Constrained to Start (8 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 4
“You find it bothersome? Are those your words, Deputy Chief?”
At Ho Jin’s question, Ji Ho silently cursed inwardly. Just how out of it was he to have spoken his thoughts aloud?
“There’s just something holding me back.”
Pretending to be calm, Ji Ho saw Ho Jin turn her face back toward the window again.
―“Ladies and gentlemen, children left in the blind spot of attention are far more likely to be exposed to crime…”
Her voice on the radio droned on about preventing child abuse, set against the glittering night view of the Han River.
Though the pairing felt utterly incongruous, Ji Ho kept finding his attention drawn toward her.
“Oh! Senior, are you going to receive an award at this year’s Legal Day event?”
Ho Jin, who’d been pressing her face against the window, now fully turned her body around.
“Why would I bother with that?”
“Other people would kill to get that kind of recognition. Why wouldn’t you go?”
“Then why don’t you go in my place?”
At his casually tossed-off reply, Ho Jin tilted the corner of her mouth upward.
“You really should go. If you do well, you might even get a bouquet and a commemorative photo.”
Ji Ho chuckled softly.
“What’s so great about taking a picture with the Minister? You’d be better off reviewing case files during that time.”
“No, I didn’t mean the Minister—I meant Ms. Park Ra Jin. I heard she’s attending the event. Didn’t you hear?”
Just how many times today had her name popped up unexpectedly? First she kept appearing out of nowhere, and now even at the office? Frowning at her unpredictable presence, Ji Ho furrowed his brow.
“Didn’t she shoot a drama at the Gwacheon government complex a couple years back?”
“A drama?”
“You really only watch the news, don’t you?”
That was news to him.
“Anyway, rumor has it the Minister personally asked Park Ra Jin to serve as the Ministry of Justice’s promotional ambassador back then.”
“You sure know a lot of useless things.”
“Well, I do have pretty wide connections.”
Ho Jin leaned forward slightly.
“My best friend’s a veteran in the entertainment industry. Want me to share some juicy gossip I heard?”
Despite Ji Ho’s silence, Ho Jin ignored it and lowered his voice dramatically.
“They say tons of chaebol heirs are head-over-heels for Park Ra Jin.”
Chaebol heirs? Had Kim Yu Jun been anxious about that? No matter how many rivals there were, Kim Yu Jun should’ve been trying harder to win Park Ra Jin’s favor—not acting threateningly. Ji Ho couldn’t quite grasp Kim Yu Jun’s behavior.
“They’re all scrambling to impress her, and the top contender is apparently Kim Yu Jun.”
“How would you even know that?”
“Rumor has it he invests—without even asking—in every single project Park Ra Jin appears in. Practically at ‘wallet king’ levels.”
So huge sums of money were flowing in purely for investment purposes…
That only made Kim Yu Jun’s actions even more puzzling.
There was something subtly complex between the two—something that couldn’t be explained by money alone. Not that Ji Ho could quite put his finger on it.
“And besides, Park Ra Jin has an older brother on paper.”
“‘Older brother on paper’? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means her stepfather’s son—basically, they’re strangers with not a drop of shared blood.”
“How complicated.”
Seeing Ji Ho show interest, Ho Jin’s eyes sparkled.
“That ‘brother’ runs Park Ra Jin’s talent agency. His name’s Oh Jong Hyuk. He was even investigated once for violating foreign exchange laws.”
—“Contact Oh Jong Hyuk immediately.”
As if someone had pressed a button, Kim Yu Jun’s voice suddenly replayed in Ji Ho’s mind. Instantly, Ji Ho’s gaze turned icy cold.
“But there’s also a rumor that Kim Yu Jun practically founded that agency himself. Still… sigh…”
“What now? Is there more?”
“Sometimes I wonder how much she must mean to him. But then I think—how crazy must he be, when he’s already got a fiancée?”
Ji Ho’s head snapped toward him.
“Fiancée?”
“Yes—the youngest daughter of Haesung Group. Director Jin Jae Yi of Hotel HS is Kim Yu Jun’s fiancée.”
So he already had someone to marry, yet he was obsessing over Park Ra Jin…
Even if it were just extreme fandom, investing such enormous amounts must have a reasonable explanation. Could there be some deeper meaning?
Then, his thoughts circled back to Park Ra Jin—the origin of all these questions.
“Ho Jin, when exactly is the award ceremony?”
