Chapter 8: An Unavoidable Interruption

“Kim Team Leader, how about we make Park PD’s segment 10 minutes and extend this one to 15 minutes? And move it to the very end of the lineup.”

“Hmm… Okay! Let’s do that. Yoonseo, you can add about a minute and a half, right?”

Although Hyunjoo and Team Leader Kim often bickered, they were perfectly in sync when it came to work, moving as one.

Since the two of them had stopped by Yoonseo’s editing room last after reviewing all the other rough cuts, Yoonseo didn’t really have a choice.

It was only natural that if they told him to adjust, he adjusted; if they told him to cut, he cut; and if they told him to add, he added.

Yoonseo quickly calculated in his head and gave a small nod.

“Yes. I’ll give it a try. I think I can do it.”

“Okay. I may worry about the others, but I never worry about our Yoonseo.”

“Kim Team Leader, if you’re going to play favorites, at least be subtle about it.”

Team Leader Kim just shrugged at Hyunjoo’s playful scolding.

As Team Leader Kim and Hyunjoo got up and left the editing room, Chaewon plopped down into an empty chair.

Looking tired, she pressed the inner corners of her eyes and asked a question.

“PD-nim, should we take a break, or should we finish this quickly?”

“Hmm… should we finish quickly and go out for lunch?”

“This is why you and I get along so well, PD-nim. I really don’t want to eat a boxed lunch today.”

Chaewon, who had quickly brightened up, was flipping through her preview notes when Yoonseo’s phone, which was on the desk, vibrated loudly.

He quickly grabbed his phone to check it, and an unknown eleven-digit number was displayed on the screen.

“…”

It wasn’t uncommon to get calls from unsaved numbers.

Due to the nature of his job, he often had to give out his number to others.

So, he usually answered even if it was an unknown number, but today, for some reason, he had a bad feeling about it.

Yet, he couldn’t figure out why he was hesitant and just stared blankly at the screen.

Chaewon tilted her head and waved her hand in the air, trying to get his attention.

“PD-nim, isn’t your phone ringing?”

“Ah…”

“Go take the call. I’ll be looking over the preview.”

“Yes… sorry. I’ll be right back.”

Yoonseo gave Chaewon, who was smiling brightly, a grateful nod.

He closed the door to the editing room, walked down the corridor, and after glancing around, found an empty meeting room.

The caller still hadn’t hung up.

It could be a call related to the broadcast, so he couldn’t just ignore it.

“…Hello.”

He answered the call as he entered the meeting room.

He held the phone to his ear, waiting for the other person to speak, but what he heard wasn’t an introduction or a greeting, but an unidentifiable laugh.

Puzzled, Yoonseo tilted his head.

– I was worried you wouldn’t answer because it’s an unknown number. That’s a relief.

Yoonseo held his breath for a moment upon hearing the gentle voice.

The low-pitched voice, a perfect blend of leisure and languor, was strangely familiar, and he was momentarily flustered.

Quickly composing himself, Yoonseo pulled the phone away from his ear and checked the screen again.

The unfamiliar, unsaved number was nowhere in his memory.

But the other person seemed to know him.

Yoonseo maintained his silence and swallowed dryly, about to ask who it was, when the other person beat him to it.

– If I go over today, can you buy me a coffee?

“Ah…”

A voice tinged with a slight smile, yet with a weight that kept it from being light.

And a gentle tone, perfect for disarming someone.

The underlying leisure was anything but ordinary.

Among the people Yoonseo knew, there was only one person who was far from ordinary.

It was Han Taekyung.

– Isn’t this PD Choi Yoonseo’s phone?

Taekyung asked while he was silent, unsure of what to say.

Only then did Yoonseo hastily reply.

“Ah, yes. Han Taekyung Seonbaenim… is that right?”

He had called him seonbaenim, as he did with other celebrities who had entered the broadcasting industry before him, but Taekyung laughed heartily, as if he found the title unexpected.

– Just call me comfortably. I’m not that rigid. And I’m not your direct senior, PD Choi.

He was still alone in the meeting room, but for some reason, he found himself looking around.

Yoonseo, who had been peeking through the glass wall covered with a translucent film, moved further inside.

He hadn’t turned on the lights, but it wasn’t dark thanks to the open blinds on the window.

In the meantime, Taekyung continued.

– Your offer to buy me coffee, it wasn’t just an empty promise, was it?

Just by hearing his voice, he could easily picture the expression on Han Taekyung’s face right now.

