As soon as the flashing lights came into view, Nayoon stretched out her arm and waved it widely. The men’s gazes shifted toward the road, and noticing her gesture, the passing patrol car slowed down.
“What do you want to do? Should we talk to the police when they get here? Or do you just want to leave now?”
“Ah, f***…”
Grumbling curses and throwing out the classic line, “Consider yourself lucky!”, the men quickly disappeared.
The patrolling officers approached them.
“Do you need help?”
“Oh, we needed help just a moment ago, but they’re all gone now.”
One of the officers scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes.
“Are you okay?”
Nayoon turned to the woman and asked, “Do you want help?”
“No, I’m fine. Someone’s on their way.”
Nayoon turned back to the police and said, “We’re okay too. Thank you for stopping by, you must be busy.”
The officers nodded and went back to their patrol. The once noisy area soon quieted down.
Finally, Nayoon turned to the woman and asked, “When is the person you’re waiting for supposed to arrive?”
“Oh, they should be here soon.”
“Do you want me to stay with you until then? My friends are right over there.”
“Would you? That would be great.”
The woman’s eyes sparkled. Standing side by side with her, the woman started explaining the situation.
“At first, they asked me to have a drink with them, and I said no. But they kept giving me side glances and giggling among themselves, so I snapped and said something.”
Nayoon quietly listened as the woman smiled slyly and added, “‘Fxxx yxx,’ I said.”
“Wow.”
A soft gasp escaped Nayoon.
Nayoon thought it was amazing how the woman stood her ground and answered back to those threatening men. But she cautiously asked, “Have you lived abroad?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“A little. Still, be careful. They were outnumbering you.”
“I was really scared. But then you appeared! Like you were there to save me!”
Looking into the woman’s sparkling eyes, Nayoon tried to recall how she must have appeared back then.
“Thank you for helping me, unnie. You are unnie… right?”
The woman’s eyes trembled, clearly worried she might have made a mistake. But seeing how young she was, Nayoon smiled and answered lightly, “Of course, I’m your unnie.”
The woman let out a sigh of relief and grumbled, “My brother kept nagging me earlier, asking where I was. I told him, but when it really mattered, he wasn’t here. Isn’t that ridiculous? Ugh, I should bow in thanks to my future sister-in-law for taking him away from me.”
She kept sighing and shaking her head. Nayoon laughed again at how innocent and cute she was.
Her big, round eyes looked at Nayoon, who couldn’t help but stare at her with a lingering smile.
She somehow reminded her of someone.
“But you’re really calm, unnie. Even back there, you didn’t even raise your voice while standing up to them.”
“Was I?”
“Unnie! Where are you?”
Just then, a voice called out from the upstairs terrace, searching for Nayoon. It was Haeryeong.
“Ah, sorry, my friend’s looking for me.”
At the same time, the woman’s phone started ringing.
“Oh, I think my brother is here to pick me up. Thank you for helping me!”
“That’s good to hear. Take care.”
Nayoon waved lightly and headed up the stairs to the second floor, while the woman walked toward the roadside.
Then she suddenly froze mid-step.
“Oh, right! I should’ve asked for her number!”
Looking back at the lounge with a regretful face, she hesitated.
“Should I go back now…?”
“Go back where?”
Startled by the sudden male voice behind her, the woman turned around in shock.
“Oppa!”
“Koo Sera.”
Jaeha looked at Sera with a stern face, but Sera only rolled her eyes in response.
“What, you think I’d get scared if you glare at me like that? Do you even know what I just went through? Why did you come so late?”
Grumbling, Sera walked up to Jaeha.
“What happened?”
“Never mind. It’s over now.”
“I asked, what happened.”
Jaeha’s sharp gaze looked like he might run into the lounge and hunt down the men right that second.
Sera, acting like it was no big deal, casually said, “Oh, you know me. I’m too pretty for my own good. Some guys were being annoying, asking me to drink with them, but someone helped me out.”
She summarized it as much as possible, but it was clear Jaeha wasn’t going to ease up so easily.
“Anyway, it’s fine now.”
“Nothing serious happened?”
“Nothing at all.”
But when Jaeha’s suspicion didn’t ease, Sera suddenly shouted, “This is why you should’ve come earlier! I was waiting for you! I thought you’d be here by now.”
Finally, Jaeha’s expression softened a bit.
“And who helped you?”
“Some pretty unnie!”
“Unnie?”
“Yeah, unnie.”
Sera grinned, thinking of Nayoon.
“Anyway, next time, come faster. You were probably late because of work, right? Hurry up and unlock the car.”
Jaeha sighed helplessly at Sera’s grumbling.
“Did it ever occur to you that maybe you entered the wrong address?”
“Me?”
“Who else, if not you?”
“No way.”
Jaeha gestured for her to get in the car. As Sera passed by him, he asked, “Did you drink?”
“No.”
She lied without hesitation, but as soon as he grabbed her shoulder, she glanced back to meet Jaeha’s stern face and gave in.
“Just a little.”
“A little?”
“Maybe… quite a bit.”
The smell of alcohol made the lie obvious.
Once Sera was fully inside the car, Jaeha shut the passenger door and walked around to the driver’s side.
“Don’t let this happen again.”
“Okay.”
Sera quickly answered, trying to block the nagging she knew was coming. She kept glancing back toward the lounge.
“What, do you have regrets?”
“Of course! I really should’ve gotten her number…”
She really wanted to be friends with her. Unable to take her eyes off the lounge, Sera sighed, while Jaeha chuckled in disbelief.
“You should be focusing on your studies instead.”
“What are you saying? I’m here for work.”
“Exactly. If you’re here as an intern, just focus on work and go back to school. Don’t cause trouble.”
The car started moving slowly, and Sera glared at Jaeha.
“You’re so mean! How can you say that to your only sister? I really feel sorry for my future sister-in-law.”
As Sera grumbled, mentioning Nayoon, Jaeha naturally thought of her.
I wonder if she’s off work now.
His gaze drifted to the car clock. Of course not.
With a faint smile, Jaeha tapped a now-familiar number.
The call rang over the car speakers, and soon Nayoon’s voice answered.
“Yes.”
“Are you off work?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Darn.”
Jaeha furrowed his brows like he had just missed an opportunity.
“Did you have something to say?”
“I thought you weren’t off work yet.”
“Ah…”
In the background of her low voice, he could hear some loud noises.
“Unnie, did you call for a designated driver?”
Jaeha’s expression stiffened.
“Where are you right now?”
