Adultery (1)

I stepped out into the lobby ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠while Baek Ga-eun stepped away to handle some business, and called the company to let them know. I left a message thanking Chief Choi and waited for Baek Ga-eun.

For some reason, I felt a prickling gaze, so I looked around, but it must have been my imagination.

"Oppa, let's go."

Baek Ga-eun had returned before I knew it and called out to me. Even as we chatted on the way to the parking lot, I felt that mysterious gaze, but it soon faded away.

Today was a monumental day—Baek Ga-eun's first audition ever, and she'd passed. I'd given her a little help, sure, but with her talent, she would have nailed it anyway. I wanted to do something special for her after all her hard work up to now.

I pondered what that might be as we got into the car. I handed her a blanket and said, "…You really worked hard today."

Even at my belated words, she beamed and replied, "Aw, it's all thanks to you looking out for me, oppa…"

Seeing her so genuinely happy made my conscience twinge a bit, but I decided not to worry about what came next. As we pulled out of the building, I remembered what she'd said.

"…Since you passed today, how about a drink to celebrate?"

Baek Ga-eun's eyes widened in surprise. "…For real?"

…Was suggesting drinks really that shocking? I buckled my seatbelt and started the engine. "…If you don't want to…"

"No, no, I love the idea!"

She cut me off in a fluster, giggling cutely. We chatted about what to eat as we exited the parking lot, when suddenly a taxi cut in front of us, blocking the way. It was too risky to squeeze past, so I waited, but it showed no sign of moving.

Frustrated, I was about to honk when—

"S-Sorry!"

A woman with brown hair apologized to us and hurriedly got into the taxi. Once it pulled away, we could finally leave the parking lot.

"…That was the girl who got cast as Park Su-ah, right?"

Only after hearing from Baek Ga-eun did I realize who the woman was.

"…Yeah?"

I hadn't even gotten a good look at her face, but Baek Ga-eun had recognized her right away—it was impressive.

We shifted topics to the other actors cast alongside her, and then I remembered something I hadn't heard earlier. "…How was the audition? You were in there a while…"

"Hmm… When I went in, the vibe was really good."

I changed lanes as I drove. "…Yeah? They must've loved your profile."

No way they wouldn't. Her grandfather, Chairman Baek Man-sik, never skimped on supporting family matters. Word was, he'd poured massive investments into CG Entertainment, too. They say he bankrolled entire films from start to finish. With Baekil Group's backing, there was no reason to turn her down.

Baek Ga-eun smiled as she continued. "I showed them exactly what I'd prepared, and they asked if I could do other parts too."

"…They don't usually ask that much. You did great."

She smiled softly. "So I showed them more of my practice, and they praised me, saying I was amazing."

I chuckled inwardly, imagining the director—who I'd tipped off but probably hadn't expected much—being blown away by her performance. In the script we'd reviewed together, the character Baek Ga-eun would play, Kim Ji-woo, was the protagonist's friend. Not too big, not too small—a perfect debut role.

We kept chatting, and before long, we arrived at the company. I dropped off Baek Ga-eun first since she had nothing else on her schedule.

"Call me before you come, okay? See you soon."

I watched her head into her dorm, then turned the car around. At the company, I jumped straight into a meeting.

Baekil Group was already moving forward with investing in the film Baek Ga-eun had been cast in, and they'd added that they wouldn't interfere much with her affairs. It hadn't even been long since the auditions wrapped, and they were handling things at lightning speed.

Next came discussion of Baek Ga-eun's marketing. There were concerns that heavy promotion too soon might create a bad image, but on the flip side, letting someone as buzzworthy as her—with her striking white hair, ballerina physique, and glamorous background—sit idle ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠would be a loss. Topics for articles were overflowing.

We decided to release stories about her starting from the production press conference. Her actual debut might still be far off, but it was positive that it was confirmed.

After the meeting wrapped, I texted Baek Ga-eun. Almost immediately, a cute emoticon popped up with a reply saying to come slowly.

I called Chief Choi on my way to the parking lot and heard the shoot's atmosphere was good. Remembering Baek Ga-eun liked wine, I stopped by a nearby wine shop. The expensive bottles intimidated me a bit, but I bought two at a reasonable price on the staff's recommendation.

…Two should be perfect for us, right? She'd seen me wasted once before, so she wouldn't let me drink that much again.

I left a message for Lee Ji-yeon that I might be home late and headed to Baek Ga-eun's place. Then my phone rang.

Lee Ji-yeon's low, ominous voice came through the receiver. She sounded upset about my message that I might be late.

"…Baek Ga-eun passed her first audition today, so just one drink…"

Before I could finish, her voice came again, strained to stay calm.

The call cut off abruptly before I could respond. I stared at the phone, then pocketed it. Lately, I'd been glued to Lee Ji-yeon's side so much that I instinctively thought I should hurry home. But thinking it over, we weren't even married or anything—why should an adult like me have a curfew? A spark of rebellion ignited.

I turned back to the shop and bought two more bottles. She'd said to come home early, but not to drink a lot. If I showed up totally wasted, maybe I wouldn't have to deal with her. This little act of defiance should be fine, I thought naively.

*

"Come on in… What'd you buy?"

Baek Ga-eun opened the door, eyes widening at the shopping bags in my hands. I held them up. "Just grabbed some stuff since I wasn't sure what you'd like."

She snatched the bags from me nimbly. "…Wasn't it heavy?"

"Nah, it was fine."

It actually was heavy. I followed her inside. Baek Ga-eun used an ultra-luxurious apartment as her dorm, but apparently it was a place she rarely stayed in. Past the double doors, the open living room was huge. My studio felt like half this size—I felt a pang of sadness.

A sweet fragrance filled the house. I inhaled deeply without thinking; it filled my lungs and wasn't half bad. Glancing around, I spotted a small table by the window with a view of the cityscape. It'd probably look romantic at night.

Baek Ga-eun stowed the wine I'd brought in the wine cellar. "Oppa, I prepared some already, but…"

The table had appetizing snacks and pretty glasses all set up. I glanced over and asked her, "…Did you make this yourself?"

She averted her eyes bashfully, twirling them around. "…I just tried a few things."

She brushed it off and pushed me to sit. Once I was seated, she expertly uncorked one of the bottles I'd set aside earlier. She filled my glass ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from across the table, then waited for hers.

I raised my glass. "…To Baek Ga-eun's successful debut…"

She grinned and clinked hers against mine. The pleasant chime kicked off the drinking session.

We definitely started light. She seemed knowledgeable about wine, pulling out the perfect bottles, pairing them with delicious snacks that kept us drinking nonstop. She kept the conversation flowing effortlessly, chiming in at the right moments and tossing out new topics, so time flew by unnoticed.

Before I knew it, the city lights twinkled outside. Like sinking into a swamp, my head grew foggy, my body limp, my senses dulling all over.

After we emptied the fourth bottle and Baek Ga-eun stepped away to the bathroom, the house's fragrance intensified—even my drunken nose picked it up strongly. It clung thickly to my mouth, impossible to rinse away with wine.

To clear the scent invading my mind, I fled to the bathroom. But it permeated there too, making my head spin. Splashing cold water on my face and handling business helped a little. I felt thoroughly wasted and figured I should head home, so I returned to my seat.

"Here, sit. This is one I saved to drink today."

Baek Ga-eun pulled out a new bottle she'd been saving, popping the cork. Since she'd saved it to drink with me, I couldn't say I was leaving. While I inwardly kicked myself for buying extras, my glass got refilled.

"Cheers…"

She beamed, holding out her glass. I forced a smile and clinked.

Clink…

…It'll be fine somehow.