Chapter 25

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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: A Gentle Wind
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The team dinner began.

Teams sat down at tables already set with meat and alcohol, their laughter starting to bloom. As the meat sizzled on the hot grill, its rich aroma made their mouths water.

The restaurant staff bustled about, changing out grills, while even the owner seemed overwhelmed, ferrying more alcohol and rice to the tables.

Time ticked by, but Eun-seong had yet to arrive.

“Yeon-joo. A drink.”

“Ah, yes.”

As her empty glass was filled, Yeon-joo kept glancing toward the entrance. It was only natural for her to feel a bit uneasy and subconsciously wait, since the man who was, without exaggeration, the star of the dinner hadn't shown up.

Her gaze drifted to the door every few seconds. She found herself glancing over whether she was drinking or eating.

Did something happen? He wasn't going to skip it, was he?

“Ah, he’s here.”

“What?”

The moment she saw Eun-seong walk through the door, the words slipped out of her mouth before she even realized it. When Mr. Joo, who was grilling meat beside her, asked what she’d said, she shook her head vigorously and lowered her face.

Eun-seong's arrival caused a stir. The supporting actors were the first to stand, clapping and chanting his name, while the director rushed forward to greet him as if he were royalty.

“Eun-seong! Why are you so late!”

“Something came up at the office. I was on a call.”

“Ah, I see. Come on, this way.”

As if accustomed to such a fervent welcome, Eun-seong gave a small wave in response to the applause. Sensing him moving toward his designated seat, Yeon-joo cautiously raised her head, only to start coughing.

Her eyes had met Eun-seong's, who was walking toward her with a hardened expression.

“Who do you think Eun-seong is looking at?”

“I don't know. But doesn't he look a little pissed off? Wonder if something happened.”

The people, confused about who Eun-seong was looking at, whispered among themselves. Yeon-joo, who had met his gaze directly, felt her earlobes flush and repeatedly brought the glass to her lips.

His face, devoid of any hint of a smile, remained fixed on her for a while.

His gaze was as cold as frost in midsummer.

*

Whether it was alcohol or meat, everything she consumed felt like a heavy lump in her stomach.

Everyone was busy eating, getting drunk, laughing, and chatting, but as time went on, only Yeon-joo grew more uncomfortable.

Even though she was seated quite a distance from Eun-seong, whenever their eyes happened to meet, she would find him looking at her.

Eun-seong, who was leaning back in his chair and sipping his drink as if to show he had no intention of eating, kept looking at her for some reason, and it was making her incredibly self-conscious.

It was impossible not to be bothered.

Why on earth is he staring at me like that?

“Yeon-joo, where are you going?”

“I'm just going to make a call home.”

Unable to take it anymore, Yeon-joo stood up. As she said she was stepping out to make a call away from the noise, Hae-yeong, who was sitting not too far away, chimed in.

“Yeon-joo. Make sure you tell my Han-byeol that his auntie loves him very much.”

“Yes, Director. I'll be sure to tell him.”

As Yeon-joo walked out of the restaurant with a composed gait, a staff member sitting across from Hae-yeong spoke up.

“Director, you really like Yeon-joo's son that much?”

“Of course. He's so adorable. It feels like I gained a son without even giving birth. He's the best kid in the world.”

Her profession of profound love for Han-byeol made those around her laugh.

After Yeon-joo left, Mr. Joo, who had been enjoying the dinner for a while longer, also stood up.

“Mr. Joo, where are you going?”

“I need to make a call too. I left the clinic in the care of another doctor.”

“Oh, okay. Go ahead.”

Once Mr. Joo left with his phone, small talk resumed at the table. Hae-yeong, nodding along to the staff's lighthearted chatter, cast a subtle glance at the door through which the two had disappeared.

…Those two… they don't seem like a bad match.

At the thought, Hae-yeong smiled.

*

After a brief call with her son, Han-byeol, Yeon-joo sat down on an outdoor bench.

A fall night, the sweltering heat having subsided. A crisp breeze slipped under her hair, washing away her deep worries.

“Phew, I'm dizzy.”

She murmured to herself, sitting alone and vacant in the rest area as dusk settled like a thin fog.

Having escaped the bustling restaurant to kill time, the silent air outside felt refreshingly cool.

“Sigh.”

With nothing left to do, one sigh after another escaped her lips.

Her perpetually troubled heart felt even heavier under the influence of alcohol, so Yeon-joo could only stare at her phone screen, trying to swallow her anxieties.

…How long can I keep this up without getting caught?

She didn't know when the shallowly buried truth would burst to the surface, and with each passing moment, she felt more suffocated.

She had prepared several answers to use when cornered, but even those were flimsy enough to fall apart under scrutiny.

Anyone, at any time, could reach the truth if they simply decided to look for it.

Is it okay to keep pretending like this? Can things really be alright if I just carry on?

“I don't know anymore…”

Just one person. Only one person on Earth.

As long as Eun-seong didn't take an interest, she could precariously continue. If today could be like yesterday, and tomorrow like today—if things could just keep flowing that way, she could bring this bizarre lie to a clean end.

“Hello.”

Just as her guilt was mounting with each day's growing anxiety and fear, a familiar voice reached her, and Yeon-joo looked up.

Ah. It was Eun-seong, standing a short distance away.

