Executive Director, shall I book a room ?? - Chapter 8

Once I drew that line in my heart, it was over. Even though we still ran into each other occasionally afterward, we only exchanged brief, distant nods before passing by. It was strange—his presence, which I’d never paid much attention to before, now felt vivid and impossible to ignore.

In the end, the whole incident only made things more awkward between us.

Then, on a Sunday morning two weeks later, I opened the café door, thinking it would be just another ordinary day.

“Ma’am, do you remember your grandson’s phone number? Or where he might have gone?”

“Hmm? I don’t know… Where am I? Oh dear, I must’ve lost my mind again. I can’t remember anything. What should I do?”

“It’s okay, ma’am. I’ll help you find him. For now, drink this and take your time.”

The sky had been overcast all morning, and by afternoon, a light drizzle had begun. A small-framed elderly woman, without an umbrella, had been pacing in front of the café.

She clearly didn’t belong here, so I kept an eye on her. Eventually, she shuffled over and sat down on the curb in front of the café window, not moving for a long time.

Though spring was in full swing, the weather was still too chilly for her to be sitting out in the rain. In the end, I opened the door and brought her inside. For the past thirty minutes, she’d been repeating the same story—she was looking for her son, who attended this university. But she didn’t look old enough to have a son of that age.

It was clearly a case of dementia. Letting out a quiet sigh, I handed her a warm cup of milk and glanced at my phone on the counter.

Calling the police seemed like the best option, but I couldn’t leave the café unattended. Yet, if I called them and they suddenly showed up, I worried it might startle her.

Just as I was debating whether to call Yeonhui for help—

“Excuse me.”

“Oh, welcome—”

I’d been so lost in thought that I hadn’t even noticed a customer approaching. Startled by the unexpected male voice, I reflexively turned my head—and froze.

Standing before me was the last person I’d expected to see. How did he know I was here? Did someone tell him? Or is he even here for me? Maybe it’s just a coincidence?

Countless questions flashed through my mind before scattering. The surprise on Junseong’s face told me he hadn’t expected to see me either. As we both stood there awkwardly, his gaze flickered toward the elderly woman before returning to me.

“Uh, this lady… She got lost near here.”

Under his questioning look, I found myself explaining without thinking. Junseong nodded, then immediately walked over to the woman and crouched beside her.

“Ma’am, did you finish your drink?”

“Hmm? Yes, I did. It was delicious. Such a kind girl gave it to me, but I don’t have any money.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. Would you like to come with me? You should go home—everyone must be worried.”

“Yes, I should. I should go home.”

Of course, good looks work on any generation.

The woman’s face lit up with a happy smile as she looked at Junseong. After helping her up, he glanced back at me. Our eyes met, and I asked hesitantly,

“Will you be okay?”

“I’ll take her to the police station nearby. Don’t worry—I’ll make sure she’s not startled.”

That wasn’t what I was worried about.

But I couldn’t say that out loud, so I just smiled. It was such a Junseong thing to do.

He returned much later, thanking me with a latte. Looking slightly embarrassed, he explained that the woman’s family had been found quickly, but she hadn’t wanted to let go of him until they arrived.

“By the way, how did you know I was here? This place is pretty out of the way.”

“Oh, right. I was supposed to meet Soohyuk here…”

His voice trailed off, and he let out a deep sigh. I could already guess what had happened.

“Well, you know how he is. But he’s not a bad guy.”
“Yeah, I figured. He’s the type to act first and think later, but I don’t think he meant any harm.”

We both chuckled at the same time. Surprisingly, the conversation flowed naturally from there.

“About that time in the library… I’m sorry for getting angry when you were just trying to help.”

“No, it’s fine. You were just surprised. I get it.”

“Still, it’s been bothering me. I should’ve at least thanked you properly. Oh, but lending me your notes wasn’t just because of that. Helping is helping, and gratitude is gratitude.”

“I know. You’re the type to say what needs to be said upfront.”

“You knew that about me?”

He seemed genuinely curious, but for some reason, he didn’t answer right away—just smiled awkwardly. I’d always thought of him as mature and composed, but seeing him like this, so full of youthful sincerity, made my heart flutter.

Biting my lip to suppress a smile, I watched as Junseong cleared his throat—just like he had when he first borrowed my notes—and continued.

“I really was grateful for the notes. They helped me fill in all the gaps in my own. I thought I was pretty good at studying, but yours made me reconsider.”

