Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Again, Writer
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### Chapter 23: Start Up
After getting off work, Min A-rang met up with her friends at a café, but unlike usual, she couldn't focus on the chatter.
It was because of the KakaoTalk message that had arrived—not just any time ago, but exactly twenty minutes prior.
Swish. Swish swish.
Yet she refused to admit it—or maybe just didn't want to—with a pouty face, endlessly stirring the innocent ice in her drink with the straw.
"What's up with you since earlier? Something bad happen?"
"It's not that time of the month."
"You've still got some left, though?"
Her three friends chimed in one after another.
They were going back and forth among themselves without even giving Min A-rang a chance to speak.
She let out a hollow laugh at the sight.
"Aren't you guys being way too casual about this?"
"Come on, between us?"
"Exactly. We're not friends from just a year or two ago."
"This much is just cute."
Having known each other for over ten years now, her friends didn't even flinch at her death glare.
Min A-rang just shook her head in disbelief.
One-on-one might be doable, but one against three? No chance.
"So why are you like this? Got a crush? Mad 'cause he hasn't texted?"
"Ooh, a guy's in the picture? You were all 'sure, introduce me' before."
"Where'd you meet him? At your dad's company? But office romance is kinda iffy, right?"
Before she could even get a word in, her friends were already spinning their own story.
Min A-rang sighed deeply.
In this state, nothing she said would land.
So she invoked her right to silence.
"She's clammed up."
"Did we guess wrong?"
"Shut it, both of you. From now on, we only listen to A-rang. Execute!"
"Execute!"
At Park Sang-eun's boyish command-not-command, the other two responded in unison.
Then they fixed their sparkling eyes on Min A-rang.
Questioning her intensely with their gazes instead of words.
"To think I call these people friends."
"……"
Min A-rang let out a long sigh.
But the three didn't react to that either.
This level of grumbling was just daily life for them.
Pretenses had vanished long before the first year was up—for all four of them.
"You really wanna know that bad?"
Nod nod!
All three nodded vigorously.
Then they leaned in even closer toward her.
"But I'm in a good mood, though? For real."
Tap.
Park Sang-eun wordlessly flicked the rim of Min A-rang's Americano glass with her fingertip.
Then she did the same to her own and her friends' glasses in turn.
Silently instructing her to see the difference for herself.
"……I came straight from work, so I'm tired. Thirsty too."
"Kekeke!"
Lee Eun-ju giggled as if to say cut the nonsense.
The other two burst into silent laughter, clearly on the same page.
"It's true."
"Then why do you keep sneaking peeks at your phone? No KakaoTalks coming in, but you won't stop checking."
"I got off work, but the job's not done? My authors might message out of the blue."
"Nah, it's something else. You think we can't read your face?"
Min A-rang finally raised the white flag.
No point in camouflage against people who already saw right through her.
"So here's the deal……"
Min A-rang began explaining the situation step by step.
Her friends perked up their ears, listening intently.
"So basically, he bugs you?"
"Is he hot?"
"How tall? Successful?"
No sooner had she finished than the barrage of questions resumed.
Each with their own personality, zeroing in on totally different details.
"Ask one at a time, you guys. I don't have three mouths."
"Just answer quick and snappy. Easy."
"God."
Lee Eun-ju flashed her signature coy eye smile as she spoke.
But her charm worked on random guys, not them.
"Girl, give it up."
"Tch! Guys go nuts for it."
"A twenty-six-year-old's eye smile. Not too young, not overdone?"
"Off-topic!"
Park Sang-eun reined in the chatter again.
This wasn't the time for dirty talk.
They could get to that later.
"I'm just gonna head home."
"Where to? You started the story—see it through!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
Park Sang-eun and Lee Eun-ju latched onto Min A-rang's arms.
Meanwhile, Ryu Seol-hyun quietly circled behind her and locked her arms in a chokehold.
"Ta-tap!"
"Not going, right?"
Tap tap!
Min A-rang smacked Ryu Seol-hyun's forearm twice with her left hand against the carotid pressure.
Ryu Seol-hyun laughed and released her.
"Such a savage, our Seol-hyun."
"That look with jiu-jitsu? Total mismatch."
Park Sang-eun and Lee Eun-ju shook their heads at how effortlessly Ryu Seol-hyun had subdued Min A-rang.
Over ten years of friendship, and they still couldn't get used to it.
"That's my charm—the imbalance."
"Looking like a total girl on the outside."
"Heh heh heh!"
Ryu Seol-hyun gave a meaningful laugh at Park Sang-eun's words and returned to her seat.
Then she eyed Min A-rang expectantly, urging her to continue.
"Nothing to say. He just... gets under my skin a bit."
"Love starts with attention. Seeds sprout, bear fruit."
"Yeah, exactly."
"Anyway, you're curious, right? The point is, 'under your skin' means you wanna see him with your own eyes."
Min A-rang had no comeback.
Truth was, she wasn't even sure herself.
