Chapter 21: The Unveiling of Professions

Even though his lower half was hidden by his sitting position, Woo Sori’s top immediately caught my eye.

It was a light sky-blue knit sweater, emblazoned with a large logo in the center.

Upon closer inspection, he was adorned with numerous accessories: a wristwatch, earrings, and piercings. Though my memory was hazy, it seemed his outfits were always changing.

To think all the clothes he wore were from his own brand.

“Hyung, I wanted to ask about your outfit when we first met, so this is perfect. It’s really cool.”

“Thanks.”

As Chaeyeon-woo spoke, clasping his hands together, Woo Sori simply beamed, displaying the brightest smile I had ever seen from him. It was as if his immense pride in his brand was radiating outward.

I recalled receiving help from a friend in the fashion industry while preparing for this program. Woo Sori, too, must have meticulously chosen every piece of his attire.

“Alright, let’s move on quickly. Next.”

“Is it me?”

Ma Won-ho, who had been watching Woo Sori with his hands resting on the table, grinned. His piercing gaze swept over everyone in the room.

Dohwa hadn’t seen Ma Won-ho’s expression while revealing his own profession, but with so many unexpected careers emerging, he found himself increasingly curious about Ma Won-ho’s.

If reading sci-fi novels wasn’t merely a hobby, perhaps their professions were in a similar field.

As Ma Won-ho stroked his chin, delaying his answer, Dohwa inexplicably grew more nervous.

“I’m Ma Won-ho, a film director who debuted this year. You can look up my film yourselves.”

He maintained a playful demeanor throughout, concluding his statement with a teasing flourish. Immediately, everyone began pulling out their phones from their pockets.

“Whoa, are you already searching?”

“Where did I put my phone?”

Ma Won-ho’s flustered voice blended with the sound of Jae-hyun standing up to search for his phone. Meanwhile, the others had already completed their searches, quickly gathering information.

“‘Season’ was released this February.”

“I haven’t seen it, but I know what it’s about!”

Having been engrossed in deadlines and disconnected from the world, Dohwa had never heard of the film.

Quietly checking his phone, he noted the impressively high ratings and audience numbers. The top reviews were overwhelmingly positive.

“……His father is Ma Seong-un? Isn’t he a famous film director?”

Chaeyeon-woo, scrolling through his phone, seemed to have found a related article and muttered to himself.

‘That name sounds familiar.’

When Dohwa looked up, Ma Won-ho’s smiling face seemed to stiffen slightly. It was probably best not to delve further into that particular topic.

Setting his phone down, Dohwa glanced at Kang Hae-il, who was seated diagonally across from him. Kang Hae-il, who had been looking at the table, now lifted his head and met Dohwa’s gaze.

He sat upright, leaning comfortably back, his hands clasped together.

“Now, shall I reveal my profession?”

“Yes, please.”

His low voice instantly captured the scattered attention in the room.

Because they were facing each other, Dohwa had instinctively replied, thinking Kang Hae-il was speaking to him. However, it seemed better to shift the focus now, before Ma Won-ho grew more uncomfortable.

As all eyes turned to Kang Hae-il, he began to speak.

“I am currently serving as an executive managing director at Geumgang Group.”

He stated it so calmly that for a moment, I wondered if I had misheard.

Yet, upon reflection, his pronunciation had been too clear for it to be anything but Geumgang.

“Are you talking about Geumgang, one of Korea’s top companies?”

“One of the top companies, I suppose.”

Ma Won-ho, whose eyes had widened as he listened, questioned Kang Hae-il, who replied with an air of nonchalance.

‘An executive managing director at that age? Isn’t he like a third-generation chaebol?’

Unable to voice his thoughts, Dohwa stared blankly at him. He hadn’t seen the others’ expressions, but surely, they were all thinking the same thing.

Living in South Korea, it was impossible not to know Geumgang Group. It was a leading conglomerate, with ventures in numerous industries both domestically and internationally.

Seen in this light, being a writer felt like a completely ordinary profession.

“Hmm, if it was going to be like this, Hae-il should have gone last. Now it’s just me.”

Jae-hyun appeared, his face bearing a somewhat burdened expression.

Before anyone could protest, he opened his mouth, declaring he would speak quickly and get it over with.

“I’m currently working as a pharmacist. As you know, I’m the oldest here.”

Even as he revealed his profession, his tone remained gentle and warm.

Perhaps it was because he had lent Dohwa ointment earlier, but among everyone, his profession felt the most fitting and understandable.

With Jae-hyun’s revelation, everyone’s self-introductions were complete. Having learned so much about each other, it felt like they should naturally grow closer.

“Shall we have a toast?”

Yet, the atmosphere somehow seemed to have grown even more awkward.

Thanks to Ma Won-ho’s generous pouring of traditional liquor, Dohwa was momentarily surprised but quickly returned to normal.

