Chapter 7: Unexpected Rides and Quiet Connections

“Lisa, didn’t you say you get out early today?”

“Yeah, but how long has it been since we met? It’d be a shame to split like this. I waited so we could eat dinner together!”

“Dinner?”

“Yeah! You’ll be shocked when you hear where I made a reservation. I booked Vestatio!”

Lisa’s eyes went wide as if she wanted to be praised. Vestatio was a restaurant that had become trendy after famous food journalist Anderson Kyle praised it in the media as “the best taste of his life.” Because of that, I’d heard you had to wait months to get a reservation.

Actually, I’d learned about that restaurant through Sophia. Sophia had made a reservation two months earlier and was counting down the days every time she called, saying she only had one month left. So I also knew, without wanting to, that Vestatio’s most popular menu items were lobster and clam spaghetti with their special Alfredo sauce.

She’d gotten a reservation at a place like that. It was surprising, I had to admit.

“How did you book it? It usually takes months.”

“I asked my dad to get it!”

As the rumors said, Lisa’s family really was impressive. To be able to book that famous place right away. But I had no choice but to decline her offer. I had to go to the office for work soon, and crowded places still felt overwhelming.

“Lisa, sorry. Crowded places are a bit… And I have a part-time job, so I need to go right away.”

“Huh? Oppa, you have a part-time job?”

“Yeah. I started not long ago.”

“You with a part-time job? That doesn’t suit you at all. Hahaha. What do you do?”

“Just simple cleaning and organizing documents at an office. Oh, yesterday I even read lines with someone for script practice.”

Remembering how I’d been half-forced into playing the other role yesterday, I scratched my cheek. Lisa’s expression turned interested.

“Script practice partner? Who? Are you working with a celebrity?”

“No, I just met him by chance at the office where I clean.”

“Who is it?”

“…Raymond.”

“What? Really?”

Lisa’s eyes went wide in surprise.

“Haha, if you’re with Raymond, oppa, at least your eyes are getting a feast.”

A feast for the eyes? It wasn’t exactly wrong, but honestly I’d been too awkward to enjoy any eye feast.

“More importantly, oppa, you’re really not going, right? That’s such a shame. I heard the food there is amazing…”

I’d heard from Sophia until my ears hurt about how good the food was there, so I knew it well. But I could only shake my head with an apologetic look. Lisa must have been really looking forward to Vestatio, because she visibly drooped. I didn’t feel great about rejecting her either.

“Lisa, I’m sorry.”

“No. I’m the one who booked without asking. I didn’t even think you’d be uncomfortable. Sorry.”

As I watched Lisa walk along looking down, Dylan’s face suddenly crossed my mind. At lunch earlier, the two of them had subtly gotten along well…

“Oh, right. How about going with Dylan?”

“Eek, Dylan? That guy we ate lunch with?”

“Yeah. Want me to call him?”

Lisa looked like she was thinking for a moment, then nodded. She must have really wanted to go.

“Mm, okay. Better than not going. Call him.”

We stopped at the parking lot in front of school, and I took my phone from my pocket and called Dylan.

“Hello.”

– Oh, Seungwon. What’s up?

It was my first time talking to Dylan on the phone. His voice over the receiver somehow sounded a little unfamiliar.

“Have you had dinner yet?”

– No, it’s too early to eat. Why do you ask all of a sudden?

“Do you know Vestatio?”

– Of course. It’s a super hot restaurant these days.

“If you have time, do you want to have dinner there?”

– Really? Yeah! I’ve been wanting to go there.

“Oh, great. So you’re coming?”

– Of course! What time and where should I be?

“Oh, hold on. Lisa, what time and where are we meeting?”

I pulled the phone from my ear and asked Lisa. She glanced at her watch.

“Our reservation is at 5, so there’s about an hour left. Tell him to come to the front of Vestatio by 4:40.”

I nodded and put the phone back to my ear.

“Hello. Dylan, just go to the front of Vestatio by 4:40.”

– Seungwon, is Lisa eating with us too?

Maybe he’d heard me talking with Lisa, because Dylan asked, sounding puzzled.

“No, I have work. You two eat together.”

– …

After that, no sound came from the phone. Strange. Did he hang up? I looked at the screen, but the call was still connected. Just then Lisa shoved her face toward my phone and shouted loudly.

“Hey! If you’re late, you’re dead.”