[This is the timeline separator]Cheongdam-dong’s luxury shopping street.
Ra Jin stared at the flagship store window, where her face was printed large-scale. She let out a short sigh.
Why did they have to market it so excessively? It felt like they’d laid out a giant mirror on the street for her to pose prettily in front of.
“Actress, we’ll switch products and continue.”
“Okay.”
As the photo crew adjusted the reflector under her chin, the head makeup artist tapped her nose lightly with a brush. The routine was so familiar that the moment the staff stepped back, Ra Jin instantly repositioned her posture.
Click-click—
As the photographer snapped the shutter, a rapid series of flashes blinded her momentarily. Satisfied with the test shots, the photographer immediately gave a thumbs-up.
“Even prettier than before. Prettier still.”
At the cascade of demands, Ra Jin tilted her head just enough to highlight her left profile. Holding the round powder compact symmetrically along her collarbone, she naturally lifted the corners of her lips.
Amidst the crew’s awed murmurs about true professionalism and the continuous clicking of shutters,
Ra Jin never lost her alluring smile, even as she subtly manipulated the cosmetic product.
“One more shot! Yes, perfect. That’s great.”
He kept pressing the shutter nonstop, praising her as if it were art itself, even as he insisted he was satisfied.
Eventually, her facial muscles felt as if they’d short-circuited, and her lower eyelid began to twitch involuntarily.
What time was it already? She had a feeling she’d missed her scheduled appointment by quite a bit, so she glanced furtively out the window. The once-blue sky had already turned violet.
“Where on earth is Manager Hyung Sik right now, and what’s he doing?”
Not seeing her manager anywhere in sight, Ra Jin sighed quietly. Unable to bear it any longer, she called out to the coordinator.
“Director, I have another schedule afterward.”
She voiced her concern first, stepping in for her seemingly absent manager. She needed this shoot to wrap up soon so she wouldn’t be late visiting her mother at the hospital.
Just as she was about to suggest wrapping things up,
“Wow, we’ve really gone way over time.”
Her manager finally sauntered over, phone still pressed to his ear. Seeing his shameless attitude, Ra Jin narrowed her eyes.
“Do you even realize how much our actress charges per hour? You should at least offer us overtime pay.”
He neglected his actual duties yet loved to bluster unnecessarily. Everyone in the industry knew a manager’s attitude directly reflected on the actor’s reputation. Was he out of his mind?
Unable to stand by any longer, Ra Jin gestured with her hand.
“I’m fine with it—just please wrap things up here.”
At her urgent tone, Hyung Sik clamped his mouth shut.
Regardless, Ra Jin forced one last smile and repeatedly said, “Thank you, everyone. Great job.”
Outside the store, after finally escaping thirty minutes later,
The sky between the checkered buildings had turned entirely gray.
She’d be a bit late, but once she crossed Hannam Bridge, the hospital would be close. The moment the large van’s door opened, Ra Jin practically collapsed inside.
The instant she kicked off her painfully tight high heels, an electric jolt shot through her body.
“Ugh… finally alive.”
She groaned involuntarily, utterly drained, and sank deep into the seat, letting her eyes drift shut.
Click—the door closed, and Hyung Sik immediately put his phone back to his ear again.
His destination was obvious—why did he have to report in so zealously? Was he openly advertising himself as the CEO’s personal CCTV? So exasperated was she that she shook her head back and forth.
“We’re heading out now.”
Ra Jin nodded at Hyung Sik’s words once he finished his call.
Upbeat background music drifted from the radio, taillights glowed in the endless stream of traffic, and Hyung Sik kept glancing frequently into the rearview mirror.
Why was he acting so unusually fussy today? Turning her face away from her manager’s persistent gaze, she watched the glittering streetlights, couples walking side by side, and office workers hurrying toward subway entrances.
“When will I ever get to live like that?”
Ra Jin leaned her head against the window, lost in thought.
―“Next news update: Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho has newly joined Special Prosecutor Heo Tae Soo’s investigation into the fraudulent fund case. Known for handling special cases, Prosecutor Kang previously arrested Chairman Kim Gi Tae of Myeong Jin Group…”
Ra Jin snapped out of her reverie at the clear voice from the radio.
He arrested the chairman?
The broadcast went on at length about how remarkably accomplished this young prosecutor was—listing off numerous powerful figures from politics and business he’d already detained. Ra Jin listened intently, not wanting to miss a word.