He simply rested his chin on the table, feeling the familiar warmth rise, just like the night before.

“Dohwa, what’s your usual alcohol tolerance?”

“If it’s soju… about two bottles?”

He should normally be fine with this amount, but something felt a little off.

After dinner, as everyone began to clean up, Dohwa, once again excused from chores, headed to the living room sofa on the first floor.

He had been warm just a moment ago, but now felt a bit chilly.

He was always sensitive to the cold; even in summer, he would feel hot outside but shiver uncontrollably upon entering a shop.

He always carried a jacket for this reason, but going back upstairs felt too bothersome.

Fortunately, there was a blanket on the first-floor sofa. He sat down, curled up, and pulled it right up to his neck.

He had deliberately chosen a spot away from the direct blast of the air conditioner.

“Shall I turn up the AC?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Everyone else was hot from drinking, but being wrapped up like this made him warm enough. Perhaps his appearance was a bit comical, as everyone emerging from the kitchen approached with smiles.

Dohwa thought Chaeyeon-woo seemed a bit drunk today. Indeed, the traditional liquor had been poured one glass at a time, leading to a different drinking pace than with wine.

“Dohwa-ya, can I take a picture of you now?”

“I don’t mind.”

“Look, I took a good one, didn’t I?”

The photo showed Dohwa, covered by the blanket up to his neck, with only his face visible, ensuring no one else was in the shot. He really did enjoy taking pictures, it seemed.

‘He takes good pictures.’

However, displeased with himself as the subject, Dohwa tossed the blanket aside. After all, the cameras hidden somewhere in the house would be capturing the exact same scene.

“Shall we take a picture together?”

“Sure.”

Dohwa watched Chaeyeon-woo take a selfie with Jae-hyun, both flashing V-signs, before turning his head away.

Woo Sori and Kang Hae-il stood talking, though their conversation was inaudible. Ma Won-ho, emerging from the kitchen a little later, sat on the sofa with a mug in his hand.

“What’s that?”

“Coffee.”

“If you drink that now, you won’t be able to sleep later.”

“We can just stay up all night again today.”

The aroma of coffee wafted past his nose.

Though he didn’t like bitter tastes and thus didn’t drink coffee, he enjoyed its scent.

Yesterday, being the first day of moving in, his sleep pattern had been naturally disrupted, which was why he hadn’t slept. But today, having been active all day with only a few hours of sleep, he felt he could return to a normal sleep schedule.

“My energy is depleted, so I can’t stay up tonight.”

“Let’s recharge then. What’s your charging type, Dohwa?”

“Sleep type.”

While exchanging lighthearted banter with Ma Won-ho, he felt the chill return and pulled the blanket back over himself.

‘If I’ve already been filmed, it probably doesn’t matter if I’m shown more.’

As he silently conceded, his gaze drifted to the two people still standing and talking in a corner of the living room.

Kang Hae-il’s face was obscured from Dohwa’s vantage point, but Woo Sori was leaning against the wall, laughing as he conversed. Opening his ears, Dohwa also caught bits of Jae-hyun talking with Chaeyeon-woo.

“Hyung, you seem like the best student. Do you have any special tips?”

“Well, there were many times when studying was all I knew how to do. First, effort, then more effort…”

Feeling as though he was eavesdropping, Dohwa quickly tuned them out. Just then, Ma Won-ho spoke from beside him, and his head fully turned in that direction.

“Actually, Dohwa, I’ve read your books.”

“‘My books’?”

“Yes, I looked it up and found I’d read two of them. I don’t usually read fantasy, but I’ll make sure to read it later.”

The mention of his books instantly jolted him.

To think Ma Won-ho had read two of his three published works, excluding the one currently in preparation for release. His heart suddenly pounded, and he couldn’t meet Ma Won-ho’s gaze.

“You don’t have to read them. It’s just, it’s just…”

Unable to bring himself to even jokingly call his own work uninteresting, Dohwa stammered in embarrassment.

He then recalled Ma Won-ho’s film, ‘Season,’ and was about to ask a question related to it.

Jingle, jingle—

The sound of a bell jingled once more from the entrance, directly in front of the living room, causing everyone to halt their conversations.

‘How many of these things are there just today?’

The video he had watched last night flashed through his mind. Woo Sori, reacting nimbly, opened the front door, retrieved the directive, and then opened the envelope to confirm its contents.

“It looks like… we have a date tomorrow?”

He didn’t immediately show the paper, instead spinning around playfully in place with a teasing smile.

The unfamiliar resonance of the word ‘date.’

Dohwa was also among those participants. Moreover, he remembered that this group consisted of Alphas and Omegas.

Even though he knew, living together had made him forget such details.

‘Right, this is a dating show.’

The boundary that had briefly loosened now became distinct once more.

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