Not for the First Time (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 16
Sung Hyuk originally had zero interest in the entertainment industry. On top of that, he had been in the U.S. for three years, so it was only natural that he knew even less about Korean actors than before.
He had finished figuring out the celebrities under SL Entertainment, but he still didn’t know much about those from other agencies. The reason he recognized the tall man in front of him was simply because the guy was too famous to be unaware of.
Seo Jin Gyo.
This year he turned thirty, the same age as Sung Hyuk, and with outstanding acting skills and a clean-cut appearance, he was popular across all age groups. Warm-hearted stories about him constantly circulated among fellow actors, staff, and fans, so it would actually be strange if he weren’t popular.
Yet Sung Hyuk found him displeasing. They had never even exchanged a single word, but hostility boiled up inside him anyway.
“I happened to catch a glimpse of your back while heading to the restroom and thought it looked like you. Of course I’d never fail to recognize Chae Young In.”
That sweet smile he directed at Young In was irritating,
“Sunbae, you were here too.”
and the fact that he and Sung Hyuk were both called the same thing by Young In drove him absolutely mad.
He didn’t like Young In calling Oh Chang Geun “oppa” either, but he hated her calling Seo Jin Gyo “sunbae” just as much. Of course, he would have hated it even if she called him “oppa” instead.
In short, whether the title was different or the same as his own, everything dissatisfied him. His instincts regarded every man who had even the slightest connection with Chae Young In as an enemy.
In reality, Young In didn’t place much meaning on titles. Her criteria for addressing celebrities were extremely simple.
For juniors and those the same age: “—ssi.” For seniors: “sunbae,” “sunbaenim,” or “teacher.” Unlike other managers, she never used “unni” or “oppa.”
“What’s this? Are you two on a date?”
Sung Hyuk caught a wary glint in Jin Gyo’s eyes as he glanced over.
“It’s not like that. He’s our CEO.”
“CEO?”
Young In’s gaze shifted from Jin Gyo to Sung Hyuk.
“CEO, this is actor Seo Jin Gyo.”
Jin Gyo greeted him first.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Seo Jin Gyo.”
Jin Gyo had already heard that the second son of the SL Group had taken over as CEO of SL Entertainment. Rumors were rife that his looks rivaled most actors, and though Jin Gyo had been skeptical, seeing him in person left no room for doubt.
“Cha Sung Hyuk.”
As soon as the introductions were over, Jin Gyo turned back to Young In and smiled.
“I never imagined he was the CEO, so I was shocked thinking you two might be on a date.”
Before Young In could respond, a flat voice cut in.
“Why would that be shocking?”
Jin Gyo momentarily froze and looked at Sung Hyuk.
“If the woman I’m engaged to marry was on a date with another man, of course I’d be shocked.”
“Engaged to marry?”
Sung Hyuk frowned, and Young In’s eyes widened.
“Sunbae, why are you saying such weird things?”
“It’s the truth. We agreed that if I’m still single by forty, we’ll get married.”
“I never agreed to that, did I?”
“You laughed back then. Laughing means yes.”
Unable to watch him joke around any longer, Sung Hyuk snapped curtly.
“Sometimes people laugh because something is just too ridiculous.”
It was a remark born from experience. He remembered the blind date he had attended in Oh Chang Geun’s place, when Young In had burst out laughing at the sudden proposal, “Then will you marry me?”
Jin Gyo grinned and changed the subject.
“SL Entertainment must have really great benefits. The CEO personally brings employees to places like this.”
“The benefits are good, but we don’t bring every employee to places like this.”
“So you’re saying Young In is special?”
“Yes.”
“…….”
“Very much so.”
Young In anxiously watched the two men exchanging subtly sharp words and stepped in to lighten the mood.
“Sunbae, what brings you here?”
“The last supper.”
“Ah, your final dinner with your agency family?”
“As expected of Chae Young In. You get it right away.”
Jin Gyo gave a thumbs-up, and the corners of Young In’s eyes curved softly.
“Aren’t you going to ask where I signed?”
“Where did you sign?”
As soon as word spread that Seo Jin Gyo’s exclusive contract had expired and he wasn’t renewing, top management companies had jumped into a fierce bidding war. Yet no one knew which company he had chosen.
“Not yet. I will soon. You’ll find out where soon enough, so wait a little.”
At that moment, Sung Hyuk finally opened his tightly shut mouth.
“The elevator’s here.”
He stepped in first and held the open button.
“I’ll get going, sunbae. Take care.”
“Go ahead. I’ll text you.”
The two men exchanged a light nod across the elevator doors.
As soon as Young In stepped in, Sung Hyuk released the open button. Through the slowly closing doors, he could see Jin Gyo’s retreating back.
“What floor is the car on?”
“Basement level 3.”
