Chapter 170

170th Chapter

“I love you.”

As a member of TwoBear, I wanted to be a reliable employee to my colleagues.

As the manager of a team called Girl Revolution, I aspired to be a competent leader.

And I wanted to be an adult that the kid named Gaeul could lean on.

“Forever from now on.”

But I failed.

To satisfy all of that at the same time.

It was because I was lacking.

It was because I was foolish.

Despite swearing I wouldn’t make the same mistake again, there was no reason other than to end up repeating it.

“….”

My fingers moving over the keyboard to write the documents came to a halt.

“So, why is that worth anything? …I really don’t know.”

My stomach churned.

My head ached.

The roughness of my tongue oddly irritated me.

Breathing felt like a painstakingly detailed process with every movement feeling cumbersome.

The ticking of the clock, the hum of the humidifier, the whir of the computer fan—everything felt annoyingly loud and extravagant.

My head hurt.

“Team Leader Seon.”

“….”

“Team Leader Seon!”

I belatedly realized someone was standing next to me.

“….Yuri?”

It was Oh Yoori.

“What time is it, and why are you still here instead of going back to the accommodation?”

“Then what are you doing, Team Leader Seon?”

“Oh, I was working. It would be great if I could handle everything during work hours, but it’s not that easy.”

“You’ve been staring blankly at the screen for the past ten minutes—is that working?”

…Why is she suddenly starting a fight?

“Alright, I was wrong. I’ll work hard and stop fooling around. So you should go back now. It’s dangerous if you stay too late.”

“Work? Don’t bother. I’m not here for that. Honestly, I couldn’t care less whether you work or not.”

“…Then why are you here?”

Then Oh Yoori pulled a can from the front pocket of the pink tracksuit I had gifted her and said,

“Take this.”

I took the can and checked what it was.

“….”

Beer.

“Where did you get this? …Don’t tell me you bought it secretly?”

“I borrowed it from Oh Jin-woo’s mini fridge.”

“….”

…I told her to hide it in front of the kids, and that plagiarism-headed jerk Oh Jin-woo.

Then Oh Yoori pulled out another can from her left pocket and popped it open with a satisfying hiss.

“Hey, wait a minute, why are you opening that?”

“To drink it.”
“I’m going to drink this.”

“This is crazy! You’re a middle school student. Do you know what will happen if you get caught?”

“Don’t worry. It’s non-alcoholic.”

I snatched the can from Oh Yoori’s hands to check.

It really was non-alcoholic beer.

“No, that’s not the problem… well, if it’s non-alcoholic, it might be okay since we’re at the office and no one’s likely to make a fuss about it. Yeah, don’t get your hopes up too much. Just sip it moderately.”

Then Oh Yoori pulled out a chair from Seok Hyun-woo’s desk next to me and said,

“Let’s drink together.”

“…”

Why is she acting like this?

“You and me?”

“Yes.”

“Do I really need to explain how much I’m letting this slide? And you want me to drink with a middle schooler at work?”

“It’s non-alcoholic!”

“…Sigh, Yoori.”

I let out a deep sigh and said,

“I thought you were mature and had a strong sense of discipline and responsibility? But now I think that might change… Just go inside while I’m being nice. I have work to do.”

“Come on, just hang out with me once! I’ve been handling things without causing trouble! Where else would you find a middle school student like me? My friend Dasom, who used to hang out with me and the flowers, just got pregnant, and I’m not like that!”

…What the heck is she talking about?

“…Pregnant?”

“Yes, she said she went all out with a trainee from the same agency.”

“How old is she, and when is her debut?”

“She can debut in two months, and she’s the same age as me.”

“…Is she insane?”

In my head, I imagined Oh Yoori suddenly confessing her pregnancy two months before a new album release.

…There’s no answer to this.

“Wanting to hang out for a bit isn’t asking for that much. I’ll be more well-behaved and exemplary from now on, so please just let me hang out once.”

“…”

I looked up at the ceiling, swallowed a deep sigh, and opened the beer can Oh Yoori handed me.

Ssshhh!

“Cheers!”

“…Cheers.”

We clinked the cans and took a sip. It was non-alcoholic, but still.

As I questioned ‘Why do I have to go through this situation?’ in my head, Oh Yoori continued to babble away instead of me entering deep thought mode.

“So, guess what happened when I asked Trainer Song Johan what that word meant?”

“What did he say?”

“He said he didn’t know either.”

“…So, they’re using those weird English words without knowing what they mean?”

“Right, hehe.”

As we chatted about trivial matters, recent happenings, tough times, and amusing episodes, quite some time passed until Oh Yoori finished the non-alcoholic beer in one go and said,
“Team Leader Seon.”

