Chapter 76

“Phew… I feel alive again.”

“Could you at least dress properly when you come out?”

Through the white steam, Choi Ye-Seo emerged.

“W-What? It’s not like this is the first time you’ve seen me like this!”

Caught off guard by my comment, Choi Ye-Seo hastily tried to cover herself.

“Please don’t say things that could be easily misunderstood. Also, I was talking about buttoning up your clothes.”

“Oh, come on. It’s not a big deal.”

I sighed at her bold response, as she straightened her shoulders confidently.

“Come here. I’ll dry your hair for you.”

“Huh? Since when are you so nice?”

“I must’ve eaten something weird yesterday. Come on before your hair gets damaged.”

I tapped the chair in front of me, waiting for her to come over.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously but eventually sat down, her curious expression making me chuckle.

“I just figured you looked tired. Satisfied with that answer?”

“This is weird… The Lee Ha-Eun I know doesn’t act like this.”

“Stop overthinking it.”

Grumbling to herself, Choi Ye-Seo finally sat down.

While she had been washing up, I grabbed a hairdryer and a towel.

Not sure why there’s even a hairdryer in the staff room, though.

She tilted her head back slightly toward me, her round eyes meeting mine. I couldn’t help but smile.

“What? Why are you smiling?”

“Because you’re pretty. Why else?”

“…You’re so annoying.”

Her face turned beet red again, just like earlier. Gently, I took hold of her blonde hair.

“…This brings back memories.”

“Does it now?”

“Yeah. Back then, Yul, Yoon, and I always begged you to dry our hair like this.”

“It was exhausting back then, seriously.”

“Hehe. What about now? Is it still tiring?”

“Three people are still tiring, obviously. But today it’s just you.”

She looked worn out, but I didn’t say that last part aloud, not wanting her to latch onto it.

I rubbed the towel through her damp hair, letting the moisture seep out of the golden strands. Then, I used the hairdryer to finish the job. Her once sleek blonde hair became slightly frizzy as it dried.

Pulling a comb from my pocket, I started brushing her hair.

Swish. Swish.

“This feels so weird!”

“It’s weird for me too, okay? Now hold still.”

“Nope~ I’m going to make this harder for you!”

Even as she giggled mischievously, my expression stayed neutral, though the corners of my mouth twitched upward.

Somehow, it felt nice—a sense of calm I hadn’t felt in a while.

Even in the quiet that settled between us, Choi Ye-Seo hummed softly, swinging her legs back and forth. I had to hold her moving head steady as I worked, but it didn’t feel like a hassle.

“All done. Now get up, I’m heading out.”

“Huh? Already? Let’s stay a little longer!”

“Hmm. Suit yourself.”

I figured I’d text Ha Soo-Yul and tell her to wait at a nearby café.

As I fiddled with my phone, I felt a gaze on me. Without lifting my head, I glanced up to meet her yellow eyes.

“Hehe.”

“Are you a puppy or something?”

Her silly grin left me speechless. What was she so happy about?

“Ha-Eun, your hands are so pretty. They’re thin and long… And how are they so pale? You don’t even use hand cream.”

Her comment left me unable to use my other hand, which she had grabbed and was examining.

“I wouldn’t trust my hands to chemical products. Nature’s the best.”

“…You know it’s okay to use hand cream, right?”

I kept my skincare routine minimal—just lotion, really. While some men excel at applying makeup, I’ve always thought it made skin worse somehow. Not that I’m against it, but still.

“Ha-Eun.”

Her voice interrupted my thoughts as she leaned her shoulder against mine.

“How did I do today?”

“You want me to say you were amazing, don’t you?”

“You know that’s all you ever say after every performance, right?”

“Hmm. Okay, then—did you have fun?”

I threw the question back at her, and her face twisted into a look of exasperation.

“I asked first!”

“Answer my question, and I’ll answer yours.”

“Ugh. Fine. Yes, it was fun! Even though it was super tiring!”

Her bright smile made me smile too.

“Good. I enjoyed watching your performance. Happy now?”

“What kind of answer is that?!”

Despite her complaint, her face was lit up with laughter.

I stood up and told her it was time to go. She got up as well, sticking close to my side.

“Here. Good job today.”

“Huh? What is this… Oh? Where did you get this?!”

As we stepped out the door, I handed her a small, yellow-wrapped candy. It was lemon-flavored.

She stared at it in surprise, probably recognizing it as something she hadn’t seen in seven years.

Her reaction made me laugh, and I covered my mouth with my hand.

“It’s not something you can buy. My mom made it.”@@novelbin@@

“Ah, so that’s why I couldn’t find it…”

Every time we stopped by a convenience store, she’d check the candy section first. But the lemon candy she wanted was never there. It was the same one I’d given her when she was ten.

“Of course, my mom made it back then. But this one, I made myself.”

“W-What? Really?”

“Why would I lie about something like this? Besides, it shouldn’t be sticky like it was back then.”

Thanks to the cool weather, the candy hadn’t melted.

When she popped it into her mouth, her face lit up with joy.

