Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Totally My Type
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Totally my type.
Jeong Seong-a.
It's been four years since she joined RTN Entertainment as a trainee.
Right now, she's gazing up at the sky.
She smiles softly at the fluffy cloud fragments floating there and the sunlight peeking through the gaps.
-Swaaaa...
The wind tickling her skin.
The rustle of shaking leaves.
The pleasant sunlight.
The world was this beautiful.
"Debut, huh..."
Debut.
A dream word for any idol trainee.
And she was on the verge of making it happen.
A week ago, the company had notified her that she'd been selected for the debut group.
"Me, debuting."
It felt like she was drifting weightlessly through the sky.
This reality was still too unbelievable.
Jeong Seong-a couldn't stop the grin that kept creeping onto her lips.
After all, with a major corporate entertainment company behind the idol group, her success was practically guaranteed.
Of course, it would still depend on her own efforts.
"That happy about it?"
A familiar, cheerful voice called from nearby.
Jeong Seong-a's boyfriend approached with a bright smile.
"Oppa!"
Jeong Seong-a sprang up from the bench and ran straight to her boyfriend.
She threw herself into his arms and wrapped both hands tightly around his waist.
"Hey...! People are watching!"
Her boyfriend flustered but still gently stroked her head.
Jeong Seong-a looked up at him with a pouty face, puffing out her cheeks.
"So what? As long as we're happy, that's all that matters."
With that, Jeong Seong-a buried her face in his chest again.
The comforting scent of fabric softener and cologne tickled her nose, as delightful as ever.
"You're in the debut group now. You have to be careful."
But her boyfriend kept trying to gently pry her away, his tone still troubled.
The more he did, the tighter she clung, throwing a little tantrum.
"No way. I'm not letting go. Just one minute like this."
The reason she was clinging to him so desperately?
Two days earlier, he'd told her they should break up.
Now that she was in the debut lineup, he'd only be a hindrance, he'd said.
But Jeong Seong-a couldn't accept a reason like that.
"No. Absolutely not. Let's meet and talk. I can't break up with you, Oppa."
She'd met him right away that day.
And she'd kept persuading him.
Sure, it might make things hard for him because of her, but she could handle it all.
If they kept it completely secret, it'd be fine.
"Seong-a, think about it carefully. Our relationship could hurt your group. It could damage the company. It might even ruin your dream."
But her boyfriend wouldn't budge from his stance.
For both their sakes, breaking up now was the smart choice, he said.
"I'll handle everything. If anything goes wrong because of it, I'll take responsibility for it all. Please, Oppa..."
Jeong Seong-a was a hard worker.
Her efforts always filled her with confidence and conviction in what she did.
But all of that was because of her boyfriend.
To put it simply, it was because he existed that she could be who she was today.
That's why she absolutely needed him.
"Jeong Seong-a, think it over. You might have to give up your dream because of me. You still want to stay with me to the end?"
For the last time, her boyfriend forced her to weigh her dream against him.
If they kept dating, she might have to abandon her dream, he'd said.
Jeong Seong-a had answered like this:
"Yeah. Doesn't matter. Without you, I never would've achieved this dream in the first place. You're as precious to me as my dream itself."
She believed in the value of people.
She believed in the bonds between them, and the love that bloomed from those bonds.
For example, there was her mother, who had escaped the fate of a chaebol family to meet her father and build a home together.
The whole world had called her mother foolish for turning her back on chaebol privilege and mocked her father for taking a woman above her station.
Yet the two had become the picture of an ideal couple, no matter who looked.
And as if to prove everyone wrong, they'd built a harmonious family, becoming her warm and reliable shelter.
That's why Jeong Seong-a never wanted to let go of her boyfriend, who so resembled her father.
"Seong-a..."
Her boyfriend seemed moved by her resolve, turning his head away as his eyes welled up.
Jeong Seong-a took his trembling hand and spoke.
"Being an idol isn't forever. Even if you're a total success, your peak is only about seven or eight years. Even if our relationship gets exposed and we have to break up, you're still my last man, no question. So no matter who you meet in the meantime, I can wait. But... but right now, I still need you... especially at a time this important... Don't leave my side now, you idiot..."
Her boyfriend was always so steady and wise.
He nodded and granted her plea.
He didn't know how long this time-bomb of a relationship would last, but he'd stick it out till the end with her.
"Oppa, wanna go there?"
And today.
Today was their first date after surviving that breakup crisis.
Her boyfriend chuckled and nodded.
"Yeah. Guess it won't be long before we're talking there again."
The two arrived at a cafe in the city.
This was where their fates had first intertwined.
They always called it "there."
"Ah~ Brings back memories."
Jeong Seong-a gazed around the cafe, lost in nostalgia.
Beautiful like her mother Lee Shin-a in her youth.
Her boyfriend watched her with a fond smile.
"Doesn't it though~?"
"Hehe. Your image was total trash at first."
"Ah-. Don't bring it up. So embarrassing."
Jeong Seong-a grinned at her boyfriend's reddening face.
She reminisced about their first encounter.
Back then, just as she'd said, his image had been the absolute worst.
"Um... Could I get your number? You're my type..."
