Big Life

Chapter 181: The Bombing Starts (2)

‘Did he sleep early because he’s tired?’

Lee Soo-Hee put away her phone because the call didn't go through.

She called to congratulate Ha Jae-Gun on the success of both Market Place and Gyeoja Bathhouse, but Ha Jae-Gun did not answer the phone, even though it was still early evening.

‘If he's still awake, he should check his phone soon and call me.’

Lee Soo-Hee started unbuttoning her blouse. She had just returned home after a day of work and was still in her work outfit. Loneliness came to her as she took off her skirt and pulled down her stockings.

Smirk.

If Ha Jae-Gun were around, he would be making a huge fuss, wanting to take off her clothes for her. Lee Soo-Hee smiled upon recalling the days when she had to run all around the house to avoid Ha Jae-Gun.

‘I don’t have the appetite, so maybe I should have some instant meals instead.’

Lee Soo-Hee showered into comfortable clothes after showering and then began preparing dinner. She often nagged Ha Jae-Gun not to eat instant meals, yet she had them for herself.

Her time in Taiwan had been flying so quickly that she had never had even a single day off since she arrived here. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything much she could do about it. In fact, today had been an especially difficult day for her.

The microwave dinged. As steam wafted from the pasta that she had just taken out of the microwave, her phone started ringing. Lee Soo-Hee quickly headed for it but lost her smile upon seeing the name on the screen.

The call was from Oh Myung-Hoon.

‘Why is he calling out of the blue…?’

Oh Myung-Hoon was still quite burdensome for Lee Soo-Hee. She knew of the feelings he had for her, which made it more so that she didn’t want to get involved with him any further. While she was hesitating to pick up the call, her phone continued to vibrate endlessly.

Lee Soo-Hee eventually decided to answer the phone.

“Hello.”

— You sound tired today. Is it because I called?

“It’s not that. I’ve been busy lately is why.”

— That’s good to hear.

“Why did you call anyway?”

— That’s too much, Lee Soo-Hee.

Oh Myung-Hoon let out a low sigh.

— I can still call you as a long-time schoolmate to ask how you are doing. Especially since I’m working outside of Korea… Although I don’t have anything in particular to call you about, I just thought of you, that’s why.

“...”

Lee Soo-Hee couldn’t think of what to say in response and only stood there silently. Youngsters were buzzing on the streets in the dark on the streets of Taiwan.

Oh Myung-Hoon then continued a while later.

— I’m working really hard.

“I know.

— Really?

“I heard from others and also read the news.”

She had heard about how Oh Myung-Hoon was in charge of the marketing of There Was A Sea in the U.S. He had done an impeccable job to the extent that she could only acknowledge his hard work.

Oh Myung-Hoon played a major role in getting the novel to stay in the Top 15 Bestsellers books in the New York Times and even went into its fourth reprint. It was a great achievement since the book was more relatable to Koreans.

— But you didn’t even praise me.

“You’re not the type to be happy when others compliment you.”

— It’s different when it's coming from you.

“...”

— Soo-Hee.

“Yeah?”

— Can I go over to Taiwan to visit you?

Lee Soo-Hee’s eyes widened. Oh Myung-Hoon hurriedly said.

— I’m not trying to make you feel burdened. It won’t be long before I have to return to Korea. I just wanted to go on a trip and also meet you once.

“I’m extremely busy, so I might not even get to meet you while you’re here.”

— You won’t be so busy that you can’t even afford the time to have a meal, right?

“No, I really don’t think we can have a meal together,” Lee Soo-Hee replied coldly while she brushed her fringe.

She had the sudden urge to reveal that she was now dating Ha Jae-Gun. But it was not yet time. She couldn’t imagine how this confession would affect Ha Jae-Gun negatively if Oh Myung-Hoon learned of it. Her sixth sense was warning her about it.

“Sorry, Myung-Hoon. I have to go out for dinner now,” Lee Soo-Hee lied as she didn’t wish to continue the call any longer.

Oh Myung-Hoon let out a soft sigh and responded gently, quite unexpectedly.

— …Alright, I got it. Enjoy your dinner, and I’ll call you again.

“Good luck to you.”

Lee Soo-Hee hung up and looked at her phone with mixed feelings. There were no other incoming calls. She drew in a deep breath and dialed Ha Jae-Gun’s number once more. After a few ringtones, the phone was finally connected.

— Yeah, Soo-Hee. I was about to call you now.

“I called again just to check. So you weren’t sleeping?” Lee Soo-Hee asked as she plopped onto the bed. Her face was now blooming with a grin. Hearing Ha Jae-Gun’s voice alone made all the fatigue that she had accumulated over today disappear without a trace.

— I’m living life quite routinely these days. I’m preparing dinner now.

“You’re preparing dinner? Why?”

