Christmas Eve with Lee Ha-eun
We wish you a Merry Christmas.
After being appointed temporary team leader, I spent my days in a blur.
Back when I was a chief manager, all I had to do was keep the trains running. Once I became a team leader, I had to actually lead the team.
Maybe that was why.
Compared to my days as a chief manager, far more work came crashing down on me.
Some days I was so buried in it I felt like I might die from exhaustion, but most days I still walked into the office swollen with a satisfaction and anticipation I couldn’t quite put into words.
Temporary or not, I was the team leader of Baekhak.
The team leader of Baekhak, the company the industry held up as the best of the best.
There was a strange pride in that title, and on days when I was worn to the bone, it was enough to force me to keep moving.
Then, on one otherwise ordinary day, when everything had changed with nothing more than a title, I suddenly noticed that my coat had become a winter parka.
December. The month that closed out the year.
Right. Before I knew it, year-end had arrived.
And with it, the day that symbolized December was right around the corner too.
"We wish you a Merry Christmas."
Christmas carols had begun to spill through the streets.
***
The day before Christmas Eve, my eyes went wide as I was eating shabu-shabu at a famous Hongdae restaurant Seo Tae-jun had recommended.
"What's this, Seo Tae-jun?"
Seated across from me, Seo Tae-jun answered in a smug voice.
"It's a promotion gift, Team Leader."
With that, he held out a luxury case that looked expensive at a glance.
I couldn’t hide my flustered voice when I asked, "I'm only a temporary team leader. Why are you giving me a gift?"
"Oh, here we go again with the lecturing. Stop talking and open it. I picked it out carefully."
At Seo Tae-jun’s chiding, I felt awkward and quietly opened the case.
Yeah, that's luxury all right.
Not just any luxury, either.
It was a luxury watch.
"No, how am I supposed to accept something like this, Seo Tae-jun?"
"Why? You don't like it?"
"That's not it. It's just too expensive."
Seo Tae-jun shrugged in a way that irritated me.
"Well, yes, it is expensive. And it's a limited edition."
"Why would you give me something this good? Keep it for yourself, Seo Tae-jun."
"Enough with the nagging. Try it on. If it doesn't fit, we’ll have to shorten the strap."
At his urging, I had no choice but to put the watch on. As expected of a luxury watch, it sat on my wrist with a weight and fit that felt completely different. I stared at the thing I was trying for the first time in my life, and Seo Tae-jun, sitting opposite me, slowly nodded.
"Perfect fit. No need to return it."
"...You're really serious about giving me this?"
"Ask me one more time and I'll take it back."
I yanked my right wrist back, the one wearing the watch Seo Tae-jun had given me, and said, "You do know giving something and taking it back is even worse, right?"
"Ugh. Chief Manager Kwon, can I hit that mouth of yours once?"
"Hm. Since you gave me a gift, maybe you can hit me once today?"
"Ah, that was a joke just now, but now I really want to hit you. Pucker up."
Seo Tae-jun burst out laughing and made a show of punching my lips.
Watching him blankly, I muttered, "You're really giving it to me?"
"How many times do I have to say it? I am giving it to you."
"I’m going to be in trouble if I accept something like this."
"What are you talking about? I know this actor guy who even bought his manager a car. And besides."
Leaning back against the chair, Seo Tae-jun said, "I also had fun this year because of you, Chief Manager."
There was pride in his voice.
"Think of it as a bribe from me, so you’ll take good care of me next year too. Please continue to take care of me, Team. Lea. Der. Kwon."
***
I stared at the watch Seo Tae-jun had given me for a long time before clicking my tongue.
"...No matter how much of a promotion gift it is, am I really supposed to accept this?"
This watch was seriously expensive.
Maybe I should have refused it on the spot.
Still, on second thought, as Seo Tae-jun had said, actors did sometimes give their managers expensive gifts like this.
