Chapter 26
But while looking at the woman who seemed both pleased and embarrassed, a thought suddenly flashed through Wonyoung’s mind like lightning.
‘Then this woman… is she a BL expert?’
Even though he had read through countless manga, there was still so much he didn’t know. No, he still knew nothing. Maybe just things like using X between people’s names, that the protagonist’s partner generally has a king-sized junior, and that it goes from beginning-development-climax to 19+.
Among them, there were some that featured characters similar to Wonyoung—that is, Narae—but it was difficult to define their characteristics. Honestly, from Wonyoung’s perspective, Narae was a completely incomprehensible species. It seemed like this kind of guy couldn’t possibly exist in reality. If it weren’t for this game, he would have never encountered such a character in his lifetime.
But if he could have a BL expert as his teacher, that would be different. After all, placing talent in the right place was the shortcut to high efficiency. Wonyoung had already decided to take this woman as his mentor.
“Actually, I did find it interesting to watch.”
“What? Really?”
“Yes, but since I don’t know much about that area… it was too difficult.”
“Ah… Don’t you use SNS?”
“No.”
Someone had said that SNS was a waste of life. Wonyoung had lived faithfully following those words. But seeing the woman’s expression that said ‘You don’t even do that?’, he felt somewhat suffocated.
Actually, the woman was just making an expression that said ‘There’s such a newbie chick here, how fun! What should I recommend first?’ Wonyoung just felt that way because he was being overly self-conscious.
And fortunately, the woman willingly moved according to Wonyoung’s intentions.
“Then I’ll help you out a bit. Oh, I’m Yu Semi.”
“Ah, I’m sorry for the late introduction. I’m Narae.”
Semi nodded while thinking that his formal way of speaking didn’t match his appearance at all. Even this seemed like some kind of character trait.
In fact, whenever she saw this cute puppy who read BL, her heart raced so much. It wasn’t romantic attraction. It was the excitement of a creator and BL fan.
To think there was such a character who seemed to have popped right out of a manga!
With a face so lovely it could slap any idol’s cheek with a windmill kick, and even the secret hobby of secretly reading BL. Wonyoung perfectly matched Semi’s taste in BL characters.
And the moment she saw the three insanely handsome men who had been coming and going from Wonyoung’s house for the past few days, she decided to write a new work as if she had received divine revelation. She had finally broken out of her long slump. Although she had to make some adaptations for commercial viability, Semi had never enjoyed writing as much as she did these days.
To her, he was both her favorite character and practically a benefactor, so she had wanted to become friends anyway, but to think he would approach her first like this. Semi was thinking she had done well to muster the courage to bring up BL.
But the next moment, her mind went blank at the question Wonyoung threw out.
“By the way, do you happen to know… ‘That Office Worker’s Secret Affair’?”
“Wh, what?!”
‘She’s the author herself.’
Wonyoung was certain of Semi’s identity from that intense reaction. Semi asked restlessly.
“Th, th, that, why…”
To think he not only read manga but also novels, and even her own novel! That’s a high-rated 19+ story! Semi didn’t know what to do with her guilt and shame.
“Well, it seems like something I know about.”
“……”
At that decisive statement, Semi thought there was no choice now. Let’s confess honestly and ask for forgiveness. Writing BL about herself and people around her was absolutely unforgivable, but she couldn’t just pretend not to know.
But then, Wonyoung said something unexpected.
“Actually, it doesn’t really matter. It’s just similar.”
“What…?”
Actually, Wonyoung had just received a mission completion notification. Whether it recognized Semi’s reaction as a confession, the mission had been achieved. So Wonyoung didn’t want to make Semi uncomfortable unnecessarily and lose the chance to receive his mentor’s teachings.
Meanwhile, Semi was deeply moved, thinking that Wonyoung was deliberately pretending not to know. She wanted to do everything for this cute and kind uke!
And just then, Wonyoung brought up a question that had been bothering him, partly to deliberately change the topic.
“But I’m suddenly sorry to ask, but what on earth is abangsu?”
‘Just by asking that, you’re already abangsu!’
Semi’s inner self was cheering, but her outer self responded quite calmly.
“Ah, abangsu…? But why that?”
“I hear it a lot here and there, but I don’t know what it means.”
Even that clueless expression was like the textbook definition of abangsu, so even Semi’s outer self unconsciously muttered.
“Ahh… you would hear it…”
“What?”
“Oh, no! Abangsu is, well, you know gong and su, right?”
“That gong isn’t ball, right?”
“Oh… yes.”
Wonyoung scratched his head awkwardly again. Semi looked at him fondly and said.
“If it’s okay with you, would you like to talk inside? It’s awkward to keep standing here.”
