Chapter 103: Just as planned
TL: Aniea
“Woo-ju hyung.”
“What.”
"My neck has been tingling for the past few days. Hyung, you're not really going to make the helicopter take off without anyone knowing, are you?"
Kim Cheol-su whispered in such a low voice that even I, standing right next to him, could barely hear it. I tilted my head at his words.
“Helicopter?”
“I mean, isn’t this the kind of situation where your organs get harvested?”
I stared at him blankly, not immediately understanding what he meant. Kim Cheol-su then explained in an even lower voice.
-(He)art
-(Li)ver
-(Co)rnea
-(P)ancreas
-(Te)ndon
-(R)etina
Apparently, “helicopter” is a slang term made by taking the first letters of each of these important organs. I really have no idea where he learns this stuff.
“Don’t worry. The CEO-nim doesn’t like messy things. She's the type to just cleanly concrete you up and toss you into the Pacific Ocean.”
“...You talk like you’ve seen it happen yourself.”
“Who knows.”
Kim Cheol-su, completely shriveled up, looked up at me with trembling eyes. As if asking whether it was true.
In response, I simply shrugged. That’s just the impression I get. I’ve never actually seen it.
‘Of course, I never will either.’
If a day ever comes where I witness such an unreal scene with my own eyes, that’d probably be the day of my own funeral.
‘Well, separate from that...’
My nape had also been tingling just as much as Kim Cheol-su’s. And for the same reason.
A few days ago.
To be exact, ever since I couldn’t resist her provocation and ended up pressing my lips against hers. From that moment on, an overwhelming murderous aura started flying at me nonstop.
It was so intense that the hairs on my body stood on end. When I flinched and turned my head, there stood none other than Kim Eun-ha.
-Eun-ha ssi?
-.......
She didn’t say a word.
Nor did she make any movement.
She simply stared at me quietly from a distance.
If I tried to approach her, she’d disappear in a flash. And whenever I suddenly felt a chill down my spine and turned around, she was always standing right there.
‘...It’s the same at home too.’
Whenever we’re in a space we can’t avoid, like commuting or eating, we talk casually as if nothing’s wrong.
But how should I put it.
It feels oddly colder somehow.
“...That woman is seriously scary.”
“...Even calling the CEO-nim that takes guts. Guts. You really have a death wish or something. Aren’t you already mid-air on that helicopter?”
“Don’t say horrible things. I’m going to live a long, long life precisely because I’m bitter about being born an orphan.”
“And yet you smoke?”
“I quit.... Hey! Don’t mess with my hair!”
I ignored him completely and tousled Kim Cheol-su’s hair thoroughly. Despite what he said, he didn’t try to avoid it when I touched him.
"Stop treating me like a kid!"
“It’s because you’re cute.”
“What kind of bullshit are you about to spout now?”
“Didn’t you just worry about your hyung?”
“...You hit your head or something? Why would I worry about you? If I had my way, I wish you’d just drop dead somewhere out of sight.”
Even though he said that so harshly, the way he averted his eyes told me he was embarrassed.
I’ve already fixed most of his behavior, so now I just need to do something about that foul mouth of his.
Suppressing the rising sense of satisfaction inside, I messed up Kim Cheol-su’s hair once more.
"Don't worry. I can't die even if I want to until I make you into a complete person. I guaranteed lifelong after-sales service to the Orphanage director."
“...Do you think I’m some kind of product?”
“Ah, nice words only.”
“Not happening!”
Kim Cheol-su shouted as if ready to attack me any second now, but in reality, his body stayed as far away from me as possible.
That must be proof that his forcibly instilled character is working well.
“Go get to practice. Last time I saw her, Han-na was really worried about you.”
“...Her? About me? Why?”
“She said you’ve got a surprisingly delicate heart despite how you look. Said you were practicing until dawn even after returning to the orphanage.”
“......!?”
Was it true? Kim Cheol-su’s eyes widened. As if to ask how I knew that.
He definitely had no talent when it came to acting. Probably the reason he works so hard at it, because he knows it himself.
Above all, since his peer Kang Han-na is a “genius” and they’re even playing a married couple in the play, the comparison is inevitable.
For someone like Kim Cheol-su, who’s prideful, that must feel more like a “natural disaster” than anything else. I don’t know for sure, but he’s probably suffered quite a bit in silence.
‘...Just like I did.’
Before I realized it, my eyes drifted toward the stage. There, Seo Jun-woo and Kang Han-na were in the middle of a heated discussion.
They were too far away for me to hear what they were saying, but it was a scene commonly seen during rehearsals. Seems like geniuses really do communicate differently.
Honestly, I’m jealous.
That dazzling talent.
As someone who’s merely average, I can’t help but feel envy.
Though we come from the same place, Kang Han-na manages to catch up to the acting skills I’ve built over a lifetime in an instant. At times, that even scares me. And yet.
“Well, even mediocrity has its own path.”
“Huh? What did you just say...”
“Hmm. Nothing in particular. Anyway, you have my personal number, right? If you get stuck on something during practice, just call me anytime. Even if it’s in the middle of the night.”
“.......”
Normally, I’d get a response like, “Why would I?” But maybe Cheol-su’s been feeling something lately, because he nodded.
Smirk-
Seeing that, I held back a light laugh and stepped away. Practice is important, but there’s something even more urgent right now.
If even Kim Cheol-su is sensing something’s off, then it’s hard to chalk it up to just my imagination anymore.
With that resolve in mind, I turned my gaze, and immediately locked eyes with Kim Eun-ha, who had been staring daggers at me.
“Eun-ha...”
Swoosh-!
Just as I called her name, Kim Eun-ha swiftly turned her head away. That wasn’t enough for her, she actually turned and started walking away.
