['Unnie Eloww… (OwO)! I'm craving your strawberry creampuffs… any chance you could hook me up with two boxes, pretty please?']
Giving her trainee's text a casual glance, Lee Ju-hee nonchalantly disposed of the plastic bag into the alleyway trashcan. After that, she quickly typed out a message in reply:
['Sure. Drop me your location.']
As Lee Ju-hee sauntered back over to the sink to wash up, her phone buzzed again, announcing yet another text:
['Thanks Unnie! You're a lifesaver!']
A faint smirk tugged at her lips before she noticed Shin Ha-eun had shared her location. It was pretty darn close to Wine Mystic, if her memory served her right.
She distinctly remembered warning her to steer clear of such sketchy spots.
Pushing aside the grim thoughts that tried to sneak in, Lee Ju-hee began to scrub her hands like a surgeon, and then got down to packing creampuffs.
***
With a subtle move, Lee Ju-hee slipped her hand into her hoodie's front pocket, feeling for the tiny, flexible dagger she always kept there.
Going near clubs always came with a "be ready for anything" vibe for her.
Before long, she arrived at the spot Shin Ha-eun had pinged her about, carefully inspecting her surroundings for any sign of her friend.
As the sun began to set, dusk swooped in, hinting that night was around the corner. The streets still shimmered from that earlier rain curtain call.
Folks were on their way back home or running errands, doing the post-work hustle. But her adorable trainee? Nowhere in sight.
Out of the blue, a voice she knew all too well piped up, "What brings you here?" It gave her a jump, and her grip on that pocket dagger tightened on reflex.
If they weren't out in the open, that voice would've gotten an impromptu dagger necktie. But well, you gotta play nice in public, right?
Once her eyes locked onto the voice's owner, Lee Ju-hee couldn't help but let out a weary sigh. Maybe she was just a tad too wired after losing to him in that showdown last night.
"How is that any of your problem?" she retorted with a pinch of sourness, her grip on her weapon easing up slightly. They were smack in the middle of a crowd. He wouldn't pull off anything wild here, would he?
"Ugh, seriously? I was just making sure you weren't lost or something. Trying to help, you know?" Yoo Jin-ho pointed out nonchalantly.
Meanwhile, Lee Ju-hee was already texting Shin Ha-eun:
['Where are you at?']
Before long, her phone chimed with a reply. Observing that Yoo Jin-ho was practically invisible now, his brow arched in a puzzled scrunch. Realizing he was getting the cold treatment, he strolled past, throwing out a nonchalant, "Anyways, take care getting back!"
Only after she began walking, maintaining a decent gap behind him, did he halt and inquire once more, "Hold up, what's this? Regret's kicking in already?"
"Quit the clown act!" She fired back coldly, brushing past him and entering Wine Mystic.
Yoo Jin-ho's eyes narrowed, a flicker of thought crossing his mind. 'Don't tell me...' he pondered as he dashed right after her.
Shin Ha-eun's message revealed that she was currently at Wine Mystic, as it turned out she had left her phone there the previous night. This detail clarified why the location she sent seemed to point in that direction.
Upon entering, he spotted Lee Ju-hee handing over a plastic bag containing two boxes to Shin Ha-eun, presumably takeouts.
So, this wasn't some undercover mission to meet a host? With this thought in mind, he walked over to where they were.
"Hey, Unnie!" Shin Ha-eun greeted Lee Ju-hee warmly. "Thank you so much!"
Just before Lee Ju-hee could respond, Yoo Jin-ho waltzed in. "Hey, Kiddo! Remember I warned you about staying away from places like this? They can be dangerous!"
Although his words were directed at Shin Ha-eun, Lee Ju-hee couldn't help but overhear.
With an embarrassed head-scratch, Ha-eun explained, "As I told Unnie, I left my phone here last night. Han-sol Oppa was kind enough to keep it safe for me!"
"Hmm, just take it easy on the drinks today, okay?"
"Sure thing," she muttered, pressing her lips together. But then, recalling something, she pulled out one of the boxes from the plastic bag Lee Ju-hee had passed to her earlier and aimed it in Jin-ho's direction. "Oh yeah, Oppa! Hold up!"
His brows knitting together, Jin-ho regarded the box with a tad bit of confusion. "What's that?"
"It's Unnie's signature creampuffs! Like, an apology gift... for last night!" She responded, nudging the box toward him, almost making it a physical battle, then bowed a few times.
"Ah, well, thanks? But you really didn't need to, you know?"
Clearing her throat, and managing to successfully catch their attention, Lee Ju-hee interjected, "So, did you ask for creampuffs to... uhh… hand them over to him?"
"Oh, um..." Shin Ha-eun started, rubbing the back of her neck like she was hunting for words. "Honestly, I was just really, uh, missing your—"
"Why are you being so weird?" Jin-ho's tone sliced through, his raised eyebrow throwing down a challenge.
"What do you mean?" Lee Ju-hee responded in a calm, patient manner.
