VOLUME 11
Kang Dan-i, age 37,
How many times I have kissed a guy before? Countless times.
That little peck on the lips?
That was like a headbutt between two people's lips.
Why am I embarrassed and bothered by that stupid headbutt?
I'm old enough to know better.
So I should be mature about it. It was nothing.
I mean, I'm older than him. I'll be mature about it.
It was just like a headbutt. His lips hit mine like this.
It was just like this.
Thanks.
Friend, it sounds like last night was quite eventful for you.
No, it's not--
I envy you. A guy kissed you?
It wasn't a kiss. It was just a little...
It was nothing more than his lips gently touching mine like this.
That's huge.
I can't even remember when I last had a guy within this radius.
If it happens again, I won't let the guy go.
Is he younger than you?
I overheard you saying you're older than him.
He's just a friend of mine who's like a brother to me.
So, he is younger than you.
Gosh, I envy you so much.
A guy who's younger than you kissed you.
God, I'm so jealous!
Good for you, seriously.
She didn't hear it, right?
I'm sure she didn't.
Friend, you're hoping for something impossible to happen.
She obviously heard it all.
Oh, my.
Hello! Good morning, everyone.
-Hello. -Hello, Mr. Cha. Hi, Hoon.
I have big news. Dan-i on the task support team
kissed a guy last night.
Apparently, he's a friend of hers who's younger than her.
How did you find out?
She kept telling herself this over and over in the ladies' room.
"It was nothing. I should be mature about it." I heard it.
She sure keeps up with the latest trends, don't you think?
It's trendy for women to date younger men these days.
Why did you skip breakfast?
It's none of your business. Why do you care?
It breaks my heart to see the woman I love skip meals.
Don't get cheeky with me.
I only let it slide because I was out of it yesterday.
Why were you out of it? Was it that nice?
Do you have a death wish?
Dan-i!
Dan-i, why aren't you answering?
Yes, Mr. Cha.
About last night...
I thought it was nice.
Please tidy up.
This is nuts!
Gosh, what the heck.
Come in.
Mr. Kim.
I figured you'd want an update on the contract with Giorgio Bertossi.
I tried booking a meeting with him through his agency,
but they're taking excruciatingly long to get back to me.
This agency screwed us over three years ago.
Exactly. That's why I pulled some strings to find out what we can do,
and I found out that he's actually visiting Korea this week.
He'll be staying for a week.
I reached out to him through his personal social media account,
and he was surprised that I knew about his trip.
I mean, even I am surprised by my own abilities from time to time.
Anyway, I was able to schedule a meeting with him right away.
-Mr. Kim. -Yes?
That's great.
I was really hoping we could sign him this time.
By the way,
you should fix your button.
-My button? -Not there. Here.
You're right.
You were listening, right?
Yes, of course. You never let me down, Ms. Go.
Come in.
-Ms. Go, you're here too. -What brings you here?
Well, it's about The Universe of Yours.
I wrote a written apology in regard to the sticker incident.
APOLOGY LETTER NAME: OH JI-YUL
Apology letter, name Oh Ji-yul.
Junior editor in Content Development Department.
I joined this company without thinking.
I had no choice since it was the only job offer I got.
This sounds
so informal.
I'm baffled. I'm utterly speechless.
I rarely read books.
To be honest, when I got the call offering me the job,
I thought it'd be boring.
And even now, I can't say it's fun. Work is work after all, right?
The pay is low, and the employee welfare program is mediocre,
but there's so much work.
I shouldn't have hired anyone based solely on their academic background.
That girl still has a long way to go.
There's more.
My direct supervisor, Ms. Song, didn't seem like she wanted to train me,
and I wanted to quit every single day.
Then something happened.
I was told to follow the Five W's guideline, so I'll try.
One day, Ms. Song
asked me to work on the author bio for The Universe of Yours.
She's an editor, and yet she doesn't know the Five W's?
I omitted the word, "physicist," by mistake.
Frankly, it wasn't even obvious, so I thought it'd be okay.
However, it was not okay.
