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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Why Isn't She Picking Up?
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It was Cho-hee.
"Yeah. It's Cho-hee."
—A-jin, what should I do?
Cho-hee's voice didn't sound good.
"Is something wrong?"
—I have a shoot today, but I'm feeling so sick I don't think I can make it.
"Are you in a lot of pain?"
—A bit. And my period hit too.
"Then you should rest."
A-jin grimaced as if she were the one who was sick.
—I want to rest, but there are like thirty staff members waiting just for me. If I don't go, the whole thing falls apart.
"No choice, then."
—Hey... why don't you fill in for me?
Cho-hee's situation was unfortunate, but there was no way A-jin could do that.
A-jin shook her head, saying it was ridiculous.
"Hey, how am I supposed to do that?"
—It's just accessories today, so only your wrists and ears will show. You can handle it.
"I can't."
—Please, A-jin. This shoot is really important. I have to hand over the materials by tomorrow, so it has to be today. I already got chewed out for saying I couldn't make it. Where am I supposed to find a model on short notice? Please, A-jin.
Her desperate plea left A-jin at a loss.
"I have plans with Jun-woo today..."
—You can watch the movie later. Pretty please?
"Jun-woo's probably on his way already..."
—I already got paid, so if I flake, I'll have to pay a penalty fee.
A-jin couldn't just ignore Cho-hee's pleading voice, which sounded like she was on her last breath.
Even if she went to the movie like this, her mind wouldn't be at ease.
"How long will the shoot take?"
—Not long. Two hours tops.
"Okay. I'll try to push it back. I just have to do what they tell me, right?
—Exactly! They'll take care of everything when you get there. A-jin, thank you. I'll give you the full shoot fee next time I get my part-time pay. Thank you so much. You're the only one I can count on.
"Forget the money. Just focus on recovering."
—No way. You deserve it. It hurts too much; I can't talk long. I'm gonna rest.
"Yeah. Get some good rest. Send me the address."
She hung up and let out a heavy sigh.
If she suddenly asked to postpone by two hours, would Jun-woo understand?
She was about to call him when her phone buzzed with a popup notification.
[Seoul, Mapo-gu, Eoullim 18 Challenge Building 2F, Jace Studio]
It was the address from Cho-hee.
She confirmed it and went to call Jun-woo again when another buzz and popup appeared.
[Sorry. Something came up; can't make the movie today. I'll call later.]
It was from Jun-woo.
"Did something happen? Well, that works out. No need to say anything."
Was it a relief?
Their plans were canceled outright.
She felt a subtle pang of disappointment, but on the other hand, she was glad she didn't have to feel guilty.
Since she'd read the message through the popup, A-jin pocketed her phone without opening the chat app.
* * *
Hee-jin and Jun-woo rushed into the chaotic emergency room.
They looked for Sung-hoon.
"Honey."
Hee-jin, pale as a ghost, spotted him first.
One of the dental nurses had told her Sung-hoon was in a car accident.
The two had raced to the hospital.
Jun-woo tried to stay calm in place of the panicked Hee-jin.
He'd stopped her from driving and they'd taken a taxi straight there.
All the way to the hospital, he'd held Hee-jin's trembling hands.
In that moment, Hee-jin felt her son by her side was truly reliable.
Hee-jin first checked how badly Sung-hoon was hurt.
A Band-Aid on his forehead was stained red with blood.
No other visible injuries, but the bloodstain alone left her stunned.
"Oh my! Are you hurt bad?"
"No. Just a little cut. Honey, why are you sweating like that?"
Relieved it was just a minor cut on his forehead, she still couldn't calm her racing heart.
Hee-jin burst into tears.
"I thought you were dying!"
"That's why I didn't call."
As Hee-jin cried like a child, Sung-hoon pulled her into his arms and patted her back.
It was just a minor fender-bender.
Sung-hoon wasn't badly hurt.
Jun-woo felt awkward watching the couple's tender moment.
"No other pain anywhere?"
"Nope, as you can see."
Sung-hoon shrugged and glanced down at himself, gesturing for Jun-woo to look.
Jun-woo nodded in relief, tucked his thumb behind his ear, and said he'd step out.
It was a signal to give the two some intimate time alone.
Outside the ER, he checked his chats.
A-jin hadn't read his message.
She wouldn't be waiting in front of the theater without checking, right?
"Nah, she wouldn't be that stubborn."
He doubted it, but something told him she just might.
He called her.
—The customer you have dialed is currently on another call...
She's on the phone.
"With me?"
He hung up and decided to wait a bit.
* * *
A-jin arrived at the address Cho-hee had sent.
It seemed right, but there was no sign.
She called Cho-hee to ask.
—Hello?
"I'm nearby, but I don't see anything labeled studio..."
—Oh! It's small, so no sign. Where are you right now?
"In front of Romance Cafe."
—Okay, look to your right. See the red brick building?
"Yeah! I see it."
—Right next to that's the Challenge Building.
She turned as instructed.
Challenge Building was written at the entrance next to the red bricks.
Pleased she'd found it easily, she heard noisy chatter from the phone.
Had the sick girl gone out already?
"Are you outside?"
—Uh..., yeah?
