Constrained to Start (8 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 12

[Kang Ji Ho speaking.]

Ra Jin pressed the phone tightly to her ear and turned her head.

A woman wearing black satin high heels adorned with crystals. Jin Jae Yi—luxury from birth to toe—was smiling brightly at the director’s words.

What on earth was going on in Kim Yu Jun’s fiancée’s office? Ra Jin couldn’t help but sigh at this utterly absurd situation.

“I’ll call you back right away.”

Ra Jin glanced sidelong at the director, who was giggling in a way that didn’t suit his size, and spoke.

The HS Hotel’s General Manager’s office resembled a suite.

Actor Seon Woo Jin—the male lead of the drama—the director, and Director Jin Jae Yi of HS Hotel, Kim Yu Jun’s fiancée, were in the middle of a conversation.

Normally, she wouldn’t take personal calls in such a setting, but right now, even a spam call would be welcome.

[I’ll wait.]

The moment she heard his deep, serious voice, inner conflict surged within her.

Should she use the call as an excuse to leave this place immediately? Her fiancé Kim Yu Jun, and this other man—whom his fiancée clearly misunderstood—what business did she even have staying here? The longer Ra Jin thought about it, the more irritated she became.

Yet, the weight of Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho’s request from two days ago was no small matter, so Ra Jin suppressed her wavering resolve.

“Yes. I’ll hang up now.”

Right after the production press conference ended, Ra Jin had been about to attend a reunion dinner with fellow actors she hadn’t seen in a while, using catching up as an excuse.

While cheerfully chatting with a supporting actress who played her closest friend in the drama, Director Jin Jae Yi arrived at the event venue, trailing secretaries behind her like ducklings.

Ra Jin tried to slip away, pretending not to notice—but the director grabbed her arm, pleading, “Just help me out this once!”

The director had just launched his own production company, and Jin Jae Yi controlled Haesung Group’s purse strings.

Desperate not to miss this opportunity, the director had proposed an impromptu tea meeting with the lead actors without even consulting them beforehand. Despite their prior commitments, he’d insisted so persistently that they’d practically been dragged here.

‘Five minutes. I’ll stay exactly five minutes, then leave.’

She’d already shown the director enough loyalty—any more would be overdoing it. If Haesung Group was seriously considering investing in the production, the director wouldn’t need to suck up so hard anyway.

Ra Jin double-checked that her call with Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho had indeed ended, then slipped her phone into her bag.

“Who was that…? Sounded like a man’s voice.”

Assuming it was Kim Yu Jun, Jin Jae Yi’s eyes instantly lit up.

Her motive for dredging up something that should’ve been left alone between two people who clearly had an awkward relationship was painfully obvious.

Absolute vigilance.

This was her way of declaring she wouldn’t let anyone take her fiancé. Ra Jin’s eyelids burned just from meeting Jin Jae Yi—she’d barely slept the past night worrying about Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho already.

‘Ugh, I won’t even last five minutes. I’ll just leave now.’

It was ridiculous to be used like a decorative screen while Jin Jae Yi performed her little act.

“I had to pick up a script.”

“Couldn’t your agency have handled that? You had to call a female actress at this late hour?”

“Right? At this hour.”

Ra Jin deliberately looked toward the large brass clock hanging on the wall as she spoke.

“I think I’ll take my leave now.”

Ra Jin placed her bag on her lap and gave a slight bow.

“Let’s go together, Ra Jin.”

“No, you’re leaving already? You’ve barely been here.”

As actor Seon Woo Jin started to stand up too, the director reached out a hand to stop him.

“Please continue your discussion. I have an important call.”

“Park Ra Jin.”

Jin Jae Yi crossed her arms and looked up at Ra Jin with a sideways glance.

“Sit down. I have something to say too.”

Was she planning to threaten her with Kim Yu Jun right here?

Jin Jae Yi’s confident, almost entitled demeanor—as if she owned the time—made Ra Jin’s face flush with anger.

“Do you have something specific you need from me?”

“Someone’s supposed to come soon. Just stay to say hello.”

“Oh dear, Ra Jin. Must be a very special guest! Stay a bit longer, okay?”

The director’s boastful chatter—acting as if they might land an endorsement deal—left Ra Jin speechless.

“Exactly who is this person, and which group do they belong to?”

“You’ll know once you see them.”

There was no time to hold her back, yet it also didn’t seem like she had anything truly important to say. Had she summoned Kim Yu Jun himself? Given their official engagement, it was certainly possible—which meant Ra Jin had even less reason to stay.

She had no intention of being used like a bridesmaid in some petty game of ego between Myeong Jin and Haesung before their marriage.

Ra Jin glanced at the heavy office door and gripped her bag tightly.

“I don’t know who it is, but I’ll have to greet them another time.”

“Park Ra Jin.”

“I have something important to attend to.”

“Aren’t you supposed to honor a request like this from me?”

When had Jin Jae Yi ever spoken so casually and petulantly, discarding her usual elegant composure? The room’s atmosphere instantly chilled at her sudden outburst.

‘What a perfectly matched couple.’

One-sided, domineering behavior—making demands without consideration.

No wonder they were drawn to each other; their obnoxiousness mirrored each other exactly. Ra Jin barely held back the urge to scream that even if Kim Yu Jun offered himself, she wouldn’t want him.

She’d done nothing morally wrong, yet Jin Jae Yi treated her like an adulteress. Ra Jin felt neither obligated to accept such treatment nor willing to endure it.

“This meeting wasn’t scheduled from the start. What should we do?”

She deliberately smiled even more politely and brightly—as if sincerely asking for understanding—then shifted her gaze toward the director, the one who’d created this awkward situation.

“Director, I really should go now.”

“Oh, no, Ra Jin. Just a little longer…”

“You’re not the type to show off celebrity connections, Director.”