“…Yep. This is still the best candy ever.”

“Good. Glad you like it. So, no afterparty with your group today?”

Normally, there was always an afterparty after performances. Why not this time?

“Oh, yeah. Everyone had separate plans, so the leader suggested we do it another day!”

That’s a relief. The three of us almost ended up going together again.

“…Did you make this candy knowing?”

As we walked down the hallway, she suddenly spoke up.

“Who knows? I just remembered you liked it, so I figured I’d make it.”

“Hehe. You’re such a tsundere, acting all grumpy but still sweet!”

“Eat that and use it as energy for the next week.”

“Got it, got it~. You’re so shy about it.”

She lightly tapped my shoulder with her small hand. Compared to mine, her hand looked tiny.

If I held that small hand, would she like it? Probably.

So I did it.

“Eek!”

“It’s cold out. Let’s just go like this.”

…I wasn’t getting back at her for trying to tease me. Not at all.

***

“Why is it so hard to see your face these days?”

“Hahaha. My schedule’s been packed, that’s why. It’s been a while, Ha-Eun!”

I finally met Lee Do-Yoon again, and standing next to him was Baek Yoo-Seol.

“Seems like your story is backwards, but whatever. How’ve you been?”

“It’s been, what, two months? Yoo-Seol and I have been doing well.”

Oh-ho, Lee Do-Yoon seems different now.

Confidence, maybe? He looked like his self-esteem had gotten a boost too.

It seemed like he was really enjoying his life as an actor.

Still, he’d need to fulfill his attendance requirements at school. Though, it seemed like my worries were unnecessary.

“Don’t worry! After this project, I’m wrapping things up for the year.”

“Then I guess it’s fine. Our big-shot, million-view actor.”

“Don’t touch me.”

I was about to clap him on the shoulder for encouragement, but Baek Yoo-Seol stepped between us.

“But I’m a guy.”

“Still, I don’t like it.”

“Wow… fine. Take care of your man, then.”

Baek Yoo-Seol glared up at Lee Do-Yoon with a pout, and he gave an awkward laugh in response.

Seriously, what a handful.

“Hey, aren’t you going to manage your girlfriend properly?”

I couldn’t help but tease Lee Do-Yoon with a chuckle.

“Hahaha, sorry, sorry.”

Lee Do-Yoon took the joke in stride, and Baek Yoo-Seol giggled along.

There was a rumor going around that I didn’t get along with Baek Yoo-Seol. That was completely false.

Even just now, her reaction was her way of joking around.

“So, is it 100 days now?”

“In three days, it’ll be exactly 100.”

“Time flies. Feels like just yesterday you two got together.”

Although I hadn’t mentioned it before, Lee Do-Yoon and Baek Yoo-Seol had been dating for three months now.

And apparently, Lee Do-Yoon was the one who confessed first.

The world truly never runs out of surprises.

“Well, take care of yourselves. See you at lunch.”

“Okay~ See you later.”

We parted ways after a quick exchange of greetings. I had things to do, and as for them… who knows?

How would I know?

My steps led me to the chairman’s office.

Same time, same place as before.

I knocked on the door, which was adorned with a butterfly motif, and entered.

The chairman’s office was empty.

I’d thought Chairman Lee Ji-Cheol might not be here, but I didn’t expect him to be completely absent.

It must be taking him a bit of time because of the request I made recently.

He’d said he would be here today, but it seemed like he’d be late.

Which made sense—he had been in Japan. I’d received a text in the morning saying he’d just boarded a flight back to Korea.

So, I had no choice but to wait here until he returned.

The room only had two sofas and a transparent table.

“This place is so barren.”

The exterior of the building was flashy, but the inside was utterly empty.

It felt bizarre.

“...This would be a great place to paint.”

When else would I get the chance to paint a mural?

“I guess that’s not allowed, huh?”

Of course not.

.

.

.

.

[Me: When will you arrive?]

[Chairman Lee Ji-Cheol: Traffic is a bit heavy. No wonder people call it Demon Realm Incheon.]

[Me: I’ve got about 30 minutes. Mind if I decorate the chairman’s office a bit?]

[Chairman Lee Ji-Cheol: Decorate? With what?]

[Me: With some art. It looks like a great spot for a mural.]

[Chairman Lee Ji-Cheol: You’ve got to be kidding me. Don’t touch anything.]

“Che. I figured.”

Disappointed, I sighed. Where does Lee Ha-Eun’s thought process even lead?

I sat quietly on the sofa, but my legs couldn’t stop jittering.

It was art withdrawal. If I couldn’t draw, temporary ADHD symptoms would kick in.

There was a blank canvas in front of me. A literal blank wall.

And I wasn’t allowed to draw on it. This was absurd.

“Ah, I can’t hold back. Humans are creatures of desire, after all.”

I stood up, pulling a pen from my pocket.

Just as I approached the wall—

Click!

The door to the chairman’s office opened, and Chairman Lee Ji-Cheol walked in with his secretary.

“Ah, if only you’d come in a little later.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Disappointment showed on my face as I clicked my tongue.