A Night Soaked With You - Chapter 32
“On the day of our company dinner…… that night…… did you make it home early?”
At that moment, Yeong-won realized what he had been wanting to ask all along. He was concerned whether she had gotten home safely that night and whether anything had happened between her and Tae-geon.
“Of course, the CEO dropped me off at my place well before midnight.”
She made sure to emphasize the part about “before midnight.”
They had gone to the hotel, but she left that detail out entirely.
“That’s a relief. I was really, really worried about you.”
In-woo, with dark circles under his eyes almost reaching his chin, managed a bright smile.
Though for a moment she felt a slight irritation wondering why he was so concerned, his genuine worry made her feel a little guilty.
On the night of the company dinner, Yeong-won had coldly brushed off In-woo’s concern and climbed into Tae-geon’s car instead.
She was just about to thank him for his consideration when a high-pitched voice interrupted their conversation.
“What are you two talking about?”
Turning around, they saw Chae-young approaching with a bright smile. Yeong-won’s face instantly stiffened.
“Oh, Chae-young.”
In-woo greeted her with a welcoming smile, happy to see her. Chae-young glanced at him with a playful pout.
“Oppa always seems to be nice to Yeong-won.” (t/n: ‘Oppa’ means older brother or referring to a male idol respectfully.)
“It’s not like that. So, are you officially joining now?”
In-woo shrewdly changed the subject. Chae-young, smiling as if her comment had no real weight, responded cheerfully.
“Yes, I’ve adjusted my schedule.”
“That’s great. You’re doing so well these days. Congratulations.”
“Thank you, oppa.”
An awkward silence settled over them.
Yeong-won still hadn’t uttered a word, her gaze fixed elsewhere.
In-woo, sensing the tense atmosphere between the two women, subtly glanced at both of them.
“Did something happen between you two?”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Their answers to his question contradicted each other.
Yeong-won answered ‘no’ while Chae-young answered ‘yes’.
Yeong-won, incredulous at Chae-young’s audacity, stared at her.
Chae-young, as if nothing was wrong, gave a bright smile and lightly tapped Yeong-won’s arm.
“Come on, let it go. I’ve already apologized for that so many times.”
She acted as if they were still close, without a hint of shame. Yeong-won’s face grew colder.
In-woo’s expression turned even more confused.
“What’s going on? What happened between you two?”
At his question, Chae-young pouted her eyebrows, playing the victim.
“‘New York Serenade.’ It was originally the role that Yeong-won was supposed to have…… But somehow, I ended up getting it. I didn’t want it either, it seems our agency was being greedy. If I had known it was Yeong-won’s role, I would have definitely said no. Later, I found out that it was the part she wanted. I felt so guilty,”
Chae-young said, flashing an adorable smile as she apologized to Yeong-won once more.
It really wasn’t a big deal, but she acted as if she was deeply remorseful.
‘Lies.’
Chae-young was skillfully blending lies with the truth. A true actress indeed.
Just as Yeong-won felt her anger boiling to the surface and was about to snap back, In-woo spoke first.
“I see. Yeong-won must be upset. But now that we’re all shooting together, just let it go.”
In that moment, Yeong-won felt her tension dissipate. The anger that had been ready to burst out lost its way.
In-woo clearly thought that roles being taken away and handed over was a common occurrence in this industry.
“Will you accept my apology?”
Chae-young asked, setting her trap with a gentle smile on her lips.
“Yeah. We’re going to be seeing each other for a while, so just let it go, Yeong-won.”
In-woo chimed in.
Yeong-won stared at the clean, delicate hand that Chae-young extended toward her.
She wanted to slap that hand hard enough to make a sound. If she knew she wouldn’t have to see her again, she would have definitely done it.
But.
‘I’m the lead in ‘Distress’. There’s no benefit to me in getting into a noisy fight with her right now.’
As that thought crossed her mind, the anger that had been boiling inside her gradually settled down.
If the actors started arguing, the atmosphere on set would be ruined.
Though she was reluctant, she knew she couldn’t just act on her feelings.
After taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Yeong-won bit her lip and took Chae-young’s hand.
“……Fine.”
Chae-young beamed at Yeong-won with a bright smile. Yeong-won returned a slight smile of her own.
Yet, when their eyes met, sparks flew between them.
Unaware of the tension between them, In-woo laughed heartily, placing his hands on their shoulders.
“Yeah, yeah. We need to get along. It feels like we’re back to the times when the three of us were close, and that makes me happy.”
……In-woo was just as oblivious as ever, both then and now.