Ra Jin gave a light bow and stood up immediately.

“You’d be better off reading the room, Park Ra Jin.”

“…”

“I’m being very patient right now.”

Was this really appropriate to say in front of a director famously known as a gossip mill in the entertainment industry? Jin Jae Yi spoke without restraint, acting like someone desperate to become the center of scandal.

‘My patience ran out a long time ago—thanks to you and Kim Yu Jun.’

Swallowing the words she wanted to say, Ra Jin forced a bright smile—as if she had no idea what Jin Jae Yi was talking about. In response, Jin Jae Yi let out a hollow, mocking laugh full of disdain.

“If my patience snaps, things will get very interesting. I hope you’re looking forward to it.”

Did she really think Ra Jin would be scared by such a shallow threat?

Maybe she should just reveal that incident at the hotel—tell them everything right here and see if Jin Jae Yi would still talk about “patience.” She was almost tempted to try.

If Kim Yu Jun meant so much to her, why not just marry him—stocks, shares, whatever—without dragging innocent people into her drama? It made no sense.

Suppressing a wave of exhaustion, Ra Jin gave a resigned nod.

When the door clicked open, all the office secretaries stood up in unison. As Ra Jin walked past with a nod of acknowledgment, she heard their hushed whispers:

“The managing director should be coming up soon. What do we do?”

“Should we stop her?”

“How? A three-way confrontation would only make things worse. It’ll just cause rumors.”

The “managing director” they mentioned was surely Kim Yu Jun. Clearly, Jin Jae Yi’s desired narrative was to brand Ra Jin as an impurity disrupting their perfect engagement.

The thought of their absurd plan for a confrontation made Ra Jin’s neck stiffen with irritation.

She hadn’t run into Kim Yu Jun since escaping the hotel, but if she let her guard down, she was bound to bump into him.

“Ugh.”

Ra Jin decisively abandoned the elevator and headed for the emergency stairs instead.

In the echoing space where the door slammed shut, the green “EXIT” sign glowed brightly above the number “28.”

“Infuriating people.”

She wasn’t some glamorous fugitive—just an ordinary woman trapped in an unbelievable situation. A hot, frustrated sigh escaped her lips.

“Let’s go. For now.”

The moment she started walking slowly, a chill seeped between her jeweled-strap sandals and her flowing dress. To avoid falling, Ra Jin immediately grabbed the stair railing.

High heels thinner than her pinky finger, towering at 10 centimeters—each step down the stairs made her heels wobble dangerously, sending tremors from her ankles all the way to her knees.

“I swear, after this project with that director, never again!”

The stairs seemed endless, circling like an unending nightmare. Ra Jin tucked her sweat-soaked side hair behind her ear and tightly gripped her cumbersome skirt.

Now on the 10th floor.

“Ugh. Seriously.”

The words “so annoying” burst out along with a hot breath. Ra Jin pressed the back of her hand against her flushed eyes and finally collapsed onto the steps at the 7th floor.

Maybe she should’ve just taken the elevator, fiancé or no fiancé. What was she even doing here, suffering like this, just because someone invited her to a suite in his fiancée’s hotel?

Overwhelmed by mental and physical exhaustion, all sorts of thoughts flooded Ra Jin’s mind. Leaning her head against the handrail, she caught her breath.

“Oh! Ha Eun.”

Wanting to ask where she was, Ra Jin immediately grabbed her phone.

“Huh?”

Dozens of messages—all from Ha Eun.

Ha Eun’s messages radiated urgency.

Ra Jin didn’t know what scheme Jin Jae Yi was plotting or why she’d called Kim Yu Jun, but she absolutely refused to be toyed with.

Ra Jin tossed her head back and took a moment to catch her breath, then quickly typed a reply.

Before even waiting for Ha Eun’s reply, Ra Jin scrolled through her contacts and immediately called Seon Woo Jin.

The phone rang only briefly.

[Hey, hyung! Is it that late already?]

Before Ra Jin could even say “hello,” she heard the actor’s unexpected words.

[Right now? Huh? We’ve already finished our drinks. Oh, yeah. Time to go. See you!]

True to his profession, his acting was flawlessly convincing. Ra Jin listened in silence to his method performance without uttering a word.

Loud, exaggerated farewells came through the phone, followed by cheerful, hurried laughter and the sound of quick footsteps.

With a loud slam of a door, Seon Woo Jin’s voice finally came through clearly.

[Go ahead. Talk.]

“Give me a ride.”

Seon Woo Jin let out a soft chuckle.

[You ran off first without any loyalty, and now you’re asking me for a ride?]

“I’m sitting in the emergency stairwell right now.”

[What about your manager?]

“You saw her at the set—she’s loyal only to the CEO.”

His laughter grew louder at her remark that he wasn’t “her person.”

[People might start rumors about us dating, you know.]

“Then the drama will get more publicity—good for us. Are you giving me a ride or not?”

[Come down to B1.]

It was a bit rude to treat her co-star—whom she hadn’t seen in ages—like a taxi, but saving face could wait. Ra Jin quickly ended the call after a quick “thank you” to put out this immediate emergency.

She’d caught her breath enough, but walking all the way down to B1 in these impractically pretty shoes wouldn’t be easy. As she untied the jeweled strap of her sandals, she pulled up Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho’s contact and pressed call.

[Yes. Kang Ji Ho speaking.]

“Thank you for calling me earlier.”

[Have you eaten?]

Why was he talking about meals in such a serious tone? Bewildered, Ra Jin let out a dry laugh.

“If you’re planning to make another difficult request over food like last time…”

Though she’d softened her words, he clearly understood—they fell silent.

[You rejected me outright last time. Surely you won’t do it again?]

“…”

[Let’s meet. Just us.]