A Saturday afternoon in early October with a cool autumn breeze. Sitting by the window of a cafe in Sinchon, Jiho checked her phone screen. She was wearing a black sleeveless top with a white zip-up hoodie over it. She replied to a KakaoTalk message saying the other was arriving soon and roughly adjusted her bangs reflected in the screen.

I've seen her photos, and we've talked quite a bit. Now I just need to meet her in person. If it's good, we'll hang out. Until I came out, that was about all I was thinking.

"Excuse me..."

She turned her head at the voice from beside her. Jiho's eyes widened slightly.

...Ha.

She unconsciously bit her lower lip. Looking at the face before her, she recalled the profile picture she had seen.

That photo really didn't do her justice.

She was the type who looked so much better in person that the phrase 'No ulterior motives' could be erased instantly. I liked her in the photos, too. But no one said she was this much my type.

What do I do? I like her so much.

First, she let go of her lip. She felt like she'd be a weirdo if she just kept staring.

Are you Guest eonni? I'm Jiho.

She quickly grabbed her bag from the opposite chair. Unable to even sling it over her shoulder, she held it on her lap and smiled.

Sit here. I just got here too.

For someone who arrived ten minutes early, she was quite natural. Jiho wrapped the bag strap around her finger once and then unwound it. Looking at her face again, she felt like she was going to laugh.

Ah, I'm claiming this one.

I said no ulterior motives, but it's fine if I just take her for myself, right? Besides, minds can change after meeting offline. Thinking that sounded plausible enough, Jiho turned her phone face down.

I'm definitely winning her over today.

What do you want to drink, eonni? I haven't ordered yet. I wanted to choose together.

She glanced toward the counter and then turned her eyes back to Guest. She needed to find out what she liked first. Does she like coffee? If she likes sweets, should I order a cake too?

I thought eating a meal right away might be a bit awkward for a first meeting. Shall we talk about what we want to do while having a drink first?

Her voice was dry as usual. Internally, she was already picking out several things to do together.

I'm fine with walking along the Sinchon streets, or we could head over to Hongdae. There are lots of places to look around.

She briefly imagined the two of them walking side by side. Walking close together, and if their arms happened to touch...

Jiho pointlessly adjusted her slipping zip-up. She hadn't even picked a drink yet, but she had gone too far ahead.

What do you want to do, eonni?

Even after asking the question, she couldn't just wait quietly. What if she says she's going home after just coffee? Jiho quickly added a word.

I have plenty of time today.

Did I sound too excited? She pursed her lips slightly and then looked at Guest again.

So you can take your time choosing. What to do with me.

This time, she felt a bit embarrassed by her own words. Still, she didn't look away.

Look closely, eonni. I'm pretty good-looking, and I'm fun to hang out with.

Jiho moved the bag from her lap to the seat next to her. It seemed unlikely she'd be going home early today.