“I didn’t think you’d come in person. Would you like some tea?”

Miso smiled looking at Suyeon.

“We might as well talk here, since you’re probably very busy. Plus, we’re not close enough for tea now, are we?”

“Is that so? Here I thought I got pretty close with you.”

Suyeon smiled with relaxed confidence. Miso reacted with an even larger smile, probably out of competitiveness.

“I’ll be direct. Why are you in charge of this club? I don’t think this would benefit you.”

“Why would it not benefit me to raise the future generation of our industry? Well, I suppose it makes sense that you’d look down on jobs like this. Since you’re already so successful and all.”

“You have a real talent for misunderstanding people’s words, don’t you? If you’re not completely twisted inside, then I’m pretty sure you have hearing issues. I have a doctor friend I can recommend if you’d like.”

“I’m fine. I've no issues since I’m young. Ah! I suppose you’d have to take care of it though, with you being in your thirties and all.“

Miso prepared a lot of comebacks, but all of those went straight out the window as soon as she heard ‘thirties’. She wanted to grab Suyeon right there and push the woman to the ground, but could only grind her teeth when the woman brushed it off as ‘just a joke’. This person was too talented at making people mad, Miso decided to give up on arguing for now.

“Again, back to the point. Why are you instructing the club? I thought you wouldn’t be interested in something like this.”

“Why would you care about what I decided to do? Before that, how dare you judge me without knowing anything about me? That sounds incredibly unpleasant to hear from someone I barely know.”

A shadow formed over Suyeon’s face, Miso stared for a second before sighing.

“I’m sorry. That was my mistake.”

Miso felt ashamed that she just judged Suyeon out of baseless rumors, her emotions were always an issue. She wouldn’t even be here right now if she allotted a few seconds for rational thought.

‘But I just couldn’t stay still.’

It was Blue Sky! Where she found her dream and honed her skills! It was a place very close to her heart. She would’ve been very mad if the new instructor was only here for the money or some other ulterior motive.

“I’d still like to know. Why did you take this job?”

Suyeon leaned back on the wall with crossed arms, she opened her mouth after a moment of silence.

“It was a request from Mr. Junmin. You know as well as me that he doesn’t give out jobs for no reason, right?”

“Of course, of course. But did you take the job just because of that? That can’t be...”

“That’s right. There was no other reason. I was free at the time as well.”

“Really? That’s it? Just because someone else told you to do it?”

“‘Just because’? This is Mr. Junmin we’re talking about. The normal response when he asks you to do something is to just do it. I’ve never had a loss by following his orders. Even if I did, he always repays me with something more. That’s why I trust his decision. It’s like having a winning lottery ticket every time.”

Suyeon paused as she stopped crossing her arms.

“Of course, I didn’t take this job to just kill time. Don’t worry about that. I’ll deliver the best results so long as I’m here. I don’t know why you came here with that expression, but if you’re here to just mess with me… I suggest you leave.”

Miso flipped her hair back, she didn’t have much of a comeback. Logically, Suyeon was correct. She was the one that gave up on the job due to her other obligations, she was the one who asked Junmin for help too. Looking at the big picture, it was easy to see that all of her problems were solved. But honestly speaking, she just didn’t like seeing Suyeon being her replacement. It wasn’t like she saw the woman messing about men herself, but she’d heard enough rumors to know enough about it. One can even say she hated her since she was acquainted with the people who Suyeon messed with.

A woman who sells her body for profit, Miso got such an offer in the past as well. Just about any woman in the industry got the offer if they looked attractive enough, it was an open secret. People in power ask for anything from a simple meal to sex, Miso always refused such requests. She needed money, but she earned that through a factory. If there was an opportunity, she ran to take it with her own ability. She had many moments of despair, but in the end, she reached her goals on her own terms.

Perhaps that was why she couldn’t understand Suyeon, people like her gave pretty women in the industry a bad name. The woman went against everything Miso stood for and it’s for that reason that she didn’t even want to acknowledge the woman as an equal.

“I really don’t like that look of yours. I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong to you.”

Suyeon asked with a raised eyebrow, Miso felt like something inside her could snap in an instant.

“You didn’t do anything to me directly, no. I’ve heard many detailed things about you from people I know nonetheless, so I don’t have a choice but to respond this way. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?”

Suyeon’s eyes twitched with a mocking smile.

“Did you come here to lecture me?”

“I just want what’s good for the club.”

“Oh my, and who do you think you are to judge me like that?”

Suyeon stepped forward, seemingly ready to lash out physically at any moment. Miso stepped forward with a glare as well. She’d never lost in a fight and there was no way she was about to step back in this one.

“You’re quite something, Ms. Yang Miso.”

“I can say the same about you, Ms. Kim Suyeon.”

Miso definitely couldn’t leave the club to a woman like this, she thought.

“Not even kids fight like this.”

