Life, Once Again!

Chapter 920. Crank Up 3

The get-together was held in a mackerel restaurant near the set. Gaeul walked around the first floor and talked to the various staff members. She felt touched when she heard that they wanted to work with her next time as well. She even thought that maybe she should have talked to them more often. There were many staff members who offered her drinks, but she mostly toasted back with empty cups or just juice. She couldn’t afford to go back home drunk today as there were friends she would be drinking with all night at home.

After making rounds on the first floor, she went to the room on the 2nd floor where the main cast and the main production staff were staying. She could hear laughter from every room. The fact that they finished early was one thing, but Lee Miyoon’s absence made the mood a lot softer.

“Gaeul, we should toast.”

A great senior raised a bottle himself. She couldn’t afford to refuse, so she raised her glass. Starting from the director to the assistant director, everyone received a glass full of soju. A drunk senior humorously celebrated the finale of Doctor’s Office. Along with the word cheers, everyone raised their glasses up in the air. Gaeul only drank a sip before putting it back down.

“You don’t seem to be doing well today?” Giwoo said.

Whether it was intended or a coincidence, Giwoo ended up sitting next to her.

“I’m just going to drink moderately today. There’s a separate after party too.”

Giwoo nodded. Ever since she clearly expressed her rejection, Giwoo did not persistently speak to her. It didn’t seem like he had completely given up though, so she was always on alert. She didn’t want a moment’s mistake to end up in hooking up with him.

“Our blessed couple! The drama went so well thanks to the two of you.”

When a senior started applauding, the others started applauding as well. Gaeul waved her hand in the air in denial before jokingly speaking,

“I’m not sure about all, but I think 2% of the viewing rate is thanks to me?”

“Of course it is thanks to you, Gaeul! And it’s also thanks to Giwoo too. Since we’re at it, we should have our couple do a love shot^[1].”

She tried to refuse with a smile, but Giwoo cut in first. He gave her a glass. Everyone seemed excited because they just finished the last shoot. It would become awkward if she suddenly turned stern and refused. She picked up her glass and looked at Giwoo with an awkward smile that anyone in front of her would be able to tell was forced. Even though it might have hurt his pride, Giwoo smiled joyously. That smile made her insides churn. It felt like he was declaring that he would happily accept whatever she does. A sensation even more unpleasant than him talking to her enveloped her body.

“But I like Hyeyeon-unni more than Giwoo. Now I feel like she’s my real sister just like during the drama.”

Gaeul indifferently nodded towards Giwoo, who sat to her left, and turned around to her right to give the glass to Hyeyeon. Hyeyeon gladly picked up her glass. People laughed about it as well. After crossing their arms and drinking, she had a look at Kang Giwoo. His lips were twitching as though he couldn’t stand being ignored so fully. She dusted her empty glass above her head^[2] and stood up.

“I’d love to stay here for longer, but a friend of mine flew over from Japan today. I haven’t seen her in quite a while so I’d like to get going now. I’ll accept the rest of the drinks during the afterparty.”

This was no coerced drinking occasion, nor were there any stuck-up seniors, so she was able to get out easily. She said goodbye to the director who told her to be careful on her way back before coming down from the 2nd floor. She left the restaurant after telling Mijoo and Chanwoo that she would be leaving first.

“Han Gaeul.”

Kang Giwoo was standing behind her.

“What is it?”

“I was just curious about why you hated me so much.”

“I don’t like bringing up what I already said before.”

“That you have no plans on dating someone?”

“Yes, so you do remember.”

“I’m not saying that we should start dating right now. I’ve given up on that notion too. Allow me to truly apologize for not understanding how you felt before and forcing myself on you. I was too awkward in my expressions.”

“If you know, then it’s fine.”

Gaeul waved at the taxi approaching from afar. It would’ve been great if it was an empty one, but unfortunately, it was occupied.

“What should I do? I just want to become a good friend of yours. Of course, if I had the opportunity, I’d love to try my best so that we can further our relationship into that of lovers.”

“I feel like we’re plenty good friends right now. We can shoot together on set without much friction and we eat together afterwards. That’s the ideal definition of friends there to me.”

“I want to shorten the distance more than that.”

“Sorry to tell you, but I don’t want to do that. If you want me to be honest with you, I hate this situation where I’m saying sorry to you out of formality all this time. The women you’ve met until now might have liked you for that, but that isn’t the case for me. I held back because it might have influenced the shoot, but let me tell you clearly today: I don’t have a shred of a mind to become lovers with you. And this will not change.”

“Let me ask you again. Why do you hate me so much? I might sound cocky, but I’m not exactly a bad guy.”

“Of course. Who in this world can tell you that you’re a bad guy? You’re a good guy. So please stop being persistent on a woman who has no interest in you and look for another one.”

She waved her hand at the taxi going the opposite way. The taxi driver replied with a hand gesture, and she started walking towards a place where it was possible to do a U-turn.

“You should go back. See you at the afterparty.”

She followed the taxi that made a U-turn and was driving towards her. Just a few moments ago, she got a text from Yoojin telling her to hurry. She had to go quickly if she didn’t want to get bombarded with nagging from her friend armed with it.

“Talk to me for a sec.”

When the taxi pulled up, Giwoo grabbed her wrist. Gaeul looked alternately at Giwoo’s hand that grabbed her wrist and his face.

“What are you doing?”