— Ah, there’s Do-Joon and…

An unexpected voice came through the line.

“Ha Jae-Gun oppa! Please come and taste the food for me!” shouted a feminine voice.

“Who was that?” Lee Soo-Hee asked casually as she sat up, shocked that her tone had turned so cold in the blink of an eye.

Ha Jae-Gun cleared his throat and replied,

— She’s Hong Ye-Seul, the actress who appeared in Gyeoja Bathhouse as a high school student. You know her, right?

“Why is she cooking in your house?” Lee Soo-Hee’s lips trembled slightly.

It was hard for her to accept the fact that there was another woman using his kitchen when she had firmly believed that Lee Soo-Hee herself was the only other woman aside from Ha Jae-Gun’s mother and sister who could cook in his kitchen.

— We’re just grilling meat and making stew. She wanted to thank me for helping her with Gyeoja Bathhouse. I didn’t want to meet her outside just in case it got noisy on the internet again, so I invited her to my house. Park Do-Joon is here as well.

“...”

Lee Soo-Hee wrapped her forehead with one hand.

She didn’t think that Ha Jae-Gun was lying to her. She didn’t doubt that he had any impure intentions as she knew his character well. It was just upsetting and saddening now that she was overseas and wasn't with him at the moment.

— Hello? Soo-Hee?

“I’m listening.”

— I'll go to Taiwan soon. I’ll complete the scenario for Storm and Gale in your room.

“You’ll be coming once a week with all those promises you made. All right… You must be busy now. Enjoy your dinner, and call me later.”

— Alright. You should eat and have a good rest too. Love you.

After hanging up, Lee Soo-Hee put on her slippers and pulled herself up.

She poured the entire plate of cold pasta into the sink and put on a cardigan, and then she stepped out of her studio to grab a beer at the roadside pub nearby. There was no way she could sleep tonight with a clear mind.

***

‘Her timing is just…’

Ha Jae-Gun put his phone back into his pocket and smiled bitterly.

The atmosphere turned strange when Hong Ye-Seul’s voice was heard before he could introduce Hong Ye-Seul’s presence at his place to Lee Soo-Hee. His determination to visit Taiwan as soon as possible became firmer than ever.

“Do-Joon, let’s have dinner first.”

“Yeah, I’m starving.”

Ha Jae-Gun and Park Do-Joon, including Hong Ye-Seul, gathered around at the dining table and had their dinner. Fortunately, the awkward atmosphere didn't last, as Hong Ye-Seul soon returned to her lively personality with a bright smile and joined in their conversation.

“Can I really call you Do-Joon oppa?”

“Of course. If Jae-Gun is your oppa, then are you going to call me ahjae[1]? You should treat me well. Once you get cast for the female lead of Storm and Gale, I’m going to be your acting partner.”

“Wow, I’ll have to start flattering you from now on. Oppas, have a glass each.”

“Let me pour you a glass first. Your glass is empty, too.” Park Do-Joon poured a glass for her, and then he threw a glance at Ha Jae-Gun. Ha Jae-Gun had been relatively quiet throughout the dinner, seemingly occupied with something in his mind. He only had a few pieces of meat while drinking soju.

“Jae-Gun oppa, did something bad happen? Is it?”

“Hmm? No. I was just thinking about something else.” Ha Jae-Gun picked up his glass as he was called back.

He was actually thinking about Lee Soo-Hee. Her gloomy voice over the phone tugged at his heartstrings, so much so that he wanted to hop on a plane right now to see her.

“Shall we finish up here and continue round two down at the basement?” Park Do-Joon proposed, rubbing his hands together. He wasn’t sure what was up with Ha Jae-Gun, but this suggestion was out of consideration for Ha Jae-Gun, who seemed to be low in spirits.

“Ms. Ye-Seul, you haven’t been to the basement, right?”

“Yeah. I heard there’s a billiards table?”

“That’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s a karaoke machine, darts, pinball, and even arcade game machines. There’s also a bar installed down there. Although there’s only soju, rice wine, and Siberian ginseng wine.”

Hong Ye-Seul’s eyes sparkled as she listened to Park Do-Joon's explanation.

“Wow, awesome! Is it really like that? Oppa, let’s hurry and finish up the food. We have to go down for another round there. I might just live in that basement for the rest of my life if I fall in love with it. I'll only come out once I've become a grandma.”

Park Do-Joon and Ha Jae-Gun burst into laughter.

Hong Ye-Seul’s liveliness was truly infectious. Ha Jae-Gun felt slightly better, all thanks to her. The three of them finished their dinner and headed down to the basement to begin round two.

They played games and learned about the different trends happening in the entertainment industry through Park Do-Joon. As someone new in the industry, Hong Ye-Seul perked her ears and listened to him intently.