“Is that okay? Then excuse me— Ah!”
Wonyoung, who was excited at the thought that his BL knowledge would become much richer and was about to step inside, was suddenly grabbed by the arm and half-embraced by someone.
“No, that won’t do.”
Wonyoung hurriedly turned around and his eyes widened like saucers at the unexpected person.
“Director Kyung Taerim?”
With his straight brow slightly furrowed, he scolded Wonyoung.
“Why are grown men and women going into one house together? Do you have a brain or not?”
“This person and I aren’t like that…”
“Enough, just follow me. I have something for you to do.”
“Something to do?”
Taerim, who had let go of Wonyoung’s arm after asking that, walked ahead and said.
“It’s preliminary work for working as my secretary. If you don’t do it, I’ll fire you. Won’t you follow?”
How could that be? It was a job he had found with such difficulty. Wonyoung bowed politely to Semi.
“I’m sorry. I’ll visit you again later.”
“Ah… I live next door, so. Come anytime.”
Wonyoung, who nodded, asked quietly.
“But just one last thing. What on earth is abangsu?”
“Ah, that’s…”
“Narae-ssi, aren’t you coming?”
“I’m coming, coming!”
Anyway, that temper. Wonyoung eventually walked toward Taerim, grumbling without getting an answer about abangsu.
“Why did you come all the way here instead of calling?”
“Well. Are you angry because I interfered with your love life?”
“There you go again. I’m Narae. And Yu Semi-ssi is just a neighborly relationship…”
“You don’t need to make excuses to me.”
Taerim spoke coldly and strode ahead with his long legs. In contrast, Wonyoung, who was chasing after him with his short legs, was slightly flustered.
‘Is he sulking?’
Then he suddenly noticed text messages and missed calls on his phone and hesitated. They were all from Taerim, saying he had something to do and would come pick him up.
Since he had ignored all of this and was talking with someone else, it was understandable that his mood would be hurt. He wondered if he was even jealous with just 20 favorability points, but if it was just wounded pride, that made sense.
Taerim, who had quickly exited the alley, got in the car without looking back even once. When Wonyoung hesitated in front of the car, he sighed and opened the car door for him.
“What are you doing, not getting in?”
When Wonyoung got in the car at those words, another curt remark came back.
“Do I have to fasten your seatbelt too?”
“I’ll do it myself.”
He was a man whose intentions were impossible to figure out, whether he was being considerate or not. Still, for the sake of their future superior-subordinate relationship and favorability, Wonyoung pondered and opened his mouth.
“Um, I…”
He had opened his mouth, but he couldn’t bring himself to say ‘I like men.’ Even from Narae’s position… he wasn’t mentally prepared yet.
After thinking, he chose words at the maximum level his heart would allow.
“I’m not interested in women.”
Then Taerim, who had been looking out the window the whole time, looked toward Wonyoung for the first time.
“So what are you trying to say?”
‘…Damn.’
Wonyoung’s face turned bright red at Taerim’s bland reaction. It felt like he had drunk kimchi soup by himself, got indigestion, and was carried to the emergency room.
“No, what I mean is…”
As Wonyoung tried to make a clumsy excuse belatedly, Taerim said “Ah” as if he understood.
“Did you think I would be jealous or something?”
“What? No, that’s not it.”
“If it was a strategy to provoke jealousy, it was useless. I was just angry that some secretary presumptuously ignored my contact.”
“……”
“Too bad your strategy failed.”
‘So what is this strategy that only you know about?’
Wonyoung grumbled internally and turned his head away sharply. Anyway, he had lost out by worrying.
Taerim looked at Wonyoung’s cheek puffed up from sulking and smiled silently, then leaned back in the car seat.
A gentle smile lingered at the corners of his mouth.
* * *
“How is it, Director?”
At the department store employee’s question, Taerim’s expression, who had been sitting leisurely on the sofa, slightly crumpled.
“Not, not great?”
“No. It’s fine. It really suits you well, Narae-ssi.”
He got up and approached to adjust the outfit of Wonyoung, who was standing tiredly in a suit. At his gentlemanly appearance, the department store employee looked at Taerim with admiration and gazed at Wonyoung with envious eyes.
But in reality, this kind of conversation was going on between the two:
“No matter what you wear, the clothes hanger is so poor that it becomes a serious problem.”
“What did you say?”
“Don’t you think so yourself? You look like a little kid who put on his dad’s clothes wrong.”
“…Isn’t it because Director-nim bought me cheap clothes? My body type is a bit spec, sp, special.”
“You are thin.”
Taerim said that while lightly hugging and releasing Wonyoung’s waist. At that sudden physical contact, Wonyoung was flustered and just opened and closed his mouth.
