Chapter 232: Each Person's Story
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 232: Each Person's Story
The moment I saw the caller ID, my grip tightened on the phone.
I had a fair idea of why she was calling.
But first, there was a more pressing matter.
"My cheeeeks! They're gonna riiiip!"
"Petite? Small? You've been looking down on me this whole time, haven't you!"
"Stop it. She says it hurts."
"My heart hurts more!"
I thrust my phone into the middle of the chaos where Seo Ye-rin, Yoo Ah-rin, and Choi I-seo were bickering.
Startled by my sudden movement, all three pairs of eyes snapped toward me.
And simultaneously, they saw the name on the screen: Choi Jin-ah.
"She's calling."
Being transparent from the start was the best policy. Just like during that blind date incident, it was better to face things head-on rather than let misunderstandings fester by hiding them.
Even if it was a choice between the worst and the second-worst option.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Their collective gaze pinned me down. They looked flustered at first, seemingly debating how to react.
"She's probably calling because I said I wasn't going to the reunion. Your Honor, I am innocent."
As I pleaded my case, the heavy atmosphere lightened just a fraction.
Seizing the momentum, I boldly hit the 'decline' button.
The mood brightened instantly.
"Hey, she's a famous person. You should've at least picked up."
Seo Ye-rin rubbed her bright red cheeks, a silly grin spreading across her face.
"I was actually a bit curious about how a violinist spends her day," Choi I-seo added, her shoulders finally relaxing.
"If you were elementary school classmates... well, I guess it's normal to stay in touch. I'm not the type to be all possessive and controlling," Yoo Ah-rin chimed in, claiming to be the "cool" one.
What the...
Was I the only one overreacting?
Or perhaps my transparent behavior, starting from the last incident, had built a solid foundation of trust with them.
Not bad.
Right now, we were connected by trust.
That was why we wouldn't doubt or blame each other, no matter what happened.
To think such a relationship was possible between people—
Vrrr! Vrrr! Vrrr!
— Choi Jin-ah -
The phone rang again.
This time, I didn't hesitate. I just picked up.
"Hello?"
— Hello? Is now a good time to talk?
"Yes, it's fi—"
Wait.
Three icy glares pierced through me simultaneously. They had been so generous and relaxed just a second ago.
Even though they remained silent, the air grew heavy in an instant.
If I had to compare it to a jjimjilbang, it felt like I’d just stepped into the blast furnace room.
"...Is it... fine?"
— Are you asking me that? Hehe, you're still as strange as ever, Woo-jin.
Hearing her call me "strange" as if it were a compliment made me wonder if Choi Jin-ah was a bit odd herself.
For the record, when I say it, it's an insult.
Despite being elementary school classmates, we still used formal speech with each other.
It served as a sort of distance. Plus, I felt awkward using casual speech because of that time I'd essentially scammed her back in elementary school.
Since Jin-ah naturally used formal speech with me as well, our relationship felt more like "people who met at a blind date" rather than "childhood friends."
— I saw that you voted 'not attending' for the reunion. Everyone is quite disappointed.
"I was more flustered by being suddenly invited to a group chat I didn't even know existed."
The group chat I’d been added to out of the blue, claiming to be for Irum Elementary alumni.
One look at the profile pictures told me it was a den of chaebols. I’d simply tapped 'decline' on the attendance poll and left the room.
— That’s a shame.
"But I saw it was the '3rd Reunion' or something. Do you guys meet often?"
— I suppose so.
Her tone suggested there was no need to explain the reason, so I didn't pry.
People at the top usually cooperate to solidify their positions; they don't go around making enemies or creating unnecessary competition.
They're already successful enough that they don't need to.
— In that sense, attending the reunion isn't such a bad idea. You never know who might be helpful and when.
"You seem quite intent on bringing me along."
— ...If you come, Woo-jin.
Her bitter emotions struck my ears with strange clarity.
— I feel like it won't be boring.
"So it's boring for you there?"
— ...
"Well, what would those people know? They think anything is fun as long as they're throwing money around."
— Heh.
"Then why go? Just don't go. Do you not have any friends?"
— Pfft.
Even her laughter was restrained.
Meanwhile, the three girls in front of me looked like they were wondering what kind of crazy person talks like this.
— I told you. You never know who might be of help. It’s not like I’m going because I want to.
She was saying she was being forced to attend a gathering she didn't want to be at.
— It might be helpful for the company, after all.
"Hah."
— As someone who can't do anything but play the violin, this is all I can do for my parents.
She was already incredibly famous and had won numerous awards; she was doing more than enough to be a "filial daughter."
But apparently, it wasn't enough.
"Hmm, well, I'm not the successor, so I don't have much interest in that side of things."
Company matters were for my big brother to handle; it wasn't my place to interfere.
— ...
A brief silence followed.
It was quiet enough that I pulled the phone away from my ear to check if the call had dropped.
Just as the silence was becoming awkward—
— That’s impressive.
It was a short sentence, but it carried a lot of weight.
To some, it might sound sarcastic.
To others, it might sound like genuine admiration.
"Yeah, so I'm not going."
It was time to wrap this up.
The girls in front of me had said they were fine with it, but looking at their expressions now, they were definitely lying.
I mean, I only picked up because they said it was okay...
Feeling a bit wronged, I decided to stand my ground.