My seniors, including Ms. Song, have worked hard
for over a year for The Universe of Yours to come into the world,
but we had to put stickers on it due to my mistake,
which significantly diminished its value.
I think many people's work went down the drain because of me, so I feel bad.
I've decided to really focus on my work from now on.
I totally hope to learn a lot from my seniors.
I'm ready to learn.
I wrote it from the bottom of my heart,
so please forgive me.
I hope to become a more helpful addition to the team.
I'll do my very best.
All right, we heard you. Come here, Ji-yul.
-This is good, but... -Yes.
A space is needed here.
And these words are unnecessary.
Words like these aren't appropriate for formal letters, okay?
-Got it. -Good.
Also, the entire letter sounds so informal.
We should fire Ji-yul instead of wasting time on training her.
-Were you always good at your job? -Don't compare me to her.
Don't just scold her.
You need to train her as her supervisor.
We hired her, so we should train her.
Use the carrot and stick approach. Compliment her once in a while.
Give her a pat on the back and treat her to a meal occasionally.
That's why...
I started to have a crush on you.
Come here.
Hae-rin.
Look at this, seriously.
Why are you so sweet to me all the time?
I'd rather get smacked--
It's done. Stop being such a crybaby.
If you keep this up, we can't even be friends anymore.
Don't date anyone else.
It's none of your business.
You promised me
that you'd wait until I deal with my feelings.
It'll take a long time for me to get over you.
Dan-i, this is Mr. Ji Seo-jun's signed contract.
Send this over to the Business Support Team after you make a copy for us to keep.
Sure, no problem.
NAME: JI SEO-JUN DATE OF BIRTH: 910423
What?
Seo-jun's birthday is April 23?
Then by any chance,
did you read April 23 by Kang Byeong-jun?
-Yes, it's a famous novel. -Then what about this?
The secret behind the title
of the novel, April 23.
INGREDIENTS FOR SPAGHETTI
TOMATOES, MUSHROOMS, ONIONS, TOMATO SAUCE, SPAGHETTI, BACON
Great.
Hang on.
For tomorrow's dinner... I'll make tteokbokki.
INGREDIENTS FOR TTEOKBOKKI
RICE CAKES, RED PEPPER PASTE, SOY SAUCE GREEN ONION
I'm sure we have red pepper paste at home.
As for the attendees' gifts, I thought notebooks might be a bit too expensive
so I looked into bookmarks, instead.
That's a good idea.
What do you think of these bookmarks? These are made with pressed flowers.
-Wow, these are nice. -Aren't they cute?
Even I want one.
EUN-HO
I'm making pasta. You'd better come home soon.
DAN-I
It's Friday so your sister is out on a date.
I'm sick of hearing that word, "sister."
She met up with Ji Seo-jun again?
And about the café where the reading event will take place...
How about we decorate the wall with mini light bulbs?
I like that idea.
Hey, shall we order some snacks?
I'd love that.
-Great idea. -Let's order something.
-Wait. -Bring the menu. It's over there, right?
-Take your pick. -What shall we order?
What should we get?
-This jokbal looks so good. -Let's order it.
Shall we?
Ms. Go, we're ordering snacks. Would you like some too?
No, thanks. I'm going to wrap up and go home.
Okay.
Why did you even ask her?
She's going home.
Good for him.
He has two daughters.
-Who ordered jokbal? -Over here.
-It's on me. -No, it's okay. I'll get it.
You can put it over here. Right here, yes.
-One large serving of jokbal, right? -Yes.
I can assure you that it'll taste divine.
My wife makes it from scratch.
Most restaurants sell premade ones.
They never taste great.
-Were you married? -No.
I only got to take photos.
The day was set, but someone ran off.
-That bastard? -No, me.
88 LATE-NIGHT SNACKS
Look. It even looks more delicious, right?
It's your first time ordering from us, isn't it?
Try this
and order again with your co-workers.
I'll give you more jokbals than others.
I'll pay for it.
-You accept credit cards, right? -Sure thing.
All right.
Thank you. You should visit our restaurant as well.