I quickly chased after her into the hallway. Her pace was so fast it took quite a while to catch up.
“W-Wait a second!”
I hurriedly grabbed her hand. Only then did she stop and turn around.
Kim Eun-ha looked between her wrist, which I had grabbed, and my face, silently sending me a message.
It was quite a lengthy one. But to summarize, it basically read, “Let go of my hand right now”. Of course, I pretended not to notice.
“Eun-ha ssi. Can we talk for a moment?”
“Talk about what?”
Her tone was sharp.
Her voice, cold.
Like a blade made of ice.
“Did I… do something wrong?”
“.......”
In times like this, a frontal approach is best.
I was sure this was much closer to the correct answer than beating around the bush. If I back down just because I’m scared, nothing will come of it.
As if to prove that, Kim Eun-ha answered in a slightly less severe voice than before.
“Yes. You did something very wrong.”
Kim Eun-ha nodded coolly. I had a general idea of what she meant, but to be sure, I asked again.
“Hmm. What did I do wrong, exactly?”
“...Are you seriously asking me that right now?”
“Isn’t that the most accurate way?”
Sigh-
Kim Eun-ha let out a deep sigh at my confident nod. Apparently, that wasn’t enough, she pressed her forehead and shook her head from side to side.
“Do you really think I’d just answer that question so easily?”
“Of course.”
“Based on what?”
“Well... because you’re Eun-ha ssi?”
Kim Eun-ha looked at me like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Still, based on past experience, I believed she’d answer me eventually.
In truth, if it were her usual self, she would’ve voiced her complaints before I even had a chance to ask. But people aren’t always consistent.
Especially when it’s something uncomfortable that’s hard to bring up directly, like this situation.
“...Sometimes I really can’t tell whether you’re shameless or brave, Woo-ju ssi. Fine. Since it's come to this, let's speak frankly."
“By all means.”
I put strength into my gaze and pretended to look resolute. With another sigh, Kim Eun-ha furrowed her brows and finally spoke.
“We kissed and now you’re acting way too indifferent, don’t you think?”
“...Sorry, what?”
For a moment, I didn’t understand what Kim Eun-ha meant. When I openly showed that confusion, the lines on her face deepened.
“I mean, when you kiss, lock lips, with a woman like me, shouldn’t there be some sort of reaction? How can you act exactly the same as usual!?”
“.......”
Kim Eun-ha raised her voice as if she genuinely couldn’t understand. Only then did I realize why she had been sulking for so long.
It’s a bit late to say this, but Kim Eun-ha is a woman full of narcissism. She takes great pride not only in her abilities but also in her looks and body.
‘Because she puts in that much effort.’
Of course, her genes are naturally outstanding, but she also manages herself thoroughly, even while squeezing time out of her busy schedule.
That effort never betrays her, so even now, just walking down the street, she gets approached by countless men, it’s a given.
Putting her background aside, just based on appearance alone, she could fill a truck with men running after her.
“...So your pride was hurt?”
“That’s right.”
She admitted it coolly.
Watching her, my mind grew even more tangled. After all, our relationship is strictly contractual.
And yet, this felt as if she had been trying to seduce me. No matter how I thought about it, that was the only conclusion I could reach.
“Uh… um… were you trying to seduce me?”
“Yup.”
“...Can I at least hear the reason?”
“I made a bet with Secretary Yoon.”
“A bet?”
I tilted my head at her completely unexpected response. Seeing this, Kim Eun-ha added with a mischievous smile on her lips.
“A few days ago, Secretary Yoon said something. That your gaze seemed unusual, and that I should check if you were thinking of me as a woman.”
...She noticed that?
I didn’t show it outwardly, but I was definitely shaken on the inside. I thought I had been acting so perfectly that even I was fooled.
But I’m human too. Naturally, when a woman as attractive as Kim Eun-ha is that close, romantic feelings are bound to form.
I just tried my best to suppress them, because if those ulterior motives were exposed, I wouldn’t know when the helicopter might take off. That still hasn’t changed.
“...Ahaha! Come on, no way! I swear to the heavens, I’ve never harbored any impure thoughts toward CEO-nim. And that’s not going to change.”
“.......”
“O-of course! That doesn’t mean Eun-ha ssi isn’t attractive. I mean, I’m human too, so I’ve had moments of temptation, here and there. And...”
“So you were tempted in the end?”
“.......”
The look in Kim Eun-ha’s eyes suddenly felt like it might tear me apart, so I hurriedly tried to explain, but ended up tripping over my own words.
But with the water already spilled, there was no way to take it back. So I chose once again to go for a head-on approach.
“If I had no thoughts at all while standing next to someone like you, I wouldn’t be a man. Ah! But no need to worry. What you’re imagining won’t happen.”
“Hmph.”
Kim Eun-ha, arms crossed, looked me up and down. She still seemed a bit displeased, but her energy was clearly softer than before.
“Alright, I get it. Woo-ju ssi is human too, after all. Living together, it’s natural that feelings might develop. That’s the more natural outcome, right?”
“...Yes, well, that’s true.”
I felt like we might be slightly off-track in our understanding of each other, but I wasn’t tactless enough to press that issue here.
For now, since it seemed like her mood had improved a bit, I figured I’d leave it at that. Thinking so, I let out a silent sigh of relief.
“Eun-ha unnie! Woo-ju oppa!”
Just then, the children’s voices called to us from afar. After briefly exchanging glances, we turned and headed back toward the stage.
“...Just as planned.”
“Sorry?”
Kim Eun-ha muttered something as she walked ahead, but it was too quiet to hear clearly.
“Just talking to myself.”
“...I see.”
“Yeah.”
Heh-
Kim Eun-ha showed no intention of explaining, simply suppressing a quiet laugh as she walked on ahead.
*****
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