The Jeju Island filming was completed smoothly.

For Young In, the biggest gain was becoming much more comfortable with Jin Gyo. To the point of regretting the moment she stopped him when he asked if he should confess and be rejected.

She could also say she became more comfortable with Sung Hyuk. Although it was somewhat forced, not avoiding his contact made her feel less uncomfortable.

However, she had to frown more than once due to Hee Ran’s severe irritation.

It was certain that Cha Sung Hyuk was the cause of the irritation, but she couldn’t be sure what the two had talked about. She could only vaguely guess.

Young In, who returned to Seoul, tried not to think about anything as she spent the weekend.

And on Monday afternoon.

Young In left the office with Hae Yoon. It was to go to the film set where their assigned actor was appearing. But in front of the elevator, they encountered an unwelcome person.

Inside the elevator that had come up from below and stopped on the 5th floor was Hee Ran.

Young In and Hae Yoon silently bowed to Hee Ran, who was standing with her arms crossed.

Hee Ran stepped out of the elevator with a smile and stood in front of Young In.

“I came to see Chae Young In, and I’m glad I ran into you.”

A spark flashed in Young In’s eyes.

“Me?”

“I have a favor to ask.”

Judging by her expression and tone, it seemed more like an instruction or order rather than a favor, but Young In decided to hear her out.

“Go ahead.”

“Elder sister Hyun Shim said she’s resting until this week. Until elder sister Hyun Shim returns, I want you to accompany me on my schedule, Chae Young In.”

“It would be better if you spoke to the deputy team leader of Team 2.”

“Are you refusing my request right now?”

“Yes.”

“You can do it for elder brother Jin Gyo but not for me?”

Hae Yoon, who had been listening quietly, couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Come on, you should insist on what you can insist on. Senior Seo Jin Gyo is in Team 5, and you, Senior Baek Hee Ran, are in Team 2.”

Hee Ran’s gaze turned to Hae Yoon. Her face clearly showed displeasure.

“Even if the teams are different, we’re in the same company. Do we have to divide it so inflexibly into my team, your team? You’re being really rigid.”

Hae Yoon couldn’t help but laugh sarcastically.

“You know this is called the pot calling the kettle black, right? It’s not like there’s no one in Team 2, so why are you doing this to our team leader?”

Hee Ran raised one eyebrow.

“What’s your name?”

“It’s An Hae Yoon. Why?”

Young In couldn’t just stand by and watch the situation escalate.

“I’ll take care of Hee Ran’s schedule until Team Leader Cho returns to work.”

Both of them turned to look at Young In at the same time.

“Check my schedule with the deputy team leader.”

Hee Ran left without a word of thanks, giving Hae Yoon a sharp glare.

Hae Yoon let out a heavy sigh.

“Team leader, don’t you know Baek Hee Ran’s ulterior motives? She’ll definitely pick a fight over something ridiculous.”

“I know.”

Unless one was a fool, how could they not know?

“If you know, why did you agree to do it?”

“Because I don’t like things getting noisy.”

“Perhaps… because of me…?”

Young In smiled gently at Hae Yoon, who was looking at her nervously.

“You told the CEO, didn’t you? That I wouldn’t just sit back and take it. I could have refused well, were you worried I might hastily agree?”

She had quickly intervened to prevent the fight between Hee Ran and Hae Yoon from escalating.

“In the moment, I just got so heated…”

It was true that she had been worried as well.

Hae Yoon was reminded once again that Young In had put everything back in its place that Hee Ran had overturned.

“I’m sorry for butting in, team leader.”

“It’s okay. I was actually touched.”

Young In gently patted the dejected Hae Yoon’s back.

Two days later, three people gathered in front of Hee Ran’s house entrance.

Young In quietly watched Hee Ran’s on-site manager anxiously pressing the doorbell before speaking up.

“Do you know the door lock password?”

“No, I don’t…”

As Young In’s gaze turned to her, the stylist hurriedly shook her head.

“I don’t know either.”

The three people who had been in the parking lot came up to the house because no matter how many times they called, there was no answer. It was the same with the doorbell.

“Then who knows?”

“Team Leader Cho knows.”

“What are you doing? Hurry up and call to ask instead of not contacting her.”

“Ah, yes.”

The stylist hurriedly called Hyun Shim to find out the door lock password, then opened the door.

Young In let the two go in first and followed behind them.

Passing through the quiet hallway and reaching the living room, they saw the homeowner sprawled out on the rug under the sofa. Empty bottles of alcohol were lined up on the coffee table.

The on-site manager and stylist were at a loss for words at the unbelievable sight.

Young In, who had been silently looking down at Hee Ran sleeping obliviously, gave instructions to the two.

“Turn on the living room lights and wake up Hee Ran.”

“Yes.”

The on-site manager, who had come to his senses, quickly turned on the living room lights, and the stylist tried to wake Hee Ran.

Only after shouting and shaking her for a while did Hee Ran open her eyes. Her hazy eyes were full of intoxication.

