Oppa, That Must Be A Mistake - Chapter 1

MARCH 31st,

The shop was filled with warm air. The air outside was bitterly cold, and the windows were fogged up.

It was the perfect weather to warm up with a glass of wine. It’s a magical season when you can go outside, take ten deep breaths, and come back inside when you feel a little tipsy.

What a beautiful day to have a drink with your best friends.

“For Bonbon Research, No, Datas Korea!”

Da-hee Cheon. Hye-joo’s college classmate and motivation for joining the company.

“Why are you talking about the company, I don’t work from Friday night to Sunday night.”

Kang Seung-won. Hye-Joo’s high school classmate and a friend who works in the development team at the same company.

The three of them, who had been separated for a total of ten years, clinked their glasses. Seung-won, who had just emptied his glass of soju into his head, gave Hye-joo a solemn look.

“Hye-Joo Oh. Don’t lay on the floor.”

“It’s only a hawk’s eye when you’re very drunk.”

Hye-Joo smirked and looked at the two of them.

Twenty-seven years old, full of energy, and deep pockets. Best of all, all three solo.

That’s why we meet every Friday for drinks. It’s been going on for about a year now, with the first meeting near the office, the second meeting at a skewer restaurant near Seung-won’s office, and the final meeting at Seung-won’s house.

“Seung-won, I’m so happy for you. Now that you’re the head of the company, the flower path will unfold.”

Da-hee smiled with a blush on her face. He was small in stature, slender enough to fit comfortably in one’s arms, and looked young enough to undergo an ID test from time to time.

“Flower paths are crazy. You don’t know my brother yet, and you’re gonna trip over a flower and fall flat on your face.”

“Why?”

“One must always tread carefully on the path of flowers…….”

Da-hee understood the contextless drunkenness instantly.

“Is Mr. Kang really that scary?”

” He’s a good brother.”

“You’re not a scary person, are you?”

“People can be nice……”

“You’re very scary.”

Da-hee’s eyebrows drooped.

Recently, Bonbon Research, the company the three of them work for, was merged with Datas. Datas, a giant data analytics platform headquartered in the United States, acquired Bonbon Research by absorbing 100 percent of its shares.

This meant that the company’s leadership team would be shuffled, and it was no secret to most employees that the head of the company was Seung-won’s brother, Kang Joo-won.

“By the way, shouldn’t you be moving out of this place? Our hideout, it was originally your brother’s house.”

Seung-won sighed heavily at Hye-joo’s question.

“It is, and it’s killing me.”

“Three days and three nights would not be enough to organize his house.”

“I know, even the thought of moving boxes makes me sick.”

“Well, we should probably start by organizing our stuff in the hideout.”

“What stuff? Isn’t there only sportswear anyway?”

“I forgot my lip balm. Last time I checked, there was a pair of Da-hee’s underwear lying around. What if is Mr. Kang coming in?”

The whole time she was sitting here, Hye-joo’s mind was focused on the ‘safe house’.

Kang Seung-won, Chun Da-hee, and Oh Hye-joo. The three of them coming and going as if they were eating.

It was an office building where Seung-won lived. It was a high-end residential office building with a great fitness center, so I borrowed a membership and started going in and out of it like it was my home.

It’s been more than a year since we gathered at the hideout every Friday night to eat and drink for two days and nights, aka pig camp. But it wasn’t just nostalgia that made her care so much about the place.

“Well, I’ll starts work next week, wouldn’t it be within until next week at the earliest? I don’t usually talk to my brother on the phone.”

“Okay. Uh, I need to use the restroom for a while.”

Hye-Joo excused herself and stood up.

The skewer restroom was outside. Zipping up her coat, she reached the restroom and began retouching up her makeup. She reapplied her lipstick and spritzed some dull perfume on the nape of her neck.

‘……It’s the big day.’

Hye Joo looked in the mirror and cleared her mind.

She was going to confess to Seungwon today. It was the first time she’d had a crush on someone since their freshman year of high school. She hadn’t been able to tell him that she liked him because it was so difficult.

I thought it was fate when I saw my young love again at work.

So today I have to tell him, I like him, and I’ve liked him for a long time.

“I like you, Seungwon.”

I said, steadying my voice and repeating the words. I’d practiced it so many times, afraid my lips would freeze when I was alone with him.

What business has more to lose than confessing to an old friend? Today was the day I picked and chose, fearing that if I opened up, I might lose one of my dearest friends.

‘It’s April Fool’s Day in just an hour.’

Her trembling eyes reflected the hands of her wristwatch.

On my way to the fitness center this morning, I stopped by the flight attendant’s room. I felt like I was in a spy movie as I straightened the haphazardly curled comforter and dropped off my gift.

The plan was perfect. At 12:00 a.m., a Gundam would pop out of the gift box on the bed, followed by a confession song from the audio on its chest piece. At the end of the song, I would pop up and confess.

“I like you, Seungwon .”

those words I’ve practiced dozens of times.

What expression would Seung-won make? Probably surprised. Most likely, he’ll be dumbfounded, and make fun of me for drinking so much and think that I’m talking nonsense.

I have an April Fool’s Day escape hatch in case the worst happens, but I hope it doesn’t. For today, I’m hoping he’ll at least take the time to consider the effort I’ve put into this and the fact that I’ve equipped the model with audio.

‘You only have one chance today, Oh Hye-joo, let’s go, fighting!’

Hye-Joo checked her wristwatch, which read 11:05, and left the bathroom.

