The World Star Who Seduced Me (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 11

Just then, Seol Ji Oh casually said,

[I can’t sleep well either.]

“Huh?”

Perhaps because it was dawn, Seol Ji Oh continued in a voice slightly lower and more husky than usual.

[I have insomnia. I was already tossing and turning, but then your call came through—made me happy.]

“Oh…”

Yeo Woong’s intention to somehow end the call abruptly stopped.

He has insomnia?

She recalled Seol Ji Oh from childhood—always such a heavy sleeper that he needed to be woken up every morning. It puzzled her how someone who used to sleep so soundly could now suffer from insomnia.

“Has it been going on long?”

[Just… around five years or so?]

“Ah… Is that the tragedy of being a top star or something?”

A soft chuckle came through the phone.

[Let’s just call it that. Then why can’t you sleep, Yeo Woong?]

“Well… I usually sleep fine, but tonight’s a bit different.”

Yeo Woong swallowed hard. How could she describe this feeling?

“…I’m excited.”

[I’m sorry. My voice must be a bit too dangerous at dawn, huh?]

“Oh, come on…”

Frowning slightly, Yeo Woong replied instinctively from her heart—and then heard Seol Ji Oh’s quiet laughter on the other end.

[Is it not because of me? Then what’s got you excited?]

“The article came out, you know. That thing you sent, Seol Ji Oh.”

[…You couldn’t sleep at this hour just because of that article—and you’re excited?]

“Well, for you, Seol Ji Oh, just lifting a finger would flood the news, but for me, it’s my first press mention in years. Plus, today’s the drama’s premiere. I’m just all keyed up.”

Yeo Woong leaned back against the wall and stared blankly at the opposite one. Seol Ji Oh chuckled once at her words but then stayed silent, offering nothing further.

In the quiet dawn,

only Seol Ji Oh’s breathing occasionally came through the receiver.

Strangely, Yeo Woong quite liked this silence—comfortable, with no need for either of them to speak.

[Did we… used to talk like this when we were kids?]

“We did a lot. Called each other out of the blue, and if someone didn’t pick up, we’d show up at their house.”

[Me?]

Yeo Woong smiled, recalling those memories. Back then, if she didn’t answer because she was busy, Seol Ji Oh would leave over ten missed calls.

The same boy who’d show up at her front gate with that signature blank expression, knocking repeatedly until the door was practically worn down.

[Talking to you, Yeo Woong, feels kind of weird.]

“Weird? How so?”

[It feels strangely unfamiliar… yet also really comfortable and nice.]

“…”

[Let’s talk again sometime. Next time, don’t accidentally call—press the button properly.]

“Huh? Wait—you knew?”

[How could I not? Though… thanks to that, it was kind of fun.]

“…Ugh, seriously!”

[It’s getting late. Stop getting excited and go to sleep. Don’t you have filming tomorrow?]

“I do. You should sleep too, Seol Ji Oh…”

Yeo Woong lowered her eyes and hung up. She’d thought she’d handled the call pretty naturally—but apparently, that was just her own illusion. Again, she felt slightly wronged, as if Seol Ji Oh had teased her once more.

Setting the phone down beside her, Yeo Woong sat blankly for a moment, blinking slowly.

She needed to sleep—but somehow, sleep had drifted even farther away.

Seol Ji Oh’s low, gentle voice kept echoing in her ears.

The next day, thanks to the premiere’s strong viewership ratings, the set was in high spirits.

Yeo Woong was in the waiting room, changing into her costume and getting her makeup done, when an assistant director knocked on the door. Wondering if there’d been a schedule change, she looked up—but the assistant director delivered completely unexpected news.

“Um… Seol Ji Oh is here.”

“What?!”

The assistant director himself seemed puzzled, tilting his head slightly as he added,

“He said… he came to cheer you on?”

Yeo Woong couldn’t believe her ears. Even the makeup team in the room stirred at the sudden mention of that name.

He came to cheer *me* on? Seol Ji Oh?

Hastily finishing her makeup, Yeo Woong stepped outside—and immediately spotted Seol Ji Oh standing in the distance, radiating an unmistakably exceptional aura.

