Chapter 30
Jealousy as an ex-boyfriend wasn’t a convincing argument. The existence of an “ex”-boyfriend, not a “current” one, was as good as nothing. The moment “ex” was attached, it was already in the past.
So then, was it a convincing argument to be wary of a guy getting close to a dear noona, as a dear dongsaeng?
Yohan couldn’t figure out why he had to get so worked up seeing the two of them together.
Even to another man’s eyes, Son Dongha was a charming individual. Broad shoulders, a prominent chest, a mouth that opened wide when he smiled, and eyes that curved alluringly. But he didn’t know why his mood soured the more he looked at him.
“I’ll go get the snacks. Tell the kids to take a break.”
Heena, who had used Dongha’s shoulder to pull herself up, approached him. Yohan was still engulfed in a feeling of unease, his sharp eyes glinting.
“Why do you have such a grumpy face?”
Saying so, she grabbed the hand of the seated Yohan and pulled him up with all her might. Yohan pretended he couldn’t resist and stood up obediently. He wanted to get out of this greenhouse as quickly as possible. He didn’t want to leave Jeong Heena in the same space as Son Dongha for even a moment longer.
“It’s better than the spite plastered all over your face.”
“When was I ever spiteful!”
Even on the way out of the greenhouse to the village hall, Yohan and Heena bickered nonstop.
“Looks like you two got close already.”
“Oh, Dongha?”
Yohan let out a sneer, one corner of his mouth lifting.
“Dongha? He must be honored that you’re even calling him by his name.”
“We already met yesterday, so we got close quickly. That’s why I told you to come with me yesterday.”
“Was he the one with the cigarette smell, too?”
When he asked, half-suspecting and half-certain, Heena nodded with a nonchalant expression. In that moment, Yohan’s steps halted.
“Jeong Heena.”
Heena turned back with a clueless expression.
“What were you two doing that you came back reeking of cigarette smoke?”
“……”
Heena didn’t answer and just stared at Yohan’s face. He was clearly bothered by Son Dongha. Because he was always sticking to her? Because they seemed to have gotten close already? Because he was afraid he’d get closer than Seo Yohan? Whatever it was, the name for it could be summed up in one word: jealousy.
“What are you thinking that you would ask something like that?”
The atmosphere instantly grew cold. They had broken up after a huge blow-up, so they hadn’t been on friendly terms since they met again, but she had been thinking that they were getting along quite well as people who shared their joys and sorrows.
“Do I have to say it with my own mouth?”
Yohan asked back in a cold voice. Heena’s heart, feeling wronged, pounded fiercely as if someone were hammering it.
No. Let’s not get worked up. This will only lead to another fight, won’t it?
“Fine, say it with your own mouth. What exactly are you thinking? I’d like to pick your brain apart, too.”
“You said you got close.”
Yohan stretched his long legs and took a step closer. As the distance narrowed, his chest was right in front of her nose. She had to tilt her head all the way back just to see Seo Yohan’s face. She really didn’t like that he was looking down at the top of her head.
“Yeah, we got close. So what?”
When she answered sulkily, Seo Yohan placed his hand on her shoulder.
“Did you hold hands? Did you touch?”
The way his hand moved down from her shoulder, kneading her arm, was unusual. Heena unconsciously flinched her shoulder. Then, she bit her lower lip and glared at him.
“Go on, let’s see what else.”
This time, his thumb touched Heena’s lips. Yohan’s expression was so impassive it was impossible to read.
“Did you kiss, too?”
“How far are you going to take this? Is your mind filled with nothing but things like that?”
When she protested, dumbfounded by his endless fantasies, Yohan’s hand moved further down and pulled the collar of her T-shirt down.
“I told you not to be nice to just anyone.”
Unable to take it anymore, Heena smacked his hand away with a loud slap.
“It’s childish and petty to be jealous and have such fantasies about a kid.”
Yohan scoffed.
“You see him as a kid? A twenty-four-year-old who’s been discharged from the army and returned to school?”
He acted like he wasn’t interested at all, but when did he find out all of Son Dongha’s personal details….
“He’s a full-grown adult. An adult who can drink, smoke, buy condoms, and go to motels.”
