Chapter 15

Haji lifted her head and stared at the familiar man.

“This is Lee Geon, today’s main model. And this is my best friend, Ahn Haji.”

“I’m Lee Geon. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Ahn Haji. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I see you every morning.”

Lee Geon chuckled, understanding what Haji meant.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Seonghee, caught between them, was the only one who didn’t understand the conversation.

“He’s always at the bus stop. He’s on a big ad as a laptop model.”

“Oh, really? Mr. Geon, you’re doing well, huh?”

Seonghee looked at Lee Geon with a newly surprised expression. Since she usually traveled by car, she hadn’t seen his advertisement.

“You cast him knowing that.”

“Well? If I knew he was doing this well, I would’ve brought another model.”

“Why is that?”

“I prefer new faces.”

Haji watched their conversation. They seemed to be close friends, laughing and bantering. More than that, they had good chemistry.

They seem to get along well? And their looks…?

Lee Geon, who didn’t need any mention of his height, and Seonghee, who was over 175 cm tall, were at a perfect eye level.

Lee Geon, with his daring white hair and pale, almost translucent skin, looked cynically cold. Seonghee, too, had a very cynical appearance before she spoke. Both exuded a cold aura.

“You two have a similar vibe.”

“Huh?”

“What kind of thing is that to say on a first meeting?”

Both of them reacted with dismay to Haji’s comment.

They do look alike. Will they become good friends?

Haji just smiled at the two serious faces without saying more.

“I’ll be back in a moment, going to the restroom.”

Haji turned away from the two.

She was certain that Lee Geon wasn’t the person who wanted to see her.

Haji stopped on her way to the restroom.

“Sunbae must be alone…”

She couldn’t help but worry about leaving him like that.

“I should go back.”

Haji moved her feet towards where Seojin had been.

It took quite a while to push through the crowd, which hadn’t thinned at all.

“I think it was here. Did he go home?”

She finally returned to the original spot, but there was no sign of Seojin.

Haji stretched her neck and looked around. Even though she knew she wouldn’t see him, she couldn’t help but look.

“How did Sunbae find me?”

With so many people around.

“Should I go back…”

Even though she knew she couldn’t find Seojin, she couldn’t easily move her feet. She kept looking around.

Bump, someone brushed past her shoulder.

“That model is here too?”

“I thought she was taking a break?”

“Yeah, I heard she’s hard to see lately.”

Haji turned her head, following the voices of the passing people, curiosity piqued.

“Sunbae?”

She saw Seojin, who she had been searching for.

And the woman he was smiling and talking to. A woman so attractive she captured attention instantly.

It wasn’t hard to tell that the woman was the model people were talking about. Her dark-toned skin, black eyes, and elegant, waist-length black hair indicated she was of mixed race.

“She’s so pretty in person. Look at those legs.”

Haji nodded unconsciously.

Indeed. Her legs would reach past her waist.

Before she knew it, Haji was looking at the model in front of Seojin, just like the others talking about her.

Then it happened. The model brushed Seojin’s shoulder with her hand.

“Is he her boyfriend?”

This time, Haji didn’t react to their words.

She just watched as Seojin naturally accepted her touch.

She felt a bit, just a bit strange.

But she couldn’t take her eyes off them. Until Seojin, with the same unerasable smile, turned his head towards her.

Their eyes met in midair.

Seojin didn’t take his eyes off Haji, and the model turned her gaze too. She whispered something in Seojin’s ear and smiled.

Watching this, Haji clenched her fist. For some reason, an emotion welled up inside her.

I don’t want to see this.

She turned around sharply.

***

Emily tapped Seojin’s arm, pointing with her eyes at Haji’s retreating figure.

“Aren’t you going after her?”

The question sounded like she already knew their relationship. Emily’s eyes gleamed with interest as she looked at Seojin.

“What if another guy takes her?”

“I’ll handle it.”

Despite his words, Seojin turned towards where Haji had disappeared.

“I’ll send the advertisement details to your agent.”

“You’re really cold. We’ve known each other for ten years, and you treat me all business?”

“I talked to you in person.”

It meant he had done his duty as a personal friend. Understanding this, Emily smirked.

“I wondered why you wanted to meet.”

“I told you on the phone. I had work to discuss.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re so great.”

“I need you for this job.”

Emily scoffed. From his words alone, it might seem desperate, but his expression said otherwise.

“You’ve become a real businessman. Saying things you don’t mean.”

“Business is business.”

Seojin spoke as he walked towards where Haji had disappeared.

After a brief pause, he turned his head towards Emily.

“I’m not lying. I do need you for this job.”

Without waiting for a response, Seojin walked away from Emily without hesitation.

“Still as self-centered as ever.”

To think a girl like that interests him.

Emily thought of Haji, whom she had just met, and chuckled. That cute face looking at her grumpily.

“She’s so adorable.”

Too bad she got involved with him.

“It doesn’t seem hopeless, though.”

Even though they went to the same high school, Haji didn’t seem to know her. The wary look in her eyes said as much.

If Haji remembered her from high school, that wouldn’t have been the case.

Although Emily had a brief crush on Seojin during their school days, it was very short-lived.

‘You need to love yourself more.’

That was Seojin’s response to her confession.

It was a skill to say so indirectly that she wouldn’t be loved if she liked him.

“He’s so unkind.”

Emily flicked her long curly hair behind her ear, spreading a deep rose scent around her.

As eyes turned towards her, she naturally wore a confident expression. Some looked at her with admiration, others with jealousy.

Knowing this, she maintained her expression. She was a born model. No one knew how hard she had worked to achieve this look.

Reflecting on his words, she realized it was good to become someone who loved herself more than anyone else.

She was curious about how Ki Seojin treated the woman he liked. Long ago, it was a curiosity mixed with jealousy, but now it was just plain curiosity.

She wondered what kind of relationship would a self-centered guy like him have.

She expected he would date someone for his own satisfaction and then get dumped. She planned to tease him thoroughly if that happened.

I’ll be waiting forever.

Emily shook her head slightly, crossing her arms as a man approached.

“If you need someone to talk to, I’d be happy to oblige.”

Emily haughtily scanned his face, making him flinch and waver under her gaze.

***

Haji sighed deeply and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

She thought she looked glamorous today, but now she felt utterly plain. Especially compared to the woman she saw with Seojin just moments ago.

“No, don’t think like that.”

She’s a model, right? I’m just an ordinary person.

“They looked good together.”

The image of the two lingered in her mind. Even their natural skinship.

“Well, he was always someone from a different world.”

It’s not something I should care about.

Haji took a deep breath and exhaled. Her heavy shoulders dropped, but she didn’t feel any lighter.

She was about to leave the restroom when she paused. She hesitated for a moment, holding her phone.

“Should I go home?”

She didn’t think she could enjoy herself in her current state. After deciding, Haji dialed Seonghee’s number.

– Haji, where are you?

“I’m in front of the restroom. I think I need to go home first.”

– Why? Is something wrong?

“No, it’s nothing like that. I’m just not feeling well and need to rest at home.”

Although Seonghee understood, Haji felt sorry for cutting the call short after being invited.

“Huu.”

Haji let out a small sigh, standing in front of the restroom, looking at her phone.

I don’t need to tell Sunbae, right?

“When are you going to our house?”

The familiar voice startled Haji, making her shoulders jump.