Calm words flowed from Young In’s mouth.

“Did you forget you have an ad shoot today? I said I’d come pick you up by 6.”

Hee Ran, who had barely managed to sit up, stared blankly at Young In standing in front of her before letting out an exclamation.

“Ah…”

As her mind slowly returned, she remembered receiving a summons from the prosecutor’s office yesterday.

Feeling fearful, troubled, and unjustly treated, she had one drink, then two, and before she knew it, she lost control and ended up completely drunk, forgetting about today’s ad shoot.

“Do you have a cold compress at home?”

“…?”

“Look in the mirror.”

Hee Ran picked up the hand mirror placed next to the liquor bottles and looked at her face. It was swollen unsightly.

With this face, if she said she was going to do an ad shoot, she might get cursed at by the advertiser. It was that serious of a state.

However, now was not the time to worry about the ad shoot. She felt like she was going to die from how bad her stomach felt.

“I feel nauseous…”

Hee Ran, who had been leaning against the sofa, flopped back down onto the rug.

Young In turned to look at the on-site manager who was at a loss beside her.

“I saw a pharmacy nearby on the way here. Buy some hangover medicine and wait in the car. We’ll be down soon.”

After the on-site manager hurriedly disappeared, the stylist quietly went to the kitchen and found a cold compress.

Young In, who received the cold compress, urged Hee Ran who was groaning.

“We don’t have time for this. Get up quickly.”

“I feel like I’m going to throw up…”

“Are you going to miss the shoot?”

“I really can’t get up…”

Young In thought for a moment before turning to the stylist.

“Min Joo, call Ji Hoon and tell him to come back.”

“Yes, team leader.”

While the stylist was calling the on-site manager to relay Young In’s words, Young In also took out her cell phone.

“Director, this is Chae Young In. I think we urgently need to get an IV drip. Do you have a bed available? It’s because of a hangover. If we leave now, about 15 minutes? Yes, see you in a bit.”

Just as she finished the call, the on-site manager returned.

“There’s a 24-hour hospital. We’re going there. Can you carry Hee Ran?”

As the on-site manager nodded solemnly and approached Hee Ran, Young In shifted her gaze to the stylist.

“Do you have something like a hooded jacket?”

“Just a moment.”

Young In draped the hooded jacket that the stylist brought from the dressing room over Hee Ran’s shoulders as she was being carried on the on-site manager’s back, and put the hood on to cover her face.

“Let’s go.”

The four people went down to the underground parking lot and got into the van.

Hee Ran, who had been dry heaving continuously, threw a tantrum saying she needed to lie down and to take her back up to her house, ad shoot be damned.

“You’ll regret it later when you feel a bit better. Can you handle the aftermath?”

“…”

Young In put the cold compress on Hee Ran’s face, who had gone quiet.

The on-site manager, sitting in the driver’s seat and gauging the situation, quietly started the car. The stylist, sitting in the third row, leaned forward and whispered to Young In, who was sitting next to Hee Ran in the second row.

“Team leader, what about the shop? To be on standby by 8, the time…”

The original schedule was to go to the shop for hair and makeup and then go to the shooting location.

“Call Hee Ran’s assigned stylist and ask if they can come to the shooting location.”

The stylist immediately called the shop to relay Young In’s words, but her expression darkened.

“Team leader, the director is in charge of Hee Ran’s sister, but they said there’s another appointment right after Hee Ran’s sister. They said it’s an important client so they can’t hand it over to another stylist. What should we do?”

“Ask if they can send someone else, even if it’s not the usual person.”

“They said there’s no one suitable…”

“I see. I’ll find someone else.”

The stylist, who had hung up, looked worriedly at Young In as she took out her cell phone.

She was anxious that Young In might find someone without experience or reputation.

She wanted to explain that when the director just now said there was no one suitable, it meant there was no one who could satisfy the picky Baek Hee Ran.

A moment later, a calm voice resonated in the quiet car.

“Director, it’s Young In. I need your help.”

Young In explained the general situation, excluding the fact that Hee Ran had drunk heavily. Then she asked the director to come directly to the shooting location and hung up.

As if she had been waiting, the stylist immediately asked.

“Who is it?”

“Director Shin Kyung Ah.”

“What? Director Shin Kyung Ah?”

The stylist’s eyes widened.

“Director Shin is famous for not taking just anyone. That picky person agreed to come out on such short notice when you asked?”

Hee Ran, who had been quietly listening to see who would be recruited, suddenly interjected.

“Because she’s famous for not taking just anyone, she readily took me on.”

Even in the midst of feeling nauseous and about to vomit, Hee Ran didn’t forget to brag.

“Team leader didn’t mention your name while talking on the phone. She just said ‘our actor’. She agreed to come even without knowing who it was, just because Team Leader Chae asked.”

“…”

Hee Ran, who had unnecessarily spoken up and ended up worse off, frowned and closed her eyes again.