“What, no way. I just work hard. By the way, Soohyuk told me everything. About the circumstances. Why didn’t you explain?”
“Would that have changed the fact that it was my mistake? Failing to take care of something entrusted to me is my responsibility, no matter what.”

“…You really need to fix that personality of yours.”

I couldn’t help but mutter in exasperation, and he laughed. It was as if a weight had lifted from his shoulders—as if my words had granted him forgiveness.

After that, we talked for a long time. It felt like we’d been waiting for this moment, firing questions back and forth as if making up for lost time.

At some point, Soohyuk sneaked in and shamelessly claimed credit for our improved relationship. His audacity was so ridiculous that I could only laugh.

In the end, the misunderstanding that had initially driven us apart became the reason we became real friends.

But what about this misunderstanding?

If it had been a clear-cut mistake, we could’ve argued and resolved it. But this—being misunderstood as not his type—was so absurdly vague that I didn’t know how to fix it.

And so, at some point, even when we were together, it felt like we’d grown distant. We were still close friends and reliable study partners, but an unspoken awkwardness grew between us. Being alone together wasn’t as comfortable as before.

I told myself it was fine—we were just friends, after all. We weren’t close enough to meddle in each other’s feelings. If we drifted apart without a word, then so be it.

But if I’d known back then that he might leave my side completely—would I have mustered the courage to speak up sooner?

***

The multicolored lights filtering in from outside were hazy and dreamlike. Sitting amidst the year-end festive scenery, the man looked more beautiful than ever. The moment his elegant silhouette—quietly absorbed in a book—entered my vision, my pupils trembled.

This time, for sure.

Steeling my resolve, I picked up two large mugs and walked toward the window. The café was empty except for the two of us, long past closing time.

It had been a while since Junseong had shown up here. To be precise, I’d mustered every ounce of courage to contact him, saying I had something to tell him.

Sensing my approach, he looked up. I handed him one of the mugs.

“Extra-light latte. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, thanks. Are you done closing up? Sit down.”

A faint smile touched his lips. My heart pounded again. Sitting across from him, I discreetly swallowed.

Calm down. Calm down, heart.

“So, what’s up? You didn’t call me here just for coffee.”

“Huh? Oh, well… I just had something to say.”

“Something to say?”

His indifferent echo made me nod meekly.

“What is it?”

“Uh… Well. Time flies, right? It’s already winter.”

“Yeah. Feels like just yesterday we helped that old lady outside.”

I said it without thinking, but his response felt like he’d read my mind.

“So… you’re studying abroad, right?”

“Yeah.”

My question had been cautious, but his answer came easily—as if he’d expected it.

“When do you leave?”

“Next Wednesday.”

“That’s really sudden.”

“Is it?”

His tone was ambiguous as he took another sip of coffee. No matter what, he was a difficult person to read. His expression and demeanor remained unreadable, and my lips felt parched.

An uncomfortable silence settled between us.

“Guess this’ll be the last time I have coffee made by you.”

Junseong’s quiet murmur broke the silence. Even his voice—the one that always made my heart race—was no comfort now. As I struggled to speak, he slowly finished his coffee.

“That was good. Well then—”

“Wait, I—I actually wanted to say something.”
We both spoke at the same time, then stopped. Meeting my eyes, he nodded for me to go ahead.

Right. Today, I have to say it. No matter what.

The truth is, I’ve liked you for a long time. I never had the chance to say it, so I settled for being friends. But I never thought you’d leave so suddenly. I don’t want to let you go like this.

But the moment I saw his face—waiting so seriously for my words—my mind went blank. It felt like a cruel joke. After a long pause, I finally managed to speak.

“No, I just… wanted to say take care. Stay healthy.”

A soft laugh escaped him as he set his empty cup down with a clink. His gaze, unusually cold, fixed on me.

“You called me here and held me back just to say that?”

“Huh? Well… we won’t see each other for a while.”

“Right. That makes sense. Very you.”

“…”

“I guess I was expecting too much. Must’ve been my mistake.”

“…”

“Saying ‘see you later’ probably doesn’t mean much. Take care.”

I needed to do something. Say something. But I couldn’t.

Ding.

The soft chime of the door marked his departure. Staring blankly at the spot where he’d been, I picked up the now-lukewarm mug.

I hadn’t expected anything to come of this. I’d braced myself, knowing that confessing my feelings wouldn’t change anything.

But maybe my half-hearted courage had been worse than saying nothing at all. His cold attitude left my heart in ruins.

“Ugh, bitter. Tastes awful.”

Blaming the coffee, I forced a laugh.

That day. His hardened gaze was the last expression of his I remembered.