Chapter 32
Chapter 32
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Lightweight
-----------------------------------------------------------------
‘…It wasn’t that I’d latched onto the wrong person. Maybe I’d latched onto the exact right one.’
She’d shove food in front of me, and I’d gobble it right up.
She’d pick up a piece of meat, and I’d open wide like a baby bird.
Not satisfied with that, she kept thrusting the menu at me, asking if there was anything else I wanted to eat.
When my glass ran dry, she’d refill it, telling me to sip it slowly.
I thought I was being slick, reading the room perfectly, but apparently, I was totally oblivious.
No matter how you sliced it, she was taking care of me.
Even through my drunken haze, it looked good—Yoon Jong-pil PD kept beaming at us with a satisfied grin.
The actors who’d jumped in to help grill kept the meat coming nonstop as they ate and drank alongside us.
People started gathering around Geum Yuna, who was supplying me with food like a mother bird feeding her chick.
‘…This feels like we’re filming an eating show or something.’
Geum Yuna feeds, I eat.
And everyone watches.
Not just the actors—even the crew had their eyes glued to us.
I spotted someone pulling out their phone to snap pics.
I was starting to get embarrassed.
But it was free meat and free booze.
And on top of that, a gorgeous actress feeding me by hand. No way I could turn that down.
I’d fallen into the dilemma of the grilled meat.
Keep eating, and I felt like Pu Bao from the zoo.
Stop, and it was such a waste with all this meat and booze right in front of me—not to mention this cheeky actress Geum Yuna tempting me nonstop.
In the end, I kept eating and drinking until I was wasted.
I should’ve known from the Atelier company dinner, when a little wine turned my face red and made the floor spin.
This body of mine was a total lightweight.
My mind was going fuzzy.
The floor, the walls, the ceiling—everything was spinning.
“...Hng...”
“You okay? Here, have some water.”
Geum Yuna offered me a glass of water, but I refused flat-out.
I could overcome this with sheer willpower.
I just lacked the effort, that’s why I was getting drunk!!!
“I’m going to the bathroom. Wanna come with?”
“...Why would I go to the bathroom with you? No! I mean, I can’t!”
Who does she think I am, some pervert?
Why would I go to the women’s room with her!
“...Okay, I’ll be right back. Don’t drink any more and behave, got it?”
“Gotcha!”
“...Sigh.”
The nag finally stepped away, and I snatched the glass in front of me.
Didn’t matter whose it was. Why pour a drink and not drink it?
My belly’s full, my belly’s full.
“Hahahahaha! Jeong Gyeowol, you’re drunk? Hahahahahaha!”
“...I’m not drunk!”
I’m the guy who survived 100 glasses of beer and makgeolli at the temp agency initiation!
Yoon Jong-pil PD seemed to doubt me, so I drained every glass on the table.
“Whoa! You can hold your liquor! Keep it coming! She’s a booze hound! Jeong Gyeowol’s a booze hound! Let’s hit round two!”
“...Hic, this is just getting started. Round two sounds great! Round two! Round two!”
“Uh... Gyeowol, you really need to stop now. Where’s your manager?”
“Junseung hyung? Gyujin hyung? No idea! They love ditching me and wandering off!”
“I’ll go look. You watch her.”
“Sure thing, hyung.”
...Manager hyungs?
A 12-year no-name hack like me wouldn’t have managers.
Who were Junseung hyung and Gyujin hyung again...?
Guys I met at the temp agency?
The guy who’d gotten the wrong idea vanished from his seat.
And a pretty girl took his place.
Smack!
“...I told you not to drink any more!”
“Ow...”
She sat down and immediately walloped my arm.
Why was someone this pretty sitting next to me and hitting me?
Was spring finally coming for me?
This was a green light, right?
But...
“My head... my hair...”
“Your head hurts? That’s what you get for not stopping...”
Since when was my hair this long...?
I’d gotten it cut just above the eyebrows.
“My hair’s too long...”
“...”
The pretty girl looked at me with pity.
A warm gaze I’d never gotten before.
A hairdresser, maybe. That would explain her sitting next to me.
They’re friendly to every customer, with kind smiles and gentle words.
Angels armed with scissors and sweetness. Plenty of guys fall for it and confess on the spot.
Not me, though.
For real...
“Please cut my hair. Sides to 6mm, back high and tight, bangs to eyebrow length.”
“...! You’re crazy! No way! I mean, how are you so specific?!”
“...?”
The hairdresser refused the cut. Guess even stylists won’t touch a 12-year no-name actor.
Time to find somewhere else.
I’d been hoping for some heart-fluttering romance with a pretty stylist, but no choice—I got up.
But... why was the floor spinning like crazy?
What was wrong with the world?
