Chapter 178
In the cold air, I was sweating coldly but pretended not to be flustered as I said,
“I’m not lying; I like Gaeul. So….”
“Lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies.”
With a flickering gaze and Yeoreum’s dramatic emotions I had never seen before, I was flustered by the turbulent waves of this situation and cautiously said,
“Yeoreum, calm down; let’s focus on what’s in front of us….”
“You shouldn’t lie, Team Leader Seon. It’s not like that, right? Your relationship with Older Sister Gaeul isn’t that sweet, is it?”
Yeoreum said, twisting her mouth into a smirk.
“Team Leader Seon is the victim, right? You accepted her threats, didn’t you? I know everything, too.”
“….”
“I’ll help you. I’ll make sure you aren’t swayed by Older Sister Gaeul’s coercion and one-sided feelings.”
It seemed Yeoreum knew all about the situation that day, but how, I had no idea.
This was the worst-case scenario.
Even so, I couldn’t just sit back and watch this chaotic situation get worse.
I spoke as firmly as I could.
“That might be true; I might have created the worst situation, and being flustered by the situation itself might have worsened it further.”
“If that’s the case….”
“But things are different now.”
“…What?”
Leaving vague and clumsy comments wouldn’t do, and giving room for Yeoreum’s feelings was just playing with fire.
I had to be steadfast. I needed to be sharp. I had to embrace the ugly truth.
I had become a foolish manager who forgot responsibility and saw idols as something more, but if I chose that path, I at least shouldn’t be a spineless fool.
That was the only way we could hurt less.
“I take my relationship with Gaeul seriously and am envisioning a future. Yeah, on the day the contract ends in about five years, I plan to date Gaeul.”
“….”
“I understand it might seem irresponsible. It’s a choice that deserves criticism as a manager and an adult. However, Yeoreum, I hope you understand.”
Knowing the wounds the child before me would endure.
And knowing the wounds Gaeul would face.
I spat out my harsh and sharp words.
“Support me. I wish you would.”
“….”
I began to understand why Seok Hyun-woo had left me with such a serious tone when he asked me to take good care of things. He probably sensed Yeoreum’s feelings like that.
And as an adult, as a colleague, I was expected to handle this wisely.
It would be.
But I would betray his expectation.
Well, Seok Hyun-woo probably didn’t expect to see Yeoreum crying like that.
As I couldn’t bring myself to wipe away her tears, Yeoreum spoke while sobbing alone.
“Team Leader Seon.”
And then the small aircraft began to accelerate.
I was startled by the sudden speed change, but pretended not to care and replied.
“Yeah, Yeoreum.”
“I love you, Team Leader Seon. I can’t be without you.”
“That’s not true. You can do just fine without me. Even if I become Gaeul’s partner, our relationship won’t change. I’ll always be your manager, just like before.”
“I can’t be satisfied with just that!”
“….”
It felt like the plane was speeding up even more.
Feeling the tension, I couldn’t hold back anymore and spoke about the current situation.
“Yeoreum, but maybe we should slow down a bit and talk….”
“My dreams, my hopes, the people who protect me, the one I want to marry and have kids with—it’s all become you, Team Leader Seon. But you say we’ll just stay as manager and artist? I can’t bear that. Really, I’ve tried so hard to hold back and I’ve made countless attempts to give up, but I’ve failed. I can’t give up.”
“Uh, but, Yeoreum, I think we should focus on the airplane for now? The dashboard looks a little concerning.”
The wings seemed to be shaking.
I was aware, with my shallow knowledge, that some shaking in a small airplane was normal, but it felt like the whole body was trembling beyond that.
No matter how I looked at it, this wasn’t an ordinary situation.
“Team Leader Seon. I love you. Ever since the day you caught me at the airport.”
“Yeoreum, let’s just look ahead. I feel something’s off.”
“I’ve loved you all along. Even during my study abroad when I escaped and ignored your proposals, and that day when I returned to the past and found myself in your embrace.”
The dashboard lights began to flash.
Overwhelming fear made cold sweat pour down my face.
I searched through the reward menu, but there was no help for a situation like this.
“Yeoreum, please. Please calm down and stay composed….”
“I was sure that day on the dark stage when your voice and the scarlet lights filled the space, that this love wouldn’t come twice in my life. If there was a second chance, I’d rather die than face it first.”
“Yeoreum, look ahead. Please!”
“Please go out with me. Team Leader Seon.”
“Yeoreum!”
As I gripped my seatbelt tight and trembled, Yeoreum repeated just that phrase like a broken cassette tape, seemingly unaware of everything else.
The summer kept repeating that like a broken cassette tape, as if saying I couldn’t hear anything at all.
