Thrilled by Madness (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9
Early in the morning, reporters who had gotten wind of the exclusive story gathered in front of Seo Jun’s house right from dawn. The fortress-like building and its walls—why were they so unnaturally tall? Not even a sliver of the inside was visible.
Even as late afternoon approached, the reporters kept stomping their feet in the cold, helplessly waiting for Tae Seo Jun, whose appearance remained uncertain.
Perhaps their wish had been heard after all.
As though it had never been firmly shut, the bunker parking gate glided open smoothly, and a sleek black sedan—black from body to windows—slowly emerged from within.
“Hey! He’s coming out over there!”
“It’s Tae Seo Jun!”
“Block the car! Quickly, before he gets away!”
The quicker reporters rushed toward it in a frenzy.
Yet they had all been fooled.
Like drawing attention in the east while slipping away to the west, the Rolls-Royce Phantom sedan carrying Tae Seo Jun calmly exited through the rear of the parking lot.
Having finished all work reports and video conferences related to , Seo Jun left home and headed straight for in Samseong-dong.
His sleek luxury sedan, maneuvering as if it owned the place, glided smoothly into the B3 parking garage.
Stepping out of the car, Tae Seo Jun seemed to have shed his former upright image entirely; even the blue-gray hue of his double-breasted suit exuded a deep, decadent allure.
As the perfectly built man stepped out of the elevator, the lobby’s brilliant radiance pooled beneath his feet. With long, confident strides—graceful as if walking a red carpet—he passed through the secretarial office and entered the CEO’s suite.
“You’ve got a blessed life, sir.”
Offering his first greeting in three years with playful nonchalance, Seo Jun crossed his long legs and settled lazily onto the sofa.
“You ignored my calls so thoroughly—how come you finally decided to move?”
“Well, I thought someone might be desperately looking for me, so I came to check. Was I wrong?”
Won Hoo, who had been lounging comfortably with his legs propped up on the crystal desk, quickly dropped them to the floor. In response, Seo Jun merely flicked a finger—clearly signaling him to come over immediately.
“How should I deal with this arrogant bastard to finally feel satisfied?”
Though his words were sharp, Won Hoo’s nimble body had already moved right next to Seo Jun.
“Think you even can?”
“Well, it’s not impossible. But I’ll let you off once—since you barely came back alive.”
“Wow, I’m practically moved to tears by your generosity.”
Though they exchanged banter, it was their private way of lightly skirting around heavy truths. After all, it wasn’t false that Seo Jun had briefly visited the other side.
On the day of the terrorist attack, Seo Jun had collapsed from the violent impact—his back muscles torn, bruises scattered across his body. The most critical injury had been his concussion; surviving after only a full day of unconsciousness was nothing short of a miracle.
Won Hoo’s eyes narrowed as he carefully examined Tae Seo Jun.
He looked perfectly fine—perhaps even more than fine. Seo Jun radiated a refined elegance through even his crooked gaze and tone.
He seemed slightly leaner than before enlistment, yet more refined than he’d been three years ago—and his overwhelming presence had multiplied several times over.
If one had to precisely describe the upgraded aura of Tae Seo Jun, he was the very embodiment of a seasoned male wolf—starving yet never losing grace.
“A great project just came in that suits you perfectly. Want to take a look at the script?”
Won Hoo cut straight to business. With the ideal actor—someone who could fluidly embody both good and evil—right before his eyes, he couldn’t help but feel impatient.
“It’s a major drama. Production starts immediately once casting wraps up, with a summer premiere already scheduled. The director is Yoon Ji Wan.”
“What? That guy who only does films?”
“You’re definitely intrigued now that you heard the director’s name, aren’t you?”
Yoon Ji Wan was a genius film director, renowned as such throughout Chungmuro; every actor dreamed of working with him at least once.
Though Seo Jun had previously declined Yoon’s offers several times due to schedule conflicts, he wasn’t particularly surprised that such a talented director was now venturing into dramas—it was merely unexpected.
