Not for the First Time (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9
Young In arrived at the Hye Seong Entertainment office.
Starting work at SL Entertainment would be from next Monday.
She glanced at the CEO’s office and saw CEO Kang lying on the sofa with his arm covering his eyes. After putting her bag down on the desk, Young In knocked on the glass door and went in.
“You’re here early?”
CEO Kang lowered his arm and opened his eyes; his face looked like he was about to die.
“My wife never makes me hangover soup. My stomach felt bad, so I went out for some, then came straight to the office.”
“Why would she bother making hangover soup for a husband who comes home drunk every single day?”
“Why do you always say the exact same thing as my wife…”
Young In deliberately sat lightly on the sofa across from him as he groaned louder while sitting up.
CEO Kang’s previously sleepy eyes suddenly widened.
“Oh right, Young In.”
“Yes.”
“Did you know that CEO Cha Sung Hyuk is the son of Chairman Cha Hyun Woong?”
“I did.”
“Ah, you already knew…”
After looking slightly awkward for a moment, CEO Kang’s eyes sparkled with interest.
“Since he’s coming to SL Entertainment, doesn’t it seem like he fell out of favor with his father?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“It’s not?”
“He came here voluntarily.”
“Why?”
“Well…”
She knew why, but she couldn’t say it.
“So I can see you every day.”
Remembering what Sung Hyuk had said yesterday, Young In was once again enveloped in a strange feeling.
“How did you know it’s not because he fell out of favor, but that he came voluntarily?”
“I heard it from him directly.”
“When you two were talking alone at the company yesterday?”
“…”
Young In smiled awkwardly and nodded.
“It didn’t even look like you were together for five minutes—did he really tell you everything from your college part-time job stories to the fact that he voluntarily came to SL Entertainment?”
“We only talked about those two things.”
“Oh, really?”
CEO Kang tilted his head with a suspicious expression, then changed the subject.
“You didn’t drink much yesterday, right?”
“I only had a few glasses.”
“Good job. If I get drunk and can’t take care of you, you shouldn’t get drunk either.”
Young In let out a ridiculous chuckle.
“When have you ever taken care of me? You’re always the first one to get wasted, CEO.”
Young In never drank enough to get drunk unless she was at a gathering with trustworthy people.
However, the reason she didn’t drink enough to get drunk yesterday—despite really wanting to because of someone cheerfully chattering away—wasn’t because there were no trustworthy people around.
It was simply because she didn’t trust herself.
She was afraid she might accidentally reveal her true feelings to Cha Sung Hyuk. Afraid that the relationship she had painfully cut off might reconnect.
She didn’t want to admit it, but the belief that she would be safe with Cha Sung Hyuk, that he would protect her no matter what, still remained.
“Get some more rest. You look terrible.”
Young In tried to shake off the image of Sung Hyuk’s face she had seen in the taxi last night and stood up.
[This is the timeline separator]The day of her first commute to SL Entertainment.
On her way in, Young In ran into Hae Yoon—the junior she had worked with for nearly two years at Hye Seong and adored for being quick-witted and efficient, even if a bit chatty—in the parking lot.
“Team Leader, I’m so nervous.”
“Me too.”
“No way, you’re lying. Since when do you get nervous over something like this?”
“I’m serious.”
She really was. But for a different reason than Hae Yoon—she was nervous because she had no idea how Cha Sung Hyuk, who had been quiet all this time, would act.
The two women walked toward the elevator while sharing small weekend stories. A tall man was standing in front of the elevator.
Young In recognized him instantly and froze on the spot.
“What’s wrong?”
As Hae Yoon turned to her with a worried look, the man who sensed someone approaching turned his head.
It was Sung Hyuk waiting for the elevator.
“It’s nothing.”
Young In answered quietly, walked over to him, and greeted him calmly first.
“Good morning, CEO.”
“Is today your first day?”
“Yes.”
“Get in.”
Sung Hyuk entered the arrived elevator first and pressed the 8th floor for the CEO’s office and the 5th floor for the management team in order.
Young In got in after him and introduced Hae Yoon. Just as the calm greeting between Sung Hyuk and the excited Hae Yoon ended, the elevator stopped at the 5th floor.
The two women bowed lightly to Sung Hyuk and got off. Hae Yoon clung to Young In’s arm and made a huge fuss.
“Wow, I had an idea from what CEO Kang said, but he’s the most handsome non-celebrity I’ve ever seen! No, the noble aura he gives off is way cooler than most celebrities!”
“It’s not that much…”
Young In forcefully suppressed the urge to agree and quickened her steps.
[This is the timeline separator]After a hectic morning, Young In went down to the cafeteria with Hae Yoon.
The rest of the team had already eaten and returned to the office. They were eating separately because the team leader meeting Young In attended ended late.
“Next time, don’t wait—just eat first.”
