Chapter 3 A Little More Closer

"HEI! OLIVIA!"

The silence was immediately broken when Jane's call sounded. Suddenly, Olivia who was still dumbfounded after hearing Axsl's words earlier gasped. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Jane glaring at her as she walked closer.

Axel only turned his head when he heard the sound of tapping steps approaching. Both eyebrows raised in astonishment at Jane's presence.

"What are you doing here?" asked Jane, giving Olivia a sardonic glare.

Olivia immediately grimaced and bowed. "Sorry, Mrs. Jane. I was just getting a little fresh air."

Jane gave Olivia a warning look, then turned to look at Axel. That's when a guilty smile curved up.

"Oh, forgive my boy, Mr. Axel. He still has to learn how not to run away from work just like that," Jane said while giving a brief bow.

Axel was silent with both eyebrows furrowed. He was confused, why was Olivia being blamed when she had done nothing wrong?

"And I'm sorry if she interrupted your time. You must have been looking for some fresh air too but she came to disturb you, right? I'm so sorry," Jane continued.

Axel gave a small smile. "No problem. After all... it was me who approached her, Mrs. Jane," he replied with a casual joking tone. "I felt like my makeup wasn't right, it was a bit smudged. So I looked for it but it wasn't in the room."

Jane was stunned to hear that Axel had approached Olivia. But since she already felt that Olivia was at fault, Jane didn't want to embarrass herself. So she turned to Olivia and threw a sharp glare.

"You're being unprofessional! How can you not be in the make-up room and make the clients come to you?!"

Olivia was stunned to hear those words. Olivia actually wanted to tell Jane the truth. But her sense of professionalism held her back because Axel was here. Plus, Olivia couldn't possibly reveal something that could potentially judge Axel badly and make him uncomfortable.

"Ah, it's okay," Axel replied with a small laugh. The look in his eyes that implied a twinkle did not escape Axel. "It's not Olivia's fault. I was the one who wanted to go to her. Don't blame her like that."

Jane's uncomfortable face turned to Axel. Among her discomfort, Jane looked briefly annoyed at Olivia for getting a defense from Axel.

"Still, Olivia did something wrong. I feel so bad that I had to make you look for her, she should have been on stand-by with her work. I'm sorry once again."

"Do you always apologize when you don't feel guilty like that?"

"Yes?" Jane's eyebrows both raised. Her look of confusion was even more evident. "What do you mean?"

With a calm smile on his face, Axel shook his head briefly. "No, I don't. It's just that... the more you apologize, the more Olivia looks guilty. And you just keep apologizing. It's like you're gaslighting on purpose."

Jane frowned, as did Olivia who didn't understand where Axel was going with this. But Olivia suddenly felt bad. It seemed like Axel's topic of conversation would lead to...

"You're not trying to make Olivia feel guilty, are you?" This time, Axel included a meaningful lopsided smile. Axel deliberately provoked Jane that second.

As a result, Jane felt a bit awkward now. Her eyeballs were moving around, just not looking at Axel's two pairs of eyeballs. A piercing calm. Jane glanced at Olivia who was slightly downcast with a shrinking look.

"Never mind, don't act tense and intimidating like that to someone who is innocent." Axel suddenly waved one hand with a soft chuckle. As if trying to neutralize the atmosphere.

"I'm going back inside. Don't nag him anymore," Axel said.

Axel gave a small smile as a sign to end the conversation. A glimpse of Olivia automatically raised the corners of her lips to show a small smile. In fact, beyond Olivia's expectations, Axel gave her an ignorant wink.

Olivia was surprised, while Axel immediately turned around and waltzed away. Leaving Olivia with Jane who was equally dumbfounded at Axel's wink.

Axel gave a small smile as a sign to end the conversation. A glimpse of Olivia automatically raised the corners of her lips to show a small smile. In fact, beyond Olivia's expectations, Axel gave her an ignorant wink.

Olivia was surprised, while Axel immediately turned around and waltzed away. Leaving Olivia with Jane who was equally dumbfounded at Axel's wink.

There was silence between Olivia and Jane. After Axel had completely left, Jane turned her body to face Olivia.

"Do you know Axel?" Jane peppered Olivia with questions.

Seeing Jane's pair of eyes that squinted suspiciously, Olivia was struck by awkwardness. No immediate answer came out of Olivia's mouth. Even so, Olivia still tried to calmly give a knot.

"Doesn't... everyone know Axel?" Olivia asked back, desperately trying to hide her awkwardness.

