The World Star Who Seduced Me (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 3

Yeo Woong had been agonizing for a full hour.

Yeo Woong, alternately staring at the business card Seol Ji Oh had left her yesterday morning and her own phone, finally sighed and flopped onto her bed.

Yesterday’s incident was clearly the worst facepalm moment of Yeo Woong’s life.

She’d never done anything like that before—why did it have to happen yesterday, of all days? And right in front of Seol Ji Oh!

Yeo Woong wrapped both arms around her head and thrashed in embarrassment. After writhing for a while, she sat up.

She probably needed to call and apologize since she’d done something wrong, but her mind went blank at the thought of actually talking to Seol Ji Oh again.

‘Miss Yeo Woong, I’ll accept your apology only when you’re fully sober. And please be sure to pay for the dry cleaning.’

Seol Ji Oh’s voice echoed in her ears—along with the memory of his face, tightly suppressing his anger.

Yeo Woong tried recalling Seol Ji Oh’s face from memory.

Thirteen years ago, at fifteen, Seol Ji Oh had his own kind of charm, but at twenty-eight, he seemed like a meticulously crafted robot—kind, gentle to everyone, and remarkably patient.

Had becoming a top star changed him like this? Or had it simply been so long that her memory was wrong?

Yeo Woong remembered how Seol Ji Oh had treated her yesterday like a complete stranger. How could he do that? He hadn’t even reacted to the name “Yeo Woong.”

‘Do I… really need to know you?’

The cold look in his eyes resurfaced in her mind, leaving Yeo Woong confused. She’d assumed he was just pretending not to know her—but maybe that wasn’t it at all.

Yeo Woong pulled out her phone and typed Seol Ji Oh’s name into the search bar. Immediately, a flood of fresh news articles appeared.

[Seol Ji Oh, Star of Hollywood’s Classic Hero Film “Panic,” Becomes Talk of the Town at Premiere] [Seol Ji Oh of “Panic” Turns Doubt into Anticipation—Everyone Captivated by His Action Scenes] [“Panic,” the Future of Hero Films, Wraps Up Successful Premiere]

Yeo Woong clicked through a few articles, swiping the screen with her fingers. There he was—Seol Ji Oh in a camel-colored suit, his smooth forehead exposed, smiling and waving at the camera.

Yeo Woong stared blankly at that face. The last time she’d seen him, he’d still been a boy. Yesterday’s encounter had hit her like a shock.

He was a man now—undeniably a full-grown man. On-screen, she hadn’t noticed it, but seeing him in person felt strangely unfamiliar, so different from what she’d expected.

After scrolling through a few more photos of Seol Ji Oh, Yeo Woong finally tossed her phone onto the bed.

Ugh… So should I call or not?

After a long internal debate, Yeo Woong straightened up and picked up her phone. There’s a saying: “Better to get hit first than wait for the blow.”

Might as well just make the call since she had to do it anyway.

She carefully typed the number from the business card into her phone.

[Chief Manager Choi Hyun 010-xxxx-xxxx]

It seemed he’d probably given her his manager’s number. Of course—he wouldn’t give his personal number to the woman who’d caused that whole mess.

Yeo Woong took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart as the phone rang.

What should she say first?

Soon, the ringing stopped, and a man answered.

“Yes. This is Choi Hyun.”

“Hello, this is actress Yeo Woong. Yesterday… I committed a huge faux pas in front of Mr. Seol Ji Oh, so I’m calling to apologize.”

“Hmm. One moment, please.”

She heard him move the phone away and talk to someone nearby. She couldn’t make out the exact words, but a man’s voice faintly came through.

“Mr. Seol Ji Oh is currently on a flight and can’t take calls. I’ll be sure to deliver your apology message.”

“Oh, and… he also asked me to request reimbursement for the dry cleaning.”

“Excuse me? Mr. Seol Ji Oh said that?”

“Yes…”

“I’ll discuss that part with him and get back to you.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

The call ended quickly. Even though the conversation was over, nothing felt resolved—only more unsettled. Yeo Woong put her phone down and stared blankly into space for a moment, then grabbed her head, denying reality.

If I was drunk, I should’ve just gone home quietly—why did I have to go and do that to Seol Ji Oh right there!!!

***

A few days later, Yeo Woong headed to the broadcasting station. She had a meeting scheduled at tvC Drama Department today.

