The cold night air hit me as I opened the door, a sudden gust making me shiver. Standing on the landing, uninvited, was the last person I ever wanted to see. I stood in the doorway, blocking her path.
"What took you so long? Do you even know how cold it is outside?" she complained, adjusting the thick collar of her jacket.
I didn't let her step past the threshold. "My grandma is home. If you have something to say, just say it and go. Don't even think about coming in."
Her mouth dropped open in an exaggerated picture of offense. "You want me to talk to you here?!"
"If you don't want to, you can leave. I won't stop you," I replied, my voice flat, holding the door steady.
Her expression shifted from feigned outrage to something I could only describe as desperate. "Why do you keep pushing me away?! I want us to get back together." She took a small, tentative step forward, her eyes pleading. "Look, I put aside my pride to tell you this. Will you take me back now?"
I almost laughed. "Are you kidding me...? How could you think we'd ever get back together... after what you did to me? Did you forget already?"
"I'm sorry, okay? I regret everything!" she pleaded, her voice rising in pitch. The regret in her voice sounded hollow, like a well-rehearsed line.
Inside, I heard a small cough. My grandmother.
"Oh, no... It sounds like they're having a fight..." one of the people in the hall near Grandma's room murmured. Another voice tried to reassure her.
"Don't worry, Grandma. If it gets bad, I'll go out there and see what I can do. You stay here for now."
"I hope it's nothing serious..."
"I'm sure it's nothing!"
I turned back to the unwelcome visitor, the sound of her earlier wail still hanging in the air.
"YOU TOLD ME THAT YOU GET IT! YOU SAID YOU FELT BAD FOR ME!!" she shrieked, the volume of her voice now completely unacceptable given the late hour.
"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU?!" I shouted back, tired of her melodrama. "I only felt bad for you before I learned you were such a horrible person!!"
She reeled back a step, momentarily stunned.
"I'M HAVING A HARD TIME AS IT IS." She looked like she was about to burst into tears again, the picture of an aggrieved victim. "My management company isn't supporting me, and my group members aren't as popular anymore... I'm tired of trying so hard all by myself!"
My patience evaporated. "ARE YOU DONE? DEAL WITH YOUR OWN DAMN LIFE AND GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"
She threw her hands up in the air, her face twisted in indignation. "WHAT DID I EVER DO SO WRONG?! IT WAS ALL BECAUSE OF MY SH*TTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY! I WAS JUST TRYING TO SURVIVE!"
I took a deep breath, trying to regain my composure. The thought of my grandmother being disturbed by this nonsense made my blood boil.
"Also, don't you feel an ounce of shame for barging into my grandma's house this late at night... AND THROWING A TANTRUM LIKE A CHILD?!! DON'T BE SO EMBARRASSING!"
The word 'embarrassing' seemed to strike a nerve more than anything else.
"DID YOU JUST CALL ME EMBARRASSING...? YOU KNOW WHAT'S REALLY EMBARRASSING?!" Her eyes, wide and manic, stared into mine. "IT'S WHEN SOMEONE MEETS A GREAT MANAGEMENT COMPANY OUT OF SHEER LUCK AND NO HARD WORK... AND THEN GOES ON TO ACT LIKE THEY'RE THE SH*T!"
I knew then that she was too far gone in her self-pity and blame to ever understand. There was no point in arguing with her anymore. I needed her gone.
"...AND THEN GOES ON TO ACT LIKE THEY'RE THE SH*T!" she screamed, her voice piercing the night.
"SO TELL ME HOW I'M THE EMBARRASSING ONE!" she challenged, her chest heaving.
I stared at her, utterly drained. "Sheer luck and no hard work...? Is that really what you think of me?" The question hung in the air, heavy with unspoken history.
Just then, a quiet click from inside the house made us both turn. The door to the living room was slightly ajar, and there she stood.
Just then, the door to the living area creaked open. A dark-haired woman, whom I recognized as a friend, stepped out, her expression perfectly composed and deadly calm.
