Chapter 219: An Unexpected Love Call (3)
Chapter 219: An Unexpected Love Call (3)
At first, nothing much happened.
They simply chatted while sipping on the canned beers Ji-yeon had brought.
Since all three were actors currently filming the same movie, most of their conversation revolved around films and dramas—topics that didn't quite sound like typical student talk.
Wait, isn't this exactly what students in our field talk about?
In terms of it being about movies and dramas, at least.
Of course, unlike other girls their age, their discussion was far more professional.
Seo-yeon listened intently to Ji-yeon and Seo-hee, lost in these thoughts. It wasn't that she had nothing to say, but her knowledge was a messy tangle of the present and the future.
If she accidentally let slip something about the future, there was no telling what kind of trouble it might cause. Even a casual remark could become a major variable.
Well, considering how much I've already done as I pleased, maybe it doesn't matter, she thought.
"By the way, Seo-yeon," Jo Seo-hee said, sliding closer.
She had been worried that Seo-yeon wasn't enjoying herself since she hadn't spoken much.
"You haven't met Low since then, have you?"
"No, not really. Oh, he did contact me, though."
"...He contacted you?"
As she spoke, the light in Jo Seo-hee’s eyes darkened.
Seo-yeon, who was used to Seo-hee’s usual airy and elegant demeanor, flinched for a moment at that look.
Right, she really is the Villainess.
With that look, she seemed ready to command, "Off with that commoner girl's head!" Her flowy, delicate pajamas only added to that regal, intimidating aura.
No wonder everyone avoids her when we're out together.
Seo-yeon sighed inwardly. With Ji-yeon and Seo-hee looking the way they did, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was the one losing out. She was just a little expressionless, but those two actually made people tremble.
The strange thing was that despite this, both of them had a vast circle of acquaintances. Ji-yeon had many friends, and Jo Seo-hee’s networking skills were on an entirely different level.
Enough to catch even Low's interest.
Low, the man who ran Shine Moon—a place that would eventually become the epicenter of various scandals. To him, Jo Seo-hee, who was connected to everyone from the top to the bottom of society, was an indispensable figure.
In Seo-hee’s case, her connections weren't limited to the entertainment industry; she knew a massive number of people in the business world as well. Securing Jo Seo-hee alone would allow Shine Moon to create a huge list of VIPs.
Naturally, Low was desperate.
[Seo-yeon, could you perhaps set up a meeting with Seo-hee? She won't pick up any of my calls.]
That was the gist of the message Seo-yeon had received.
His tone was incredibly friendly. Seeing it, Seo-yeon had clicked her tongue in distaste. Of course, she hadn't replied.
I don't know if it's because of Jo Seo-hee or because I'm a trending actress lately, but he's certainly trying hard to recruit us.
The funny thing was that both Jo Seo-hee and Seo-yeon were minors and couldn't even enter a club. At first, he had tried to coax them by saying, "Even if you're minors, no one will know if you dress up. I'll sneak you in a spot." Later, he changed his tune to, "Ah, of course, after graduation is fine too!"
He had likely sensed their avoidance.
And then there's Ji-woo Unni...
Naturally, Seo-yeon had contacted Pyo Ji-woo afterward, asking if she had been seeing Low lately.
[Huh? Oh, no, I'm not?]
Pyo Ji-woo had flatly denied it. However, her strangely awkward tone suggested she was hiding something. Since she was keeping it a secret, Seo-yeon thought about bringing up Low as if it were just another topic, but...
I probably shouldn't.
As of now, neither Shine Moon nor Low had any visible problems. Slandering them now would just be baseless accusations.
Besides, I don't know how Ji-woo Unni would react.
If it was just a "some" relationship like Low claimed, that would be one thing, but if they were already a couple, Ji-woo wouldn't listen to a word. She wasn't the type of woman who would hesitate to storm into a club and stab a cheating boyfriend. She was that blind in love, and once she lost control, she was unstoppable.
She needed to catch some kind of evidence first...
But can Ji-woo Unni even break into Shine Moon?
The club she had raided before was quite famous. It had thirty guards. It was larger than Shine Moon. However, Shine Moon, with its shady dealings, likely had even more security.
Probably a bit more than thirty? Maybe about the same.
