red string | jay

twenty eight

the party had settled into a calm chaos, everyone was scattered around the living room with soft music playing in the background, full from dinner and pleasantly buzzing from the drinks. little pockets of conversation had formed, some people laughing loudly, others quietly reminiscing old memories over wine glasses.

ina was standing near the window, a drink in her hand, her back leaning lightly against the wall as she observed her parents talking animatedly to one of their distant relatives. her mom's face was glowing with joy, and her dad looked ten years younger, visibly relaxed after weeks of stress. it made something warm settle in her chest.

she didn't notice jay walking out of the kitchen at first. he had a new drink in his hand, a slightly amused smile on his lips as his eyes landed on her.

he watched her for a second — the way her eyes were focused on her parents, the way the lights caught the soft edges of her profile — and then made his way to her, slipping beside her with the ease of someone who'd done it a hundred times before.

"told you it'd go well," he said, his voice light, but there was something softer underneath it. maybe pride.

ina turned to him with a smile, not the usual smirk or exasperated grin, but a genuine one. it reached her eyes and stayed there.

"yeah, maybe we do make the dream team," she replied, her voice quieter than usual, almost like she didn't want to ruin the moment.

he raised his glass slightly, "to the dream team then."

they clinked their glasses, the soft sound of glass against glass almost getting lost in the hum of the party. they both took a sip.

ina turned to him again, her teasing tone sneaking back in, "but i did do most of the stuff."

jay scoffed, rolling his eyes. "and here i thought we'd actually have a normal conversation for once."

"never with us jay, never with us," she said, smiling into her drink.

he laughed, shaking his head as he leaned a little closer, like he couldn't believe her but also wouldn't want her any other way.

before either of them could say anything else, ina's name was called from across the room.

"ina! come here!" her dad called, motioning her over with a bright smile.

she gave jay a small wave and slipped away, weaving through the crowd. jay watched her go, leaning against the wall now, his glass dangling loosely in his hand.

he didn't mean to stare — really, he didn't — but he couldn't help it. the way her hair moved slightly as she walked, the way she tucked a strand behind her ear before reaching her parents, the way she smiled at her relatives like she wasn't completely exhausted from planning an entire surprise party.

jay took a long sip of his drink, eyes still on her.

"i'm fucked, aren't i?" he muttered under his breath with a soft laugh, running a hand down his face.

••••••••••

the next morning felt like an uphill battle.

ina dragged herself out of bed, her alarm having betrayed her completely. she was late. not fashionably late — horrendously, embarrassingly, 'why do i even bother setting an alarm' late.

her head was heavy, her eyes still tired, and her feet barely moved with purpose as she forced herself to get ready and reach the office.

the worst part? she didn't even have the excuse of a hangover. just plain exhaustion.

as soon as she walked into their shared workspace, she was greeted by juwon's voice.

"you look like a dead body," juwon said without looking up from her laptop.

ina dropped her bag onto the desk with a dramatic sigh. "gee thanks, good morning to you too."

juwon just smirked. "it's past noon, babe."

ina groaned and collapsed into her chair. "ugh. did we get cursed or is this just post-party depression?"

"we just got old," juwon said. "do we have any meetings today?" ina asked, eyes half-closed. "i really don't think i can survive in that cramped-up conference room with my soul in a coma."

"no meetings," juwon confirmed. "just regular scouting work and a bunch of emails to send."

"god bless lucy for being a chill boss," ina muttered, already halfway to sleep in her chair.

the rest of the day passed slowly, like time itself had decided to walk on a treadmill. ina answered emails, filled out reports, and at one point, questioned if she should just crawl under her desk for a nap. by the time the clock neared 6 pm, her brain felt like it had gone through a blender.

she stepped out of their section to get a drink, hoping the vending machine's bitter iced coffee would shock some life into her system.

on her way back, she paused.

jay was in the hallway, pacing back and forth. he was on the phone, talking fast, eyebrows furrowed deeply. ina watched as he rubbed his temple for what had to be the fourth time in less than a minute.

"hey," she said softly, not wanting to startle him. "you need help?"

he paused the call, holding the phone away from his face for a second. "i'm trying to close this actress for a reality show and she won't budge. she keeps asking for auditions and her manager's being weird."

ina pouted sympathetically. "want me to try?"

jay hesitated, but then handed her the phone. "be my guest."

ina took the call without missing a beat. "hello ma'am, i'm kim ina from the scout team, we'd really love for you to be a part of this project..."

jay stood beside her, listening intently.

"come on ma'am, how could we ask you to audition? we're well aware of your impeccable work, which is exactly why we're reaching out," ina said smoothly, switching to a friendlier tone, warm and a little flirty.

jay blinked.

"yes, totally, and also girl to girl, you really are one of the most gorgeous actresses in the industry, we really can't miss out on you for this project."

he blinked again, impressed.

"yes and it'll also give you a lot of exposure, potentially widening your fan base. it's not only going to air on national tv but it'll also be uploaded on social media platforms, so you'll get international visibility too..."

there was a pause. ina looked at jay. "yes, friday at 2 pm. let me just check with my colleague."

jay gave her a quick thumbs-up, still watching her like she'd grown a second head.

"yes that works perfectly. alright, see you then ma'am. have an amazing day!" ina ended the call and handed the phone back with a grin. "there. done."

jay just stared at her for a second before slowly clapping. "that was... something."

"did you actually watch any of her work?" he asked.

"not even one," she replied cheerfully, already turning back to her desk.

jay let out a laugh, shaking his head. "you're scary good at that."

ina just gave him a peace sign over her shoulder.

he didn't say anything else. just watched her walk away with a weird smile playing on his lips, and that same thought from the party slipped quietly back into his head.

yep. he was completely, utterly, undeniably screwed.