With that in mind, it wasn’t exactly strange to receive something like this from Seo Tae-jun, but...
What had I ever done for him to deserve a gift like this?
This is really going to be a burden.
I was still caught between laughing and crying over Seo Tae-jun’s gift when Kwon Hyun-bin opened the meeting room door and appeared.
"Oh, you’re here, Kwon Hyun-bin?"
"Have you been well, Chief Manager Kwon?"
"I should be. I got promoted to team leader."
"Wasn't it temporary?"
"...Temporary or not, a team leader is still a team leader."
Kwon Hyun-bin gave a faint laugh and sat across from me. After a while, our conversation naturally turned back to work.
He told me the casting work for the drama he had confirmed, The Wise Life of a Namhae Intern Doctor, was underway, and that at the earliest they would begin the script reading in February next year.
Listening with a careful expression, Kwon Hyun-bin nodded.
"I should start preparing for the role soon."
"Right. But don't push yourself too hard. That hospital..."
"I've been doing well."
"How are you holding up?"
At my concerned question, Kwon Hyun-bin tilted his head slightly.
He looked at me like that for a long moment, then smiled faintly.
"I'm good."
"You're really sure you're good?"
"Yes. My depression has been steadily improving, and my condition lately has been the best it's ever been."
At Kwon Hyun-bin’s confident answer, I didn’t press further.
It wasn’t good to keep bringing up depression to someone who was already dealing with it.
Besides, just by looking at him, it was obvious Kwon Hyun-bin was doing much better than he had at first.
Then Kwon Hyun-bin held something out to me.
"What's this?"
"It's your promotion gift, Team Leader Kwon."
My eyes went wide.
No way. Seo Tae-jun did it too, and now Kwon Hyun-bin prepared a gift as well?
While I was still reeling, Kwon Hyun-bin opened the case and showed me what was inside.
In the case was...
Surprisingly, the exact same watch Seo Tae-jun had given me.
Only this one was an even more expensive luxury model.
I asked, flustered, "Is this the watch I think it is?"
"I don't know which watch Team Leader Kwon is thinking of."
At Kwon Hyun-bin’s answer, I sucked in a breath before I could stop myself.
"No, this is a watch worth tens of millions of won at retail."
"If we're talking price, it's probably around that."
I frowned and pushed the case back toward him.
"How am I supposed to accept something like this? It's too much. Take it back."
Kwon Hyun-bin tilted his head.
"It's surprising to hear Chief Manager Kwon say it's too much."
"I still have a conscience. How am I supposed to take something like this? A gift isn't only about price or effort, but this is a bit too..."
Kwon Hyun-bin cut me off.
"This is awkward."
"Pardon?"
"If you won't accept even a gift like this, what am I supposed to do for Chief Manager Kwon?"
My eyes widened.
Meanwhile, Kwon Hyun-bin looked at me steadily and said, "The insomnia I struggled with for years disappeared thanks to you."
"..."
"Because of that, I've been feeling incredibly well lately. Should I say it feels like I'm finally living like a human being?"
Kwon Hyun-bin leaned forward slightly.
The serious look on his face, stripped of every trace of playfulness, caught my eye.
"You may not realize it, Chief Manager Kwon, but the things you did for me mean more than you think."
Looking at me, Kwon Hyun-bin smiled.
"Please accept something like this, or I think I'll feel uncomfortable from now on. I'm asking this as your actor for the first time."
At his words, I couldn’t say a thing.
...No, Kwon Hyun-bin was thinking that all along?
I had only done what a manager was supposed to do, but from Kwon Hyun-bin’s perspective, it seemed the meaning had been entirely different.
After receiving the expensive watch from Kwon Hyun-bin too, I muttered in a dazed voice, "Wow... what is going on here?"
No, it wasn't even Christmas yet. Why were gifts coming at me in a flood?
***
The day after I received watches from Kwon Hyun-bin and Seo Tae-jun, I thought about it carefully.
