“Ha ha ha, thank you so much for coming to meet me like this.”
“It’s nothing.”
We’d agreed to meet near the animal clinic, at a café just down the street.
“You must have gotten plenty of other offers, so thank you for choosing me.”
Just as Jungwoo had changed, Hyungcheol looked completely different from when I’d last seen him.
So this is what money can do to a man, I thought.
I didn’t know much about luxury brands, but it was obvious he’d decked himself out in expensive pieces.
How else could he flaunt himself like this, covered head to toe in logos so big they practically screamed for attention?
His outfit and shoes were downright tacky.
“I haven’t actually said I’d sign anything yet.”
“Ha ha ha, of course! I’m getting ahead of myself.”
He laughed awkwardly and reached for his coffee.
As he did, I caught sight of a familiar watch peeking out from under his sleeve.
“Huh?”
Hyungcheol grinned when he noticed my reaction.
“Oh, you like watches? I knew you had an eye for these things. You can’t even buy this one with money anymore.”
He slipped the watch off his wrist and held it out to me like he was offering some grand favor.
“If you sold this, you’d probably get enough for a foreign car.”
“This…”
I turned the watch over, studying the strap—and spotted a deep scratch.
No, not a scratch.
Teeth marks.
My teeth marks.
Why the hell does this bastard have this?
It used to belong to my owner.
I remembered how much trouble I got into for leaving bite marks on such an expensive piece.
“If you sign with me, you’ll be able to buy watches like this without a second thought. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Ah… is that so?”
Watching him boast about a dead man’s watch—like it was his own—disgusted me.
It made me wonder just how shameless a human being could get.
“Of course.”
“But from what I looked up, your company’s pretty small. Hardly any actors under you. What exactly am I supposed to trust here?”
“Ah, naturally you’d think that way. But do you know where I worked before?”
He was ready for that question, like he’d been waiting for it.
“You’ve probably heard of DreamN Entertainment.”
DreamN Entertainment.
That was the company my owner once belonged to—and now Han Jungwoo had taken that place.
“I’ve heard of it.”
“Right? It’s every aspiring actor’s dream company. I worked there for ages, but decided it was time to branch out and start my own thing.”
“You must be really talented, then.”
“Of course! Do you know how hard it was to turn down their CEO begging me to stay?”
“Ah.”
I couldn’t tell what was truth and what was fiction, but one thing was clear—he was definitely connected to Taehwan, DreamN’s CEO.
“I hate to brag, but even Han Jungwoo? I made him who he is.”
Hyungcheol leaned in so close I could smell the stale coffee on his breath as he whispered.
“I built him up, every step of the way, before he became who he is now.”
“Him?”
“You know who I’m talking about. The face you immediately think of when you hear DreamN.”
Jung Jaehyun. He wouldn’t even say the man’s name out loud.
“Jung Jaehyun?”
“That’s right! He was nothing until I molded him.”
What a joke.
I’d seen it myself—how he’d spent all his time running petty errands for my owner, getting scolded by senior staff when he screwed up even the simplest tasks.
He hadn’t built anything.
“You’re quite the impressive man.”
I wondered what he’d gotten out of betraying my owner.
Back then, he’d never believed the rumors about him using drugs—yet now, here he was, treating Jaehyun like some criminal.
“So, do you trust me now when I say you’ll never regret signing with me?”
“Yes. I feel a lot more confident now.”
“I knew it! I just knew we’d be on the same page.”
He flashed me a wide grin, convinced I’d fallen right into his trap.
“I must’ve been waiting all this time just to meet you, Director.”
Coming here on his own, like this—how convenient.
“I actually brought the paperwork with me, just in case. Since we’re getting along so well, how about we make it official right now?”
“Paperwork? Mind if I take a look?”
He pulled out a thick envelope and handed it over.
“We believe in trust between actor and agency, so we keep it simple—just the basics!”
He dropped all pretense of formality the moment he thought he’d hooked me.
Yet for something so ‘basic,’ the contract was a mountain of pages.
“Ten years…?”
“Ten years might seem long, but actors have long careers. This is standard in the industry.”
“Ah… profit split… eighty to twenty?”
“Well, rookies require a lot of investment. But once you build experience and gain popularity, I’ll make sure you’re taken care of. Don’t worry.”
The more I read, the more ridiculous it got.
Unbelievable clauses popped up on every page.
Did he think so little of me that he’d proudly show me this garbage?
Hyungcheol seemed oblivious, still underestimating me. It was almost amusing.
“Just sign here.”
He must’ve noticed my silence, because he hurriedly pointed to the signature line.
“Here?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Ah… let me run to the restroom first.”
I pretended to hesitate, pen hovering over the page.
“You could sign before you go.”
“I’d rather do it with a clear head. Just a minute.”
“It’ll only take a second—just sign and go.”
Ignoring him, I stood up and headed for the restroom—but instead of going in, I hid around the corner to watch him.
“Come on, just sign before you go. He’s not gonna go look this up in there, is he?”
