64 - Upki Girl

< In the End, Everyone Gathered > Me, Yeom, 1, 2, Unit 3, Cash, Aliyah— A total of seven people were seated in a circle. The hostility that Aliyah had towards Yeom and me was somewhat subdued, though it was clear she still wasn’t particularly interested. It felt like she considered us as significant as the street trees or the empty basketball hoops. “Do you even want to be here?” In the calm atmosphere, I directed my question at Aliyah. Seo-won quickly interjected, addressing Aliyah with a prickly tone. “How old are you, anyway?” Seo-won initially seemed accommodating, but then turned aggressive. Aliyah didn’t immediately respond, but Cash answered in her place. “She’s seventeen, in Korean age.” Seo-won took on the air of a judge. “Our boss here is thirty-five. More than twice your age, so speaking casually is fine, right? You did it with us, so why not with him?” “Hey, you all used formal speech the first time we met too, didn’t you?” I nudged Seo-won’s foot under the table to mediate quickly, but Cash’s expression was already strained. From an assistant’s perspective, seeing one’s employer being treated poorly wouldn’t sit well. Thankfully, Yeom stepped in to restrain the situation. “Han Seo-won, do you want to wait in the car?” “No.” “Then stay quiet.” “Yes…” Yeom might be easygoing, but when he decides to assert himself, most people refrain from challenging him due to his aura. Targeting Yeom, Aliyah mumbled in a sarcastic tone directed at Cash. “He’s more like a gang boss than a company owner, right? Maybe he’s hiding a gun under his shirt.” This place was a battleground without identifiers of friend or foe. Who is the enemy, who is the ally? No, trust no one. The only thing to rely on is the information window. I was merely following orders to recruit. Hakuna Matata. “Don’t you like K-pop? It might be worth trying it yourself. You can learn the singing and dancing; you’ve already got the looks.” “That’s flattering.” The rogue. Hearing it with that accent somehow made it more annoying. “Can we have a moment alone to talk?” That was Yona. I wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but she said that to Yeom and me, taking Seo-won and Eun-biit outside for about five minutes before coming back. After their private discussion, they all agreed unanimously that Aliyah was a necessary team member and decided to accept her. I don’t know what Yona said to persuade them, but Seo-won even had an unusual smile. There’s definitely something behind this... “Let’s work together.” “I think I was a bit sensitive. Let’s work together, okay?” “I’d like it if you joined us.” The three who had been rather indifferent suddenly surrounded Aliyah, leaving her unable to gather her thoughts. Unable to hide her excitement, she asked Cash as eagerly as a child going on their first field trip. “Will it be fun?” “Follow your heart, Your Highness.” “Can I?” “Do you want to?” “Yes. I mean, yes, I want to.” “Then you should do it. After all, you’ve promised to do what you please from now on, and that’s why you arranged this meeting today.” “So, is there going to be a group accommodation, too?” Aliyah, directing her question to no specific person, seemed particularly excited about the living arrangements. So I answered for her. “Of course. In fact, another member is coming from the countryside, so we better secure a place quickly.” “I’ve wanted to try living there…” “Where? Just tell us.” “What’s it called in Korean? Semi-basement?” “Banjiha?” “Oh, yes, right. Banjiha. How romantic.” Yeom shook his head. “Um, from experience, living in a semi-basement isn’t something I’d recommend. Besides everything else, surviving the summer is really tough. It’s damp and moldy.” “Then I’ll just live in a hotel during the summer and move in during the winter.” “Well, the accommodation isn’t the main concern, so let’s talk about it later.” “Wait, so do I need to diet? Do without a smartphone?” Aliyah already seemed to be mentally packing her bags for the move. Each restriction looked like something she was eagerly anticipating. “When do I start? Today? Tomorrow?” “Hong is coming up tomorrow, so it would be better to gather again at the office, right?” She replied, almost giddily, even to Yeom, when I was speaking to him. “I want to see the office.” “Should we go now?” Seo-won eagerly replied. There’s definitely a plan. “Really?” “Come on, I’ll show you the