Chapter 55: Unveiled Truths

“… Phew.”

After finally calming down Song Chae-yeon and Yoo Ji-eun, who were causing a ruckus in the group chat, I closed my phone.

Instead, this time, I made a promise to contact them once every hour.

I put on makeup, wore a white shirt, and black skirt, and then headed out.

The sun was setting, casting a golden glow on the surroundings.

I didn’t tell my viewers that I was going to meet someone. Sunday was always my day off, after all.

To be honest, I thought it was a bit ridiculous. I mean, there’s no way I like men, right? Of course, they don’t know me that well, so I understand their curiosity.

Lee Seong-hyun was definitely a good person, but… if, and only if, he told me he liked me, I wasn’t sure whether I would accept it.

The instinct of being a man doesn’t change easily.

We arranged to meet at the plaza again today.

There were still about 20 minutes left before the meeting time, but Lee Seong-hyun was already there, waiting.

I shouted happily.

“Seong-hyun!”

“Oh! Hello.”

At my words, Lee Seong-hyun turned around and smiled.

Excited, I skipped over to him.

“Why are you here so early?”

“Well, I was taught to do this.”

“Ah…”

Another wonderful, mature-sounding response.

While I was admiring him, Lee Seong-hyun spoke.

“I came a bit early, but… should we go eat?”

“Yes!”

After eating together, Lee Seong-hyun and I headed to the counter to pay. We had eaten at a steakhouse.

I knew it would cost a bit, but… still, I wanted to show my gratitude for what he had done for me last time.

We talked a lot again. This time, I also led the conversation a bit.

When I told him I was an adult, Lee Seong-hyun looked a little surprised.

After finishing our meal, I took out my card to pay.

“The person over there already paid,” the staff member said with a smile, pointing at Lee Seong-hyun.

… He had secretly paid again.

At the cafe, we finally started talking about editing and work.

I ordered iced tea, and he got an Americano. This time, I paid.

He gave me a lot of advice about YouTube.

How to ride the algorithm, how to be aware of the so-called “YouTube angle” when broadcasting, and various other things.

I just kept nodding. Our knowledge levels were different, so I didn’t have much to contribute.

When I didn’t understand something, I asked, and sometimes there were jokes, so I laughed.

As I kept listening, I realized that the things he said were undoubtedly helpful, but on the other hand…

… Was this something that really needed to be discussed in person?

Couldn’t we have talked about it over the phone or via KakaoTalk?

I thought about it for a moment.

“I-hyun?”

“Oh, yes!”

At the sound of my name suddenly being called, I quickly corrected my posture.

… Well, whatever. I’m enjoying myself.

The sound of the ice cubes in my iced tea melting and clinking echoed in the quiet cafe.

I tried to keep my eyes open, but they were half-closed as I looked at Lee Seong-hyun.

“Well… I think this is it. Sorry, it must have been a bit boring.”

“No, no… it’s fine…”

…

To be honest, I had yawned and covered my mouth briefly earlier.

I had been listening intently, but being tired was a different matter.

…

My body and mind felt sluggish. Like a melted slime…

I felt a little, no, very sleepy… I wished someone would pat me. Suddenly, I missed the touch of Song Chae-yeon, Yoo Ji-eun, Song Chae-rin, and Yoo-jin-nim.

While thinking about that, I turned my gaze to another direction, and then suddenly turned it toward Lee Seong-hyun.

Lee Seong-hyun was looking at me with a smile.

How long had he been looking at me like that? Feeling a little embarrassed, I avoided his gaze.

He continued to look at me, then opened his mouth.

“I-hyun?”

“Yes?”

“Do you have a boyfriend or something?”

“what?”

It was so sudden that my voice grew louder. Surprised, I covered my mouth and glanced around to check if anyone had heard.

Luckily, it didn’t seem too loud.

I briefly gathered my wandering gaze toward Lee Seong-hyun, then lowered my eyes to my lap.

…Suddenly?

Why was he asking?

I quickly shook my head and said.

“Ah, no. I don’t have one. Never…”

“…Is that so?”

Lee Seong-hyun seemed to keep looking at me. Since we were sitting, there was quite a height difference, and if I lowered my head, I couldn’t see his face.

I asked from that position.

“Why, why are you asking?”

…

The intention behind asking whether someone has a boyfriend or girlfriend is obvious.

They ask casually, as if they were asking for directions, but in reality, the intention is 100% to find out if there’s someone.

…

Could it be that Lee Seong-hyun is like that too?

Lee Seong-hyun hesitated for a moment, then said.

“If you do have someone, I need to be careful with the editing to avoid giving off certain vibes. After all, it could show.”

“Ah…”

…

Maybe not…?