"Got it? I'm hanging up now."
— Yes, I understand.
Click.
"Your Honor, I am truly innocent."
I held up both hands in surrender. The three of them stared at me in silence for a moment.
I was worried about how they’d react, but they were surprisingly docile.
"Woo-jina, should I go to the reunion with you? I'll dress up like the most beautiful girl in the province and stick right by your side!"
Seo Ye-rin spoke as if she were actually ready to go.
"She seems like a polite person. Just like she appeared on TV," Choi I-seo praised Jin-ah sincerely.
"They said they'd lend us cards here. Want to play a round?" Yoo Ah-rin abruptly changed the subject.
"What's this? You guys are okay? You were glaring at me like you were going to dismember me when I first picked up."
When I shrugged and asked, a sheepish Choi I-seo answered.
"Seeing you try so hard to show us you're trustworthy... I started to feel a bit bad."
"Heh."
I couldn't help but smile at I-seo's cute response.
It was only natural.
"I'm dating the three of you. This is the least I should do."
"We're not dating yet."
Damn, that was cold.
But still.
'Yet,' she said.
It seemed our relationship, which I thought had stalled, was slowly rolling forward after all.
*
By the window of a massive mansion.
"..."
Choi Jin-ah was staring at Kim Woo-jin's name on her screen.
The call had ended long ago.
But as if savoring the lingering traces of the conversation, she remained motionless in the same position, her lips pressed thin.
Of course, she couldn't stay like this forever.
"Miss, it is time."
A female bodyguard called out to her softly.
Only then did Jin-ah seem to snap out of it. She slowly raised her head and replied.
"Yes, I'm coming."
Her father was waiting.
She couldn't keep the chairman of a major corporation waiting.
"..."
As she walked forward, she lowered her gaze, and her eyes naturally fell upon her toes.
The sunlight from outside cast long shadows of the large window frames onto the floor, stretching across her path.
The elongated shadows of the window frames.
"It looks just—"
Jin-ah started to voice the thought that crossed her mind but forced herself to swallow it.
—just like iron bars.
Because she hated that feeling, she stepped out of the shadows, but in reality...
Nothing had changed.
*
"Boss?"
"...Huh? Oh, right."
"Did you doze off? Is something wrong?"
Bae Ji-hye.
Known by her broadcast name, Popo, she sat across from Oh Yun-ji, looking worried.
Yun-ji didn't know.
Lately, this had been happening often.
At some point, Oh Yun-ji had started calling these moments "power outages" in her mind.
The person known as Oh Yun-ji would briefly turn off and then turn back on.
Since these moments weren't long...
She lived her life without being overly conscious of them or letting anyone else know.
"You must be really tired from re-hiring managers and editors. I'm sorry."
Popo apologized and quickly handed her a vitamin drink. It was a natural gesture, though unfortunately, everything in the office fridge had been bought with company money.
"Why are you sorry? It's my job to filter out the weirdos, so it's only natural."
Especially in Popo's case, since she had trauma regarding such things, Yun-ji had to be even more meticulous with staffing.
Returning to school... might be difficult.
Yun-ji muttered to herself, soothing her bitter stomach with the vitamin drink.
Preparations to return to school were proceeding steadily.
She was aggressively recruiting internet broadcasters, hiring staff, starting merchandise production, and more.
But then.
The company's biggest star, Choi Eun-byeol, had gotten pregnant.
She had been dating Kim Un for a while, but the sudden pregnancy had sent Eun-byeol's fandom into a frenzy.
While many fans offered congratulations, many others did not.
Regardless, the most heated period had passed, and things were finally starting to settle down.
"If I ever date someone, I'll be sure to tell you first."
"I won't stop you from dating, just make sure you use protection."
"Yes, ma'am!"
With that, Popo scurried off to her streaming room. She’d mentioned ordering chicken for a mukbang earlier; maybe Yun-ji should grab a piece.
It seemed Popo had mostly overcome her previous incident.
The way she acted so affectionately toward her boss, Yun-ji, was proof of that.
Even though she's older than me.
Was being that shameless a requirement for being a broadcaster?
Yun-ji finished her vitamin drink and checked the mail a new employee had brought in earlier.
Among them was something from Gahyeon University.
Must be for Popo.
Gahyeon University.
She had planned to return.
...Is there really a reason to go back?
She was working hard now, and she was making good money.
Did she really need to attend university?
The face of a certain man flickered in her mind.
But Yun-ji was now skilled at erasing his face.
"Ugh, I told them to sort out the fan letters properly before bringing them in."
Yun-ji clicked her tongue at the clumsiness of the new hire. As she flipped through the letters one by one...
[Your murderer father—]
The moment her eyes caught a letter hidden among the fan mail, the expression slowly drained from Yun-ji's face.
...
......
.........
"Boss?"
"...Ah, yes?"
At the voice of another employee calling her, Yun-ji snapped back to reality.
"What should we do about this?"
"...What did you ask? Sorry, I missed the first part."
Yun-ji asked back, hiding the letter underneath the others.
"Well, right now—"
She hadn't dozed off.
And she certainly hadn't fainted.
Yun-ji called this a power outage.
It was pitch black.
She couldn't do a single thing.
And yet, a person clearly remained within that darkness.
That was why it was a power outage.