Love is better than pain
5. Just before meeting, a close yet distant distance
That night.
Under the quiet lighting of the room, Myeongho stared intently at the note in his hand. A name and number were written clearly on the thin paper.
Kang Si-yeon.
It felt like I could feel her touch.
He slowly unfolded the note and picked up his cell phone.
I saved the contact. But that was it.
I didn't send any messages. I typed them, then erased them, then erased them again. I just stared at them.
That was the distance that best suited my current feelings.
(Woof- wow-)
The phone rang at that moment.
디에잇(명호)
“Yes, Manager.”
전화
"Myungho, I have a meeting tomorrow morning. It's a quick meeting about the group concept and a new song demo. Everyone is supposed to be at the office by 11 AM, so you have to be there too."
디에잇(명호)
"Yes, I understand."
After the call ended, Myeongho put down his phone and looked out the window. A hazy starlight hung over the sleeping city.
And somewhere in between, I pictured her starting another day.
Next day – 9:00 AM
Yongsan, Seoul. In front of the massive Hive headquarters building.
Siyeon gripped her bag strap tightly and stepped into the building. Today was her first day at work.
I was officially hired at Pledis Entertainment and my affiliation is with the general project team.
As there was a lot of field work to do, I was scheduled to get straight to work today.
강시연
“Hello! I’m Kang Si-yeon, a new employee!”
The one who greeted Siyeon with a nervous voice was Senior Deputy Kang Joo-ah.
강주아
"Oh, yes. Siyeon, there's a Seventeen concept meeting this morning. Just observe for now. The members will be there, and each team will be there, so you'll be able to get a general idea of the overall flow."
강시연
"...yes!"
Siyeon, who had received the materials, took a deep breath. Suddenly, she lowered her head and opened the file in her hand.
‘…Seventeen…’
I wasn't particularly interested in idols, but I was familiar with their names.
She carefully flipped through the pages, scanning the images. Her hand stopped on one page.
THE8
His profile picture. A neat face, mysterious eyes, and a strangely familiar aura.
Siyeon tilted her head.
강시연
“…Something… I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere…”
For a moment, the face of the man who had saved her in Beijing came to mind.
강시연
"Ah... no way..."
I shook my head and smiled. That couldn't be right.
He was just Seo Myeong-ho, whom I met by chance.
And… he wasn't a celebrity. Probably.
She tried to focus again, but the face kept coming back to her, and she absentmindedly pulled out her phone.
[No connection]
It was obvious. But somehow, a corner of my heart felt empty.
강시연
‘I’m not waiting… why am I like this…’
She quietly turned off the screen and took a deep breath.
11:00 AM,
SEVENTEEN's second-quarter concept meeting began quietly in the Hive conference room. The members took their seats one by one around a large table.
Myungho, wearing his hat pulled down low, sat inside the conference room.
His face was not visible because of his hat and mask, and he did not pay much attention to those around him.
Just as always— I just had to focus on the meeting.
Opposite side, corner of the table.
Kang Si-yeon, a new employee with a laptop in front of her, was diligently taking notes of the meeting's rapidly unfolding agenda.
Her first day at work, her first task, her first meeting. Everything felt unfamiliar and rushed, but she tried to focus.
As the meeting was getting underway, Project Manager Kang Joo-ah spoke.
강주아
"Siyeon, please organize the concept you just mentioned. It could be included in the fix."
강시연
"yes.!"
Siyeon answered in a bright voice, a little nervously.
That short word. But that name...
In an instant, he grabbed someone in the conference room.
디에잇(명호)
'...preview?'
Myungho's eyes, which had been staring at the beam projector, slowly turned to the other side.
Instead of a screen— a woman's profile, her eyes fixed on her laptop. Short answers, cautious movements, tense posture.
디에잇(명호)
'Really...?'
Myeongho swallowed his breath. An unbelievable coincidence.
That Kang Si-yeon I met in China.
She was sitting here… in the Seventeen conference room at that.
But he tried to act as if nothing had happened, turned his head again, and looked at the screen.
디에잇(명호)
'...No, what does it matter? I'm an employee...'
My mind became complicated and tangled.
I felt like I might have misunderstood for no reason, and I was also nervous about what would happen if they recognized me.
But Siyeon seemed completely oblivious to the demonstration, continuing to immerse herself in her laptop and take notes.
디에잇(명호)
'I didn't know... I guess that's a good thing...'
But it was difficult to concentrate. Myungho's gaze kept drifting towards her.
도겸(석민)
"Huh? Are you new here?"
When given a brief break, Dokyeom spoke to Siyeon naturally.
강시연
“Ah… yes. I started work today.”
Siyeon smiled shyly and replied, "Please take care of me."
Dokyeom smiled brightly, and the atmosphere became even more relaxed. Meanwhile, Myungho quietly lowered his gaze.
I pretended to focus on the meeting, but my mind was full of demonstrations.
디에잇(명호)
‘To think we’ll meet again here…’
If there's such a thing as destiny, this was definitely one of them.