“Please go out with me, Team Leader Seon.”
I wavered. The lights flickered. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but something was definitely messed up.
Status bar! Damn it, status bar! Help me out with a quest or anything, please!
But the clueless stat bar didn’t respond.
“I love you.”
Realizing there was no salvation, I screamed in a state of panic.
“Let’s date! After the contract ends, let’s date!!!”
*
“Oh, this is a gift to commemorate us going out.”
With that, summer handed me the keys to the light aircraft that had just been piloting us and slashing through the sky.
I took the keys with trembling hands and stared at the light aircraft.
Even if you gave me a fortune, I had no intention of getting back into that thing.
I asked, pouring all my hazy feelings into it.
“Is it possible to get a refund? Canceling the contract is fine too.”
Summer held my hand with both of hers delicately, as if it was precious, and said,
“Refund for the aircraft is, of course, possible. If you want, we’ll cover the taxes, and just deposit the money into your account.”
“Uh… thank goodness. Then, about what we just said…”
“But I’m absolutely not refundable.”
“…”
Summer released her hands from mine and hugged me tightly around my neck.
“My money, honor, worth, assets, my body.”
Then she whispered as if engraving it into my ear.
“Everything that makes up Jin Yeoreum will forever belong to Team Leader Seon.”
*
Oh Yoori, who had an extraordinary talent for reading others’ emotions, sensed something.
It felt like something very important had happened between Yoo Gaeul and Jin Yeoreum.
And that it definitely wasn’t a positive thing.
On top of that, Oh Yoori quickly concluded that given how mature and responsible they usually were, it must be something involving Seon Taeyang.
Although the likelihood of such a thing was small since both were professionals, if a rumor of discord surfaced, it would blow up the workplace called Girl Revolution. In a panic, Oh Yoori sought out the suspect, Seon Taeyang.
“Team Leader Seon! What on earth have you done this time…?”
What Oh Yoori saw was the incredibly gloomy and tired-looking Seon Taeyang, who looked like he could jump out of the window at any moment.
“…”
Unable to finish her previous sentence, Oh Yoori thought hard and cautiously asked.
Unable to finish her thoughts and just flapping her lips, Oh Yoori furrowed her brow and cautiously asked.
“…Should I bring some beer?”
Seon Taeyang, moving his head like a zombie, replied.
“…Please.”
Oh Yoori, in a hurry like the days when she was chased by Ban Seong-cheol, dashed to Oh Jin-woo’s beer fridge and grabbed one can of non-alcoholic beer and two cans of regular beer.
Just then, the plagiarizing composer Oh Jin-woo returned to the studio and spotted her.
“Ah! You’re the beer thief! That’s mine!”
“Move! A life is at stake here!”
“…Huh?”
Shoving Oh Jin-woo aside, Oh Yoori dashed back to Seon Taeyang’s office, panting as she handed over the beers.
Seon Taeyang looked at the beer with dead eyes, opened a can, and slammed it back in one go.
“Ah, sip it slowly! You’ll get sick!”
“…Sorry.”
“No, I didn’t want an apology. …Ugh, this is serious.”
Pulling a chair from Seok Hyun-woo’s desk, she sat across from him, opened a can of non-alcoholic beer, took a sip, and glanced at him.
“So, what’s going on? You need to spill it; holding it in will make it worse.”
“….”
“I won’t tell anyone. I know how to keep a secret.”
“…Aren’t you a bit close to having no friends to talk to?”
“Ugh, fine! You’re right! I have no one to talk to, so hurry up and spill!”
Seeing Seon Taeyang look conflicted as if unsure whether he could say this in front of a child, Oh Yoori emphasized,
“It’s about Older Sister Gaeul and Older Sister Yeoreum, right?”
“….”
“In that case, it’s not just someone else’s problem; it’s a very important matter for me as a member of the Girl Revolution team. Am I right?”
“…Yeah.”
With that, Seon Taeyang seemed to have made a decision and opened his mouth.
“I’m screwed.”
Wanting to give hope to Seon Taeyang, who was filled with despair, Oh Yoori said whatever came to her mind.
“Don’t jump to such a pessimistic conclusion so quickly. From a third-party perspective, it might not be that big of a deal!”
“…Not that big of a deal?”
“Yeah! Stuff like this happens all the time in the world.”
“Is that so… Then, will you listen and judge?”
Remembering the therapeutic attitudes of human-centered counseling from a psychology book she read, Oh Yoori replied energetically.
“Of course!”
*
And after listening to Seon Taeyang’s self-blaming explanation for dozens of minutes, Oh Yoori concluded.
“…You’re totally screwed.”
That was the most positive conclusion she could muster.
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