Double Junk - 204

The Opening of Autumn

As Ajin was coming down the stairs connected to the stage, he absentmindedly tried to adjust his bangs, but Seokju quickly grabbed his wrist, stopping him from moving. Ajin sighed heavily and lowered his hand.

He had gone to a barbershop, or rather, a “shop,” early in the morning. He had lightly applied makeup and styled his hair. His bangs were completely lifted, revealing his forehead, but the heavy amount of hairspray made it feel as if he were wearing a helmet. The lipstick on his lips felt thick and sticky, and even the shoes, which he had finally gotten used to, felt painful today, tightly squeezing his feet.

Feeling like a theater actor, which was a role he never asked for, Ajin kept sighing, while Seokju gently wiped the sweat from Ajin’s forehead with a tissue. Myungjin, who had been standing close by, handed him a glass of water filled with ice. Ajin drank it all at once. Still, his stomach was upset and uneasy.

When he remembered the bright stage lights that had hit his eyes and all the gazes directed at him, he felt like he was about to throw up.

“I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

Ajin said with a sulky expression, clutching Seokju’s sleeve. Seokju smiled lightly and rubbed his back.

“You did well.”

“I think I stuttered a lot…”

“You only stuttered twice. Besides, there aren’t many people listening carefully. They’re too busy eating and drinking.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“Now that you’ve officially finished what you needed to do, you can relax.”

At those words, Ajin let his shoulders slump. The greeting he had been preparing all week was finally over. He had been so nervous he didn’t remember what he said at all. But seeing that Seokju and Myungjin didn’t look too displeased, it seemed he hadn’t made a fool of himself on stage.

Ajin’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as he took off his suit jacket.

“Now that it’s done, can I go home?”

He disliked the unfamiliar space. The event was being held at a famous hotel in Seoul, but the vast, overly spacious room, the numerous people, and the variety of voices and smells they gave off made him feel nauseous.

Myungjin jumped and quickly grabbed Ajin’s jacket again.

“No, no, CEO. It’s only been 17 minutes since the banquet started. Leaving already would be a bit…”

A cloud of frustration passed over Ajin’s face. Anyone who saw him might think there was a disaster at home. Myungjin, seemingly used to Ajin’s mood, casually comforted him.

“Just greet the important guests for a moment. It’ll be really quick. Just say, ‘Hello, it’s been a while,’ shake hands, and move on. It’s super easy, right?”

“That doesn’t seem easy at all…”

Ajin glared at Seokju with a look that said, “Do I really have to do this?” Seokju smiled and nodded.

The more Ajin met unfamiliar people, the more he felt like he was dying. He awkwardly smiled, watched for clues from others who spoke incomprehensible words, awkwardly shook hands, suffered from the heat, loosened his tie, and then tightened it again when Myungjin gave him a look. It was torture.

He must have met around fifteen or so people when a savior appeared. It was Seon-hwa. She had personally come to the event because it was her youngest son’s official occasion. All the attention that had been focused on Ajin shifted to her. Thanks to that, Ajin could finally relax. Following Seokju’s orders, Myungjin went to assist her.

Through the crowd, Ajin saw Seon-hwa wink at him. She seemed to know he was struggling. Ajin smiled shyly and waved, even giving her a thumbs-up, as if to say, “Mom is the best.”

Feeling liberated by accident, Ajin moved toward a table piled high with various dishes. He grabbed some thick salmon and bruschetta topped with cream cheese and also tried a canapé with figs on it. He hadn’t eaten much since the morning due to his nerves, so he felt hungry all of a sudden.

Seokju brought a plate filled with food that he thought Ajin would like. Standing with his back to the people and facing the wall, Ajin ate his food while hiding his face. Then, he let out a wry laugh. His own appearance seemed ridiculous.

Everyone here seemed like they were from high society, but he couldn’t understand why they were all standing and eating without any manners. Shouldn’t a true Korean eat soup and rice while sitting properly at the table?

Ajin put a bruschetta into Seokju’s mouth. He laughed at how Seokju’s cheek puffed out, finding it cute. Seokju raised an eyebrow and asked why he was laughing. Ajin shook his head, saying nothing.

Seokju brought a skewer of sweet melon wrapped in salty ham to his mouth, and Ajin suddenly caught sight of someone familiar walking by.

“Uh… sister!”

It was Mijin, Seon-hwa’s second daughter and Ajin’s sister. Having met a few times before, they were on familiar terms. Ajin set the skewer down without hesitation and ran toward Mijin like a puppy who had spotted its owner. Mijin, who noticed him a moment later, narrowed her eyes.