Seeing that he seemed to have started a call, Yeon-joo was about to get up and leave, but Eun-seong raised a hand and spoke again.

“Hello.”

Yeon-joo stared blankly at Eun-seong, who was looking at her and repeating the greeting, before her eyes widened.

He gestured as if telling her to answer her phone, so she reflexively lifted her own phone to her ear.

What is he doing?

The call wasn't even connected, but he spoke again.

“Hello.”

“Huh? Hello?”

When she answered, catching on, Eun-seong nodded. Wondering what this was all about, Yeon-joo wore a sullen expression.

“What are you doing right now?”

“You don't know? We're on the phone. Damn, it's hard to get a call through.”

He spoke to her, holding a phone that wasn't even connected. Though there was a considerable distance between them, the quiet surroundings allowed them to hear each other clearly.

“You're not a kid. Why are you playing a prank like this? It's weird if someone sees us.”

“Who's going to come over here while I'm on a call? As long as you stay there, there's no problem.”

…I've seen some weirdos in my time.

Yeon-joo shifted the phone to her other ear and raised an eyebrow.

“What are you doing out here alone?”

“Me? I was talking to my family.”

“Ah. Talking to your husband?”

“Well, I talked to everyone.”

“Ah. Everyone.”

As the red sunset began to fade, the long shadow at his feet shifted its angle with his every move.

His mere presence seemed to enrich and enchant his surroundings, and soon, he became part of a picturesque scene.

“How's your injured finger?”

“It's fine. It was never a big deal to begin with.”

“Did you catch a disease that kills you if you complain? Why is everything always 'fine'?”

Her eyes met his as he glanced at her, and she held his gaze for a long moment.

His face held a profound atmosphere that words could not capture.

When he wasn't smiling, he looked sad. He evoked an inexplicable pity, making you want to go and hold him, and then making you want to stay by his side.

“So why did you come out here, Baeunim?”

“Stop calling me Baeunim. What if someone hears?”

“You said no one was listening.”

“A mouse or a bird could hear. Be careful.”

But when he smiled, it was as if all the light in the world grew distant and brilliant.

He was a man who had the whole world. She wondered if there was anything he lacked, if such a thing even existed for him.

He made you want to lean on him, and once you were leaning, he made you want to be held by him. It felt as if in his arms, you could escape all the vicious and violent storms of the world, as if you, too, could become intoxicated like someone who had everything—

And so she began to want it, to wish for it. To be held in those arms. To hide in them.

“Have you gotten any better at holding your liquor?”

“Me? No. I'm a lightweight. Three or four beers is my limit.”

“Same as ever.”

“Yes. Same as ever.”

“So, are you drunk?”

“Ah, no. Not yet. I'm fine.”

…Unconsciously, time had swiftly rewound to the past.

There was no place to hide among the memories that clung to her like they happened yesterday, and she found herself dropped before the fully exposed recollection.

A dizzying sensation kept rising from the tips of her toes, and Yeon-joo swallowed dryly. It felt wrong to continue this ridiculous, nonexistent phone call, holding a dead phone to her ear.

“You're a lightweight, so don't just drink everything they give you. Pace yourself.”

But perhaps it was the alcohol.

“It's your loss if you get drunk. I can't drink for you anymore.”

A sudden, desperate longing, a tingling, poignant feeling, made it impossible for her to be the first to leave.

“I can take care of myself just fine now.”

“Right, right. I'm sure you can.”

Startled by the sudden surge of emotion, Yeon-joo blurted out the first thing that came to mind and squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them. She could feel exactly where her struggling heart was located—

Ah. I have to get up. I have to run away now.

“Can I hang up now?”

“Well, if you hang up, you hang up.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“What choice do I have? I'm not exactly at a level where I can just stand around and chat with you.”

Seriously. Level. It's infuriating, but he's so right that I have to hold it in!

“Yes, yes. Level. I admit it.”

“I'm kidding. Besides, I don't have your number. You could give it to me while we're at it.”

“Ah, no. You don't really need the number of the costume team's junior member.”

“That's true.”

Eun-seong gave a faint smile. Then, as if admiring the scenery, he looked around before speaking again.

“Let me ask you a question.”

“Yes.”

“What do you think would be easier and faster: me finding out your number, or you finding out mine?”

Yeon-joo let out a short, sharp breath.

What a stupid question, she thought, but figuring he just wanted to boast about his 'level,' she answered dryly.

“Obviously, it would be easier and faster for you, Baeunim—no, for you to find out my number. Our levels are completely different. Would it even be a challenge for you to find out the number of a junior staff member?”

“Ah. You think so? I think a little differently. Wouldn't it be easier and faster for you?”

“Why? Where would I get a top actor's personal information? That's ridiculous.”

A gentle breeze blew, like a secret whisper.

“No. I still think it would be easier for you.”

“…”

“Because all you have to do is ask me. You might not have any intention of giving me your number, but I'm different.”

As he finished speaking, Eun-seong lowered his phone and approached her. Startled, Yeon-joo lowered her phone as well, her eyes wide.

Then, Eun-seong immediately held out his phone.

…Back then, should we not have broken up?

“Give me your number nicely. Or you can take mine right now. Pick one.”

“…”

“You should choose quickly. Before people come out.”

That night, the wind, carried on the season, seemed to whisper so.