“I…”

Junghwa, who was about to get up from the sofa and leave the CEO’s office, stopped and stared at Wonhoo blankly.

It had been four years.

Thirteen seasons had passed, so his disappointment or sense of betrayal should have dissipated by now. Junghwa, who had eagerly awaited Tae Seojun’s discharge from the military with that hope, casually asked about his well-being with her bright red lips.

“I heard you did a few commercials and even a drama you hadn’t done before since being discharged. You must be very busy these days, Seojun.”

“…”

Wonhoo shrugged his broad shoulders as if to say, “Why are you asking when you already know?”

“Lady CEO, do you really have to do this when you clearly know why I’m acting this way?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure.”

From the moment he arrived here, something seemed off, and this was it.

The bright expression on CEO Gu’s face as she feigned ignorance was a business smile.

As soon as Junghwa left, Wonhoo got on the elevator and used the break to contact Manager Bong. It was much easier and more natural for him to call Tae Seojun’s right-hand man who moved in sync with him.

“Where is Director Tae?”

−He’s in the back seat of the car. Should I tell him to contact you, Sir?

“No. Please take care of it now.”

−Yes, Sir.

The speakerphone must have connected immediately because Seojun’s voice was soon heard.

−Yes, it’s me.

“Yoo Junghwa came to the company. She said she wanted to sign an exclusive contract with CN, so I refused.”

−And?

“That woman still seems to think of you as her man. You’re not, right?”

−…

Seojun remained silent rather than giving a short answer.

“Anyway, just be aware of it. I’m hanging up now.”

−Okay.

A luxury sedan with the engine running was already waiting in the underground parking lot.

As soon as Wonhoo got off the elevator and quickly got into the car, the secretary, who instructed the driver to depart immediately, explained to the CEO that they couldn’t afford to be even a second late.

“We might miss the flight, Sir.”

“We can’t let that happen.”

When Wonhoo replied, flashing his straight teeth, the driver skillfully increased the car’s speed.

Time was tight.

But the experienced driver would somehow complete the task within the allotted time.

Finally able to catch his breath, Wonhoo had the secretary read the world tour contract he would be signing in Hong Kong. Although the content was obvious, the more obvious it was, the more careful they had to be to avoid mistakes.

“CN Entertainment Co., Ltd., as Party A, entrusts the entire world tour schedule and concert event rights to Future Dream, Party B. In the event that the event is interrupted, Party A must compensate unconditionally for it…”

“Wait. It says Party A, but then says ‘unconditionally’. Please revise it so that the compensating party is the one ‘responsible for the interruption’.”

“Sir, that applies to the other agencies participating in the tour as well…”

“So we have to go along with them? I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”

“Then what do you intend to do?”

“If we exclude our kids from that concert, do you think even half of the seats in that huge stadium will be filled?”

When Wonhoo implied that if the other side didn’t revise that content, he would not only refuse to partner with them but also hold a CN solo concert on the same day in the same area, the secretary’s face turned pale.

“But that goes against business ethics…”

Gu Wonhoo, a businessman to the core, was not one to be taken lightly.

As the person who had rapidly grown the company in just 5 years by turning crises into opportunities, people in the industry would click their tongues just at the mention of CEO Gu.

A born merchant, or a beast specialized in business.

“Who shoved the unethical contract at us first? Let’s just say what we need to say and quietly observe how they respond.”

In other words, he meant they should wait like the dignified “Party A” until the other side begged, and then graciously sign the contract as if doing them a favor.

It was clear that the CN family was not a small traveling theater troupe, but a card with sufficient prospects of success.

[This is the timeline separator]

If CEO Gu kicks away the good fortune that rolled in, she has nothing to lose either.

As long as she closes her eyes for a moment and just caters to their wishes, the chaebol will eagerly open their money bags. That kind of thing is no big deal.

However, what pained Junghwa was that part of her plan to win back Tae Seojun had gone awry. What was even more annoying was that the wretched girl was not only a CN affiliated actress, but was also starring in the same work as Tae Seojun.

How dare you covet my man again?

Junghwa knew that day at the Elstella Hotel, well over three years ago, was the last for the two of them.

Although she found out by stepping on Eom Soyeon’s toes in an unseemly way, the result was quite satisfactory.

