Sung Hyuk originally had no interest in the entertainment industry. Having been in the United States for 3 years, it was natural that he knew even less about Korean actors than before.

He had now finished familiarizing himself with the celebrities under SL Entertainment, but he still didn’t know much about those from other companies. The reason he recognized the tall man before him was because he was so famous it was impossible not to know him.

Seo Jin Gyo.

At thirty years old, the same age as Sung Hyuk, he was popular among all age groups for his outstanding acting skills and handsome appearance. With endless heartwarming stories about him circulating among fellow actors, staff, and fans, it would be strange if he wasn’t popular.

However, Sung Hyuk disliked him. Though they had never exchanged a word, hostility boiled up inside him.

“I caught a glimpse of your back while coming from the restroom and thought it was you. Of course, I wouldn’t fail to recognize Chae Young In.”

The sweet smile he directed at Young In was also irritating,

“Senior, you were here too.”

It was infuriatingly unpleasant that he and Young In addressed each other with the same title.

He disliked Young In calling Oh Chang Geun “elder brother,” but he also disliked her calling Seo Jin Gyo “senior.” Of course, he would have disliked it equally if she had called Seo Jin Gyo “elder brother” too.

In short, he was dissatisfied with both different and same forms of address. His instinct regarded any man with even a slight acquaintance with Chae Young In as an enemy.

In fact, Young In didn’t attach much significance to titles. Her criteria for addressing celebrities were quite simple.

For those younger or the same age, it was “Mr./Ms. So-and-so,” for those older, it was “senior” or “sir/madam.” Unlike other managers, she didn’t use terms like “elder sister” or “elder brother.”

“What’s this? A date, perhaps?”

Sung Hyuk noticed a glint of wariness in Jin Gyo’s eyes as he glanced at him.

“It’s not like that. This is our CEO.”

“CEO?”

Young In’s gaze shifted from Jin Gyo to Sung Hyuk.

“CEO, this is actor Seo Jin Gyo.”

Jin Gyo extended his greeting first.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Seo Jin Gyo.”

Jin Gyo had heard that the second son of the SL Group had been appointed as the CEO of SL Entertainment. He had been skeptical of rumors about his looks rivaling those of most actors, but seeing with his own eyes, he couldn’t help but acknowledge the truth.

“I’m Cha Sung Hyuk.”

As soon as the introductions were over, Jin Gyo turned back to Young In with a smile.

“I didn’t think at all that he might be the CEO, so I was shocked thinking it might be a date.”

Before Young In could say anything, a dry voice cut in.

“Why would that be shocking?”

Jin Gyo hesitated for a moment before turning his gaze to Sung Hyuk.

“It’s natural to be surprised when you think a woman who’s promised to marry is dating another man.”

“A relationship with a promise of marriage?”

Sung Hyuk frowned, and Young In’s eyes widened.

“Senior, why are you saying such strange things?”

“It’s true. We agreed to get married if I’m not married by forty, remember?”

“I never agreed to that.”

“You laughed then. A laugh means yes.”

Seeing him joke around, Sung Hyuk threw out a curt remark.

“You can laugh even when something’s too absurd.”

It was a statement born from experience. He remembered the moment when Young In had burst into laughter at his proposal, “Then will you marry me?” during the blind date he had attended in place of Oh Chang Geun.

Jin Gyo smiled and changed the subject.

“SL Entertainment must have great benefits. The CEO brings an employee to a place like this.”

“The benefits are good, but I don’t bring all employees to places like this.”

“Are you saying Young In is special?”

“Yes.”

“…”

“Very much so.”

Young In, who had been watching the two men exchange subtly sharp words with anxious eyes, stepped in to change the atmosphere.

“Senior, what brings you here?”

“The Last Supper.”

“Ah, a final meal with your agency family?”

“As expected of Chae Young In. You catch on quick.”

As Jin Gyo gave a thumbs up, the corners of Young In’s eyes curved up.

“Why aren’t you asking which agency I signed with?”

“Which agency did you sign with?”

As soon as rumors spread that Seo Jin Gyo’s exclusive contract with his agency had expired and he wouldn’t be renewing, major management companies had jumped into a recruitment competition. However, it wasn’t yet known which company he had signed with.

“I haven’t yet. But I will soon. You’ll find out soon too, so just wait a little.”

At that moment, Sung Hyuk opened his tightly closed mouth.

“The elevator’s here.”

He entered the elevator first and held the open button.

“I’ll be going, senior. Please go in.”

“Go on. I’ll contact you.”

The two men, standing inside and outside the elevator, exchanged brief nods as a farewell.

Sung Hyuk released the open button as soon as Young In entered the elevator. Through the slowly closing doors, he could see Jin Gyo’s retreating back.

“Which floor is the car on?”

“Basement level 3.”