After leaving the cafe, Lee Seong-hyun and I walked down the street for a while.

“I had a great time today.”

“Me too.”

Lee Seong-hyun smiled and said.

“I’m really grateful for the meat. I could have paid for it…”

“No, no! Please think of it as an investment, like always.”

“Hehe… I’ll contact you again when I get home.”

He bowed his head briefly and then asked for permission. He was about to contact the others on his phone to let them know he would be heading home soon.

“Wait, are you leaving already?”

I heard Lee Seong-hyun’s voice from behind.

“Yes?”

I asked, confused.

The time was already 9:49 PM, later than before.

“Uh… Isn’t it a little late?”

“Yes?”

However, Lee Seong-hyun looked more confused than I was.

“Today, we should go for a second round. Don’t you think?”

“Sorry?”

I blurted out an unconscious response, stunned.

…

Had we made that kind of plan?

“Uh… uh…?”

“It’s a really good place. The atmosphere is nice. I think it would be a good experience to visit. Want to see it?”

Lee Seong-hyun turned on his phone and showed me a picture of a fancy, dimly lit bar.

Anyone could tell it was a good place. If it were the old me, I wouldn’t have had any reason to decline.

…

But.

Wait, I pressed my lips tightly together.

“Why are you looking like that?”

Lee Seong-hyun asked, noticing my strange expression.

“…”

I don’t think I should go.

The caution I felt last time started creeping in again.

How should I refuse?

How can I turn him down without hurting his feelings?

“I-I can’t drink, so… Hehe, sorry.”

“You can start with a low-alcohol drink. I think of everything as an experience.”

Lee Seong-hyun cut in, speaking over me.

I was a little flustered, then tried to think of another excuse.

“Uh, I think my sister might worry… Sorry…”

I smiled awkwardly as I said it.

I expected Lee Seong-hyun to smile and say it was okay, but when I looked up at his face, his expression had… slightly hardened.

My chest felt a little heavy.

Lee Seong-hyun spoke.

“I-hyun… You haven’t had much experience with social life, have you?”

“…Yes? That’s true…”

“Well… as a senior, I’d like to give you a piece of advice. I don’t think you should only listen to other people’s advice.”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked.

“I think everything is an experience. Don’t you? Drinking alcohol is an experience, not listening to your sister’s advice is an experience. You’re a part of society, right? You’re going to have many different experiences in the future, but you shouldn’t let yourself be swayed only by what your sisters say. I see that kind of behavior a lot on your broadcasts.”

“…Is that so…?”

I was a little confused by Lee Seong-hyun’s long speech. I didn’t quite understand what he meant.

It didn’t seem like he was wrong, but…

“Well… still…”

Still, it felt a little uncomfortable.

Drinking late at night with a man I barely know wasn’t something I liked.

It was an instinctive, natural rejection.

I kept my mouth shut and kept my gaze fixed.

Perhaps noticing my discomfort, Lee Seong-hyun spoke in a slightly sulky voice.

“I even made a reservation… Really?”

Lee Seong-hyun looked a little sad.

…

Reservation?

“Uh, uh… you made a reservation?”

“Yeah… I was really looking forward to it.”

I pressed my lips tightly together.

My heart started to beat a little faster.

He was looking forward to it, and if I rejected him, wouldn’t he be disappointed?

Maybe it was just a simple kindness?

What should I do?

Ah, I felt like my mind was getting foggy.

After what felt like an eternity of indecision, I finally came to a decision.

“My sister might worry… I’m really sorry.”

I still felt uneasy.

I needed a moment to think.

Listening to Lee Seong-hyun’s words was making my head spin.

“Um… just a moment… I’ll think about it… I need to wash my face anyway.”

“Of course. Take your time.”

Lee Seong-hyun said as he sat down on the bench.

…

He looked a little disappointed… My chest hurt a little.

I looked at him briefly before walking toward the public restroom. As I walked, a possibility that I had been feeling since earlier began to surface.

Was he trying to do something to me?

I was a woman now. Objectively speaking, a very beautiful woman.

Although I didn’t always realize it, that was my personal issue. No one saw me as a man anymore.

This meant there was a possibility I could get caught up in a man’s bold advances.

I wasn’t sure if Lee Seong-hyun was hitting on me or if he was just being kind.

But I was afraid of running away.

The thought of Lee Seong-hyun, who always smiled, being disappointed in me made me nervous. I didn’t want to see that stiff expression from earlier again.

I stopped for a moment and thought about a compromise.

What if I went to the bar, just had one or two drinks, and only talked?

That way, nothing dangerous would happen, and Lee Seong-hyun wouldn’t be disappointed in me, and everything would be resolved.

It seemed like a good idea. I started to feel a little better.

