DRM 09

Episode 9

The TA and Han-gyeol were different.

At least the TA didn’t plunge her into anguish like Han-gyeol did.

And even now, she could deal with the TA without overthinking anything. But when dealing with Han-gyeol, she ended up thinking all sorts of things. And getting curious again.

About what on earth he was thinking.

“That guy said something earlier.”

He suddenly spoke again. In his hand was the veil the bride had worn earlier.

“He said you couldn’t take your eyes off the wedding dress.”

“No, it’s just… it’s fascinating, you know.”

“Don’t you see wedding dresses sometimes when filming dramas?”

“That’s different from actors acting and real people getting married. Those people….”

No matter how well someone acts, acting and reality are inevitably different. Especially when it comes to love.

There’s something in eyes that have fallen in love that can never be imitated.

Da-som’s eyes, recalling the sweet gaze of the bride and groom from earlier, softened dreamily.

“…It’s different. Don’t you think so?”

“Yeah, you were always like that.”

Unlike Dasom, Han-gyeol merely muttered dryly. Da-som pouted and glared at him.

Ever since university, he’d been particularly skeptical about love.

No, not love itself, but the romance, idealism, purity that came with it. Things like that.

Whenever she talked about such things, he’d look at her as if she were pitiful…. Anyway, he was someone who’d consistently maintained a cynical and indifferent attitude.

‘But someone like that makes movies that are the epitome of romance.’

Films that speak of romantic, pure, ideal love.

Sometimes, his work and he himself are so completely opposite that it’s hard to believe the films were made by him.

A work is inevitably a result that reflects the creator’s values and such to some extent, but he’s not like that.

‘Shiny, round, pretty….’

Han-gyeol is someone those modifiers don’t suit at all.

Well, depending on who’s looking, he could be seen as pretty. His face, at least.

Round my foot—grumbling as she recalled his prickly personality, sharp in all directions, Dasom snatched the veil from his hand. And placed it on her own head.

“Look, senior. Even if I wore something like this, put on a wedding dress, and posed like that bride earlier….”

Han-gyeol’s gaze fixed on Da-som’s chattering face. Dasom, eyes wide open, momentarily lost her words and closed her mouth.

As his gaze traced down along the veil, her heart strangely began to pound. The memory of how the bride and groom’s eyes looked during the shoot faded, leaving only his gaze.

Cool yet earnest, calm yet occasionally wavering….

“Gyeol! Da-som!”

At that moment, the TA, who had gone into the office, came out and called them over.

Dasom quickly removed the veil and stood up from her seat.

As Dasom ran to the TA first, Han-gyeol also rose from his seat. He briefly glanced at the veil she had worn, then slowly headed toward the TA.

“You both worked hard today.”

The TA handed white envelopes to Dasom and Han-gyeol respectively.

Accepting the envelope in bewilderment and opening it, Da-som’s eyes went round.

‘They’re paying us for this?’

Confirming the bills inside, the corners of Da-som’s mouth crept upward. For doing almost nothing, this amount. It was almost a shame this was just a one-time gig.

“Professor, would you perhaps need a part-timer on a regular basis?”

“It’s not that much work… Why, Dasom, do you want to keep working?”

“If you remain this generous, Professor….”

“But you….”

The TA glanced briefly at Han-gyeol. However, he soon shrugged and extended his hand toward Dasom.

“Then give me your contact info. I’ll call you when I need a helper.”

“Gasp, yes. 24-hour standby odd-job worker.”

Dasom quickly took out her phone and was about to hand it to him when someone abruptly grabbed her arm. Consequently, Dasom stumbled backward, going “What—”.

The culprit was, of course, Han-gyeol. He instead handed the envelope he had received to the TA’s outstretched hand and tilted his head.

“She’s not available.”

At Han-gyeol’s words, the TA looked dumbfounded. Unfazed, Han-gyeol gestured firmly toward Dasom.

“Chae Da-som, stop fawning and just follow me. We’re leaving now.”

A junior wanting to make some easy money—he seemed quite displeased by that.

Or perhaps he disliked Dasom getting close to guy he was friendly with.

‘Cherished, my foot.’

No matter how she thought about it, the TA’s assumption was definitely mistaken.

To Han-gyeol, Chae Da-som was probably nothing more than a junior he didn’t like.

Dasom glared at the back of Han-gyeol’s head and snorted.

But remembering that coming here was because of her own actions, she had no choice but to follow his words.

