CRANK 14

“…Are you saying you want to eat together every time we do a script reading?”

“No.”

With my furrowed brow in front of him, Woo Dobin smiled breezily.

“I’m saying I want to eat together even after we crank in.”

“Geez, you wouldn’t even acknowledge me earlier.”

Ah, I shouldn’t have said that. In Woo Dobin’s slowly blinking eyes, playfulness mingled with anticipation.

“Were you feeling disappointed?”

“That’s not what I meant—”

“I’m feeling a bit fluttered.”

I gulped down the salmon that filled my mouth.

“…That’s not it; I need to know how you’re going to act so I can be prepared.”

“Prepared?”

“If you treat me like you did earlier when other people are around, and just eat lunch together occasionally.”

“Not occasionally, every day.”

“Anyway. If it’s like that, I think I can endure it until the crank-up.”

Woo Dobin held his chopsticks in his mouth, opened the lid of the miso soup, and handed it to me. As I received the still-steaming soup and took a sip, warmth spread through my body.

“You mean that’s what you like? That it’s comfortable for you.”

“Well… I suppose so.”

“…Then I’ll do that. In public, let’s just stay as close senior and junior colleagues, and only eat together.”

“Since when were we close senior and junior colleagues?”

“I’d be too upset if we were just regular senior and junior colleagues.”

“As if you would be.”

“And instead.”

Woo Dobin, who had naturally taken the miso soup back from my hand, glanced at me and then took a sip himself this time.

“Hey, there’s two… no, there must be three portions of soup.”

At my grumbling about why he had to drink the same one when I had mine and he had his, Woo Dobin just smiled sheepishly instead of answering.

“Anyway, instead, let me do as I please when we eat.”

“Are you crazy? Why would I?”

“As you please,” he said. If I let him run wild, there was no telling how far he would go.

“Then, should I make it obvious at the script reading venue too?”

“Make what obvious.”

“What do you think? That I like you, sunbae.”

“Are you threatening me now?”

“…Yes.”

Woo Dobin pouted his lips. He really was a guy who was honest about his feelings.

“Is that a no?”

“Yeah. Are you not eating?”

The assorted sushi placed in front of him was as packed as if he hadn’t touched it at all.

“…I’m eating.”

Woo Dobin, who had been contemplating for a moment with his chopsticks in hand, picked up a piece of egg sushi and chewed it aggressively. It looked like he was staging a protest.

Still, so what? What I promised was only that I wouldn’t reject Woo Dobin’s confession. That doesn’t mean I’ll let him do whatever he wants or let myself be swayed by him. As if I’d let myself get caught up in that again.

Instead of soothing the sullen Woo Dobin, I picked up a piece of salmon sushi and ate it. It melted in my mouth, sweet and delicious. As expected, salmon was better than tteok-galbi.

Both the script reading and the styling meeting that followed ended smoothly. It would have ended even faster if Woo Dobin hadn’t been more passionate about my clothes than his own, talking nonsense about how a certain color looked good on me or that something was too low-cut.

“Sunbae, are you going home?”

As if he never got tired, Woo Dobin kept talking to me the whole time.

“Yes.”

“By any chance, what are you doing tomorrow?”

“Why do you need to know?”

The styling meeting was over, and we were on our way from the meeting room to the underground parking lot. Only I, Woo Dobin, and our respective managers were in the elevator.

“Our crank-in is the day after tomorrow.”

“So? What do you want me to do about it?”

It also meant that it didn’t matter if I treated Woo Dobin harshly. Pfft, Woo Dobin’s manager laughed softly and covered his mouth. Woo Dobin glanced in that direction once, then looked back at me and crinkled his eyes.

“Our crank-in date is exactly January 1st.”

“Ah, so what? Say what you want to say.”

“Mr. Hoyoon, watch your mouth!”

Youngjun grabbed my forearm with shocked, rabbit-like eyes. I had already said worse things in front of Woo Dobin. He hadn’t even blinked an eye at it.

“Do you want me to say what I want to say here?”

This time, Woo Dobin widened his eyes. With a truly innocent expression, Woo Dobin looked back and forth between Youngjun and his own manager. What on earth is this bastard about to say…

“…No. Just don’t ever say it.”