“Uh, why?”

“I think you’re really lacking in charm.”

“…. ”

“Your personality is frustrating just to watch because you’re such a doormat, and you’re so obsessed with work that you have no personal life. I’ll admit your face isn’t bad, but the overly decadent vibe isn’t my type.”

“…Are you really here to pick a fight?”

What did I do wrong to get this?

“Anyway, I’m definitely not going to see you as a man. I’m the kind of person who prefers rational and logical people.”

“Okay, make sure to meet someone like that. Avoid someone like me.”

“Speaking of which, what I was trying to say is…”

Oh Yoori said lightly as if she had no great feelings about it.

“Just, it’s okay to think of me as a friend.”

“…. ”

“A friend with whom you can have a casual chat over a non-alcoholic beer. Someone who you don’t see as a romantic interest.”

“…. ”

After swallowing her light words seriously, I finally responded.

“You’re talking about being friends? There’s an 11-year age difference between us. What kind of friend vibe is that? Just to clarify, if you casually use banmal, I won’t let it slide.”

The chosen words were nothing less than the quintessential nagging of a dad.

Despite hearing such nonsense, Oh Yoori didn’t seem to mind and chuckled softly.

“Your face is starting to look a little better now.”

“What?”

“Don’t just work; meet people and chat a bit. It’s true that you lack charm, but you should at least protect your few bright spots.”

“No, why are you constantly critiquing me?”

“Maybe I was worried you’d misunderstand and think I saw you as a man.”

“I absolutely won’t, so don’t worry.”

After that, as she chatted until I finished a can of beer, Oh Yoori stood up when I placed the empty can down.

“Well then, I’ve broken enough rules for today, so I’ll go back to being the model student, but I’ll come back as a delinquent when you least expect it.”

“Don’t come back. Just keep maintaining that model student version.”

Oh Yoori giggled at me and said,

“Hehe, I’ll just take after what Team Leader Seon does.”

With that last remark, Oh Yoori left the office.

“…What was she really trying to do?”

Checking the time and letting out a sigh, I tossed the empty beer can in the trash and resumed my work.

Strangely enough, my head didn’t hurt anymore.

*

I arranged today’s schedule in front of Seok Hyun-woo and the newly hired road manager.

“Then, Yoon-ho, please take Gyeoul to the filming set for ‘Star Challenge.’”

“Yes, understood.”
“Sure, got it.”

“Seon Min will go to the audition where Yuri is participating.”

“Yep. Audition, noted!”

“Seok Hyun-woo is…”

I drag out my words, continuing to ponder.

Eventually, I reach a decision.

“Please go to the filming set of ‘Seo Yong-deok’s Music Time’ with Gaeul.”

Seok Hyun-woo looks at me, extending his words as he tries to gauge my reaction.

“Isn’t it better if Team Leader Seon goes? After all, it would be a good response if you participate as a session, right?”

“The cast is Gaeul. If I keep stepping in, it’ll actually look bad. Some people even wonder why the manager is so noticeable, so I should hold back a bit.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes, that’s right. So I’ll arrange today’s schedule like this. Any other opinions?”

“None!”

“Neither do I.”

“If that’s Team Leader Seon’s opinion, then of course we should follow.”

With that sorted, I returned to the office and began to reorganize the work I had briefly finished yesterday.

In the meantime, my work phone rang.

Cheon Aram wanted me to come up because she had something to discuss.

…Here comes the moment of truth.

I swallowed lightly, organized the reports to show her, and headed to the President’s office.

“Seon Taeyang here.”

“Come in.”

I opened the door and sat down in the chair following her lead.

Cheon Aram looked at me with a small smile.

…Hiding anything from our scent detector President is impossible.

As a staff member, it shouldn’t even be an option.

I opened my mouth.

“I’m sorry. Regarding Gaeul…”

“Team Leader Seon.”

Cheon Aram interrupted my words with a peculiar look.

“What I mean by calling you Team Leader Seon in my position is that I’m entrusting all the authority in the management realm to you. So, you don’t need to come off as a guilty party like that.”

“But…”

“I believe Team Leader Seon will handle it wisely. If there’s any part that’s too much to bear, just say that part. I’ll actively help.”

Tensed and ready with my words, I felt a bit deflated looking at her.

Then, just like any other time, a smile naturally appeared.

“I’ll do my best to meet your expectations.”

“Great, let’s leave that aside for now. I called you for something else.”

Cheon Aram then handed me a document.

[Casting Request – Jin Yeoreum]

“…What’s this?”

Cheon Aram scratched her head and added.

“They want to use Yeoreum.”

“Where?”

“For a main spot in a public broadcast program.”

“….”

…Is he out of his mind?

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