Between Us is X (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12

Sol Hee’s words kept circling in my head. Honestly, I was a little tempted, but that was as far as it went. There were several heavy reasons why it absolutely couldn’t happen.

Eun Su carefully turned her body, worried she might wake Sol Hee. She was just trying to find a more comfortable position, but the more she adjusted, the more uncomfortable it became. She grumbled to herself for moving unnecessarily and suddenly froze.

She should’ve stayed still when it felt just acceptable. Being greedy would only make it worse.

Like the distance between her and Ju Han right now.

They weren’t completely casual like real friends, but they also weren’t particularly tense or overly conscious of each other. Even when it was just the two of them, it wasn’t especially awkward, and work-wise, they were perfectly comfortable with each other.

It was a result she’d barely achieved after going through all sorts of unspoken struggles. So she couldn’t move any further from here. Whether the “benefit” Sol Hee mentioned was worth destroying this peace… that remained to be seen.

Moreover, once her face and name became known, her past would inevitably be dragged out to some extent.

She’d done all kinds of part-time jobs, so there were many people she’d met while working, plus university classmates, and those from the same middle and high school…

Fragments of memories from her school uniform days flashed by. Suddenly, it felt like someone was choking her, and her breath caught in her throat.

‘What if those things from back then become a topic…?’

Her heartbeat gradually quickened. Eun Su tightly gripped the edge of the blanket.

‘Right. Sol Hee doesn’t know about that, that’s why she brought it up…’

Eun Su’s shoulders rose and fell heavily.

It took a long while for Eun Su’s anxious breathing to finally calm down.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Manager Oh! Manager Seon! Look at this.”

Jae Rim came over to Seon Kyung’s desk holding her phone. Since Eun Su happened to be nearby, she leaned in as well.

“Can you see? Our Instagram followers have skyrocketed.”

“Oh, really? What’s this about?”

Jae Rim explained with proud eyes.

“You know the furniture that Choi Yoon Bin bought from here a while ago? He posted it on his Instagram and even tagged our store. And just like that, the response exploded.”

“Wow, seriously?”

Eun Su took Jae Rim’s phone and scrolled through the page. There was a photo of Yoon Bin’s Han River-view apartment living room with Vida’s furniture beautifully arranged, posted on his feed.

Since Yoon Bin rarely used Instagram and almost never revealed his private spaces, the reaction was even hotter.

Especially since comments mentioning that the Siesta chair cost nearly 20 million won were stirring people’s curiosity.

“Look here… there are even articles about it now. The headlines all focus on ’20-million-won chair,’ which is a bit much, but well, that’s how the world works—only sensational things get attention.”

“Nothing we can do about it. It would’ve been nice if the articles explained why it’s worth that much… Wait, there’s a comment fight here.”

Seon Kyung, who had been looking at the screen with them, mumbled while reading the comments.

“Who spends 20 million won on a single chair? It’s not even a famous luxury brand… If it’s vintage, doesn’t that mean it’s used? Paying that much for it… ugh, so frustrating. Still, there’s someone in the middle who knows something. ‘The fact that they got a Marsi Medsen piece means they’re not just following vintage trends—they have real taste.'”

“Once Litian furniture officially comes in and becomes famous, people will have to pay even more, but they don’t know anything.”

One particular comment caught Eun Su’s eye as she listened to Seon Kyung and Jae Rim’s conversation.

[To normal people it’s a huge amount, but to these kids, it’s just pocket change for an Instagram photo, right? People who make money easily by selling their faces while others work hard won’t know the value of money. I thought this guy was at least not showy, but he’s just like the rest lol]

Seon Kyung, who hadn’t noticed Eun Su’s hardened expression, said,

“This must be the legendary Choi Yoon Bin effect.”

Jae Rim added,

“Some people even asked if we have another Siesta chair exactly like it. They asked about the bookshelf and side table too—whether we have the same or similar ones. There were also inquiries about whether Choi Yoon Bin comes here often and if he likes vintage furniture.”

“We can’t really answer that, but anyway, it’s amazing.”

Eun Su quietly nodded in agreement. Because she was so close with Yoon Bin, there were times she didn’t fully feel his influence as a top star, but moments like this made it hit home.

“I should at least thank him separately.”

The moment Eun Su said that, Jae Rim’s face lit up.

“Tell him to come visit again! We should’ve taken a photo together last time. I told my friends I saw Choi Yoon Bin and no one believed me—I was so upset. They told me if I’m going to lie, at least bring fake evidence…”

“Yeah, you should’ve lived a more respectable life usually.”

Eun Su ignored the sharp glare she felt from Jae Rim on the back of her head and returned to her seat. She immediately took out her phone and sent Yoon Bin a message.

[You’re probably busy, but thanks for taking photos and posting them. I know how much your modeling fee is, so feeling guilty for getting this benefit for free lol Next time, dinner’s on me!]

Since Yoon Bin couldn’t check his phone while working, she figured a reply would come in a few hours at the earliest. She was about to put her phone away when, surprisingly, a reply came immediately.

[Why worry about modeling fees between you and me.] [Why are you replying so fast? On break?] [Waiting in the car for filming. It’s been a while since my place looked like a real home, so I felt good and took photos to show off. The two staff members who came with Ju Han that day arranged everything nicely on their own.]

Come to think of it, Ju Han must have delivered it himself.

