A Perfectly Normal Romance Chapter 6.1 - Ever After (Side Story)

I barely managed to lift my sticky eyelids and open my eyes. Lying on my side, the clock next to the bed facing me read 5:00 AM. As if to prove the time, the world outside the window was still pitch black.

Just as I was about to doze off again, I thought I heard the faint sound of a door opening and closing outside the bedroom. Did he go to the bathroom? The casual thought led to another, and another. There’s a bathroom in here, too. Why would he go outside? Did he go into another room instead of the bathroom?

It was only two hours ago that I had managed to drag him out of the back seat of the car the designated driver had driven, where he’d been slumped over as if his neck would break, and had washed him up and put him to bed. It was unreasonable to expect him to have come to his senses in that short time.

He won’t fall or knock something over, will he? The moment that useless worry crossed my mind, I heard an unusual sound. Wasn’t that the sound of glass clinking just now? I shot up from the bed, flung the door open, and ran out to find Hyun’s presence. The light was on in the kitchen, far across the living room.

Hyun was sitting alone on a kitchen chair, his back to me. Even so, the straight posture of his long nape and shoulder line was admirable.

Seeing him sitting there perfectly fine, I was relieved and walked over nonchalantly, stopping right in front of where Hyun was looking. His eyes, which had lifted slightly towards me, seemed to have regained some clarity compared to before, and he was staring straight at me.

Hyun asked me in a low, sunken voice.

“Why are you awake?”

“I woke up because of you.”

I sighed with my answer and sat down across from Hyun, rubbing my eyes. The glass of water he was clutching, his wrist bones protruding, seemed to be the source of the sound from before.

I don’t know why he’s looking so displeased at the back of his hand, which is shiny from a little spilled water. I casually lift my hand and wave it in front of his face. Hyun just furrows his brow slightly without saying anything and takes another sip of water. Slowly. His Adam’s apple moves languidly as he drinks, as if savoring the water that passes over his glistening lips.

I find myself staring at it, then change my posture, pretending to stifle a yawn. Then I rest my elbows on the table and watch Hyun. After meeting my gaze, Hyun pays me no mind and lifts the water glass again. He just brings it to his lips and slowly sips the water. He was concentrating all his attention on that action, as if it were some kind of ritual.

It was only then that I realized Hyun’s gaze, which had been gathered on my brow, was just fumbling through empty space. Of course. There was no way he would have sobered up already.

A mix of pity, compassion, and annoyance at whoever was responsible for this at this hour, I asked.

“How much did you drink?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why did you drink?”

“Company dinner.”

The answers he gives, however, are more docile than usual. Is it because he’s using minimal energy and just answering truthfully?

His left eyelid twitched for a moment before his face became expressionless again. I stared at his face for a long time. His face, which had become a little gaunt from finishing the project, had made the line of his cheeks, which fell smoothly below his well-sculpted cheekbones, even sharper.

I was worried when he rubbed the area around his temples with his long fingers, but then he just sat still again. Seeing that, I started to ramble on in a soft voice.

“Do you know what time you came home?”

“I don’t know.”

“You came home at 3.”

“Yeah.”

“That’s too late, isn’t it?”

I thought I saw a slight twitch at the corner of his lips at my words.

“Mr. Lee Hyun, who used to nag me so much to be home by 2 at the latest.”

“Yeah.”

“How does it feel to come home at 3?”

“I told you to go to bed first.”

“Do you know you couldn’t even get out of the car on your own?”

At my words, Hyun slightly raises his eyebrows and rolls his eyes a little, as if trying to recall the memory. It seems nothing comes to mind no matter how much he searches, as his answer is lackluster.

“I don’t know.”

“If I hadn’t carried you up, you wouldn’t have even made it inside, you punk.”

“Right.”

“Are you going to do it again?”

Hyun finally let out a small laugh. Ah, I wasn’t trying to be funny. In that moment, I reflexively laughed along with him.

Suppressing the yawns that threatened to escape whenever I let my guard down, I asked.

“Nagging you is pretty fun.”

“Is it?”

“Did you always nag me because it was fun?”

“Of course not.”

“Then.”

“I was serious. Come home early.”

On any other day, I might not have, but today, I’m confident. I swing my feet and reply half-heartedly.

“You’re the one who should come home early.”

Hyun, too, seemed to have nothing to say for once today and just nodded his head slightly without answering. Finding that rare sight fascinating, I nudged him with the tip of my foot. My big toe, extended, fumbled along the floor until it met the hard instep of his foot. The moment I brushed against it, Hyun put down the water he was drinking, shook his head, and gestured with his eyes.