The elevator doors closed completely and began descending toward basement level 3, the floor Sung Hyuk had pressed. The two of them didn’t exchange a single word until they reached the parking garage and got into the car.
It was Sung Hyuk who broke the silence.
“Are you close with Seo Jin Gyo?”
“Yes.”
Young In knew perfectly well that he was jealous right now. Her answer wasn’t meant to make him more jealous; it was simply the truth.
She had met Jin Gyo about two years ago through a film her assigned actor had appeared in. They didn’t text often, but they met once every couple of months to drink. Being with him felt comfortable even after a long time.
The fact that he somehow resembled Cha Sung Hyuk in places she couldn’t quite pinpoint was a secret.
“Oh, I see.”
The moment Sung Hyuk replied gruffly, a faint vibration sounded from his pants pocket.
He took out his phone, checked the caller, and shoved it back in.
Feeling her gaze, he looked over to find “Don’t mind me, just answer it” practically written on Young In’s face.
“It’s my mother. I can call her back later.”
“…….”
The word “mother” instantly snapped Young In to attention.
That calm expression and voice still lingered vividly in her memory.
“You’re not seriously expecting Sung Hyuk to marry a girl like that, are you? I thought it wouldn’t last anyway and was just going to watch, but even seeing them casually dating doesn’t sit well with me. I hope you realize that your very existence is the only flaw our Sung Hyuk has.”
The day she met his mother, declaring a breakup had been a kind of defense mechanism.
She was terrified of the fact that her existence was Cha Sung Hyuk’s only flaw. She wanted to run away, to avoid everything.
Sung Hyuk vaguely assumed Young In had broken up with him because his existence felt burdensome to her.
It wasn’t entirely wrong. He just didn’t know that the decisive reason for the breakup was his mother.
For their own separate reasons, both fell silent, and the inside of the car was enveloped in quiet.
[This is the timeline separator]The following afternoon.
Sung Hyuk visited the family home.
The residence of SL Group Chairman Cha Hyun Woong was a standalone house with one basement level and three floors above ground. The lot alone was nearly 500 pyeong. The centuries-old pine trees exuding noble dignity were truly a spectacular sight.
Behind the wide garden stood a reversed-L-shaped building in harmonious white and gray, divided into the main house and an annex. The horizontally long section was the main house; the vertically descending section 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. Sung Hyuk had used the second floor of the main house until he moved out.
The eldest son Myung Kyu and his wife Jung Hye choosing not to live separately was entirely their own decision. Their goal was to stay close and gain even a little more favor from their parents to solidify the successor position.
A middle-aged woman with an elegant updo greeted Sung Hyuk as he stepped across the stone path from the gate to the main house entrance.
“You’re here, son?”
It was Chairman Cha’s wife and the mother of the three siblings, Madam Han In Sook. Her gentle manner of speaking matched her refined appearance perfectly.
“Is Father in?”
“He’s in his study.”
Madam Han naturally linked arms with Sung Hyuk and, while walking together to the study, cautiously brought up the topic.
“Son.”
“Yes.”
“You’re thirty now. You should meet a nice woman and get married.”
“I should.”
“Really? Then would you like to meet the only daughter of the Hong Eun Group? I heard she’s really lovely.”
Madam Han’s face lit up because, until very recently, Sung Hyuk would turn serious whenever marriage was mentioned—this was the first time he responded positively. In truth, she had already been looking for suitable candidates regardless of his opinion.
“No. I’ll choose my own marriage partner.”
“You will…….”
Madam Han barely swallowed the words that almost slipped out: “I’m worried you’ll end up with another girl like Chae Young In.”
“Go ahead and speak.”
“……Oh, never mind.”
Thank goodness Sung Hyuk hadn’t noticed; bringing it up herself would only make trouble.
“She has to be a woman who suits our family. You know that, right?”
“She has to be a woman who suits me.”
Madam Han forced the corners of her mouth upward.
“That goes without saying.”
Surely he wouldn’t meet someone worse than an adopted child with unknown origins.
A family with no roots was dreadful enough, but making a daughter-in-law out of a child whose parents were unknown was equally horrifying.
Three years ago, when she learned that her precious son—someone she wouldn’t hurt even if he were in her eyes—was dating an adopted girl named Chae Young In, the disappointment was something she never wanted to feel again. Being betrayed by someone you trusted was enough once in a lifetime.
“I trust my son’s judgment.”
Young In had joined Hye Sung Entertainment after Sung Hyuk left for the States, and Madam Han believed their relationship had completely ended when he left the country. So there was no reason for her to pay any attention to Young In.
Naturally, she had no idea that Young In was currently working in management, nor that the reason Sung Hyuk had turned down the Corporate Planning Headquarters to join SL Entertainment was because of Chae Young In.
The biggest problem was that, compared to three years ago, Sung Hyuk’s feelings and resolve had only grown stronger.
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
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