Over yonder, Han-sol and Flame were elbow-deep in bar-cleaning duty, table setups on their to-do list. They paused their tasks, sharing an intrigued glance as they watched the trio.
"Man, I'm telling you, your buddy's about to catch some fireworks." Flame quipped to Han-sol, an easy comment during a quick break.
"If things blow, I'm stepping in," Han-sol whispered back, their agreement sealed with a knowing look.
"Seems like you've got a bone to pick with me. Why else all this drama?" Yoo Jin-ho pressed, his words laced with a hint of curiosity.
"Act like what?" Lee Ju-hee shot back, her frown etched with a mix of irritation and feigned cluelessness.
"Hoh, I must've really rocked your boat if you're running my errands now," Jin-ho accosted cockily, a smidgen of mockery in his words. "What else explains the grand entrance and holier-than-thou attitude whenever we cross paths?"
"Oppa! What are you even saying? Unnie doesn't—" Shin Ha-eun's sentence got snipped as Jin-ho cracked open the box and dived into a creampuff.
He had to hand it to her; Shin Ha-eun wasn't fibbing about the yumminess factor. 'Cause, honestly, they were good.
Sneering at Lee Ju-hee, he fired a sarcastic missile. "There you go! How's it feel knowing your hard-earned baked gems are being devoured by the guy you can't stand?"
Turning toward him fully, locking in eye contact, she noticed a smear of cream lingering at the corner of his lips. But as she stared, something clicked. Like a mental snap.
The thought had crossed her mind the very first time they'd crossed paths, and now, it was practically flashing in neon lights before her.
This guy was the embodiment of "hot," dressed in a sleek black shirt with sleeves neatly pushed up to his elbows, fancy suit pants, polished shoes, and his slightly messy hair adding that extra dash of allure. Not to mention the earring glinting from his left earlobe.
Taking a tentative step forward, she overheard snippets of Flame and Han-sol's chat:
"Man, your bro just signed up for his own execution!"
"He's gotta be the king of cluelessness. Flame, let's dip before things—"
Ignoring their words, Lee Ju-hee raised her left hand, fingers extending as if they had a mind of their own. Flame, Han-sol, and even Shin Ha-eun stared, poised for the impending slap they thought was coming Jin-ho's way.
But then, Lee Ju-hee's thumb made contact with his lips, feeling their softness and wiping away the cream. And before anyone could react, she casually tasted it.
The dumbfounded expressions on everyone's faces mirrored Jin-ho's double-take.
"Is that... the textbook definition of an indirect kiss?" Han-sol's voice chimed in, the words swirling around in the air. However, both Flame and Ha-eun were caught in a dumbstruck silence.
"Hmm, taste sweeter than usual," she murmured to herself, her expression an enigma of calm.
On the other hand, Jin-ho was in a totally different lane. His neck and ears were a brilliant shade of red, even though he was giving her a deadpan stare.
"Anyway! Ha-eun, if you're all sorted, shall we leave now?" she proposed, subtly hinting at an exit strategy. Ha-eun opened her mouth like a fish in a tank, but the words were in quarantine.
"Hold on a sec, what's that all about?" Flame, now back in control of his wits, inched closer to the group.
"What's what all about?" Lee Ju-hee retorted, her emotionless mask firmly in place.
"Ah, come on, lady!" Flame pointed a finger between Jin-ho and Lee Ju-hee, his tone practically an accusatory one. He continued, his words coming in a rush, "What was that... whole cream thing? Off his lips... seriously, that's, like, majorly gross!"
"Oh?" She answered nonchalantly. "What about it?"
Flame shot her a disbelieving look, his face contorting in mock horror. "So, like, you're acting like it's no big deal?"
"Flame, zip it—" Jin-ho started, but Lee Ju-hee cut him off, her interruption a sharp blade.
"What of it? It's not like he's never kissed me before or anything!" Her words hung in the air like an unreal echo, stunning Han-sol, Shin Ha-eun, and even Flame.
"Huh? So, Unnie, is he your boyfriend?" Shin Ha-eun chimed in, her tone tinted with curiosity.
Reacting as though she'd been handed a hot coal, Lee Ju-hee protested mildly, "What? No way! I'd never date a..."
There was a brief pause, a moment of realization flashing across her blank face, and then Jin-ho supplied the word for her, his tone sharp as a dagger, "…player!"
"That's not what I meant! Or was trying to say!" Lee Ju-hee retorted with a sigh. Though his word had been on point, they both knew it.
Jin-ho brushed it off, avoiding prodding any further for answers that could potentially bruise his ego.
"Unnie, so about your—"
Triiiiinnnngg-ring!
A door-chime echoed, followed by the entrance of an unexpected guest.
"We're not even open yet!" Flame barked at the intruder. While Lee Ju-hee and Jin-ho maintained their intense eye contact, a voice pierced through the moment.
"Ju-hee noona, of all places, what brings you to a host club?"
At the sound of that familiar voice, her eyes widened, and her head snapped in the direction of the newcomer. "Park Min-ho?"