The fully closed elevator began descending towards the basement level 3 that Sung Hyuk had pressed. The two didn’t exchange a word until they reached the parking lot and got into the car.

Sung Hyuk was the one to break the silence.

“Are you close with Seo Jin Gyo?”

“Yes.”

Young In knew he was jealous right now. Her answer wasn’t meant to make him more jealous, but simply to state the fact.

She had met Jin Gyo about two years ago through a movie featuring an actor she was managing. Although they didn’t contact each other often, they met once every couple of months for drinks. She felt comfortable with him even after not seeing him for a long time.

It was a secret that she was drawn to him because he resembled Cha Sung Hyuk in many ways.

“Ah, I see.”

Just as Sung Hyuk responded curtly, a faint vibration sound was heard. It was coming from his pants pocket.

He took out his mobile phone, checked the caller, and put it back in his pocket.

Feeling her gaze, he turned to see Young In’s face saying, ‘Don’t mind me, go ahead and answer.’

“It’s my mother. I can call her back later.”

“…”

Young In snapped to attention at the mention of his mother.

She vividly remembered the calm expression and voice.

“You’re not expecting Sung Hyuk to marry you, are you? I was going to just watch since I didn’t think it would last long anyway, but I’m not happy about you two dating casually either. I hope you know that your existence is our Sung Hyuk’s only flaw.”

Breaking up with him the day she met his mother was a kind of defense mechanism.

She was afraid of the fact that her existence was Cha Sung Hyuk’s only flaw. She wanted to run away, to avoid it.

Sung Hyuk vaguely assumed that Young In had broken up with him because his existence was burdensome.

It wasn’t an entirely wrong guess. He just didn’t know that his mother was the decisive reason for the breakup.

The two remained silent for different reasons, and the car was enveloped in stillness.

The next afternoon.

Sung Hyuk visited his family home.

The residence of SL Group Chairman Cha Hyun Woong was a detached house consisting of one basement level and three above-ground floors. The land area alone was close to 500 pyeong. The hundreds of years old pine trees exuding noble dignity were truly a spectacle.

Behind the spacious yard, the L-shaped building showcasing a harmony of white and gray was divided into the main house and the annex. The horizontally extended part was the main house, and the vertically descending part was the annex.

Currently, Chairman Cha and his wife, along with their youngest daughter, lived in the main house, while the eldest son and his wife lived in the annex. Before moving out, Sung Hyuk had used the second floor of the main house.

The reason the eldest son, Myung Gyu, and his wife, Jung Hye, didn’t live separately was entirely their own choice. It was to show their parents a good image and solidify the position of successor.

A middle-aged woman with her hair up greeted Sung Hyuk as he entered the main house, walking on the stepping stones leading from the main gate to the entrance.

“You’re here, son?”

It was Lady Han In Sook, Chairman Cha’s wife and mother of the three siblings. Her gentle tone matched perfectly with her elegant appearance.

“Where’s father?”

“He’s in the study.”

Lady Han naturally linked arms with Sung Hyuk. As they walked together towards the study, she casually brought up a topic.

“Son.”

“Yes.”

“You’re already thirty. You should meet a nice girl and get married.”

“I should.”

“Really? Then how about meeting the only daughter of the Hong Eun Group? I heard she’s such a nice girl.”

Lady Han brightened up because Sung Hyuk showed a positive reaction for the first time, when he used to frown as soon as the topic of marriage was brought up until recently. In fact, she had already been looking for suitable candidates regardless of his opinion.

“No. I’ll choose my own marriage partner.”

“You…”

Lady Han almost blurted out her worry about him meeting someone like Chae Young In again, but she hastily swallowed her words.

“Go ahead and say it.”

“…Ah, it’s nothing.”

Thankfully, Sung Hyuk didn’t notice, and she was out of her mind to try to bring up something he had forgotten and create unnecessary trouble.

“She should be a woman suitable for our family. You know that, right?”

“She should be suitable for me.”

Lady Han forced a smile.

“That goes without saying.”

Surely he wouldn’t meet someone worse than an adopted child with unknown roots.

A family with no pedigree was terrible, but taking a daughter-in-law whose parents were unknown was equally horrifying.

Three years ago, when she found out that her beloved son was dating an adopted girl named Chae Young In, the disappointment she felt was something she never wanted to experience again. Once was enough to be let down by someone she trusted.

“Mom trusts our son’s judgment.”

Young In had joined Hyesung Entertainment after Sung Hyuk left for the United States, and Lady Han believed that their relationship had completely ended when Sung Hyuk went to America. So she had no reason to pay attention to Young In.

She was unaware that Young In was now working as a manager, or that the reason Sung Hyuk had chosen SL Entertainment over the Business Planning Department was because of Chae Young In.

The biggest problem was that Sung Hyuk’s heart and determination had become even firmer than three years ago.