On a slightly cloudy day, Su-yeon was shaking out some damp laundry in a small living room.
“Wow..! Ah.. hello!!”
The call I made was answered even before the dial tone rang. Ye-eun, speaking in a tone that was a bit different from her usual energetic broadcasting demeanor, greeted me with surprise as if she hadn’t expected me to call so soon after reading her message.
“Hello. Are you busy right now?”
“No! I’m fine! Shall we talk now?”
Ninima explained the details of our planned collaboration broadcast thoroughly and at length, even as I finished hanging the laundry. It seemed she had spent considerable time and effort planning it, carefully organizing the date, the venue, whose house we’d stream from, and what activities we’d do there.
Sitting on the edge of my bed while stroking Strawberry, I stared at the upright calendar on my desk.
“What date was it again?”
“July 14th! Next Saturday.”
It was the day before Chocoa’s birthday. Ninima, perhaps aware of how significant this date was to me, added a few more words.
“Originally, I wanted to do it on the 15th, so we could have a birthday-themed collaboration, but I suddenly remembered I have plans that day. Still, if you two stream or record something together on Sunday, it’ll get a great reaction!”
“Hmm.. has Chocoa agreed to it?”
That was the most important thing for me. The date, whether in the early morning or a regular afternoon, didn’t matter at all. What mattered was whether Choi Ga-young agreed to this collaboration, giving me more opportunities to be with her, talk to her, and exist even a little more in her world. She was the reason I started streaming and the person I adored most besides my family.
“Ah.. before I messaged Baraa, I did message Chocoa, but maybe she’s sleeping because she hasn’t replied yet. But I’ll let you know right away if I hear back!”
After a few more minutes of casual conversation, Ninima and I ended the call. The confirmation that Chocoa had agreed came after 2 PM, while I was playing with my sibling and Strawberry.
***
Choi Ga-young POV
“…….”
As always, I woke up staring at the same patternless ceiling. Sometimes I wished I could wake up looking at a different ceiling, but it wasn’t something I could act on immediately.
Perhaps what I truly wanted wasn’t a different ceiling, but the soft breaths and warm presence of someone beside me.
But my barely-awake mind didn’t fully process this thought before it drifted back to sleep.
“Ah.. my weekend…”
Ga-young opened her eyes again past 2 PM.
***
Lee Su-yeon POV
It was an utterly ordinary weekend. Eun-ah and Min-young refused to leave for their own home, lazing around at mine instead.
I prepared dinner for them, while Strawberry, my one ray of hope, clung to my leg, protesting for attention.
Just as I was peeling Strawberry off and finishing dinner, a familiar ringtone came from the room.
“Ugh.. you’re heavy now.”
Holding Strawberry in one arm, I went to answer yet another call. There had been quite a few today—one from Ninima for permission, one from Eun-ah unnie asking for coffee, and a brief call from Chocoa after a long time.
I thought that was the last of it, but another call came in during dinner time, this time from an unknown number.
Since it wasn’t a suspicious number like one starting with 070 or 02, I answered with mild curiosity.
“Hello?”
“Ah… who’s this?”
The voice on the other end was a deep male voice.
Though it wasn’t on speaker, Min-young looked over, as if she had heard it too.
“Hm? Didn’t you save my number? It’s Kang Han oppa. Don’t you remember?”
“Oh, yes. What’s the matter?”
I stepped out into the evening breeze, heading for a wide boulevard.
The weather, no longer chilly even at night, let me step out in simple pants and a T-shirt.
Though it was a road I didn’t frequent, I didn’t look around much or take in new sights.
I was here for work.
“Is it here…”
The place I arrived at was a small bar.
For the first time, I was visiting a place dedicated to drinks by myself.
As I entered, mellow jazz music played softly from a small speaker, and a bartender wiping a glass gave me a friendly smile, just like in the comics.
“Ah.. h-hello.”
Honestly, I was a little intimidated and seriously considered bringing Eunah unnie along, but the place was nearly empty, and the unexpectedly tranquil atmosphere allowed me to relax.
The quaint and tidy interior caught my attention as I sat on a chair.
