Afterparty
We kept quiet, and when we realized how late it had gotten, we headed up to the filming set.
That short time—had it been the moment when the messy, chaotic tangle in my head finally started to clear?
I wasn’t very good at keeping track of time.
Once we arrived and finished filming those silly OX games, the day’s scheduled shoot finally wrapped up.
Every so often, I caught glimpses of how Iyoung—whom I’d called over—kept subtly checking or restraining herself, and it was… really something.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Now, at last, we could rest.
“Seonghun-ssi, how will tomorrow’s filming go?”
Tomorrow we wouldn’t get to rest.
“Is there anything scheduled?”
“If we followed the original plan, we would have filmed group dates, but… you probably wouldn’t like that, right?”
“Hate it.”
Going around together again in this situation?
“I tried sorting it out once, but I still see them restraining each other and fighting. I don’t want to repeat that stupid mistake.”
“That makes sense. If they go out, they’ll probably fight again, so how about the three of you going out separately for two days each?”
“When I asked, apparently there was time for one-on-one dates.”
“…All right. The amount seems appropriate, so it should be fine. Just remember that if anything more serious comes up, it’s not allowed.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Yes. It’s fine. Then rest comfortably.”
A sigh of relief showed in her expression at my answer.
They were people I’d never met before today, yet I felt like I’d caused them a lot of trouble.
The most important duty sex of the day had no target, so we simply rested.
Song Hanna and Park Yujin had been hurt, Jeong Sujin had done the most, and it had been a truly exhausting day.
“Then may I go back now?”
Yes.
There was someone I needed to be careful with.
It didn’t seem like they were calling me and then separately arranging appearance fees; I just couldn’t send them away.
“Wait. Iyoung. It’s late—going back already? Just sleep here and leave in the morning.”
“No, thank you, but I think it would be better to rest at home. I’ll head back.”
“Then rest a little and go. Since I called you and couldn’t do anything for you, I feel bad. Come with me.”
Some of the people listening to this conversation seemed to dislike it, but what could I do?
The room I usually used had been completely remodeled for filming, so we’d been given a new one. I needed to take her there.
“What are you doing? Let’s go.”
The hesitant, fidgety way she acted was a little annoying, so I simply took her hand and left the room.
Because the situation and environment had changed, the person who usually stayed so calm now looked tense—it was strangely new.
Or maybe she was thinking something else.
“Why? You’re not acting like yourself.”
“How many times have we seen each other to call it ‘usual’?”
“I was in charge every time you entered the male family department or went to meetings.”
“Haven’t we seen each other much?”
“But we haven’t seen each other much? That’s why I called you.”
“I don’t know.”
She followed me in silence, staring straight ahead.
Sigh.
I found the room number I’d been told and walked down the corridor to the new room.
The arrived room felt one grade higher, and the new night view and layout that hadn’t existed in the previous room gave it a good impression.
Beyond the perfectly set-up room, a small welcome dessert of mini macarons and a bottle of wine sat on the table—strangely yet pleasantly unfamiliar.
There was even a small handwritten note in her own handwriting.
So this was what money and power got you.
Success.
I read the roughly welcoming message, handed over the note, and opened the glass cover to put a mini macaron in my mouth.
The crumbling texture and the filling inside filled my mouth, the lemon scent blooming, then the sugar sweetness overflowing.
I didn’t usually like sweets, but the mini size made it tolerable.
I offered the remaining macaron to the group that had come with me.
Relax a little.
Even though we had to film and were meeting new people, the stiff behavior was worse than usual.
It would be better if she were softer.
She’d been like this since the first meeting.
I didn’t know where she was struggling more, so I didn’t know what to do.
She was older than me and still used honorifics.
Even when I deliberately used informal speech, she kept it up.
I don’t get it.
“Even this wine requires permission to drink, but seeing it placed here, it seems permission has been granted. Want to have a little?”
“It’s moderately sweet, so the taste should be fine.”
“I checked the label for grape variety and origin, but I don’t know much except that it’s red wine.”
“I should have known better since I drink so much.”
“Still, you gave permission even on a tiring day like today, so there’s no reason not to drink.”
I took the prepared glass and wine opener, removed the cork, and poured into the glass.
“If you want to drink, sit in front. Or rest a bit on the bed and go. I’ll tell them to prepare the car. What do you want to do?”
