After Story 120

“Where have you been?”

“Just on a phone call. Oppa, I’m going to get some sleep so stay quiet.”

“Alright. You still have some scenes left to shoot, so get some shut-eye. I’m going to get some food, so call me if something happens. Don’t forget to use a blanket.”

“Okay.”

The manager left. Nayeon leaned the chair backward and closed her eyes. She stayed like that for about five minutes before sitting back up.

“She’s not reading it?”

Haneul was not reading the messenger. She had the urge to call, but she couldn’t do so because of her pride. She rolled around on the spot for a while before leaving the car in frustration. It had been a really long time since she quarreled with someone of her age. As she had been living in the entertainment industry since young, she barely had anyone she could consider a friend of her age. Not a single one of them was someone she could quarrel with.

The only person she could speak her heart to at this set was a younger girl she had befriended only recently. Though, she was on the taking care side, not being taken care of, and had to be rather calm when speaking.

Maybe because of that, she found Haneul interesting for not finding her difficult and instead even acting so bold in front of her. Haneul was annoying, but not hateful.

Above all, she didn’t put up pretenses. Nayeon found herself putting aside the mask of an idol and talking to Haneul. There was a small incident as well.

Haneul helped her out like a close friend, who would take care of her in times of need even after quarreling. It was strange, but looking at her reminded Nayeon of her mother. A friend reliable like a mother.

Although they started off on a bad note, she wanted to become friends with Haneul. However, she couldn’t remember how friendships began. All she had was when she was young, before she became a trainee at an idol agency, when she befriended someone after quarreling and giving her candy to make up.

That was why Nayeon asked for Haneul’s messenger ID. They would eventually become close if they talk to each other. Not only that, Nayeon was an idol. While Haneul acted totally calm on the outside, would she really have zero interest in an idol? Nayeon thought that she’d soon get a reply if she sent a message first.

“What a petty girl.”

There was still no reply. A celebrity reached out to her first, and she was just ignoring it?

Had she known that this would happen, Nayeon would have told Haneul honestly that they might become good quarreling friends. She started regretting asking when Haneul would come to the shoot again just because of her awkwardness and embarrassment.

“Well, even I wouldn’t reply. I would’ve blocked the ID first thing, thinking that I stepped on poop.”

She walked as she muttered to herself. She felt like she wasn’t like this when she was young, so when did she start to have a terrible personality? She felt like she had given up on a few things for the sake of success, and maybe her nature was one of them?

Nayeon, who was walking with a smile, stopped. Someone she knew was walking over from the other side.

“Nayeon-unni.”

“Dawoon, you’re here?”

Nayeon opened her arms wide and hugged Dawoon tight before shaking her left and right.

“You had a shoot today?”

“My schedule changed. Are you done with yours?”

“I would’ve gone home if it was, right?”

Dawoon was a girl she got to know at the shoot. This younger girl was affectionate and docile, so they got close quickly. She was also the only girl she could talk about private matters with at the shoot.

“When does your shoot start?”

“I don’t know yet. I’m waiting for now.”

“What time were you called for?”

“I was called for eight.”

“That’s an hour ago. You should’ve called me.”

“I didn’t because I might have distracted you during your shoot.”

“Call me next time. It’s boring to wait by yourself. Let’s go to the car first. Isn’t it cold?”

She returned to the van with Dawoon.

“Can I stay here?”

“Of course. The company loaned it out to me for my use. Here, drink some of this.”

She offered Dawoon some yuja tea that her manager bought. Dawoon sipped on the tea.

“It’s the first time I got in a car like this.”

“I’m sure you’ll ride something like this in no time. Your agency will be providing you with all sorts of support.”

“I’m still far from being on that level. I only signed the contract recently too.”

“Don’t feel so down. You’re good at acting. The director praised you too.”

“Isn’t that just out of formality?”

“Your only downside is that you lack confidence. Learn from me. Have you ever seen me dejected?”

“No.”

“That’s what’s most important. I once got all depressed due to worrying just like you, but it doesn’t help at all. In fact, it’s better to look arrogant instead. That way people don’t look down on you.”

