Chapter 17
Heidi scoffed in disbelief.
“What are you doing? You don’t even know what she just did to me! I’ll explain everything, just give me that!”
“From what I see, you’re the one who did something.”
Do Eunseok’s voice was cold and firm as he glanced sideways at my disheveled state.
My white shirt was still soaked and stained with juice, and my bangs were a hopeless mess, plastered to my forehead.
Under his gaze, I wanted to sink into the ground. I kept my head down, staring at my toes.
“She did that to herself!”
My jaw dropped at Heidi’s audacity.
Is she seriously saying I poured juice on my own head? Right in front of me?
Excuse me, do I look mute to you?
Just as I was about to protest in case Eunseok believed her, my vision was suddenly covered.
A fresh, soft scent of fabric conditioner filled my nose.
Blinking, I pulled down what was draped over me—a familiar navy-blue sweatshirt. Eunseok, now in a short-sleeved shirt, stood with his back to me, shielding me.
“She must’ve had a reason. You know how weird people can get in our line of work—”
“Really? What kind of reason justifies dumping juice on a salon employee, Heidi?”
His tone carried a deliberate distance—were they not as close as I thought?
Taking the phone Eunseok handed me, I swallowed hard at the sight of the shattered screen. The one-eared bear charm I loved now looked grotesque.
“She was recording me without permission! That’s why I did it!”
“Even if that’s true, if there’s nothing incriminating in the recording, then you have nothing to hide, right? Employee treatment issues should’ve been taken up with the salon.”
Eunseok turned to me.
“What’s your name?”
Peeking over the sweatshirt, I mumbled, “I-It’s Miyeon.”
“By any chance…”
His expression suddenly darkened, lips parting as if to say something before he stopped himself. Instead, he exhaled shortly and relaxed his face.
“Miyeon. You should go take care of your business now.”
“……”
I wasn’t about to argue. Bowing quickly, I hurried out of Heidi’s room and checked the time—three minutes left on my disguise.
Relief was short-lived. My damp clothes clung uncomfortably.
I can’t walk around like this. How would I even explain this to Mom?
‘No choice.’
I fiddled with the sweatshirt in my hands. Every whiff of fabric softener brought back the moment he draped it over me.
First, find somewhere private.
Fanning my flushed cheeks, I headed for the emergency staircase.
Do Eunseok leaned against the waiting room wall.
He’d gone to warn Heidi not to cause trouble during her drama filming.
He couldn’t ignore the possibility that Cha Wook’s recent sensitivity might be linked to her.
Still, as someone who’d grown up in the industry like her, he thought it was a fair request from a longtime colleague.
But before he could finish, her manager returned, cutting the conversation short.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Eunseok stepped into the salon lobby when—
“Can I help you with anything?”
A passing employee cautiously approached him.
“No, I’m fine.”
“Oh! It’s Do Eunseok!”
The employee gasped in recognition, shyly greeting him as a fan. Behind her, Manager Jung approached.
“Miyeon!”
“Yes, Manager?”
The name rang a bell.
‘Miyeon…?’
The woman who’d introduced herself as Miyeon earlier flashed in his mind.
“What happened with Heidi’s coffee? Everything okay?”
“Heidi’s coffee? Wait, wasn’t it juice? And didn’t you say you’d handle it…?”
“Huh? Me? What are you talking about?”
Manager Jung’s playful smile vanished.
“Wait. You mean you didn’t go to Heidi?”
Her face paled like she’d seen a nightmare. Eunseok, unintentionally eavesdropping, chimed in.
“Don’t worry. A while ago… someone named Miyeon delivered it and left.”
“What? Miyeon?”
“Me?”
The real Miyeon looked baffled. Before she could react, Manager Jung smacked her back.
“Were you trying to scare me? My heart almost stopped!”
“But Manager, it wasn’t me—”
“What do you mean ‘not you’? Are there two Miyeons here now?” She turned to Eunseok, beaming. “Oh my, you’re even more handsome in person! Huge fan!”
Relieved, Manager Jung exchanged a few pleasantries before hurrying off. The real Miyeon, however, still looked confused.
Eunseok was just as bewildered.
‘There’s only one Miyeon?’
His eyes narrowed.
‘Were they the same face?’
He hadn’t gotten a good look at the employee who’d faced off with Heidi—she’d been hunched over.
Instead, he recalled the face he’d glimpsed in the lobby. A youthful face that reminded him of someone.
The girl who’d hugged her lost camera in relief at the fan sign event flickered in his mind.
‘Number 67.’
She couldn’t be here.
But one thing was certain—the perfectly put-together Miyeon in front of him wasn’t the same one who’d been drenched by Heidi.
Am I hallucinating? Stress getting to me?
“You’re… Miyeon, right?”
“Yes?”
“Can I see your phone for a second?”
“Huh?”
Realizing how odd that sounded, Eunseok quickly backtracked.
“Never mind.”
“H-Here! You can look!”
Misunderstanding, Miyeon handed over her phone.
After a brief hesitation, Eunseok tapped the screen without hesitation.
[No recorded files.]
“……”
Of course.
It was a foolish hope. Handing the phone back, he noted it was a completely different model from the one with the shattered screen and one-eared bear charm.
“My apologies.”
Miyeon looked puzzled but didn’t press further.
It was time to leave. Though his questions remained unanswered, he couldn’t afford to be late for his next schedule.
As he turned toward the exit—
“Sweetie! Sorry to keep you waiting!”
“Mom!”
A bright voice caught his attention. A middle-aged woman, fresh from her hair appointment, was embraced by a young woman who’d just shed her teenage years.
Eunseok’s steps faltered.
‘That…’
The oversized sweatshirt the girl wore looked familiar.
The way it swallowed her small frame—
It was nearly identical to the one he’d given “Miyeon.” But navy-blue sweatshirts weren’t uncommon.
His gaze drifted upward. Her hair, hastily tied after a shampoo, was still damp.
As the母女 disappeared through the door, an odd sense of dissonance settled over him.
“Haebom, what do you want for dinner?”
“Hmm, maybe…”
The door closed behind them, muffling their voices. But just before they vanished, he caught a glimpse of the girl’s flushed cheeks—
And a flood of photos he’d seen countless times resurfaced in his mind.
Frowning, Eunseok muttered under his breath.
“Number 67…?”
A name surfaced—one he’d drawn and memorized daily.
“…Jeon Haebom?”
Was she really here?
Hypnotized, he followed them outside, but they were already gone.
Barricades blocked the entrance to Yegrina High School’s old building. Staff bustled about, preparing for the first shoot of Inside the Summer.
“How am I supposed to get in there?”
As I scanned for a role to assume, a familiar face caught my eye.
“Okay, okay. Wait a bit, I’ll be right there.”
Kang Manager, taking a hurried call, was heading out.