“Hey, didn’t I tell you not to act crazy outside? Does this guy still think he’s a kid? Is being cute all that matters?”

Mijin shrugged off Ajin, who was hanging onto her shoulder, but he just attached himself to her again. As Seon-hwa had once said, Mijin and Seon-hwa were alike in personality. So, even though Ajin had been shy, he quickly became close to her over just one meal.

“Welcome, CEO.”

Seokju, who had followed Ajin, gave a polite bow.

“It’s been a while, Secretary Kang.”

Mijin greeted him lightly with a smile. Ajin, holding her arm around her elbow and wrist, asked quickly.

“How did you manage to come all the way here despite being busy?”

“It’s your job, so I had to come. Mom’s here too. But this idiot says he can’t come. He always thinks he’s the busiest…”

“It’s fine. Since you and mom came.”

Ajin smiled broadly. Mijin stared at him for a moment before giving his arm a few playful taps.

“You look really good today, little brother.”

“You look pretty too, sister.”

“I know.”

Mijin shook her head slightly, showing off her bobbed hair that swished to her shoulders.

She had a face quite similar to Ajin’s. To be precise, they both resembled Seon-hwa, but anyway. Mijin had smooth skin and full lips, which were striking. Her eyes resembled Ajin’s in a cat-like way, but hers had a sharper, more pointed look. She also appeared to be a few years younger than her age. There was a six-year age gap between her and Ajin, but it didn’t feel awkward at all.

Ajin liked Mijin, who had an elegant presence. She didn’t have the refined, gentle feel of someone from a noble family, but she always stood straight, spoke clearly, and had sharp, beautiful eyes, which Ajin liked. Of course, what he liked most was that Mijin would always treat him nicely, even though she would sometimes speak sharply.

“I saved a spot for the banner. I’m going to put the new drama there,” Mijin said, sipping champagne. Ajin’s eyebrows lifted with excitement.

“Really? Thank you! But what’s a banner?”

Mijin’s lips twisted awkwardly.

“…When will your silly head come back to its senses?”

“Do I need to be in my right mind? I think I’m fine as I am.”

“Ugh…”

Ajin, in a friendly way, grabbed Mijin’s hand as they walked around the banquet hall. As long as they were talking, no one else really tried to approach them. Seokju, standing a couple of steps behind, kept an eye on them. Occasionally, he would answer questions from the staff.

Eventually, Mijin ran into someone she knew, and they parted ways. Ajin, feeling a bit disappointed as he watched Mijin walk away, looked up at Seokju.

“Can we go now?”

“Hmm…”

“Secretary Kang, I’m hot.”

“…”

“My head hurts, too. There are too many people…”

Ajin pouted and looked upset. Seokju subtly checked his wristwatch. They had been there for a while now. He had met most of the people he needed to, and the rest of the tasks could be handled without Ajin.

“I’ve booked a room upstairs. Let’s go rest there for a bit.”

Ajin’s face brightened at those words. He wanted to take off his painful shoes, shower, turn the air conditioner on full blast, and relax on a clean bed. Of course, Seokju should be beside him.

Ajin quickly started heading in the direction of the room. Seokju gently stopped him, then guided him in the right direction.

Once they left the banquet hall, the crowd density quickly decreased. Ajin let out a sigh of relief and took off his jacket. Seokju casually took the jacket and draped it over his arm.

Ajin looked around for the elevator. Seokju gently grabbed his wrist and led him toward the lobby. Soon, the elevator arrived. Seokju pressed the button for the top floor, and not long after, the elevator made a sound and arrived. Inside, Ajin massaged Seokju’s cool hand with his own.

Seokju took out the keycard with his free hand and held it against the button panel. The light for the top floor automatically lit up.

The elevator doors slowly began to close. Just then, a hand suddenly reached in between the closing doors.

“Where are you going! Leaving me behind!”

It was Mijin, her face flushed and sweaty as if she had been running around.

“We’re taking the boss to his room, and I’ll be back soon,” Seokju replied calmly.

Seokju reached for the button to close the door, but Mijin leaned her upper body in. Her frantic movements were full of discomfort. The elevator was about to close again, but it opened once more.

“The director’s looking for you. He has something to discuss about the promotion. He had a few drinks and now suddenly wants to change something for the trailer, which is supposed to be released tonight. The head of the PR team is waiting for you. She’s on the verge of crying.”

Even though the PR team leader was supposedly about to cry, it seemed like Mijin herself was the one who was about to cry. Ajin looked up at Seokju, silently asking if they should go help her. Seokju shook his head firmly.

“Tell her to wait. I’ll take the boss to his room first and come back.”

At those words, Mijin’s face turned pale.