Dawoon put down the bottle in her hand on her thigh.

“You’re really amazing, unni. You’re my role model.”

“That’s putting me up too high.”

“I mean it. There’s no one like you around me. Especially not someone who gives me good advice like that.”

Dawoon’s gaze was on the floor. Her expression looked pitiful.

Nayeon stroked Dawoon’s bangs and neatened them.

“Did that bad bitch say something again?”

“No. We’re getting along well recently.”

“Geez, you’re too kind for your own good. If it was me, I would have grabbed that bitch’s hair already.”

She felt angry just thinking about it. This was something she had heard after getting close to Dawoon. It was about her first love. She was expecting some sweet and ticklish love story, but anger was getting to her head after she listened to everything.

“It’s ridiculous no matter how I think about it. You consulted someone about your first love, but that girl played with your heart instead.”

“Unni. I’m really okay now. She said it was a misunderstanding too.”

“Like hell it’s a misunderstanding. She definitely did that on purpose to get one up on you. Or it’s like this: that bitch must like the man you like as well.”

“Unni.”

Dawoon grabbed her hand.

“Don’t be like that too much. I don’t want you to feel upset for me. Also, we’re really doing well now. Oh, I told you last time, right? We met up with Jichan-oppa and had some food together.”

“And that bitch was there too?”

“Stop calling her bitch. You’ll fall into a habit if you keep using it.”

This girl was too kind for her own good. Nayeon hugged Dawoon and patted her.

If it was Nayeon herself whose first love was toyed with by an unni close to her, she would have flipped her eyes over and duke things out with her.

“Yeah. Bad bitches are bound to get what they deserve one day, so I’ll stop. Rather than that, did Jichan-oppa look after you?”

“Yes. I found out that he’s a good person as soon as I met him.”

“That oppa’s a good person. Though, he does have the tendency to forget about those around him if he gets too focused on what he’s doing.”

Nayeon told her to wait before taking out her phone. She then called Jichan.

“Oppa, it’s me, Nayeon.”

-What’s up? You’re calling me at this hour.

“Dawoon’s next to me. We were talking about you, so I called you.”

-Really?

“I was just calling to tell you to look after Dawoon well. She’s too kind for her own good, so I’m worried that she might get betrayed by people around her.”

-When did you two become so close?

“I think it’s been about a month and a half? She struck a chord with me so I just made her my little sister. Anyway, oppa. Whenever you hold that chicken feet meeting or whatever, please look after Dawoon. And also.”

Nayeon was about to tell him to watch out for the bad bitch named ‘Choi Seungah’ before deciding not to after seeing Dawoon shake her head.

-And?

“I want to participate as well.”

-In our meeting?

“You said it’s an actor’s meeting. I’m an actress too, so I’m qualified, aren’t I?”

-I don’t really mind, but I’m not the chairman.

“Then who is it?”

-There’s a girl named Seungah. She’s the first chairman.

“She’s the chairman?”

-Your voice turned thorny all of a sudden. Did something happen?

“No, nothing. Anyway, I’m going to be there at the next meeting, so keep that in mind.”

-Don’t tell me about it. Ask Dawoon. She’s close to Seungah.

“Close? They’re close?”

She was about to rebuke this dumb oppa before stopping. Dawoon might be in a fix after all. She said she understood before hanging up.

“You want to join too?”

“Why? You don’t want me to?”

Dawoon brightened up.

“No, I’d love to have you. But unni. You aren’t planning to tell something to Seungah-unni, are you?”

“If it weren’t for you, I would’ve done so a hundred times. But I’m not going to since that might put you in a difficult spot. I just want to hang around. Jichan-oppa is a decent person, and you’re good too. Oh right, you said there was one more person, wasn’t there?”

“Yes. There is.”

Dawoon smiled in embarrassment as soon as she said that.

“Who is it to make you smile like that? A man?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t tell me it’s your first love?”

Dawoon slowly nodded.

“That’s good. This time, this unni will help you for sure. I’m different from that girl named Choi Seungah. I’m not a bad bitch who toys with the love of my little sister, so don’t worry.”

