episode_0075

After letting Sooyeon take care of my face for about 20 minutes, I couldn’t help but exclaim when I saw my reflection in the mirror.

“Wow….”

Of course, our family has good genes, especially on the female side, with my mom, Sooyeon, and Dayoung all being beautiful. But seeing myself all dolled up like this, it felt like a whole different level.

“I can’t even call myself ‘oppa’ anymore. Wow… I did it, but it really turned out well.”

These days, I often do my makeup following Sooyeon’s tips, but the results clearly showed the difference between an amateur like me and a professional.

Stepping out of my usual innocent and warm impression, I saw a woman in the mirror who looked a bit cold, with a chic style that was different from my usual self.

“Your indecisive style really shows on your face. Since the occasion calls for it, I intentionally went for a stronger look, and it suits you well.”

“Hey, don’t overdo it.”

It wasn’t heavy makeup or anything, but it definitely felt too different from my usual self, causing a sense of unfamiliarity.

“Well, how do I look? It’s a special occasion, so let’s go a bit bold today. Stop nitpicking. It’s annoying. Show a bit of attitude.”

And now that I had to go out in this transformed look among people other than my family for the first time, I felt a bit nervous about how those who knew me before would react.

If Sooyeon stands out so much like this, it might be hard to approach her. But…

“Hey, looking like this, anyone would think you’re a college student in their 20s or a young professional. Would that suit you overall?”

Even though I’m in my 30s, it’s the end. Among my old classmates who are starting to show wrinkles on their faces, I felt like this look wouldn’t fit well.

“Well, naturally.”

Nodding along with Sooyeon’s opinion, I sighed deeply and tilted my head.

“Ugh. Yeah. Since it’s already like this, maybe standing out a bit might be better after all….”

As I continued to look at myself in the mirror, I started to think that maybe following Sooyeon’s advice might be a good idea. Am I being brainwashed?

Anyway, I was dragged to the living room and, as usual, Sooyeon let down her hair and straightened out the curly strands. After curling her hair with a curling iron, she looked like a model beyond compare.

As I went to get my bag before heading out, Dayoung and Davin, who were in the middle of a conversation in the room, turned to look at me with wide eyes, amazed.

“Mom?”

“Mom, what’s this? Wow, you look really pretty! Did Auntie do this for you?”

Of course, I wouldn’t be able to achieve this level of styling on my own, so Dayoung immediately recognized that Sooyeon did it. Davin just stuttered and couldn’t say anything, only following my gaze.

“Oh, isn’t it strange?”

“Of course not! If you just go to Hongdae or Itaewon like this, dozens of guys will be hitting on you.”

Dayoung continued to praise my appearance and outfit in an excited state.

“Well then, I’ll be off now. I might come back late, or maybe even in the morning…”

“No!”

Dayoung interrupted me with a loud voice.

“It’s fine if you come back late, but you can’t stay out all night. There will be a lot of guys there, right? If they see you like this, they might develop bad intentions, so absolutely not!”

“Ugh~ They’re almost a married couple and have been friends for over 20 years, what could possibly go wrong?”

At that moment, Dabin spoke firmly, her expression hardening.

“Mom, I always say accidents happen when you least expect them. So please, be careful…”

“Ah, fine, fine. Since you’re parents now, huh?”

Even though it felt like the roles had reversed, I decided to leave before I had to listen to any more nagging. After saying my goodbyes, I left the room. And as I entered the living room to say goodbye.

“Oh my, who’s this beauty?”

My father, looking surprised like our kids, widened his eyes, while my mother, laughing and saying I looked so pretty, felt like she had gained a new daughter.

“Anyway, I’ll be back soon. Don’t wait up for me, just go to sleep.”

As I said that, my mother chuckled and teasingly said, “Even though you’re 39 years old, why should we care about what you do outside? Haha.”

“Ugh, that’s not it. This person… well, she’s not a girl anymore. Anyway, have fun and come back soon.”

I don’t know why, but hearing my father say that felt refreshing. Even when I once ran away with friends for a couple of days in high school, when I came back home…

“Oh, you’re back. Wasn’t anything special outside?”

He said dismissively.