Right around the corner
by the sandwich shop at the intersection, you'll see a small restaurant...
That guy...
Would he be married?
I still wonder that from time to time.
Sometimes,
I get a feeling that I might run into him on the street.
If I do run into him,
then I'll really believe that we're meant to be.
Ms. Go, your credit card.
Right. Thanks, Dan-i.
-Enjoy. -Thank you.
He is that guy, right?
He's the guy, isn't he?
I don't know who you're talking about.
I don't know that man.
Thank you, Ms. Go.
We'll enjoy the food and work hard.
All right.
It's him.
He's totally that guy. You know that he is.
My gosh.
GYEOROO PUBLISHING
88 LATE-NIGHT SNACKS
Yu-seon.
It's been such a long time. How have you been doing?
Can't you tell?
Right, you're still stylish and beautiful.
What about the brokerage firm?
Did you quit that job?
Yes, it wasn't for me.
I wasn't getting promoted.
I ran a store somewhere else before, but it went bust.
I just got back on my feet.
So, are you married?
Yes.
I am.
I see.
I was worried that you'd still be single.
What about kids? Do you have kids?
I already have three kids.
They're all boys.
Visit my restaurant sometime.
I always wondered how you'd be doing.
I'm happy to see you doing so well.
I'll be off, then.
I shouldn't have said anything.
Right, you shouldn't have.
Don't you remember what she said that day?
She told us that, if she met him again, she'd think they were meant to be.
That means she still has feelings for him.
It's called regret. I mean, she called off the wedding.
On days like this,
she'll need some consolation.
I wonder if she has any friends to turn to at times like this.
You're making it sound even sadder.
Should we go? How about we go over to her place with this?
-She won't even let us in. -You think so?
Let's eat first. I'm hungry.
That's how life is.
AHN JEONG-HUN GO YU-SEON
I hoped you'd be doing well.
Why did you have to show up like that?
JI SEO-JUN
What's up? It's Saturday.
It looks like I'll have to work all weekend.
I am spring-cleaning my place today.
Don't avoid him, Dan-i.
I'll go open Eun-ho's door
and say my piece like a real big sister.
I'm not attracted to you at all, Eun-ho.
I don't see you as a man.
Get lost, will you?
I do not see you as a man.
Gosh, what am I going to say?
Dan-i.
Did she step out?
What are you doing there?
Come on. Let's clean the house.
Eun-ho, I don't even see you as a man.
I'm not attracted to you at all.
I do not see you as a man.
Don't only vacuum areas that you can see.
We have to clean every nook and cranny.
Oh, my. You're so strong, my Dan-i.
You lifted the couch by yourself.
Go bring the fridge too, my Dan-i.
How dare you! Who said you could call me that?
Quit calling me that.
Then what? Should I call the woman I love "Ma'am"?
Why you little...
I'm stronger than you. I've been letting you hit me,
but how about you sweeten up a little now, my Dan-i?
That didn't hurt. It didn't hurt at all. That just felt like cotton candy.
Finish up here and go clean the bathroom.
Say, "Eun-ho, please clean the bathroom."
Then I'll clean the kitchen as well as the bathroom.
You haven't been beaten enough, have you?
It doesn't hurt. Not at all.
That didn't hurt at all.
What about this?
You shouldn't have acted up like that.
Why do I like you even when you hit me?
I can see myself in your eyes.
Your face is beet red now.
That's because I'm happy.
I'm not blushing. I'm happy.
Apply the Band-Aid yourself.
He can see himself in my eyes?
He's crazy.
Gosh, why do I keep blushing?
I'm becoming just like him.
Come on, Dan-i. Hold yourself together.
I don't think of you as a man, Eun-ho.
Give me that.
Watch what a man can do.
Look at how I wash this pot. You have to put your back into it
Do you see this? Look at my veins.
I have muscles too. Do you want to touch my biceps?
Aren't I manly?
-Try harder. -Put more strength into it.
This is burnt.
What did you do with Seo-jun last night?
I know I told you that you can date him
and that you don't have to care about me.