His lips would be slightly curved, and his eyes would be smiling in a gentle arc.

He didn’t know why, but his voice sounded slightly excited.

Yoonseo raised his wrist to check the time.

It was just a little past 10:30.

The day before a broadcast was always busy and hectic.

They often had to huddle together in the break room and eat simple boxed lunches for meals, so there was no way he would have time to sit and have coffee with Han Taekyung.

But since he was the one who had offered to buy coffee first, he was embarrassed to refuse.

After some thought, Yoonseo made a decision and opened his mouth with a rather solemn expression.

“No, I really intended to buy you one. But I don’t think I’ll have time today. It’s the day before the broadcast, so I’m a bit busy… and I have a screening in the afternoon.”

Yoonseo thought his answer might sound like an excuse to Han Taekyung, but right now, his work came first, so he had no choice.

He was about to suggest a later date, determined to end the call quickly and return to the editing room, when,

– Really? I just got to the 9th floor.

Taekyung’s words threw Yoonseo into a state of bewilderment.

He’s on the 9th floor.

A startled Yoonseo rushed to the meeting room door and threw it open.

He immediately looked toward the entrance and saw an incongruous figure standing guard.

Han Taekyung was really standing there.

Not only Han Taekyung but also a man with a slightly younger-looking face was with him, and he, too, looked strangely familiar.

As if sensing his presence, Taekyung turned his head toward where Yoonseo was standing and started walking toward him with a smile, as if he had spotted a welcome friend.

What is that person doing here…

While Yoonseo was at a loss, Taekyung came right up to him.

Only then did Taekyung end the call and put his phone in his coat pocket.

“Long time no see, PD-nim.”

“What brings you here…”

“I have a script reading this afternoon. I came a little early to get some coffee from you. But I didn’t know you’d be busy.”

Taekyung shrugged nonchalantly.

His attitude was so confident and natural that Yoonseo felt himself shrinking.

Even though he didn’t sense any hostility from him, he felt mentally exhausted, as if his mind was being worn down.

“I won’t take up much of your time. I’m not that free either.”

“…”

“About 20 minutes should be enough. That’s okay, right?”

Although the sentence ended with a questioning tone, Yoonseo could read the underlying certainty.

A certainty filled with arrogance, that you would never be able to refuse my offer.

Yoonseo glanced toward the office and let out a small sigh.

He felt like his ankle had been caught in a trap he couldn’t escape.

Since it had come to this, it seemed better to just buy Taekyung a coffee, thank him properly, and then quickly end this relationship.

Though it was a stretch to even call what they had a ‘relationship.’

“…Just a moment. I’ll go tell them I need to step out for a bit.”

He felt sorry for Chaewon, but it seemed today’s lunch would also be a boxed meal.

Before heading to the company cafe on the 12th floor of the annex, Yoonseo was introduced to the man who was with Taekyung.

His name was Seo Jinhyung.

He was Taekyung’s manager.

He had wondered why he looked familiar, and it turned out he was the man who had run up to Taekyung, calling him ‘hyung,’ on the day he had been helped.

Jinhyung said he would wait in the lounge and went downstairs, while Yoonseo and Taekyung went up to the company cafe.

The busiest time here was around lunch, so there shouldn’t be many people now.

Yoonseo scanned his employee ID on the security device and then led Taekyung through the open door.

He turned slightly at the end of the left corridor and entered the cafe.

In that instant, Yoonseo could feel everyone’s eyes turn to Taekyung, who was standing next to him.

Some gasped and covered their mouths in surprise, while others lowered their voices and whispered with their colleagues.

However, most people’s reactions were quiet.

Though it seemed they couldn’t easily tear their eyes away from Taekyung.

“A latte for me. Hot.”

Taekyung, standing with Yoonseo at the counter, said without hesitation.

It seemed he had already decided what to drink.

Yoonseo bought a hot cafe latte, an iced Americano for himself, and a butter cookie.

It was a small gift for Chaewon, who had nodded and agreed without any suspicion when he had lied about a former colleague being in the area and needing to step out for a moment.

But Taekyyung, unaware of this, looked at the butter cookie in Yoonseo’s hand and asked,

“PD-nim, do you like cookies?”

“I’ll eat them if they’re there, but I won’t go out of my way to get them… It’s that kind of thing. This is for the writer.”

Yoonseo replied without much thought, paid, and got his card back.

The cashier, instead of giving him a vibrating pager, told him it would be out soon.

Yoonseo gave a smiling nod and immediately walked to the pickup counter.