Park PD's Secret Exposed
The person right in front of me—where had her usual demeanor gone? She was brimming with energy, smiling as she took short, excited steps, picking up scattered merch and tossing it into her basket with glee.
Yeah, everyone has a hobby or two. I'm obsessed with camping myself.
...But even so, doesn't this feel like a total personality swap?
I was lost in a daze, just watching her, when it happened. She spotted the merch she wanted on a display rack marked with a "Limited Edition, Limited Stock" banner and turned around without hesitation.
“......”
“......”
And then her eyes locked right onto mine, standing there at the store entrance.
Awkward. Had there ever been a moment this cringe-worthy in my decades of life? Sure, I was the one who'd tailed her here, so it was my fault—but still, so awkward.
I was awkward, but Park PD took it to another level, straight into denial mode. She awkwardly adjusted her crooked glasses, scrunched up her face, and thrust her head forward, squinting at me like someone checking a blurry photo. Then she started rubbing her eyes. She peered at me again, tilting her head.
......
In the end, I broke first with a laugh and a wave.
The moment I did, her face drained of color—visibly paling. Did I mess up by acting like I knew her...?
Even from afar, I could feel her trembling in fear, her expression pure despair, like the world was ending. Her grip tightened on the precious limited-edition merch in her hand.
...If you're that scared, it kinda hurts my feelings too.
Sigh. If I just left now, it'd be even more awkward later, so I had no choice but to walk over to her. With every step I took, she grew paler and paler.
I get it—having a hobby exposed like this instead of sharing it willingly must be embarrassing. If someone caught me lurking in the camping forum, would I look like that? Nah, probably not that bad.
Anyone could see she looked like a criminal busted at the scene.
'First, act natural. Pretend it's a coincidence.'
I plastered on my brightest smile and spoke up.
“Ha, haha... Oh, hi, PD! Fancy running into you here—what a coincidence, right...?”
“...Hic.”
She was so startled she hiccuped and clapped a hand over her mouth without thinking.
“......”
“...Hic. Oh, h-hello... Hic.”
What was this vibe? The rest of the store buzzed with hobbyists happily browsing, but our little corner felt frozen solid. I could practically hear every second ticking by.
First things first, I had to break this ice somehow. Just as I opened my mouth, Park PD beat me to it.
“B-but... what brings you here, Areum-ssi...?”
“...I was just passing by and got curious.”
“B-but they just opened today—no signboard up yet...”
Oh crap. Right, there was just that X banner midway up the stairs—no actual sign.
Stuck now... Can't exactly say, 'You looked suspicious, so I followed you.'
'Ugh, how do I play this off? Just be honest? No, that'd be weirder.'
Then I remembered the X banner from the stairs.
“Oh...! I saw that banner on the stairs and got curious, so I came up. It said 'Animation Popup Store,' so I figured I'd check it out.”
“Ah...”
Good, that should work. She still looked guarded, but at least it wasn't total disaster.
“I-I see...”
“Yeah... Have you, um, finished browsing, PD?”
As I got closer, she hurriedly hid the basket behind her back—but come on, how's a basket gonna fully disappear behind a person? The anime merch peeking out was way too obvious. I'd already seen her filling it, anyway... She knew I knew.
“...You've caught me.”
“S-sorry...?”
She let out a deep sigh, her voice deflated. Seeing her like that made me feel like the bad guy.
...I am the bad guy here, right?
The awkwardness short-circuited my brain. I wanted to bolt. She probably did too. But if we split like this, how would we face each other at the office later?
No choice. Had to fix this now.
“Um... PD? If you're free, wanna grab coffee nearby? My treat.”
She hesitated, then nodded reluctantly.
We checked out and headed to a quiet cafe next to the popup store. We got our drinks and sat, but an awkward silence hung heavy for a while.
Park PD broke it first, glancing at her shopping bag on the chair like she was confessing.
“Truth is... I've liked this stuff since middle school. I stumbled on an anime by chance, and it was so fun... But... it's kinda embarrassing, you know? I worried people would think I'm weird, so I never told anyone...”
Her voice trembled more as she went on, like she was confessing a secret hobby to the world for the first time—writing or drawing something personal and showing it off.
Sharing your passions takes guts. But this didn't seem that shameful...
“Doesn't seem like something to be that embarrassed about...”
“P-pardon...?”
Whoops—meant to think that, not say it. Oh well, straight talk it is.
“I mean... no need to be ashamed of a hobby you love, right? I'm nuts about camping, which is basically otaku-level obsession myself...”
“Th-that's...”
“People probably think I'm weird fussing over my gear—million-won tents and all, or obsessing over axe sharpening. Someone even asked why I care so much about the blade...”
“Outdoor hobbies feel a bit different...”
“And theaters show anime movies all the time now, right? Tons of normies watch by accident and turn into fans. The vibe's changed—no need to hide it so desperately.”
Hm... Did I overdo it? Outdoor stuff is a different flavor, like she said. But her expression softened a tad, so not a total miss.
With the mood easing, I tossed out a question I'd always wondered about.
“So... all those late nights buying merch like that?”
She flinched but nodded carefully.
“...Yeah. Can't miss limited editions... This one's exclusive, no web store, so I was debating taking vacation... B-but luckily, the popup opened here...”
“Still... aren't you taking on too much? You look like a zombie sometimes—no offense.”
“...I know.”
She knew? And kept pushing anyway?
“Boss works you too hard. Seems like you handle the whole MCN solo—driving, editing...”
“N-no! I want to! I get vacation whenever, full allowances for stuff like this. Even bonuses and incentives...”
“Still, say no sometimes. You'll burn out young and end up in the hospital. Don't be scared of the boss...”
I overstepped with genuine worry. A doctor would've forced her to rest on sight.
“I-I'm fine. He's my uncle, so I can refuse if I want...”
“......?”
Nearly spat my coffee.
'Uncle...?'
Wait—back on the RV trip, I thought Park PD and President Kim Manho looked alike. Wasn't a trick of the eye?
Her face went ghost-white again.
“Gah...! H-he told me to keep it secret...!”
She panicked like a spooked hamster over spilling the beans.
“...Don't worry. Yeah, my lips are sealed.”
“Th-thanks... He said, 'It'd be trouble for you if it got out.'”
??? Villain-level line.
“Truth is... I kinda parachuted in. Edited anime vids as a hobby, uncle saw 'em by chance and pushed me to switch here—more stable than my risky gig...”
Scouted by Kim Manho? Her edits must've been fire. Risky gig?
“What'd you do before?”
“Racing.”
“?”
“Kart from young, got license for car racing... Not pro, just aspiring...”
...Cognitive dissonance hitting hard. Isn't racing for bold, competitive types? My bias?
Yeah, risky alright. Explains her smooth driving—curving out of the apartment lot like butter...
Is everyone at this company a superhuman except me?