By Zephyria Why did this happen? What did I do wrong?
“Lee Tae-kyung?”
I slowly turned around at the sound of my name being called.
Kang Robin-nim, dressed in a suit as if he had stepped out of a photoshoot, was walking towards me.
“Did you contact Se-han and come? He didn’t say he had an appointment today?”
“Ah….”
I opened my mouth, but my voice didn’t come out properly. So I bowed deeply first.
“Hello. I didn’t have an appointment with Se-han… I just wanted to see him.”
“Se-han originally doesn’t meet anyone while he’s working.”
It wasn’t because Kang Robin-nim was looking down at me with cold eyes, but because the Status Window’s message was making my heart shrink.
“I used to hang out a lot in Se-han’s studio….”
“Listen, Lee Tae-kyung. Se-han treated you so specially, why did you torment him so much? Huh?”
There’s that sound again. I just bit my lip tightly. Even in the midst of this urgency, a resentful feeling soared.
Did I cut off contact for no reason? Why are you saying those things even though you know the circumstances?
“Hey, what’s with that look? Are you resisting?”
“No.”
I bowed again and took out my phone. I need to call Se-han out first.
“I’m sorry. I’m a bit in a hurry….”
“Okay, follow me.”
Baek-nyun Enter was more magnificent inside than it looked on the outside. From the moment I entered the lobby, my eyes widened at the high ceilings and luxurious interior design.
Thanks to Kang Robin-nim, I was able to pass through the lobby safely and immediately get on the elevator.
“All the personal studios are on the 3rd floor.”
“Ah… Is that so.”
As I anxiously watched the numbers on the elevator, I felt Kang Robin-nim’s gaze.
“You’re really annoying.”
“Yes? Are you talking about me…?”
At the same time as I looked up in embarrassment, the arrival sound rang and the elevator stopped.
“Then who else is here besides you.”
Kang Robin-nim got off the elevator with a cold wind blowing. Whew. I sighed and followed Kang Robin-nim down the long hallway.
I definitely know that Kang Robin-nim doesn’t like me.
“But Lee Tae-kyung, I definitely like your vocals.”
Suddenly, he praised my vocals, making my facial muscles twitch. I smoothed my face with my palm and bowed deeply.
“Thank you!”
I felt Kang Robin Hyung turn around as I bowed deeply from behind.
“Se-han and I have similar tastes.”
“Yes? Ah…!”
Seeing the person who had been exuding coldness smile faintly… it felt like someone had hit the back of my head.
What was that just now…? Something seemed to come to mind, but it faded like smoke, and I frowned.
“Ah, it looks like Se-han is over there.”
Kang Robin Hyung pointed to the end of the hallway with his finger. I saw someone opening the door and bowing deeply to Kang Robin Hyung.
“Se-han is there, right?”
“Yes, shall I call him?”
“No, leave him.”
Kang Robin Hyung turned to the left side of the hallway.
“Lee Tae-kyung, let’s wait together.”
“No, I… I think I should go to Se-han first.”
I tried to hide my impatience, but I was too flustered.
[1 hour and 18 minutes remaining until the time limit!]
“I’m sorry. I’m a bit in a hurry….”
“But Lee Tae-kyung.”
“Yes?”
When I looked up, Kang Robin Hyung was staring at me intently.
“Actually, Se-han is in a bad mood today.”
“Ah… Did something happen to Se-han….”
“Even for you, it won’t be easy today.”
Se-han must have had something bad happen to him today. But I couldn’t afford to worry about that right now. If I didn’t complete the quest right now, Se-han’s accident date….
Kang Robin Hyung saw me unconsciously tapping my feet and raised the corners of his lips as he looked at my legs.
“Okay. Go ahead.”
As soon as I got permission, I ran to the end of the hallway. But as soon as I stood in front of the door, I had no choice but to stop, startled, making my hard work seem pointless.
Sung Se-han was visible inside the clearly visible glass door.
Sung Se-han, wearing a black cardigan, was leaning back on the sofa as if he was exhausted. In his hand, he held a cigarette that was almost completely burned.
“Ah, that bastard….”
I didn’t know what he had been doing alone while the smoking room was filled with smoke. I grabbed the doorknob with a surge of anger, but I couldn’t bring myself to open the door.
Se-han’s listless appearance, his empty eyes looking at the void, were so unfamiliar… I was flustered.