Her eyes settled on the blonde woman, and she spoke with cool precision. "Anyway, I didn't realize you had such a privilege problem. You call me embarrassing?"
The blonde woman, startled and angry at the interruption, turned toward her.
"...Or are you so dumb that you think I'm weak?" the dark-haired woman continued, her voice low and dangerous.
The blonde scoffed. "Excuse me, but I'm here as her guest."
The woman's lips barely moved as she spoke, the words like chips of ice. "If you're trying to have this conversation with me, there are quieter ways to go about it."
"Do you think I'm scared of you?" the blonde woman challenged, stepping forward.
My friend's eyes narrowed, a cold glint in them. "Go ahead, I'm waiting. Do something."
The blonde woman hesitated. The dark-haired woman was clearly unbothered by her volume or her history, and it threw her off balance.
I took the opportunity to finally end this. "Are you not leaving? Then I will have to call security."
My friend stepped between the blonde woman and me. "Is that necessary? Just tell her to go home. Her shouting's going to wake up your grandmother."
The blonde woman looked from me to my friend, realizing she had completely lost control of the situation. Her anger collapsed into tears. "What are you doing? Why are you siding with him?!"
My friend turned her head just enough to address the blonde woman, but her gaze was dismissive. "Oh, please. Don't be such a baby."
"Don't you talk to me like that!" the blonde woman raged, raising her hand as if to strike her.
In a move so fast I barely saw it, my friend caught the blonde woman's wrist in a grip that looked painful, her expression never changing. "Don't you dare."
The blonde woman's face twisted in pain and fear. "Let go of me!"
My friend released her wrist with a shove. "I'm warning you. Don't cause trouble here. Go home."
The blonde woman clutched her throbbing wrist, shooting a poisonous glare at both of us before finally turning to stumble down the stairs, her tantrum over.
My friend watched her retreating figure for a moment, then sighed and turned to me. "You okay?"
I nodded, utterly exhausted. "Yeah. Thanks. That was... something."
I looked at her, truly grateful. "Let's go inside."
The dark-haired woman hesitated, glancing back toward the stairs. "Wait... I think she dropped her phone."
"I'll get it," I said quickly, walking toward the stairs. There it was, a pale blue phone lying face down on the landing.
As I picked it up, my friend spoke again, her tone gentler now. "If she comes back, you should just call me."
"Thanks, I will," I promised.
She looked at me, then at the phone in my hand, and finally seemed to make a decision. "Listen... about your grandmother..."
I froze, knowing what was coming next.
"...Do you want to get her a nurse?"
I looked away, gripping the phone tightly. "I told you. I'm okay."
She walked toward me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I know you're trying your best. But you can't be here all the time, and you have to work, too."
"I can do both," I insisted. "I just have to manage my time better. I'm fine."
She squeezed my shoulder gently. "Just think about it, okay?"
I didn't answer, just nodded and turned back towards the door, ready to retreat inside the quiet sanctuary of the apartment and away from the cold, turbulent night.
"SO TELL ME HOW I'M THE EMBARRASSING ONE!" she screamed, her face contorted with rage.
I stared at her, the sheer hypocrisy of her words hitting me. "Sheer luck and no hard work...? Is that really what you think of me?"
"ARE YOU AN IDIOT?! I'M TALKING ABOUT AJIN BAEK!" she spat, pointing her finger at me, then at the door as if he was waiting outside.
My mind went blank for a second. "...What does Ajin have to do with this?!"
She seemed to realize the mistake in bringing him up. She looked flustered, then quickly changed her focus to something else. "I'M HAVING A HARD TIME AS IT IS!" she repeated, trying to garner pity, but I was done listening to her excuses.
Just then, the door to the living area creaked open. My friend, stepped out, her expression a mix of weary concern and impatience.
"You shouldn't be yelling that loud either," she said, directing the comment at me, then looking past me at the woman. "If you were trying to send her home, there would have been quieter ways to go about it. Grandma is really worried now."
