The Best of Tomorrow [ 내일의 으뜸]

Chapter 43

It felt as if Seonjae's words were hanging heavily throughout my body. Her stomach felt like it was weighed down and her head kept falling down. As I stirred the beef stew with a spoon, I kept rewinding and replaying Seonjae's words.

'I've been waiting for you, not knowing when I might meet.'

I definitely said that. The words "I've been waiting for some time" kept sticking to me like a stone. You waited for me, not knowing when or when we would meet. His face became serious as he looked at the fern on the spoon. What kind of me are you talking about? Because of those thoughts.

"Youngest child, are you sick today?"

"yes?"

When I belatedly came to my senses and looked up, PD Kim Myung-hyuk, who had emptied the pot cleanly, was looking at me. It seemed like he was scolding me for my slow movements with the spoon.

"Oh, no."

I couldn't even finish eating a few spoonfuls of rice, so I put the spoon down.

As soon as they paid the bill and left the restaurant, producers Yang Ji-woon, Kim Myeong-hyuk, and Shim Won-jun put cigarettes in their mouths. Normally, I would have said, "I'll go up first," and turned around, but in the process of pushing the chair and getting up, Producer Yang Ji-woon said, "Let's go in after having a cup of coffee," so I got stuck. The location was ambiguous. As I was standing far away, I didn't know the direction of the coffee shop, and I couldn't ask where it was and go there first. So I walked around behind Shim Won-jun, hoping that their cigarettes would burn out quickly.

"right. "Youngest, did you go to Jagam High School?"

"yes?"

My eyes widened at the school name that was so familiar. Producer Myunghyuk Kim blew smoke out of his mouth and shook off the cigarette ash.

"I was there too."

I blinked, wondering why he was suddenly telling me this story. Only me, Seonjae, and Baek Inhyuk know about the infiltration of Jagam High School.

"There are quite a few people from our school on this floor. A few days ago, a junior who works as a music program writer asked for my business card. "He's a classmate."

"do... ... "Are you a classmate?"

On the outside, it may have just been a surprised face, but I felt that my eyes were shaking. Why is there such a thing? There's an earthquake in my pupil. I wondered what this all meant. Who is the music program writer, what are the alumni, and why did they take my business card?

Producer Ji-woon Yang changed the topic by talking about complaints about subtitles posted on the homepage bulletin board, and producer Myung-hyeok Kim narrowed his eyes and said, "It's not a big deal." An incomprehensible story passed by like a train.

I stood there blankly, not even realizing that cigarette smoke was pouring down on me. As I was rolling my thoughts like a ball, wondering what the hell was going on, a real soccer ball came rolling around. The ball lightly touched PD Yang Ji-woon's front foot, then slowly changed direction and stopped in the middle of the feet of four people standing together.

I kept my gaze down on the ball and then looked up and thought, "What is this?" A person wearing a padded hood and a mask covering the bridge of his nose approached. I could tell just by looking at his eyes. It is a pre-existence.

Seon-jae stopped walking where cigarette smoke was dispersing, pressed the ball with his front foot, stepped on it, and bounced it into the air. Then he took it in his hand, placed it at his side, and cast a sharp glance at the three people smoking.

"Isn't this a non-smoking area?"

"yes?"

PD Kim Myung-hyuk, who was looking at Seon-jae with a disapproving expression, frowned and asked. I was so embarrassed that I couldn't say anything. Shim Won-jun seemed to be the same, unable to open his mouth due to the freezing air current.

"It's a non-smoking area."

"I don't know. "No, but what does it matter?"

"There are non-smokers, but they are smoking in places where they are not allowed to smoke."

It's not like I can stop Seon-jae, and it would be nice if someone could at least hold PD Kim Myung-hyeok's hand and stop him, but everyone just watched. 

I still get scolded every time I work, and less than a month after joining the company, I held producer Kim Myeong-hyuk's hand and said, "Producer, be patient!"

 It was impossible to stop him. I was looking at the faces of PD Kim Myeong-hyuk and Seonjae alternately, thinking, "I'm not going to fight like this, I'm going to go crazy," when I made eye contact with Seonjae.

"Are you stupid? "Stand still?"

"... ... yes?"

Seonjae, who put the ball under his side, took a step back. Everyone's eyes were focused on me.

"What, do you know someone? "Why are you so rude?"

PD Kim Myung-hyuk asked, his face scrunched up. Seeing that his voice was raised, it seemed like he was heated up with irritation. Seonjae suddenly threw the bomb and walked away without even looking back. Producer Kim Myung-hyuk asked again what he was. He kept asking me if he was acting like a slut for smoking in front of you, who he was, and what his name was.

I don't know either, PD... ... .

Ryu Seon-jae shook his head, swallowing his words, "Why are you doing this to me?" With an expression that says, "I am innocent, I am also wronged."

"I don't know anyone."

Producer Kim Myung-hyuk narrowed his eyes and looked at me as I stuttered. Is that the way a stranger talks? It was like that. yes. This is someone everyone knows. I blinked and looked away.

"I guess I got confused with someone else."

Shim Wonjun spoke and I nodded without missing the opportunity. That's right, I guess so, I thought.

Producer Yang Ji-woon, who had finished smoking his cigarette, said, "Let's go," and walked away. 

PD Kim Myung-hyuk stood next to him, and Shim Won-jun and I followed side by side. I turned my head and looked at the place where Seonjae had disappeared. He seemed to have already gone somewhere and was nowhere to be seen. 

For a moment, I thought it might be Seon-jae, but it was definitely Seon-jae. Why did you act like I was never going to see you again?