“…Alright.”

-Under inspection.

When I arrived at the restroom, I saw that it was “under inspection.”

…Well, it doesn’t matter. My head’s already a little clearer. I’ll just say I’m done.

I quickly returned to Lee Seong-hyun. I wanted to cheer him up somehow.

He was still sitting on the bench.

Lee Seong-hyun looked around for a moment, then took out his phone. I tried to stay out of his sight, staying in his blind spot, and didn’t react.

He glanced around again, then made a phone call.

…

At that moment, a bit of mischief sparked in me.

I decided to lighten the mood.

I quietly approached from behind and startled him, then suggested we go to the bar.

Maybe then Lee Seong-hyun would smile again.

As I approached, my curiosity grew.

Who was he talking to?

A girlfriend?

Or maybe just a friend? Parents?

Normally, you shouldn’t eavesdrop on someone’s call…

But Lee Seong-hyun never really talked about his personal relationships. He always avoided or refused to mention them.

…So I was curious.

Just a little… Just a little peek. He’d surely forgive me because I’m a woman, right?

“Uh. Yeah.”

Lee Seong-hyun responded quietly to a man’s voice faintly coming from the phone.

“Mm… It’s not going well.”

For some reason, he spoke very quietly. So I moved a little closer.

Was it about work?

“Yeah… It really wasn’t what I expected. It might take a little longer.”

It seemed like he was talking about work.

Even someone who looked perfect like him must have some struggles at work.

I thought, “So, he’s human too.” And I was about to surprise him, but then I heard something unexpected.

“Yeah. This girl has a higher guard than I thought. It’s tough.”

Wait, what?

For a moment, it felt like my brain had stopped working.

“I thought I could charm her easily, but her guard is really high. She’s really serious. I thought she was just talking big, but I guess not.”

The words coming from his voice didn’t match the image I had of him at all.

While my thoughts were slowly processing, he spoke quickly.

“I really thought I could win her over in one day.”

“Why? She’s got no backbone. She tries to cover everything with a smile, and she’s always looking at me for approval. I bet if I got her drunk, she wouldn’t be able to report anything the next day. She’s the kind of girl who can’t even ban self-harassing comments because she’s too soft-hearted. I just need to get her drunk and get her to lie down. Women are weak to the atmosphere. But this one… it’s really extreme.”

A wave of dizziness hit me. My legs started shaking.

Lee Seong-hyun continued.

“Huh? Why am I so into it this time?”

I unconsciously waited for him to continue.

Lee Seong-hyun hesitated for a moment, then said,

“Because she’s pretty as hell. I thought maybe I could help her out with some advice, but I don’t know what I’m even talking about.”

I involuntarily let out a groan.

I backed away without realizing it.

Then, I stumbled slightly, and the sound of my heels echoed.

Lee Seong-hyun quickly turned around.

His face was obscured by the halo from the streetlight behind him, and I couldn’t see anything.

Fear gripped me.

I think I made eye contact with him.

I took one step back, then two, retreating further.

“Uh… I-Hyun?”

Lee Seong-hyun ended the call and turned to me.

He paused for a moment before approaching me. As he walked closer, his face was lit by the streetlight ahead, and I could see his smile.

“I didn’t say that. I’m sorry if you heard. Uhm… my friend is majoring in acting, and I was just helping with some script practice, that’s all.”

He stepped closer.

I took another step back.

I couldn’t speak. My spine was chilled, and my legs were trembling uncontrollably.

With every step I took back, Lee Seong-hyun stopped and just stared at me. Then, he spoke.

“I swear, I can call my friend again and confirm it for you.”

“Then…”

He reached out his hand to my head.

I pushed his hand away with my arm.

Looking at him with a stunned expression, I turned around and ran.

My heart was pounding wildly, and I could hardly breathe. My legs were giving way, and my head felt dizzy.

I ran for several minutes.

I couldn’t bear to look back.

What if he’s chasing me?

The thought made me scared to turn around.

I ran for a few more minutes. I could barely run anymore. At some point, I found myself in front of my house.

I collapsed against the streetlight, my body giving way.

At that moment, my phone rang.

It was Lee Seong-hyun.

I felt a chill run down my spine. I quickly pressed “decline.”

Then it rang again. I rejected it once more.

It rang again. I declined it again.

This continued, the calls coming in dozens of times.

Eventually, it stopped ringing.

I paused for a moment, trying to catch my breath.

“Ugh…!”

I felt like I was about to cry.

The usual ringtone, which normally felt so mundane, was terrifying today, and I was about to reject it again.

But this time, the call wasn’t from Lee Seong-hyun.

It was from a group chat with Yu Ji-eun and Song Chae-yeon.