That Was Quite the View
The sound of the voice made my steps come to an abrupt halt.
“What can I say? He was stunning. But he didn’t seem to be taking any sponsorships. I got roasted in one fell swoop.”
“Maybe you just weren’t impressed by that man? They say his eyes are extremely sharp.”
“Ah, seriously. Why do you keep poking at my insecurities?”
A mocking chuckle spread through the haze of cigarette smoke. Three women in revealing outfits were smoking downstairs.
“So, what exactly did you do to get roasted by Woo Je-hyeok like that?”
“I don’t know. I did everything I could right there. Is that enough?”
“Wow, even after you went that far, he didn’t budge? The renowned Han Joo-yeon herself? Woo Je-hyeok must really be something special.”
“He’s something all right. The biggest shot among the men who came today. How many of those guys were chasing him? In the meantime, besides you, I bet I’ve sampled a lot of delicious things.”
“He’s not just big, he’s impressive too. He’s built like a beast.”
“Beast, huh.”
“The way he looks. Those facial features scream that he’d be extremely good in bed.”
“Ah, he’s a master at sucking on cigarettes. It was like he was sucking on a woman’s breast.”
I didn’t find their vulgar talk uncomfortable at all. I was just trying to infer the life of a man through their dirty talk.
I probably didn’t need to meet Woo Je-hyeok in person after all. I wanted to get out of here, but the conversation seemed far from over. I had no choice but to head down the stairs.
At the sound of my footsteps, they all fell silent. They exchanged glances and let out muffled giggles while shooting me dirty looks.
I walked past without a word and headed toward the next staircase. The slow, vulgar talk resumed behind me. I listened indifferently to the men’s body parts being taken apart, chewed, and judged one by one.
I thought about what I could do when I got back. My half-drunk head was hazy.
Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of the thick smoke rising from below. The scent of cigarettes was pungent. It was more irritating and vile than the ones the people upstairs had been smoking.
There was someone on the landing of the lower floor. This time, it was a man. A tall man in a black suit, dressed somewhat sloppily.
From above, three women gathered, but the landing still looked spacious. Down below, with just one tall man, the space felt cramped. Naturally, my steps halted.
The man leaning on the railing looked up at me. He held a cigarette delicately between his fingers and then carefully brought it to his lips.
He was clearly looking down at me, yet the man’s eyes pressed into me like a crush.
“You know, that guy over there? Han Joo-yeon couldn’t say a single proper word in front of Woo Je-hyeok. The moment she saw him, her body went rigid with tension, and her words got all tangled up.”
I immediately knew the man was Woo Je-hyeok.
“Even so, he tried to seduce her as much as he could. That’s what he did, right?”
“Never in my life have I seen a man as handsome as this. Aren’t they all built like celebrities who can hit anyone?”
That kind of handsome, beautiful man is rare.
“So, how big was Woo Je-hyeok exactly? If he did everything he could, did he at least feel you up?”
“Ah, how was it? At least he must have touched you somewhere.”
The women’s vulgar talk kept flowing with the wind. The man’s dark, glossy hair kept swaying in the breeze.
The man exhaling smoke had a dry, expressionless face. From above, the overt, crude comments about the man continued. He must have heard every word, but he simply looked at me with a languid gaze.
Suddenly, the man took the cigarette from between his teeth and lifted his left eyebrow.
‘You?’
It seemed like he was asking if it was you who had been sharing those lewd comments about Woo Je-hyeok from above.
For a moment, a fierce wind blew. The hem of the neatly wrapped skirt fluttered into the air.
My hair was blown away with it, blocking my view. My slightly intoxicated body swayed for a moment but held on. The sound of the women upstairs cursing at the unexpected strong wind and hurrying inside came through.
I gathered the flying hair in one hand and looked down again. Even in the strong wind, the man stood firm.
The man took another drag on the cigarette. His gaze remained fixed on me. That silent gaze felt like a silent reprimand toward me.
“I didn’t say anything…”
It was just an unconscious mutter.