Wondering what on earth he was doing, I watched his gesture and replied, dumbfounded.

“Just go to sleep.”

“Then why did you touch me?”

“I just touched you for no reason.”

“Are you sure?”

“Are you crazy? You’ll die if you do it.”

“Should we test it?”

“No. I don’t want to test whether you live or die.”

I just replied with whatever came to mind, but for some reason, he seemed to like my words. Hyun, who seemed to be thinking slowly, put down the empty water glass and got up from his seat. “Let’s go in,” he said, and with a hand gently gripping my shoulder, I also got up and trudged after him into the bedroom.

5:30. I check the time and squirm into bed next to Hyun. A hand wraps around my waist and pulls me close. The hand rubbing my lower back slowly adds warmth but doesn’t seem to have any major intentions. I believe so.

In the darkness, a breath that had fumbled its way to my lips presses down, sharing its warmth, then moves away slightly. I feel around and touch his shoulder and neck, which have become firmer as he’s lost some weight. And I say in advance.

“I’m definitely not touching you with that kind of intention.”

“Then?”

“You seem to have gotten a little thinner.”

“Not really.”

The warmth of the leg pressing between my knees was hot. Feeling it, I squeeze my drowsy eyes shut and pretend not to know. How can he get hard in this state?

Trying to change the subject, I started spouting whatever came to mind.

“If you have a company dinner next time, call me.”

“Why you?”

“I’ll drink it all for you.”

“…Ha.”

The sigh he let out was deep, as if just the thought gave him a headache. No. But this is a bit unfair.

“When it comes to company dinners, I’m definitely better than you.”

“No, you’re not. You stay home quietly.”

“I’ll win against everyone for you.”

“Jio. Please.”

Hyun muttered in a rare, pleading tone and pressed the tip of his chin against the top of my head. He even started patting my lower back as if to put me, the one who was talking, to sleep.

Finding his attitude amusing, I added a few more words despite my sleepy state.

“I’ll win against everyone. Hyun.”

Hyun crumpled me into his embrace as if to hide me from those words and tangled his legs tightly around me. As if he was really hiding me from someone who was looking for me. It was a silly joke, but it was no laughing matter when I actually started to feel suffocated.

“Hyun.”

“…Yeah.”

“Hey. You didn’t just answer, did you?”

A long while later. Hyun, who had answered when I quietly called his name, is silent again. In the meantime, my eyes have grown accustomed to the darkness, and his silhouette is taking shape. I reach out and lightly tweak the tip of his nose, then withdraw my hand. Instead, I sweep up his messy hair.

To be this defenseless. It’s still so unfamiliar whenever he shows this side of himself. I 괜히 poke the tip of his nose with my finger again, move up the bridge of his nose, and even touch his eyelashes once. My moving hand withdraws again when his smooth brow twitches.

Unable to fight off sleep, I, too, curl up on my side. Right in front of my eyes, looking at the guy I brought to my side, sleep finally washes over me, and I feel at ease.

“I’ll really come home early from now on.”

Turns out, not being able to sleep because you’re waiting is more tiring than I thought. I only just realized that.

˙✧˖🎥⋆˙

Hyun was the one suffering from the hangover, but I was the one who overslept. It’s a strange thing. Not understanding, I was rolling around in a lump with the blanket, contemplating. I rub my increasingly wide-awake eyes and sit up, and as if he somehow knew I was up, Hyun comes over and stands at the doorway, watching me. He looks neat and even fresh, as if he has no memory of last night’s disaster.

I tried to get up naturally, as if I had been up for a long time, but my fumbling attempt to sit up just looks like a bum who has slept in lazily. Hyun, who has approached the side of the bed, stands there silently and places his hand on the top of my head. Without any nagging, he ruffles my messy hair even more.

“You’re up?”

“I’ve been up for a while.”

“I see.”

He answered, but it seemed less like he believed me and more like he was just humoring me. The hand that was stroking my head continues as I rub my swollen eyes and try to open them wide. I push his hand away, hold it tightly, then let go and shoot up from my seat.

“I’ll make you some bean sprout soup.”

“It’s okay.”

“I learned how to make it yesterday.”

The biggest problem when cooking was time, so I had already prepared thoroughly. I had finished trimming the bean sprouts and even prepared the seasoning in advance. This is it. Even amidst his exhaustion, Lee Hyun stayed by my side, silently watching the soup boil. This had happened more than once or twice, so I just let him be. It’s just bean sprout soup, what could possibly go wrong?

