Chapter 132: A Week of Silence

“What is it?”

“Come closer.”

At Woodeuk’s words, I leaned forward over the table, and he came closer too.

“Representative Kim Taehwan… there’s talk that he’s in Yoon Seokjun’s line.”

“Yoon… who’s that?”

Yoon Seokjun? It was a name I’d never heard before.

“You wouldn’t know. Yoon Seokjun. The current Gangnam Police Chief.”

“What?”

“There’s talk going around quietly that he’s in that line.”

“A talent agency CEO and a police chief?”

A talent agency CEO and a police chief.

Just hearing it, there didn’t seem to be any connection.

“So… what’s the relation?”

“You’re so naive.”

Woodeuk let out a small sigh, as if frustrated with me, and opened his mouth.

“You think it’s just political-business collusion? This entertainment industry can’t be separated from politics and business, no matter how you try.”

I couldn’t know the details, but I could tell it meant everything was rigged.

“So that’s why…”

“They looked the other way there. Anyway, the fact that Jung Jaehyun was an orphan is something everyone in the world knows, and his guardian was Representative Kim Taehwan, right?”

It was something I’d already expected, but hearing it from someone else’s mouth felt different.

“He’s really one hell of a lucky guy. Who would’ve thought that bastard Han Jungwoo would become such a big star.”

“Yeah. I didn’t see that coming either.”

I also hadn’t expected him to pull off such a major incident and then shamelessly steal his owner’s script.

“Actors really just need to meet the right character, and that’s it, huh? Who would’ve thought that guy with the bad rumors would become a global star with one drama. It’s infuriating.”

With Woodeuk’s tone full of complaints, I asked something I’d been curious about.

“But why do you hate Han Jungwoo, Reporter?”

“Me? No matter how successful someone is, I believe a person needs basic decency. That guy’s hopeless.”

“So nothing happened?”

“Something did happen. It was, I think, around my third year as a reporter? I interviewed Han Jungwoo.”

Woodeuk spilled the story of his first encounter with Han Jungwoo, and as soon as I heard it, I understood right away. 

He was the same back then as he is now.

“Isn’t he a real shameless jerk? Being late is one thing, but a rookie showing up drunk for an interview? That was a first.”

“He’s beyond help.”

“Yeah, no hope. And then later, when he sobered up and got worried, he used his connections to pull my article and sent over one they wrote themselves, saying to upload it as is.”

Even now, the memory seemed vivid, as Woodeuk raised his veins and passionately cursed Han Jungwoo.

“What, did he think I’m some idiot who’d write whatever they tell me to?”

“So that’s when it started?”

“What? Back then, he wasn’t even worth my attention.”

True, from what I remember, Han Jungwoo was barely getting sub-male lead roles at that time.

“I’m suspicious of Han Jungwoo, who was at the scene with Jung Jaehyun during the incident.”

Yeah! That’s it!

Meeting someone who suspected Han Jungwoo for the first time made me happy, but the frustration of not being able to tell the truth was maddening.

“From the start, the only blemish on Jung Jaehyun was being close to Han Jungwoo.”

His words resonated so much that I nearly burst out laughing but barely held it in.

“The autopsy said cardiac arrest due to drug overdose, but I think Han Jungwoo’s definitely involved.”

It was just a hunch without evidence, but as a reporter, he was sharp.

“There’s no proof now… but I believe it’ll come out someday. Bad guys always end up miserable.”

“I think so too.”

I believed a bad guy’s ending had to be sad, and I planned to make it that way.

“But you hating Han Jungwoo too, we strangely get along well?”

“Hahaha, yeah.”

There were a lot of things I clicked with Woodeuk on, and above all, I liked that he believed in my owner.

“Thanks. For helping like this and telling me all this.”

“Aw, come on, no thanks between us. Instead, if something like this happens again, tell me first, okay?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“How’s the movie you’re filming now? I hear there are some people looking forward to Director Seo Incheol’s work.”

Having wrapped up the talk, Woodeuk showed interest in Collision, the movie I was filming.

“Huh? You know Director Seo Incheol too, Reporter?”

“Of course. I watched a lot of his movies when I was a student. This one’s an independent film, right?”

“Yeah, so the filming’s even more fun.”

With a small staff, we got close quickly, and Incheol felt more like a neighborhood hyung than a director, so the atmosphere was good.

“An independent film… I’m curious. Invite me when it premieres; I’ll go watch.”

“Yeah, got it.”

“He usually does big-scale works…”

In the middle of our lively chat, Woodeuk’s phone rang, and he excused himself to me before answering.

“Yeah, I’m out for a bit on work, why? Ah… really? What’s up with them? Okay, yeah.”

As soon as he hung up, he tilted his head strangely.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, right! You’re doing the music show MC with Aina right now, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I stepped in as a substitute, and there aren’t many episodes left, but we’re doing it together. Why?”

I wondered why he suddenly brought up Aina.

“They’re saying Aina’s pausing activities for about a week due to health issues?”

“Pausing activities?”

They kept her going even after that mess last time, and now suddenly pausing?

“You hear anything?”

Woodeuk asked with a reporter’s gleam in his eyes, as if expecting more.

“We use separate waiting rooms, so I haven’t heard anything… But idols pause activities a lot, don’t they?”

