She Closed the Menu Three Times
Sitting alone in a café, Eunjae went back and forth between two job offers, then closed the menu.
Unable to choose between two job offers, Eunjae writes out the terms side by side with Haewol at a café. Then she stops, realizing that every time she tries to choose, she counts only what she'll lose.
On a weekday afternoon, Eunjae sits by a café window, going back and forth between two job offers, unable even to choose what to order. A call from her friend urges her toward one, but Eunjae can't bring herself to say either choice aloud. Haewol arrives at the appointed time and suggests writing both options on the same sheet, then asks whether Eunjae noticed what she'd have to leave behind before what she might gain. With her hand resting between the two offers and their deadlines, Eunjae admits that either choice feels like betraying the person she's fought to be.
When every choice feels like a loss
When you're stuck on a decision, look separately at what you feel you'd lose with each choice, rather than which one is right. The shape of your dilemma becomes clearer.
What loss stands out first in a choice you've been putting off lately?
Even as Eunjae closed the menu three times, the deadlines on both offers kept drawing closer. What caught my attention wasn't which company was better, but how Eunjae counted what she'd leave behind before what she'd gain. If you're at a similar crossroads and keep closing the page, you can tell me about the moment that caught your eye. The story continues from there.
Scenes
- 01 · 01 · The Closed Menu Closing It for the Third Time — Eunjae goes back and forth between the two job offers, then closes the menu for the third time. Park Eunjae: Sorry, I just need another minute.
- 02 · 02 · A Call Telling Her to Choose Choosing One First — When her friend says over the phone, “Take the higher salary first,” Eunjae puts the offer in her hand back down. Friend: Just take the one with the higher salary. You can figure the rest out once you start. Park Eunjae: I thought choosing that way would settle it, but I keep thinking about the other one.
- 03 · 03 · Two Paths Side by Side On the Same Sheet — Haewol draws a line on a blank sheet and writes the two company names side by side. Haewol: Eunjae, now that they're both on the same page, which condition bothers you first? Park Eunjae: Before the good parts, I see what I'd have to give up.
- 04 · 04 · What Choosing Would Cost One Last Thing to Say — Eunjae rests her hand between the two offers and looks at Haewol for the first time. Park Eunjae: Whichever one I choose, it feels like I'm betraying the person I've fought so hard to be. Haewol: Before you said that, which of the two paths felt heavier?
Stories by Haewol
- Haewol
- It’s my day off, but I couldn’t even clean.
- With so few customers, should I keep the shop open?
- Every Sunday night, I weigh living together against living apart again.
- At the dinner table, I try to choose the first sentence of my life.
- After hearing the request, I took a window seat on the bus.
- You pause mid-scroll, unsure whether to say anything
- I opened a book while waiting for the results.
- On your first day, you’re unsure how to balance your main job and side work.