#Bridge Comma, Time for Preparation

It felt like it had been ages since I'd come into work.

"Yawn."

Even after a full day off yesterday, the yawns were unavoidable.

After spending nearly ten days cooped up at home, it was only natural that my circadian rhythm was all out of whack.

I wiped away the tears pricking at my eyes from the yawn with my fingertip.

"Masterpiece, huh..."

Honestly, I hadn't thought it was Masterpiece level.

I'd written the scenario aiming for just Average.

But now my points had quietly reached 8.

"Hm..."

Even just 1 point made scenarios way easier to pull off.

Raising Immersion Degree brought the characters I created to vivid life,

and lowering Dissonance let me make even the weirdest scenarios feel reasonable.

"Gotta take it easy for a bit."

After ten days off, more minor tasks had piled up than I'd expected.

I'd delegated some to Kim Woo-hyun and Won Yu-chan, but they already had heavy workloads, so it was unavoidable.

Beep.

The door opened, and surprisingly, Woo Da-young was the first to arrive.

I waved, and she widened her eyes, checked the date on her phone, then walked over.

"Intern training's over?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah."

Thanks to the Masterpiece rank boosting Influence quite a bit, fragments of memory lingered.

She didn't know what kind of training it was, but she accepted it naturally.

No matter what I did, once the scenario ended, it all rationalized into common sense in their memories.

Whatever happened, it was endlessly entertaining.

Kim Woo-hyun and Won Yu-chan came in next.

Won Yu-chan still had his usual morning snack in hand.

"Yu-chan, you look like you've put on more weight?"

"Pardon? You ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠think so?"

Won Yu-chan looked down at himself. His body had always been on the larger side, so he tilted his head, unable to see what had changed.

"Nah, must've been my imagination."

I brushed it off awkwardly, and then Maeng Soyul appeared.

"Good morning."

"Oh, uh, how was the training?"

Won Yu-chan asked, and Maeng Soyul nodded.

"Yes."

That deadpan expression was pure Maeng Soyul.

With the scenario over, I'd be seeing that face until the next one.

She greeted Kim Woo-hyun and Woo Da-young with the same look before sitting at her desk.

"Morning, Soyul."

She'd probably forgotten ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠we'd dropped formal speech, so I tested the waters with polite language.

Maeng Soyul glanced at me and gave a small nod.

"Yes, good morning."

I'd figured the boosted Influence from Masterpiece would get some reaction, but nope.

Maeng Soyul.

"Morning, Soyul."

His greeting voice made her heart pound.

Her mind went blank; she could only nod instead of speaking.

Tap tap tap.

Work started, and the sound of keyboards filled the air. Maeng Soyul glanced over at him occasionally.

She remembered getting training, but the details were fuzzy.

A vague image of being naked flickered at the edge of memory, but it didn't feel off.

It was as natural as breathing.

"Soyul, just rough out the lines here."

"Ah, yes."

As an intern, she couldn't handle full edits.

She did rough cuts on the parts her senior assigned, and he finished them up.

He gave her easy stuff, so it was comfortable.

"Yawn."

Quitting time passed, and the sun had set.

Full autumn now—the days ended quick, darkness taking over fast.

"Not heading out?"

I waved off Woo Da-young's question.

"Got a backlog; gonna finish this up first."

"Aw~, poor you~."

Woo Da-young shook her head sympathetically and left with Kim Woo-hyun.

"Those two get along way too well."

I knew this was the real reality.

After two months of gaining this and chaining unreal events, it felt a bit floaty, sure.

"Senior, you not leaving?"

Maeng Soyul, packing her bag from the seat next to me, asked.

"Me? Nah, pulling an all-nighter."

"Then I..."

"No, go on ahead."

I shoved the reluctant Maeng Soyul out the door.

"Gotta handle work to keep enjoying more."

I was fully aware.

The Scenario Book only showed lives of lies.