“First time at a bar?”
“Ah.. yes.. I came for work, but this place is fascinating.”
Initially, I was focused on work, but as I looked around, I began imagining myself drinking here with Ga-young unnie, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“Hmm… are you in the modeling industry?”
“Yes, not professionally, but I’ve done some things here and there. That’s why I’m here.”
The bartender set down a freshly polished glass and spoke.
“If my guess is correct, you shouldn’t drink alcohol.”
While mulling over the bartender’s cryptic words, the bar door opened.
“Hey~ Long time no see~”
Kang Han entered, blowing out a puff of white vapor.
The bartender, seemingly familiar with him, handed me a glass filled with orange juice and ice without a word.
“You’re not drinking? Since I invited you, I’ll treat you.”
Kang Han ordered a drink as he sat down beside me.
“………”
The bartender didn’t like Kang Han as a person.
At some point, Kang Han began bringing women to the bar, drinking with them in a cozy atmosphere, and leaving with them when they were thoroughly drunk.
Although anyone could do such things, the problem was that the woman he brought changed every time, and sometimes women who had previously drunk with him would return alone, drink heavily, and pour out their stories.
Because of this, the bartender ended up learning not only the name of this regular customer but also some unsavory sides of him.
Sometimes, when there were few customers, chatting with them and learning about worlds he didn’t know was one of the bartender’s pleasures.
But being forced to learn stories he’d rather not know was also part of the job.
For this reason, the bartender cautiously advised the unusually beautiful and striking customer not to drink, hoping Kang Han wouldn’t approach her.
“So, it seems like our company is planning to get serious about signing a contract with you. Honestly, it’s hard to believe that was your first time, you were so good, and you looked amazing.”
I felt a bit embarrassed by the sudden compliment but didn’t let it show on my face. Kang Han took a sip of his drink as he watched me.
“This oppa is actually pretty high up at Noah, you know? Just a little below Seol-hwa’s manager. I have enough pull to boost you up. What do you think? Are you interested at all? With a bit of training, you could easily skip over the rookies at the bottom, go straight to the top, and make a lot of money.”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
I refused outright.
I’ve worked countless jobs and was finally doing what I wanted to do, slowly finding stability.
One camera lens and one crowded space were enough for me.
“Here you go.”
When I rejected the offer and simply tapped my empty glass, the bartender refilled it with orange juice.
“…What?”
“Pardon?”
“Ah, no, I think I’m a bit tipsy. But think it over again, seriously. This is a great opportunity. Or… do you just not want to work at a place like Noah?”
Kang Han pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and spoke.
“It’s not that. I just like what I’m doing now. But if I ever change my mind, I’ll reach out to Seol-hwa.”
“Well, okay! Can’t do much about that then. Did you eat? You seem new to places like this, and you barely drink. Should we grab a bite at a restaurant? Feels a bit off to just head back like this, doesn’t it?”
Kang Han adjusted his expression, smiling brightly.
“I’m fine, really.”
“Okay, then I guess I’ll head out. Before I go, though, how about one? Don’t you smoke?”
“Hahaha… Sorry, I rarely smoke.”
“So, you do smoke, just rarely?”
“Maybe once or twice every few months.”
Kang Han smiled, handed his card to the bartender, and stood up.
“Aren’t you leaving?”
“I’ll stay a bit longer.”
“…That’s a relief.”
“How many women has he brought here?”
After Kang Han left, Su-yeon’s expression changed.
She was still sipping on orange juice, but her demeanor rivaled Chocoa’s in intensity.
“…From what I’ve seen here, about three women. Did you know?”
“Yeah… roughly. It’s somewhat similar to a bad senior I worked with when I was at another bar.”
Su-yeon chewed on some ice as if recalling unpleasant memories from the past.
“…Would you like a drink?”
About 30 minutes later, Su-yeon, drunk, was whining over the phone to Ga-young, telling her she loved her.
“Ugh! Why does this drunk fool always drink even though she can’t handle it?!”
It was Eun-ah, alerted by a call from Su-yeon’s phone, who came to pick up the drunken Su-yeon from the bar.