Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity
Chapter 115
“I’m sorry. I already have plans.”
Lee Yeon-jae spoke with an awkward smile.
Hong Ji-yeon sighed inwardly.
Even though she didn’t know much about social etiquette, she could tell that wasn’t a good answer.
“Oh, come on~. Why are you being such a buzzkill? Who are you meeting?”
“Senior Lee Jung-hyun.”
“Lee Jung-hyun? You can meet him anytime~. Isn’t this rude, Yeon-jae? You should finish things properly.”
Everything that came out of his mouth was trash.
Hong Ji-yeon struggled to maintain her composure, but Lee Yeon-jae was at a loss.
“Ah… I’m sorry. I’m not good at this. I apologize.”
“No need to apologize. So, you’ll join the company dinner?”
“Then, can I invite Senior Lee Jung-hyun too? He said he had something important to tell me today.”
The cautious way he spoke made him seem very polite.
“Sure~. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Jung-hyun. He’s my junior.”
“That’s a relief.”
Lee Yeon-jae took out his phone, saying he would contact Lee Jung-hyun.
Ahn Kook-young, who was watching from above, smiled contentedly.
‘This kid is becoming a person.’
Though he was a washed-up comedian who had lost his charm long ago, Ahn Kook-young took great pride in his 25-year career.
Seeing the hottest icon in the entertainment world swayed by his words inflated his ego.
Once one person was convinced, the rest would join in due to the atmosphere.
Looking around, everyone was glancing this way with awkward expressions.
‘I’m the most senior here, so they should listen to me.’
It was a very arrogant thought.
Ahn Kook-young was about to show the peak of his arrogance, telling everyone to hurry up and leave.
“Senior. Senior Lee Jung-hyun said he’s meeting someone right now. Would it be okay if they joined us too?”
“Sure~. The more, the merrier. Who is it? Someone famous?”
Feeling good at the thought of being treated like a senior at the company dinner, Ahn Kook-young smirked.
Facing him, Lee Yeon-jae quietly replied.
“Senior Choi Dong-woo.”
“…What?”
Ahn Kook-young was shocked.
“W-what? Choi Dong-woo? That Senior Choi Dong-woo?”
“Yes.”
“O-oh. Ah.”
Ahn Kook-young’s face turned pale in an instant.
“Are you okay, senior?”
“N-no. Did you mention me?”
“No, I was just about to―.”
“Forget it! I just remembered I have something urgent today! Haha, sorry. I have to go. See you next time!”
Ahn Kook-young hurriedly left.
Hong Ji-yeon, bewildered by what just happened, watched as Lee Yeon-jae silently stared at Ahn Kook-young’s departing figure.
The cold gaze disappeared as he turned his head.
“Thank you, everyone. You’ve all worked hard today.”
His polite smile received responses from all around.
“You worked hard too~!”
“Our cutie, how will I manage without seeing you? I’ll be so sad.”
“Was Yeon-jae our cutie? I thought that was my role.”
“Se-hyun hyung is so greedy.”
“Haha!”
The atmosphere instantly became lively.
Lee Yeon-jae smiled and greeted each actor and staff member.
By the time he reached Hong Ji-yeon, thirty minutes had already passed.
‘Doesn’t he get tired? His stamina is amazing.’
Thinking she should let him go quickly, Hong Ji-yeon was about to give a light greeting.
Lee Yeon-jae suddenly handed her something.
“…?”
“You have a cut on your thumb. You must have been cut by glass earlier.”
She stared at the unexpected band-aid in surprise, and he spoke kindly.
‘Wow, it’s true.’
How did he notice that? She hid her amazement and thanked him.
His smile had a refreshing scent.
Feeling embarrassed by her own sweat smell, she just wanted to go home quickly, but Lee Yeon-jae, oblivious to her thoughts, continued speaking.
“When you get home, check your legs carefully. First, wash the area with running water, and if anything bothers you, make sure to go to the hospital.”
“Yes. Thank you….”
His kindness was appreciated, but the closeness made her nervous.
Worried that he might smell her sweat, she stepped back, but Lee Yeon-jae, puzzled, stepped closer. Please don’t come any closer!
“Are you hurt?”
“No, no. I’m just sweating a lot. I smell like sweat….”
Finally, she voiced her thoughts, feeling even more embarrassed.
She was ready to quit right then and there.
“Oh. I saw you earlier.”
“Yes?”
“I saw you running around several times. You didn’t even notice your cut finger.”
“Oh….”
“You were really impressive, working so hard. Thanks to you, we finished filming safely today. Thank you.”
The fairy smiled brightly.
Hong Ji-yeon muttered that it was nothing.
When she came to her senses, the fairy was gone, leaving her standing alone.
She still felt sticky all over, smelled of sweat, and her clothes were covered in dust.
But strangely, it didn’t bother her that much.
‘You were really impressive, working so hard.’
His words, surely meant without much thought, echoed in her mind.
Even after coming home and cleaning up, the words lingered.
Hong Ji-yeon fiddled with her phone.
Staring at the message about quitting, she moved her hand and deleted it.
Then, she opened an internet browser.
That night, the number of members in Lee Yeon-jae’s fan club increased by one.
* * *
―That’s a relief. So, you’re heading home now?
