Preparation (1)
I had a dream.
They say dreams are built from your own memories. Sure enough, familiar faces appeared. For once, the Demon King and the Hero, who would destroy the world whenever they clashed, were just bickering mildly. The Demon King had her white hair loose, wearing a dark blouse and skirt. In contrast, the Hero was practically naked as she faced off against her. With them dressed in modern clothes, it almost looked like Hyeon Ha-yeon and Baek Ga-eun fighting. It was that kind of weird dream.
*
The chirping of birds outside the window drifted in. Feeling the soft warmth of the blanket, I rolled around lazily. When I opened my eyes, I was in bed. Still groggy from sleep, my head felt fuzzy as I rubbed my eyes and sat up. My mouth was full of that foul morning breath, like I'd been drinking...
...Drinking?
My half-closed eyes snapped wide open. I bolted out of bed and rushed into the living room to check. There were no traces left behind. Hyeon Ha-yeon must have gone home; the place felt empty. I flopped onto the sofa and replayed last night's memories.
The company dinner... failed to send everyone home... ended up taking a walk near the house... bought a ton of booze with Hyeon Ha-yeon and came back... definitely played drinking games with her and got wrecked...
Uh, when did I pass out?
I remembered downing two big glasses. The last thing was Hyeon Ha-yeon smiling contentedly as she made me drink the penalty shot multiple times.
"...What the hell?"
After that, only hazy dream fragments. I racked my brain desperately to fill the gaping hole in my memory, but nothing came up. A chill ran down my spine. I chugged some cold water from the fridge and strained my mind, but still nothing. My heart pounded, cold sweat pouring down as realization hit.
A blackout while alone with Hyeon Ha-yeon...
I frantically checked my body—no unusual marks. I was still in yesterday's clothes. The drinking setup was spotless, too clean for a hammered me to have managed. Separate trash sorted, dishes washed perfectly. Maybe Hyeon Ha-yeon cleaned up? But it was organized exactly where I usually put things, so probably not her.
Dread started creeping in. I leaned back deep into the sofa, scanning the room. It felt chilly in the morning air. As I pondered, a notification pinged from my bedroom.
Finally thinking to check my phone, but if I didn't hurry, I'd be late for work. Oddly, my head didn't hurt despite the drinking. Maybe I hadn't had as much as I thought.
Standing to grab another glass of water, something caught my eye on the living room floor. A single strand of white hair.
...Stressed out lately?
I brushed it off casually, clicked my tongue at turning thirty soon, and started getting ready for work.
*
Getting more used to one-handed living, I prepped smoothly. At the office, checking materials for the upcoming meeting, a slender arm slipped in and placed a small bottle on my desk. Baek Ga-eun stood beside me. A sweet scent wafted from her—slightly different from last time.
"...You're early?"
She beamed and greeted me.
"...Heard you had dinner with the recording team?"
Word of the dinner had already spread; even Baek Ga-eun knew.
"Yeah, drank a bit."
She pulled a small pill from her bag and held it out to me.
"...It's not even over yet—how can you push yourself like that?"
She opened the bottle on my desk and handed it over too. Without knowing what it was, I swallowed it at her urging to drink up. She was always looking after me like this; I'd gotten used to it. As she cleared the empty wrapper,
"Fatigue recovery and liver supplement."
"...Thanks."
She smiled satisfiedly and continued.
"You know my audition date, right?"
Baek Ga-eun's first audition was coming up soon. I was focused on Hyeon Ha-yeon now, but Baek Ga-eun would debut before long too.
"Of course I remember."
She grinned, glanced at her left hand on the desk, and asked,
"How's your hand? Does it hurt?"
Following her gaze to my thickly bandaged hand, I replied,
"...Thanks to you, the surgery went well. It's fine."
She nodded a few times, flashing a pretty smile.
"Good to hear. Sorry for getting in the way of your work, Oppa."
I was busy, sure, but her care made me feel good.
"Nah, thanks for looking after me."
She clenched her fist in encouragement, cheering me on, then headed off to practice for her audition.
...Really glad Baek Ga-eun hasn't regained her memories.
Confirming she'd gone downstairs, I turned back to my monitor and focused on work. After wrapping the meeting on Hyeon Ha-yeon's debut, things would get even busier. Delayed a bit, but progressing faster than planned. It really wasn't far off now.
*
Hyeon Ha-yeon's "Pure Love" turned out better than expected, so we decided to market her debut emphasizing skill over looks. Even in looks-obsessed showbiz, character scandals could derail activities. With her sharp impression, we settled on soft-concept photoshoots and MV. Leaving the meeting room, someone grabbed me—Choi Yun-ji.
"...Cho-in, got a sec?"
I followed silently.
"...Sure."
She picked a quiet spot. Wondering why she'd called me aside, I cautiously asked,
"...What's up?"
She seemed to hesitate, then sighed deeply.
"...Cho-in, you marrying Ji-yeon or what?"
The sudden question threw me.
"...Pardon?"
She leaned forward, glancing around, voice low and sly.
"Come on... straight up, don't you have to marry Ji-yeon?"
Avoiding her scolding gaze, I deflected,
"...What's this about?"
At my vague reply, she slumped back in her chair.
"Aish... that girl and this guy..."
Leaning deep into the chair, she fiddled with her nails.
"Ji-yeon's been holed up at home lately, y'know?"
"She doesn't seem keen on work... thought I'd ask you to nudge her..."
She vented, eyeing me slyly. Get Lee Ji-yeon out of the house and back to work.
I was already avoiding her; no way I was walking into the tiger's den voluntarily.
"...I've been swamped lately..."
Her eyes flashed; she thrust forward, cutting me off.
"Cho-in, decided Hyeon Ha-yeon's debut stage yet?"
"...Not set, but music shows..."
Grinning unpleasantly, she interrupted.
"Two debut songs—how about it?"
"...What do you mean?"
In a coaxing tone, she laid out the deal.
"One's Ha-yeon's track. Throw in Old Love for two songs—whaddya say?"
She knew I was investing in Hyeon Ha-yeon, dangling this bait. CG Entertainment could pull strings for a rookie's debut stage. But two songs on debut? Especially Lee Ji-yeon's? That was another level.
Chief Manager with industry clout wouldn't suggest it lightly; she'd calculated it out. Tempting offer, but I played hard to get.
"...No can do. Debut stage with two songs might backfire."
Tsking knowingly,
"Baek Ga-eun's audition prep going well?"
Unexpected name-drop. I waited to see her angle.
"That director's my alumni... you knew?"
She grinned, spilling her connection to the director. That changed things. With Baek Ga-eun's talent, she could nail it. Perfect debut role, good image fit. As I weighed coaxing Lee Ji-yeon against chances for Hyeon Ha-yeon and Baek Ga-eun, she added,
"...This ain't an offer that comes every day, y'know?"
I'd been told to avoid her, but Hyeon Ha-yeon and Baek Ga-eun succeeding mattered more. Not like she wanted marriage papers—just sweet-talk her back gently...
"...I'll do it."
Hearing my answer, Choi Yun-ji finally smiled, satisfied.