“It’s not like I could hear you.”
The man’s response was unnecessary. He simply gave a light nod.
“Come down the rest of the way.”
It was neither polite nor rude.
“Come closer and tell me again.”
The low voice was pleasant to listen to.
Since I had to go down anyway, I continued. As the distance narrowed, the sophisticated fragrance grew stronger. It smelled like wood.
When I got closer, the man’s appearance exceeded my imagination. The hardships I had endured searching for this man were forgotten for a moment. His features were perfectly aligned like a single flawless painting. Just facing that face brought an inexplicable sense of fulfillment…
Indeed, Jang Ha-rin possessed an appearance that could make her lose her mind and fall completely for him. If she had always looked like this since childhood, she should have been hidden away tightly in the Woo family. Her looks alone could spark impure thoughts and spread countless scandals.
Yet he was the man who had more than satisfied my endless curiosity.
I had no intention of speaking with Woo Je-hyeok up close or facing him. My original purpose was to observe from afar what kind of man he was and leave.
I already knew the answer, and I was drunk, and there was nothing to be gained by revealing my identity. I was about to turn my gaze away and pass by the man on my way down the lower floor.
“What’s your name?”
That long leg sticking out in front of me would not have blocked my path.
“Name.”
The question I had heard so many times inside the building was boring. I sighed. Exhaustion from the alcohol was hitting me.
“…”
“Please step aside.”
“Ah, your name is five letters?”
A bizarre reply. Instead of answering, I turned my head to look at him. His face still showed no expression.
“I asked. Is your name five letters?”
The question, whether mocking or belittling, carried an arrogance that said, ‘If I ask you, you must answer.’ I ignored him and tried to step over Woo Je-hyeok’s leg, but the man’s other long leg extended again, blocking my steps.
“Running away?”
“I haven’t run from anything.”
“From up there.”
It meant, didn’t you say vulgar things about me to the women up there?
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You’re not trying to stop me.”
“What?”
“Why aren’t you stopping me?”
He had a strange way of speaking. I looked at him again, a little dumbfounded. The man holding the cigarette between his fingers had his mouth corners slightly curled up, as if smiling.
“Even though it’s a joke, you’re not laughing.”
A languid voice came through the gray smoke. The mixed scent of cigarettes, whiskey, and perfume was dizzying. But ultimately, the lingering scent at the tip of my nose was the refreshing, wood-like aroma.
“I came down just to talk. Since you’ve been staring at me so persistently, I thought you must be bored too.”
The man flicked the cigarette ash off the railing and wiped his smile. The man who didn’t smile seemed not just dry, but indifferent. The coolness felt almost merciless.
Even with such a face, he lifted the cigarette diagonally.
“The viewing was fun?”
“I wasn’t viewing.”
“You were staring at me.”
“If that’s the case, you were staring at me too.”
“Ah. Then I should give it back.”
He gave a dry, then suddenly playful laugh.
“You’re leaving already? It’s not over yet.”
His questions felt familiar, unlike when we had just met.
“I’m a little bored.”
“Hmm, the smell of having thoroughly enjoyed yourself.”
The man tilted his head. It seemed like he was pointing to the alcohol scent coming from me. There was no need to explain the story of how I ended up like this to him.
Instead of replying, I looked at the man closely. I took apart the features of the man whom Ha-rin had praised with her parched lips.
“See? You’re staring again.”
Since it was indeed viewing this time, I didn’t deny it.
“No answer when asked about my name, and no name tag on your uniform.”
This had been a misunderstanding I had received many times today. Especially because the clothes I was wearing matched the color of the server uniforms, many people had been bothering me.
Was this man also treating me like a staff member and being lenient? Was that allowed for staff?
“I’m not staff here.”
My words came out a little blunt. The man simply smiled indifferently and flicked off the cigarette ash. Whether I was annoyed or not, that was his intention.
“Do you have a group with you?”
“No.”
“I don’t either.”
“So?”
“Let’s be friends.”
Friends. That word was ridiculous.