3: It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)

And all I do is sit and think about you
If I knew what you'd do
Collapse my veins wearing beautiful shoes
It's not living if it's not with you

It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You), The 1975

Yujin tried to act casual, she wanted to make some silly jokes to ease the tension but every time she tried to speak, she was only managed to smile.

She’s thankful that her friend Nako was there with them.

With Minju.

“How long have you guys started college?” asked the long haired beauty.

The three of them were sitting in the college’s cafeteria, right after they finished with Professor Lee’s lecture.

“It’s been 3 weeks since we started with classes,” Nako replied.

Yujin nodded, “Yeah.”

She could feel Minju’s eyes on her and she looked up, and their gazes met. Minju smiled.

“So you got in, congrats Yujin-ah.”

“Excuse me?”

“You used to tell me that you wanted to enter the same college as me. I heard from Kkura unnie that you got great results in your college entrance exam. You must’ve studied hard.”

Yujin’s mouth curled up and she nodded, “Oh well, I’m smart, just-

“Lazy,” Minju continued with a chuckle.

Yujin laughed and scratched the back of her head, “Yeah, well, but I’ve changed, okay? Oh I actually got A in maths, it’s my favourite subject now.”

Minju chuckled again, “Wow, so Kwon Yujin is a changed person now?”

The tall girl nods vigorously, “Yes! I’m no longer the kid you met a year ago.”

“Well, I’m not a kid anymore,” she added, glancing at Minju.

The older girl gulped.

Nako rolled her eyes, “Changed? Pfft. She’s still so whipped for yo-

She didn’t manage to finish her sentence when Yujin’s big hand was covering . Yujin put an arm around her and pulled her in something that looks like a headlock.

Yujin laughed, “Haha Nako, my little pea, didn’t you said you were thirsty earlier? Why don’t you go buy some drinks? Maybe mint choco smoothie or something?”

Nako elbowed her friend’s rib, causing her to yelp and loosen her grip on her. She breaks free from her and stood up.

“Yah Nako, why do you have to be so hostile??”

“You head locked me first!” Nako said before leaving them and went to the counter to order drinks.

Minju looked at them and laughed.

Yujin gulped, “W-We’re not always like this, unnie don’t laugh at me like that.”

“Cute,” Minju said suddenly.

Yujin looked at her, dumbfounded.

Minju smiled, “You didn’t change much, and that’s great. I… like cute Yujin.”

She cursed herself in her head, wondering why she has to say that.

The younger girl’s cheeks turned red, “C-Cute, yes I am cute and I am aware of that…”

“Anyway, welcome to the college life, Yujin-ah,” she quickly adds before it got too awkward.

The latter smiled sheepishly, “Thanks, Minju sunbaenim.”

“Sunbaenim?”

She tilted her head and flashed her dimples, “You’re my sunbae, right?”

Minju chuckled, “Yes. Yes, I am.”

She looked down, embarrassed. Hearing Yujin calling her sunbae made her feel giddy inside. She looked around, wondering where Nako had went. It wasn’t too awkward when she was there with them. Soon she spotted her lining up at the counter to order drinks.

They looked at each other, but none of them said anything. Minju had never felt more nervous being alone with Yujin before.

“Ah, the café launch is this weekend, right?” Yujin suddenly blurted.

Minju let out a relieved sigh, she was glad Yujin found something else to talk about.

She nods, “Yes, the unnies are so busy with the final preparations at the moment. Are you gonna be there, Yujin?”

She pursed her lips and leaned forward, “Will you be there, unnie?”

Minju froze, the younger girl was staring into her eyes, and she can’t look away, “W-Why?”

The latter smiled, with her crescent eyes and the charming dimples, “If you’re there… I’ll be there too.”

The older girl swore she could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. Yujin is still the same charismatic girl she was. She still has that effect on her. And she’s not sure if it’s a good thing.

“Kim Minju,” a voice called.

Both of them broke their eye contact and looked at the source.

Minju gulped, “Oh, you’re here, Chaewon-ah.”

Chaewon was standing there, with her bag slung on her shoulder with a stack of books in one hand. She looked at Minju and Yujin alternately, and she’s not pleased.

Yujin sat up straight and crossed her arms, “Hi there, Chaewon unnie.”

Chaewon forced a smile, “So you’re a college student now, huh?”

Yujin crossed her arms, “Yes.”

**

“Baby, I’m sorry but I’m gonna be late tonight,” Eunbi said as she pressed the phone to her ear.

She was standing near the window of her office with one hand on her waist. Her face scrunched, as she was getting an earful from her girlfriend, Sakura.

She sighed, “Yes, I know I said I’m gonna be early but something suddenly came up. I’m meeting with my cousin, Jaebum. You know him, right?”

Sakura continued with her nagging, but Eunbi patiently waited until she finished talking.

“Of course there’s nothing else more important than you, Kkura-ya. But he reached out to me, I think he has something serious to say. Can you understand me, baby? Hmm?”

Her lips slowly curled up, “Thank you baby. You’re the best. I promise to make it up to you, okay?”

Her cheeks turned red, “Of course, breakfast? You better prepare yourself.”

She giggled and ended the call with, “Love you.”

She leaned against the table and put the phone in her jacket pocket. She fanned herself with her hand, trying to cool down. Conversation with Sakura always ended up on a erted note, as it had already become a habit for them. Of course she wanted to go home, right into her girlfriend’s arms, but there’s are issues going on in the company.

She turned around and smiled at the man who was sitting on the sofa. He was wearing a suit, with his hair neatly gelled, and he smiled back at Eunbi.

“Your girlfriend is so clingy; don’t you get suffocated with someone like that?” he said.

Jaebum, her cousin. Kwon Eunjin’s only son.

Eunbi walked to him and sat on the couch opposite him, “Just say you’re jealous and go.”

He chuckled, “Okay, you’re making me jealous for sure. You get to be with the one you want.”

“It wasn’t easy.”

He nods, “Yeah, but at least your parents are supportive of your relationship with her, and didn’t force you into an arranged marriage… like me.”

Eunbi raised an eyebrow, “Is this what you want to talk to me about? They’re arranging your marriage??”

Jaebum nodded, “Yes.”

“With who?”

“The Bae family.”

Eunbi went silent for a while, “Oh.”

He sighed, “You’re close with her, right? Can you talk to her about this?”

Eunbi looked at her, dumbfounded.

“Didn’t she just got back from London? Wait, does she agree with this marriage?”

“I don’t know. But she hasn’t say anything.”

She looked down, “Look, it’s true that she and I went to the same university but I don’t know if I’m in the right position to talk about this to her.”

“Why not?” he asked, curious.

She bit her lip, “Well, there were… some history. But I’m not going to go into that. Can’t we just convince grandpa to do something about this?”

“It was grandpa’s idea.”

“What?”

Jaebum buried his face in his palms. He looked up and pressed his temples with his thumbs.

“Our company is falling apart, Eun. Business is not going well. You know that.”

He continued, “Magazine and books aren’t selling as much as it used to, and we had just closed the second factory in Gwangju, all in the span of 5 months. And the ski resort-

He paused to looked up at Eunbi.

“The pandemic isn’t going away, Eun, and the resort is pretty much dead. We had to let go 250 employees, and pay out their VSS. We’re barely surviving, Eun.”

Eunbi gulped. She’s aware of their current condition. They are having meetings almost every day to fix the problem.

That’s why she invested in the café. Maybe if someday things didn’t go their way and she goes broke, at least Sakura has the café.

Eunbi sighed, “So grandpa thinks if you’re married to the Bae, they will help us strengthen our stocks?”

“That, and also it’ll be easier to get loans.”