“Eww. Well then, I’ll be going now.”

“Yeah. Let’s see each other again soon, Dasom.”

The TA’s eyes, as she met them again, somehow seemed to sparkle with interest, but Dasom let it pass without much thought.

Even the words about seeing each other again soon.

***

When they returned to the building, stars were already scattered across the sky.

In the somewhat awkward atmosphere, after parking, Dasom went up to the top floor, the 8th floor, walked down the hallway, and stopped in front of her door.

810, Da-som’s home. And 811, Han-gyeol’s home. The doors stood side by side.

“Thank you for your hard work today.”

Da-som, holding the doorknob of 810, bowed politely to Han-gyeol. Han-gyeol just stood crookedly with his arms crossed in front of 811.

Dasom furtively checked his mood. He had been quiet throughout the car ride, creating an even more intense atmosphere. Like the calm before a storm….

‘Just how strong a storm is coming that the calm feels this deadly.’

She wished she could take shelter before the actual storm hit. Would she be able to?

“Well then, I’ll be off….”

“Chae Da-som.”

Just as she tried to slip away quickly, Han-gyeol called her name in a dark voice.

Realizing there was no avoiding the storm, Dasom squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them.

And forcing the brightest smile possible, she turned toward Han-gyeol. Surely he wouldn’t spit on a smiling face?

“Yes?”

“Do you think that was enough? The price for biting and sucking my lip?”

“Haha….”

She forgot. Han-gyeol was the type to spit whether on a smiling face or a crying one.

And she shouldn’t have used ‘surely’….

“Is it… not enough?”

Well, it did seem unlikely that the price for biting and sucking those plump lips could be settled with just this. Making a face, Dasom rummaged through her pocket.

Pulling out the white envelope the TA had given her, Dasom extended it to Han-gyeol with trembling hands.

They say the rich are more tenacious. Dasom barely suppressed the urge to shout that the wealthy senior was cruelly squeezing blood from a poor junior like a flea.

“I-I’ll return my pay….”

Han-gyeol silently snorted and pulled at the corner of the envelope Dasom held out.

Dasom thought she should let go of the envelope, but her head and body made a different choice.

Unable to release the envelope, her body swayed back and forth, overpowered by Han-gyeol’s strength. He let out a small sigh as if dumbfounded.

Pouting her lips, Dasom muttered a timid excuse.

“Well, I’ve been short on money lately… and earlier I lost a job opportunity because of you, senior….”

“Enough. Just take it.”

“Really?”

Eyes round, Dasom quickly stuffed the envelope into her pocket. A swift move, lest he change his mind.

“Senior Han-gyeol is the best. As expected, so generous.”

Seeing Dasom flatter him with her thumb up, Han-gyeol let out a short laugh and extended his hand. Dasom looked at his large palm and tilted her head.

Surely he wasn’t going to ask for the pay back after just saying she could keep it. Then what did he want?

Dasom looked at him in confusion. At her gaze indicating she had no idea, Han-gyeol shook his hand and finally voiced it.

“Phone.”

“Phone?”

At the sudden remark, Dasom, still bewildered, placed her phone in Han-gyeol’s hand.

At his instruction to unlock it, she did so, and Han-gyeol brought up the keypad and entered an unfamiliar 11-digit number.

And when he touched the call button, a vibration sound came from his pocket. Han-gyeol ended the call and returned the phone to Dasom.

“Save it. My number.”

At this point, telling her to save his number probably meant he intended to call her whenever he felt like it and order her around.

“Yes, sir.”

But unlike her suspicion-filled mind, her body faithfully followed his command.

Dasom quickly moved her fingers to save his number.

[One knot]

Showing him the saved screen, Han-gyeol finally seemed satisfied, uncrossing his arms and leaning toward her.

“Actually, I’ve been thinking it over, and I feel a bit wronged.”

“About what?”

“Like I’m the only one being taken advantage of.”

What did he mean, he was the only one being taken advantage of? Even now, he went because he wanted to. Dasom grumbled inwardly, but the sound couldn’t escape her lips.

Because Han-gyeol’s body was gradually approaching, and she needed to slowly back away.

Dasom retreated step by step, eventually pressing her back flat against the door.

Trapping her between the door and himself, Han-gyeol narrowed his eyes and whispered.

“Chae Da-som, do you want to sleep with me?”

Finally, the storm originating from Han-gyeol began to rage.

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