Cheat day

Curveball (2)

The next day.

As Ji-hye entered the office, she felt relieved to find Baek Woo-jin’s office empty.

Even though she thought what Muk Eun-ji told her couldn’t possibly be true, it had been on her mind all night.

Caught between hope and doubt, Ji-hye couldn’t figure out what she really wanted.

‘Since when?’

‘But why hasn’t he said anything until now? Not even once.’

‘Right. That can’t be true. It doesn’t make sense.’

It was hard to believe that Baek Woo-jin even had feelings for someone.

Since elementary school, he had never shown interest in anyone, let alone been in a relationship.

With a mix of curiosity and youthful innocence, she had tried to express her feelings a few times, but each time he had no reaction. There was even a time when she wondered if he might be asexual.

However, Muk Eun-ji and Ban-chan were not the types to speak without reason.

Furthermore, Baek Woo-jin’s sudden change from a glum demeanor after being told he wasn’t managing his health to applying for the Sugar Man Project seemed very much in line with his character.

‘Ah. What is going on, Baek Woo-jin? Is it for real?’

Back at her desk, Ji-hye continued to ruminate over her thoughts without even putting down her bag.

“Hello.”

“Hi.”

It was Baek Woo-jin’s voice.

As she turned her gaze, she saw him entering the office in a suit for the first time in a while.

Perhaps due to his recent diet and consistent exercise, it seemed like he had lost some weight in his face.

The familiar chubby cheeks had disappeared, revealing glimpses of his old face.

‘That’s right. He used to look like that.’

“Meh.”

Baek Woo-jin stuck out his tongue while making a face.

“……Huh?”

Taken aback by his unexpected behavior, Ji-hye was momentarily speechless as he walked into his office.

“Ha.”

She was dumbfounded.

He had kept her up all night, and yet, he greeted her by sticking out his tongue? Her head was spinning.

Ji-hye suddenly stood up and barged into Baek Woo-jin’s office.

“Whoa!”

Baek Woo-jin turned around, startled.

Ji-hye crossed her arms to protect her midsection and sighed at the terrified look on Baek Woo-jin’s face.

“I’m not going to hit you, so let’s talk.”

Baek Woo-jin glared at her but didn’t relax his guard.

“Come sit.”

Although Ji-hye took a seat on the central sofa in the office, Baek Woo-jin remained behind his desk.

“What are you doing?”

“Just talk from there.”

Another sigh escaped her.

“Fine.”

But now swept up in her emotions, Ji-hye wasn’t sure how to begin.

They sat in silence, merely passing the time.

“……What is it?”

“Wait a second.”

“I’m busy.”

His comment about being busy made Ji-hye firm in her resolve.

She couldn’t spend another night tossing and turning, and more than anything, she felt she could no longer postpone her 20-plus-year-long unrequited love.

“Are you really going to confess if you win?”

Ji-hye’s hand slammed down on the desk, causing Baek Woo-jin to shrink back as he collected his thoughts and exhaled deeply.

“No.”

“Right. No? Huh?”

“Huh?”

“You’re not going to?”

“Yeah. I’m not.”

“Why!”

Baek Woo-jin froze at Ji-hye’s outburst.

“Why not! Why!”

“No.”

“Why!”

Baek Woo-jin, feeling pushed to the brink, began to get a little stubborn.

“Why do you keep making things difficult for me? What’s the problem? Yesterday you said you’d confess, but then you hit me! What’s it today? You’re saying you won’t! You don’t want to! You told me not to!”

This time, Ji-hye was at a loss for words.

Yesterday, she had thought there was someone else in Baek Woo-jin’s life, but through Muk Eun-ji, she had come to infer some of his feelings.

To explain why her feelings had changed in just one day, she would have to express her own feelings.

But she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

“That…”

“What?”

“Are you giving up just because of that?”

Ji-hye raised her voice instead.

“If you’re going to give up just because you got hit once, then it means you weren’t serious at all.”

Her words came from her uncertainty about whether Baek Woo-jin really liked her after all these years of unrequited love.

Ji-hye wanted to believe that he truly loved her, but she also feared that he might have feelings for someone else. If that were the case, everything they had built up until now could come crashing down.

The mixture of desperation and fear made her heart feel like it was going to burst, and she was slowly becoming defensive and less honest in her approach.

And this behavior only hurt Baek Woo-jin more.

His face twisted in frustration.

“Have you said everything you wanted to?”