Now I'm just talking to myself.
But I'm sure you can't help but be bothered.
You were bothered even when I told you not to be.
Hey, you should go and clean the bathroom.
No.
Go. I said, go. Go to the bathroom.
You're too weak to push me away.
Gosh, you're so cute, Dan-i.
Stop being cute. You make me want to kiss you again.
Are you going to keep this up?
I'll go clean the bathroom.
I was going to.
Gosh, Dan-i is so cute.
She's cute when she hits me.
She's cute when she glares at me.
KANG DAN-I
And she's cute when she swears.
Everything about her is cute.
Dan-i is so cute.
You just think of me as a boy
No more than that
You say I'm cute
But you are a woman to me
My gosh.
"Kapyong?"
Why did he go to Kapyong?
I'm going out.
Where are you going?
Why are you leaving in the middle of cleaning the house?
Please vacuum my room and yours.
You need to mop the floor as well.
And take out the laundry from the dryer.
-Mop the attic as well. -Where are you going?
I'm going to meet Seo-jun.
I'm going to go on a date, since it's the weekends.
You met him yesterday.
Dan-i.
I'm not going to clean.
Hi, Geum-bi. Hello.
Did you really not get any sleep?
No, I didn't.
I was going to sleep after I sent the draft.
Why did you want to walk Geum-bi all of a sudden?
I just wanted to take a walk with him.
It's the weekend. You should also get some rest.
You spent all day cleaning.
No, it's much better to keep myself busy than to stay still and do nothing.
Will you be back in an hour?
I don't think you'll be able to wake up after an hour.
You should get some sleep and call me when you wake up.
I'll bring him back in the evening.
I'll take the leash.
Let's go.
Come on. Let's go.
Why did I say we should clean?
Damn.
Come on.
SONG HAE-RIN
Hey, Ms. Song.
I checked the email, and I love the draft.
Excuse me, can we talk about it on Monday?
We don't need to edit anything. Let's just use this one.
But as the editor in charge I'd like to suggest something...
Wait.
Do you not care that it's the weekend?
You're the one who sent an email on the weekend.
-You could've checked it on Monday. -How could I wait? I was dying to see it.
You're unbelievable.
Where are you right now?
Are you in my neighborhood again?
You're weird.
Why do you come here so often?
Can you come outside for a bit?
Let's edit it so we can get the final approval on Monday.
She should wear it. It looked nice on her.
At least she didn't return it to me.
Seo-jun, let me tell you something.
Dan-i and I kissed.
Dan-i likes me.
She may be on a date with you, but she actually likes me.
You little punk.
Gosh.
FIRST PAYCHECK GIFT FOR JAE-HUI AND EUN-HO
What's the point of writing it down?
Why is a guy's shirt...
This is for me. She got me a gift.
I'll just think she forgot to give it to me.
SONG HAE-RIN
Seo-jun just sent me a draft of the book design.
I love it and there's nothing to fix.
SONG HAE-RIN
I'm going to meet him at a café in his neighborhood.
If you and Ms. Yu give us your final approval on Monday,
we can start printing right away.
I'm going to meet Seo-jun.
I'm going to go on a date, since it's the weekends.
EUN-HO
Just a second. I got a text.
I'm hungry.
So what?
I'm on a date with Seo-jun right now.
Right, Geum-bi?
Isn't that right, Geum-bi?
DEAR STRANGERS
My goodness.
Why are you sitting next to me?
So we can look at the screen together.
I have a question before we start.
Did you get dumped because you're a workaholic?
Or have you become a workaholic because you got dumped?
Ms. Song, do you know something?
Teasing you is really fun.
Let's just look at the screen.
Okay.
EUN-HO
I'm going to cook tteokbokki. Hurry up and come home.
He must be out of his mind.
I told him that I'm meeting Seo-jun.
Geum-bi, should we go have lunch?
What do you want to eat?
Let's go.
Wait.
I didn't bring my wallet.
Gosh, I'm so clumsy.
Goodness.
