TWELVE 22

Every time I walked along the main road in front of the bar building, the moment I discovered Gi Seoin’s back right here unfolded before my eyes. As time passed, the memory became distorted. Gi Seoin and the woman walking side by side grew closer and closer, and today, they finally brushed past me, affectionately linking arms.

Even though I knew it was a delusion, I looked back several times at the street where their phantoms had passed.

“Hello!”

I must have looked like a crazy person.

I shifted my gaze to the person who had spoken to me. It was a first meeting.

“What… is this about?”

“I’m sorry, I startled you. It’s just that your mask is so good.”

Ah, is it one of those “Do you know the Way?” things?

“I am someone who works in the entertainment industry. You’ve probably heard of it.”

The man held out a business card. I didn’t take it, but only scanned the contents written on the card. His name was naturally unfamiliar, but I had heard of the company written below it. It was an agency established by someone who belonged to a popular idol group about twenty years ago. I only knew of it because it was so famous; I didn’t know anything beyond that.

“Ah… yes.”

“Do you perhaps already have a company you are affiliated with?”

He seemed to ask because my reaction was lukewarm.

“Ah, no.”

“Ah, that’s a relief. If you happen to be interested in this field, would you like to contact me sometime?”

“I don’t know much about that sort of thing, so I’m sorry.”

“If you don’t know much, we could explain it over a cup of coffee. Are you busy right now?”

“I am on my way to work.”

“Then I shouldn’t keep you too long. Here, take this…”

The man forced the business card into my hand.

“Please contact me anytime. I’m sorry if I was rude. As someone in the broadcasting industry, it was difficult to just pass you by.”

After saying goodbye to the man who somehow looked a bit sleazy, I hid myself inside the building where the bar was located. The business card I took out again in the elevator looked crude for some reason. I felt certain he was a scammer impersonating the agency.

It was a fresh enough anecdote to refresh my gloomy mood. I showed the business card to my bar colleagues, intending to give them a laugh…

“Wow, TY Enter?”

“I’ve heard of this person! A friend of mine in the Theater and Film department said if you get caught by this person, it’s an immediate contract…”

“This is crazy. Mr. Seungkyung! Are you debuting?”

For some reason, everyone took it seriously.

“Hey, how could I debut. And doesn’t this look fake just by looking at it?”

“What do you mean fake. It looks real no matter how you look at it.”

“I’m telling you, this person is very famous.”

“…Is that so?”

I looked at the business card once more.

“If Mr. Seungkyung contacts this person now and says let’s meet? He’ll bring a contract immediately.”

“Then what would Mr. Seungkyung become? A model? An actor?”

“Mr. Seungkyung clearly has an actor’s face.”

Is that right?

I took a sharp breath in.

“Mr. Kijun, you take it.”

I handed the business card over to Yoon Kijun.

“Huh? Why give this to me!”

I heard that Yoon Kijun had dreamed of being an actor since he was young and had gone to numerous auditions. He had said the dream had faded as he entered his late twenties, but just in case.

“I don’t need that. If you don’t need it, Mr. Kijun, please throw it away. Sorry.”

“Gosh, I wasn’t even the one who received this, so it’s no use having it.”

While saying that, Yoon Kijun tucked the business card carefully into his pocket.

Even after that, discussions regarding my celebrity debut continued back and forth. People seemed very regretful and unable to understand why I felt no interest in that direction. It also seemed they misunderstood, thinking I was acting coy.

“If it were me, I would at least meet that person once. Why do you hate it so much?”

“Mr. Seungkyung, tell the truth. It’s not like you’re actually a son of a chaebol family who isn’t allowed to reveal his identity or something, right?”

“If it’s that, it makes sense.”

“It does, it does…”

I wish it were for a reason like that that I was declining a debut. I just glossed it over with a laugh. How could I say it? ‘I have a relative who will cause a mess if I debut. I even borrowed money from that guy.’

Well, even if Jeon Juseok weren’t there, I wouldn’t have even looked at the “c” in celebrity. First of all, I have no talent. I freeze up even when taking pictures, so standing in front of a camera for hours—the mere thought of it makes me break out in a cold sweat. Secondly…

‘Seungkyung.’

I think he would hate it.

I wonder what Gi Seoin has to do with deciding my life path. Nevertheless, I can’t leave him out. It’s a hypothesis to the end, and in reality, he is like family to me.

The employees, who had been noisy because of me, immersed themselves in their work at their respective positions once business hours began. Moderately fun, but doing what needs to be done. I welcomed this atmosphere.

Regulars came by regardless of whether it was a weekday. While working hectically, it was soon time to finish.

“You’ve worked hard today as well!”