“When should I tell Hye-Joo?”

I had just come up the stairs when I heard Da-hee’s voice. Hye-Joo felt her heart ache tightly in her chest. Normally, she would have screamed, ‘You two are keeping a secret from me!’ but for some reason, she couldn’t.

It was an ominous hunch.

“I can’t wait to talk about us being together.”

…… What are you talking about, it’s not April Fool’s Day yet?

“Well. Don’t you think we should give it some time?”

That’s what I thought until I heard Seung-won, who was sitting across from Da-hee, responding in a low voice.

“The way she’s been acting lately, Hye-Joo seem to have a crush on you. She’s asked me a few times to help her pick out a gift for you. I think it would be fun to go on a double date now that we’re out in the open. Can’t we just talk about it?”

“We’ll see in a few days.”

“Why, I don’t want to keep a secret from Hye-joo.”

……aah. I peeked my head out from behind the corner and saw Da-hee leaning on Seung-won’s arm.

Her round eyes were full of love and her full lips glistened with happiness. The look in her eyes as he looked down at her was so sweet, she didn’t have to ask if it was real.

‘You two like each other, you’ve been looking at each other like that, and I didn’t even realize it…….’

My thumping heart sank.

My two favorite friends in the world were in love with each other. *

“Ha, ha, ha.”

I don’t know what I was thinking when I ran all the way back to the hideout. It was a ten-minute walk from the skewer shop to the hideout, and I ran the entire distance at full speed.

I didn’t realize that my heels were bleeding, and that the tears from my eyes were wetting my cheeks. The first thing that came to my mind when I heard their story was the gift I left on Seung-won’s bed.

‘First, I need to get the gift.’

It was a gift with a long heart. [Dear Seung-won, Hye-joo.] A post-it note carefully stuck to the box and a confessional song set to play at 12 o’clock.

I knew I’d look ridiculous if I got caught.

Two of my best friends are dating and I’m the only one who didn’t know.

I didn’t even know she were dating Seung-won, and I talked to her about my problems. I’m so glad I didn’t tell her that my crush was Seung-won.

Tears filled her eyes, but she had nothing to steal. Hye-joo punched in the familiar password and entered Seung-won’s office. The gift she’d left him in the morning was still on his bed. Just like her, shabby and lonely.

“Whoa, I didn’t get caught yet.”

A long unrequited love that has never been shown before. The current situation of sweeping one’s heart at something that has not been caught is really pitiful.

‘still…… I’m glad I found out before I confessed.’

Hye-Joo consoled herself and kept the gift. As she trudged across the messy floor to the front door, where she hadn’t cleaned up the bottle of alcohol she’d consumed yesterday, she felt a sudden sense of déjà vu.

‘Now that I think about it, did I leave the light on? Why does it feel like it was always on…….’

It was a moment when I realized that I had left the light on unexpectedly and started walking again.

Click, the bathroom door opened.

“Mom!”

Hye-joo, startled, instantly lost strength in her legs. Thump thump, her heart thumped like it was beating outside her body.

‘What, what is this?’

The approaching steps stopped right in front of me.

“Hey, stray cat.”

“!”

Steam rushed in, accompanied by the fresh scent of body wash. Through the sliver of light, I could see my wet bare feet. Tightly toned ankles and calves, a pure white shower robe draped over her knees.

And…… a huge, flesh-colored silhouette.

“Who are you?”

A low, slightly husky voice.

I stiffen at the sound of the voice, the one I can’t forget until I try to forget.

“Mr. Kang Joo-won……?”

“More like, Mr. I didn’t think you’d be the first face I saw after coming to Korea.”

He was an uncomfortable man who, for this moment, I wished I didn’t know.

“Hye-Ji Oh. Long time no see?”

He was so confident that he forgets he’s called me by the wrong name. I don’t even know where to put my eyes in front of a burly man wearing nothing but a shower robe, much less why he’s in this house.

“Why are you here?”

I stammered, and he sneered at me.

“I think that’s for you to say. Why are you in my house?”

I forgot for a moment. This is Kang Joo-won’s house.

When Joo-won went to study abroad in the United States, she said that she gave this house to Seung-won. A few hours ago, I had told him that I had to empty the hideout, but when I did, he acted like a bad boy in front of the landlord. Hye-joo hurriedly made up her excuses.

“Oh, right. There’s something I forgot, and it’s a little complicated to tell you all about it, but I think you can ask Seung-won, You’re a little…… too naked right now.”

Hye-Joo fumbled on the floor, trying to pick up the gift she’d dropped earlier. When she found it, she quickly hid it behind her back and stood up, not wanting to be seen.

“Well, I’ve got my things, then, so I’ll leave you to it.”

I bowed and turned away.

“Stop moving.”

The Grim Reaper’s voice rang in my ears. Hye-Joo’s shoulders shook.

Slowly, slowly.

With each step he took, she felt her life drain away like a battery.

“I don’t care how many times you’ve been in and out of my house while I’m gone, I don’t care if you’re not even my landlord, I don’t care if you have a password.”

If you don’t care, why don’t you just let me go?

“But wouldn’t it be different if it was your panties in my hand?”

“What’s with the underwear…….”

I reflexively grabbed them and felt a piece of fabric on my fingertips, an extra layer of gift wrap.

“The panties I were wearing too.”

“!”

For some reason, the wrapping paper felt unusually soft.

I’ve opened a nether path.