EUN-HO
Seo-jun and Hae-rin are having a meeting right now
in a café in our neighborhood. Do you want to know where?
What do I do now?
He's so tenacious. How did he know?
I was surprised
because you did what I asked and made a design young people would like.
You also managed to keep the design classy.
But I'm still a little worried.
I'm fine with expanding the target readers.
But we still need to consider Ms. Yu's fans.
So what do you think about...
He must not have gotten any sleep.
I like the overall design.
But we should consider Ms. Yu's fans
and use a darker tone for the insides
so that nothing stands out too much.
You did really well.
I'm glad I asked you to design the book.
You're a great partner.
I respect you, Mr. Ji.
Stay here for a while.
Hello. You must be Geum-bi.
How was your date?
Why didn't you wait at the café?
His meeting with Hae-rin will be over soon.
-Are you teasing me? -Why would you lie?
I can see right through you.
You don't like Seo-jun.
You just like going on dates because it's been so long.
You didn't meet him yesterday, did you?
Why can't you date me?
Do you really not know?
-I really don't. -Then...
I'll tell you why.
-Because you're a divorcée? -No.
That doesn't mean I can't date anyone.
I'm going to start dating once a good guy comes along.
I got a second chance in life. I don't want to waste it.
I'm going to do everything I've always wanted to do.
Then I should hear you out.
Go ahead and start telling me
why I can't be the one for you.
-Number one. -Okay.
You're not my type.
Me?
That's nonsense. I'm every woman's type.
What a joke. What's the point of being good-looking?
You never turn the lights off after using the bathroom.
And you seem to have OCD.
You always get really annoyed when something isn't in the right place.
You're sensitive to everything including the cold,
but you always wear a lightweight coat and make me get worried.
You're high-maintenance.
I'll change.
Number two.
We can't date each other because we know each other too well.
We've known each other for 20 years.
We can both see through each other.
So how can we date? It'll be no fun.
What are you talking about?
We have lots of fun when we're together.
We did nothing but clean today, but it was really fun
and even a bowl of tteokbokki made us happy.
-Number three. -Go ahead.
Do you know how shallow relationships can be?
People make all sorts of promises, but they're all useless.
It all ends once someone falls out of love.
You also broke up several times.
That's because it wasn't you.
And I always knew that.
What if we break up?
Who will I lean on?
You're the only person
I can lean on in this entire world.
See?
Even now, you're confessing that you love me.
You're saying I'm your number one.
Why think about breaking up when we can be together forever?
It all just sounds like you're telling me that you like me.
It sounds like
you just need some time even though you like me.
That's not my point.
I'll take the dog back to Seo-jun.
I need to meet him for the book design draft anyway.
Hae-rin's with him right now, so I'll go meet him.
Eat the tteokbokki before it gets cold.
I'll see you when I get back.
Let's go. Come on.
How long was I asleep?
I must've dozed off.
I looked at the draft at home
and I agree with Hae-rin,
so I'll leave it up to you two.
I'll just check the final draft.
I left Geum-bi here and notified the owner.
Cha Eun-ho.
Wait, did Eun-ho come by?
How did he know we were here?
Who's Geum-bi?
Geum-bi?
-You're up. -Yes.
I must've dozed off.
You actually fell asleep for an entire hour.
My shoulder's killing me.
You should've woken me up.
Actually, I fell asleep too.
Anyway, who's Geum-bi?
My dog.
Why are you asking...
Geum-bi?
Did Dan-i come by?
Why would she come by?
I asked her to watch Geum-bi.
Mr. Cha's the one who brought him over.
I see. Well, they live in the same house...
Sorry?
I mean, they live in the same neighborhood.
Dan-i lives around here too.
They must've met on the streets.
Are you saying that
Dan-i ran into Eun-ho on the street and just made him take Geum-bi?
Don't ask. I don't know much anyway.
I see you wrote in detail.
This is Mr. Cha's note.
I see. Well, they live together so...
Sorry?
I get that
he could've meant they live in the same neighborhood.
Even so, why would Dan-i make Eun-ho take Geum-bi?