“Everyone, get home safely!”

After exchanging greetings and leaving the bar, a deserted night street greeted me, different from when I went to work. The air was quite chilly. Even after it became September, I had kept the fan on continuously, but only now do I realize that autumn has arrived.

I glanced again at the street where I had discovered Gi Seoin out of habit, and feeling relieved that I didn’t run into him again, I headed toward the bus stop. On the phone I checked, there were no missed calls or messages.

It was the moment I boarded the bus that the phone, which had been so quiet, rang. There were three other people on the bus besides me. I covered my mouth and answered the phone.

“Yeah, why?”

―Where are you?

“I just got on the bus. I have to get off in front of the church and walk.”

―Get off now.

Gi Seoin said.

―I’ll come pick you up.

“No. I’m already on the bus. Just sleep at that time. What were you doing? Work?”

―Then I’ll wait at the stop in front of the church.

“You don’t have to do th…”

―I’m at your house anyway.

“Right now?”

―Yes.

I wish he wouldn’t.

I felt resentful toward the guy who was saying he’d come pick me up even while giving up his time to rest. I don’t know myself either. My emotions were as opaque as someone else’s.

“…Okay.”

Even though I was going to agree in the end, why was I like that? For a moment, I thought I hated Gi Seoin. Right now, he is annoying.

Soon, when I got off the bus and faced him, something surged up from deep inside my solar plexus.

“Get in.”

Gi Seoin opened the passenger door. In the brief moment he couldn’t see me, I bit my lower lip and let go before getting into the car.

“Somehow, it feels like it’s been a really long time since we met.”

At my words, Gi Seoin looked back at me.

“I saw you every day.”

“What are you talking about. When did you see me?”

“Every morning.”

Ah, he would have. Because even if I, who worked the previous day, overslept, Gi Seoin came to my house at the same time every day and made a lunch box.

The thorns in my heart that had been growing with him as the target bowed their heads. I also bowed my face. I can’t look at him. Because I’m sorry. And because I’m ashamed of myself.

“You must be tired from work. You were sleeping with drool coming out.”

“…Hey! You should pretend not to see that out of courtesy.”

“Do we even need courtesy between us?”

“We do.”

We certainly do.

Because I’m trying to keep that courtesy, I’m not asking you if you’re dating…

“You’re saying things you didn’t used to say, Woo Seungkyung.”

Did he feel something? Since he is a guy whose intuition is like a ghost, he might have sensed that I am different from usual. I only flickered my eyes to look at Gi Seoin. He was only staring straight ahead while driving.

Before I knew it, we were in the neighborhood where I lived. Here, even the sparse streetlights were mostly broken, so it was dark enough to be eerie at night.

Feeling my gaze, Gi Seoin glanced at me. I tapped his shoulder.

“Be careful. When I looked last week, there was a water deer that had been roadkilled.”

“A water deer?”

“I guess it comes down from the mountain in the back. Cars don’t even usually drive here; it has no luck. Poor thing.”

“Do you walk home when you finish work?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. There’s no way I’ll run into a water deer.”

The water deer avoids me. I laughed pointlessly, and Gi Seoin turned back to me once with a snap, narrowing his brow.

“I’ll come pick you up on the days you work.”

“It’s fine.”

“I said I’m coming to pick you up.”

“Don’t, really. Walking after finishing work is my joy lately.”

“What kind of joy is that?”

Annoyance was plastered all over Gi Seoin’s voice. As if he also realized his mistake, he added in a lower tone.

“Anyway, I’ll come pick you up.”

“Geez, I said it’s fine.”

“Why are you being so stubborn?”

“…Why are you annoyed? You’re the one being stubborn. I said I don’t want to.”

This time, it turned into me being irritable in response. The space between his brows grew even closer.

“It’s not hard to pick you up.”

“Whether it’s easy or hard, I don’t want to.”

“Seungkyung.”

It feels as if a creaking noise can be heard between us.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing at all. You’re the one who’s been busy lately; aren’t you getting stressed?”

“There’s no such thing.”

Liar.

Gi Seoin was a perfectionist. While being active as a lawyer, he also had to secure his dating life, and in the midst of that, he had to take care of me, so no matter if it was him, he would be at his limit.

“Gi Seoin. I… want you to rest a bit.”

“I am resting enough.”

“I’m saying this because it doesn’t seem like it.”

“Why do you think that?”

I couldn’t bring myself to confess that I witnessed the scene of you being with another woman.

“Just… that’s how it feels. It’s not like I’ve seen you for a day or two; I know by the feeling.”

Still.

“But, by any chance, you…”

I can ask, right?

“Are you dating?”

It’s not a question you can’t ask between friends.