The fact that she was not only dismissing him but also denying feelings he had kept for a long time was something he couldn’t forgive, no matter who she was.

Baek Woo-jin stood up from his seat.

“What do you know?”

“……”

“Is it really so wrong to want to look good? To want to seem cool?”

Baek Woo-jin took a step closer to Ji-hye.

“Yeah. It might look silly to you. Like when I asked if they could lower the price for a 5,000 won katsu.”

That was from when they were in sixth grade.

It had been a very joyful and happy day for Ji-hye.

“When I saw you with the chocolate, I talked about how Valentine’s Day came to be!”

That had been in the second year of middle school.

Baek Woo-jin, who always walked home with her, explained the origins of Valentine’s Day as he looked at the chocolates he had shared with his friends, even though he never asked.

Ji-hye knew he hadn’t received pocket money, so she didn’t think much of it.

In fact, he had even suggested sharing the treats he received, and she still vividly remembered how he, who loved sweets, had refused chocolate that day.

“Everyone was holding bouquets and perfumes, but I couldn’t buy perfume and didn’t even have 10,000 won for pasta, so I ran away! But that rose cost me a week’s worth of meals!”

It was on the day of their coming-of-age celebration.

Baek Woo-jin had suddenly appeared, giving her 20 roses while she was out having fun with friends, and he still made Ji-hye’s heart flutter.

Although he didn’t buy her perfume, just giving her flowers and running away made for a beautiful memory that remained with her.

The thought that he had given her flowers because he was broke made her heart ache.

“I see.”

Ji-hye’s voice trembled.

Looking back, she realized how much love she had received.

No matter where she searched in her memories, he had always been there.

When they were younger, those gestures had only made her excited, but reflecting on them now, she understood that all those feelings were the love he had sent her.

Why hadn’t she realized it sooner?

Ji-hye lifted her head and met Baek Woo-jin’s gaze.

“Then why didn’t you say anything when I confessed?”

“…Huh?”

Baek Woo-jin looked confused.

“When I was making the Woojinious.”

Baek Woo-jin desperately searched his memory.

It was a weekend when he was bumming around, not preparing for a job.

He had been holed up in a goshiwon, reading papers about the tesseract from the movie Interstellar, when Ji-hye, lying on the bed and reading a comic, suddenly spoke up.

“Is that fun?”

“Is that fun for you?”

“I’m serious. Are you going to keep living like this?”

“…”

“Get out a bit. Get a job. Meet people. I don’t know if it’s possible, but maybe even date.”

“I’m not interested.”

“…Sigh. Fine. I’ll have to take care of you myself.”

“What are you talking about?”

Baek Woo-jin’s eyes widened.

“What kind of confession is that?”

“What?”

“I love you! I like you! That’s a confession! Not ‘take care of me’! Am I a stray cat?”

“Come on! How could I say something like that? As long as the meaning gets across, that’s enough!”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

“Then! What were you planning to do?”

“Huh?”

Baek Woo-jin was caught off guard.

“How well were you going to do? Go ahead! I’ll listen!”

Taking control of the conversation, Ji-hye raised her chin confidently.

“Um, first I’ll win.”

Baek Woo-jin, glancing at Ji-hye, started to stumble over his words.

“Then, um, flowers and perfume.”

“Skip the perfume. I don’t use it.”

“…Rings and.”

“Hmm?”

“Dress nicely. Play Chopin’s Nocturne No. 2. Ch, ch, ch.”

“See! You can’t say anything either!”

“Wait!”

Ji-hye swallowed hard.

It was a strange exchange, but she felt that Baek Woo-jin might actually say he liked her at that moment.

Her heart was swelling, as if it would burst.

“No, not here.”

“What do you mean, ‘not here’?”

“I need to win first.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Then it’ll be cool.”

Ji-hye was frustrated to the point of madness.

She couldn’t understand Baek Woo-jin’s strange thought that he could only confess after winning.

“Then, if you don’t win, you won’t do it?”

“There’ll be other chances.”

“When!”

Ji-hye shouted loudly.

Baek Woo-jin was startled and nearly stumbled backward.

“When’s the next time? How long do you expect me to wait?”

“What does it matter when someone else does it?”

“Is this someone else’s business?”

“I need to prepare myself mentally!”

“I like you!”

Ji-hye yelled.

Baek Woo-jin’s pupils dilated in surprise.

Ji-hye also couldn’t believe her own actions.

“…”

“Idiot! Say something!”

“Wait a second. Let me play some music.”

