She was recording a seven-stringed harp for her next title track.
While watching her compose, I would occasionally interject with opinions.
And when I was bored, I’d casually listen to her past hits, enjoying some leisure time.
To be able to enjoy a private concert by Luna with applause, cheers, and some level of audience response, just for me.
Isn’t this an insanely luxurious experience?
Today, I could agreeably allow the Luna fans to call me “that guy.”
We also spent time together in the break room, not only browsing the web but also watching the latest dramas or movies during our free time.
We cheered for Mojili and Pentaring participating in the annual Idol Olympics, one of the traditional holiday events.
It’s funny that such a meaningless program, filled with complaints from idols, their staff, and even fans, is still on air, but seeing Mojili getting eliminated was somewhat satisfying.
Seems like she’s too athletically gifted, being called for various events everywhere.
Maybe due to a lack of military experience, she doesn’t even seem to know the universal truth that being average is just fine.
Thinking about it, I’m actually spending the holidays fairly healthily.
But there’s a reason for this. Regardless of other things, this woman is truly serious about music.
The small studio where we were confined wasn’t suitable for doing anything else.
The soundproofing was good, but the place was too cramped to do anything substantial.
If something goes wrong in that space packed with expensive equipment, it would be hard to even estimate how much might be damaged.
“Still, it’s quite unexpected.”
“Unexpected? First, we need to win the heart, right? We’ve been apart for quite a while, and meeting here isn’t exactly a recent event.”
“That’s true.”
“And, most importantly, I’m not the type of woman who does that.”
“Not really…”
Something felt off, so I subtly asked. Surprisingly, I got a rather normal response.
While actively trying to make an appeal is natural, due to some past karma, leaving the decisive moment to me is the right path.
Her analysis was so precise, it was breathtaking.
However, what was even more surprising is that while being without Heavenly Yuah, I spent much time with her, building an emotional closeness.
Exchanging tales of the Martial Forest in our spare time seemed to contribute somewhat to my mental stability.
But, she’s also quite audacious.
Didn’t she keep insisting on taking those moody selfies with her just a short while ago?
What version of Moon Suyeon was that? The one from Earth 3?
Also, despite making grand proclamations in front of me, it appears such attempts weren’t entirely absent.
“The most important thing is that that woman took it away.”
“The most important thing?”
“The backup card key.”
“Oh…”
Our company office uses card keys for the door lock.
It’s said that the company keeps an emergency spare.
But it looks like Heavenly Yuah took the spare key for my room when she left for the States.
Having an auxiliary key may not be odd, but her taking it is baffling. And Moon Suyeon’s attempting to recover it is just as surprising.
Trying all this while, and now boldly declaring herself the rightful owner is somewhat funny.
“But soon I’ll be twenty-seven.”
“Is that so?”
“Don’t you feel it coming?”
“Hmm…”
“Maybe it’s time for me to take what’s due, as Siwoo is the legitimate and sole owner.”
“Me?”
“Hey, don’t ditch me now. Why did you bring me here otherwise?”
She subtly proclaimed her intent to claim ownership.
Even more, with an obsessive glint in her eyes, ignoring her could lead to serious trouble.
She’s a strong-willed woman who has a history of drinking alone. It’s genuinely nerve-wracking.
Moreover…
“Hum… Does Yuah like wine so much?”
“Yes, she always did.”
“I personally didn’t find it great. I’m a regular beer person.”
“And she’s notoriously weak against alcohol?”
“Right, she… gets drunk…”
Moon Suyeon appears to be very weak against liquor.
Not only has she never drunk before, but she often emphasizes that alcohol doesn’t suit her.
Though it’s a bit mysterious why in this context, she couldn’t handle even the Central Plains’ potent liquor that could supposedly devour the roots of affluent Gangnam families.
Perhaps that’s just part of the changes; we think Heavenly Yuah isn’t the same as during her Heavenly Demon days.
Even now, it’s clear.
Out of nowhere, she mentioned alcohol.
She started drinking, mixing beer into her lemonade. By the time she finished just one glass, she seemed almost unconscious.
Funny though, her behavior when drunk is peculiar—it’s like she’s glued to me.
Is this it? The bizarre habit of clinging to everyone after drinking.
“Drunk, just go and… hmm?”
When I was about to escort her to the room, she slowly climbed onto me, claiming my lips, clearly not satisfied with that alone.
