Jae Ho spoke calmly.

As if persuading, as if teaching a student, his voice was composed. He said he had no ill intentions. He just wanted to be her destiny. He said he also fell for her at first sight.

Da Jung’s eyes trembled finely and eventually clouded over.

“That… that sounds unbelievable. How can I believe those words…”

“It’s true.”

“Then, what was I wearing that day! What about my bag!”

Da Jung shouted loudly as if finding the key to gauging the truth. She was so cute it made his spine tingle and he almost laughed. Jae Ho hid his expression and opened his mouth.

This time too, thank you for falling for it. Da Jung.

“A brown coat with jeans. L brand black sneakers. The bag was… a white eco-bag. Hair was brown waves down to below the chest.”

The one truth I didn’t speak.

That I am Kim Sung Hyun.

That was all.

“It’s true…”

Tears that had welled up in her greatly clouded eyes eventually fell with a plop.

“I also found the person who sent the malicious novel to Yoon Da Jung.”

“…!”

Confusion and relief intermingled on Da Jung’s face. Seeing her face in such a mess made him want to kiss her out of the blue.

Her helpless expression made his blood boil uncontrollably. Did the woman know her disheveled eyes drove him crazy?

Jae Ho desperately suppressed his desire and finished the story he had prepared.

“Even that, I will take care of.”

“Who… who is it? Why did they do that…?”

“Just. Someone Yoon Da Jung dislikes.”

Thinking that, his eyes flashed like a beast then he quickly hid his anger and smiled softly. Raising his hand to stroke her hair, he spoke kindly.

“It’s all my fault. I’m sorry I buttoned the first button wrong.”

I got rid of Lee Kyung Jun too. Cleared up the misunderstanding as well. I will also punish Oh Chae Won.

“So, from now on, let’s do that with me.”

Like when we first met.

Properly this time.

“Some.”

Let’s start over.

**

2 years ago. A large department store opened in Gyeonggi-do new city. The department store held various events to commemorate the opening, one of which was a fan signing event with Lee Jae Ho, the exclusive model at the time.

Jae Ho, who was never late, arrived early that day as well. While the manager was explaining the event schedule as usual, Team Leader Jung entered the waiting room shaking his head.

‘It failed this time too. I apologize.’

After shooing away the stylist fixing his shirt collar with his eyes, Jae Ho replied dryly.

‘It’s been 3 years to find one person. Team Leader Jung, your skills have diminished greatly.’

‘Perhaps you were mistaken about the age… I searched for all Yoon Da Jungs of that age.’

‘Da Jung was in middle school then.’

Jae Ho tilted his head and calculated the age. Right. He could have been mistaken. Then maybe a two year difference.

‘Please try again. Team Leader.’

‘I will find her.’

‘She was pretty. Really really pretty. How much prettier will she be now? I can’t forget her for a single moment and think of her every day.’

The fan signing event was quite long and boring. The progress was a mess too. Lee Jae Ho, known for his good stamina, requested breaks twice.

‘Next person, please come.’

Jae Ho spoke without even raising his head. At this point, he thought it was useless to think he wasn’t much different from AI. Nothing entered his eyes except the white paper and magic pen.

‘Oppa! You’re really handsome!’

‘Thank you. What is your name?’

‘It’s Yoon Da Jung! I’m a fan. I like you so much.’

Time stopped.

Jae Ho couldn’t bring himself to raise his head. Thinking it would be a dream that breaks the moment he raised his head. Was it really Yoon Da Jung? Was it my Da Jung?

Was this her voice?

Right after graduating from college in the US, he returned to Korea and prepared to be an actor despite his family’s opposition. He was lucky and debuted right away, establishing himself quickly.

From then, the time he spent searching for Da Jung was 3 years. She was close enough to grasp but slipped away, and now she came to him on her own.

Thinking he misheard the name due to the noise, the woman spoke once more in a slightly louder voice.

‘It’s Yoon Da Jung!’

He raises his head.

You are here.

You, whom I thought was as pretty as a tulip, has bloomed into a cherry blossom and smiles at me. With star-like eyes, with a face as fresh as spring.

…Hello. Da Jung. You’re still pretty.

‘What should I write for you?’

Not expecting such a question, the tips of Da Jung’s ears reddened.

‘Write that you lo-love me.’

The moment he realized she couldn’t connect the actor Lee Jae Ho to Kim Sung Hyun at all.

‘I’ll write it for you.’

You become my hope again.

Jae Ho buried his head in the paper and laughed absently.

He thought about ditching the whole signing event and just taking her away like this.

Indeed.

In the distant middle school days. The friend of her older brother whom she briefly passed by – it would be stranger if she still remembered him. The name was different and he grew much taller. The thick horn-rimmed glasses were gone too.

It wasn’t difficult. To write that he loves her. Damn it, it was too openly sincere with each and every letter.

He was anxious, not knowing how to capture this moment. He wrote the letters very slowly but the end eventually came and he couldn’t stall any longer so he handed the paper to Da Jung.

‘Here.’

‘Thank you!’

‘Miss Yoon Da Jung. Do you love me too?’

‘What? Ah! Yes! Very much! I’ve been a fan since oppa’s debut. Thank you!’

The staff, unaware of Jae Ho’s desperation, gestured quickly for the next person and Da Jung stepped back. Jae Ho, deflated, requested a break.