Only then did Dylan’s voice come briefly through the phone.

– …Okay.

Even after I hung up, Lisa’s driver still hadn’t arrived, so we were waiting. At that moment, I saw Raymond not far away. He was walking toward a black Benz, probably his car.

“Oh, Raymond! Wait!!”

Lisa suddenly called out to Raymond. I looked at her in shock at how naturally she called him, as if they were close. But Lisa didn’t care about my expression at all and just raised her hand high, waving it vigorously at Raymond.

Raymond looked this way. Soon he noticed Lisa’s hand waving like they were close, and his expression twisted with displeasure. Lisa grabbed my wrist and ran quickly toward him. I couldn’t say a word and was dragged along by her.

“Raymond, I saw you in class earlier. Do you remember me?”

“…Should I?”

He answered bluntly and looked down at my wrist, which she was holding. Lisa grinned, not seeming to care about his tone.

“Are you going to the office now?”

His gaze, which had been on my wrist, shifted to my eyes, as if asking how I knew. I scratched my head and made an excuse that wasn’t really an excuse.

“No, we were talking about my part-time job, so…”

Raymond’s eyes moved from me to Lisa.

“Yeah.”

I hadn’t expected him to answer Lisa, and it felt a little surprising. Lisa’s smile grew at his answer. I felt a bad premonition. What are you trying to do, Lisa? Why are you asking something like that…?

“Then this works out. Since you’re going the same way, give Seungwon oppa a ride.”

‘What?’ I looked at Lisa in shock at her words. What are you doing, Lisa! But her expression was endlessly carefree. There was no way Raymond would give me a ride, knowing his personality. Lisa glanced at my flustered face and whispered quietly in my ear.

“Oppa, these days you get your picture taken every time you ride the subway. If you have a face that could sell more, then ride the subway again.”

I frowned at Lisa’s words. Come to think of it, since I’d already been photographed once, it wouldn’t be strange if it happened again. My face kept getting photographed, and since I didn’t use the internet, I had no way of knowing. Raymond, who had been watching us whisper, turned his back. Of course he wouldn’t give me a ride.

“Get in.”

The word was so short I thought I’d misheard. But seeing Lisa’s brightened expression, it seemed I wasn’t the only one who’d heard nonsense. ‘Wait, he was giving me a ride? Me?’ I looked puzzled, but he’d already gotten into the driver’s seat. As I hesitated, Lisa pushed my body toward the passenger seat.

“Oppa, hurry up and get in. He looks like he’ll just leave if you stall even a little.”

So Lisa had seen Raymond’s sour expression too. Her hand was surprisingly strong, and I was forced into the passenger seat by her push. The claim that she waterskied hard must have been true. Well, it was better than riding the subway, getting photographed, and having my face show up online again, so I stayed in the car.

I glanced sideways at Raymond’s expression. On second thought, maybe I should have just taken the subway…

Raymond started the car and pulled out. I watched him cautiously and looked around the inside of the car. The car resembled its owner, sleek and stylish.

Ding dong.

Just then my phone buzzed with a text notification. I took it from my pocket. It was Dylan.

[Seungwon, I really have to go, right? Actually… I’m scared to be alone with Lisa.]

I let out a small laugh at the message. It reminded me of Dylan’s terrified face at lunch earlier. I quickly replied.

[Dylan, leave now. Lisa already left. She’ll probably be really mad if you’re late.]

[Oh, crap! I need to hurry.]

I could practically see Dylan scrambling out of his house. I put my phone back in my pocket and leaned back comfortably against the seat, relaxing my body that had been stiff with tension, then stole glances at Raymond as he drove.

Cars really are comfortable. I’d heard that for students, car insurance costs more than the car itself. I’m jealous…

“Who was that girl earlier?”

Come to think of it, he’d asked the same thing before, but I’d been too startled by Lisa to answer.

“Mm, just a younger friend I know.”

“You two seemed pretty close.”

“We’ve known each other since Korea.”

“…Since Korea?”

“Yeah. We lost contact, then somehow got back in touch.”

“It must be hard to transfer here.”

“She said it was. I was surprised too. She transferred without even telling me. She called it a gift for me.”

I remembered Lisa posing like a flower earlier during break and calling herself a gift, and I laughed. Raymond, who had been looking only ahead, glanced at me.

“…You’re dating, I assume?”

