Chapter 7
“You still can’t reach Sari noona?”
“No. She’s not picking up. Ugh, this is driving me crazy. Where did she go?”
“Maybe her phone’s off.”
“If she was going somewhere, she should’ve at least said something.”
“Looking at how all her stuff is still here, it seems like she just stepped out for a bit…”
Do Eun-seok’s expression stiffened, his voice heavy with frustration. By the time he arrived at the waiting room, Cha Wook was sitting alone when he should’ve been in the middle of preparations.
The lead stylist had vanished without a trace, throwing the waiting room into chaos. With little time left to redo his makeup, no one could get in touch with her.
“Ugh. Because of that one annoying girl, look at this mess.”
Cha Wook, who had been roughly shaking out his damp hair, added with a deeply irritated expression.
Lost in thought, Eun-seok suddenly called the manager.
“This isn’t working. Hyung, you check over there. I’ll go this way.”
“Got it. Let’s call as soon as we find her.”
“Wook-ah. Don’t go anywhere. Just stay here and wait.”
After firmly instructing Cha Wook, Eun-seok followed the manager out of the waiting room.
In the now unusually quiet waiting room, Cha Wook let out a long sigh. The moment he thought of the girl who was essentially the cause of this mess, his eyebrows twitched on their own.
He had seen her struggling with her bags from afar.
Should I help?
While hesitating, one of the precariously placed drink bottles rolled right to his feet as if waiting for him.
“Excuse me. Sorry, but could you pick that up for me?”
A face peeking through the haphazardly stacked items.
His fingertips trembled reflexively.
‘I thought I was over it.’
The nightmare-like memories writhed back to life, and his body refused to listen. In the end, he walked past the staff member in distress.
She’s gonna call me rude again.
Just as he mocked himself internally, he was hit with a cola explosion. Only then did he properly face the girl, who looked deeply wronged.
The gifted jacket was ruined, and the moment he saw her temporary pass, his anger became uncontrollable.
‘Was I too harsh?’
A flicker of regret crossed his mind, but Cha Wook shook his head.
“Whatever. She was suspicious.”
Still, he wondered how Eun-seok had handled her. Knowing his hyung’s soft heart, he probably let her off easy again.
As Cha Wook sank deeper into his chair, lost in thought, the waiting room door suddenly swung open.
The sight of the woman in the doorway nearly made him fall backward.
“You…!”
“Why so surprised? It’s me, Sari.”
Cha Wook’s widened eyes quickly regained their calm.
“…Oh. It’s just you, noona. Where’d you go?”
My heart pounded so hard it felt like it would leap out of my chest. Struggling to steady my breath, I approached Cha Wook.
Beside him, a makeup box and various tools were neatly arranged.
With a troubled heart, I picked up the foundation and spoke solemnly.
“Let’s start your makeup.”
“That’s a setting spray.”
“Oops.”
Right now, I was Lee Sari, the head makeup artist of Nevereveragain.
Just moments ago, I had resolved to leave and give up. But as I neared the exit, I noticed the commotion around me.
Staff and managers were frantically running around, searching for someone.
“Hey, have you seen Sari?”
“Huh?”
“Must be a newbie. Never mind.”
One of them grabbed me and asked, but after hearing my clueless response, they let me go.
Apparently, someone had gone missing. As long as it wasn’t one of the Neveragain members, the stars of the fan signing, why were they making such a fuss?
Wait. Sari? Why does that sound familiar?
“You go get your makeup redone by Sari noona first. I’ll handle things here.”
It was definitely the person Eun-seok had mentioned. If she was the makeup artist, she should’ve been with Cha Wook by now. Her absence meant Cha Wook was left unattended.
What was he doing, then?
I checked my watch anxiously—barely an hour remained until the fan signing.
“…Darn it.”
What are you even planning to do? You don’t even know how to do makeup properly.
Sure, I’d picked up a thing or two watching Eun-sol, who loved cosmetics, but that was it. Someone would surely replace Sari soon, and the fan signing would proceed without a hitch.
There was no need for me to step in when I’d be no help anyway. I’d already decided to quit, hadn’t I?
