Life, Once Again!

After Story 152

“There, there! Gather your glasses! It’s fate that brought us together, so let us get along from now on. Don’t bully me too much because I’m a newbie,” Nayeon said as she raised her glass.

She stood up from the table and made rounds under the guise of toasting. She toasted with everyone before returning to her seat. She intentionally pushed Maru to the side so that he sat next to Dawoon.

“Now that I see you like this, you’re much better looking than Jichan-oppa.” She tried talking to Maru.

“He’s much better than me.”

“Why do you say that? I say you’re much more manly. That guy is too fair looking.”

“Did you have a hand in making me look fair or something?” Jichan retorted.

There were two reasons she attended this meeting today. One was to see what kind of person Maru was, and the other was to see what kind of schemes that Choi Seungah was cooking up.

With Seungah, she looked like a good person on the outside, just as she had heard from Dawoon. She smiled a lot and she received conversations well. It was probably this side of her that Dawoon was attracted to which made her end up talking about her worries, the consequence of which was a betrayal. She was the type that Nayeon hated the most: people who tried to take advantage of other people’s worries to gain their own benefits.

Nayeon looked at Seungah from the corner of her eyes. The way she smiled when talking to Maru was really not to her liking. That woman must have liked Maru as well, and that must be why she became an obstacle for Dawoon when she talked about her worries of her first love.

Right now, she was putting up a pretense of not having any interest in Maru, a pretense of being just a friend, but given the opportunity, she would cook up all sorts of schemes to snatch him away.

The food came out and the alcohol made about two or so rounds. Nayeon quietly asked Maru,

“You have a girlfriend, right, Mr. Maru?”

“I do.”

There was a response as soon as she asked. He didn’t even ask why she asked.

Nayeon tapped on her own cheeks and looked at Dawoon. Her original plan was to hook them together depending on the situation. After all, breaking up and dating someone else was something that happened frequently.

However, she changed her mind when she heard Maru’s instant answer.

“You sound like you have been dating each other for a long time.”

“We have.”

“Looks like you like her a lot.”

Maru smiled instead of responding.

With that, she was sure. This man had no gaps.

Even someone who was dating was bound to show a sign or two if they had other thoughts about their romantic relationship. However, Maru had nothing like that. He was a tree that wouldn’t drop a fruit no matter how hard he was hit; a tree that would break the axe that hit him.

“Dawoon, let’s go to the bathroom.”

Nayeon took Dawoon to the bathroom.

“I don’t have full confidence in my skill to understand a person perfectly, but from my experiences until now, I don’t think Mr. Maru is good.”

“What’s not good?” Dawoon asked back.

“I’m saying you’re better off wrapping up your feelings for him. From how I see it, I don’t think he’ll ever give a single glance your way no matter how much you stare at him. You can see that from how he never talks about anything personal with you….”

“So you want me to give up? Because I’m worse than Han Haneul?”

Nayeon turned her head around to look at Dawoon. The little sister who always gently smiled at her was glaring at her with the intent to kill. She felt like a totally different person, not Jung Dawoon.

“Dawoon?”

Only when she called out to her did Dawoon get startled and lower her head. Dawoon, with her head lowered, kept apologizing.

“What’s up with you? Why did you bring up Han Haneul all of a sudden?”

“I’m sorry, unni. I’m really sorry.”

Dawoon started crying. She looked very unstable. Worried about her, Nayeon quickly hugged her. Dawoon trembled like she had been dipped in a bath of ice water.

“What is it? Did something happen?”

Dawoon revealed her story that she was receiving psychological consultations because of her stress from shoots, and that was why she sometimes blurted out things that she didn’t mean.

“Why didn’t you say it?”

“I didn’t want to make you worry.”

Dawoon took out a medicine parcel from her pocket. She opened it with difficulty and emptied it into her mouth before drinking some water.

“If you’re having a hard time, then you should go home. I’ll take you there.”

“No, I’m okay now. Also, we met up after a long time, so I can’t ruin the atmosphere just because of me.”

“You’re too kind for your own good, worrying for other people.”