It wasn't like the instant crush from her past relationships.
Just... a good guy. Hard worker. That's all that stuck.
"When you're unsure, best way is to check it out yourself."
"Right."
"We're drinking tonight anyway? Head there. Booze and a show. Two birds."
Park Sang-eun, Lee Eun-ju, and Ryu Seol-hyun exchanged glances, eyes gleaming.
Tonight's drinks promised plenty of entertainment.
"Eun-ju, didn't you say you had to meet your oppa?"
"I can see him tomorrow. But an opportunity like this? Now or never."
"Ooh, words of wisdom?"
"Our Eun-ju's been reading books lately?"
Lee Eun-ju glared daggers at Ryu Seol-hyun.
But she didn't charge.
She knew she'd lose any physical fight.
So she settled for shooting icy stares.
"Alright, enough. Let's go. Gotta time it for when the snacks come out."
"……I didn't say I was going."
"Come on, you're curious. Plus, friends are there? Perfect chance. And so far it's just been work stuff. Don't you wanna see how he acts off-duty?"
"Plus, women writers too? Nothing more dangerous than men, women, and booze. Up you go."
"Huh?"
Her friends forcibly hauled Min A-rang to her feet.
Then dragged her out of the café without waiting for a reply.
* * *
Woo Ji-hyun, roped into round two against his will, awkwardly scanned the room.
Coming to the indoor pub with Han Seung-gi and Joo Hye-seong was fine, but sudden seating had landed him right next to the women's table.
Across from him sat Jeong Ji-song, owning the spot with her trademark easygoing charm and sociability.
"Now we're finally talking drinks. Heh heh heh!"
"Feels like you're using me."
"Of course. I'm the one good at reading the room. Oh, hi there?"
Jeong Ji-song winked once at Woo Ji-hyun before smoothly addressing the women's table.
She poured ice water into their empty glasses, handing them out one by one.
Woo Ji-hyun, thinking *yup, typical*, quickly passed her the wet wipes.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
After a curt reply to the first woman who'd spoken, Woo Ji-hyun raised a hand to the part-timer.
Time to order snacks first.
With so many people, better order quick to avoid delays.
"As expected of our Ji-hyun. Got that sense. Go on, order whatever. Sky's the limit."
"The writer footing the bill?"
"Nah, Department Head Cha Woo-young's covering. Haha!"
When one woman teased, Jeong Ji-song good-naturedly deflected.
No need for him to pay when someone else was treating.
Unless they met separately later.
"What'll it be, Writer Woo Ji-hyun?"
"Hm?"
Unlike Jeong Ji-song, who blended seamlessly with the women as vibe-setter, Woo Ji-hyun flipped through the menu while glancing around.
Locating his hyungs and Ye Seong-pil.
Also checking for troublemakers.
But the woman next to him pronounced his name perfectly and asked.
"We've already picked."
One woman led, but both were eyeing Woo Ji-hyun intently.
Eyes sparkling.
"Oh."
"We've got egg roll and spicy chicken feet—two orders."
"Then add pork stir-fry."
"I'll take tofu kimchi."
Jeong Ji-song jumped in out of nowhere.
Must've caught the snack rundown while chatting with the women.
"Four's too many for one table. Egg roll, spicy chicken feet, tofu kimchi—three it is. What booze?"
"We'll drink anything."
"Ah, got it."
No preferences? Woo Ji-hyun let out a small chuckle and hit the call bell.
Luckily, other tables hadn't ordered yet; the part-timer came right away. He placed the order on the spot.
Threw in a couple sodas for the women too.
"Hi, I'm Choo Se-na. Nice to meet you, Writer."
"Nice to meet you. Woo Ji-hyun."
With orders done and the part-timer headed to the kitchen, the woman beside him beamed and introduced herself.
Time for proper intros.
So Woo Ji-hyun repeated his greeting for the umpteenth time.
No sign of annoyance, though.
He was a professional.
*Gathering for camaraderie. Hyungs set it up.*
After the earlier minor chaos, Woo Ji-hyun planned to stay low-key.
Originally, he'd meant to dip after round one.
But as he tried to slip out, Gwak Cha-won grabbed him, dragging him here.
"I've wanted to meet you. You're so famous, Writer. I write romance, but not totally unrelated to genre stuff."
"Yeah, Machine's a huge hit."
"Did you really write it solo? Got a team?"
With Choo Se-na breaking the ice, the two women beside her unleashed their questions.
The earlier incident aside, simple curiosity as fellow writers.
"Wrote it alone. Most do webnovels solo. Co-writing happens, but rare."
"Wow."
"How do you write that fast?"
Woo Ji-hyun's face grew awkward amid the relentless Q&A.
The women's sudden interest was one thing, but he felt male writers glaring from afar.
Some openly shot jealous looks—he could feel them boring into his occiput.
Even though he hadn't wanted this situation.
"Oh my, Writer?"
"Huh?"