Without realizing it, Yeo Woong froze mid-step. That unique presence instantly rendered everyone else mere background.

The moment she saw him, her heart gave such a strong leap that she momentarily caught her breath.

Why did Seol Ji Oh come here? Had he really come just to support her? Why on earth?

Seol Ji Oh, who’d been talking with PD Choi, soon caught Yeo Woong’s gaze. Instantly, the faintest curve touched his lips.

Still walking toward him, Yeo Woong blinked repeatedly, unable to fully grasp the situation.

“Seol Ji Oh?”

“Hey, Yeo Woong-ah.”

Yeo Woong-ah?!

Her eyes widened in shock. Where had that sudden, familiar address come from?

Seol Ji Oh quirked his lips into a smile and pointed somewhere with his finger. There stood a huge coffee truck.

Yeo Woong stared at the truck with a dazed expression.

[Cheering on the drama “The Office Trap”—the one that leaves Yeo Woong behind!]

Her mouth fell open as she read the message.

It was her first time ever receiving public support like this. Disbelieving, she blinked her eyes open and shut several times.

Just then, she noticed people murmuring her name. Turning her head, she saw the crew—whom she saw every day—staring at her with completely new expressions.

Their faces full of curiosity made Yeo Woong clench her fists. Her cheeks suddenly burned hot.

How on earth was she supposed to explain her relationship with Seol Ji Oh to everyone? The thought made her dizzy.

At that moment, PD Choi’s voice came from beside her.

“I had no idea you and Seol Ji Oh were close, Yeo Woong! Why didn’t you tell me?”

PD Choi asked in a tone friendlier than usual. Only then did Yeo Woong turn and offer an awkward smile.

She approached Seol Ji Oh, who stood beside PD Choi with a gentle smile, and lowered her voice.

“Can we talk for a minute?”

Seol Ji Oh nodded as if he understood, then politely addressed PD Choi.

“PD-nim, I’ll be right back after a quick chat.”

Yeo Woong headed toward a quieter area, turned, and demanded,

“What is all this?”

Seol Ji Oh furrowed his brow slightly at her question.

“…Did I do something wrong?”

“You showed up here out of the blue without even telling me! I’ve never told anyone that we used to be friends.”

“Then start telling them now. I don’t mind.”

He said it so easily—but Yeo Woong minded very much. In her eyes, the combination of hugely successful Seol Ji Oh and herself, whose recognition hovered near zero, was absurd even to herself.

She could already picture people swarming her with questions: When did you two meet? How did you get close?

Seol Ji Oh studied her face, then narrowed his eyes slightly and asked,

“You don’t want people to know we’re friends?”

“…Yes.”

At her answer, Seol Ji Oh’s eyes widened—he hadn’t expected her to dislike it. Looking away and smoothing his eyebrows, he asked again,

“Why?”

Yeo Woong sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead. She hadn’t wanted to say this—but she closed her eyes.

“Our statuses don’t match.”

“What?”

For a moment, Seol Ji Oh seemed at a loss, staring at her—then burst into a dry laugh.

“What exactly do you think your ‘status’ is, Yeo Woong?”

His upturned lips twisted oddly. Yeo Woong couldn’t answer his question—she only bit her lower lip.

After about eight years of obscurity, understanding her place wasn’t difficult at all. In fact, it was painfully clear—which was precisely the problem.

The moment she and Seol Ji Oh were publicly linked as friends, she feared she’d shrink into nothingness before everyone’s eyes.

Yeo Woong dropped her gaze to the floor.

Seol Ji Oh spoke again, his voice as polite as ever.

“If status matters so much to you, shouldn’t you be worrying about something else?”

“…?”

“A certain eight-year veteran actor couldn’t sleep and got all excited just over one news article. I was pretty surprised yesterday.”

Yeo Woong looked up at him. His words hit her right in the chest.

Last night, he must’ve thought she was quite pitiful—enough to show up personally the next day with a coffee truck and visit the set himself.

Tilting his head slightly, Seol Ji Oh added,

“If it were me, I wouldn’t overthink it—I’d just go for the spotlight.”

With that, he turned to leave. Just before turning away, his eyes met hers—colder than usual.

Watching his retreating back, Yeo Woong berated herself.