Seo Yohan’s leaps in logic were endless. He was always like this. A guy who would think alone, expand on it alone, fantasize alone, and then, after suppressing his anger alone, explode.
“Just say it plainly.”
This time, Heena had no intention of backing down quietly either. She had to fix that twisted way of thinking of his for good.
“Aren’t you just jealous that I might get into some kind of relationship with him? Why do you have to beat around the bush so much to say that simple thing?”
Yohan’s emotions weren’t that simple. He needed a reason to be jealous, but he hadn’t found a proper one yet, so he had hesitated to speak.
The faint smell of cigarettes that he had caught from Heena when she returned home last night still lingered at the tip of his nose. It was utterly disgusting. Jeong Heena should only smell of the familiar scent he knew.
“Does this seem simple to you?”
When Yohan asked back, the whites of his eyes flashing, Heena didn’t back down and put strength into her eyelids.
“Fine, you and I have already broken up. At the same time, we also slept together a few days ago. You slept with me because you had lingering feelings, didn’t you?”
“L-lingering feelings, why are they suddenly coming up…!”
“When things aren’t clearly settled yet, and you’re giggling with some bastard you just met, how can I not get pissed off?”
“Didn’t we agree to just bury that incident and move on?”
“Says who.”
“Well, I… you didn’t say anything, so….”
She was about to finish her sentence with, I thought you wanted to act like it never happened, when the village chief and Mr. Park, from in front of the village hall, raised both their arms and waved at them.
“Aren’t ya comin’ to get the snacks?”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Eh? When the students all go back up to Seoul, we can just have snacks by ourselves then.”
“Looks like we’ll have to wait another two days.”
It seemed their conversation had gone on longer than they realized. They had completely forgotten about the people waiting at the village hall and the greenhouse.
“No, we’ll run right over!”
Heena turned her back on Yohan and started running towards the village hall. Watching her small back, Yohan let out a frustrated sigh and followed her.
✦⋆🍒.₊ ⊹
The snack was makgeolli and janchi-guksu.
Heena poured broth from a kettle over the noodles, which were topped with colorful garnishes, one bowl at a time. The side dish was fresh, crunchy cabbage kimchi. With makgeolli to go with it, it was heaven. It was a taste that made you want to keep eating even while you were eating.
“Wow, this is crazy.”
“This is the first time I’ve had noodles more delicious than my mom’s!”
“Look at the kimchi. The color is on another level. Did you make this here yourselves?”
The students, their aprons covered in dirt and their faces slick with sweat, did not spare any compliments.
“No, this is Bibigo kimchi.”
“Ohh….”
“These days, commercially sold side dishes are all so good, so a lot of houses just buy them, you know?”
The students didn’t pay much attention to Heena’s cynical reply. They were just like kids their age, picking out and hearing only what they wanted to hear. They seemed to have been expecting something more local.
“Noona.”
Son Dongha, who was sitting next to her, whispered quietly.
“Eat a lot.”
It wasn’t a particularly important story, so she wondered why he was whispering, but Heena smiled with her eyes.
“Okay, you too.”
A sharp gaze stuck to her from the side. It felt as if multiple arrowheads were piercing her cheek. When she brushed her left cheek with her palm and turned around, there was Seo Yohan, fuming and glaring at Heena.
“…What.”
“Noona.”
Startled, Heena’s eyes went wide. Why ‘noona’ all of a sudden? Why is he doing something he never does, it’s so uncomfortable.
“Eat a lot.”
He spoke with a stiff pronunciation and moved all the chive garnish from his noodles onto Heena’s bowl.
Crazy….
Chives were the food Heena hated most in the world, and even now, while eating this snack, she was struggling to pick out the chives.
There was no way Seo Yohan didn’t know that fact. That she only ate chives when they were in jeon.
Heena ground her molars and retorted.
“Thanks, Yohan-ah. You eat a lot, too.”
This time, Heena picked out the soggy seaweed garnish and moved it to his bowl.
Seo Yohan absolutely did not eat seaweed that had fallen into water. To him, seaweed only existed in its crispy, roasted form. She remembered him picking out the seaweed flakes even when eating rice cake soup.
Sure enough.
Seeing Yohan’s face crumple, Heena twisted her lips into a smile.