Are they even that close?
-Hae-rin. -Eun-ho.
-Did you work all weekend? -Of course.
Even workaholics have a life and should take breaks.
Wait, it's that shirt.
Your shirt...
My shirt?
It was a gift. Why?
It looks good on you.
Really? Well, I like it too.
Let's head inside.
Come on.
All three of them seem fine.
What we should check are...
Good morning, Ms. Go.
-Ms. Go, is today a special day? -You look incredible.
Good morning.
We were going over some venues for the book reading event.
I narrowed it down to three options.
Not this place.
We had one for Writer Kim here
and it only had a unisex public toilet.
-Then it's off the list. -Right.
Dan-i, did you think of a gift for Ms. Yu?
Yes, I thought a silk scarf would be nice.
That's good. It'll suit her.
If you give me the gift list for this month, I'll buy them too.
Writer Choi loves to cook,
so a dinnerware set will be nice.
Writer Oh likes unique gifts, so keep that in mind.
Yes, sure thing.
What is it? Was something unclear?
No.
It's just that you look beautiful today.
If you need a friend,
then Ms. Seo and I are here for you.
You can call us anytime.
Also,
this...
88 LATE-NIGHT SNACKS
I don't need this.
You said this when we had drinks at your place.
It was over anyway,
so I should've just kicked him in the nuts instead.
Why don't you go and kick him now?
Will you come with me?
-Yes! -We'll go with you.
You said
that I should say whatever's still bothering me.
That's what you told me.
You said you'd accompany me.
I can do that for you as well.
88 LATE-NIGHT SNACKS
Writer Choi.
A dinnerware set for Writer Choi.
DINNERWARE SET FOR 2
This one's pretty.
I'm buying it.
That goes in the cart.
Next...
What do I buy for Writer Oh?
Something unique?
This scarf will look great on Ms. Yu.
DEAR STRANGERS
It's exactly what I wanted.
DEAR STRANGERS
Actually,
it's exactly what we wanted.
DEAR STRANGERS BY YU MYEONG-SUK
I heard that you come here on the day your book comes out.
I thought that we met by coincidence,
but you came here on purpose to see me.
That's even better.
You didn't call, so I assumed you were busy.
I was busy too.
The cover looks amazing.
You did a great job.
Likewise. You did great too.
How about some dinner then?
Let's go.
Gosh, it's so good.
I've been craving this like crazy.
I thought we could come again when you had some free time.
You didn't call so I thought I wouldn't be able to see you until the book reading.
To be honest,
I didn't call on purpose.
Seo-jun.
It's been two weeks since we last saw each other.
How was it?
I wished we could meet more often.
It wasn't too bad though, right?
Actually, I tend to forget everything else when I'm buried in work.
Once I receive a manuscript,
only the book consumes my mind.
-I'm awful, right? -Of course not.
Seo-jun.
I think...
this is the best place for us to stop.
Instead of a couple who calls each other every day,
we should meet from time to time
to eat meals and talk about books.
I think that is as far as our relationship should go.
So we can't be more than just neighborhood friends.
Work got in the way, so we couldn't do it often,
but I enjoyed
going to work together and coming home together.
You said we'd keep it casual.
It made things easier.
If you hadn't felt pressured,
I would've made more moves.
I like you, you know. You're pure and innocent.
I'm sorry.
This isn't your fault,
so don't feel guilty.
Dan-i, how about this then?
Let's fold the corner of this page for now.
There are times
when we want to take a break from reading a book.
So we leave it marked by folding the corner of the page
to read it later on.
Let's do that too.
We'll leave this page marked
and open the book again
whenever you want to.
Until then,
promise me you'll remain my friend who eats udon with me.
All right?
Sure.
Let's eat before it gets cold.
DEAR STRANGERS BOOK CONCERT
How does it look?
DEAR STRANGERS BOOK CONCERT
-It seems tilted. -Should I lower it?
-Yes, a little. -How about this?
-Okay. -Good.
-Pass the pin, please. -Here.
Shouldn't Ms. Seo be here by now?
