Chapter 4.1

The bathroom had a clean but luxurious atmosphere that was unique to the hotel. Min-kyung stared ata her reflection while she washed her hands, she looked unfamiliar in the mirror. Tilting her head back and forth, then she shook her head slowly. Her hair was set in thick, loose curls that flowed and swayed over her shoulders.

She touched the tweed jacket and skirt, then peered at the frilly earrings and the gold chain on the quilted handbag. If Se-ah had been dressed like this, she would look like a noble lady.

Her vision was a little blurry, not because she was not wearing her glasses but because she was a little drunk. The outside of her reflection looked hazy as if she had a filter over her image.

"Do her makeup similar to how you style me. This gal has an important event tonight, please take care of her." The two hair and makeup artists worked together on Min-kyung for an hour and a half. She thought this was impossible, but a miracle was performed. It was almost like the sea parted for this to become possible.

As soon as Min-kyung left the dressing room dressed like Se-ah, the shop manager and artists repeatedly praised her for being as beautiful as a couture model. But in reality, Se-ah’s clothes were at least one size smaller than what she usually wore. Se-ah was not only more petite but also shorter than Min-kyung, who was tall at 168cm. The clothes were tight around Min-kyung’s hips and bust, but fortunately, they were not too tight, and she couldn’t fit in them. 

It was even better that the food at this hotel’s French restaurant was amazingly delicious. So, instead of leaving the dinner in the middle of the course, Min-kyung stayed and ate everything that was served. With the courses, champagne was served as an aperitif. The waiter refilled her glass when it was half empty, which meant Min-kyung was starting to exceed her drinking capacity… which was very low.

As she returned from the bathroom, Min-kyung paid for the meal with Se-ah’s card. ‘I’m sorry for putting you through this.’ Se-ah had told her through crocodile tears.

Jeong Jong-woo, the man here for the date, started and led conversations with light topics so as not to disturb their meal. Thankfully, there were a few awkward breaks in the discussion, which had, at this point, lasted an hour and a half.

“You must be very busy with work every month, it’s stressful, isn’t it? I know I get stressed when I have a lot of surgeries on my schedule.”

“I think my work may be different than that.”

“I used to have to escape for several days after, but now I’ve gotten the hang of the busy schedule.”

“Well, I’m still busy.”

“Oh, I didn’t read the magazine article last week, sorry, but I read your column instead… the one in K Newspaper.”

“Ah, thank you. They can use our columns once since it’s an affiliated  newspaper.” Min-kyung luckily knew everything about Se-ah. Having lived together for 15 years and Se-ah being so talkative, Min-kyung was an expert from Se-ah’s family and friends to the habits of her coworkers. There were no obstacles in this conversation, nor were mistakes made. While she tried to answer as briefly as possible, the master was playing her role perfectly, she felt confident and even slightly snorted at the thought.

After the fantastic meal, which included dessert, all she had left to do was act out the final scene with the lines Se-ah had given her. Min-kyung spoke softly, putting her hair behind her ear as she followed Jong-woo to the register. “I paid for the meal. I got a text that I had too many points that would expire if I didn’t use them this month.”

“Oh, dear.” Jong-woo turned around from the register, his face red with embarrassment. “I was sorry for canceling and changing the time before, so I wanted to buy it for you… but I guess there is no rule for this?”

“Not at all. Thanks to your suggestion, I had an amazing meal.” Min-kyung slightly bowed her head to say goodbye and went into the elevator. 

As he pressed the lobby floor button, Jong-woo said hesitantly, “Miss Se-ah, I don’t want to be rude, but would you like to have a cocktail at the 8th-floor lounge bar?”

“Ah…”

“I heard you loved specialty cocktails.”

“Did you?”

“I was really impressed by the column where you wrote about cocktails and related them to fashion. The lounge bar just released their new seasonal cocktail. I’ve had it, it’s delicious, and the presentation is very clean and unique, in my opinion. I also like having a cocktail occasionally to help relieve my stress after a long surgery. I personally like cocktails because they’re sweeter than just liquor. While they’re delicious to drink alone, they’re even better shared with someone.”

Min-kyung blinked her eyes a couple times, “Sorry, while it’s tempting, I have to work tomorrow.”

Jong-woo readily agreed since he had assumed it would be her response and responded to the apparent refusal in a civil, polite mode. “I’ll buy one for you next time. I’ll make sure it’s just right.”

“Yes, thank you. Please get home safely.” Min-kyung bent her head and said goodbye to the man as they parted ways in the lobby.

Min-kyung sighed and took her phone out, and turned it on. Her phone buzzed repeatedly, loading the several missed calls and messages that had piled up. Most of them were from Se-ah. The last texts she read were, [Sorry, sorry, sorry. I may not be able to answer my phone later tonight.] Min-kyung understood the message by looking at it in reverse order. She drew her conclusion quickly. Seungmuk must be coming back to the apartment tonight, so Se-ah wanted her to avoid coming home.

Reading back through the missed messages,
[I was only planning on having one drink to celebrate his birthday, but I think we will have a few more. Sorry!] The message included a screencap of a receipt for one night paid at M Hotel. [Just say my name, and they’ll give you the key; it’s paid for. I’m sorry, Min-kyung. Seungmuk will go home at dawn.] [Are you ok with it? It’s a luxury hotel.]

As Min-kyung started to write a reply, she saw the bright red letters on the receipt: ‘NO REFUNDS.’ Her legs felt weak and heavy from the drinks at dinner, so Min-kyung sat in a chair in the lobby and finished her reply.
[We finished and parted ways, everything went smoothly. I’ll come by in the morning quickly to change my clothes, around 6:30. Tomorrow, you can sleep in and go to work late, so have breakfast with Seungmuk. I will enjoy my night at the hotel, thank you.]

After sending the message, Min-kyung sank further into the chair and slowly looked around, observing everything in the lobby. The space didn’t feel typical for a hotel; there was no bustle of guests and bells ringing. The lobby was quiet and cozy, and even with its soaring ceilings, the wood interior seemed to absorb all the sound.

There was no common focal point throughout the space or even a giant feature lighting element; there were only a few large fixtures around the space, giving it an almost museum-like appearance. The remaining empty areas were lit with dim yellow lighting, which made the dark wood feel soft and comfortable. The majestic sculpture that hung from the ceiling to nearly the floor in the middle of the room gave the lobby a heavy but peaceful atmosphere. 

She couldn’t focus on too far-off distances since she didn’t have her glasses on. The plaster statue hung in the air and looked a bit hazy from where she sat. As she intensely looked at the piece, Min-kyung took a deep breath. The faint smell of wood permeated her body, and she suddenly felt tired.

Realizing her feelings, she thought more about it; she actually had felt quite tired lately and even a little lonely. Taking another deep breath, her tension relaxed and allowed the feeling of intoxication to embrace her. Min-kyung’s heart felt heavy, like a wet towel. Over the past few months, she had moved from position to position, leaving her body exhausted and her mind segmented. Closing her eyes, she remembered Tomorrow was Monday. She will have to go to work again.

Tomorrow will begin with putting on her act for Tae Yi-seop, before going to the office and then Songbaekjae. Thinking of him, anxiety and uneasiness started to fill her throat. Se-ah’s words about becoming a different person rang in her ears. Yes, it wasn’t so bad to spend a day as someone who wasn’t Kang Min-kyung. To be someone who relaxes at a luxury hotel instead of feeling petty and sensitive while being tormented by her boss. Thinking of it all, Min-kyung opened and closed her dizzying eyes.