“No. I’m planning to take a break for now.”
“Can’t you change your mind?”
“……”
Seo Jun simply waved his open palm slowly—his firm way of saying no.
His gaze shifted toward the window overlooking the park.
Clouds bloomed white in the sky, fluffy like cotton balls. Though the trees lining the path still displayed bare branches, it was only natural that soon warm winds and sunlight—carrying spring—would melt the frozen world and coax tender green buds to sprout.
Even in the fading sunlight, signs of spring were evident—but his own heart remained deep in winter. Feeling suffocated by the hollow chill in his chest, Seo Jun let out a quiet sigh.
“I’m done. Give the role to another actor. Opportunities should be fair.”
His voice was as dry as fallen leaves parched by cold wind.
“It’s not that we don’t have any male actors in our agency capable of handling the part—but none match you. So just go along with me on this one project, okay?”
He was being unusually wordy. Seo Jun knew better than anyone that Won Hoo, who usually preferred brevity, wouldn’t talk this much unless he had other intentions.
“Stop beating around the bush and just say it.”
“Damn, your intuition really is sharp.”
“So what’s your real motive?”
“Well, Oh Min Jung is already confirmed as the female lead, but I’d like to slip in another supporting actress as well. It’s actually a role rivaling the lead, so there are tons of applicants—but Director Yoon said he’d consider it if you helped connect him.”
Won Hoo even brought out his exceptional business smile as he gently coaxed the indifferent Seo Jun.
“So, because the director wants me, you’re planning to use that to insert your preferred actress into the drama?”
“Exactly. Her acting skills still need polish—but that’s probably due to lack of experience. More importantly, it’d be a shame for someone with such visuals to stay unknown.”
“If she lacks acting talent, why involve me in something so trivial? Whoever she is, if she can’t handle it, she should just give up. Same goes for you.”
Seo Jun’s expression—eyebrow slightly raised—was as calm and composed as his slicked-back hairstyle. At least until he heard her name.
“Oh, come on! Just help me out!”
“I said no.”
Picking up the Zippo lighter on the table, Seo Jun began fiddling with it absentmindedly and gave a quiet, dismissive chuckle.
He had no intention of agreeing anyway—but if he were to work with someone he personally recommended, it would bother him throughout the entire production, and that thought alone felt tiresome.
Knowing Seo Jun’s inner thoughts all too well, Won Hoo flopped back onto the sofa and tapped the armrest listlessly.
“You know as well as I do—I’ve never asked you for a favor like this before.”
“Exactly. Casting is clearly the planning department’s job—why step in yourself? Unless you have other feelings toward that actress you’re trying to push with me.”
Seo Jun’s deep, intense eyes narrowed slightly.
“Hey! That’s not it at all!”
It had only been a light tease, but Won Hoo sprang up as if struck by an axe.
“Then what is it?”
“It’s Eom So Yeon—the actress who uses her real name. She’ll definitely rise if given the right chance, but she’s been struggling through bad luck, and it’s just heartbreaking to watch!”
“……”
Eom So Yeon.
He hadn’t expected to hear her name here.
Seo Jun pinched his brows slightly and turned his head slowly to fix a steady gaze on Won Hoo—but he didn’t rush. He simply asked in a low, resonant voice.
“Where is she right now?”
Won Hoo immediately walked over to his desk, pressed the intercom, and spoke to his secretary.
“Has Ms. Eom So Yeon come into the office today?”
—I saw her having lunch with Manager Yeo Do Sun in the cafeteria around noon. Should I contact Ms. Eom So Yeon?
“No need. She’s probably in the rehearsal room—I’ll handle it.”
Having roughly located Eom So Yeon, Won Hoo called out to Seo Jun as the latter walked toward the door.
“Where are you going?”
Had he suddenly changed his mind? Their conversation wasn’t even finished—why was he leaving already? Won Hoo’s gaze turned incredulous.
