Episode 12: A Slip of the Mask

The weight of the project assignment still lingered in Eunji's mind long after class ended. Her fingers twitched with the urge to sketch, but a strange hesitation held her back. How could she pour so much of herself onto the page when she hadn’t yet fully understood what it was she wanted to say?

Rora noticed her distracted state as they walked out of the building. “You’re thinking too much, Eunji,” Rora said with a teasing grin. “You’ve got this. You always do.”

Eunji smiled softly, grateful for Rora's lightheartedness, but her mind was elsewhere. The idea of creating something so personal, something that could reveal pieces of herself that even she wasn’t fully aware of, felt daunting.

As they reached the campus courtyard, the familiar chime of her phone distracted her from her thoughts. She pulled it out and saw a message from Seojin:

“Hey, I know you’re probably busy, but if you need a break, I’m grabbing coffee at the usual spot. You in?”

Eunji hesitated, biting her lip. Seojin had become a constant in her life, a source of quiet support. There was something about his calm demeanor that always seemed to ease her worries, but today, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to face him.

“Should I go?” Eunji asked Rora, holding up the phone.

Rora arched an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. “He’s been asking for you more than usual. Maybe it’s time you figured out why.”

Eunji let out a soft laugh, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She typed a quick response to Seojin, her fingers trembling slightly as she hit send.

“I’ll join you in a bit.”

The short reply didn’t feel like enough, but it was all she could muster. She and Seojin had shared a quiet bond since they first met, but the more they spent time together, the more complicated it felt. She wasn’t sure if he was simply being kind or if there was something more to his actions. She wasn’t ready to acknowledge those feelings, not yet.

“You made it,” he said, his voice low, but there was a warmth in it that made Eunji feel a little lighter.

“Yeah, sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you waiting,” she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she took a seat across from him.

“No problem,” Seojin replied, his eyes flickering toward her sketchbook, which she still clutched tightly.

Eunji met his gaze, feeling a strange pull in her chest.

The barista came over with her coffee, interrupting the moment. She thanked him absentmindedly, wrapping her fingers around the warm mug.

Seojin, ever perceptive, watched her carefully. “You know,” he began, his voice quieter now, “Just let it come out. Sometimes the best art is the messiest.”

Eunji chuckled, but there was a hint of unease in her smile. “I wish it were that simple.”

They sat in silence for a while, the background noise of the cafe filling the space between them. Eunji sipped her coffee slowly, trying to gather her thoughts, but she couldn’t help but feel like there was something more to the air. She had spent so many hours in this cafe with Seojin, and yet today, she was more aware of the subtle closeness they shared. His presence felt different, and it unsettled her.

Finally, unable to shake the feeling, Eunji broke the silence. “Seojin, do you ever feel like... everything around you is moving faster than you can keep up?”

He looked at her for a long moment, his gaze sharp, as if searching for something in her eyes. “All the time. It’s easy to get lost in the rush. But I think that’s why we have to slow down sometimes. Otherwise, we miss everything that really matters.”

His words hit harder than she expected. It wasn’t just the art that was overwhelming her—it was everything. The uncertainty about her future, the unspoken tension with Seojin, the feeling that her life was speeding by without her fully understanding where it was headed.

Before she could respond, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She glanced at it, seeing a message from Jiho:

“Are you coming by the gallery tonight?”

Eunji hesitated, glancing up at Seojin, who had gone back to reading, though she could feel his eyes occasionally flicking toward her, as if waiting for her next move.

“I should probably head over to the gallery later,” Eunji said quietly. “Jiho wants me to come see his work before it’s up for display.”

Seojin nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “You should. He’s been working hard on that.”

Eunji sighed, finishing the last of her coffee. She didn’t want to leave the moment, but she felt like there were so many things left unsaid between them. What were they to each other? Was this friendship, or something more? Her heart didn’t know, but it felt like the more time she spent with him, the harder it was to ignore the growing pull.

“Thanks for the coffee,” she said, standing up. “I’ll see you around.”

Seojin didn’t respond immediately, and for a second, Eunji thought he might say something more. But then, he simply nodded, his usual composed expression back in place.

“Take care,” he said softly.

Eunji walked out of the cafe, her mind whirling with questions she wasn’t ready to answer.

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