"Why— what is she doing here? How is she in this house...?" the blonde woman stammered, her eyes wide with suspicion as they darted from my friend to me. "A-are you dating her...?"
I rubbed my temples. "Here we go. Why did she have to come here and throw a fit...? Stop making things up. It's not like that."
"It's not?" she challenged, clearly not believing me.
My friend, coolly composed, stepped into the space between us. "He's right. We aren't dating yet."
The blonde woman's eyes widened further. "Yet?" she whispered, the color draining from her face.
My friend didn't let her process the shock. "Anyway, I didn't realize you had such a huge problem with me. What was it that you called me? Embarrassing?"
"SO WHAT...? Don't you see that I'm having a conversation with I? If you're not his girlfriend, step off!!" the blonde woman snapped, her voice regaining its shrill edge.
"Or are you so dumb that you can't see this is a private matter between the two of us?"
My friend's expression hardened. "Excuse me, but I'm here as a guest... You're the one that barged in here. Not me."
The blonde woman's face flushed with anger. "HA...! YOU OBNOXIOUS B*TCH!!" she yelled, her volume rising again. She looked for any angle to attack. "You know I'm two years older than you, right?! How DARE you run your mouth like that?!" She tried to lunge past me.
I quickly SNATCHED her arm, pulling her back. "Stop it! Don't do this in my grandma's house and get out!"
She struggled, gasping. "Hey! Let go!"
My friend simply watched. "Wake up. In our field, it's all about being young."
"YOU THINK IT'S ALL ABOUT BEING YOUNG?! HA! IT'S ABOUT THE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE IN THIS FIELD!! I HAVE YEARS MORE EXPERIENCE THAN YOU DO, SO HAVE A LITTLE RESPECT, YOU B*TCH!!" she shouted, pointing her finger aggressively at my friend's chest.
My friend remained unfazed. "Oh, so that's what set you off." She then delivered the killing blow with a quiet, devastating calm. "It's embarrassing that you don't even know how to spell the name of the brand you're advertising for... and you put it on social media."
The blonde woman paused, her mouth agape. "DO YOU REALLY THINK I POSTED IT BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW?! THAT GROSS COLORED LIPSTICK SOLD OUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS SOON AS I MADE THAT POST! THE BRAND NAME everyone would have brushed past and forgotten about... GOT ALL THAT ATTENTION BECAUSE I SPELLED THE NAME WRONG!!!" she shrieked, clearly proud of her manipulative publicity stunt.
My friend's eyes narrowed slightly, a spark of grudging acknowledgment in them. "Interesting... I thought she was an idiot, but it seems like she does have a few tricks up her sleeve."
She stepped closer to the blonde woman, leaning in. "You put so much effort into marketing that lipstick brand... But I landed all the great advertisers while people just pointed fingers at you and called you dumb. And on top of that, I DARED to call you obnoxious. Am I getting that right?"
"But you haven't done anything to deserve my respect." The blonde woman shot back, her breath uneven. "You may have debuted earlier, but you started acting later than I did."
My friend crossed her arms. "People barely believe that you're an actor rather than an idol. Plus, it's not like you're particularly more talented than I am. I have no reason to give you any respect you think you deserve."
"WHAT THE HELL... IS WRONG WITH YOU?" the blonde woman whispered, her face pale with shock.
My friend simply pushed me aside, forcefully steering the blonde woman toward the door. "You've done enough. Get. Out."
The blonde woman struggled, tears filling her eyes. "I—!!!" she cried out as my friend shoved her through the door, finally ending the chaotic scene.
My friend shoved the blonde woman out the door and then closed it with a firm click. The sudden silence in the hallway felt heavy and welcome. I turned to face my friend, trying to regulate my breathing.
"You've done enough. Get. Out," she muttered under her breath, still looking at the closed door.