They say ten years changes the mountains.
Had my 12 years of obscurity broken the laws of physics?
“...Gyeowol.”
“...Jeong Gyeowol!”
A pleasant, beautiful voice kept calling my name.
“Jeong Gyeowol! Where you going? Bathroom? I’ll go with you. I’ll take you.”
The voice’s owner was suddenly in front of me, facing me.
I was pretty tall myself, over 180cm.
But she was huge.
Why was she tilting sideways, though?
No, was the whole place tilting?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “Take care! Gyeowol’s super wasted. Make sure you get her home safe.”
Yoon Jong-pil PD’s words had Kim Gyu-jin, the executive manager, glancing around awkwardly as he replied.
“Yes, we’ll be off. Sorry for the trouble.”
“Trouble? It was a blast! That’s how dinners go. I just realized too late... Gyeowol’s only 20 now. This might’ve been her first real drink.”
“For her first time, she was throwing back makgeolli, Sokbaeksan bombs, Hongik Human shots, IV drips, Ponggarisweat, ugh... every bomb shot under the sun...”
“Yeah, she talked a good game. Not her first rodeo...”
As they waved warmly, the assistant director and sound staff butted in tactlessly.
Yoon Jong-pil PD chuckled and gestured for them to zip it.
The place inside was chaos.
She didn’t even seem to know who Geum Yuna was or who her own manager was.
“Thanks for the food! See you! PD! I love you! Screenwriter! Love you too! Love all you crew and actors!”
“Kuhaha, love you too! Get home safe!”
Once outside, her senses sharpened a bit, and she bowed deeply to every single person seeing her off.
“Hng, my willpower is something else. This is 12 years of inner strength.”
She mumbled nonsense and staggered off alone.
Her zigzag gait screamed “about to faceplant.”
“Oh man, she’s going solo. Hurry and support her.”
“...On it.”
Kim Gyu-jin and Yoo Jun-seung rushed over and propped up Jeong Gyeowol.
“I’ll head out too. Great work today.”
“Ah, now the real work starts for you, Gold Actress. You said you’d tuck her in at your place?”
“...Yeah, she lives alone, and she’ll need someone to look after her tonight. The managers said they don’t know her door code.”
“Haha, yeah, gotta do it. She’ll feel like hell tomorrow. Go on.”
“Yes, see you next time.”
Geum Yuna joined the escort team.
Yoo Jun-seung had her left arm, Kim Gyu-jin the right.
Geum Yuna followed behind.
Luckily, no extra bags to worry about.
Just in case, Geum Yuna tucked Jeong Gyeowol’s wallet and phone into her own bag.
Her manager, waiting with the car nearby, eyed Jeong Gyeowol worriedly.
Geum Yuna hated passengers in her car, and now she had to haul a blackout drunk.
“...Sis, you okay with someone else in the car?”
He wouldn’t say it outright with Executive Manager Kim Gyu-jin and longtime acquaintance Yoo Jun-seung watching, but...
Still, it felt like they were pushing her into babysitting their actress.
The vibe was: handle your own talent.
“Huh? You uncomfortable, Hyeokjin? Then I’ll take Gyeowol in my car. You head back—you did great today.”
“Uh... no, that’s not it. I just thought you might be. I’m fine, really. I’ll drive.”
“I’ll! Take a taxi! It’s cool! Bye!”
“Taxi? Get in already.”
“Ugh, I’m fine... seriously, I can taxi...”
Jeong Gyeowol waved it off, insisting it was no big deal, but climbed aboard under her own power.
Impressively, she sat straight and buckled up properly.
“...Then we’ll leave her to you.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care.”
Geum Yuna soothed Yoo Jun-seung and Kim Gyu-jin, who were reluctant to go, then headed home.
“...Jeong Gyeowol, I wasn’t gonna say this, but... you’re too cute for how you look, aren’t you?”
No response from Jeong Gyeowol.
“...What, passing out the second she got in?”
Geum Yuna laughed in disbelief, turned down the music volume,
and switched off all the car lights.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A strange ceiling.
Where am I? Who am I?
Geum Yuna had gone to the bathroom after nagging me not to drink...
I’d chugged everything in sight the moment she was gone...
‘...That was my mistake.’
I’d slammed back who-knows-how-many glasses in seconds.
And the buzz hit all at once.
I blinked, trying to piece it together.
Motel? Nah, the room was too nice...
Hotel? Too lived-in...
Where the hell was this? As I pondered, breathing came from beside me.
‘Eek—’
The blanket bulged in a perfect human silhouette.
I followed it with my eyes... and there, in cute bunny pajamas...
‘Geum Yuna?!’
Why was Geum Yuna next to me... why were we in the same bed...
‘...!’