"Sigh... Should I write a bank heist into a scenario...?"

If I scripted it without getting caught.

Would cost all my points, but I'd score big cash.

"...CCTV's the problem."

Memories would vanish, but footage wouldn't—too much hassle.

Accounting for every variable meant way too much writing.

I'd wear my wrist out.

"Or lotto first prize..."

Worth testing once. Legal, no crime.

Or sell the videos we'd shot for cash, but aftermath sucked.

Once out, it'd spread fast.

No excuse if Woo Da-young saw herself in them.

"Maybe later, write a proper movie script..."

Just thinking made my wrist ache.

Shook off the random thoughts and tackled the backlog.

Until I figured all its abilities, the Scenario Book was just a hobby.

Time flies relentlessly.

Nothing special, and scorching summer was gone—autumn now.

"Whew."

Mornings were too cold without a thick coat to head out early.

"Winter already scares me..."

Beige knit under a black outer still let the chill through.

Lunch would warm up too much—that was the real issue.

On the crowded bus, peering out at street trees ablaze in fall colors.

Hiss.

Stepping off brought the cold wind again.

Lately, I'd been staying late on purpose.

After ten days of fun, time to clear the massive pile.

"This should do it."

Neulsom Studio's channel was steadily gaining subs, but no miracle explosion.

If personal, it'd be total flop—everyone would nod.

But like college days, it was fun—that was consolation enough.

Nothing special besides jotting notes for future scenarios in spare moments.

"Fall already... No girlfriend?"

I eyed Woo ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Da-young, already poking at me with her steaming tumbler.

"Girlfriend? Isn't that a mythical beast?"

"Hm~ What about Soyul?"

She was out smoking.

"Pass."

"Yeah? Figures, not your ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠type."

"You know my type?"

Woo Da-young draped an arm over the partition, shaking her head.

"You always check Insta. Bikini pics."

"...You know your stuff. Just leisure."

"...Eww, what kinda leisure is that?"

Her disgusted face made me itch to use the Scenario Book.

"Anyway..."

I trailed off, pointing at approaching Kim Woo-hyun.

"You two not going anywhere?"

They both sighed lightly.

"No trips till we settle in."

"Aren't we settled now?"

We'd nailed a project early, stable clients now.

"But rent and salaries leave nothing."

"I see."

Zero business know-how, nothing to say.

"But glamping end of month."

"Huh? For real? Where?"

"Incheon area. Wanna see?"

Woo Da-young whipped out her phone, bragging even to uninterested me.

"Yeongheungdo?"

"Yup, spa pension~."

"Place like that exists?"

After months nonstop, made sense.

"Cool, looks pretty. Have fun."

Kim Woo-hyun patted my shoulder, listening in.

"You haven't taken a break either. Take vacation."

To them, my ten days were legit training.

"Nah, have a blast~."

End of month—two weeks left.

"Just you two?"

"Nope, with sis."

"Hm? Da-hee noona?"

Woo Da-hee mention made me drape my arm over the partition, sorting thoughts.

"Jealous? Get a girlfriend then~."

"Pfft, girlfriend."

I'd found something way more fun than girlfriends—no interest.

"Hmm... Got an experiment in mind..."

My lip curled up; Woo Da-young grimaced at my face.

"You look like a total perv. Gross."

"...Damn, what the hell—judging a smile?"

"It was too pervy. Right, Woo-hyun?"

Kim Woo-hyun just chuckled silently, watching us fondly.

"One night?"

"Nope, Friday start—2 nights, 3 days! All booked~."

"...Hm. Yeah, have fun."

Patted their shoulders and grabbed smokes and lighter, heading downstairs.

"Ah, senior."

"Yeah? Done?"

"Yes. Wait?"

Sent Maeng Soyul—who'd finished smoking—back up, lit one.

Flick.

"Suck... exhale. Yeah, been too cooped up. Need fresh air."

Ten days locked in house-fucking had me a bit burned out.