That day they ran into each other at the hotel was only a month after she and Tae Seojun had broken up, so at most, they would have only dated for a month before he tossed her aside like an old shoe. Just like me, who was discarded in an instant after desperately clinging on to survive.

But once something bothers her, relentlessly pursuing and crushing it to death is also one of Yoo Junghwa’s ways of living.

Perhaps she had hoped for a dramatic encounter. Setting a somewhat risky and secretive meeting at the Elstella Hotel restaurant was due to the slim hope that she might run into Tae Seojun.

Junghwa, wearing a wide-brimmed hat pressed down and a hoodie pulled low over it, handed the cake box to the man in front of her.

“This…”

“I was about to get an itchy tongue since it’s a day past the date.”

The man, putting on a leisurely tone, took only the envelope out of the box and began snickering as he opened it. The corners of his mouth that lifted once didn’t come down for a while because the amount inside the envelope was quite satisfactory.

Junghwa, rolling her eyes above her sunglasses, spoke softly across the table.

“Any unusual signs lately?”

“About whom?”

“Reporter Chu, are you really going to do this? There must be a reason I’m steadily adding to the monthly payment.”

“Ah, that?”

The man, picking his ear with his pinky and blowing on it, leaned his head slightly forward.

“Tae Seojun frequently changes cars and is quick-witted, making tailing him difficult. And as for Eom Soyeon, didn’t I tell you 3 months ago? There’s nothing to dig up since she’s always either on set or at the company. Besides, what nutritional value would the boring struggles of an unknown actress have for me? So I said I’m washing my hands of it, don’t you remember?”

The person claiming to be an entertainment reporter only had this much tenacity. He only knew how to blackmail using someone else’s past that he luckily found out, but didn’t write a single line of articles on his own. It was pathetic how he just copied and pasted while pretending to be a reporter.

“There’s no way I’d remember. You never said such a thing to me, Reporter Chu.”

“What are you talking about? I definitely said it.”

“Ha, now I get it. You lied to me to keep getting more money! Anyway, give that envelope back.”

“But why…”

“You should only give the money we initially agreed on.”

“Haha, how petty of you, great actress!”

“Shut up and give it back!”

It was when an enraged Yoo Junghwa was struggling to snatch the envelope from the reporter’s hand.

Two women who came out of the restaurant room had a small scuffle.

“Why aren’t you going in already?”

“Ugh, I don’t want to.”

“Can’t you be obedient like your sister? Who did you take after to be like this!”

“If that’s what you think, Mom, then consider me dead like Dad does. I detest arranged meetings.”

“Don’t regret it and listen to your mother! He’s really a good catch from a great family!”

“You should stop too, Mom. Stop calling me out with obvious lies.”

“Hey, I’ll really take you off the family register, so be prepared!”

“Well, go ahead then.”

Dosun brushed off Chairman Ji’s hand coldly as if she would never see her again.

It wasn’t long after she started walking across the restaurant hall, fuming. Dosun’s body staggered after getting caught on someone’s foot sticking out from a table.

“Oh!”

Dosun, barely regaining her balance, looked at the two people sitting close together.

“…!”

“…!”

“…!”

The eyes of the three people who unexpectedly ran into each other widened, meaning they knew each other well.

Insisting on wearing a hat and sunglasses indoors in the middle of the night must be a basic habit of celebrities. Upon closer inspection, it was that unpleasant person she ran into every so often on set, although not frequently.

“Yoo Junghwa?”

And the man was the reporter who had snuck into the hospital room when Soyeon injured her head, and before and after that, kept poking around Eom Soyeon and got caught by her a few times. That suspicious reporter bastard who persistently stood out until 3 months ago.

But what were the two of them doing here alone…

Dosun, who prided herself on her keen eye, could easily figure out who they were and what kind of relationship they had.

Unpleasant ones stick together, and seeing them at the hotel restaurant sharing an intimate meal and cake, holding hands tightly regardless of who saw them, it was unmistakable.

“Oh my, so you two are dating!”

“!”

“!”

[This is the timeline separator]

Although far from Tae Seojun, everyone knows that Jo Inha is well-known for his method acting. But due to his high nose and hot-tempered attitude that matched his popularity, quite a few directors openly boycotted him.