Ding—The sound announcing the second basement floor was heard. As the elevator door opened and I was about to step out, Woo Dobin grabbed my wrist.

“What.”

“Go first. Go on ahead, Mr. Youngjun.”

Woo Dobin smiled at his manager and at Youngjun—whom he had called so familiarly, even though I didn’t know when he had learned his name. Woo Dobin’s manager bowed his head and headed toward their van, while Youngjun looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“…Go.”

Knowing that Woo Dobin wouldn’t let go of my wrist forever if he didn’t say what he wanted to say, I had no choice but to mutter weakly to Youngjun.

Finally, the elevator door closed. The elevator, where no one was pressing any buttons, was filled with silence. Since it was quite late and for official use only, there was almost no chance of anyone pressing the button from another floor.

So, we were practically alone in a cramped space of less than a square meter on the second basement floor. Woo Dobin leaned his body against the door, as if blocking my path.

“If you do that and the door opens, you’ll get hurt.”

“You can just catch me, sunbae.”

Woo Dobin grabbed my hand from the front and, without fear, interlaced his fingers with mine.

“What is this supposed to be?”

At my cold tone, Woo Dobin let go of my hand and said in a dejected voice.

“I’m sorry. I was being cocky again.”

“If you know that, then…”

“Don’t you feel nervous, sunbae?”

“…Nervous? What is there to be nervous about?”

Shit. A voice that sounded unpleasantly cracked popped out. It was a voice that reminded me of the truth that was the exact opposite of what I was saying.

“It’s just, since we’re alone in a place like this…”

“Don’t you dare get ahead of yourself.”

“…Okay.”

Woo Dobin pouted his lips again and let his shoulders slump. What kind of person is he that he sometimes gives off a dangerous vibe that I shouldn’t get involved with, but sometimes acts like a pushover like this? It was to the point where I wondered which of the two was Woo Dobin’s true self.

“So, what is it you want to say? Hurry up. Youngjun is waiting.”

“Can’t you call me Dobin?”

“That’s never going to happen.”

“Should I get hired as your manager, sunbae? How about that?”

“Hey.”

As I raised my eyes sharply, Woo Dobin apologized quickly.

“I’m sorry. So, what are you doing tomorrow?”

“What are you going to do if I’m doing something?”

“Because I want to spend the end of the year together.”

“…Me? With you?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to?”

“There are two people involved, so why do you only ask for one person’s opinion?”

“That’s why I’m asking you right now.”

“Ah, is that so? I don’t want to. Okay?”

Even at my harsh words, Woo Dobin didn’t erase the smile lingering on his lips.

“Aren’t you being too cold?”

“Weren’t you prepared for this from the start?”

“I love it. Keep doing that.”

“…What?”

Is this bastard actually crazy now?

“You have to be like this when other guys come up to you, too.”

“Hey.”

“Just like you did to me, don’t ever give out your number on a whim, bring them home on a whim, or keep them on the hook on a whim. You know, right?”

I’d never kept anyone on a hook, for starters. Woo Dobin, who had subtly slandered me, continued shamelessly.

“Please, only raise me in your fish tank, sunbae.”

“…Aren’t you embarrassed to say things like that?”

“Why would I be embarrassed? I’m not even a little bit embarrassed by this much.”

Woo Dobin smiled brightly. I’m fed up, completely fed up.

“If you’ve said all you wanted to say, move aside.”

“Are you really not going to meet me tomorrow?”

“I told you no. I’m busy.”

I pushed Woo Dobin’s shoulder to the side, but he didn’t budge. …In truth, I had put some strength into it, but I cleared my throat as if I had just nudged him.

“Are you not going to move?”

Woo Dobin, who had been staring down at me, finally stepped aside. He’s surprisingly obedient, I thought, and was about to press the ‘open’ button when it happened.

Whirrr—The elevator let out a low vibration and began to ascend.

“What…”

I jerked my head around. Woo Dobin was making a hypocritical face, pretending to be surprised. I saw the shining numbers next to Woo Dobin. This bastard had pretended to step aside and pressed the button on the side panel.

And he pressed the button for the 18th floor, the very top. …Shit.

“What the hell is this?”

“Oh…”

In the elevator ascending toward the 18th floor without hesitation, I leaned in close to Woo Dobin as if to grab him by the collar.