Lee Hyun couldn’t even manage a few spoonfuls of the bean sprout soup that I had insisted on making. After watching his slow spoon movements, I finally tasted it and realized it smelled a bit fishy. As punishment for stubbornly doing something he told me not to, I quietly put down my spoon and voluntarily confessed.

“It smells a little fishy.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“Yes, it does.”

“Maybe the bean sprouts were spoiled.”

“I bought them yesterday, how could that be?”

The excuse my boyfriend made for my sake was even more despairing. When I tried to take away the soup he was determinedly eating, Lee Hyun snatched it away with force and started eating again.

After finally emptying the bowl, the expression on his face as he set it down wasn’t very bright. It seems what’s bad is just bad.

His pale lips didn’t reprimand my cooking skills, but instead asked, “Should we go out for a bit?”

“Where?”

“They called about the construction. I was thinking we could go check on the studio.”

The studio… Just thinking about that vast space made me feel a little overwhelmed, and I hung my head low. Misunderstanding my reaction, a slightly cold hand now cupped my forehead.

“If you’re tired, don’t go.”

“No. You’re the one who’s tired.”

It’s incomprehensible. If anyone should be tired, it should be Lee Hyun, who’s always swamped with work and even had a company dinner yesterday. Why am I, the one lazing around with nothing to do, feeling more drained? I stretched with a big yawn and asked.

“If you have some kind of secret health tonic you’re taking without telling me, you should share some.”

“If I had something like that, I would have given it to you first.”

“Hey, it’s not that bad.”

Lee Hyun looked at me silently and said no more. Instead, as if stamping a smile on me, he pressed his lips into a grin and continued what he was doing. This time, it was stroking my hair.

It was an attitude that clearly showed he had something to say but wasn’t saying it. Whenever I discover these little fragments, I get curious. How will Lee Hyun, who took 10 years to learn how to swallow his words instead of speaking them, change in another 10 years?

˙✧˖🎥⋆˙

The building Lee Hyun was remodeling, with a studio on the 4th floor and a home for us on the 5th, was a 5-story building with an underground parking lot, not particularly spacious. Still, it was a building. And the exterior had been freshly polished this time. The construction workers, the realtor, and even Lee Hyun all called it ‘not particularly spacious,’ so I was just following suit, but it was such a magnificent building that I wondered if I was even worthy of using such a descriptor.

The building was magnificent, but the progress was not. As if all schedules in the world exist to be broken, construction was in full swing even on a weekend. Nothing was significantly delayed, yet they said this was the only way to meet the deadline. At least the major exterior work was finished, and they were working on the interior.

One of my daily routines these days is to visit the site with drinks and pastries. Sometimes, when I heard about noise complaints, it was also my job to go around and ask for the neighbors’ understanding.

Today, I was asking for understanding from the buildings on either side, holding pastries I had gotten from a famous bakery. The owner of the boutique on the 1st floor of the building to the left thankfully accepted the shopping bag I offered without any sign of displeasure. Her eyes glanced up at our building with its white exterior under the blue sky, then came back down. Fortunately, perhaps because the construction was nearing its end, we were able to chat amicably with her generous expression.

“When will it be completed?”

“The major construction is almost done, so I heard it’ll be finished once the interior work is done by next month.”

“I see. It was still bearable since you don’t work late at night or early in the morning. With other buildings, you can’t even talk to them, sigh…”

“We’ll do our best not to be like that.”

“Yes. Just keep it up like you are now. Keep up the good work.”

“Thank you.”

With that friendly farewell, the shop’s transparent glass door closed, and the cool air from the air conditioner that had been seeping out instantly evaporated.

It was a summer where the sticky heat clung to you. I grabbed the hem of my t-shirt, flapped it a bit, and returned to the building. At least the elevator was working properly now. Last week, I had to constantly go up and down the stairs because of the elevator construction.

Lee Hyun had suggested I use the 1st or 2nd floor for the studio, but I had adamantly refused. If there had been a basement, I would have thrown a fit and demanded it, but the basement was already occupied by the parking garage.

What kind of great work do I do to justify using the 1st or 2nd floor of a building located right on the main road leading to Seongsu Bridge? A sticker photo booth might even generate a better profit than that studio.

The 4th-floor space, which hadn’t needed much work to begin with, was now spotless. Arriving in the vast space, painted white with a partition wall being erected in a corner, I could only marvel again today. Just marvel. And I was moved. And proud. And it was just unbelievable.