“No, don’t do that.”

“Why? Since he’s hanging around with you all, doesn’t that mean he has feelings for you too?”

“For now, we decided to be just close friends. Above all, that oppa has a girlfriend already.”

Dawoon immediately became dejected. Really, she was a girl who would easily be at the whim of others. She was so pitiful that Nayeon wanted to help her more.

“Just because he’s dating someone doesn’t mean that he’ll marry that person, does it? It’s not a sin to like someone. At our age, people date and break up all the time. Well, I guess you can’t appeal directly to him since he’s dating someone.”

“That’s why I’m staying quiet without showing it. I’m sure I’ll get my opportunity someday.”

“You’re really pure at heart, huh? Why don’t I introduce you to a man instead? It’s important to meet many men too, you know?”

“No. I don’t want to meet someone else for now. I’m going to work my hardest for the time being.”

“Such a good girl. If that man has any eyes, he’ll definitely show interest in you. If he breaks up, he’ll probably approach you first, you know?”

“Really?”

“Of course. How could a man leave a cute and kind girl like you be? If things don’t work out, then just steal him away. You are supposed to obtain what you like. Of course, you have to do it fair and square.”

Nayeon gestured to Dawoon. She took out her phone, sitting shoulder to shoulder.

“Let’s take a photo together. I’ll upload it on Instagram.”

“Can I upload it as well?”

“Of course. Say that I’m an unni you lovve, with two vs for emphasis.”

“Okay.”

They took photos together and uploaded them on Instagram. Then, she looked at the photo she took with Haneul a while ago. There were some comments already.

“Unni, who… is this person?” Dawoon asked as she showed her phone. It was the photo she took with Haneul.

“A minor actor I met today. She has a fiery personality.”

“How was she?”

“What do you mean?”

“I meant this Han Haneul person. You know, things like her personality or actions.”

“Why do you want to know that?”

“Nothing. Seeing you smile so brightly made me wonder if she’s a decent person.”

Nayeon thought about the conversation she had with Haneul.

“I think she has just as much pride as me. I quite liked that about her though. At first, I thought she’d act overly kind or avoid me like other people, but she even got into a quarrel with me. It was fun. Did I tell you? I actually don’t have a lot of friends.”

“Do you want to befriend this person?”

“Yeah. I think it’s going to be somewhat interesting.”

She looked at Dawoon’s face as she said so. The girl who always had a docile smile was looking at the photo with indifference. Her eyes were frosty even, so it made Nayeon surprised. Rage? Jealousy? Envy? Emotions of that sort seemed to be mixed in her expression.

“Dawoon?”

At that moment, Dawoon started coughing loudly. She kept coughing dryly and it made Nayeon worried.

Nayeon got some tissues.

“I’m sorry. I suddenly felt cold.”

“You should watch out. I got sick a few times like that.”

It seemed that the expression she had just now was from her body condition. Nayeon turned the heater up to high in the car.

“My little sister. You can’t catch a cold.”

“It’s okay. I’m sturdy.”

“Right, you should be.”

She pulled Dawoon’s shoulders close and patted her.

Looking back, it was quite curious. She never knew she’d become so close to a girl she had only known for less than two months.

Now that she thought about it, Dawoon had some similarities to Haneul, whom she had seen for the first time today. Maybe she came to like Haneul because Haneul felt similar to Dawoon? The two of them were definitely different up close, but the vibe they get off felt strangely similar.

“Unni, let’s eat together next time, at the meeting.”

“Yeah. You ask that bitch, I mean, Seungah about it. I’ll join even if she says no though.”

“She’ll probably give the okay.”

“Then that’s fine.”

Nayeon smiled. Both the air and her heart felt warm. She started feeling drowsy.

Just as her eyes fully closed, she had this thought — did she tell Dawoon that Haneul’s surname was Han?

It wasn’t anything important, so she forgot about it. Right now, she had to get some rest.

“You should get some rest as well.”

The last thing she saw before fully closing her eyes was Dawoon, who intently stared into the phone.

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