Episode 7 / 10
Monday.
The first thing Minseo did after arriving at work was glance toward the neighboring team.
Doyoon wasn't there yet.
Without thinking much about it, she turned on her computer, checked her email, opened the messenger.
About ten minutes later, she heard a chair scrape from the next team.
Minseo pretended to keep looking at her monitor and lifted her eyes just slightly.
Doyoon.
The number above his head was still
3.
Minseo looked back at her screen.
Why did I check?
After the morning meeting, a message came from Doyoon.
[Doyoon: Has the revised planning document from last time been uploaded?]
Work.
Minseo replied immediately.
[Minseo: Yes. One second.]
She sent the file. She could have ended it there.
Instead, she added one more line.
[Minseo: You still have the face of someone whose meeting isn't over.]
The moment she sent it, she paused.
Why did I send that?
His reply came soon after.
[Doyoon: Today it's the face of someone who doesn't want to start anything at all.]
Minseo smiled.
[Minseo: Isn't that your face every day?]
[Doyoon: I've been exposed.]
The work conversation was already over, but the chat continued for a few more lines.
Minseo didn't mind.
In fact, when Doyoon took a little longer to reply, she found herself checking the messenger window.
At lunchtime, Serin stood up.
(Serin): “Assistant Manager, let's eat.”
Minseo checked the mirror once.
Her lipstick had almost completely worn off.
She pulled out her makeup pouch.
Serin stared.
(Serin): “Oh.”
(Serin): “You're reapplying lipstick for lunch these days?”
Minseo's hand stopped.
(Minseo): “My lips look too pale.”
Serin laughed.
Minseo snapped the lipstick cap shut a little harder than necessary.
At the restaurant, they happened to run into the neighboring team.
Doyoon was there too.
(Doyoon): “Do you come here often?”
(Minseo): “Sometimes. You?”
Nothing conversation.
But when Doyoon smiled, the number changed.
7
Minseo stopped moving her chopsticks.
She looked again.
7
Not 3.
For the first time, it had gone up.
Minseo took a sip of water for no reason.
A few days later, the end of the workday approached.
Serin left first. Minseo had almost finished too.
And yet, for some reason, she stayed seated.
She reread an email.
An email she'd already read.
Doyoon was still working in the neighboring team.
7:12 p.m.
Doyoon stood up.
Almost at the same moment, Minseo released her mouse and packed her bag.
They met in front of the elevators.
(Doyoon): “Leaving now?”
(Minseo): “Yeah. You too?”
(Doyoon): “Yeah.”
They walked out of the building together.
Their route to the station was the same.
(Doyoon): “Was the barbecue place good last week?”
(Minseo): “I remember the property-tax conversation more than the meat.”
Doyoon laughed.
(Doyoon): “You still remember that?”
(Minseo): “Because it was funny.”
(Doyoon): “If that's the best joke of my life, that's kind of depressing.”
Minseo burst out laughing.
The number moved.
12
A little later, Doyoon made another dry comment while they were talking about work.
Minseo laughed again.
18
The station entrance came into view.
The walk had felt shorter than usual.
(Doyoon): “I go this way.”
(Minseo): “Oh. Right.”
Normally, that would have been the end.
But Minseo spoke first.
(Minseo): “See you tomorrow.”
Doyoon smiled.
(Doyoon): “See you tomorrow.”
21
Minseo went down the subway stairs trying to suppress a smile.
It went up.
Saturday.
Minseo had plans with Junho.
She lay on her bed and checked the time.
Two hours to go.
She should shower.
She stayed lying down.
An hour and a half.
Now she really had to shower.
Minseo finally dragged herself up and opened the closet.
Knit top. Pants. Good enough.
Then she remembered herself touching up her lipstick at work a few days earlier.
And rereading a pointless email while waiting for Doyoon to leave.
Minseo stared at the closet.
On days she saw Junho, getting out of the house felt like a chore right until she left.
At work, she reapplied makeup because she might run into Doyoon at lunch.
She stayed at her desk when she could have gone home because she wanted to walk with him.
It was strange.
No. Actually, it wasn't that strange.
Minseo already knew.
She had dinner with Junho.
Junho was as thoughtful as ever.
His number was still
100.
(Junho): “What do you want to eat next week?”
(Minseo): “Anything's fine.”
Junho started talking about restaurants he'd found.
Minseo listened, and suddenly remembered Doyoon saying,
If that's the best joke of my life, that's kind of depressing.
The corner of her mouth lifted.
And in that moment, Minseo realized it.
She was on a date with Junho, the man with perfect conditions,
and thinking about Doyoon.
She could already see where this relationship was going.