No wonder she fell sick. Nayeon patted Dawoon’s back.

This girl was feeble. She must have had a hard time while playing a villain role in her drama. Some people might have sworn at her without being able to differentiate reality and fiction.

How many celebrities were truly mentally healthy? Nayeon could understand.

The sudden mention of Han Haneul was strange, but she did not bother asking. It must be something that happened randomly. She stood next to Dawoon so that Dawoon could calm down. She started to think: Why did this girl suddenly start having difficulties? She could only think of one reason.

“It’s Choi Seungah, isn’t it? She’s the reason you’re rapidly deteriorating, isn’t it?”

“No, I’m really on good terms with Seungah-unni now.”

“Don’t lie to me. Such a girl wouldn’t give a single glance to Choi Seungah? I’m sure you must have forgiven her. You’re a kind girl after all. But you know, people have a subconscious that they aren’t fully aware of. You must be having a hard time because someone you don’t like is all smiles. Especially since Maru is present.”

“Is that how it is?”

She took out some tissue to wipe Dawoon’s tears. Someone who was this affectionate was betrayed. How hurt must she have been? How much suffering did she have to go through? She was innocent and naïve and must have forgiven easily, but being a person, she must have had some residual feelings of hatred as well that she suppressed with her reason. It was no wonder that she fell sick.

“Repeat after me. Choi Seungah is a bitch.”

“N-no, she’s not.”

“I said repeat after me. At times like this, you have to release it to feel better. I do it all the time too. Swear words don’t exist for nothing. They exist because people found them necessary.”

“I’ve never said something like that.”

“I know. Words like this don’t suit you. But at times like these, you have to say them out loud intentionally.”

After hesitating, Dawoon swore with a mosquito-like voice.

She wanted to tell her to say it louder but decided not to. Considering Dawoon’s personality, it must have been hard just swearing.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she felt. She couldn’t believe that someone would backstab a girl like this.

“Should I spray soju at her?” Nayeon said with a smile.

It was only then that Dawoon put on a faint smile.

“Don’t do that.”

“Now you’re smiling. You should tell me if you’re having a hard time. I can make an excuse and leave. Okay?”

“Okay.”

They were leaving the bathroom together when Dawoon spoke in a small voice,

“Unni, I’m really thankful. Without you, I would have had a really hard time.”

“Don’t be. It’s natural to look after someone like you. It’s Choi Seungah that’s a strange woman. Anyway, when we go back, don’t mind her and just enjoy the occasion with everyone else. Other than Choi Seungah, they’re all decent people. No, wait, should I strip off that woman’s mask at this opportunity?”

“I want to get along with everyone.”

She was a round girl until the end. Nayeon let out a small sigh and smiled.

“I’ll hold back for your sake. Let’s go.”

She grabbed Nayeon’s hand and returned to the room.

“Who did you swear at this time?” Jichan said.

“Who else can it be? There’s only one person here who deserves a good swear.”

Nayeon gave a sneaky glance at Seungah. Seungah, receiving the gaze, put on a puzzled face. She must have flinched.

She turned around to look at Jichan.

“Of course it’s you, oppa.”

“Fine, swear at me all you want. I don’t know what it is, but I’ll take it.”

As soon as they sat down, they talked about the drama that Dawoon was in.

“Dawoon, your acting was good. I thought a role like that wouldn’t suit her, but she actually looks good in it,” Jichan said.

“Oppa, that’s what you call a difference of skill. Our little Dawoon is perfect when it comes to everything, whether it’s acting or her nature, right?”

“You know, you have been siding with Dawoon for a while now.”

“Of course I should. If I don’t side with a cute and gentle girl like this, then who else would I side with? There’s no one who’s giving her a hard time here, right?”

“Of course not, duh.”

Nayeon looked at Maru and spoke, her tone as mischievous as possible,

“You don’t happen to be the one giving her a hard time right, Mr. Maru?”

“I’m not sure. I think I’m treating her well, but I’m not sure what Dawoon thinks.”

Dawoon immediately followed up, “There’s no one who looks after me as much as you do.”

Nayeon nodded and then looked at Seungah this time.