Their first meeting had been a street pickup attempt.
His face flushed, unable to even meet her eyes properly.
She'd been rushing to an audition at the time.
"Sorry. You're not my type."
She'd said that after spotting his friends snickering behind him.
Obviously some stupid friend-group pickup game, hit or miss.
So annoying.
"Ah..."
He'd stood there, stunned.
But Jeong Seong-a had just whipped around and kept walking.
A lame guy like that was nothing compared to her audition.
But the audition she'd prepared so long for? She'd been too nervous and bombed it, getting rejected on the spot.
So she'd come to this nearby cafe to nurse her broken heart.
"Um, excuse me... if it's okay..."
Then a voice called from behind.
She turned around.
Irritation flared up, and sure enough, it was that pickup guy from earlier.
He was fumbling through some dumb line, looking flustered.
"Your number... could I... get..."
"Puhahahaha-!"
His friends exploding in laughter behind him.
Jeong Seong-a scowled fiercely.
Already pissed from flunking the audition, now she was their joke? Infuriating.
"Ah, s-sorry. Your clothes... different..."
Her audition outfit.
He apparently hadn't recognized her because of it.
But excuse or not, she was in a foul mood.
"If you get it, then just leave. Stop ruining my mood."
Jeong Seong-a snapped at the pickup guy and turned away.
Then she picked up her ringing smartphone.
It was Dad.
"Yeah... Dad. No. I failed. Yeah... It's fine. I can try other places. Yeah. Got it. Yeah..."
-Click.
After hanging up, she stared blankly out the window.
Barren tree branches, people bundled up against the cold.
Gray buildings, streets blaring with horns.
The world felt cold.
And somehow, so did her body, chilled to the bone.
"Um, do you have any blankets?"
She asked a cafe staff member.
But the staff looked apologetic.
"Sorry, miss. The other customers have all borrowed them..."
Jeong Seong-a glanced around the cafe.
Groups chatting away happily.
Blankets draped over their laps.
She gave a wry smile and nodded.
Then returned to her seat and sipped her coffee.
-Swish.
That was when it happened.
A hand entered her view, holding a blanket.
Jeong Seong-a turned with a smile to its owner.
"Ah. You had a spare bla-..."
Her words trailed off.
Her eyes went wide as she stared at the hand's owner.
It was that pickup guy from earlier.
"....."
She looked back at the blanket.
It wasn't one from the cafe.
Suddenly, Daiso near the cafe popped into her mind.
And the guy was breathing a little heavily.
"Why this...?"
"Haa... haa... Wanted to apologize. Please take it."
"....."
Jeong Seong-a carefully accepted the blanket.
Their hands brushed in the process, and his were freezing cold.
Had he run through these chilly streets?
"Sorry about earlier. Well then-."
He turned to leave again.
In that instant, she remembered how she'd glared at him like he was a bug.
"Um, hey!"
He turned back.
Jeong Seong-a fiddled with her mug and said,
"S-stay a bit. It's cold out there."
"....."
He seemed to hesitate.
But soon, he walked over with heavy steps and sat across from her.
Jeong Seong-a slid the mug toward him.
"Hold this. It's warm."
"....."
-Thud.
He wrapped his hands around the mug.
His face lit up in surprise.
He must like the warmth.
She couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"Where are your friends?"
"Ah. I sent them off."
"So you waited this whole time just to apologize?"
"Yeah. Couldn't do it right away since you were on the phone... Um. Just waited for the right moment..."
"Ah... I see."
Jeong Seong-a said that and tried to take a sip of her coffee.
But the mug was in his hands.
"I-I'll go order some coffee. Can't just sit here for free; it'd be a nuisance."
With that, he handed back the mug and went to order.
Jeong Seong-a smiled as she watched his retreating back.
He was starting to grow on her, unlike their first impression.
"Ordered."
Soon, he returned, waving his vibrating pager.
He sat across from her, looking a bit tense.
Even that was endearing.
"Um, I've got a question."
"Y-yeah? For me?"
"Yeah."
"Ahem. Go ahead."
"Did you really ask for my number because I'm your type?"
His flustered expression.
He stammered on.
"...Ah! That was, um... because of my friends, I had no choice!"
"What? So I'm not your type?"
"No, you're! Pretty!"
"Pretty, but not pretty enough for my eyes?"
"No! You're plenty pretty! Pretty and...!"
"Pretty, but no appeal?"
"No! I mean...!"
"Puhuhu."
".....?"
"Just teasing. You're the type who sucks at empty flattery."
Jeong Seong-a gulped down her coffee with a beaming smile.
For some reason, he reminded her of her dad.
"About what I said earlier. I'll take it back."
"What... did you say?"
"That you're not my type."
"....."
His face turning red.
His emotions plain on his face.
This guy was secretly hoping, huh.
"Anyway, I'll retract that. You're... a little? My type."
"Ah... haha."
He scratched the back of his head and laughed.
Then the pager buzzed.
He jumped up quickly.
"C-coffee's ready. I'll go get it."
He hurried off, looking shy.
Jeong Seong-a watched his back with a grin.
Now that she looked, his clothes were stylish, his face handsome, his actions cute.
Totally my type.