“This is so fucking overwhelming, seriously…”

Unable to filter my true feelings, I couldn’t tell if the wetness under my eyes was sweat from roaming the alleys just a moment ago, or tears.

Of course, at first, I was a little sentimental. From those days at twenty, painting a basement warehouse with what was surely toxic paint, to here. It had been a grand journey. Of course, the magnificent conclusion to that long journey involved the unexpected meddling of another person, but. Anyway. What’s good is good. There’s a limit to refusing, and when he was willing to do this much, I decided to accept it with dignity. And there was a moment when I thought I would create work that I wouldn’t be ashamed of.

But perhaps I ran my happy circuit too much. It burned out completely. The feeling of being overwhelmed, which had been filling up to the brim, now clawed at the back of my throat, as if to suffocate my heart.

I’m just starting to mess around with a camera, who uses a studio this huge? The only job scheduled for me is to stylishly photograph a 30ml cosmetic bottle for a brand that Sunghee launched. Am I shooting a jacket cover for a singer who’s going to be on the Billboard charts? Am I shooting the main pictorial for Italian Vogue? I’m not that person yet.

“What do you think?”

Oblivious to my inner turmoil, Lee Hyun, looking impeccably clean as if he hadn’t been wandering around half-conscious at dawn, stood beside me and looked at the nearly finished construction site. No matter how overwhelming it felt, I couldn’t act like a father who keeps asking “how much?” on a family trip his child planned with great care, so I mustered up all my joy again to answer. Thankfully, it wasn’t difficult since there was some sincerity mixed in.

“I like it.”

I like it. I like it too much. That’s the problem…

Truly, the building Lee Hyun bought was perfect for a studio, with high ceilings and a very luxurious feel. My opinion wasn’t even needed in the process of blocking one window and installing lights. A director from a famous interior design firm had wisely blocked my foolish suggestions and took care of everything himself.

The director, who was supervising the workers on site, spotted us and strode over to shake hands. Lee Hyun shook his hand first, and then he shook hands with me, who was acting joyful. He seemed pleased with my reaction, his expression bright.

“If you have any issues or opinions, please let me know anytime. If you have any additional requests, we will accommodate them.”

“Not at all. It’s really nice. Truly.”

“I’m honored. I hope it will be helpful for your great work.”

“Yes. Great work. I’m looking forward to it too.”

I, too, am very much looking forward to the great work I will produce. What on earth am I trying to achieve to deserve such a magnificent studio? My words were completely sincere, but the director seemed to think it was a small slip of the tongue. He soon turned to the building owner beside me and gestured politely upwards.

“You said the studio and the lower floor remodeling were the priority, so the top floor isn’t much to look at yet.”

“Yes. Please focus on this area first.”

“I heard you’re a director. That you ran a video production startup and were a famous PD who even directed a popular program.”

“Excuse me? Where did that…”

…rumor come from? The reason I couldn’t finish my sentence was that the person who must have spread that rumor came to mind very easily. Unable to hide my feelings, I snapped my head to the side. Lee Hyun must have felt the intense emotion in my gaze, but he looked back at me defiantly, as if to say, “What did I do?” And even worse.

“The upstairs can wait, so please move up the schedule for this floor as much as possible. This guy has a lot of work to do.”

He said, lightly placing his palm on my back before removing it.

“Understood. I’ll go speak to them again while handing out the snacks.”

As the director walked away with the snacks for the carpenters and staff, I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

“Hey. When was I ever a director of a popular program or a famous PD?”

“You’re going to be.”

Lee Hyun replied, without a shred of shame. What is this blind faith I see from time to time? I can’t understand it. As I stared at him, Lee Hyun met my gaze as if to say “What are you looking at?” and then raised his finger to gently press and rub the spot between my eyebrows.

When I grabbed his hand to move it away, Lee Hyun hooked his long pinky finger around mine, as if making a promise. What’s this? I was about to chuckle and tighten my grip when I heard the director’s voice calling from behind me.

Watching his straight back as he let go of my hand and walked away, I thought again. Where does this faith, which believes in me more than my own parents, more than I do myself, come from?

Maybe it’s a form of affection, I thought, but at the same time, a sudden worry crept in. He hasn’t found a religion behind my back, has he? You know, the kind of faith that believes everything will come true as long as you believe.

It was the last week of August, when the summer heat was beginning to subside. Just when I thought the project was almost over, Lee Hyun’s late nights at work increased again, apparently due to some problem. It was a truly brutal schedule. At this point, it seemed like he was just using the house to change clothes before leaving again.