"Is this really okay?"
What had I done for the two of them to deserve gifts this expensive?
But both Kwon Hyun-bin and Seo Tae-jun had given them in earnest, and once I thought about that, I couldn't just refuse them outright either.
In truth, once you’re old enough, gifts can become a burden for both sides.
If you’re not truly close, both the giver and the receiver end up worrying over it quite a bit.
If I refused Kwon Hyun-bin and Seo Tae-jun’s gifts here, it would only leave them embarrassed.
"...Still, they could've picked something less burdensome. A watch? Really?"
Besides, was that watch some ordinary thing?
I had received a luxury watch you couldn’t even buy with Santa Claus’s salary.
While I was wondering how I was supposed to repay such precious gifts, Gaeul, whom I met for a meeting about K-Singer-Songwriter, asked me, "Chief Manager, did something good happen?"
"Pardon?"
"You've got a smile on your face."
"..."
Flustered, I hurriedly fixed my expression a beat too late.
"No, nothing good happened."
"Liar. You were just smiling so slyly."
"...Was I?"
"Yeah. Did you get a Christmas present or something?"
At Gaeul’s sharp question, I flinched before I could stop myself. Watching my reaction, Gaeul’s eyes narrowed.
"You're really smiling because of a present?"
"Well, not exactly because of that, but..."
"You shouldn't be doing that."
"Pardon?"
"I prepared a gift too."
Still grumbling, Gaeul pulled something out of her eco bag. My eyelids twitched.
"What's this?"
"Your Christmas gift, Chief Manager."
"..."
"And also a congratulations-on-the-promotion gift. I picked it carefully, but I don't know if you'll like it."
At Gaeul’s explanation, I let out a dry laugh to myself.
No, what the hell is wrong with everyone??
Why was everyone making such a fuss about giving me gifts when I was only a temporary team leader?
At that moment, Gaeul tugged at my wrist and urged, "Aren't you going to open it?"
"...Gaeul, it's not a watch, is it?"
"Huh? A watch?"
"I'm joking."
With that, I carefully peeled back the wrapping on the case Gaeul had handed me.
Luxury, of course.
But thankfully, it wasn't a watch. I let out a breath of relief and opened the case carefully.
"A necktie?"
"Yeah. Do you like it?"
Instead of answering, I lifted out the neatly folded navy necktie from the case. It was exactly the sort of tie that suited my taste, since I preferred dark colors over bright ones.
Without meaning to, I answered sincerely, "I like it. Thank you, Gaeul."
"Try it on, Chief Manager."
"Should I? Just a second."
Fortunately, I was already wearing a shirt, so there was no problem putting the tie on. But since I had no mirror, my hands kept tangling up in the knot.
Watching me, Gaeul stood up and came over to my side.
"Chief Manager, I'll tie it for you."
"Huh? No, it's fine..."
Before I could finish, Gaeul reached over from across the table and started tying the tie. Her face, so close to mine, looked so earnest that I found myself falling silent.
A moment later, Gaeul finished with practiced fingers and nodded.
"There. All done, Chief Manager."
"...Gaeul."
"Yes?"
"Gaeul, you're twenty-two, right?"
Gaeul tilted her head.
"Why are you suddenly asking my age?"
"No, how is a twenty-two-year-old this good at tying ties? You're better at it than I am."
"Ah... well, I used to tie my father's tie for him sometimes."
"Oh, really? That explains why it felt familiar."
"Actually, I practiced a little too."
"?"
Gaeul's eyes curved into crescents.
"I practiced in front of a mirror so I could tie it for you myself, Chief Manager."
"..."
"Just kidding, just kidding."
With that, Gaeul burst into laughter.
As I scratched my head, feeling awkward, Gaeul asked with a foxlike smile, "So? Do you like the gift, Chief Manager?"
Did I like it?
I liked it a lot. Unlike the gifts from Seo Tae-jun and Kwon Hyun-bin, this one didn’t feel burdensome at all.