In that case, could Pyo Ji-woo, armed with a knife, break through? Seo-yeon became genuinely curious. She wondered how many guards a knife-wielding Pyo Ji-woo could take down.
Of course, she hoped it would never happen, but the curiosity remained. How strong was the "Swordmaster Pyo" who had once been an internet sensation?
"Seo-yeon?"
"Ah, yeah. What is it?"
Seo-yeon hurriedly replied to Seo-hee, who was looking at her with a strange expression. At her response, Jo Seo-hee’s eyes widened.
"Oh, you just spoke informally?"
"Ah, it just slipped out."
"Can't you just keep doing it?"
"I'm still more comfortable with formal speech."
For some reason, formal speech felt more natural with Jo Seo-hee. Perhaps it was because of her "young lady" image. Her behavior also felt strangely like that of an older sister. Even though Seo-yeon was technically older if she counted her past life, it was a bizarre feeling.
Well, the mind eventually follows the hormones.
Seo-yeon knew that humans had little control over mental issues. It was purely a matter of the physical body. She knew how much mental illness or hormonal imbalances could change a person.
The common question of "Why would someone do that?" regarding depression was usually answered by hormones. You don't know until you've experienced it. Seo-yeon hadn't suffered from chronic depression, but she had experienced something similar once in her past life.
It happened when she briefly stopped taking her medication because it was a hassle. At that time, it felt like life had absolutely no meaning. She couldn't do anything. She made sure to take her medicine regularly after that, but it was a terrifying experience.
So, Seo-yeon tended to accept it when she acted differently than she had in the past. At least it was better than the past when she couldn't feel emotions properly, right?
Why does she keep spacing out in the middle of a conversation?
Seo-hee pursed her lips as she watched Seo-yeon. Regardless, Seo-yeon had just spoken informally to her, even if it was a slip of the tongue. That was usually unheard of. Seo-yeon had never made a slip like that, no matter how flustered she was.
Is it because of this?
Seo-hee glanced at the alcohol-free beer Ji-yeon had brought. Alcohol-free beer, of course, contained no alcohol. Or if it did, it was at a level of 0.01%. That was why the three of them could talk and drink without any reaction.
But what if that 0.01% actually worked?
Seo-hee nodded, convinced by her own "perfect" deduction. Come to think of it, there were cans of beer her father had bought at home. Even the chairman of a massive conglomerate drank beer. However, since her father didn't particularly enjoy getting drunk, most of the beer he drank was the kind with almost no alcohol.
"I think we're out of beer. Should I go get some more?"
"Huh? Oh, you're right."
Ji-yeon nodded, looking at the pile of empty cans on the floor. They had been snacking and drinking, and before they knew it, the supply was gone. Ji-yeon hadn't brought that many, not expecting everyone to drink so much.
"But do you have beer at home?"
"There's probably a fridge that has some."
"A fridge that has some?"
Seo-yeon was startled by Seo-hee’s words again.
Just how many fridges are in this house?
Was there a dedicated fridge just for beer? Then again, in a mansion this size, it was entirely possible.
"Wait a second, I'll be right back."
Seo-hee hurried off toward the wine room. She remembered a room next to the wine room that had a small wine cellar and a fridge for miscellaneous alcoholic beverages. It was a place Seo-hee rarely visited.
"Ah, is it this one?"
After stuffing various cans labeled "non-alcoholic" into a bag, Seo-hee tiptoed back out quietly. She would get in trouble with her father if she were caught in here.
"Seo-hee?"
"!!"
She turned around to see Han Seo-young looking at her with a puzzled face. Had she seen her coming out of the wine room?
"Ye-yes? I-it's nothing!"
"Hmm? No, I just wondered who it was. It looks like you're having fun."
At Han Seo-young’s calm words, Seo-hee breathed a sigh of relief. If she had seen her, her reaction would definitely not have been like that.
"I-I'll be going now, then."
"Ah, okay."
Watching Seo-hee run off, Han Seo-young felt like she was seeing something rare. She had almost never seen Seo-hee so excited.
Is that why she's been riding her bike so much lately?
Seo-hee was a true high-born lady who had always been driven to school in a private car, but at some point, she had started using a bicycle. She had likely decided that it was difficult to meet friends privately if she always used the car. It was fascinating to see Seo-hee, who used to strictly hide her true self as an actress, acting like this.