I shook my head, dumbfounded by his sudden question. Dating Lisa was unimaginable. I thought of her like a little sister.

“No, Lisa is like a little sister to me.”

Raymond withdrew his gaze at my answer and looked ahead again. I’d thought the car ride would be extremely uncomfortable, but it was surprisingly comfortable. It really was worlds apart from the subway. My eyes slowly closed. My body grew drowsy. It had been a tiring day, and with Lisa suddenly showing up, I’d used more energy than usual at school.

“…Seungwon.”

A blunt voice interrupted my pleasant nap. ‘Who is it? I was having a good dream for the first time in a while. Don’t bother me.’

“Wake up.”

The blunt voice came again. This time it was clearer. It was a nice voice, but right now it was just annoying.

“I said wake up.”

The voice turned irritated, and my eyes snapped open. In front of me was Raymond with a thoroughly annoyed face. Ah, when did I fall asleep? It felt like I’d slept deeply for the first time in a while. Maybe I’d had a good dream, and the fatigue weighing down my whole body seemed to have vanished. Does Raymond’s car suit me somehow?

I stretched happily. But when had we arrived? It should take at least thirty minutes from school to here. It felt like we’d arrived too quickly. I checked the clock. Huh? What…?

“Um, that clock looks wrong?”

“It’s fine.”

“Then why is it 5 right now? We left at 4.”

“Because after we arrived, you slept another thirty minutes.”

“What? I slept that long? No wonder my body felt light…”

Seeing Raymond’s face crumple mercilessly at my words, I quickly changed what I was saying.

“Why didn’t you wake me…”

“Who says I didn’t wake you?”

I lost my words at Raymond’s reply. This had never happened to me before… Embarrassment rose at the fact that I’d fallen so deeply asleep in someone else’s car that I hadn’t even heard him trying to wake me.

“Whatever. Get out.”

“Yeah.”

I got into the elevator with Raymond. He would go to Matthew’s office, and I had to go to Sophia’s office first, so I pressed the buttons for the tenth and eleventh floors. But when he saw the buttons, he pressed the tenth floor again and canceled it. ‘What? Is he sulking because I slept too long?’ I looked up at Raymond as if asking why, but he was only staring straight ahead.

“What is it? I need to clean Sophia’s office first.”

“I already told Sophia. You can go to Matthew’s office.”

‘No, if he just says that without explaining, how am I supposed to understand?’ What did he tell her? Was I supposed to clean Matthew’s office first? Why on earth…?

While I was lost in thought, the elevator reached the eleventh floor and the doors opened wide. I followed Raymond as he walked out first. When we entered the office, Sophia and Matthew, who had been sitting on the sofa talking, both looked at us.

“Why are you so late today? I was worried. But how did you two come together? Did you meet in the elevator?”

“Ah, something came up, so I got a ride in Raymond’s car.”

I decided not to mention that I’d been late because I was sleeping, and answered only the last question. I glanced at Raymond, and fortunately he didn’t seem inclined to say anything either. I looked back at Sophia, and she had frozen with her coffee cup halfway to her mouth. Next to her, Matthew had forgotten to chew his cookie and was gaping.

‘What is with that exaggerated reaction?’ It was a little funny, so I smiled slightly and asked.

“Why are you both like that?”

“Huh? Nothing, it’s just surprising. Raymond giving someone a ride. That guy has distrust issues.”

“I know, right. Last time I begged him because I was in a hurry, and he wouldn’t give me a ride even once. Why did his personality suddenly change?”

Sophia and Matthew looked at Raymond with curious expressions, but he just sat on the sofa, apparently not intending to answer.

“Raymond, so can I finally ride in your car now?”

Matthew looked at him with expectant eyes.

“No.”

The firm answer, without a moment’s hesitation, made Matthew look hurt. Sophia looked at him pitifully. The atmosphere turned a little awkward, so I quickly looked at Sophia.

“Sophia, today I’ll clean Matthew’s office first and then go down.”

Sophia looked puzzled, as if asking what I meant.

“What are you talking about? Starting today, you’re supposed to be Raymond’s script partner, aren’t you?”

“Huh? What do you mean? Script partner?”

When I asked back, dumbfounded, Sophia looked back and forth between Raymond and me.

“What, did you two not coordinate your stories?”

“…This is the first I’m hearing about it.”

