Chapter 198
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 198
Chapter Title: Confession (2)
My eyes were fixed on Han Seo-rim's expression.
That's why the way her expression changed, so neatly and sequentially, was seared into my mind.
The moment I paused, her distorted expression turned to hesitation.
The hesitation became dissatisfaction, and with her next words, the dissatisfaction melted into a smile.
“I like you.”
I couldn't answer.
For some reason, I could feel that the meaning behind those words was different than usual.
Her relieved smile said it all.
Those words weren't aimed at us as colleagues.
Not as senior and junior, not as friends, and certainly not as business partners.
The words 'I like you' were clearly aimed at me as a potential romantic partner.
“I'll say this assuming you understood me correctly.”
Beneath the streetlight, Han Seo-rim's cheeks were flushed.
Her nose was red, and for some reason, her eyes seemed to shine.
In this pale season, she alone was summer.
She was so intense, so hot, it felt like I'd get burned if I touched her carelessly.
No, considering how searingly hot my hand felt in her grasp, maybe I was already getting burned.
Han Seo-rim spoke again.
“You look really surprised. It's a little disappointing.”
“Uh…”
“I know. It's sudden. You wouldn't have known. You're the type who only ever thinks about how to make games.”
The breath she exhaled clouded my vision for a moment.
As it swirled, her gaze wavered with it.
“That's why I didn't say anything. I thought I'd tell you when things calmed down a bit. That someday, if you had any sense, you'd notice. But you still don't have a clue, do you? If I didn't tell you, you'd never know.”
It was absurd.
Even as such definite feelings were being conveyed to me, the first thing that barged into my mind and took root was a question.
“Why?”
Just… why.
“Why do you like me?”
I was just curious about that.
Han Seo-rim smiled and answered.
“There's no reason.”
“…I don't know what you mean.”
“There's no reason at all. Really. I just realized one day that I liked you, and I started caring about everything you said.”
Han Seo-rim lowered her head.
Her eyelashes were frosted, and the moment my breath touched them, they glittered and melted.
Her words were punctuated by a dry laugh.
“When you say we should stick together for life, I can't help but smile. When you say you can't do it without me, I get excited. When you say you'll take responsibility for me, my chest feels tight and full. Isn't that because I like you?”
She ended with a question, then immediately shook her head.
“No, it's true, I like you. Nothing else explains it. There's no other way to explain it.”
“Seo-rim…”
“When you say my name like that, I can't breathe. Especially now.”
Han Seo-rim took a step closer.
She rested her head against my chest.
“…I don't expect an answer right away. You probably can't. Because that's just who you are.”
“……”
“Today was just… just another ordinary day for you, wasn't it?”
I couldn't see her expression.
“But it wasn't for me. I was happy to see you at the department store, and when you took me to your home and introduced me to your family and relatives, my mind went completely blank. I was that happy. It felt like I had become someone special.”
A certainty washed over me.
“But then I heard that it meant nothing to you. I can't stand that. I want to be the most special person to you. In fact, I wish I were more special than your work.”
The certainty that we could never go back to how we were.
“But I know that's impossible. So I was aiming for a tie for first place, but I guess even that's not possible.”
Suddenly, it occurred to me that this situation was like a runaway train.
Warning bells were ringing in my head, but seeing that it couldn't be stopped despite all the danger signals…
Finally, Han Seo-rim lifted her head.
We were so close our breaths mingled.
Her expression was one of yearning.
It was bittersweet, yet she looked relieved.
“I want to hear your answer. But I don't think now is the time. So I'll just say this.”
Her grip on my hand tightened.
“I like you. I want to be more than just a colleague. If you have to have one special person in your life, I want it to be me.”
A playful tone entered her voice.
“You said you'd take responsibility for me, right? If I couldn't find anyone suitable.”
“…”
“Well, to me, you're the most suitable person.”
And with that, Han Seo-rim drew closer.
From a distance where our breaths mingled to where the tips of our noses touched.
And then a little closer still.
A soft sound echoed in my ear, and the sensation followed a moment later.
Something soft pressed against my lips, and a warm breath brushed against my philtrum before sliding down my cheek.
Heat rose to my face.
Han Seo-rim pulled back and said,
“I'll give you time to think. You don't have to give me an answer until this development cycle is over. But… when it's done, there's only one answer I want to hear. I've liked you for a long time, and I've waited a long time.”
Han Seo-rim moved away from me.
“I'll walk the rest of the way alone. Enjoy the holiday.”
The click-clack of her footsteps faded into the distance and then disappeared.
I stood alone on the street, replaying what had just happened.
Of course, there was nothing I could figure out.
But there was one thing I could say for sure.
‘…It's cold.’
The cold air that filled the space where her warmth had been seemed to insist that everything that just happened was a lie.
* * *
After that, I spent the holiday in an unusual way.
It wasn't an external change, but a shift in my thought process.
‘Since when?’
It was a day off, yet I wasn't thinking about work.
I had no desire to play my backlog of games; in fact, I barely thought about games at all.
The only thoughts that did come to mind were all related to Han Seo-rim.
‘From the beginning?’
No.
Our relationship didn't start like this.
We were colleagues, and before that, senior and junior in a club, just people who had gathered for the same purpose.
Throughout it all, I never noticed a thing.
No, did I refuse to notice?
Maybe I did.
I was oblivious, and there were always more urgent and desperate things right in front of me.
So, I couldn't know.
The fact that she, who had always seemed so consistent, had been looking at me that way was too sudden.