I was on my way to a meeting after aimlessly wandering around the building, which was undergoing its final touches. It was rush hour, and as I walked along the side street of the car-packed Dosan-daero, I tried calling Lee Hyun. I didn’t think he’d be able to answer, but he managed to pick up. Worried I might be interrupting his work, I spoke quickly.

“If you’re busy, you can hang up.”

—It’s okay. What’s up.

“I was looking at the building and heading to my meeting, and it’s quitting time.”

—I’ll be late tonight, so go to bed first.

“I didn’t really expect you to get off work early.”

—Still, go home.

“I’m going to go home anyway.”

—I’m going to stop by later to check if you’re home.

“You’re not stopping by the house every dawn just to check if I’m there, are you?”

I said it as a joke, but somehow Lee Hyun didn’t give a clear answer. No way. Surely. Lee Hyun must be joking too.

—What’s the meeting about?

“Geonjung and Seungpyo.”

—What are you doing?

“Just meeting up for a bit.”

—You have a lot of plans these days.

This was strange too. He’s barely home, so how does he know I have a lot of plans? I tried to recall if I had been that forthcoming every time we spoke on the phone. But I’m still not sure.

“I haven’t seen them much lately. I wanted to ask if they had any work for me. Just checking in on things.”

—What is there to ask them about? They’ll blabber on their own.

“You never know. I’m heading in now.”

As if it were just a complaint, Lee Hyun ended the call without another word after that. Or maybe he was just busy.

˙✧˖🎥⋆˙

The place we settled on was a bountiful Korean set-menu restaurant that served stir-fried spicy pork, soybean paste stew, and steamed eggs all at once when you ordered the daily special. One of the most useful things I learned while working at the broadcasting station was that you could think of at least one or two good restaurants in any part of Seoul or any province.

As soon as I sat down across from Seungpyo and next to Geonjung, I asked bluntly.

“Got any work? Any work at all. For me.”

“How about a greeting first?”

“Right. Seungpyo, whose well-being I confirmed via text just 30 minutes ago. Still doing well, I hope?”

“Yeah. Doing well, but I don’t know about any work.”

Seungpyo answered simply and moved his chopsticks towards the spicy pork. While carefully opening the hot lid of the extra bowl of rice added for our party size, I looked at Geonjung.

“You don’t have anything? Someone shooting something. Anyway. You know what I mean.”

“Well…”

“Try to think about it with a little more sincerity before you answer.”

I was just saying that; it wasn’t like I had any real expectations from these two. Still, the best way for a freelancer to find work is to go around telling everyone you’re willing to do anything. Just as I was taking a spoonful of steamed egg, Seungpyo asked.

“Why. Are you really desperate?”

“Yeah. I’m really desperate.”

“I heard the construction on the studio is finally almost done.”

“I feel so bad for that studio that I have to start working right away. Me, just fiddling around with a single camera in that huge studio? I can’t let that happen. I feel so embarrassed I think I’ll go crazy.”

Despite my woeful face, Seungpyo and Geonjung just looked at each other dryly and went back to moving their spoons. Heartless jerks.

“I thought you were in some kind of real trouble.”

“If this isn’t real trouble, then what is? I think I need to open a one-day class. Should I go out for a snap-shot session? Are there any Jeju Island wedding photography gigs? I’m confident I can pack a bunch of stuff, follow them, and earn money.”

At that moment, Geonjung said casually, without even stopping his moving chopsticks.

“Would he like it?”

“Like what?”

“If he’d like you going there.”

“…”

In that moment, there were so many things I wanted to say to Geonjung, who was speaking on behalf of Lee Hyun, who wasn’t even here. Would he really try to stop me from going for work? No, wait. That might happen due to emotional likes and dislikes that go beyond reason. But of course, that shouldn’t happen. And you’re telling me I should consider that when I’m looking for a job? How could you do this to me? The reason I swallowed those very long words was because of Seungpyo, who was sitting across from me. Seungpyo already had a very strange expression on his face.

“Would he like it? What was that just now?”

“No. I meant, would it be good for his portfolio? Something like that.”

“Don’t try to change the subject. Who is it? You’re seeing someone, aren’t you? Tell me right now.”

“Just eat your food.”

“Is food the problem right now?”

His attitude of tapping his rice bowl with his spoon seemed quite obnoxious. Despite his urging me to talk, I tried to somehow deflect with a vague answer. It’s a bit… awkward to flatly deny it, you know.

At that moment, thankfully, an additional serving of spicy pork arrived, and Seungpyo’s attention shifted to it. Just as I was sighing in relief, thinking I had overcome the crisis, Seungpyo, with pure sincerity, struck a sharp blow at my weak spot.