“Then is Miss Seungah the culprit?”

“What the hell is up with you? Are you drunk?” Jichan interrupted.

“I’m not drunk. I’m just trying to get along.”

“We’re all getting along without you, so you’re the only one who has to do her best.”

“When have I ever not? I’m the definition of sociability and kindness.”

“That’s true. Choi Nayeon is a good girl alright.”

The atmosphere turned cheerful. Choi Seungah’s innards must be flipping over right now. She must be having a difficult time staying here just like how a criminal would feel nervous in front of a victim. She was smiling on the outside as though she was oblivious, but it was clear that she would soon snap out. Those with bad personalities have short tempers after all.

“Since we drank a little. Should we play Truth or Dare? Or the King’s game?” Nayeon suggested.

People immediately said that it was childish but soon they decided to do Truth or Dare. They pushed the plates to one side and placed an empty beer bottle in the middle.

“Then I’ll start.”

Nayeon spun the bottle around energetically. The bottleneck stopped in front of Maru.

“Since we’re doing this for fun, the one who gets picked will have to drink a little in punishment.”

She poured some soju and beer into a glass before asking,

“There’s a member of the opposite sex here that you like. Yes or no.”

“As fellow members of the industry, I like everyone here.”

“How about personal feelings?”

“Absolutely none.”

“Boo, that was disappointing.”

Jichan, who was to her left, snatched the bottle away. For the first round, they decided to go clockwise.

“What’s so disappointing? He has a girlfriend already. Okay then, I’m spinning it.”

Jichan spun the bottle. The bottleneck pointed at Nayeon.

“Let me ask the same question then. You have someone you like here, yes or no?”

She smiled and drank as punishment for not answering. Jichan narrowed his eyes and asked,

“Nayeon, I can’t reciprocate your feelings. You know that, right?”

“How disappointing.”

Livening up the mood, they kept continuing with the game. They exchanged soft questions that could be answered moderately. These were mostly light jabs at best. A bomb drop was bound to occur every once in a while.

Dawoon grabbed the bottle. After spinning around, the bottleneck pointed at Maru.

Dawoon asked in a light tone as though she was making a joke,

“You had a slight interest in me, yes or no?”

Jichan exclaimed in admiration and looked at Maru. Nayeon also chimed in.

It was an awkward question to answer. According to her expectations, there should be a moment of silence or awkward laughter.

However, she was wrong.

“Not in the slightest.”

There was not a single delay in his response as though he just flicked on the switch to an LED light. It was a simple, no-jokes answer.

Nayeon saw Dawoon’s fingertips trembling. She felt like she couldn’t let things go like this.

She laughed heartily and picked up the punishment glass.

“Okay, that’s it! Everyone’s so innocent that it’s no fun. Let’s end it after I drink this as punishment.”

“If you wanted to drink, then you should’ve said so,” Jichan said with a smile.

They decided to talk for a while before switching places. Jichan left first, saying that he would guide everyone to a sushi house he knew. Dawoon and Seungah followed suit.

Nayeon spoke to Maru, who was packing up his stuff.

“You could’ve replied in a softer way.”

When she said it, she realized that she left out all the context. Just as she thought that he must not have understood and was about to speak again,

“There are people like this from time to time. Those who don’t take what’s good for them as is.”

“What?”

“What did you hear from Dawoon?” Maru asked as he walked over.

“You were so obvious that it was easy to see. This must be your first time meeting Seungah, but you were quite hostile to her. It’s like you know something.”

“Well, if you saw it that way, then I can’t help it. But since we’re on the topic, let me say something.”

Nayeon talked about what kind of situation Dawoon was in. That should’ve been enough for him to understand what kind of terrible person Choi Seungah was. However, Maru’s expression did not change.

“Did you hear all of this from Dawoon?”

“Yes! She’s such a pitiful girl. She’s so feeble and….”

“Did you bother to check the truth?”

“What?”

“You have an innocent side to you unlike how you look, Miss Nayeon. It seems Dawoon saw that too. Also, Dawoon is in a much more serious condition than I thought.”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

Maru only smiled faintly and walked past her.