This was a mess.

What on earth had she done to the first person who’d ever cheered her on?

Yeo Woong arrived home. She wasn’t sure how she’d even finished filming today. Her mind kept wandering, making it impossible to focus properly on her acting.

During breaks, the crew would swarm around her again and again. Their questions were all the same:

How did you know Seol Ji Oh? How did you two get close? What do you usually do when you meet? What’s Seol Ji Oh really like?

No matter how she answered, they always looked at her with envious eyes.

“Yeo Woong, you’re so lucky.”

“Yeo Woong, I’m so jealous…”

That was exactly why she’d dreaded this. Closing her eyes, she felt uneasy just recalling Seol Ji Oh’s expression.

Biting her lower lip hard, Yeo Woong pulled out her phone. Seol Ji Oh’s name still sat at the very top of her call log.

Her finger hovered over his name for a long while as she stared silently at it.

After taking several deep breaths, she finally pressed the call button with resolve.

As the monotonous dial tone rang, she felt her heartbeat gradually quicken.

Anxiously curling her toes, she held her breath the moment the ringing stopped.

[…Yeo Woong?]

Seol Ji Oh’s voice was flat.

“Oh, hello.”

Yeo Woong opened the conversation with an awkward tone. Seol Ji Oh offered no reply, just listened.

“You came all the way to the set today, and I didn’t even thank you—I just said all those weird things…”

[…]

“I’m sorry. And thank you. The coffee truck you sent was really delicious. Honestly, it was my first time receiving something like that, so I was shocked. ‘The drama that leaves Yeo Woong behind’—even the cheering message was perfect…”

Her words began to spill chaotically. On the other end, a faint chuckle escaped—clearly amused. Yeo Woong opened and closed her eyes tightly, then cut straight to the point.

“I’ll just be honest. You might not remember, so you won’t understand—but I had my own little picture in mind.”

[…A picture?]

“Yes. I wanted to become a successful actress myself and stand confidently in front of you, Seol Ji Oh. To say, ‘Look how well I’ve grown.’ Sounds silly, right?”

[…]

“But it never happened. For the past eight years, I’ve stayed at rock bottom while you kept rising in fame. That’s why I didn’t want to tell anyone—we were friends. It felt… embarrassing.”

[Yeo Woong.]

“My insecurity… is this pathetic. I’m sorry.”

Yeo Woong gave a quiet laugh.

Nothing had gone the way she imagined—but strangely, now that she’d admitted her situation aloud, a weight seemed lifted from her chest.

She sighed, gazing into empty space, then scratched her forehead as she continued.

“And I really, really want to become famous. It’s not like I’m doing this because I don’t want to shine…”

[Ha.]

Seol Ji Oh let out a sigh mixed with laughter.

After a brief silence, as if thinking, he suddenly said,

[Want to come over to my place?]

“What?”

[Let’s have a strategy meeting.]

“A strategy… meeting?”

Yeo Woong’s eyes went wide.

Yeo Woong’s car entered a neighborhood lined with luxury homes and villas. Following her navigation’s directions, she slowly pulled into the parking lot of an upscale villa.

After multiple vehicle scans at the entrance, she entered a parking lot filled with gleaming supercars. Yeo Woong neatly parked her car in an open spot and turned off the engine.

“Wow. Even the parking lot screams luxury.”

She grabbed her gift from the passenger seat and stepped out. Entering through one of several entrances connected to the parking garage, she got into the elevator.

I think he said the top floor…

Double-checking Seol Ji Oh’s text message, she pressed the button for the right floor. The elevator shot upward quickly, then stopped with a cheerful *ding*.

Only one residence occupied the entire floor. So this was Seol Ji Oh’s home.

Amazed despite herself, Yeo Woong pressed the doorbell. Her heart pounded even during the brief wait.

She still couldn’t believe she was standing right outside Seol Ji Oh’s home. Soon, the front door cracked open slightly, and Seol Ji Oh peeked out.

“You’re here?”

Yeo Woong’s eyes widened a little. Unlike usual, his hair fell softly over his forehead, and he wore comfortable, relaxed clothing.

“Come in.”

Seol Ji Oh stepped aside to let her pass.