"Do I need to call the police? Or maybe I'll call the press first. You think I won't?" I gritted out, though she was already gone. I felt a pang of relief when I looked down and saw the blonde woman's phone, which she had dropped in her haste.
I quickly checked the living room. Grandma was resting in bed, a blanket pulled up to her chin. My brother's girlfriend, who had been sitting by her side, gave me a small, worried look.
"She must have been tired. She's fast asleep," I whispered to my friend as she walked up to me.
"Oh, really? That's too bad. I was hoping to say goodbye before I left," she said, looking disappointed.
"Hey, I'd just like to apologize for what happened earlier..." I began, feeling a flush of embarrassment. "I'm sorry you got roped into that. Please don't pay her or the things she said any mind."
My friend listened quietly.
"She's not a bad person, but she can be a bit of a bulldozer—" I tried to explain, but my friend cut me off, her gaze unnervingly direct.
"Do you still have feelings for her...?"
"What...? No, not at all. We broke up a long time ago," I said, surprised by the question.
"Then you shouldn't lead her on. Don't open the door for her, even when she's standing outside in the cold ringing the doorbell," she lectured, her voice soft but serious.
I looked down, chewing on my lip. "Yeah... you're right," I conceded. The whole night had been a disaster born of my inability to just slam the door in her face.
My friend's demeanor softened, and she looked back toward the door. "I should get going, then. My manager lives in Building A, so I'll be sleeping over at her place tonight."
"Okay... Thank you for today," I said sincerely.
"For what?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Oh, for keeping my grandma company all day... and staying for dinner," I clarified, looking back at the sleeping figure in the next room. "She usually eats alone. If my brother and I aren't here, she doesn't even bother to eat sometimes. So when I saw you with her today, I felt really thankful... especially because you went out of your way to keep her company on your day off."
A small, genuine smile touched her lips. "It was a pretty special day because I got to eat Grandma's famous Galbijjim (braised short ribs)."
I laughed, the first genuine sound I'd made all evening. "Well, let me treat you out next time. Call me when you're free, okay?"
"Can I really?" she asked, her eyes lighting up.
"Of course! I'll take you out somewhere fancy as a thank you," I promised.
She tapped her cheek playfully, a satisfied look in her eye. "Okay, you said it! You have to come have dinner with me whenever I call!"
"You promise?" I asked, a faint smile on my face.
The warmth in the air was a sharp contrast to the cold argument just moments before. With the ex gone and a promise of a future meal made, a sense of calm finally settled over the apartment.
The cold air hit my face as I opened the door. Standing on my grandmother's doorstep was Rena, shivering but looking expectant.
"What took you so long? Do you even know how cold it is outside?" she complained immediately.
I didn't step back. "My grandma is home. If you have something to say, just say it and go. Don't even think about coming in," I warned her.
"You want me to talk to you here?!" she bristled.
"If you don't want to, you can leave. I won't stop you," I said, leaning against the doorframe.
She took a step toward me, desperation in her eyes. "Why do you keep pushing me away?! I want us to get back together. Look, I put aside my pride to tell you this. Will you take me back now?".
"Are you kidding me...? After what you did to me? Did you forget already? How could you think we'd ever get back together..." I asked, my voice rising.
"I'm sorry, okay? I regret everything!" she cried.
"How many times do I have to tell you?! I only felt bad for you before I learned you were such a horrible person!!" I shouted, the volume unintentional. "Also, don't you feel an ounce of shame for barging into my grandma's house this late at night... and throwing a tantrum like a child?! Don't be so embarrassing!".
Tears welled in her eyes. "You told me that you get it! You said you felt bad for me!!" she yelled. The noise was loud enough to worry me.
From inside, I heard Chaeyoung's worried voice and my grandmother's quieter one. "Oh, no... It sounds like they're having a fight..." Chaeyoung murmured to my grandmother.
Chaeyoung then came closer to the room where my grandmother was lying. "Don't worry, Grandma. If it gets bad, I'll go out there and see what I can do. You stay here for now," she assured her.