“Oh come on, I wasn’t even hungry. Hurry and get in line.”
Hae Yoon playfully dragged Young In forward.
The two picked up their glossy eel rice bowls, sat by the window, and were about to start eating when a low voice spoke.
“May I sit here?”
Young In and Hae Yoon turned their heads at the same time. Cha Sung Hyuk was standing there holding a square tray.
“Of course. Please sit, CEO.”
While Young In hesitated, Hae Yoon quickly gave up her seat and moved next to her. Naturally, Sung Hyuk and Young In ended up facing each other.
“Lunch is late.”
Young In, having regained her composure, replied calmly.
“You’re late too, CEO.”
Formal small talk passed, and they began eating in earnest.
“If you’re free tonight, how about the whole 5th team has dinner together?”
“I have a prior engagement.”
When Young In cut him off coldly, the flustered Hae Yoon quickly jumped in.
“Actor Ji Seung Chan’s birthday party—we’re all invited. They really wanted Team Leader Chae, so the rest of us are just tagging along.”
Young In’s brow slightly furrowed.
“Hae Yoon, why are you explaining in such detail when the CEO isn’t even curious?”
Sung Hyuk firmly denied it.
“Not at all. I’m very curious. Please continue.”
Hae Yoon looked back and forth between them, unsure whom to follow.
“Uh, um, well, so…”
It was a moment that required careful judgment.
[This is the timeline separator]That evening, after leaving the office, Sung Hyuk went straight to a lounge bar in Sinsa-dong.
It hadn’t been open long, but it had quickly become famous because many celebrities frequented it.
He sat near the entrance and waited about five minutes. A man with short hair and horn-rimmed glasses arrived.
“No private rooms? What’s with this chaotic seating?”
The man who sat across from Sung Hyuk while looking around was Yoon Ji Sang—Sung Hyuk’s best friend.
For the past three years both had been in the U.S., and Ji Sang had returned just two weeks earlier than Sung Hyuk.
“It’s stifling.”
Ji Sang’s expression grew serious as he examined Sung Hyuk’s face.
“Did you develop anxiety or something?”
“Anxiety?”
“Are you sitting at the entrance so you can bolt out first if there’s a fire?”
“N-No.”
“Then are you hoping every passerby will take a look at you?”
Sung Hyuk’s face crumpled.
“What are you talking about.”
“Then why the hell are we sitting in this shitty spot?”
It was the first time the two had met in such an open, busy area.
“Just because.”
Sung Hyuk brushed off Ji Sang’s complaint with one word and poured whiskey into the pre-set empty glass.
Ji Sang emptied his glass in one go, leaned forward, and his eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“When are you going to introduce me to Young In?”
“You’re acting way too familiar all of a sudden.”
“Can’t I act a little friendly?”
“Young In is close with me, not with you—so why you?”
“You’re sure she’s close with you? Wasn’t it just brief in the past?”
“We’ll be close again soon.”
Ji Sang found it endlessly fun to tease Sung Hyuk, who got unusually worked up whenever Chae Young In’s name came up.
“I’m dying to meet the woman who made Cha Sung Hyuk voluntarily exile himself to the countryside.”
Compared to SL Group’s management planning headquarters, SL Entertainment was definitely the countryside.
“If you’re going to do this, why did you stay away for three whole years?”
Sung Hyuk meekly accepted the jab.
“I’m regretting it. That’s why I won’t let her go now.”
Until now he hadn’t been sure—was he really unable to forget Chae Young In, or was it just an illusion he had built up alone?
Now he finally knew for certain. He had only wasted time for no reason.
“That’s your situation. Young In might hate you.”
“No chance. What woman would hate me.”
He snorted, but in truth Sung Hyuk had never once heard “I like you” from Young In.
She had always drawn a line with the title “sunbae” and formal speech. Maybe that’s exactly why he felt even thirstier.
The one thing he was certain of was that Young In did not hate him.
Back then, and now.
Nevertheless, the moment she said “let’s stop seeing each other,” the reason he turned away so coldly was pure pride.
He was furious at the thought that he was the only one clinging to a woman who could say breakup so easily. But now was different from then.
He wasn’t foolish enough to miss the chance to hold on to a woman he hadn’t forgotten in three years and regret it forever. He had wasted enough time already.
“If I had been born a woman, I’d love to laugh in your face and tell you you’re nothing special.”
Ji Sang grumbled with a sour face. Despite his words, even as a man he sometimes found Cha Sung Hyuk stunningly attractive, so he wasn’t confident.
Suddenly Sung Hyuk’s face hardened.
“Let’s go.”
Confusion flickered in Ji Sang’s eyes.
“Go? I just got here?”
Sung Hyuk stood up as if he hadn’t heard anything.
His gaze was fixed past Ji Sang’s shoulder—on Young In, who was being supported by Hae Yoon.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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