Jane folded her arms across her chest, watching Olivia even more intensely. "No, I mean, do you know him personally?"

Olivia frowned with a slight grimace on her face. "No, I don't. How could I know him personally?"

At first Jane did not immediately look believing. But because Olivia faked her nervousness, Jane decided to believe. Although the way she looked at Olivia still implied that she was detecting, Jane did not want to prolong it.

"I'm not sure Axel would want to get to know you personally either," Jane said after throwing away her smug expression.

Olivia didn't answer, just slightly bowed. Even if she resisted, Jane had more power to fire her from this job. There was no way Olivia would let herself be miserable over something so trivial.

"Yes, Mrs. Jane," Olivia replied politely.

Then Jane's eyes, which looked both displeased and wary of Olivia, turned away. "Also, you know that there are professional boundaries between idols and make-up artists like you, right?"

Of course. How could Olivia forget something like that?

After all, it wasn't that high of an expectation for Olivia to imagine being with Axel. What a crazy human being.

"I know, Mrs. Jane," Olivia nodded her head again.

Jane gave her a warning glance, looking her down and up. Then she waltzed away from Olivia's presence.

The tapping sound of Jane's high heels faded away. Now Olivia was left standing where she was, looking straight at Jane's back. For some reason, something still lingered in Olivia's heart.

Like a tickling swish that was not slowly spreading.

Olivia remembered a few moments ago, when Axel came to her. In the midst of Olivia's silence, she reached into her shirt pocket. She took out a photocard that she always kept.

The figure of Axel posed with a wide smile showing a row of teeth.

Olivia had kept this photocard for a long time - almost four years. During that time, Olivia never left this photocard, even until the color was murkier than the first time she bought it.

Paying close attention to Axel on the photocard, the corners of Olivia's lips unconsciously curved into a smile. She felt a warmth creeping into her chest. She immediately clutched her chest, and repeatedly exhaled to ease the pounding of her heart.

"It's true what Mrs. Jane said. Even if we were given the chance to get to know each other personally, it would be impossible," Olivia murmured with a heavy sigh. "We are so different, including caste. In fact, I am very grateful that I was able to catch a glimpse of you earlier."

Yes, Olivia never expected anything from Axel. Even though Olivia saw Axel directly in front of her eyes earlier, it didn't change Olivia's consciousness.

Putting the photocard in its original place, Olivia exhaled. Her two feet began to step from the hallway. Canceling her intention to seek peace because of the crowd in the makeup room.

Jane would be furious if she saw-

"Olivia!"

Olivia's feet spontaneously stopped moving. Olivia looked around to see who was calling her. But once she caught the figure of Axel running small towards her.

Olivia was dumbfounded for a moment. Before finally looking around to make sure there was no Jane. Or even other staff who would notice the two of them.

"You... what are you..." Olivia's sentence wasn't finished, but Axel immediately interrupted her.

"You haven't done my makeup yet." Axel widened his smile as he stopped in front of Hyun-a. His breathing was a little labored. He pointed at his own face in a circle. "Look. More and more sweat. I need to take care of this."

Olivia blinked where she stood, not knowing what to do. Instantly Olivia's whole body felt stiff to move.

"Wh-what..." Olivia felt her tongue slip out.

Axel took another step forward, then bent down. Holding his own knees, he deliberately looked at Olivia's eyes from a close distance. Completely unaware that Olivia was holding her weakened knees.

"Can I ask for the makeup to be done? You brought the tools, right, Olivia?"

Axel's voice that greeted Olivia's sense of hearing made her hair stand on end. Olivia slowly lowered her face.

"B-brought it, but-"

"Yes! Just do it!" Axel immediately straightened his body again while clapping his hands once. "I need to tidy up a bit, and... maybe we can have a chat. Can we get to know each other personally?"

"Yes?" Gaping, Olivia didn't expect what she heard at all. "What?"

"Yes. Get to know you personally, but I don't mean that... you know, yeah, I feel like you could possibly be my personal make-up artist. So I need to get to know you personally."

Olivia really needed to reconstruct her ears now. Didn't she hear wrong?

"How? Let's start from... how long have you been my fan?" Axel gave a thin, twinkling smile. His eyes lit up with curiosity.

"What? How do you know?"

Axel's eyes moved to Olivia's hand. "You were holding my photocard, when I approached you."

"You saw that?!"

Axel chuckled at Olivia's panicked and misguided reaction. He shook his head briefly.

"Gosh, that's funny. We really need to get to know each other personally, Olivia."