot on.

“Does it make a difference? Lips touching is lips touching.”

“There’s a huge difference. Physical contact feels totally different depending on who it’s with. With some people, you feel nothing. With others, your heart races like crazy. And Yoon, just having your lips bump into someone isn’t the same as a kiss. Especially a kiss with someone you love… it’s incomparable.”

“…Do you have someone you love?”

Rachel burst out laughing at Yoon’s bewildered tone, as if the thought had never crossed her mind.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Your face just now was soooo cute. I’m in such a good mood. I can’t believe I’m having a love talk with Yoon.”

Rachel smiled so brightly that even Yoon sheepishly scratched her ear.

Laughing, Rachel grabbed Yoon’s arm and tugged her.

“Okay, let’s save the deep thinking for later. Come play with me today. I’ve been wanting to do stuff together with you. Sometimes you need a change of pace!”

And just like that, Yoon was dragged out to the street by Rachel.

It was a dusky evening. Even though it was spring, the night air was chilly.

Yoon, who wasn’t particularly sensitive to heat or cold, saw Rachel rubbing her arms and took off her outer jacket to hand it to her.

Rachel looked a little surprised, then smiled shyly and put it on.

She took Yoon straight into a shopping mall. She pestered Yoon to try on different outfits, but Yoon shook her head.

She had no interest in shopping to begin with. Spending time together was nice, but all this fuss was a bit much. Besides, she already had clothes at home.

Granted, they were mostly white shirts and black suit jackets, but still, there were plenty.

Rachel looked disappointed but gave up in the end and picked out something she liked for herself.

“Tada!”

Yoon, who had been checking her phone, looked up at the call. Her pupils widened.

She looked beautiful. Yoon couldn’t come up with a better word.

Someone could actually pull off that hot pink dress.

It was so bright it almost hurt the eyes, but Rachel wore it flawlessly. Even the store clerks around them were impressed.

Rachel strutted like a model and twirled in front of Yoon.

With a killer look that seemed to shoot straight to the heart, she stunned Yoon into staring blankly…before finally making her laugh.

Rachel, pleased to see Yoon smiling, blew her a kiss with a wink.

Even though it was exaggerated and clearly meant to be funny, the surrounding men looked like they were about to faint from the sheer charm.

“How do I look, darling?”

With her unshakably bold and confident stance, Yoon couldn’t help but clap. It was impossible not to.

“Yoon! You’re supposed to take a photo at times like this!”

“Oh.”

Yoon’s eyebrows twitched.

Having realized too late, she fumbled to turn on her phone’s camera.

Rachel laughed as Yoon awkwardly pressed the shutter, then began posing for the photos.

She struck beautiful and ridiculous poses alike, laughing as she sat beside Yoon.

Looking satisfied, she checked the pictures and gave Yoon a tight hug.

Yoon, perhaps having grown a bit used to it, only rolled her eyes but didn’t push her away.

When Rachel went back in to change, Yoon checked the photos.

It was the first time a photo had been saved in the empty gallery. Rachel, smiling brightly, sparkled in the image.

A faint smile formed on Yoon’s lips without her realizing.

Rachel bought a hot pink dress and a jacket to go over it. She also bought a black suit for Yoon, something she thought would suit her well.

Yoon tried to refuse, saying it wasn’t necessary, but eventually gave in when Rachel looked at her with eyes that seemed on the verge of tears.

Rachel was the kind of woman who knew how to fully make use of her charm.

With an excited expression, she led Yoon along.

Words flowed endlessly from Rachel’s mouth, and her cheerful personality was more than enough to lift Yoon’s spirits.

It was such an enjoyable time that all the tangled thoughts in her head seemed to vanish.

At some point, Rachel had linked arms with Yoon. The orange glow of the streetlamps lit up the road.

Despite it being evening, many people were still strolling along the streets.

The sound of jazz from a nearby bar and people laughing and chatting passed by their ears.

Yoon looked at Rachel, who was holding her arm and chattering cheerfully. A smile was spread across her face, as if everything in the world was delightful.

Peaceful.

The thought suddenly came to Yoon, and her steps began to slow.

Is this what a normal life looks like?

Just watching others made her feel strangely at ease.