“But Jio. There’s something I’m really curious about.”

“What is it?”

“How much is Lee Hyun charging you to rent that studio?”

“Uh… That’s. A bit of a private matter.”

“What privacy is there between us? We’re guys who knew each other’s studio apartment rent.”

He’s right. Since when did we keep secrets like that… It’s just that I can’t figure out what amount would be plausible yet reasonable enough for me to afford with my finances. From the looks of it, renting it formally would cost several hundred a month, and even if Lee Hyun gave me a friend discount, I still don’t know what number I could say that wouldn’t sound strange.

“I thought you were looking for work because you were in a rush for that.”

“Right. There’s that too.”

That’s a reason I hadn’t thought of, but it’s pretty good. As I readily nodded, Seungpyo nodded to himself and finished his meal. Not just finished, but he was actually clearing his spot as if to leave, so I asked with my spoon still in my mouth.

“Leaving?”

“Didn’t Lee Hyun tell you our appraiser made a mistake on the appraisal, so we’re rewriting the report?”

“I didn’t know the specifics, but I heard you had to redo it.”

“Yeah. We have to redo it. I’m leaving first.”

“I wonder if Lee Hyun even had a meal?”

I flinched at my own thoughtless words, but Seungpyo, assuming it was just a humane concern for a meal, didn’t notice anything strange. Thank goodness.

“Someone would have packed him a lunch and brought it to his desk, so you don’t have to worry.”

“True.”

“Let’s make our next gathering a chance to see the face of the person you’re dating, okay?”

You’re on your way to see that person’s face right now, you punk. I mouthed the words silently at Seungpyo’s back as he left with the bill, saying he was sorry for leaving first. Still, it’s a good thing Seungpyo was busy today. If he had dug deeper into what Geonjung said earlier, “Would he like it?”, I would have been at a total loss for words.

Once Seungpyo left, the boisterousness of the meal definitely died down. Now there was nothing holding me back. I immediately confronted Geonjung.

“You, earlier, with that ‘Would he like it.’ What was that? Whose side are you on? No, in the first place, isn’t it wrong for him to dislike me going somewhere for work?”

“It’s not a matter of right and wrong.”

“Then!”

“You don’t like to fight.”

“This is something Lee Hyun is clearly in the wrong about, so it’s not a fight.”

“You said trying to clearly determine who’s right and wrong just hurts feelings, so we shouldn’t do it.”

What. I, who was about to argue, stopped for a moment, as the sentence sounded familiar. What was it? That story. I’m sure I’ve heard it somewhere before.

“That’s what you said last month when you came out after fighting with Lee Hyun.”

“Ah…”

The memory, which had been faintly emerging, became clear, and I was left speechless.

Well. At that time, I said that because I was the one at fault. I didn’t know it would come back to bite me like this. Geonjung waited for me, who was at a loss for words, before continuing his meal. I, too, began to silently move my spoon. It seemed better to drop this subject.

˙✧˖🎥⋆˙

A week later, a voice that was once very familiar contacted me. It was a call from a sub-writer who had once taken up the largest share of my call log. I was happy to receive a call after so long and pressed the answer button, but the voice on the other end was as listless as ever.

—Assistant Director-nim.

“It’s been a while.”

—Ah. You’re not an Assistant Director anymore. Should I call you Jio-ssi?

“Call me whatever’s comfortable. Have you been well?”

—Well? Here? How can you ask that? It’s a betrayal.

“It’s just a greeting.”

—Right. It was already a betrayal. From the day you quit.

“Did you call just to call me a traitor?”

—No. Listen. It was my birthday last week.

“Yeah. Did you use the gift coupon I sent you?”

—I couldn’t even get near the place! Anyway. So I said, I’m really going to take my day off this week and go home to rest, you know? I told them, do you know how many months it’s been since I’ve seen my mom’s face. And you know what they said?

“What did they say?”

—They said, we’re giving you a cake, and presents, and celebrating for you, so why are you going home? Why go home. Why! Aren’t they crazy? Seriously?

“So you really couldn’t go?”

—No! Wait, no, that’s not what I was trying to say.

“It’s okay.”

—Sigh. The shooting proposal is so demanding today, I can’t get my head straight. The main writer marked it all up in red. Literally everything in red. She told me to rewrite the whole thing.

“Stay strong.”

Lying on the living room sofa listening to her sad complaints, I felt a little guilty, so I decided to show some courtesy by sitting up straight. It was one of the greatest acts of goodwill I could muster.