Time passed quickly as they enjoyed themselves. Soon, it was ten in the evening, and the first one to get drunk was Park Do-Joon. His unfocused eyes and tongue-twisting speech made it difficult for others to understand him.

“Ah-phew, it’s…been a while since I drank…Euk.”

“How could you not get drunk when you mixed both soju and rice wine together? It’s not even somaek; what’s this, somak[2]?” Ha Jae-Gun nagged, but he was quite drunk as well.

He ended up drinking everything that Park Do-Joon had poured for him, so he was quite out of his mind at the moment. Still, he was faring better than Park Do-Joon, so he called Park Do-Joon’s manager, Woo Tae-Bong.

It did not take too long for Woo Tae-Bong to arrive at Ha Jae-Gun’s house.

After carrying the drunk and asleep Park Do-Joon to the car, Ha Jae-Gun staggered back to the basement. Hong Ye-Seul sitting on the sofa in front of the karaoke machine with a microphone in hand greeted him. “Oppa! Let’s sing a song!”

“Are you not tired, Ms. Ye-Seul? I feel like collapsing.”

“Your stamina is bad. Come here, quick! Let’s just sing a song each, hmm?”

Ha Jae-Gun took a cup of cold coffee and went to the sofa.

Hong Ye-Seul slid right beside Ha Jae-Gun and clung next to him, saying, “Sitting like this with you reminds me of the old times.”

“Haha…”

“I was really dumbfounded when you said you wanted to interview me then. Ah, I feel relieved now that I can talk about these when Do-Joon Oppa is gone.” Hong Ye-Seul chattered excitedly, and then she stopped laughing.

She had just realized there were only the two of them left.

She could now ask him whatever question she wanted to ask.

“Um, Jae-Gun oppa.”

“Yes?”

Hong Ye-Seul gulped before she asked her question. She had no idea how long this would last, so she planned to ask him as soon as possible.

“I was curious about this for a while… Was the lady who came with you to the movie preview your girlfriend?”

“Movie preview? Ah, you’re talking about Ms. So-Mi.” Ha Jae-Gun smiled as he put down the cup of coffee he was drinking from. “She works at Laugh Books—the publication company I’m working with at the moment. She’s the artist behind the webtoon for Oscar’s Dungeon, so we're pretty close.”

“Oh, really?” Hong Ye-Seul blushed, smiling. She secretly let out a sigh of relief and added, “She looks so cute and pretty; I kept looking at her. And seeing how she’s always with you, I thought you guys were dating. Seems like you guys aren’t dating after all. Hehe.”

Hong Ye-Seul had been drinking quite a lot up until now. She buried her face into her hands, cackling in laughter. While staring at Hong Ye-Seul, Ha Jae-Gun couldn't help but think that he should call a taxi for her.

A while later…

“I really hope that I get to act in Storm and Gale.” Hong Ye-Seul said as she slowly looked up.

Ha Jae-Gun nodded in agreement and replied, “I hope so, too. The story is about you, after all.”

“I’m practicing a lot. If I succeed… If I really get the female lead role, I definitely won’t disappoint you.”

“You’re doing really well in acting. I’m not worried at all.”

Hong Ye-Seul turned to the side and put her legs up on Ha Jae-Gun’s lap, like how she did back then at the bar. However, the difference was that she was currently wearing shorts, so her thighs were inadvertently revealed when she lifted her legs.

“Since she’s not your girlfriend, can I do this to you like the old times?”

“Ms. Ye-Seul—” Ha Jae-Gun was interrupted by Hong Ye-Seul sitting on his lap. She wrapped her arms around Ha Jae-Gun's neck and looked straight into his eyes.

“I have another question.”

“...”

“What happens to the female lead at the end of Storm and Gale? I’m asking about what happened after the ending. Did she end up together with the man?”

“About that…” As Ha Jae-Gun pondered over the unexpected question, Hong Ye-Seul grabbed the hems of her sweater and pulled it off herself. She was now left with a sleeveless shirt that showed off her shoulders and collarbone.

Ha Jae-Gun didn't know where to look.

“I always keep this on except for when I shower.”

A shining necklace lay on her collarbone. It was the very same necklace that Ha Jae-Gun had bought for her a long time ago. It was the most precious gift Hong Ye-Seul had ever received in this world.

“I've been thinking of you every day, Oppa. Really, I'm not lying." Hong Ye-Seul looked down shyly. Hot breath escaped from her wet lips. Her heart pounded heavily as her nose approached the tip of Ha Jae-Gun’s nose.

“Oppa, please tell me. Did the female lead and the man in Storm and Gale end up together?” asked Hong Ye-Seul with a voice that was trembling ever so slightly.

Ha Jae-Gun’s tightly shut lips fluttered open.

1. Another address for Ahjussi ☜

2. Somaek = soju +beer (maekju); Somak = soju + rice wine (makgeolli) ☜