“Yes. I almost got into trouble if it weren’t for you, hyung.”
When I thanked him, Jung-hyun hyung laughed heartily.
I agreed to go home and rest as he kindly suggested, then hung up.
“Sigh….”
“Great job, actor. Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I’m not hurt, just really tired.”
I felt relieved as my back touched the familiar car seat.
“Of course, you’d be tired. I’ve heard that Ahn Kook-young talks a lot… but he exceeded my expectations.”
“Yeah.”
Comedian Ahn Kook-young was the worst.
At least he was easy to handle.
Throughout the interview, he kept asking unpleasant questions, so I contacted Jung-hyun hyung right after the shoot.
I urgently messaged him asking if he knew anything about Ahn Kook-young. Despite the short notice, he gave me a thorough reply.
[He’s extremely proud of being a senior. He’s also notorious for his bad behavior. There was almost a legal battle once when he sexually harassed a woman at a drinking party. That woman recently married Senior Choi Dong-woo. I heard it directly from Dong-woo hyung.]
Just as I finished interpreting the information, Ahn Kook-young approached.
It wasn’t difficult to coax him after that.
I acted overly polite to prevent any backlash.
I recalled the situation again, checking if I had missed anything.
‘I don’t think so.’
I relaxed my stiff shoulders and spoke.
“Hyung, are you free to attend Se-hyun hyung’s exhibition next week?”
“Yes. But can I go too?”
“Of course. Se-hyun hyung specifically asked you to come.”
“That’s a relief.”
Watching his smiling face in the rearview mirror, I suddenly spoke up.
“I felt good today.”
“Really? Why?”
“Everyone said my eyebrows looked good.”
I raised my hand to touch my eyebrows.
It wasn’t anything special, just a simple grooming, but it was my first time styling my appearance voluntarily, so I felt a bit excited.
“I think they look great too! Actor.”
The warm words from the front seat made everything perfect.
Feeling satisfied, I leaned back against the car seat.
The soft seat felt especially cozy today.
* * *
“You actually came? Thank you so much!”
As soon as I entered the elegant building, Kang Se-hyun popped out.
The clean suit looked great on his tall frame.
“Thank you for inviting me. This is something Manager Jin-bae and I picked out.”
I handed over a box containing a bouquet and a wine set.
“Thank you for coming, and even bringing a gift…. Really, thank you. Manager, thank you so much too.”
Kang Se-hyun repeated his thanks, his face flushed.
“Oh, is noona here? Yeon-jae, I―.”
“Yes. We’ll be looking around.”
“Don’t forget we agreed to have lunch together. Take your time!”
Leaving the grateful Kang Se-hyun to greet others, Manager Jin-bae and I slowly toured the gallery.
“It’s my first time at an exhibition.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Have you been to many, hyung?”
“I used to go a lot with my parents when I was young. I haven’t been to one since starting work… It’s been a long time.”
He smiled, saying it was a great experience thanks to me, making me laugh.
“Take your time looking around. Shall we meet at the entrance?”
“Oh, do you want to look around alone?”
When I confirmed, Manager Jin-bae said okay and moved away.
‘I don’t mind whether I’m alone or with someone.’
Manager Jin-bae preferred watching movies alone.
Exhibitions seemed no different, so I suggested it, and it turned out I was right.
I held back a laugh as he immediately moved away, unlike his usual clinginess.
‘If you want something, you can just say it.’
He was too nice, but it wasn’t a problem.
I could notice and say it first.
I kept a slight distance and glanced at Manager Jin-bae.
His eyebrows furrowed as he focused intently on the paintings.
I alternated between watching his busy eyebrows and the paintings under the yellow lights, slowly moving.
“There you are. Are you enjoying the exhibition?”
During this, Kang Se-hyun approached.
“Yes.”
“I haven’t taken any formal art lessons, so it might not be much. Please consider that when you look.”
His self-deprecating words, as if preemptively shielding himself, puzzled me.
“Hyung, honestly, I haven’t been to many exhibitions, so I don’t know much.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. I don’t have an eye for art, so I can’t give you any detailed feedback… but it’s cool.”
It was impressive that he could dedicate himself to a hobby despite being busy with his career.
Even holding an exhibition was enough to be admirable.
Speaking plainly, Kang Se-hyun grinned.
“Thanks for saying that. What were you looking at? Oh, this is the one I worked hardest on.”
Asking if I liked it, I looked at the painting again.
It was an abstract piece with various colors intricately intertwined.
“The painting is just like you, hyung.”
“…….”
“You made this during the ‘Space Dream’ activity, didn’t you?”
“Huh?!”
The person who had been dazed suddenly yelled.
“What! How did you know?!”
“Hyung, your voice….”
“Oh, right. Sorry. Sorry.”
Kang Se-hyun bowed repeatedly to those around us and looked at me with fiery eyes.
Faced with his intense demand for an answer, I reluctantly spoke.
“I told you when we first met. My friend is a huge fan of ‘Space’.”
“And?”
“I watched so many stage videos with him. The colors in this painting resemble the outfits you wore on stage.”
At first, I was uncertain, but the previous painting reminded me of ‘Reality.’
‘Reality’ was followed by the ‘Dream’ activity.
Judging by the order of the paintings, it wasn’t a difficult guess.
I didn’t understand why he reacted that way.