She's speaking at a seminar for marketers.
She'll head right over.
She should be here any moment.
Don't the other teams come when we hold a book reading event?
Most of the time, they can't.
I think only Ms. Go will be attending today.
President Kim and Mr. Bong are meeting with reporters.
You know what's funny though? They let us buy them meals,
but they never write articles.
I don't get why President Kim even bothers.
Yes, have it fixed there.
Hello? Where are you?
Oh, Dan-i.
I'm sorry, but something came up.
I got into an accident on my way.
What accident? Are you hurt?
I'm not exactly hurt.
An accident just happened.
I'm sorry, but I won't be able to
make it to the event.
What happened? What's going on?
We need you at this event!
I'm glad you didn't get hurt,
but what's going on?
Forget it.
I'm sick and tired of lying anyway.
Just keep it to yourself though.
There was no accident.
My kid is a little sick.
The seminar ended early,
but his teacher called me.
He had a high fever.
I rushed over here and he could barely open his eyes.
This is how it's always been.
My son would get sick
or I'd have a family event.
Whenever something came up with my family,
I lied about it. That's how I've been living.
What about Mr. Bong?
He's meeting with the reporters.
Besides, no one calls the dad when things like this happen.
It's always the mom.
It's always me.
I can't be at the event today.
I can't leave my son like this.
Sure, I understand.
Tell the others that I was in an accident.
Just keep the truth between us, okay?
That's what friends do.
Sure, I won't tell anyone.
Friend, you trust me, right?
Yes. Thank you.
There's one more thing.
I had all my calls forwarded to you
in case of an emergency.
Sure, I got it.
I'll try and manage things here.
Right. I'm sorry.
What is it? Is Ms. Seo not coming?
She got into an accident on the way. She'll explain tomorrow.
What kind of accident? Mr. Cha!
What do we do? Ms. Seo can't make it today.
Ms. Seo, I have your delivery.
Guys, can you get that?
Sure.
What do we do? Ms. Seo got into an accident.
She arranged this entire event,
so what do we do without her?
-Was it a major accident? -Not exactly.
But what are we going to do?
Dan-i.
You should take charge. You prepared it with her.
No. I literally just helped Ms. Seo...
I can't.
And I've only been to a few public reading events.
You held events when you worked at an advertising agency.
Do what you did back then.
You're the only one who worked on putting this event together.
No, listen. I don't have much time left.
Dan-i, you have me.
Whatever happens, it'll be okay.
I'll handle it.
Trust me.
Hey, where should I put this?
-Wait... -Here?
Put everything over there. There.
Okay.
Hello?
Yes, I'm in charge of Ms. Yu's public reading event.
How many?
Okay. I understand.
What should we do?
Students from Gangsin Women's University can't make it today.
How many were supposed to attend from there?
-Fourteen people. -Fourteen...
We're here.
-Are those books? Please put them there. -Yes.
Sure.
If 14 people out of 50 can't make it...
Hae-rin, call up some people. We need 14 people.
Why? Some people can't make it today?
Darn it.
I got this box from the front.
That's the gift for the attendees. This way, please.
Excuse me. Can anyone make it to the reading event today?
Can you make it today? What about you guys?
Can you call and invite people? We need more people.
-I'll get on it. -Okay, okay.
-Can you handle this? -Yes.
Hey, do you have time for a reading event today?
-Can he make it? -Yes, yes.
Yes, let me give you the address.
I'll text you the address. Okay.
Can we meet somewhere else today?
It's closer to your company.
You don't have to read the book. Just come.
Just come to the reading to have fun.
Mom, please come with your secretary.
Aren't you curious about my work?
Or you can bring my blind date here.
I'll go on the blind date after the reading. Okay?
Did you call them?
I just need about three more people.
Honey, you can ask your mom to look after Si-yeon.
You have to come. Okay?
Please excuse me.
Hey Sis. Can you bring the others?
It's for Yu Myeong-suk, the writer. It's a book reading event.
How can you not know her?
Come even if you don't know.