He hadn’t said a word about it either before going or after coming back. Of course, So Min was the same. After seeing Yoon Bin that day, So Min had given a rather unusual answer for her—saying she wasn’t sure who he was but even without knowing, he looked like a celebrity.

If Jae Rim had gone, it would’ve been noisy for hours. Eun Su smiled a little at the thought and finished replying.

[Come by anytime if you need anything. Even if you don’t need anything, come hang out.] [Okay. I’ll come see you. Heading into filming now.] [Yep. Do well, and let me know what you want to eat and when you’re free!] [Got it.]

After putting down her phone, Eun Su adjusted her posture with a slightly lighter heart.

It was still amazing that her connection with Yoon Bin had lasted this long. He’d become a top star right after debut, so it wouldn’t have been strange if they’d naturally drifted apart because he was busy.

There had actually been quite long periods where they didn’t see each other, but then he’d contact her casually like nothing happened. The more she realized how hard it must be living as Choi Yoon Bin, the more grateful she felt.

‘I really need to treat him to something delicious next time. Crowded places would be uncomfortable for him… where would be good…’

After thinking of a few places in her head, Eun Su shook off the thoughts for a moment and refocused on work.

The day passed like that, and quitting time came and went.

Jae Rim had left first, but Seon Kyung and Eun Su remained in the office. With the Litian meeting approaching, Eun Su was voluntarily working overtime, and Seon Kyung said she had work to finish by tomorrow.

Eun Su gulped down what must have been her nth cup of coffee that day and stared intensely at the monitor.

‘I’m definitely landing this contract. Once this happens…’

You will soon be able to officially see Litian’s furniture at Vida.

Just imagining the day they could put up that copy made her heart race.

She hoped that Litian furniture, which was slowly gaining recognition starting from a small group of enthusiasts, would one day be as respected as well-known furniture brands or designers. And she wanted Vida to be at the center of that process.

While rummaging through her drawer, Eun Su glanced toward Seon Kyung.

“Manager Oh, do you have a stapler?”

“Ah, yes.”

Seon Kyung, who had just stood up with a stack of documents, answered.

“It’s in the first drawer of my desk.”

“Okay, thanks.”

Seon Kyung left her seat with the documents, and Eun Su headed to her desk.

“Found it. Wow, how is your drawer so neat too… oh.”

The moment she opened the top drawer and found the item, Eun Su straightened up and accidentally bumped the mouse on the desk. The monitor lit up brightly, revealing the screen Seon Kyung had been working on. It was the employees’ payroll statement.

She knew roughly how much everyone earned, but seeing it openly was different, so she quickly looked away—but something caught her eye. Eun Su tilted her head without thinking.

“500,000 won…?”

Ju Han’s salary was strange. It seemed like there was a mistake, but since it was Seon Kyung’s area of work, it felt awkward to ask.

Seon Kyung almost never made mistakes, so she’d probably catch it herself. Thinking that, Eun Su turned away—and that’s when her eyes met Seon Kyung’s, who had somehow come up behind her.

“Ah, here…”

She was about to say thanks for finding the thing she needed to borrow when Seon Kyung hesitated with an awkward expression.

“Um, the boss told me never to say anything…”

“What is it?”

Seon Kyung hesitantly stepped in front of the monitor as if blocking it.

“The boss reduced his own salary. He was worried the staff would feel bad, so he asked me to handle it quietly for the time being…”

“Ah…”

Eun Su stepped back.

“Okay. I didn’t mean to see it, it just happened… sorry. Anyway, I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything.”

Eun Su gave an awkward smile and hurried back to her seat. She tried to act normal for Seon Kyung’s sake, but she couldn’t concentrate.

Was the situation that bad? Since when?

She couldn’t ask Seon Kyung, and obviously not Ju Han either. From Eun Su’s perspective, who gauged sales more by feel than numbers on paper, she had thought things were steadily improving.

Thinking about it more, sales had been low before that. Still, they had to go overseas to buy items, plus container costs…

“Ouch.”

Eun Su flinched and looked down at her hand. While absentmindedly handling papers, she’d gotten a paper cut, and blood suddenly appeared on her fingertip.

Swallowing a sigh, Eun Su roughly wrapped the stinging finger with tissue and pressed it.

“Manager, aren’t you heading home?”

A while later, Seon Kyung, with her bag slung over her shoulder, looked over and asked. Eun Su smiled.

“You go ahead. I’ll finish this and leave.”

“Okay. See you tomorrow.”

After Seon Kyung left the office, Eun Su, now alone, leaned back in her chair. Actually, she’d finished work a little while ago, but she didn’t feel like going home lightly.

She sat there a bit longer before finally getting up. She tidied the office, turned off the lights, and went down the stairs. The lights on the first-floor showroom had been off for a while, but a faint light was coming from the basement.

Hesitating, Eun Su carefully went down the stairs. The lights were on, but there was no sound.

Entering the basement, she saw Ju Han lying long on the daybed, fast asleep. He must have lain down for a short rest and fallen asleep—he was still wearing his work apron.

On the workbench were five or six drawers neatly sanded smooth with sandpaper, and below them was a drawer frame that similarly revealed the natural grain of the wood, lightly whitened. After two or three more rounds of oiling and finishing, they would look brand new.

Eun Su stared down at the sleeping Ju Han.

His long, sharp eyes had particularly dark shadows from his eyelashes. Because his gaze was usually cool, he looked much gentler with his eyes closed.

‘Why do you…’

A fresh question suddenly rose in Eun Su’s mind.