“They do. But specifying a one-week period is weird. Usually it’s tours or same-day schedules, or indefinite, but one week? Strange.”

True, health is unpredictable, so how could they set a one-week deadline? It didn’t make sense.

“Yeah. Why one week?”

“Plus, that agency is famous for never pausing activities… Are they giving Aina special treatment?”

“Why special treatment?”

It didn’t seem like they were treating her specially, so I was curious why he thought that.

“She’s the top in popularity in that group.”

“Really?”

“You didn’t know?”

“I didn’t…”

I had no reason to check girl group popularity rankings, so of course I didn’t know.

Ah, so that’s why the manager was so wary of me when we first met?

Afraid fans would leave if the top popular female idol dated?

“Then maybe a special MC will come this week…”

“Yeah, doesn’t seem like you’re interested.”

We shared a bit more small talk about the entertainment industry before parting, and on my way home, the internet was buzzing with articles about Aina’s activity pause.

-They should’ve let her rest sooner; glad she’s resting now at least

-Why one week? Let the kid rest more

-Protect our cute bunny ㅠㅠ

-Rest well and come back~

-She looked unstable anyway; better this way, rest up!

Everyone knew about Aina’s extreme schedule, and there were many comments telling her to rest well and come back.

“There wasn’t anything special in the note either…?”

On the way home after getting the cookies that day, I checked the note, and there wasn’t much. Just thanks for helping and saying nice things. That was it.

***

She’ll be better after resting.

She looked exhausted, so I figured she’d be okay after some rest.

“How often do you actually go to the office in a week, honestly?”

“A CEO’s supposed to go out sometimes.”

I came back from early morning filming, slept, and woke up to find Jiwon at home.

“No employees, and you’re saying that? Hey, if that’s the case, just close the office.”

It was in prime real estate in the middle of the city, so the rent must be expensive; it was a waste of money.

“The interior cost a fortune; what are you talking about! I’ll go… when the time comes.”

“In my opinion, it’ll go under within a year.”

“Saying that curse to someone who just opened up?”

“It’s not a curse… Go to work and then talk.”

It’d be weirder if it ran smoothly when the only employee and CEO doesn’t work.

“It’s boring being alone. And people keep coming asking for money; it’s annoying.”

“Did you pick a script to invest in?”

“Yeah, did you?”

He threw my question right back at me.

“Hey.”

“Why, nothing caught your eye?”

“Trying to mooch off someone…”

“Hehe, off you!”

He shrugged his shoulders, acted cute, and winked with a grin.

“Ah, I really hate that.”

“So did you read the scripts~?”

“I did read them.”

I read some at the office back then, and he gave me a bunch to take home and read.

“Nothing good?”

“They all seemed similar.”

I read a few, but most were predictable with common tropes and stories.

“Really?”

“Yeah, nothing really stood out.”

“That’s why I brought more over there.”

He pointed to the table in the living room, and there were scripts piled up that hadn’t been there before I went to bed.

“You wanna die?”

“Why~ It’s good for both of us. I find a good script, invest, make money—good for me; you get a good role thanks to me, gain popularity—good for you.”

“I don’t want to get into a project through investor pull.”

I had no desire to parachute into a work.

Why would I need to parachute when I have the skills?

If there was a role I liked, I was confident I could convince them with my acting.

“Everyone else is pulling all connections, making a fuss to get in, but you’re so particular.”

He clicked his tongue.

“Yeah, I’m particular. So you look at the scripts, CEO.”

“I read those too.”

Wondering if Jiwon, who usually flips a few pages and quits, really read them, I got up and brought the scripts over.

“You read them? All the way?”

“Yeah, not all the way, but about half.”

If he read half, it must be watchable, so I got curious.

“What’s gotten into you.”

“I wasn’t planning to, but they said it’s from a famous writer, so I read it.”

“Famous writer? Who?”

“Ah, what was the name? I wouldn’t know anyway, but when I searched, there were quite a few well-known works.”

At Jiwon’s words, I quickly checked the writer’s name.

Hwang Eun-ah.

It was a writer I’d heard of, and I remembered she had worked with my owner too.

“Ah, I know her.”

“It’s not totally boring, but honestly, if it wasn’t for the name, I probably wouldn’t have touched it?”

“Then why bring it?”

“They say she’s a writer who always hits at least mid-success, so I brought it thinking you could ride her coattails a bit.”

“Coattails…”

Of course, there might be initial pull from the writer, but ultimately, it follows the fun factor.

“The person who gave it said they have lots of places to invest in their production company, but it came through an acquaintance, and they were acting all high and mighty.”

“Annoying.”

“Annoying, but with a top star already confirmed and a famous writer, I thought it’d be safe for a first go.”

“When did you ever think about that.”

“True, but I can’t blow billions on a hobby, right?”

Fair enough. But newcomers can hit it big right away, and big writers can flop—that’s the drama world.

“Still, deciding based on that…”

“Yeah, hold on, come down for a sec.”

I was about to tell Jiwon you can’t decide on that when Kyungho opened the door with a serious expression and called me.

“Why?”

“Someone’s here looking for you…”

“For me? Who?”

No one would come all the way here for me.

“Um… it’s a woman.”

“A w-woman?”

“A woman?”

At the word woman, Jiwon and I both looked at each other with surprised expressions.