“My room.”
By “my room,” Seo Jun meant his own executive office.
“Weren’t you going to meet Ms. Eom So Yeon and see if she’d accept the offer?”
“Not really. I thought about it, but it seems pointless.”
“Wow…!”
Seriously, I just want to hit him!
Won Hoo, who never acted this way, was now being completely unpredictable. Irritated, he smacked the back of Seo Jun’s head as the latter reached for the doorknob.
Seo Jun, perhaps sensing the gaze, halted mid-step and turned to stare directly at Won Hoo.
“What? Why?”
“That woman—is she twenty-six?”
“Did you two know each other?”
“Not sure.”
Leaving only a quiet scoff—as if the idea were absurd—Seo Jun walked out of the CEO’s suite.
Her age matched. It really was that Eom So Yeon. But so what? What did he plan to do with her now?
There was no need to disturb a past that had gathered nothing but pristine dust over three years. Seo Jun walked on heavily, unaware of where his feet were taking him—but his heart pounded fiercely.
Eom So Yeon.
Ever since he’d heard that name in the CEO’s suite.
[This is the timeline separator]The object he’d resumed touching at the deployment site now lay in his hand.
Stepping into the elevator, Seo Jun unconsciously hesitated at the 9th-floor button before lifting his finger to press 10—because the smoking area was on the rooftop.
Exiting on the 10th floor, Seo Jun opened the door right ahead and stepped outside. After just a few steps, he saw someone standing alone at the far end of the rooftop garden.
“……!”
Even silhouetted against the backlight, Seo Jun recognized her instantly.
That slender figure bathed in sunset glow—it could only be her.
The moment her image filled his dark eyes, the breath he’d felt tightly blocked for so long suddenly cleared. Just that alone made him realize the true source of the suffocation that had plagued him.
It was absurd—but ultimately, it was all because of her.
A meeting and parting that had lasted less than a day.
A woman whose beginning never came, so her end remained unfinished.
That lingering regret had been tearing through his mind all this time.
“Eom… So Yeon?”
The name slipped softly off his tongue before he even noticed.
Perhaps because of the name that had escaped his lips, Seo Jun’s calm mouth curled into a faint sneer—
as if mocking some divine error or fate’s cruel jest.
“!”
A low, smooth voice called out to her. Though it might’ve been an illusion summoned by longing, the voice So Yeon heard was utterly familiar. So startled, a soft, choked whimper escaped her lips.
Just then—
Tae Seo Jun strode right up to Eom So Yeon.
Wiping her blurred vision with the back of her hand, So Yeon looked up at him with dazed eyes.
Blinking repeatedly,
she kept staring—again and again—at that dazzling, unreal man before her.
“……!”
No matter how she looked—it was really him!
She knew the man standing before her was Tae Seo Jun…
She knew it all too well…
But still…
Seo Jun silently looked down at her small, pale face, while So Yeon kept gazing up at his overwhelmingly brilliant features with tear-filled eyes—so close that their noses would touch if he lowered his head just slightly.
“……”
“……”
Between their locked gazes, a warm breeze seemed to pass—
the spring wind finally melting hearts frozen all winter.
The rich scent emanating from him gripped So Yeon’s heart tightly. As her long hair fluttered in the wind and brushed against Seo Jun’s collar, his heart began pounding uncontrollably.
Thump-thump-thump…
The two turned back time’s hands and sank into memories of the past—
that long-frozen winter night,
back into that moment.
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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Chapter Comments (4)
Inline Comments (1)
Though his gesture had been instinctive, So Yeon accepted it without resistance.
I wonder if Korean women really cry that easily. Wow, that’s exhausting.
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Finally…some communication. Love triangle at this point is surprising and yup it’s gonna be awkward 😑.
Why do I get the feeling that she’s not going to tell him? Haah
I know the revelation is not gonna happen😀, but the ml is just..🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️