"It's just noisy around you."
—I stepped out to buy pads.
"Oh! I'm in the building. I'll call when it's done."
* * *
The small building meant narrow stairs.
She gripped the wall climbing the steep steps.
She reached the second floor, but no studio label.
Two doors confused her, but luckily one had semi-transparent tinting showing the inside a bit.
Boxes inside suggested it wasn't the studio.
A-jin approached the black-tinted door.
It felt eerie not seeing inside, but she told herself it was no different from her apartment door.
She pushed the handle with force.
White light seeped through the slowly opening gap.
White floor, white walls, white cloths—everything white, so her eyes dazzled after the dark tint.
The only colors were the camera and lights.
It felt familiar, like celebrity pictorial sets on TV.
One question: where were the thirty staff members?
"Excuse me."
She started with 'anyone here?' when a man approached.
His short-sleeved shirt revealed tattoos covering his arms.
"Who? Oh! A-jin?"
Tension returned after a brief relief.
Tattoos were common nowadays, but they scared her.
"Uh, yeah. Cho-hee sent me."
"I heard about you."
"Oh..."
Where was everyone? Just this tattooed guy.
As she scanned the studio uneasily, another man appeared.
He had his long hair tied up in a bun.
"Everyone moved to the next shoot. Couldn't wait forever."
He answered what she wanted to ask.
"Oh, okay. So no need to shoot?"
"No. We'll handle it. Just us two is plenty."
The tattooed man smiled as he replied.
His eye smile was kind, contrary to her preconceptions.
His gentle voice eased her tension.
Until he handed her the clothes.
"Oh! Put this on and come out."
The tattooed man gave her a shopping bag and opened the fitting room door.
Inside, A-jin locked the door and pulled out the clothes.
She stared doubtfully at what she held.
'They want me to wear this now?'
A white cropped T-shirt exposing the navel and navy training shorts reminiscent of Japanese schoolgirls' gym bloomers.
She checked the bag again for more clothes.
Nothing else.
'Must be the wrong ones.' She called out to the men outside.
"I think you gave me the wrong clothes."
The tattooed man answered from outside the fitting room.
"Wrong how?"
"They're too short. Cropped top and shorts, right?"
"Yeah. That's all we brought today."
"But the size is too small. Can't I just wear my own clothes?"
She couldn't wear something so revealing.
A sigh came from outside at her suggestion.
An irritated sigh.
"No. We have to move to the next shoot. Hurry and change."
He knocked on the fitting room door.
The kind eye smile had been bait.
His coercive, threatening tone filled A-jin with growing fear.
* * *
Jong-min's face gradually appeared on the ascending escalator.
Entering the theater, he checked his phone chats again.
[Go quick. A-jin isn't responding.]
Jun-woo had called him, worried about A-jin not answering, since Jong-min lived near the theater.
If not for his dad's accident, he'd have refused.
In his house clothes with ripped-knee sweatpants, he scratched his belly like a neighborhood bum searching for A-jin.
But no A-jin—only Cho-hee at the theater.
Seeing the girl who liked his friend soured his mood a bit.
Were they all three meeting?
Jong-min hesitated approaching her, then stopped.
He looked too shabby to face her.
He crept back quietly.
Then he heard an irritated, angry voice.
It was Cho-hee on the phone.
She was fuming, snapping at her phone.
Curious, Jong-min eavesdropped.
"You're not gonna make her wear it just 'cause she says no? Strip her and force it on. And drag it out. Don't let her run. Keep it going till my movie ends!"
—She's not coming out of the fitting room.
"Tell her you're coming in. Kang A-jin's a scaredy-cat; scare her and she'll do whatever."
'What the hell? Force her to strip? Why scare her?'
Cho-hee's call sounded suspicious.
Jong-min racked his brain to figure it out.
Couldn't, so he approached her.
Forgetting his shabby look.
He called her name after a pause, right after she ended the call.
"Cho-hee."
She straightened her clothes and turned with an innocent look.
Thinking it was Jun-woo calling her.
Her face hardened seeing Jong-min instead.
"Why are you here?"
"Jun-woo had something come up, and A-jin isn't answering, so... You two watching together?"
'Something came up suddenly?'
Her face twisted in disappointment.
After all she'd done to lure A-jin out with the movie excuse.
"He said A-jin suddenly felt sick and asked me to go instead."
"Oh yeah?"
Cho-hee brazenly lied without batting an eye.
"What's up with Jun-woo?"
"His dad's in a fender-bender at the hospital."
"Is it bad?"
'Why a fender-bender today of all days, damn it.'
She feigned concern outwardly.
"Just a minor one."
"Good. So Jun-woo's not coming?"
"Yeah."
Too bad about the movie, but her goal was achieved.
Her aim: keep Jun-woo and A-jin apart.
"You came all this way. Wanna watch together?"
Nothing else to do, and good for stringing him along, she asked Jong-min.
But he refused.
"Nah. Just came to pass on the message. Didn't want her waiting alone. Jun-woo was really worried."
"Oh?"
His refusal threw her off, and she lost her composure for a second.
A strange competitive urge rose too.
'He knows I like his friend and that's why? I've got pride too!'
