“I smile whenever I see you”
“That smile, only I want to see it.”
I raised my head at the sound of the cafe door opening.
It was Jimin
Today, without a hat or mask, a familiar smile came straight toward me.
박지민 (25세)
“Sister, you look pretty today too.”
At those words, my heart sank before I could even order.
Familiar yet always new. That was the problem with Jimin's affection.
이여주 (27세)
“Jimin, what time is it today? When you say things like this… I get excited.”
I said it as a joke, but Jimin didn't laugh. Instead, he looked me in the eye and asked seriously.
박지민 (25세)
“Then shouldn’t I make you excited?”
이여주 (27세)
"…huh?"
Jimin leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the counter. They were now close enough that their breaths could touch.
박지민 (25세)
“Or… just let it be exciting and do you want to have a meal with me?”
Jimin's words left me speechless for a moment. For a moment, the cafe seemed to fall silent.
The sound of the wind outside, the noise of the coffee machine, the voices of other guests—all mute.
이여주 (27세)
"…rice?"
I asked awkwardly, and Jimin playfully raised an eyebrow.
박지민 (25세)
"Yeah. Food. Just a meal. Don't be a burden.
박지민 (25세)
But… I want to show my older sister that I’m a good person.”
That made me laugh. It made me think, "Wow, someone can say such things so honestly and beautifully."
이여주 (27세)
“Jimin is already a good person.”
박지민 (25세)
"Then it'll get better. If you give me another chance."
Jimin said that and took a sip of his iced Americano.
Then he put down the cup, leaned towards me slightly, and whispered.
박지민 (25세)
"What I just said, I mean it... Think about it tonight."
(‘Just let it be exciting, do you want to have a meal with me?’)
That one sentence shook my whole day.
I found myself constantly looking at my phone screen, and every word Jimin said came back to me one by one.
“I want to show my sister that I am a good person.”
Those words kept coming back to me.
The corners of Jimin's eyes slightly crinkled whenever he smiled, and his voice trembled slightly as he spoke.
And… The look in his eyes made it clear he was sincere, even without him having to say it. I pulled the blanket over me and picked up my phone.
Jimin's chatroom has been quiet lately, without a single message.
But when I send a message,
I hesitated for fear of breaking the silence.
How many times did my fingers repeat input and deletion?
In the end, I carefully left a line.
이여주 (27세)
“After work tomorrow, do you have time?”
I pressed the send button and put my phone down.
I just sent that short sentence, and my heart started pounding like it was going to burst.
And in less than a minute, a reply came.
박지민 (25세)
“Of course. How could I refuse when my sister asks me to eat?”
That one reply made me laugh.
Alone, quietly. Without anyone knowing. And so tonight, with just the name Jimin.
No, to be honest, quite a lot.
From that day on, Jimin's speech, his gaze, and every word he said changed every day.
It started to fill my head.
And today
The day I have a promise with Jimin.
박지민 (25세)
“I’ll go right after work. I don’t want to keep you waiting too long.”
A text message in the morning
As I closed the cafe door and came out, the sun was already setting outside.
It was then. A familiar silhouette stood in a dimly lit alleyway, around the corner. It was Jimin.
No hat, no mask. Today, instead of wearing practice clothes, I'm wearing comfortable but stylish clothes.
박지민 (25세)
“Sister.”
Jimin took a step closer, calling my name. Then he held out one hand and said,
박지민 (25세)
"Just trust me and follow me today. I've already found out all your favorite dishes."
I carefully reached out and took his hand.
It was warm, firm, and had a strangely exciting feel to it.
이여주 (27세)
“Can I look forward to it?”
박지민 (25세)
"Of course. Starting today... I'm going to show you how much I truly care about you."
A quiet pasta restaurant.
We sat facing each other by the window, under warm lighting.
Jimin looked at the menu and thought seriously,
Suddenly he raised his head and looked at me.
박지민 (25세)
“Sister, you like tomato pasta, right?”
이여주 (27세)
“How do you know?”
박지민 (25세)
“You mentioned that you had lunch at a cafe before. I remember.”
Those words made me laugh for no reason.
I thought he just blurted it out, but he was the kind of person who remembered things like that.
The conversation continued quietly until the food arrived.
Jimin briefly talked about practice and music, but eventually he looked back at me and said:
박지민 (25세)
"Actually... I imagined a lot about sitting across from each other like this today."
I stopped holding the fork.
이여주 (27세)
"why?"
Jimin answered with a shy smile.
박지민 (25세)
"Just... I wonder what it'll be like to eat with you, how nervous I'll be when we make eye contact... things like that."
At those words, my cheeks suddenly became hot.
Jimin continued speaking without smiling, looking into my eyes seriously.
박지민 (25세)
"I've been really worried lately. Should I tell you how I feel? Will you feel burdened? But sitting here in front of you today, I feel like I made the right decision to tell you."
I was momentarily speechless. Jimin's eyes were the first to tell me he was serious.
이여주 (27세)
…Thank you for saying so.”
Jimin nodded and smiled softly. At that moment, the lighting inside the store felt a little warmer. Not even noticing the food getting cold.
Jimin walked naturally next to me without saying a word.
이여주 (27세)
“Time flies faster than I thought.
When I said that, Jimin nodded.
박지민 (25세)
"Yeah. I... feel like time passes quickly when I'm with you. Strangely."
I laughed. Those words sounded a little sincere.
Come to the end of the alley, in front of the house
Jimin stopped walking.
박지민 (25세)
“They’re all here.”
이여주 (27세)
“Yeah. Have a nice day. Thanks for today.”
The moment I was about to say hello, Jimin cautiously took a step closer.
Then, he bowed his head slightly and said.
박지민 (25세)
“Sister.”
이여주 (27세)
"…huh?"
박지민 (25세)
"I had a great day today. It's been so long since I've laughed like this, felt excited... and had that kind of time. It's all thanks to you, sister."
I averted my gaze, not knowing what to say. But then,
Jimin took my hand very slowly.
박지민 (25세)
"Even if it's not right now, my sister... if you can give me your heart someday, that's all I need."
My fingertips were warm. And it didn't take a second for that warmth to spread to my heart.
이여주 (27세)
“Jimin.”
As I called quietly, Jimin looked up. His eyes were filled with anticipation, caution, and excitement.
이여주 (27세)
… Today was really good. Me too.”
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