“I hope you understand how serious I am.”

“So forcefully holding back someone as she’s about to leave is you being serious?”

“You never give me an opportunity, so I want to earn enough time to talk to you even if I have to do something like this.”

“I said all I need to.”

“Well, I haven’t.”

Giwoo tightened his grip. She could feel his tenacity to never let go through her wrist. Was it because of the drinking? Or was it because he thought that today was the last opportunity? She couldn’t care less about the reason. There was only one answer.

“Why don’t you let go when I’m still in a good mood?”

“Han Gaeul, I really….”

“I warned you.”

She grabbed the wrist of Giwoo’s hand that was holding onto her arm and pulled it downwards with all her might. Giwoo gasped and staggered when his center of balance was suddenly shifted forward. Gaeul used her left hand to strongly push the staggering Giwoo on the shoulder. He fell down on the spot just like that. Gaeul looked around. Just as she had checked before she made a move, there were no passersby. There was a smoking couple watching them from a distance, but they would not be able to think that some celebrities were causing a ruckus here.

“Young lady, aren’t you going to come in?” said the taxi driver as he rolled down the passenger seat window.

His tone was not that of complaint, but of worry. His eyes were looking at Giwoo, who was sitting on his knee. Gaeul moved slightly in order to block the driver’s eyes. He might have a terrible personality, but she could not afford a scandal. She did not want to be introduced as ‘actress H’ who got into a fight with Kang Giwoo in some gossip news outlet.

“Young lady, you okay?” the taxi driver asked as soon as she got in the taxi.

Gaeul pulled up her mask and looked at the driver.

“It’s fine. I’m quite athletic.”

“You should still watch out. A woman can’t beat a man no matter how athletic she is once a man goes crazy. Are you sure you don’t need to report him?”

“He’s just a coworker, but he’s drunk. I’m sure he’ll apologize to me tomorrow.”

“They say people’s real ego comes out when they’re drunk. Don’t put people like that near you. I have a daughter who’s also working, but a man like that is her superior, so she always complains to me whenever she goes to a get-together.”

“There are always bad people who make many people tired.”

The taxi driver agreed with her and drove off. She looked outside the window. She could see Giwoo becoming smaller and smaller. It was terrifying to see him staring straight at the tail of the taxi while standing straight up. She thought that she should tell her agency to watch out so that her work didn’t coincide with Kang Giwoo’s.

After nodding along to the driver boasting about his daughter, she found herself standing in front of the apartment complex.

“Be careful on your way home.”

“Yes, I will,” Gaeul said as she closed the door.

* * *

It was humiliating, yet for some reason, he was laughing. Giwoo looked at his wrist that Gaeul grabbed. He could feel an irresistible charm from her when she strongly resisted. He could understand why fishermen were so fixated on big fish. The long wait, the tug of war with the fish, the final desperate struggle. The sensation from the hands that only appeared at the very end of the long arduous process was not something that small fry could compare to. Gaeul was a woman overflowing with vitality just like a carp. When he grabbed her because it felt like she was an easy catch, she would flap her tail and escape him.

He couldn’t begin to imagine how big the ecstasy would be when he caught her, and how big the satisfaction would be once he put her in a fish tank. However, he was almost getting fed up. Since he had enough of that sensation from his hand, it would be great if she obediently allowed herself to be caught by him. He acted warm because it seemed like she did not like being forceful, but she was even angrier instead.

What could’ve gone wrong? He didn’t ask her out for a meal and just wanted to talk to her, yet she was so rejective of it. It was almost unnatural.

A man.

That word suddenly came to his mind. Did she find another man after getting rejected by Han Maru? Or was she fed up with men after getting rejected? It would be great if it was the latter. He did not want her to be one of those cheap women who switched men on short notice. That woman, who was proud yet filled with vitality and had a charming smile, had to remain the woman he wanted her to be.

“Did you send Gaeul off well?” asked a senior as soon as he returned.

“I safely grabbed her a taxi.”

“Tell me honestly. You have the hots for Gaeul, don’t you? Many people tend to get such feelings if they go through so much in dramas.”

Giwoo scratched his neck a little and spoke,

“Was it obvious?”

The people around him soon showed interest. Some people laughed, saying that they knew it, while some people cheered for him because the two of them suited each other.

“I’m sure Gaeul feels something for you as well. She can’t look at a person with eyes like that if she doesn’t have any feelings for someone.”

“Right. Gaeul’s eyes when she looked at you when you were acting was really sweet. She really looked like she was in love.”

They were words that made his ears pleased. As much as he wanted to hear more of it, he had to fall back here.

“Don’t push her too hard since she might be flustered if she hears it.”

“We aren’t that dumb. But we’ll try to fan the flames from the side. There’s the afterparty too. You should try your best.”

Giwoo smiled and nodded. People were creatures easily swept by the atmosphere, so it was likely that Gaeul might fall for him if other people pushed her that way. Maybe they might ride the flow to become close in one go. He felt joyful when he pictured Gaeul being drunk at the afterparty. How cute would it be if she acted cute with her cheeks flushed red? He emptied the glass in front of him in one go. He rather looked forward to this afterparty.

[1] When two people are paired up to drink. I’ve explained this before, and maybe the ‘ten levels of love shot’ might jolt your mind. Without any context, it’s just hooking arms to drink.

[2] A sign to show that she finished drinking what she was given.