—Are you busy these days?

“No. I’m looking for work.”

—I heard you had a project.

“It was a small one, so it finished quickly.”

—What about the studio?

“It’s officially opening next week.”

—Wow. Are you having an opening party or anything?

“Nope. No work, so no party.”

At my calm voice, the sub-writer seemed to realize that I wasn’t just saying I was looking for work for the sake of it.

—I’ve been asking around too. Actually, a lot of people are looking for you, Assistant Director-nim. But it’s all for coming back to work here.

“That’s a relief. That there are places that still want me. I’ll think about it if I get really desperate.”

—Other than that… Hmm… my friend is doing something, hold on. Is it okay if you talk a little about your personal experience?

“Is it a lecture? Am I qualified to do that?”

—It’s not a lecture. And you’re more than qualified. I’ll ask first and let you know.

“I don’t know what it is, but thank you anyway.”

—Okay. I should ask about this first before anything else and then call you back. Hang in there… But really, you don’t have any thoughts of working freelance for a bit?

“Which team is it?”

—A lot of people are looking, but if you’re really willing, just come back to our team. PD Choi keeps changing the new assistant directors. Says their videos are shoddy.

“Fighting.”

—No. I’ll treat you well, really.

“That’s what I heard when I first went there. Brings back memories.”

—Ah. Come to think of it, me too. A senior from my university club introduced me to this place, said the atmosphere was good.

“Are you still close with that senior?”

—Nope. We don’t talk anymore. I think I cut him off along with this job. Sob, sob.

“Don’t cry.”

—I’m not crying. Sniffle.

At my words of comfort, the sub-writer pretended to cry like a joke. But by the end, it was so full of sincerity that I thought she was actually crying.

˙✧˖🎥⋆˙

We remain as we are, and sometimes we fail to be gentle with each other. To be honest, it’s often… no, maybe it’s every day, but anyway.

Still, I think things are pretty good right now. While belatedly searching a few things about getting back together, a subject on which I had already committed, I saw a saying. That it’s common for couples to try hard not to repeat the same mistakes, get exhausted from the excessive effort, and eventually break up again.

It was a story I could fully sympathize with, so it came to mind once or twice. Even at the moment I finally put the studio apartment I was supposed to move into on the market, and packed up my things from the goshiwon to move in here. I thought it was truly difficult.

But now, that worry has mostly diluted, and for a long time, it has floated around my head as nothing more than a faint trace.

I sat quietly in the passenger seat and watched Lee Hyun’s profile as he drove. His closed lips and high nose bridge. The way his relaxed eyes stared ahead. As I watched him at ease, I recalled the situation before we left. The moment I said I would drive since he must be tired lately, and the sharp tone and confidence with which he fiercely criticized my driving skills. How can he say such things to his boyfriend? It never ceases to amaze me.

“Get more driving lessons.”

Sensing my gaze, Lee Hyun started the engine as if to begin nagging again. I muttered with a sad heart.

“I’m telling you, I made a good save in that accident. If I hadn’t hit that parking garage pillar, I would have hit the Mercedes in front. Thanks to hitting the pillar, I stopped 2cm away.”

“So. You’re saying you did a good job?”

“No. I’m just asking you to acknowledge my effort a little. And I’m actually good at driving mid-size cars. The large sedan you lent me, I just wasn’t used to the sense of distance…!”

The moment I recognized my voice getting louder, I stopped talking. Let’s stop. Stop. I’ll just shut my mouth.

Come to think of it, that’s right. Hitting it is hitting it, what am I raising my voice for, saying I did a good job? Okay. Let’s stop here. I’ll be the one to hold back. That was pretty mature, Shin Jio.

After letting out a breath and firmly closing my mouth, Lee Hyun thankfully didn’t press the issue further. Thus, the debate about my driving skills stopped at a reasonable level. A truly fortunate thing.

It’s a fresh thought, but Lee Hyun’s personality has definitely softened in some areas. Although if someone else saw it, they might ask if this is what ‘softened’ looks like. In the past, he would have hounded me until I booked driving lessons and declared my fault right in front of him.

Could this be the part where you’re making an excessive effort to compromise? Not that I’m worried, since he says everything he wants to say anyway.

The car stopped at a red light at that moment. Lee Hyun let go of the steering wheel and reached out his hand. I stayed still, wondering what he was doing. He gently wrapped his hand around the nape of my neck and pulled me in.