She said she didn't need an answer right away.
However, it wasn't an indefinite reprieve, and the answer Han Seo-rim wanted was clear.
The question that followed was simple.
‘Did I dislike it?’
I don't know.
It wasn't a matter of like or dislike.
I had never seen her in that light before.
Marriage was a vague event in the distant future, and dating, the process leading to it, was an even more remote story for me.
And so I realized that, to me, love was nothing more than a popular trope I could use in my creative work.
Something sublime, poignant, and desperate, and at times, ugly.
Yes, that must be why I was oblivious for so long.
I always thought love was something that happened to other people, so I never imagined it could happen around me.
I tried to escape my thoughts, but it was no use.
Like being stuck in a swamp, the more I struggled to get out, the deeper my thoughts sank, painting various possibilities in my mind.
Could Han Seo-rim and I become a couple?
In that changed relationship, would we still be making games together?
If things didn't work out, would I have to part ways with Han Seo-rim?
What would happen to the art for Rewind's Development Team 1?
From vague worries to practical risks.
The chain of thoughts, one leading to another, unfortunately never reached a conclusion.
In the end, the holiday ended, leaving only my unfinished worries behind.
My steps, weighed down by a slight discomfort, got me to work just on time.
“Ah, good morning, President!”
“Yes, did you have a good break?”
After the holiday, Studio Rewind was back to its usual self.
To be precise, it had somewhat returned to its pre-COVID state.
The ban on gatherings had ended, remote work was over, and the office was full once more.
Everyone's eyes were glazed over, as if they couldn't shake off the holiday languor, and they struggled to find their desks.
I was watching them for a moment when…
“You're here?”
The voice made me flinch.
I turned my head to see Han Seo-rim looking at me, a coffee in her hand.
“Ah…”
In that instant, our last meeting under the streetlight flashed through my mind.
The feeling on my lips, the warmth that enveloped me before vanishing, her expression, and her gaze.
It stirred a strange sensation inside me that wouldn't easily calm down.
Han Seo-rim saw my reaction and spoke.
Her voice was a whisper.
“You look like you've seen a ghost. I told you. I'm not expecting an answer during development. I have to work too.”
Her words struck my ears with unusual clarity today.
“Sorry if I'm making you overthink things. …No, actually, keep overthinking it. Think about it a lot. Just don't let it affect your work.”
That was a difficult request from someone who didn't look sorry at all.
I wondered why I felt so flustered seeing her speak so freely with a giggle.
“Well, I'm off to work.”
Han Seo-rim returned to her desk.
By the time I realized I was unconsciously following her with my eyes, my embarrassment blossomed.
At the same time, I realized something.
‘…’
I was starting to become conscious of Han Seo-rim.
In a way I never had before.
* * *
The art staff of Rewind's Development Team 1 witnessed an unprecedented, shocking sight and fell into chaos.
“The weather's nice today.”
“Huh?”
“Su-rim, you've improved a lot. The detail in this part is quite good.”
“Huh???”
“But please fix this part just a little. It's too sharp. I know you can do it, Su-rim. I believe in you.”
Art Director Han Seo-rim, second to none when it came to tormenting people, had become a Buddha.
Not a single negative word left her lips; even her feedback was delivered in a gentle tone.
Was this a sign of the apocalypse, or had a third party appeared wearing Seo-rim's skin?
Everyone screamed internally at this strange phenomenon, which was reminiscent of cosmic horror, but in reality, it was nothing of the sort.
Seo-rim was simply in an exceptionally good mood today.
‘I did it!’
I confessed.
It was very sudden, but I said what was on my mind and made sure Yeon-ho was aware of my feelings.
Seo-rim considered this a great achievement.
After all, she had managed to make a man who thinks love is a genre that only begins after someone dies recognize normal romantic feelings.
It was surely a world-first achievement.
Having known Yeon-ho for over ten years, Seo-rim was certain of it.
‘Anyway!’
Having said everything she needed to, she felt much more at ease, and dealing with Yeon-ho became easier.
Being honest is hard the first time, but not the second.
Seo-rim rubbed her face with her hands.
Recalling that moment, she remembered the impulsive kiss at the end.
‘Why did I have to go for the lips first!’
The kiss, done in the heat of the moment, felt unfamiliar.
It had been days, but she could still feel the sensation on her lips.
Seo-rim fell into deep contemplation about how she had handled her first kiss so impulsively.
As these thoughts continued all day, there was only one way Seo-rim could react.
She would either scream internally and clutch her head, or burst into giggles like a madwoman.
To an onlooker, it was horrifying, but when had Seo-rim ever been the type to notice such things?
As the horrifying atmosphere in the art team thickened…
“Seo-rim, Seo-rim! We're going out for lunch!”
“Enjoy your meal!”
Yu-mi and Hye-ji, who had known Seo-rim the longest and thus found today's Seo-rim all the more strange, quickly made their escape.
Only then did Seo-rim realize how much time had passed and got up from her seat.
‘Hmm, should I ask him to eat with me?’
Would he feel pressured if I approached him first? No, that's not right. I don't need to worry about that. After all the anxiety I've been through, he should feel a little uncomfortable too. And while we're at it, he can become more aware of me.
Her quick-thinking brain soon reached the conclusion: ‘Eat together.’
And so, she headed for the cafeteria.
“Ah, uh, Seo-rim…!”
Seo-rim stopped in her tracks.
The person she had run into in the hallway was A-yun.