“…… Then I’ll drink well.”
“I’m grateful you drank with me.”
I pushed the already poured glass forward and poured a new one, clinked the glasses, and drank.
The wine’s distinctive acidity, bitterness, and astringency lingered in my mouth and nose, yet none of the flavors stood out.
“I vaguely remember someone saying this kind of wine is good,” I thought. Was that true?
“Thank you for the wine.”
It was sincere.
“Then, before I explain the situation where I came, let me tell you about the events this morning. That’s what you’re most curious about, right?”
As expected, that was the most curious thing.
I told her dryly about the things that happened that morning.
One of the five women I met was a foolish girl.
Another was a person I couldn’t get close to.
So when the seat was empty and a substitute was needed, the only person I knew was you.
“So I ended up contacting you. Thank you for coming sincerely.”
“I don’t regret deciding impulsively, but it was inconvenient.”
“We’re not in that kind of relationship, so please restrain yourself from now on.”
She gave a slightly sullen look.
“What kind of relationship do we have?”
“…… At least, it’s clear we’re not the kind of people to call in this situation.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
I poured the remaining wine into my mouth and refilled the glass.
The red liquid traced beautiful patterns of light and ripples in the transparent glass, looking pretty.
So I slowly turned the glass as if I’d seen it somewhere, kept watching it, and then spoke.
“Then why did you come?”
After hearing my words, he drank all the remaining wine like me and held out the glass. I poured without saying anything.
“Yeah, I guess I came because of my workplace superior’s recommendation.”
You’re joking.
“Did your workplace superior decide that?”
“Somehow.”
We kept drinking wine in silence.
One glass, then another.
After finishing the prepared wine, I ordered white wine and a new glass through room service and drank more.
Both of us drunk? Or just me?
I simply voiced the curiosity that had been in my head.
“Why do you keep using honorifics? Do I make you that uncomfortable?”
“It’s just a professional relationship… so I use it.”
“A professional relationship where you drink like this? Why not just speak casually? I’m doing that.”
“That’s right… After using honorifics with each other for a long time, we suddenly started using informal speech after a big incident.”
That sentence struck like a knife and lodged in my chest.
She’d been thinking about it.
“That’s right.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Finally, the mental wall seemed to lower a little.
How many months had it been?
“I’m older than you and we’re in an equal situation! Why don’t you use informal speech suddenly? Why don’t you do skinship suddenly? Why? Do you know how much trouble that caused me?”
Thank goodness you didn’t even hear that.
If it were me, I would have said it.
I laughed inwardly, but somehow my tone got a little sharper without me realizing, making Iyoung’s mood worse, but I couldn’t help it.
“Laughing? Are you laughing? Hey, you bad man!”
It’s funny.
“You had this kind of personality?”
“What kind of personality is that?”
“Just.”
“Just? Do you know what kind of things I hear because of you? Fox girl. You’re the fox lady!”
“You’re right, fox.”
“What?”
“You’re completely the fox lady?”
“You, really! You’d say that?”
“Yeah.”
There was a teasing charm to it.
Cute.
“Anyway, if anything like this happens again, just contact me. I’ll come. Got it?”
“What? Don’t you remember what I said earlier? What kind of relationship do we have that I have to come like this!”
Her emotions flared and her voice rose, yet she sounded like a small animal sulking.
“Just. We’re acquaintances.”
“Bad man. I absolutely hate it. I won’t come again.”
“Then when will I come if we’re in a relationship?”
“What kind of relationship requires me to come every time you call!”
“I don’t know. Think about it yourself.”
Her face was flushed from drinking, her eyes a little unfocused, and she kept getting angry, but the way she was acting was strangely different from how I usually saw her.
So I kept provoking her.
Just because I wanted to see more of her.
“Or should I say one thing? Make me your five-minute standby instead of a diplomat?”
“Are you crazy? Would that even work?”
“Is there anything that wouldn’t work?”
“Enough. I’m drinking this all and going home by car! Call them and tell them to prepare the car right now.”
“Okay, okay. Whatever. But do you think you can go? You seem pretty drunk.”
“Hmph! I’m taking the car anyway. What do you have to do with that!”
Sigh.
You keep making it sound like I have some kind of say.