New Single Release

I tried to head straight home after ending the broadcast, but Minseo and Sua cut off my path.

"Is something the matter?"

"'Is something the matter?!' You're seriously asking me that right now— no, never mind! If I ask, you'll only give me the same answer anyway!"

...Fair point.

"You! You know Do Hyunwoo?!"

"Mm... I do?"

We were acquainted, after all.

"Th-then are you two close?"

"No?"

"Then why do you! Talk to him so rudely?!"

"How did you two even get close in the first place! Answer that first!"

I told you we're not close....

But the mood ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wasn't right for saying that out loud, so I kept it to myself.

"Well... I ran into him while visiting the composer, and we just exchanged introductions."

No real need to mention the classmate part, right? They asked how we'd gotten close, after all.

"So! You dragged back someone you'd essentially just met because you bumped into him on the street?!"

"No, I had my reasons."

"What reasons! Out with it!"

"He owed me a favor, so I imagine that's why he came?"

I'd offered to call it even for taking out my trash, but the little back-alley debt I'd racked up that day must have weighed on him — why else would he have come along so willingly?

"I-is that so?"

"Still! Even so! That's the hottest rookie in the business right now, and you treat him like dirt!"

"If I'd known who he was and tormented him, maybe — but I bullied a complete stranger, so does it really count?"

I'd been told to keep his identity quiet for exactly that reason, after all.

"Ugh! My! Head is splitting!"

"Mine too! It felt just like when Unnie's knife grip snapped back to normal earlier! I never thought I'd feel it twice in one day!"

"Hey! Yoon Sua! What is that supposed to mean!"

"Words aren't getting through to you! Unnie, you were just like that earlier too!"

The arrows that had been aimed at me had somehow ended up pointed at each other, so I left the two of them to it and tried to slip out again—

"Yeonwoo...."

—only to be caught by the manager....

Well, even if I'd escaped now, I'd have gotten an earful over the phone later anyway, so maybe this was for the better.

"Please... my heart hasn't been able to take much more of this lately...."

"Oh dear... sounds like you haven't been sleeping well...."

Should I send her a box of red ginseng or something?

"...You know exactly what you're doing, don't you?"

"Yes. I'm sorry."

Sensing that pushing the joke any further would end badly, I bowed quickly and took my scolding like an adult. Only after Minseo and Sua — having spotted me receiving my lecture — came over to chime in with a remark apiece was I finally released.

"Yawwwn~"

I must have been tired today, because a yawn escaped me of its own accord.

"Why is she pretty even when she yawns...."

"Tell me about it... not a single unflattering angle...."

After bidding goodnight to Sua and Minseo, who were busy stating the obvious, I headed home.

Too tired for anything elaborate, I washed up quickly and dove straight into bed.

"Ah... this is the stuff...."

The comfort pressing against my back pulled an involuntary sigh of bliss out of me.

Should I upgrade to a really nice bed once I move?

It would be even comfier than this one, wouldn't it?

With the time to sort out my current place creeping closer, thoughts like these had been piling up lately.

Money wasn't the issue — I had more than enough to furnish a new place, if nothing else.

"A house...."

The house was the real problem....

Would it be better to just take out a loan and buy one?

Hmm... not a bad idea?

I'd never given it serious thought before, because even with a loan I'd have fallen painfully short.

But now that the money was coming in faster than I'd ever expected, it had turned into a genuine possibility....

...Does the manager know anything about real estate, I wonder?

She seemed like the type who'd know her way around this sort of thing too, so I should ask.

If not, I'll just research it myself.

Time flowed on, and today was the day Seyeon's new single dropped.

In other words, the song I'd featured on was about to face the world.

"Yes, Seyeon?"

"Hmm... why are you telling me, though?"

It wasn't as if I could soothe her nerves for her — wasn't this a problem she had to solve on her own?

...Does it work like that?

"Well... for now, just stay calm and get through your schedule. I'll see you at the company dinner later."

...Wasn't that nervousness about the wrong thing, though?

Even if she was nervous, I doubted the new song was the cause....

Anyway, after exchanging that bit of idle chatter, I spent the day lounging around the house — until Seyeon called again.

"Yes, Seyeon?"

"Yes? What is it."

Hm? Already?

I'd figured it would take at least two or three days. Fast....

I checked.

"And you're calling me over this?"

"I thought you must have hit number one or something. Call me back when that happens."

Click.

No wonder it had felt too fast.