"Yes, I really do. I'll wear it properly while thinking of you, Gaeul. Thank you."
Happiness bloomed across Park Gaeul’s face.
"Please do think of me when you wear it, Chief Manager."
A soft smile formed at the corner of my mouth.
***
After finishing the meeting with Park Gaeul, I headed to a coffee shop in Cheongdam-dong. I was passing the time while adjusting the tie Gaeul had given me when a familiar voice called out to me.
"Chief Manager!"
Turning my head, I saw Choi Go-eun in a tteokbokki-colored coat standing at the entrance of the coffee shop, gasping for breath. A smile rose to my face at the sight, but it quickly froze when I saw the bandages on her hands, which looked different from usual.
"Oh, Choi Go-eun."
"Yes?"
"Why do you have so many bandages on your hands? Did you fall on the way here or something?"
At my question, Choi Go-eun startled and hid both hands behind her back.
"...It's nothing."
"It looks like something."
"I got a little hurt while preparing dinner."
"You cook, Choi Go-eun?"
"Sometimes, when Grandma isn't home."
At her answer, my eyes narrowed.
She's hiding something.
From the expression on her face as she tried to act casual, I could tell for sure.
I wanted to press further, but since it might have been personal, I decided to look into it carefully later.
Keeping my eyes on her hands, I brought up work.
"Director Na Jun-hu says he's revising the script for his new project, so the script delivery is running a little late, but the work will start at the earliest in February next year."
At my words, Choi Go-eun's eyes widened.
"Oh, then..."
"That means filming for your second movie will start in February."
"!"
"The genre is romance, so read plenty of reference material: romance films, dramas, even manga would be fine. That said, you know you're not allowed to get a boyfriend, right?"
"...What are you talking about? I don't have time to get a boyfriend."
Choi Go-eun answered with a huff and then called my name lightly.
"Chief Manager."
"Yes?"
"Congratulations on your promotion to team leader."
With that, Choi Go-eun took something from her bag and handed it to me.
My eyes went wide.
"What's this?"
"It's your promotion gift, Chief Manager."
"..."
Another gift?
Since yesterday, the exact same scene had kept repeating itself, and I still hadn't gotten used to it at all.
In the end, the same question I’d asked yesterday came out again.
"No, what money do you even have to be preparing gifts, Choi Go-eun?"
"I didn't buy it."
"...Then what?"
Instead of answering, Choi Go-eun lightly slapped the back of my hand and gestured for me to open the wrapping. Unable to resist her urging, I carefully tore it open.
A scarf?
Inside the wrapping was a bright ivory scarf. Looking away from my eyes, Choi Go-eun explained, "I learned how to knit it in home economics at school, so I made it myself."
"..."
"D-do you not like it?"
At Choi Go-eun’s question, I, who had gone blank for a moment, quickly answered, "No, I like it."
"Your face doesn't look like it does."
"Ah, I like it so much I probably just don't look like I do."
With that, I glanced again at Choi Go-eun's hands.
So she got hurt not from cooking... but while knitting the scarf?
Good grief, was it really okay to just accept this?
But seeing the hopeful look on Choi Go-eun’s face made it hard to turn her down.
Wiping away my awkward expression, I said, "Uh... thank you. I'll use it well."
"Should I put it on for you?"
"No, I'll do it myself."
"Nope. I want to do it."
With that, Choi Go-eun flung the scarf around my neck. I blinked like an idiot, and Choi Go-eun burst into laughter.
"Ohhh, Chief Manager, it suits you."
"...Really?"
"Yeah. So stop wearing black all the time and try on some different colors. Your face is gloomy enough as it is."
At her teasing, I couldn’t help laughing.
"Are you seriously criticizing my fashion right now?"
"Why? Am I not allowed to?"
"Not exactly something I should be hearing from someone who only ever wears a school uniform."