My mother, finding my father’s attitude very strange, laughed even louder than before and teased him, making my father blush and get flustered.

“Oh, are you teasing me! Parents can worry about their children too!”

“Haha, why not. You’re happy because you have another daughter in your old age, right?”

“Alright, enough!”

And he turned his back on my mother and sat down. Then he said, “Ah, anyway, be careful and come back safely.”

And without realizing it, I let out a small chuckle.

“Yes, father. I’ll be back safely.”

With that, I left the living room and opened the front door, just as a taxi pulled up in front of the house.

I got into the taxi, told the driver my destination, and after about 30 minutes, we arrived in the city center.

I checked the location once again on my phone and cautiously made my way forward.

And I arrived at a bar in the city center. It seemed to be a cafe as well, with a roastery behind the front counter. The menu also seemed to have coffee.

The aroma of coffee was delightful, and the atmosphere with a view of the river in front was pleasant.

-You’ve got a friend in me.

You’ve got a friend in me.

You got troubles, I’ve got ’em too.

There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.

Suddenly, a familiar melody and lyrics rang in my ears. It was the pop song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from ‘Toy Story’.

I had enjoyed watching the animation when I was younger, and I often listened to the OST because I liked it.

The nostalgia from the song selection alone made me feel like I was really at a reunion.

As I wandered around the bar, the bartender approached me and asked, “Welcome. Are you looking for someone?”

“Ah, is there a table reserved for a reunion here today?”

The bartender nodded slightly and guided me to the table.

“Here it is.”

After showing me to the table, the bartender returned to the front counter.

There were four 2-person tables attached together, making space for 16 people in total.

Even though I had arrived 10 minutes early, there were already three people sitting at the tables.

Since it was a reunion, not everyone knew each other, and it could be awkward with unfamiliar faces, but luckily I recognized someone and greeted them warmly.

“Chulsoo, you’re here early?”

Saying that, I took a seat across from him and looked at him. He was a dandy man with a Hollywood-style beard, and his upper body looked solid enough to rival my trainer, Youngsoo.

He blinked his eyes and stared at me, frozen for a moment before asking in a shocked tone, “D-Do Hyun?”

“Yeah. Oh, this look is new.”

Due to the drastic change in makeup, there was a clear difference from the photo I had sent him before, making it almost unrecognizable at first glance.

“Oh, sh*t! What’s going on here?”

His exaggerated reaction caught the attention of two former classmates at another table, who turned their heads in our direction with wide eyes, surprised.

I thought I had gotten used to it, but revealing this changed appearance in front of people I knew felt very different.

“Could you stop staring at me like that? It’s embarrassing.”

The overly blatant gaze made me involuntarily avoid eye contact and scratch my cheek nervously.

“Do I look unrecognizable? Wow…I thought a celebrity had entered over there, hey.”

“A celebrity? Come on. How’s business these days?”

One of my drinking buddies, Kim Cheolsu, was a small bar owner in Seoul. Well, he was technically a small business owner, not a big shot.

He had always been interested in alcohol and entertainment since he was young, and after suddenly quitting his well-paying job in his thirties, he started working at a bar. After five years as a bartender, he managed to open his own bar. Although he had a hard time during the first four years of starting his business, he managed to survive, and now it seemed like his sales were recovering.

He often called me for advice because of that. Thanks to him, I got a lot of free drinks at his bar, but anyway, he managed to overcome tough times through his efforts, and now it seemed like his sales were recovering.

You might think that a typical bar would have a female bartender who chats and laughs with customers, but his bar was located in a densely populated office area. In other words, most of his customers were office workers or white-collar workers.

Therefore, it wasn’t the modern bar that people commonly think of, but rather a style of bar known as an authentic or classic bar.

“Still, it’s good to hear that things are getting better. You know it’s because of my advice, right?”

“Haha, yeah. Come visit next time. No, come often. I’ll even give you free drinks. If you become a regular, my sales will definitely increase.”

Cheolsu joked, and I waved my hand, brushing off his banter.

“Oh, Cheolsu, you’re here early. Oh, who’s this? I’ve never seen him before?”

At that moment, a man approached our table…no, Cheolsu, with a playful voice.