Seojun also felt an unpleasant premonition about Jo Inha.

Like how he flared up that time in the company cafeteria, and how his eyes darkly and stickily stared at Eom Soyeon as if she were his woman.

And last night.

He let that bastard who escaped through the emergency exit go. Because he could clearly tell who it was just from the tall back view.

But why did Jo Inha run away like someone who didn’t want to get caught?

What was the reason he lingered around Eom Soyeon like that?

He was really an irritating bastard.

But Eom Soyeon was quick to defend him, saying there must have been another reason when told that Jo Inha was prowling around. That was even more maddening for some reason. Was it the obsession triggered by that which summoned her?

Even if he might not meet her since he came without an appointment. No, he wanted to see her face that kept flickering before his eyes, even for a brief moment, by any means necessary.

The drama filming, which had been on a grueling schedule until today ahead of overseas location shooting, entered a lull for a while.

Returning from the set, Seojun left his residence in light and stylish clothing and undone hairstyle.

It was 6 PM now as he picked up Soyeon in Dogok-dong and headed to the Yangpyeong villa.

−I’m in front of the house. Director Tae is waiting for Ms. Eom Soyeon.

Seojun’s contact, borrowing Manager Bong’s voice, was one-sided and unexpected.

But Soyeon, to whom every moment with him felt like the last, couldn’t refuse.

Even if his purpose for having dinner together in a remote place, not the company or Seoul, was momentary and crude.

The two people sitting side by side in the seat silently looked out the window. In Seojun’s view overlapping with Soyeon’s, the orange sunset painting the sky was a fairly nice spectacle.

−That woman’s behavior still seems to consider you her man. You’re not, right?

Since Soyeon was in the same space as Seojun, she unintentionally overheard the two men’s conversation.

The main content was related to Yoo Junghwa. The thought that his relationship with her, Tae Seojun’s ex-girlfriend, could be ongoing flashed through Soyeon’s mind because Seojun neither denied nor confirmed CEO Gu’s question, his lips tightly shut.

Watching his expression, which had been soft, gradually harden, Soyeon’s heart painfully crumbled. Her heart, suddenly crashing into the reef called Yoo Junghwa, was helplessly swept away.

They were never lovers from the start.

Knowing that, I still committed that one crazy act.

I, who made an arbitrary decision in that process.

Soyeon knew that the secret and responsibility derived from it were not Tae Seojun’s. She also knew that she shouldn’t keep wanting something from a man she couldn’t dare to desire.

But like a sunflower gazing at the sun, her gentle eyes naturally turned to one place.

To Tae Seojun, whom she feared because he was forbidden, but yearned for even more because of that.

“I…”

“…”

As Soyeon parted her lips, Seojun raised an eyebrow as if telling her to speak.

“You still haven’t told me the reason for suddenly asking to meet. And why are we going to the villa?”

“I simply suggested having a meal, do I need to attach a special reason?”

“Ah…”

Simply.

Simply just eating, I see.

So that’s what it was.

Yet here I was, giddily excited over a meaningless summons.

I see…

Soyeon’s lips clamped shut as if sulking, disappointed by something she shouldn’t have asked.

“…”

Seojun’s lips also pressed into a straight line. He realized his answer had the magical ability to end the conversation after seeing her expression, but it was a bit awkward to make amends belatedly.

The silence that settled in the car again was suffocating enough to die.

Until they reached their destination, Soyeon had to smooth down her heart that felt like it would explode like a time bomb several times.

Finally arriving at the villa, Seojun sent Manager Bong and Park Sungho to the annex first, then walked around the hood and opened the car door.

“Let’s get out, Ms. Eom Soyeon.”

“…”

Soyeon lightly grasped Seojun’s outstretched hand, stepped onto the ground with both feet, and looked around the surroundings where she could only see forests.

As Seojun took the lead as if telling her to follow, Soyeon asked.

“Is this villa yours, Director?”

“You think I rented it?”

“It seems too quiet and remote here.”

“Are you scared? That I might have kidnapped you.”

“Hoot, that’s not it.”

Soyeon stopped in front of the entrance and burst into a gentle laugh, looking up at the distant forest and sky simultaneously. Seojun, standing next to her, also naturally gazed at the same place as Soyeon.

The dark night was slowly descending into their eyes.