She seemed more... lively. Or perhaps more like a girl her age.
Either way, it's a relief.
Seo-hee had been far too mature for her age. Han Seo-young could still vividly remember how Seo-hee had buried herself in work like a child who had forgotten how to be a child for the ten years after Seo-yeon disappeared. The shock of losing her "Starlight" twice must have been immense.
At least one of them seemed to have returned.
Han Seo-young watched the direction Seo-hee had disappeared for a moment before slowly turning away.
*
"I-I brought it. Here!"
Seo-yeon took the beer can Seo-hee practically threw at her, looking confused. She popped it open and took a sip; it was twice as cold as the beer Ji-yeon had brought.
Ah, so this is how it's supposed to feel.
Ji-yeon’s beer from home had been a bit lukewarm. She had sipped it out of curiosity, but it couldn't compare to a truly cold beer. The taste was also strangely sweet. It seemed every beer tasted different.
"Anyway, to continue what we were talking about... about our acting. There are a lot of romance scenes between me and Ji-yeon, right?"
Seo-hee continued, holding a beer can of her own.
"Since Seo-yeon’s acting potential has exploded lately, Ji-yeon, you have to keep up with her, okay? Before, it wasn't a problem because Yuina was the one leading the scenes."
There was a scene Ji-yeon had filmed with Ju Seo-yeon, who had been very confident in her romance acting. The scene involved Yuina calling Yeon Seon-ye to check on the current situation. In that scene, Yeon Seon-ye reveals she has strange feelings for Michiko, and Yuina feels a churning sensation in her stomach upon hearing that. Consequently, she shows a somewhat forceful obsession toward Yeon Seon-ye.
"Ju Seo-yeon’s 'obsessive' acting was actually really good."
"Right? I was honestly surprised too. In romance acting, it's easy to show an obvious obsession, but it's hard to act out a subtle, underlying one."
The actor has to reveal the emotion so the audience can sense it, but the attitude and words shouldn't be too blatant. It has to be expressed naturally. Naturally, it was quite difficult, but Yuina’s acting at that time was so incredible that even Jo Seo-hee, who was watching, felt her heart flutter.
"But Seo-yeon, how did you do it? Your acting is so much better than..."
Seo-hee suddenly flinched as she spoke.
How should she put it?
She was red. Seo-yeon’s face was red, her eyes were red... everything about her felt incredibly red.
"Ack."
Ji-yeon noticed it too and hurriedly checked the beer can.
It wasn't "alcohol-free" beer; it was "non-alcoholic" beer.
"Hey, Jo Seo-hee! This is non-alcoholic beer!"
"Huh? I-isn't it the same thing?"
"Non-alcoholic and alcohol-free are completely different!"
Alcohol-free is 0.01% or less. Non-alcoholic is 0.99% or less. In other words, it can contain up to 0.99% alcohol.
"Th-then is Seo-yeon drunk?"
"How should I know? I've never seen Ju Seo-yeon drunk before."
On school trips or retreats, when other students would secretly drink, Seo-yeon would just watch them blankly. No one dared to offer her a drink in the first place. So, this was the first time Ji-yeon had ever seen Seo-yeon intoxicated.
Wait, is she going to be like she was in middle school?
Seo-yeon, who had been sipping the beer, realized the can was empty and reached for another one with a swaying body. Seo-hee and Ji-yeon’s eyes followed her hand. Without answering them, Seo-yeon fumbled around until she grabbed a can.
Pop!!
The beer can exploded.
"Eh?"
Jo Seo-hee’s eyes turned into dots. What on earth just happened?
"Ah, mistake..."
Thinking she had failed to grab the beer, Seo-yeon stood up unsteadily to wipe up the mess. But of course, there was nothing to wipe it with, so she tried to use the skirt of her pajamas until she tripped and fell flat on her face.
Watching Seo-yeon roll around in the spilled beer, Seo-hee and Ji-yeon couldn't even think to stop her; they just stared. Could someone really get this drunk off non-alcoholic beer?
"Ji-yeon, the ground is coming up. Is there an earthquake?"
"N-no, wait, just stay still. Don't move."
"I'm scared of the shaking... you know, when I went on that ride last time, I was actually a little scared..."
Watching Seo-yeon babble like a toddler, Ji-yeon swallowed hard. She had no idea how she was going to move her.