Since her contract with her agency had ended, she’d handled all her own acting deals, so she’d visited the tvC Drama Department a few times before.

As she entered the conference room, the writer and PD of the drama she’d just signed on to were already seated. Yeo Woong flashed a bright, cheerful greeting with a wide smile and a loud voice.

“Hello! How have you been?”

“Oh, Miss Yeo Woong!”

The writer greeted her with a smile. This was her third time acting in a drama written by Shin Young Seo.

Beside her sat PD Choi Dong Hoon, whom she’d worked with once before. PD Choi raised a hand in greeting as he welcomed her.

“Miss Yeo Woong, hello.”

“Yes, PD-nim. Long time no see.”

“Got a haircut? Your long hair was lovely, but this bob suits you even better.”

Embarrassed by Shin Writer’s compliment, Yeo Woong smiled bashfully in reply.

“I cut it for the role I’m playing in a musical. Um… do I need long hair for this project?”

“No, not at all.”

Once Yeo Woong sat down, they dove straight into discussing the project. It was a 16-episode mini-series, with Han Seo Ah and Kim Sang Wook cast as the leads.

Han Seo Ah, a former idol, was currently the hottest actress, while Kim Sang Wook was a strikingly tall actor known for his charming smile.

In the drama, Kim Sang Wook played a vice president who was perfect in every way except his sharp tongue, and Han Seo Ah was his secretary.

It was an office romance where Kim Sang Wook, who had zero interest in women, gradually saw Han Seo Ah as a romantic prospect—and Yeo Woong would play Han Seo Ah’s best friend.

Her character was the one who listened to all of Han Seo Ah’s worries and gave her advice.

The role itself wasn’t difficult. Like most “best friend” parts, she just needed to react dramatically at the right moments, occasionally deliver blunt truths, and fulfill the classic supporting role.

But as an actress, it felt slightly disappointing.

The character’s emotional range and psychological depth were limited, and the role was so flat there wasn’t much to ponder deeply. It was easy to do well—but not something that truly excited her.

Just as Yeo Woong started feeling a bit down about it, she quickly snapped herself out of it. She should be grateful she even got this role—what right did she have to complain?

This contract would stabilize her finances for at least six months and free her from the part-time job she’d taken on just to make ends meet.

Forcing a smile, Yeo Woong kept pace with PD Choi and Writer Shin as they finalized the contract.

After leaving the drama department, Yeo Woong headed straight to the convenience store where she worked part-time. Time was tighter than expected, so she had to hurry.

***

The convenience store where Yeo Woong worked was located in a neighborhood filled with officetels. Since most customers stopped by after work, the evening rush was always the busiest.

The moment she arrived, Yeo Woong had no time to catch her breath before being swarmed by customers. Though she was used to the work and it wasn’t hard, the constant flow of people inside and outside the store made her feel hurried too.

“Phew…”

The store finally quieted down as the end of the shift approached.

Only ten minutes remained until midnight. As she waited to clock out, Yeo Woong absentmindedly scrolled through her phone—until her eyes landed on a news article featured on the portal site’s homepage.

It was about Seol Ji Oh’s new jeans advertisement. Drawn in by the sensational headline, Yeo Woong clicked without thinking—and her eyes widened at the full-screen photo that popped up.

There he was—Seol Ji Oh, his wet hair slicked back, wearing only jeans and revealing a sculpted torso as he stared straight into the camera.

Wow…

Yeo Woong gaped at the season-defying photo—when suddenly, the doorbell rang. A customer had entered. Startled, she quickly flipped her phone facedown on the counter.

She wasn’t even doing anything wrong, yet her conscience prickled uncomfortably. She wet her lips with her tongue and stood up to prepare for checkout.

A tall male customer approached the register holding a bottle of water, then spoke in a barely audible voice.

“Ice Bless.”

It took her a few seconds to realize that was a cigarette brand. “Ah,” she murmured, turning to sift through the rows of cigarettes until she found the requested pack. As she handed it over, she glanced up at the customer’s face—and her breath caught in her throat.

“…!”

He was wearing a cap, but it was unmistakably him. A face like that couldn’t possibly be common.

Yeo Woong stared at Seol Ji Oh, stunned. How could the same Seol Ji Oh she’d just seen on her phone now be standing right in front of her?