Miso turned her head in surprise at the new voice, Maru was looking at the two of them calmly. Suyeon stepped back as well.

“If you raised your voice anymore, everyone in the club would’ve heard you. If you care about your pride, I’d suggest that you lower it.”

Ugh, that’s right. Miso forgot that there were kids here.

“Sorry. I’ve acted totally immature, no thanks to someone over here,” Suyeon said with a smile.

Miso felt her insides start boiling over again.

“If you want a fight, we might as well head to the back of the school. I’ll be the judge. Why don’t we make it so that the first to get a nosebleed is the loser? Shall we go now?”

Maru stared at them with irritation written all over his face. Being told something like this from a high schooler would’ve normally made her very mad, but Miso wasn’t mad at all right now. The boy had a strange ability to persuade those around him.

“I get it, so calm down,” Miso sighed.

There was nothing worse than being told off by a child, what made it worse was the fact that she had no excuse.

“It just won’t do to have the old and new instructor fighting each other. We’re lacking people as is and this really isn’t helping. Don’t you know businesses can only run well when management has a good head on their shoulders?”

“Fine, fine. Ugh, you know it all.”

Even Suyeon gave in.

“I think it’d be good to end it with an apologetic hug here. What do you think?”

“Are you crazy?”

“Do you want to die?”

The two responses came out at the same time, Maru shrugged.

“You two clearly have nice chemistry together, maybe you can get along in the future. Ah, instructor, we chose on a script. Could you go talk to them about it?”

Miso watched as Suyeon gave her one last glare before heading back to the classroom, Suyeon looked back about halfway back.

“If you want to talk about me, I’d suggest you actually learn a bit about what I’m like first.”

She was picking a fight until the very end, Miso tried to say something but stopped after seeing Maru shake his head.

“You’re still as passionate as always.”

“I’m going to settle it with that woman at some point, don’t try to stop me.”

“Settle it?”

Miso looked at Maru.

“That’s right. You should know as well, don’t you? You must’ve heard about her from Ganghwan.”

“I think I have an idea.”

“Are you okay with it?”

“With what?”

Miso stared at Maru dumbly, surely the boy didn’t misunderstand her question.

“Don’t you know what I’m talking about? You just said you know about her.”

“That’s right.”

“...Am I the weird one here?”

“Yes, very much so.”

Maru looked back for a second, Suyeon was already gone inside.

“First, Kim Suyeon is our current instructor. Second, Yang Miso gave up on her role as the instructor due to her busy schedule. Third, the acting club needs an instructor. Where in any of these can you put personal feelings into it?”

Maru spoke in a professional tone, Miso felt something come up inside her but stopped herself.

“No one knows what that woman might do. She may sound serious for now, but that might not be the case later on. She might just leave out of nowhere.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Well, that’s because...”

“Work ethic and one’s sex life have nothing in common. I know you get emotional easily, instructor. I know you’re just worried about us as well, but I can’t help but feel a bit annoyed by this right now. If you make instructor Suyeon give up on this job, will you fill in for her?”

Maru asked with a slight frown, Miso was unable to answer.

“I understand that you’re doing this with good intentions, but you should understand that we never asked for your help. If you don’t like instructor Suyeon, I suggest you talk to her about it somewhere private. It’s only been a few days, but she’s done a fantastic job so far. I’d rather not lose her over petty arguments.”

“So you don’t care about what this woman has done?”

“Radically speaking, yes. She didn’t commit a crime, she just has a different way of going about life. I’ve no intention of judging that. Frankly, I don’t care as long as that aspect of her doesn’t damage the club.”

What should she say to those confident eyes of his? Miso pulled her hair for a second before letting out a sigh.

“I came out of worry, but it seems I was completely foolish.”

“Next time if you’re worried, just give me a call. You don’t have to come here without warning, especially with your busy schedule.”

Ugh, she knew this would happen, but she still couldn’t help but be surprised when she got pushed back in an argument with him. In an ethical standpoint, she was correct too… But she too understood that some things came first before ethics, so she could only shake her head.

“Also, please bring some snacks next time. What do you think your juniors would think when their senior comes to see them empty-handed?”

Miso threw a punch with a smile at the boy’s stomach. She would’ve felt a bit better if he took the hit, but he just blocked it.

“Oh?”

“I’m against violence, sorry.”

“I’m not, so why don’t you just take a hit from me real quick?”

Miso only stopped after getting a hit on his head.

“Please don’t look at instructor Suyeon too badly,” Maru said as he scratched his eyebrow.

“What, you fall for her or something?”

“I knew you were childish, but you’ve only gotten worse, haven’t you?”

Maru ran back to the class with just that, Miso thought about following the boy for a second before turning towards the staircase. She remembered what Maru had just told her.

‘Fine, I’ll buy snacks.’

She came to save them from a villainess but nearly ended up as one instead… Miso stepped down to the first floor with a bitter smile.