He called Team Leader Jung.

‘Team Leader. Mark that woman who just left. She’s the Yoon Da Jung I was looking for.’

That’s how it happened.

Because Da Jung appeared as Jae Ho’s fan, Jae Ho was able to collect everything about her. Occupation. Where she lived. Hobbies. Circumstances. Even friends.

The only thing he couldn’t do was find a way to approach her naturally. Neither Byung Hoon nor Team Leader Jung could come up with a decent idea.

Several DM attempts were blocked by Byung Hoon, and his insistence on waiting in front of her house was also discouraged by Team Leader Jung, leaving Jae Ho with nothing more to do.

Of all things, her job was also a nurse. With virtually no chance of getting involved with the broadcasting industry.

‘Hyung! I think an opportunity has come? A chance to reunite with Da Jung noona.’

In the end, you were the first to reach out a hand for me to approach you. Jae Ho had no time to hesitate.

As he had already waited for 13 years.

**

A board meeting was held with companies under the Taemyung Group. It was a place where major issues such as M&As and internal transactions were decided.

In particular, the poor performance of Taemyung Insurance and discussions on new businesses in the digital content sector were expected to be addressed importantly. Representatives from each affiliate all attended.

As an outside director, Jae Ho didn’t necessarily have to attend, but he changed his mind the day before and notified his attendance. He felt it was his duty to gradually get closer to Taemyung like this as much as possible, as Chairman Lee had shown him great generosity.

Lee Jin Hyuk, CEO of Taemyung Construction, was one of the most influential directors, followed by Jae Ho’s aunt Jung Hye Soo who led Taemyung Entertainment, and Lee Jong Tae of Taemyung Insurance, who was old enough to be a relative elder. In addition, various affiliates such as Taemyung Food, Energy, and Bio followed.

As they were the ones exerting the strongest influence on Taemyung, Jae Ho also occasionally met with them. No matter how much of a hidden successor he was, he couldn’t hide from the directors. He dined with some of them he was close with once or twice a year.

Lee Seok Hoon, CEO of Taemyung Food, who adored Jae Ho like a grandson, greeted him with a welcoming face.

“Even the hard-to-see top actor has attended!”

“CEO Lee, have you been well?”

“How do you keep getting more handsome? I should learn the secret. As I get old, my granddaughter keeps avoiding me these days.”

Jae Ho laughed heartily.

“You’re still cool. And Na Yeon avoids you because of the cigarette smell. Last time I saw her, she made it obvious she hated it.”

Lee Jin Hyuk and Jung Hye Soo also greeted him with welcoming faces. Lee Jin Hyuk, his face full of a kind smile, asked about Jae Ho’s well-being and health as he guided him to his seat. Jung Hye Soo followed behind.

“I’m always envious of your good relationship.”

“It’s only right for me to look after him more since hyung became like this.”

Lee Jin Hyuk laughed as he patted Jae Ho’s shoulder. As Lee Hun Tae finally entered, the meeting began.

Important matters related to corporate management were mentioned, but Jae Ho didn’t particularly speak up. Most issues had already undergone internal review before the board meeting was convened, so there was no need to ask further. The directors occasionally nodded their heads.

Some of them seemed a bit busy thinking about Lee Hun Tae’s intentions behind Jae Ho’s attendance at the board meeting.

Regarding the poor performance of Taemyung Insurance, one of the alternatives presented was an opinion Jae Ho had previously suggested. The business expenses were scheduled to be restructured to increase the role of digital channels.

As expected, it was a somewhat boring and long meeting.

Jung Hye Soo, who led Taemyung Entertainment, continued her remarks.

“As you know, the OTT market is growing in size globally. The size is increasing by an average of 26.4% annually and is expected to reach a whopping $1.2416 trillion in ten years. Our Taemyung Entertainment succeeded in acquiring and merging ‘Hama Studio’ the year before last, and plans to secure 1,000 original IPs by next year. If we actively increase high-quality original content, we can expect great results.”

Jung Hye Soo paused for a moment, her gaze briefly touching Jae Ho then falling away.

“The most important thing in the original content market is, of course, the actor. A cast of influential actors is needed to expect good scripts and good production. So, I’d like to ask Director Lee Jae Ho to actively participate in our Taemyung Entertainment’s original content business for about 5 years going forward. If you take on the lead role and give an impressive performance in the long-running drama ‘Greed’ that we are planning as a seasonal series, I expect we can achieve even greater development.”

If you take on the lead role and give an impressive performance.

It wasn’t even entrusting him with the business, but merely telling him to roll on set as an actor.

Jae Ho, who had been looking down slightly, slowly blinked and raised his head.

He knew how much time was invested in a long-running drama produced as a seasonal series. It was equivalent to telling him not to even think about getting involved in management for the next 5 years.

From the last gathering to today, the purpose of publicly reminding Jae Ho that he was an actor was so obvious it was laughable.

Jae Ho smiled crookedly with one corner of his mouth and looked at Lee Hun Tae sitting at the head of the table.

‘Want to say something?’

Lee Hun Tae asked with his eyes, but Jae Ho shook his head.

Tap tap.

Jae Ho tapped the microphone to check the volume and leisurely pulled it towards him.

“CEO Jung Hye Soo.”