practice rooms.” “Wow. Is this the karaoke place?” “Nope, that’s the CEO room; the practice rooms are separate, with dancing and singing studios.” “Cash, I’d like to go now.” “Sure. Shall I prepare the car?” “Yes, yes.” How did she hold back her desires all this time? And what argument did Yona use on Seo-won? Without further delay, we decided to head to the office. Sitting in the front passenger seat of Yeom’s car, I checked the rearview mirror for Aliyah’s car and asked, “Yeom, what’s that car? Looks like a Chrysler?” “Heh, it’s a Rolls-Royce. A Phantom.” “Oh, that’s a Rolls-Royce? It’s like an armored vehicle. How much does it cost?” “Well, at least three to four billion won, maybe more?” “Rolls-Royce… a Phantom, you say?” “Yeah.” “Wait a sec.” Eun-biit corrected us after a quick search. “Everyone, be quiet. It’s over 700 million won.” Sure. Everyone fell silent. *** After about 30 minutes of humming through the tour, Aliyah and Cash returned to the hotel. Since they joined, everything had progressed smoothly. Cash had taken the initiative to find the kids' accommodation, and two hours later a message arrived with an address. The location was in Hannam-dong, and they could move in starting tomorrow—just bring themselves. A problem we had been wrestling with for over a month was resolved in just two hours. It made me realize anew that if you have money, our country is the best place to live. Wait a minute. That means today is Eunbi's last night at our place, right? I should at least grill some meat for her. With that in mind, I walked over to Eunbi, who was practicing the K-Noah concert repertoire in the computer room. "Eunbi, you need to pack your bags." "Why?" "Cash found a place for your accommodation, and you can move in starting tomorrow." "Wow…" Leaving the slack-jawed Eunbi behind, I went to inform my mom, Sing Sing Girl, in the master bedroom. Kim Gyudon had gone to meet friends. "Mom, Eunbi's got a place. She moves in tomorrow." "Oh my, that's great, really great." "And I've been meaning to tell you—I quit my job." I hadn't initially intended to tell her, but things had fallen into place, and she seemed in a good mood, so I impulsively let it slip. "What? What do you mean you quit your job?" "The company I worked for." "You crazy idiot, what nonsense are you spouting? Are you saying you quit Daehyun Construction?" "Yeah. I'm going to work with Hyundong’s office and Eunbi’s team on their production. I cleared my stuff out last Friday." "And you did all this without even telling me…" "Ah, don’t worry. I told you I secured an investment of 1 billion won today." "You fool! Is that your money? It's the company's money!" Sing Sing Girl exploded. A soprano scream echoed. "Why are you yelling in the middle of the night? Calm down." "How can you ask me to be calm? What should I tell your father!" "Ah, my ears! They're hurting!" "You really quit then?" "Yeah. Last Friday was my last day." "This is insane…" "From now on, Eunbi will be the one supporting me." Sing Sing Girl looked at me with the same bewildered eyes as when the third decision was made that day—she couldn't find the words. Holding back laughter, I continued explaining. "Mom, do you know who joined the team today? She's a princess from a petrol-producing country called Brunei. Her dad is the king. You know the Oscar Hotel next to Namsan, right? Oscar." "Oscar, Paster, whatever—go and get your resignation back." "She's the owner there. She owns the ones in Busan and Jeju too. She came to tour our office today in a Rolls-Royce. The car was like…" "I said get the resignation back." "I'm telling you, it's already done." "Do you want to die?" Uh-oh, this is getting serious. This isn't something I can joke about anymore. "Eunbi! Come here and explain our plans to Mom!" "I need to practice my singing!" "Just come for a moment." "I'm not going!" That shameless rascal. He knows Mom is angry and refuses to come. Sing Sing Girl’s lips curled inward. Here it comes! Then, her hand went up. ―Smack! A rare critical backhand smash! "Ouch! That hurts, you woman! Your smack's gotten stronger!" "I can't live with you doing this! What about the matchmaking meeting that Younghee's mom set up for next week!" "Ah, I'll go to the meeting, no big deal." "What job will you say you have! Unemployed?! Huh?" "I'm an entertainment planning manager. I even have business cards. Want to