TLIS 06

TLIS

Posted by Bela, Released on October 29, 2025

Chapter 6

Juhyuk shrugged his shoulders.

“Just passing by. I live nearby.”

“Ah…”

Well, maybe twice could still be a coincidence. Their paths could have crossed by chance. After all, both Yoon Juhyuk and Da-eun hadn’t graduated yet.

Accepting that explanation, Da-eun quietly took a sip of her drink. She had thought it was coffee, but a faint peach fragrance and sweet flavor spread in her mouth instead.

There was also a thick paper bag on the table—apparently he’d bought cookies too.

“I keep getting help from you.”

Da-eun averted her eyes awkwardly, biting her lip. She’d already shown him her worst—pathetic and disheveled—twice.

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment that arrived too late.

Juhyuk watched her quietly and murmured,

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen that expression.”

“…?”

Da-eun turned her eyes from the edge of the table toward him. A faint smile touched his lips as he looked into her wide, round eyes.

When she just stared at him blankly, that playful smile of his turned bitter.

Something about him felt… strange.

To hide her uneasy thoughts, Da-eun lowered her head and sipped through her straw.

Why did this feel so familiar?

This was only the second time she’d seen that teasing expression on his face—once in the hospital, and now here.

The Juhyuk she knew wasn’t like this. From what she’d seen of him—during the three months they’d spent working on an indie film before she’d gone back in time—he was quiet, serious, and focused only on directing and filming. He wasn’t the type to joke around or talk warmly to anyone.

But somehow, his light-hearted tone now felt… familiar.

As Da-eun fumbled through her confused thoughts, Juhyuk suddenly spoke.

“Let’s go.”

He was already standing, holding the cookie bag.

“I’ll walk you home.”

Da-eun looked up at him, then rose slowly.

“Oh, uh, my place is just upstairs.”

She meant to say there was no need—but,

“Yeah, I know.”

As if he already knew, he naturally walked toward the glass door leading deeper into the building. Da-eun’s feet followed before she realized it.

He led the way to the building’s central elevator.

“Do you live here?”

The familiarity of his steps made her ask. Juhyuk pressed the elevator button and replied,

“No.”

His fingers, still wrapped in white bandages, quickly disappeared into his pocket afterward.

Da-eun stared at his hand for a moment, then shook her head slightly, trying to clear her thoughts.

I’ve only known him three months—how well could I really know him? Maybe he’s just got this side too. Maybe he knows someone who lives here.

Convincing herself of that, she decided to focus instead on worrying about him—after all, he’d helped her twice now.

“Um… does it still hurt? Because of me…”

“I’m fine.”

He cut off her apology, lightly resting his hand on her shoulder. His touch was firm but reassuring, his steady gaze telling her there was no need to worry.

“It was a first-degree burn. The medicine worked well—it’s already healing.”

He spoke as though he fully understood her guilt, carefully explaining to calm her down.

“I’ll be taking the bandage off next week.”

Just then, the elevator arrived. Juhyuk handed her the cookie bag he’d been carrying.

“You’ll be busy soon. Forget about unnecessary things.”

With both hands full of a drink and cookies, Da-eun was gently pushed into the elevator.

Forget unnecessary things.

Why did that sound like don’t think about me anymore?

Through the slowly closing doors, his faint smile flickered like a mirage.

The elevator rose immediately—he must have pressed her floor number before pushing her in.

“What…?”

It was exactly the floor she lived on.

How did he know that?

It was unsettling, but not unpleasant—more like she’d forgotten something important.

The empty elevator suddenly felt strangely hollow.

⁂

A few days later, Da-eun got a call from her agency—she had passed the audition for Secret Letter.

She’d been worried since the writer and director hadn’t looked pleased that day, but apparently, her performance had gotten across just as she intended.

The relief that flooded her was almost electric.

Just imagining Hye-young’s face twisting in frustration filled her with a rush of exhilaration she’d never felt before.

Soon, the agency assigned her a manager and scheduled profile and short introduction-video shoots.

Days passed quickly.

I booked a commercial!

Da-eun had been cast in a vitamin drink ad—ironically, the same one Hye-young had first filmed before Da-eun’s regression.

It seemed her Secret Letter success had paid off.

Now that she was slowly taking over the opportunities that once belonged to Hye-young, Da-eun felt a strange mix of disbelief and satisfaction, as if the tightness in her chest was finally loosening.

She thought ahead to the projects Hye-young would do over the next three years.

If she wanted to take every opportunity from her, she needed to remember them all. Things might not unfold exactly the same this time, though.

Since Da-eun had already taken Secret Letter, Hye-young’s choices would inevitably change.

At the scheduled time, Da-eun went downstairs, where her new manager was waiting.

“Hello, Ms. Kang! We’ve texted before, but it’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Park Do-yoon.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Kang Da-eun.”

She shook his hand with a polite smile.

It was a relief that she and Noh Hye-young were in the same agency. In her previous life, she’d had to quit after the accident, but now they were under the same roof—it would be easy to keep track of Hye-young’s career.

“We’ll head out now. The shoot location isn’t far.”

The commercial was being filmed near a stream in Gwanak-gu.

“It’s hot, but remember to keep smiling—you’re a rookie, so that’s important. And be polite. Good manners get you halfway there.”

Since vitamin drink ads in summer were high-visibility gigs, Do-yoon rattled off advice, then suddenly added:

“Oh right, you said you’re friends with Noh Hye-young, right?”

Da-eun had expected to learn about Hye-young easily, but she hadn’t thought it would come up this soon. She answered calmly.

“Yes.”

“They were deciding between the two of you for this ad. It went to whoever debuted first, so do your best.”

So that was how it happened. Da-eun nodded, keeping her expression composed.

“What’s Hye-young doing these days?”

Was she auditioning elsewhere? Working on something new?

Do-yoon glanced at her through the rearview mirror.

“You said you’re friends—don’t you two talk?”

“Things have been a little awkward since the Secret Letter audition.”

“Ah…”

Do-yoon nodded, as if to say that kind of tension was normal between friends competing for the same role.

“Well, Hye-young did ask when your shoot starts.”

Since Da-eun’s debut was official, he addressed her as “actress,” while Hye-young, still undiscovered, was simply “Ms. Noh.”

If only she’d called her that to her face—Da-eun would have loved to see Hye-young’s reaction.

“She seemed a bit jealous.”

So she’d shown it openly? How delightful, Hye-young.

Da-eun smiled thinly, and Do-yoon, sensing the tension, quickly added,

“She’s auditioning for Baek I-hyeon’s new music video.”

Baek I-hyeon was a top-tier idol who’d left his old label after peaking and was now going solo—under BM Company, the same agency as Da-eun and Hye-young.

Da-eun remembered BM’s attempts to expand into music before her regression.