Okay. I'll be there with your mom.
Honey, we're done for the day.
Hae-rin needs people for her work.
-It's too early to close. -Let's just do it.
We have a chance to get our revenge on Eun-ho.
A chance?
Just be yourself, ma'am.
You were great on my podcast the other day.
There.
Ms. Yu, are you ready?
Did a lot of people come?
Yes, it's a full house.
I must use the restroom first.
-This way, ma'am. -I can go by myself.
We should start.
You can do a good job, right?
I'll be watching you from somewhere close.
BOOK CONCERT WITH YU MYEONG-SUK FOR DEAR STRANGERS
Hello.
My name is Kang Dan-i. I'm your host for today's book concert.
The weather was quite warm today.
It was warm just like Ms. Yu's writing.
When I got up this morning, I was very excited
at the thought of listening to her voice in person.
I'm sure you were excited too.
-Yes! -Yes!
Then let me introduce to you Ms. Yu Myeong-suk.
This is my first reading event, so I'm very nervous.
Hello.
I am author Yu Myeong-suk.
Ms. Yu, I also read your novel.
Could you tell us what inspired you to write this novel?
-I'm sure some of you -Does she work at your company?
-haven't read my book. -Yes, she's on the Task Support Team.
The team leader of the Marketing Team got into an accident today.
I believe the interpretation is
-I've seen her somewhere. -up to the readers.
-Where did I see her before? -I don't like talking about
my own work.
But it's impossible not to do so at an event like this.
The year when I turned 40,
my close friend died
without leaving a will.
Since then, I couldn't stop thinking about my friend's death.
"How was she feeling? Why did she do it?"
Your shirt...
My shirt?
It was a gift. Why?
I couldn't fulfill my curiosity even when I had gotten older.
That's how I came to write this book.
I'm sure you would know if you read my novel.
This can be a novel and a prose at the same time.
And in a way, this can be a letter as well.
Then shall we enjoy Ms. Yu's reading of the novel now?
"Dear strangers, hello.
I was lonely.
But my solitude made it perfect.
So please don't say something repulsive like
you miss me, for it disgusts me.
I don't believe God exists.
But I hope that..."
Living as a stay-at-home mom must've been stressful for you.
I believe my experience will contribute to the company's continued success.
"...you're at least waiting for me.."
-I remembered where I saw her. -"And that we will recognize each other."
Ms. Kang Dan-i?
-She came to my company for an interview. -"And for that reason..."
Isn't it an advertising company?
She used to be a copywriter.
She won a lot of awards in college too.
What do you mean?
She's a high school graduate.
Is that what she said?
This is interesting.
I LIKED HOW DAN-I WAS HESITANT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO NEED TO RUSH
IT'S OKAY IF YOU REALIZE YOUR FEELINGS LATER
MY LOVE FOR YOU DOESN'T CHANGE
I LOVED YOU FIRST, SO I'LL WAIT
THE LONGER I WAIT, THE DEEPER MY LOVE WILL BE
A FRIENDLY TIE BEGINS WHEN SOMEONE SLEEPS ON YOUR SHOULDERS
I LIKED IT WHEN DAN-I BECKONED TO ME
IT FELT LIKE SHE WAS GIVING ME PERMISSION TO LIKE HER
WHEN WE EXCHANGE LINES FROM OUR HEART WE CRY, SMILE, AND LEARN TO LOVE OTHERS
WHEN WE HELD HANDS IT FELT DIFFERENT
THE WARMTH WASHED AWAY ALL MY WORRIES
ROMANCE IS A BONUS BOOK
I was going to wait until you reciprocated my feelings
and realized your feelings on your own.
You like me.
The pollack had his eyes glued to the cuttlefish.
How should I kill these two?
You drank with her. And I'm only here because you called me.
You're her boss, so you should carry her. I'm practically a stranger.
Hey, Hae-rin.
What are you doing right now? You want to sleep here with me?
-Do you trust me? -Eun-ho.
We are just going to sleep. That's all.
Did you know about this?
Fire Dan-i, Mr. Cha.