“Aren’t you going to ring this up?”

Seol Ji Oh spoke dryly to Yeo Woong, who was still staring at him blankly. Snapping back to reality, she hurriedly scanned the items on the POS machine.

Her heart was pounding so wildly she was amazed her hands were moving at all.

Her thoughts were a total mess—she knew she needed to apologize for what happened that day, but she also dreaded running into him like this again.

At the same time, a nagging curiosity she hadn’t been able to shake recently resurfaced.

Why was Seol Ji Oh pretending not to know her? Or did he really not remember?

During the brief moment he handed over his card and completed payment, Yeo Woong agonized hundreds of times—then finally spoke up.

“I’m sorry for what happened that day.”

Seol Ji Oh looked up at her face at her sudden words, a flicker of confusion crossing his expression.

“About… the dry cleaning fee—I’ll definitely pay you back.”

Only then did Seol Ji Oh’s gaze drift toward the name tag pinned to Yeo Woong’s left chest. His brows furrowed slightly before he let out a short, quiet exclamation.

“Ah. Yeo Woong.”

A faint, wind-like smile suddenly brushed across Seol Ji Oh’s lips.

He tilted his head slightly and calmly scanned Yeo Woong’s appearance, his eyes lingering especially long on her face as if gauging something.

Uncomfortable under his gaze, Yeo Woong darted her eyes away, avoiding his look.

Then, Seol Ji Oh—who’d been silent until now—suddenly spoke, his eyes fixed firmly on her.

“Let me ask you something.”

“Yes?”

“Are we acquainted?”

The question sounded odd.

He didn’t ask if they’d met somewhere before—but “Are we acquainted?”—as if he truly had no memory at all.

Yeo Woong’s eyes widened as a terrifying thought flashed through her mind.

Could it be… he really doesn’t remember?

Just then, Seol Ji Oh’s phone rang.

“Yes, Manager. I’m on my way.”

Seol Ji Oh picked up his cigarettes and water and headed for the door. Alarmed that he’d asked her a question and was leaving without waiting for an answer, Yeo Woong quickly called out to stop him.

“Wait!”

Seol Ji Oh paused just before stepping outside. Even under his cap, his flawless features turned toward her. He stared coldly at Yeo Woong with his long, narrow eyes, then finally moved his lips.

“I’ll contact you.”

The door shut behind him. Yeo Woong stood frozen, stunned.

Did Seol Ji Oh just say… he’d contact me?

One week later, Seol Ji Oh called.

***

Yeo Woong parked in a fluster and hurried into the restaurant. The traditional Korean restaurant Seol Ji Oh had mentioned consisted entirely of private rooms and operated by reservation only.

Not knowing under whose name the reservation was made, Yeo Woong hesitated at the entrance—until a staff member in a neatly worn hanbok smiled and guided her inside.

Behind the quietly opened door sat Seol Ji Oh and a man who appeared to be his manager. At the sight of Seol Ji Oh’s face, Yeo Woong’s heart immediately started thumping.

She swallowed hard and managed to greet them with effort.

“Hello.”

Seol Ji Oh merely gave a slight nod from his seated position. As Yeo Woong took the seat opposite him, the manager smoothly excused himself, stepping out while pretending to be on a phone call.

Left alone together, Yeo Woong felt her whole body stiffen with unbearable awkwardness. Seol Ji Oh, however, seemed perfectly composed as he calmly looked at her.

Uncomfortable under his steady gaze, Yeo Woong felt she had to say something—anything.

“I’m really sorry about last time. I’ll definitely reimburse you for—”

“Can you really reimburse me?”

“Huh?”

“That suit was a gift from Tom X’s head designer. There’s only one in the entire world.”

…What?

Yeo Woong froze instantly.

So you’re telling me… I threw up on the one and only suit in the world?

Seol Ji Oh slid a few photos toward her. In them, Yeo Woong appeared to be kneeling before Seol Ji Oh, while he stood glaring down at her with a terrifying expression.

Yeo Woong covered her mouth with both hands.

Was this… the infamous paparazzi?

“It cost me quite a bit to handle this.”

Yeo Woong’s pupils trembled uncontrollably, as if struck by an earthquake. She knew instantly—

This was the biggest crisis of Yeo Woong’s life.