Chapter 24
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Let's Dive into the Main Interview
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"Let's dive into the main interview."
It looked pleasant and luxurious at first glance.
A space far too spacious for one person to use alone.
The interior was done up in a modern wood tone straight out of Scandinavia, with a spacious sofa and table placed just right to make the most of the room.
The impressionist paintings in various sizes caught the eye right away.
They must have been planned and installed from the start with artwork in mind, as the lighting highlighted them perfectly for viewing.
Being up high meant the Seoul skyline visible through the large windows was a sight to behold—a sweeping Han River view that made anyone looking out feel refreshed.
A hotel. Yeah, put simply, this place was like a luxury hotel where a single night would set you back hundreds of thousands of won without batting an eye.
"...If only I... if only I'd been by your side."
If the bed you were lying on hadn't been a hospital one.
'Another nightmare—.'
A scene I'd grown numb to by now.
I stared at it blankly.
The EKG monitor beeping rhythmically.
Two IV lines connected to my left arm.
One IV in the ankle.
A blood pressure cuff on my right upper arm.
And oxygen tubes, a urinary catheter...
Was this really something you could call a person's appearance?
The fact that all of it was to keep you alive only made me feel more wretched.
"I promise. I'll stay by your side... I promise."
That's why all I could do was gaze endlessly at you lying there in the bed.
Me, sitting by the bed, head bowed in endless vigil.
I'd been through this countless times, so it should feel normal by now, but every time I saw myself trembling, the pain only grew.
Even in this damn dream, my heart ached.
It's okay. It's all in the past now, and Chaewon's shaken it off.
I wanted to comfort my bowed head with those words, but...
The occasional footsteps and voices of nurses and doctors outside the door.
The hum of the humidifier spraying from a bit farther away.
The periodic beeps from the EKG monitor.
And my own stifled groans leaking out no matter how hard I tried.
All I could do was stand rooted in place, staring at this silent scene until I woke from the dream.
I couldn't do anything.
Not back then, nor in this dream.
"...Haa."
Even now, awake from the dream.
Before I knew it, the last week of June had arrived.
Temperatures and weather where wearing short sleeves felt totally normal.
Full summer was upon us, with highs topping 30 degrees on occasion, thickening the greenery and people's personal styles alike.
Three weeks had passed since the day I'd heard the proposal at Chaewon's company.
Nothing much had happened.
On the pre-scheduled date, I'd gone back to the company for the pre-shoot interview, and after that, Chaewon and I hadn't crossed paths personally.
For starters, I live in Gwanak-gu in Seoul, and she lives in Pangyo.
We both had our own things going on, and neither of us had reached out first to meet up, so it was natural we wouldn't see each other.
Anyway, I'd been busy in all sorts of ways.
It had been a few weeks since I'd last dropped by Sunwoo's taekwondo dojo.
I'd been skeptical about Ever being popular with kids, but plenty of upper elementary and middle schoolers recognized me.
"Let me talk to Chaewon noona/unnie on the phone," "Get me an autograph," and so on.
Ugh.
They wouldn't shut up, nearly giving both me and Sunwoo whiplash that day.
People on the street still recognized me a lot.
From teens up to folks in their 40s and 50s.
From simple greetings to handshakes, photo requests, and even people handing me stuff as a bonus service.
It still blew my mind that filming just one vlog with Chaewon had changed my life this much.
Thank you. That was all I could say.
I'd started tutoring.
I'd initially planned to pick up instructor gigs at academies through word of mouth, but after my face got famous, they said it was tricky.
Well, disappointing, but what can you do.
Still, it was smart that I'd lined up one tutoring gig in advance, figuring something like this might happen.
The parents liked my teaching style enough to recommend me to others, so now I was tutoring three kids.
And yeah, it was eye-opening as a college student making this much from tutoring—real top-tier instructors must rake in insane money.
...Ever vs. top instructors. Who makes more?
"This stop is Olympic Sports Center. The next stop is Seohyeon House of Culture."
I got off the bus following the announcement.
Stepping out, I was hit with scorching sunlight and humid air.
The familiar-yet-unfamiliar street scene had me looking around like a first-time visitor...
"What a weird feeling. How many years has it been?"
I let out a hollow chuckle and stared at the building in front of me.
I'd arrived at my old elementary school, a place I'd once been sick of seeing.
"Yumin-ssi."
"Hello, PD-nim."
The production crew was right there past the school gate.
Only my third time seeing them, but they were so friendly it felt like reuniting with old pals.
"Are we jumping right in like this?"
"It's a docu-series. Gotta keep it real."
The camera shoved in my face, and the writer swiftly fitting my mic.
Word must've spread, because a decent crowd had gathered to watch the shoot.
"Where's Chaewon?"
"Chaewon-ssi is waiting inside the school. Obvious it'd draw a crowd if she came out."
"Makes sense. Even with crowd control for the shoot, it's a busy area."
"Exactly. By the way, how many years since you last visited your alma mater?"
"Never once since graduation. Graduated in 2014, so nine years by the calendar."
Mic all set, I turned my head to look around.
"Whoa, they built a gym while I was away? Back in my day, every event was on that dirt field."
New buildings, freshly renovated exterior, colorful repaved walkways.
If I'd just passed by, I never would've recognized it without the 'Seohyeon Elementary School' sign.
"...What's this?"
Scanning every corner like a spot-the-difference game for changes, the PD handed me a handheld camera.
"We'll film with our cameras too, but we wanna include footage you and Chaewon-ssi shoot yourselves. So hold onto it throughout the shoot today."
"Sounds fun. Being back after so long, I've got a ton to talk about."
"Right?"
"But it's not just gonna be fun for me, is it?"
A fundamental question that probably killed the vibe—I shouldn't have asked.
I could instinctively feel it'd get edited out and spliced elsewhere.
"How's today gonna go?"
Awkward, I forced a smile and changed the subject.
"Yumin-ah~."
My childhood friend waved cheerfully in greeting.
I waved back in response.
"No way you're dressed like an elementary school teacher, right?"
"Gasp. How'd you know?"
"A kid with good eyesight wearing glasses."
"You figured it out from that?"
"You said wearing glasses makes you look smart."
"...What does that even mean?"
"Not much has changed here. Did you see the gym on your way in? We didn't have that back then."
I quickly shifted topics at Chaewon's annoyed expression.
Luckily, my exaggerated reaction drew her in, eyes widening as she jumped on it.
Phew. Dodged a bullet.
"Yeah. They'd always put up a huge tent for sports day and cram us in."
"One wrong gust of wind, and the mats would fly away. By the time we were upperclassmen, they switched to chairs."
"Right, right. Weren't you class rep one time and got dragged around?"
"...That was because of you. You nominated me out of nowhere."
"You did great all year—why frown now? And you didn't help me when I was student council president!"
"Too annoying for my taste. Besides, you didn't need help anyway."
"I knew I'd win, obviously. Don't you get what I'm saying? Why didn't you help?!"
"Gonna make me say it twice? Too annoying. Why volunteer for standing in front of people?"
"...Um, Chaewon-ssi? Yumin-ssi? We haven't even started the main interview yet?"
The PD stepped in to calm our instant chemistry explosion with a troubled look.
Spinning cameras and crew stifling laughs.
Beyond them, the cute elementary school bulletin boards, the small desks and chairs I'd never noticed back then, the view of the playground out the window.
Taking it all in, a strange emotion finally hit me.
"Let's dive into the main interview."
The filming had begun—to capture every bit of us.