What is this swiftness?
Drunk yet hitting the mark so precisely…
Could today be her planned D-Day?
Was all the previous gentleness about accumulating points for this day?
“WHAT IS THIS!!??”
But Moon Suyeon’s final advance was thwarted by Heavenly Yuah’s early return.
“Excuse me? What on earth are you doing? I knew it. I somehow wanted to return quickly. Are you engaging in such mischievous acts?”
Because Heavenly Yuah with her animal instincts returned to the office at the most perfect timing.
“Tch, was I too confident?”
“Eh, Suyeon Senpai??”
Moon Suyeon, who was executing her final advance, instantly fled upon Heavenly Yuah’s appearance.
It’s incredible how quickly a drunk person can move—flashy and fleeting.
Moreover, why run all of a sudden?
Even if I have guilt, shouldn’t she be the confident one, isn’t it?
In a daze over Moon Suyeon’s unexpected escape, I was captured by Heavenly Yuah and given a lecture.
The charge was disturbing public morality.
Punishment for clearly making out in the company break room.
As the owner of the company and the building owner, it was a rightful demand from the tenant, so I had no choice but to bow my head.
The key point: while she didn’t interfere with the fact that Moon Suyeon and I had kissed, she criticized the location of the kiss.
Heavenly Yuah really is a calculating woman.
“But how could you? What reason… never mind, I’m just in a mood.”
Though being offended is a separate issue.
She’s clearly disappointed that such an event happened in Korea while she was handling matters in the US.
How to deal with this?
Strictly speaking, I haven’t done anything wrong, but it feels rather odd, like I’ve had an affair with the neighbor’s girl while the wife was out.
Somehow, it evokes a peculiar feeling.
“Something’s awkward.”
Since I’d already used the ultimate tool—Yuah Chicken Soup—it’s unlikely I have any means left to pacify an offended Heavenly Yuah.
Clearly, this sulking will last a while.
“Is Yuah a little less angry now?”
“Hey, what’s this?”
“Sorry. We need to avoid storms. I find Yuah’s genuine anger a bit scary. In fact, this time, I promised…”
“Yes?”
“In advance, we agreed to do absolutely nothing, so…”
“Uh…why?”
“This was a purely professional trip. Considering it was for Siwoo, I decided to follow through like that and… yet we blew it?”
“Ugh, really. What’s happening?”
After Heavenly Yuah’s tantrum had passed, Moon Suyeon returned and apologized for her escape.
There was an agreement between the two, and she broke it, so she felt the need to avoid conflict until Heavenly Yuah cooled down.
So, Moon Suyeon apparently struck a deal with Heavenly Yuah before her departure but broke the agreement by revealing her own desires, which then got exposed at the scene.
“Man, I got a strong warning. If I do this again, she’ll break into Siwoo’s room.”
“What? Why such a warning?”
“A bit chilling. She was really serious. I apologized immediately at 90 degrees.”
“…You handled it well.”
These two are quite amusing.
What exactly is their relationship?
Are they colleagues? Or rivals, with me in the middle?
Or could they be comrades sharing a memory of another world?
It’s too absurd, so I can’t help but burst into laughter.
*
Despite Heavenly Yuah’s sulking, time went by.
The audience count for our movie kept climbing steadily.
And finally, we reached the 7 million mark.
And right after surpassing 7 million, our movie started gaining momentum again.
– Will this year see the birth of the first domestic 10 million movie?
– Unstoppable momentum, will ‘Code Number: 7’ achieve the 10 million mark?
– Five hidden charm points of ‘Code Number: 7’.
By this point, the media was the first to hype it up.
Even people who don’t normally care about movies started getting curious.
You know, like this:
When everyone around you is making a fuss and you haven’t watched that work yet, you start feeling like you should watch it.
As Revenge began to wane, we’re gaining audience numbers rapidly without any rivals.
“At this level, the game is over.”
“Game as in…”
“Box office battle. Revenge is about to decline.”
“True…”
“Good. Then free up your time tomorrow.”
“You mean that old request?”
“Yes. Let’s casually go out.”
Just around then, after sulking for a few days, Heavenly Yuah made her demand for the price of victory.
The purpose: a light outing and date.
Her request was so trivially simple that it was almost strange.
Of course, if I could erase an uncomfortable request with just this, there was no reason to decline such a favorable proposal.