I looked at Raymond as if asking what this was about, and he picked up the script, crossed his legs, and said,

“You were my script partner yesterday.”

“That was yesterday! And Matthew is here today.”

Sophia, who had been quietly listening to us, asked with an intrigued face.

“What, what! Why do you want to do it with Seungwon so badly? Is there something about Seungwon?”

At her words, Raymond glanced at me and then turned his head back to the script.

“He’s just so bad at acting that I can’t get immersed.”

Sophia must have seen Matthew’s acting skills before too, because she nodded quickly in agreement. I glanced at Matthew and, sure enough, he looked gloomier than before. I felt a sudden pang of pity for him.

“But is it okay for me to be a script partner during cleaning time?”

“Well, it’s fine. Honestly, dealing with Raymond is probably harder for you than cleaning. So don’t quit or anything!”

Sophia said with a serious face. She said dealing with Raymond would be hard, but thinking about how he’d been lately, it hadn’t been that hard or bad. At first I’d thought his personality was prickly, but now I’d gotten used to it enough to let things slide.

Just then Sophia’s phone on the table rang. She checked the number on the screen and stood up from the sofa.

“Break time is over now. Seungwon, I’m going down to work. Fighting! If Raymond bullies you, tell me!”

Sophia saw Raymond’s expression twisting with displeasure and left the office smiling. If I thought about it, she seemed to secretly enjoy annoying Raymond. Sophia had a peculiar personality too. Soon Matthew also got up from the sofa.

“Then you two practice the script. I need to start working too.”

Matthew’s back as he walked weakly to his desk looked endlessly pitiful today. I barely pulled my gaze away from that pitiful back and asked Raymond,

“So where should I read today?”

“Play Lauren.”

“Lauren…?”

Lauren was a name I’d heard until I was sick of it from the moment I first met Sophia. So I was really going to play Lauren as Raymond’s practice partner. Feeling a little ridiculous, I laughed and opened the script. Today Raymond read his lines first.

“This won’t work. If it gets any darker here, it’ll be too hard. Get on my back.”

“But…”

“Walking down this mountain on that leg is impossible. It’ll only waste time. Hurry.”

“I’m sorry. I’m being a burden again…”

“Right now, just think about getting your foot better quickly. You’re absolutely necessary to our team.”

“Sniff… I’m sorry.”

The more I read, the more my brow furrowed. Crying over something like this? We really didn’t match. The thought that this was how others saw me made my brow furrow even more. I was deep in the script with Raymond, exchanging lines, when my mouth suddenly felt dry.

“Hold on, let me drink some water.”

I lowered the script and was opening the cap of the water bottle on the table.

“No, why did you stop? So what happens next?”

Startled by the sudden loud voice, I turned my head. Matthew, who must have been watching us for who knows how long, had turned his chair completely toward us. He spoke with an impatient expression.

“Why are you stopping there and making me curious!”

I swallowed the question, ‘Aren’t you supposed to be working?’ and looked at him dumbfounded. Matthew, having come to his senses, cleared his throat in embarrassment.

“Ahem, ahem, sorry. I got too immersed. Anyway, you two have amazing chemistry. Seungwon, have you learned acting before? You’re so good.”

“No. I’m just reading… that’s all.”

If I said I’d learned acting, he’d definitely find it strange, so I brushed it off vaguely.

“You’ve never learned and you’re this good? Seungwon, you’re a genius! Really.”

Matthew said in an excited, raised voice. Ah, this pricks my conscience so much… The words, ‘Actually I trained systematically in acting for several years,’ circled in my mouth.

For some reason, Raymond came to school today. He’d come yesterday too, so I’d thought he wouldn’t come, and I was a little surprised to see a familiar face when I entered the classroom. Still, on days he came, Fred’s teasing decreased a lot, so the day would probably be a bit easier.

The class bell rang, and the teacher came in carrying sketchbooks in both hands.

“Everyone, come get your own sketchbook.”

I went up and picked mine out from the many sketchbooks spread on the desk.

“Today, draw each other’s faces with a friend.”

Lately the topic had been free choice… I couldn’t help but frown at the awkward assignment. ‘A friend’s face. No, what are people without friends supposed to do, teacher?’

Even as I thought that, the students were already filing out of the class. I seriously wondered who I should draw. Maybe I should go find Lisa or Dylan, who wouldn’t be in this class right now. I left the classroom without a plan.

Something would work out.

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