Yuna walked out of the Daehan Group lobby with a weary gait. Her feet moved slowly along the sidewalk while her thoughts drifted aimlessly.
“Yuna!”
Yuna stopped and looked back.
Her eyes widened when she saw Mina running after her.
“Mina! What are you doing here?” she asked, clearly surprised.
“Yeah… what do you mean?”
Yuna frowned. Mina approached her at a quick pace. Her younger sister’s face was sour, her lips pressed tightly together as if she were holding back something she wanted to say.
“Yuna! I’m having dinner with my university friends. Can you transfer me some money so I can buy a dress?” Mina asked.
But judging by the way she held out her hand, it sounded more like an order than a request.
Yuna drew a deep breath. Her chest rose and fell before she exhaled slowly, trying to hold on to what little patience she had left.
“Mina!”
Yuna’s voice began to tremble.
“Do I work day and night just to be your slave?”
Mina blinked, but Yuna could no longer hold back everything that had been building inside her.
“Do you think I don’t have wants of my own? That I don’t know how to eat? That I don’t want to buy clothes like that?”
Her grip tightened around the strap of her bag.
“Every time you see me, you call me for money! Money! Money! Money!”
Her voice rose higher and higher. Several people passing by glanced over before continuing on their way.
“I’m not a money-printing machine! Do you understand?”
Mina pouted. She crossed both arms over her chest, showing no sign of remorse.
“You work to support the family, don’t you? So deal with it.”
Her tone was sarcastic, and the corner of her mouth lifted slightly as if she were deliberately provoking Yuna.
Yuna pressed her lips together. If she kept engaging, they would only end up arguing again.
Without saying a word, Yuna turned and walked away. She reached into her handbag and pulled out her phone.
Her fingers quickly searched for a name in her contacts.
“Yerim.”
The call connected.
On the second ring, a cheerful voice came from the other end.
“Hellooo… pretty lady. Are you okay?”
Yuna closed her eyes for a moment and let out a deep sigh.
“Yerim, meet me at the usual place at six.”
“Okay.”
Yerim replied briefly without asking any questions.
Yuna ended the call and slipped her phone back into her bag. She started walking again, leaving Mina still standing behind her.
At exactly six that evening, after wandering around aimlessly, Yuna finally made her way to a pojangmacha she often visited with Yerim after work.
The red tent was already lit by yellow lights, while the aroma of hot food and the clinking of glasses filled the small space.
As usual, they arrived almost at the same time. Without much discussion, they took their usual seats and ordered their favorite dishes.
This time, however, Yuna also ordered a bottle of soju.
Yerim, who was arranging chopsticks on the table, immediately raised one eyebrow. Her gaze shifted from the bottle of soju to Yuna’s face.
“Babe… don’t get too drunk. Remember, every time you get drunk, you cause trouble,” Yerim warned, pointing a finger at Yuna.
Yuna chuckled softly. She reached for the small glass in front of her and shrugged without a hint of guilt.
“Remember, if I cause trouble, just tie me up. Tonight, I want to forget all my problems.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Yuna drained the contents of the small glass.
She made a slight face when the bitter soju touched her tongue, then immediately grabbed the bottle and poured herself another glass.
Yerim let out a long sigh. Her eyes never left Yuna, who was already preparing to down her second glass.
“Yeah… hopefully you won’t cause any trouble,” she muttered with a small grin, though the faint crease between her brows made it clear she was still worried.
Yuna merely laughed softly before raising her glass again.
Unbeknownst to them, a man was sitting alone at a table not far from theirs.
His hand rested beside an untouched glass, while his gaze remained fixed on Yuna.
His expression was calm, but there was something difficult to decipher in his eyes.
As if there were something about the woman that had managed to capture his attention.