Seeing him bounce his knee anxiously made me want to laugh.
He must’ve realized this contract wouldn’t hold up to even the slightest scrutiny.
“No way. He’s too clueless for that.”
Muttering to himself, Hyungcheol waited like a fool. Like I’d really sign that so easily.
I killed some time, pretending to have gone to the bathroom, then came back.
“Ah, Director, I’m sorry, but something urgent came up. I need to go right now.”
I made a show of looking flustered as I grabbed my bag.
“W-what? Now?”
“Yes, sorry.”
“It’ll only take five seconds! Just sign and I’ll even drive you—”
“No, it’s close. I’ll take it home, sign it there, and get in touch.”
“Wait, it’s better if you just—”
“I’ll call you!”
I snatched up the contract and walked out.
Go ahead and wait by the phone all day for me.
I strolled back to the clinic at an easy pace.
When I returned, Kyungho was waiting.
“Did it go well?”
“Yeah.”
He glanced at the envelope in my hand and clicked his tongue.
“You said you didn’t want this, and now you’re bringing back a contract?”
“And you told me to chase my dream—what, feeling left out now?”
“Pfft. Who’s feeling left out… Is this for real? He’s not a scam artist?”
Funny how he knew.
“He’s a scammer. A total dirtbag.”
“What?”
“An absolute crook.”
“Then why the hell did you bring this back?”
“Because if you want to catch a rat, you need to stay close.”
Getting Hyungcheol to trust me was the only way I’d learn what really happened with that night and with Jungwoo.
“That connected to what you told me before?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’m sure you’ll handle it.”
When he first took me in—and even now—Kyungho never pried too deep.
I knew that was his way of giving me trust and space.
But when he peeked through the contract, his face turned red.
“Hey! You idiot! Even so, you can’t accept crap like this!”
Apparently, not even his faith could tolerate this kind of trash.
He grabbed my ear and tugged hard.
“Ahh! I know!”
“You know? Then why’d you bring this slave contract back, huh?! Is that guy sane?!”
“Obviously not.”
“Unbelievable—bet you sat there acting like an idiot the whole time, huh? Ugh, I can’t stand it.”
“I told you, I have a plan! Ow—!”
“Some plan!”
I only escaped his grip after a few smacks to my backside.
From the next day on, Hyungcheol bombarded me with messages, morning and night.
[Did you sign it yet? Let’s meet tomorrow!]
[Hyung will buy you something good. Wanna come up to Seoul?]
He must be really desperate.
I could’ve dragged it out longer for fun, but I worried he’d get skittish and run.
So I signed the papers.
A piece of paper like this meant nothing.
One of us is going to disappear, anyway.
When I handed him the signed contract, he looked happier than ever.
“We’re family now! Let’s do great things together.”
“Looking forward to it.”
I meant it.
I was genuinely curious how long he could hold his own against me.
“You promised me a nice meal if I signed. Let’s go.”
“Ah! Of course! Our star deserves the best!”
“Really? Even the expensive stuff?”
“Anything—just say it!”
So I dragged him to a restaurant my owner used to frequent.
“Uh… here?”
“Yeah, I read online it’s a famous spot.”
A high-end place in ApguJung—over 200,000 won per person.
“W-well, I guess I can manage this. Ha ha.”
He kept up his act, even though the shabby office I’d just visited didn’t look like it could afford a meal like this.
No way he’d back out now.
“Do you have a reservation?”
Of course he didn’t. He was probably counting on that to escape.
“A-ah, guess you’re full then…”
“You’re in luck—someone just canceled. We have a table.”
“What?”
“Right this way.”
His face fell.
I almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
We were guided to a private room, and he had no choice but to follow.
“Please wait a moment.”
Soon, the table was filled with exquisite food.
“Wow—thanks to you, Director, I’m eating like royalty.”
“You can come here anytime if you work hard.”
“Really?”
“Of course!”
Once the drinks started flowing, so did his tongue.
“In this industry, hard work means nothing. It’s all about which agency you’re with. So you’re lucky to have me.”
“Ah, I see.”
“You know that Jung Jaehyun was an orphan, right?”
His words slurred a little, but I caught every one.
He still wouldn’t say Jaehyun’s name above a whisper.
“I heard.”
“Someone like that becoming a star—it was all me, you know.”
Jaehyun had already been a star long before Hyungcheol came along, but I let it slide.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yeah, what is it?”
“I heard a rumor that Jung Jaehyun didn’t die because of drugs.”
The chatter stopped.
He snapped his mouth shut like a clam.
“W-what are you talking about?”
“Lots of people know about it. Didn’t you?”
“What rumors? Why? Who said that?”
His eyes darted around nervously, like a dog with its tail between its legs.
“Oh—so you didn’t know? Never mind, then.”
“Wait. Did Han Jungwoo—”
Just as Jungwoo’s name left his lips, the door to the private room swung open.
And there he was—a man standing in the doorway, eyes cold and sharp as a blade.