Youngsoo wore his bathrobe to cover his naked body and wiped the hot water on his hair. He slid his feet in pink slippers with bunny designs and went out of the shower. The loud laughter of the girls caught his attention. Mee Yoon and Sun Hee were playing a card game in their PJs in the living room.
"Hey, do you know what time is it? Go to bed," he said.
"You sound like Dad. Such a killjoy," Mee Yoon said.
"It's Friday, Youngsoo," Sun Hee added.
Youngsoo placed his hands on his waist, suppressing to show irritation on his face.
"Look here, ladies. You should have a beauty rest instead of playing some stupid games."
Mee Yoon glanced at him. "You're just jealous because you don't have a break. You don't know how to have fun at that age."
"At this age?" Youngsoo raised his voice. The girls looked at each other with a smile.
"They called this adulting if you are not familiar with it. It means prioritizing what's more important. I know my responsibilities and I don't have time to act like a kid. A huge case is in my hands for Pete's sake." His hands went to and fro like a professor lecturing his class.
Mee Yoon watched him move back and forth with a bored look on her face. "Oppa, your hair will turn white earlier than you expected. If you have nothing else to say, go ahead and leave us alone. You are ruining our ritual."
Youngsoo blinked a few times and turned his back as he murmured, "They are telling me what to do in my own house. I can't believe it."
The girls focused on their game while Youngsoo threw himself onto the soft bed. As he stared at the white ceiling, he realized that he's been working his ass off and the girls were right. He doesn't know how to have fun because he was in a serious mode most of the time.
The court is the only playground he knows. It is a game he cannot quit when he loses. There is no restart button, and every trial falls between guilty or not guilty. It is where a murderer becomes the victim, and the innocent go to jail if he makes a single mistake.
It was 9:00 in the evening when Youngsoo stood in front of them. The girls scanned him from head to foot in his white pajama with patterns of red hearts. His eyes were unsettling, uncertain if he took the right path.
"What are you doing?"
"What are you wearing?"
The girls had different questions, but he wasn't prepared for interrogation. Youngsoo bowed his head. "I can't sleep. You are so noisy. Mind if I join you?"
The girls were unmoved, waiting for another response from him. "Oh, and this. One of my flings gave me this PJ. I'm a keeper, you know. Remembrance."
Mee Yoon narrowed her eyes and thought, "Liar." In reality, their mother brought the PJ on his 30th birthday.
Youngsoo squatted on the floor beside them. "So what are we playing?"
"The card game is over. Let's spin the bottle. When the cap points at you, you have to choose between a shot or truth," Sun Hee said while shaking a bottle of soju.
"Are we teenagers?" Youngsoo asked with skepticism.
Mee Yoonglared at him. "Fine. Fine."
"This is classic," Sun Hee said.
"This is what you play after watching lots of Kdramas," he said.
"How do you know? You watch them too, don't you?" Sun Hee lifted her brows up and down.
Mee Yoon spun the bottle, and it pointed to Sun Hee.
"Truth or soju?" Mee Yoon asked.
"Can you ask me the question first before I decide about that?"
"No. That's cheating," Youngsoo said.
"Okay. Ask me. I'm not afraid to confess anything," she replied.
"Then I'll ask first." Youngsoo folded his arms.
"Hey, since when did you get curious about me?" Sun Hee said as she swallowed. Youngsoo stretched his arms, crackled his fingers, and flexed his neck like preparing for an intense fight.
"Cha Sun Hee..."
The way he uttered her name was whimsical, and it made her nervous to the core.
"Why... do you want me to become your sperm donor?"
At that moment, she knew she fucked up.
"What? What are you talking about?"
Because of her agitation, she unconsciously opened a bottle of soju and drank one glass.
"Are you playing dumb? Or you want me to elaborate on it from the start?"
"Don't underestimate this guy. His asset is his sharp memory," Mee Yoon whispered in her ears.
"On the 13th day of March at 9:33 am, Mee Yoon ran away and didn't finish her book signing event. At 10:01 am, we stood under the frosty trees in Seoul Forest. And out of nowhere, you said, will you be my sperm donor?" Youngsoo mimicked her voice.
Mee Yoon clapped her hands in slow motion, "I told you, you cannot escape from his accurate evocation."
"You heard it wrong. I asked you if you have a donation this spring," Sun Hee defended.
"What donation?" he asked.
"Will you be my spring donor? That was my exact line. I heard you donate money to a hospital every spring and they call it Spring Donation."
Youngsoo scrutinized her facial expression. "Are you saying I have a hearing problem? You were so close to me that time that I could hear you breathe."
Mee Yoon tapped his shoulder and said, "Don't scare her. Just pretend you believe her. Look how pale she is."
"Alright. You sound convincing."
"Hey, how dare you?" Sun Hee said and frowned while looking at Mee Yoon.
Youngsoo spun the bottle, and it pointed to Mee Yoon.
"Alright, little sis. Let me ask you a question."
Mee Yoon grabbed the glass of soju and was about to drink it but Youngsoo caught her wrist.
"Put it down. You are not drinking tonight," he said in a firm tone.
Mee Yoon was unfazed. "You have no right to stop me. I'm not telling the truth, so let me drink this."
"I guess you know what I'm about to ask you."
Her hand shook as Youngsoo tightened his grip on her wrist.
"Let go of me," Mee Yoon said.
"I'm serious right now, Seo Mee Yoon."
"That's enough. You are hurting her," Sun Hee said.
"Stay out of this, Sun Hee. No one can fool me twice."
Mee Yoon was teary-eyed. "Fine, then. Spill it."
Youngsoo let go of her and drank the glass of soju. "What is your relationship with Yang Hajoon? I don't accept 'just friends' as an answer. I know when a person is a friend to you."
"Wait. Yang Hajoon? The actor Yang Hajoon? What's going on, Mee Yoon? Why am I the only one who knows nothing?"
Mee Yoon sighed.
"Why is it a big deal to you, Oppa?"
"I have all the right to know the people around you, especially that you are in danger. This is also about the case. Anything you say will help me connect the dots and find the culprit if you want to save Daewon."
Mee Yoon's lip quivered. "He... likes me. It's a long story. We knew each other before he became a celebrity."
"Do you like him?"
"No."
Sun Hee held Mee Yoon's hands. "Mee Yoon, introduce me to him. We might have a chance," she said with shimmering eyes.
"He played the role of Dong-sun, right? The one you like the most," Youngsoo said.
"Yes! And they look exactly the same! You must save me from single blessedness, Mee Yoon. He is my only hope," Sun Hee said in a dramatic tone.
Mee Yoon forced a smile. "Alright. I'll set you up on a date with him. But don't expect too much. He might decline. You know he's busy."
Sun Hee nodded and hugged her. "Omo! You're the best!"