But for some reason, even after making up my mind, my feet refused to move.
I’d at least warned Eun-seok about the food, but I hadn’t said anything to Cha Wook yet. That weighed on me.
‘Maybe this is my chance.’
And so, I sprinted to Cha Wook’s waiting room. Now, I was carefully applying a thin layer of foundation to his face.
‘Look at this skin. Like a baby’s bottom.’
As I marveled at Cha Wook’s flawless complexion, he suddenly spoke, his eyes still closed.
“Noona. Aren’t you gonna ask?”
“Ask what?”
“Why I wiped off my makeup.”
“Huh? Oh, uh, I heard about it on the way.”
Brushing it off, I quickly dabbed a puff over his lips before he could say more.
“How are you feeling today?”
“Not great.”
I didn’t need to ask to see that. Aside from the minor incident earlier, his dull eyes, slightly chapped lips, and dark under-eyes said it all.
“Did you prepare any fan service lines?”
“…….”
Of course not. Time for Operation (1)!
“Oh. Talking like this reminds me of a fan signing I went to before.”
“Out of nowhere?”
“Uh, yeah. Well, it was for a singer I really liked.”
“Who?”
“Huh? Uh… I don’t remember?”
“…What?”
“Anyway, that’s not the point. I came back from that event completely heartbroken.”
“Why?”
As I applied eyeshadow to his lids, I answered.
“That day, all I heard was ‘Oh, really?’”
“Oh my gosh! Oppa, I’m such a huge fan! I really love you so much!”
“Oh, really?”
“I even skipped school to come here. My mom would kill me if she found out.”
“Oh, really?”
“But it’s okay! Because you’re more important to me. Oppa, you’re so much more handsome in person. Your makeup today is perfect.”
“Oh, really?”
“Oppa, you wore the outfit I gifted you last time! I was so happy!”
“Oh, did I?”
Cha Wook, who had been listening quietly, let out a bitter laugh.
“Wow. That’s brutal. How can someone be like that?”
“Right? So unfair.”
That someone is you, dumbass.
This was a story posted online by a middle schooler who’d been disappointed by Cha Wook’s attitude at a fan signing in my past life.
The later controversy over his rude remarks was one thing, but I needed to make him realize how his robotic responses—just “Oh, really?” and “Thank you”—affected fans.
‘At least you think it’s terrible too, Wook.’
As I filled in his brows, I decided to drive the point home.
“I cried so much on the way back. Of course, to the singer, I was probably just another annoying fan in a sea of people. But for me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“…….”
“The fact that I still remember it so vividly from middle school means I’ll probably never forget it.”
I picked up a glossy lip tint that complemented his fair skin, contrasting with his dark hair. As I dabbed the color on, his breath brushed against my hand. The ticklish sensation felt strange.
“Done.”
Cha Wook stayed silent for a while after hearing me out. He just stared quietly at his reflection in the mirror. I worried whether I could take that as a positive sign.
“The makeup looks… different.”
“Huh? Oh, uh, yeah?”
“The style’s a bit…”
Ugh. Of course it’s different. It was bound to be obvious!
Cha Wook’s face was a masterpiece, and I could only pray my amateur skills hadn’t ruined it. But was it still too much?
“I like it.”
“Huh?”
What?
“Thanks, noona.”
“Th-thanks? It’s my job.”
Flustered, I scratched my head, feeling a strange emotion well up inside.
This polite Cha Wook couldn’t possibly be the same rude celebrity. This is the real him. This has to be.
“Hey.”
“……?”
“I hope all the fans leave this fan signing with good memories, Wook-ah.”
After much deliberation, I finally said it, then glanced at my watch.
‘One minute left on the timer.’
My throat felt dry.
“Wook-ah. Hold on. Do your hair yourself.”
“Huh? Do it myself? What are you—?”
“I have an emergency.”
“But this is your job…?”
“Do well at the fan signing. I’m leaving!”
“Noona!”
SLAM!
Beep beep beep—! Beep beep beep—!
The moment I closed the door behind me, the timer I’d set earlier went off.
“Phew.”
Then, I heard footsteps from around the corner of the long hallway—followed by Do Eun-seok’s voice.