My body, buckled in by the seatbelt, only tilted a little. Lee Hyun leaned his body closer, his eyes meeting mine as I stared at him. I stared fixedly into his jet-black pupils, as if in a staring contest. Why. What. Again.

As I glared back at him, Lee Hyun blinked his eyelids lightly. Instead, he tilted his face further and pressed his lips against my tightly closed lower lip. The moment he got too close, I finally blinked and let out a chuckle. As if taking my tremor with him, Lee Hyun lightly brushed his lips against mine before pulling away to look at me again.

Curious about Lee Hyun’s gaze, which was staring at me as if my habit had been transmitted to him, I asked.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m in the middle of thinking what you did wrong today to be acting so cautious.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Are you meeting someone I hate?”

No. I was so genuinely surprised that I had to put strength into my eyelids so as not to show it. Thankfully, the light changed just before he could notice my strange expression. Lee Hyun grabbed the steering wheel and glanced ahead again.

Maybe smart people… have some degree of foresight.

˙✧˖🎥⋆˙

The studio, where construction had finished last week, was now spotless after being cleaned. Now, the construction on the upper floor was in full swing. I walked around, covering my ears every time the piercing sound of something being ground rang out. Lee Hyun also seemed uncomfortable with the noise, his eyebrows twitching once as he looked up and said.

“I’ll go upstairs and come back.”

“Okay. Daeun said she’s coming, so I’ll be here.”

“You visit the studio every day, but you’re not interested in the house?”

“I’ve been going up and down this building every day while you were at the office.”

As if it were a joke, he chuckled, gently pressed the tip of my protesting nose, and lowered his hand. I thought he was about to go up, but when he habitually tried to fiddle with me again, I grabbed his hand.

“Daeun is coming.”

“She’s not here yet.”

“What if she comes in right now.”

Just as Lee Hyun was about to retort, the noise once again shook the entire building. It was a terrible, sharp sound that gave me goosebumps. Seeing my scrunched-up face, Lee Hyun clicked his tongue slightly, looked up, and walked out. Just as he was about to step through the wide-open door, Daeun, frowning slightly, passed him and came inside.

Daeun was also distracted by the roaring sound as she entered, looking up at the ceiling for a moment, which allowed me to give Lee Hyun a meaningful look. See? She came right in.

Unaware of the intense eye contact we had exchanged, Daeun soon turned to face Lee Hyun.

“Lee Hyun, are you leaving already?”

“I’m just going upstairs for a bit. Stay with Jio.”

“Okay. See you later.”

Daeun, who had been distracted by greeting Lee Hyun, finally looked around the studio with wide eyes. Hmm. As expected, it feels more a little embarrassing than proud.

“Jio. This place is so nice.”

“Yeah. It is.”

“What kind of work will you be doing from now on?”

That’s something I don’t know yet either. Lately, I’d reached the point of giving up on even worrying about it. I’ll probably figure something out eventually. I just shrugged my shoulders.

“For now, there are some small requests for photos or videos, but I’m not sure. I’m planning to think about what’s next after that.”

“You seem so successful. More than when you were the CEO of that company. Oh my. You’re a CEO again now, aren’t you? Right?”

“Daeun, you’re so positive.”

“Congratulations, really. I’ll bring a plant or something next time I come.”

“It’s okay. I’ll probably just kill any plant. I’m already worried about the ones I have.”

I motioned with my chin towards the three potted plants lined up along the wall by the entrance. One was a plant with large leaves sent by the sub-writer. Then a pot from Sunghee. And another from a former colleague I kept in touch with. They all claimed to have excellent air-purifying abilities, but I was a person more worried about the effect I would have on the plants than the effect the plants would have on me. Daeun examined the plants and then patted my back lightly.

“These are all easy ones. You just need to water them well, so don’t worry too much.”

“That would be a relief. They’re all living things, after all.”

“I’ll look it up later and write down the watering dates for you. Is there anything else I can help with? I came to look around and help out, but it’s so clean there’s nothing to do.”

“Help with what? Just look around, have a meal, and go.”

I never intended to ask her to do anything in the first place, but Daeun kept asking if there was anything to do and walked a lap along the walls of the empty studio. I was about to persuade her to sit on the sofa in the corner, but she seemed to be having quite a bit of fun opening the windows for no reason, so I let her be.

Instead, I picked up a few packages that had been piled up in front of the door and brought them inside. The shelves and furniture hadn’t arrived yet, so I took the packages into the pantry in the corner. I was in the middle of roughly shoving the packages onto a shelf above the sink, which still smelled new. This one is stationery. I took it back out. This is A4 paper. This is film again.