Then Se-han rolled his eyes and looked this way. The moment our eyes met, he jumped up from his seat.
“Huh?”
Seeing him surprised and widening his eyes when he saw me, I felt a little better. I opened the glass door with force.
“Hey, don’t come in!”
Se-han, who was rushing out, turned back and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. As Se-han said, I stepped back into the hallway and waited for him to come out.
“Lee Tae-kyung! What’s going on with you? How did you suddenly come here?”
He must have been quite surprised that I suddenly appeared at the company. His widened eyes looked very confused.
“I met Kang Robin Hyung at the company entrance and came in okay.”
“Ah, that’s not what I meant.”
Se-han roughly swept back his hair and shook his head.
“Lee Tae-kyung, you’re really strange these days.”
[1 hour and 12 minutes remaining until the time limit!]
“Se-han, there’s something I want to tell you.”
“What is it?”
Tell him to quit smoking? Am I supposed to say that now? I’m a reasonable person, how can I say that to someone coming out of the smoking room!
“That’s….”
“Want a soy milk?”
Se-han wrapped his long arm around my shoulder. We walked down the hallway side by side.
Instead of cologne, Se-han smelled of cigarettes.
I could tell even from the breath I felt beside me. Even if I didn’t have Kang Robin Hyung’s information, I would have quickly noticed that Se-han was in a bad mood.
“I don’t like soy milk.”
“I know. It’s not good to drink coffee at night.”
“These days, I drink it day and night.”
Se-han took me to a small rest area. After passing through a place where the leaves of large potted plants were like curtains, a place appeared where pretty tables were gathered together. And on one wall, several coffee machines were lined up.
Se-han sat me at a table by the window and brought me a glass of soy milk.
“You can’t sleep well if you drink coffee at night.”
“Se-han.”
I have to complete the quest, but I can’t bring myself to say it. Coffee, sleep, whatever, my heart feels like it’s going to explode, and maintaining a calm face is also a struggle.
“When did you start smoking?”
The words that came out without thinking were, ‘When did you start smoking?’ That’s not what I’m curious about right now.
Se-han leaned back in his chair and looked at me. His brown eyes were shining quietly, as if he had never been embarrassed.
“It’s been a while.”
It seems like he’s trying to gloss over it. Then he gives me the eye smile that fans like. I frowned because I didn’t like that look.
What’s with the business smile? Don’t force yourself to smile if you’re not in a good mood.
“I didn’t smell cigarettes all this time, so I didn’t know at all.”
“I don’t smoke a lot. And I was careful when I met you.”
[1 hour and 1 minute remaining until the time limit!]
I took a sip of soy milk and put it down on the table. Then I turned my gaze to the night view outside the window and looked back at Se-han.
“Se-han, I know you’re under a lot of stress when you’re working… but can’t you not smoke?”
My voice, unable to overcome my impatience, trembled slightly.
“I’m not stressed.”
Se-han still smiled with his eyes and raised one corner of his mouth.
“I can do whatever I want when I’m making songs, so what’s there to be stressed about.”
“Yeah… you were like that. Then you don’t necessarily have to smoke, right?”
Hmm. Se-han, with his arms crossed, tilted his head slightly.
“Is it cigarettes today?”
“Huh…?”
“You’re doing strange things every time you meet me, like you’re on a mission.”
My heart tightened, and I clasped my hands together. Well, he wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t been running around so diligently.
“What are you talking about. A mission? I just don’t like you smoking.”
“I like it.”
The hand that was about to pick up the glass stopped, frozen. Se-han was still smiling, but it wasn’t the soft smile from before.
“If you don’t like it, then don’t smoke. I’ll only smoke where you’re not. Okay?”
His cold eyes and tone ignited my anxious heart. Anger surged to the top of my head in an instant.
Who the hell am I doing this crazy thing for…!
“No, don’t smoke even when I’m not there.”
I don’t even know why I’m so angry. I just clenched my fists tightly and gritted my teeth.
“Promise me you’ll quit smoking from now on.”
Se-han glanced at the fist on the table. Then he rummaged in the back pocket of his Black Jeans and took something out.
“That’s….”
What Se-han put on the table was a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
Could it be…? In front of my eyes, filled with doubt, Se-han put a cigarette in his mouth and flicked the lighter. Click. At the same time as the small flame burst, I stopped breathing.
“Why would I quit smoking.”