As Baek Woo-jin was about to play Chopin’s Nocturne No. 2 as planned, Ji-hye grabbed him by the collar.

Before their lips could touch, their foreheads collided strongly.

“Ow!”

“Ow!”

“What are you doing?”

“Hah, hah hah ha!”

They burst into laughter in disbelief.

Ji-hye, who had mustered up the courage, never imagined it would end with a headbutt, and she started to laugh loudly.

Watching her, Baek Woo-jin found himself laughing as well.

***

The instant tteokbokki bubbled and boiled.

Baek Woo-jin plated the well-cooked ramen and fish cakes. The savory aroma of tteokbokki mixed with sesame oil tantalized his taste buds.

Having strictly adhered to his diet, he savored a piece of tteok and a fish cake.

“Are you not eating?”

As Baek Woo-jin indulged in the tteokbokki, he suddenly looked up.

Ji-hye was staring blankly at the tteokbokki.

“Why did you choose tteokbokki?”

“…When I go on a date, it’s tteokbokki.”

“Sigh. Right. What else could I expect from you?”

Ji-hye shook her head and picked up the ladle, scooping up a generous serving of tteok and fish cake along with the broth.

Tteokbokki for a first date—while it was absurd, it also felt quintessentially Baek Woo-jin. But once he tasted it, he was satisfied.

“It’s delicious.”

“It is.”

“See?”

Baek Woo-jin grinned.

“You like tteokbokki.”

“Me? Well, not that much.”

“Nope. You love tteokbokki.”

“What are you talking about?”

Ji-hye found Baek Woo-jin’s attitude strange, but she brushed it off and focused on her meal.

After a long time, she realized just how delicious instant tteokbokki could be.

“Hmm, let’s fry some rice later.”

The moment she casually suggested frying rice, a memory flickered in Ji-hye’s mind.

“Will this really work?”

“What do you mean?”

“…”

“What’s wrong with tteokbokki? I think it’s the best in the world.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It’s delicious when you’re feeling good, it’s delicious when you’re feeling bad. It’s tasty even when you’re not thinking about anything. You can eat tteokbokki anytime, and it’s still great.”

“Even on your birthday?”

“Yeah.”

“Even on Christmas?”

“Yeah.”

“Even when you’re on a date?”

“Oh, stop asking. I like it. Tteokbokki is all I need. Nothing else matters. It’s always tteokbokki.”

“…How much do you like it?”

“Hehe. Let’s fry some rice.”

It was her 16th birthday.

“Could it be?”

She wondered if he still remembered what he had said back then.

“Excuse me, could we have one fried rice, please?”

Baek Woo-jin, who had ordered fried rice, turned his head. The moment their eyes met and he smiled, a grin appeared on Ji-hye’s face.

“Who’s going to stick just one on their nose? Make it two, please!”

***

The premiere date for the Sugar Man project was approaching.

A total of 12 episodes would be released, three episodes each week for a final total of four weeks. Baek Woo-jin, along with famous participants like actor Ko Il-kyu, had been appearing on various entertainment shows to promote the program even before its release.

Participants, including YouTubers and office workers, were actively promoting it through their personal social media and communities.

There was no need to mention myself, Ju Ji-seung, and Cha Ji-chan.

“Ugh. This is driving me crazy.”

“Has the reaction come in yet?”

“It’s starting to come in slowly. We need to keep watching.”

Though some of the production costs were funded by Netflix, the fate of Sugar Man Entertainment depended on the success of the Sugar Man project.

If the project succeeded, they would continue to find investors.

If not, they would have to prepare everything themselves.

Performance and image were essential for sustaining the business.

As everyone anxiously awaited,

Choi Mi-kael walked into the meeting room.

“Aren’t you all going home?”

“…”

The main PD of the Sugar Man project entered casually, creating cognitive dissonance.

“What’s going on? Why are you so calm?”

“Ugh. Does worrying change anything?”

“Isn’t there any news on the results?”

“Have you not contacted Netflix?”

“Why would I? The rankings will come out in due time.”

“Ugh, this is so frustrating!”

“I’ll reach out.”

Baek Woo-jin took out his smartphone, and Choi Mi-kael leaned over to show him a text message.

{The viewing time trends are looking good.}

{I’m looking forward to it.}

Hearing that the viewing time was trending positively meant that those who had watched the videos were continuing to engage with them.

Since it came from a Netflix employee who had been reviewing internal data consistently, it was credible.

Baek Woo-jin clenched his fist in determination.