"Whoa, I have great fashion sense, okay?"
A happy smile bloomed on Choi Go-eun's face. I was the one receiving gifts, so why did the giver look so happy? It was absurd, and yet for some reason, my chest felt a little warm.
Then Choi Go-eun looked at me cautiously again and asked, "But, Chief Manager."
"Yes?"
"...Are you busy today, by any chance?"
I tilted my head.
"Why? Is something up?"
"No, it's just... if you're free today, I thought maybe you'd eat with my grandma and me."
Choi Go-eun added awkwardly, "Chief Manager, it's Christmas Eve. You don't have anything to do anyway."
My eyes narrowed.
"What if I have a girlfriend?"
"Stop joking around and just answer me. You know that's never happening."
"Hm... unfortunately, I don't think I can today."
"Why? Do you have work?"
"Yeah, I have a pretty important schedule today."
Choi Go-eun tilted her head.
"A schedule on Christmas?"
"...Yeah. I really hate it too."
Choi Go-eun couldn’t quite hide her disappointment as she muttered, "Then I guess we can't eat together today."
"Right, it looks like I can't, Choi Go-eun."
Choi Go-eun slowly nodded.
"If it's work, then there's nothing to be done."
"Let's definitely eat together next time, Choi Go-eun."
"Yes, Chief Manager... no, Team Leader."
Choi Go-eun grinned brightly.
"Merry Christmas. Have a good evening on Christmas Eve."
At that radiant smile, the corners of my mouth rose too.
"You have a warm Christmas too, Choi Go-eun."
***
I pulled my collar tighter against the cold winter wind. But maybe because of the scarf Choi Go-eun had given me, the freezing air didn’t seep all the way to my neck.
I turned my head and looked around for a moment.
Colorful Christmas trees and the carols that came back every year were ringing through the streets. Thanks to that, the faces of people passing by were full of happy smiles.
"It's really Christmas Eve."
Damn it.
For some reason, my side suddenly felt cold.
I can't believe I have to work on a day like this.
I knew being a manager meant no holidays, but wasn’t this a little too much? Grumbling under my breath, I glanced at the watch Seo Tae-jun had given me.
"...No, but why is this woman late for so long?"
It had already been twenty minutes past the meeting time, so why wasn't she coming down? Should I go up and bring her myself? I was worrying over that when a group of high school boys heading to a PC cafe together for Christmas suddenly turned their heads toward me and let out a cry.
"Whoa... no way."
"Who is that person...? She's gorgeous."
"Wait... is that an angel?"
At their words, my eyes widened.
An angel? What angel?
I tilted my head and turned around. In that instant, my mouth moved on its own.
"Angel?"
I rubbed my eyes, wondering if I was seeing wrong... but I wasn't.
Lee Ha-eun in a pure white dress.
She was looking this way with that haughty expression of hers.
I’d always thought she was the most beautiful actress alive, but today Lee Ha-eun seemed somehow even more special.
A pure white dress, black hair, eyes sparkling like stars. She looked like an angel who had come down from heaven to celebrate Christmas.
Watching her in a daze, I belatedly realized her dress showed quite a bit of skin and hurried over.
"Have you lost your mind?"
Lee Ha-eun's eyes curved playfully.
"Why?"
"...No, what are you doing coming out like this in this weather without even throwing on a single layer?"
Before I even heard her answer, I draped the coat I was wearing over her shoulders. Burying her face in my coat, Lee Ha-eun muttered, "Kwon Chan."
"Yeah."
"Let's go."
"Where?"
"To the party. We don't have time."
With that, Lee Ha-eun smiled brightly. It was a smile full of happiness, the kind I could barely believe from a woman who usually seemed chained to stress.
I was still staring at it, dazed, when Lee Ha-eun grabbed my arm and tugged.
"We're wasting time. Hurry up and let's go, Kwon Chan."
Christmas Eve.
I was going to spend the evening with a top-tier actress.