―“Given that Myeong Jin Securities sold the largest fund in question, all eyes are now on where the investigation’s blade will strike next.”
However mighty Myeong Jin Group might be, if it was making headlines like this, it was clearly in deep crisis. Yet at such a critical time, Kim Yu Jun was only suggesting they spend the night together. Ra Jin couldn’t fathom what was going on in his head.
“Does he have some kind of secret confidence?”
Before she could ponder further, Hyung Sik cleared his throat pointedly.
“Where should I drop you off?”
“Please let me off at the back entrance.”
As the turn signal clicked rhythmically and the car gradually slowed, Ra Jin gathered her bag.
“I’ll call you when I’m done.”
It would only be awkward if Hyung Sik accompanied her all the way to the room—she preferred being alone. Stopping her manager just as he was about to get out from the driver’s seat, Ra Jin stepped out of the car by herself.
Late evening.
The hospital lobby, emptied of outpatients, was quite quiet. Still, she could feel the doctors’ overt gazes as they loitered near the café.
Fifteenth floor—where single-patient rooms were located.
Seeing the light flash indicating the odd-numbered elevator’s arrival, Ra Jin hurried across the lobby. If she missed this one, someone would surely approach her asking for photos. Already exhausted from a day full of cameras, she wanted nothing to do with any of it.
In her high heels, Ra Jin practically sprinted across the slippery floor.
“Wait a second!”
She called out toward the elevator just as its doors were closing. Suddenly, a large hand shot out, and with a clunk, the doors reopened.
“Phew… thank you.”
Breathless, she quickly offered a nod of thanks.
As Ra Jin stepped inside, the man glanced at her briefly before pressing the close button. A crisp, fresh scent drifted from his gently trembling wristwatch.
Citrus? The subtle, clear fragrance—like a cloudless sky—caught Ra Jin’s attention, and her eyes drifted toward him.
A man in a classic suit.
Her eyes caught the navy lapel in her field of vision. A quick, furtive glance revealed his profile—sharp and exquisitely drawn—but his eyes were as cold as early winter.
“You haven’t pressed your floor yet.”
At his low remark, Ra Jin’s hand moved instinctively. As she reached for the 15th-floor button, she noticed the light was already lit.
“Is something wrong with me?”
Since her mother had been a long-term patient, Ra Jin knew most of the regulars on the 15th floor—but she’d never seen this man before.
“I’m also going to the 15th floor.”
“Oh.”
She hadn’t expected familiarity, but his razor-sharp reply left her oddly embarrassed. Was her fame as a top star still not enough for recognition?
Inside the spacious elevator—designed to fit mobile hospital beds—
The silence between her and this stranger felt unbearably awkward. Ra Jin fidgeted with her bag, debating whether to take out her phone.
Vrrrrm, vrrrrm—
A vibration sounded from the man standing beside her, and Ra Jin’s eyes rolled sideways. Though he kept his gaze straight ahead, she could clearly see him checking the caller ID.
“Hmph.”
Along with his soft sigh, the citrus scent deepened slightly.
An unwelcome call? The man held onto his phone but didn’t answer it.
The awkward moment was brief. With a clear chime, the elevator doors opened.
Adjusting her bag, Ra Jin stepped out first. Behind her came quiet footsteps—and right between them, the persistent vibration abruptly cut off.
“Yes, Vice Minister. This is Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho.”
Instantly, Ra Jin’s head whipped around.
When the male lead is punished by carrying the female lead’s child and having periods like a woman
“I’ve given birth to two children for you, yet you still think about him.
Was I nothing but his substitute to you from beginning to end?”
Synopsis:
Meng Huan, a scumbag who has dated countless girlfriends, transmigrates to a female-dominated country.
Day 1: Whether it’s female dominance or not doesn’t matter. The beauties here are passionate and amorous. Isn’t it easier to date them than in modern times?
Day 2: After a night, Meng Huan discovers the differences in the female-dominated world. Men here actually have chastity locks and menstrual cycles. This hinders his ability to perform, damn it!
Day 3: What’s wrong with sleeping around? I don’t want you to marry me. I’m meant to be a playboy. I don’t care about male virtues… What? You want to drown me in a pig cage? Marry, I’ll marry!
Day N: Meng Huan inexplicably vomits and receives the shocking news of his life… He’s pregnant.
_____
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