Rena overheard all of it and rounded on me. "Did you just call me embarrassing...? You know what's really embarrassing?! It's when someone meets a great management company out of sheer luck and no hard work... and then goes on to act like they're the sh*t!".
"So tell me how I'M the embarrassing one!".
I stared at her. "Sheer luck and no hard work...? Is that really what you think of me?".
She flinched, then quickly steered the fight back to her troubles. "I'M HAVING A HARD TIME AS IT IS!" she repeated. "My management company isn't supporting me, and my group members aren't as popular anymore... I'm tired of trying so hard all by myself!".
"Are you done? Deal with your own damn life and get the hell out of here!" I snapped, my patience gone.
"What did I ever do so wrong?! It was all because of my sh*tty management company! I was just trying to survive!" she screamed.
I was done with her excuses. "You know what? Just get out of here. Don't do this in my grandma's house and get out!" I tried to usher her away, but she resisted.
Chaeyoung stepped out. "You shouldn't be yelling that loud either. If you were trying to send her home, there would have been quieter ways to go about it. Grandma is really worried now," she scolded me gently.
Rena froze, looking from me to Chaeyoung. "Why— what is she doing here? How is she in this house...? A-are you dating her...?".
"Here we go. Why did she have to come here and throw a fit...? Stop making things up. It's not like that," I sighed.
Chaeyoung stepped forward. "I'm right. We aren't dating yet," she said, an unsettling calm in her voice.
Rena's eyes went wide. "Yet?".
Chaeyoung focused entirely on her. "Anyway, I didn't realize you had such a huge problem with me. What was it that you called me? Embarrassing?".
"SO WHAT...? Don't you see that I'm having a conversation with I? If you're not his girlfriend, step off!!" Rena shot back. "Or are you so dumb that you can't see this is a private matter between the two of us?"
"Excuse me, but I'm here as a guest... You're the one that barged in here. Not me," Chaeyoung replied, her voice dangerously level.
"HA...! YOU OBNOXIOUS B*TCH!! You know I'm two years older than you, right?! How DARE you run your mouth like that?!" Rena yelled, trying to poke her finger into Chaeyoung's chest.
"Rena! Stop it!" I shouted, snatching her arm back.
Chaeyoung didn't even flinch. "Wake up. In our field, it's all about being young," she countered coldly.
"YOU THINK IT'S ALL ABOUT BEING YOUNG?! HA! IT'S ABOUT THE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE IN THIS FIELD!! I HAVE YEARS MORE EXPERIENCE THAN YOU DO, SO HAVE A LITTLE RESPECT, YOU B*TCH!!" Rena screamed.
"Oh, so that's what set you off," Chaeyoung said, a slight, knowing tilt to her head. "It's embarrassing that you don't even know how to spell the name of the brand you're advertising for... and you put it on social media. You should probably have looked up the brand name before posting it on social media," she added.
"DO YOU REALLY THINK I POSTED IT BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW?! THAT GROSS COLORED LIPSTICK SOLD OUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS SOON AS I MADE THAT POST! THE BRAND NAME everyone would have brushed past and forgotten about... GOT ALL THAT ATTENTION BECAUSE I SPELLED THE NAME WRONG!!!" Rena shrieked, proud of her stunt.
Chaeyoung's eyes narrowed. "Interesting... I thought she was an idiot, but it seems like she does have a few tricks up her sleeve," she thought, then continued out loud: "You put so much effort into marketing that lipstick brand... But I landed all the great advertisers while people just pointed fingers at you and called you dumb. And on top of that, I DARED to call you obnoxious. Am I getting that right?".
"But you haven't done anything to deserve my respect," Rena insisted. "You may have debuted earlier, but you started acting later than I did.".
"People barely believe that you're an actor rather than an idol. Plus, it's not like you're particularly more talented than I am. I have no reason to give you any respect you think you deserve," Chaeyoung finished, arms crossed.