see?" "Ridiculous! Ridiculous!" "Hehehehe." "You're laughing!? Laughing, you little…!?" ―Smack! Smack! "Ouch! Ouch! Eunbi! Come and stop Mom! She’s completely serious!" "Eunbi, aren’t you coming here? If your brother quit his job, shouldn’t you have told me?" "I didn’t know either!" "He's lying, Mom. He knew. He was the first to know." "I absolutely can't live anymore, I can’t live! Because of you two, I can’t live! Get out of my house, both of you!" "Eunbi, run! Run!" ―Thud! Thud! Holding just our phones, Eunbi and I escaped to the playground in front of the house. Soon enough, within thirty minutes, she would call us back, saying she's prepared some meat. That's how tsundere Sing Sing Girl is. "Darn, I should’ve brought a card. Do you have any money?" "Yeah, I've got 5,000 won." "Oh, let's get some ice cream." From the convenience store, we bought two ice pops and sat side by side on the swings, sucking on them. "Wow. With Hong coming tomorrow, everyone’s gathered." "What do you think the kids’ reactions to Hong will be?" "First, Seo-won will get all serious." "Yona's expression will turn awkward." "Well…" "But it’ll be alright. Whether they see each other or not, everyone eventually gathered in the end." "You're right. It’s amazing. Is this what you call fate?" Come to think of it, everything started with Eunbi. I met Seo-won and Yona through a broadcast Eunbi was on, and through Muse TV, I met Hong and Aliyah. "It’s all because of you that we met." "Because of me?" After I explained the chain of events, Eunbi shook his head. "No, come on, if you think about it, it’s all thanks to you. Without you, we wouldn’t all be here, and you’ve insisted on bringing everyone—from Seo-won, Yona, Hong, to Aliyah—despite the company’s opposition." "Oh, right. I've become pretty indifferent with everything happening in succession. It makes sense when you think about it." "I'm really happy right now." "If you’re going to say something that cheesy, just stop." "Hmph." "Mom should be calling any moment now." "I feel weird." "About what?" "Now that I'm actually moving to the dorm, it feels a bit strange." "Good riddance. The house feels cramped." "Can’t Manager Gwak move into the dorm too?" "Where would we go when boys and girls aren’t to sit together after seven?" "So what was I doing all this time under one roof?" "You're not a girl." "And the other girls are?" "Oh, right. There's no girl here." "Then I should, right?" "Nah, I’ll just stay home." ―Brrrr, Brrrr "Okay, Mom’s calling. Yes, Mother." ―Come on home. You have to feed Eunbi some meat before sending her off. "Yes, we’re coming in." ―Pick up some ssamjang on your way. We're out. "I didn't bring any money." ―Then just come as you are. "Sure." I hung up and got up from the swing. "Let's go, No. 1. Mom’s calling us to come eat meat..." "Give me a piggyback ride!" ―Glomp! "…rea! Hey, are you getting off?" "Just once, give me a piggyback. It's the last time." "Last time, my foot. We’ll see each other all the time." "But it doesn’t feel like it." I grabbed the back of the fellow stuck on my back with my hands, securing the piggyback position. "You’ve put on weight." "No way. Not at all. NAVER. No-no." "What are you going to do when you have to diet soon?" "You don’t understand that my body is perfect as it is. Bagel, bagel!" "I’m pretty sure I said that you're more like a bil-gwa-muggle. Get off me nicely before I kill you." "Geez, you’ll regret it later." "I’ve had plenty of regrets. If I didn’t regret, I wouldn’t be giving you a piggyback ride." "Thank you, thank you for carrying me." "Oh, just thought of a team name." "What is it?" "How about 'Raised by Piggyback' girl group?" "What’s that?" "Why, it’s unique." "Raised by Piggyback... shortened to 'Piggyback Girls'?" "Not bad." "Right? 'Piggyback Girls' has a ring to it." "Hey." "Yeah?" "Time to get off; I’m sweating." "What’s the point of doing the Phoenix pull-up so often when your stamina's lacking." "Don’t you see the slope?" "Hang in there a bit. It’s warm and nice here, why?" "Sigh, sigh, call Sing Sing Girl to turn on the air conditioning." "Got it." *** The next day. Finally, the five members of the purple squad gathered in one place. The center of attention was undoubtedly Unit 4, who made her debut today. The dance practice room fell silent instantly. The sound of Hong's breathing echoed particularly loudly. ―Pheww~ Hhck~ < In the End, Everyone Gathered > The End