"WHAT THE HELL... IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Rena gasped.
Chaeyoung grabbed Rena and forcefully turned her toward the door. "You've done enough. Get. Out. RENA!" she demanded.
I watched the tense scene, utterly exhausted, before Chaeyoung managed to shove her out and closed the door.
Part II: The New Crisis
Later that day, after I had finally settled back at my own apartment, I was working when my phone rang. I was rubbing my tired eyes when a text message came through: "Are you free today? Want to grab dinner with me, Inkang?".
"Oh...!" I thought, smiling at Chaeyoung's message. That dinner date was still on her mind.
A moment later, the phone rang, and it was Chaeyoung's manager, Chayoung.
I picked up the call just as she was speaking to Chaeyoung. "What's wrong, Chayoung...?" Chaeyoung asked her manager.
The manager's voice, panicking, reached my ear. "Well, um... y-your stylist just called...".
Chaeyoung, still calm, replied, "What about it?".
"Well, she's saying that Rena came and took your dress...!" the manager cried.
"WHAT...? WHO TOOK THE DRESS?" Chaeyoung screamed, all composure gone, the background noise bursting with panic. The dinner would definitely have to wait.
My heart hammered against my ribs as I listened to the screaming on the other end of the phone. Chaeyoung's voice was pure, panicked fury, completely unlike her usual composed demeanor.
"WHAT...? WHO TOOK THE DRESS?" she yelled.
I pulled the phone back to my ear. "Chaeyoung, calm down! What happened?"
Her manager, Chayoung, sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "The stylist is saying that Rena came and took the dress... the one that was put on hold for you to wear to the K-Music Festival Award Ceremony...".
"WHAT DID SHE TAKE?!" Chaeyoung roared.
"The dress! The one you were going to wear tonight!" the manager wailed.
I felt a cold knot tighten in my stomach. Rena. It always came back to Rena. The articles she had likely orchestrated earlier were just a distraction; this was the real sabotage. The K-Music Festival Award Ceremony was one of the biggest events of the year, and a stolen dress was a disaster.
"Where are you right now?" I asked Chaeyoung.
"I'm... I'm at my manager's place," she finally managed to gasp, trying to regain control.
"I'll drive you over there," I decided instantly. "Stay where you are. We need to go get that dress back. We have a few hours before the red carpet, but we don't have time to waste."
I grabbed my keys, pulling on a warm jacket and scarf.
"You don't have to get involved in this!" Chaeyoung argued.
"She picked a fight in my house, attacked my friend, and now she's jeopardizing your career. Yeah, I think I have to get involved," I said, already halfway out the door. "I'm on my way."
I hung up, the familiar rush of adrenaline replacing my earlier exhaustion.
A short time later, I was driving down the highway. The city skyscrapers towered over the road, a cold, indifferent audience to the petty drama unfolding beneath them. Chaeyoung was sitting in the passenger seat, her head leaned back against the headrest. She had gone from furious to eerily silent.
I glanced over at her, then focused on the road. "Don't worry. We'll find it," I promised.
She didn't open her eyes. "That dress was only put on hold for me. It's not like I had already bought it. If Rena wants it so bad, let her have it... but this isn't over. Not by a long shot."
I reached out and squeezed her arm. "We'll get her back for this. For now, focus on tonight. You'll find something better to wear."
Just as I said it, my phone, which was connected to the car's console, began to buzz. I looked down, rubbing my eyes from the strain of driving. It was a text message from a blocked number.
"Are you free today? Want to grab dinner with me, Inkang?"
It was the same message from earlier. It must have been Chaeyoung's number, but the manager was using the same phone.
"Oh..." I murmured.
I quickly typed a reply: Something came up. Dinner will have to wait.
I looked at Chaeyoung. She was asleep. I realized the 'dinner' message had been sent before the news of the dress. She was probably just running on fumes. I turned up the heat and drove on, determined to help her navigate this mess Rena had created.