By Zephyria Carrot Seller: It won’t take long. Go home first. See you at home ^^ (10:28 PM)
Since he sent a smiling emoticon, he probably wasn’t that angry. The fact that he called him aside instead of showing anger in front of others might have been out of consideration for Seo Jun-yeong’s face. That seemed like a much more plausible thought. Yes, it probably was.
Choi Hong-seo slipped the phone back into his coat pocket and looked for Park Dong-ha among the people scattering to the second venue, or to their homes. But the boy was nowhere to be seen. Park Dong-ha had arrived just before the study session began, and they hadn’t even had a proper chance to greet each other, but he had left silently after it ended.
Choi Hong-seo hurried after him. He found Park Dong-ha’s back in front of the external parking lot where visitors parked their cars, just outside the entrance.
“Dong-ha.”
Even though he had clearly heard, Park Dong-ha didn’t stop or turn around.
“Park Dong-ha!”
Calling out louder and running to grab him, the boy finally looked back, albeit reluctantly. No, he had stopped, but his face avoided eye contact.
“Are you feeling down because of what the Director said? He didn’t say anything that bad. I hear things like that all the time.”
“Why did you call me?”
Choi Hong-seo sighed at his sullen reply, and white breath puffed from his lips.
Choi Hong-seo rummaged through his bag and pulled out a small shopping bag. Park Dong-ha’s gaze lingered more on the bag hanging from Choi Hong-seo’s shoulder than on the shopping bag. It was one of the many bags Lee Hae-sung had gifted him, purchased from a boutique in Beverly Hills.
Choi Hong-seo subtly turned the bag behind him and held the shopping bag out further towards Park Dong-ha.
“What is this?”
“I made some snacks for Tiffany, but there was a bit too much. Tiffany eats these very well. Try giving some to Romeo too. If he likes it, I’ll make more.”
“……”
Park Dong-ha, who just stared down at the shopping bag without taking it, let out a clicking sound with his tongue and then brought up a completely unrelated topic.
“Hyung, you seem to have become quite close with the Vice President.”
“It’s nothing like that. He’s not someone you can become close with.”
Despite the sudden topic, Choi Hong-seo replied calmly. Park Dong-ha suddenly looked up. His slanted gaze seemed to hold resentment towards Choi Hong-seo.
“Why do you need to pretend? You let him pat your head in front of everyone.”
“……”
“Frankly, he was making it obvious that he favors you. For everyone to see. He was saying, ‘This is the kind of person Yoon Hye-an is to Lee Hae-sung, so everyone act accordingly.’”
“What favoritism? It’s probably just that I happened to be in a convenient spot.”
Lee Hae-sung had said he wouldn’t hide it anymore in front of people. He told Choi Hong-seo to brush it off by saying he didn’t know why Lee Hae-sung was acting that way. Whatever the truth, as long as the person involved didn’t admit it, people couldn’t dig deeper, even if they knew. Especially if Lee Hae-sung was involved in that truth.
Park Dong-ha didn’t seem to believe Choi Hong-seo’s words.
“When did you get so close? When you both left Gangwon Province early together. Was it then?”
“That day, I suddenly felt unwell, and he just gave me a ride home.”
“If you want to be precise, didn’t the Vice President originally dislike you? Can you conquer even someone who disliked you if you put your mind to it?”
“……”
“Even someone like the Vice President?”
Park Dong-ha was convinced that ‘Yoon Hye-an’ had seduced Lee Hae-sung. Probably because of the traits the former Yoon Hye-an possessed.
A sharp wind blowing from the mountains separated the two. A sneer grew on Park Dong-ha’s face.
“Yoon Hye-an is truly amazing. Truly amazing.”
“……”
“Doing the exact same things you did before… and then expecting me to believe you’ve forgotten everything?”
“What’s the same?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t remember! Your dirty habit of leeching off people with money and power to easily get jobs and achieve success!”
Park Dong-ha, who had walked right up to Choi Hong-seo, his eyes bloodshot, yelled.
“Because you don’t remember, you approached the Vice President pretending to be a new person, a good and pure person, while doing the same things as the old Yoon Hye-an?”
Shaking the shopping bag still in Choi Hong-seo’s hand carelessly, Park Dong-ha’s voice grew more frantic.
“Making things like this, and acting like an angel to a colleague you once discarded like chewed gum?”
“Don’t make excuses. It’s true that I don’t remember. You said I seemed like a different person too.”
“Yes, that’s why I almost believed you. Until you started seducing the Vice President.”
Park Dong-ha rubbed his face repeatedly with his palm. Then, turning halfway, he muttered in a low voice.
“To think I almost believed you again, even after being hurt by you like that… I’m sick of myself. This is probably why I always got taken advantage of.”
“At least since I woke up from my coma, I haven’t lied.”
Park Dong-ha turned his head sharply, his expression resolute. His face clearly said, ‘I will never believe your words again.’
“I used to think your methods were wrong. I thought you could succeed through honest means, even if it was slow and took a long time. There was no need for such dirty tricks. But that’s not true. I don’t know about other industries, but here, talent isn’t everything. Lucky people might get opportunities based on talent alone, but for those who can’t… even if they try and wait, they might not even get an opportunity. This is that kind of place.”
“……”
“But isn’t this method wrong? Isn’t this really not right… When I had those doubts, Hyung was already so far ahead of me using that method?”
Now, Park Dong-ha’s gaze had passed through intense pain and confusion, becoming calm instead. It was a look of complete resolve.
“So now, I don’t want to doubt if that method is right. I want to learn from it in the time I would spend doubting.”
“……”
“From now on, Hyung is my role model.”
With that sarcastic remark, Park Dong-ha left first. He left Choi Hong-seo behind, didn’t take the shopping bag, and strode towards his car.
Watching the retreating figure of the guy, Choi Hong-seo let out a short sigh and put the shopping bag back in his own bag. He realized Park Dong-ha’s resentment towards Yoon Hye-an might be deeper than he thought. A resentment that perhaps couldn’t be resolved with homemade cat treats.
Watching Park Dong-ha’s car leave the parking lot, Choi Hong-seo glanced once more at Director Kang Woo-hyun’s house, where Lee Hae-sung was still present, before walking to his own vehicle. The sudden drop in temperature sent a chill down his neck.
■
“VIP vehicle arriving in 5 minutes.”
The bodyguard in the driver’s seat reported briefly to Lee Hae-sung’s home in Bundang via his phone. It was a signal that they were almost home. VIP vehicle. It was a word and a situation he hadn’t gotten used to.
On schedules like today, which didn’t require special company management, he moved without a manager, accompanied by the bodyguard-cum-driver prepared by Lee Hae-sung. This was arranged by Manager Kang after meeting with CEO Lim Sang-jin of ENA Entertainment.
Choi Hong-seo, the person in question, had also attended the meeting, and naturally, the name of Lee Hae-sung, Vice President of ARA Electronics, was brought up.
‘Vice President Lee wishes for Yoon Hye-an to be able to focus on his acting activities in a more comfortable and secure environment. We request that you simply accept the support of a vehicle and bodyguards. There will be no infringement on the company’s authority beyond that.’
Manager Kang was very polite, yet mechanical, as if reading a prepared script. Additionally, Lee Hae-sung offered other ways he could personally support ENA. CEO Lim Sang-jin’s reaction was one of bewilderment.
Although Manager Kang had given a general introduction over the phone, CEO Lim likely had some idea of the situation, but the benefits provided in exchange for assigning a vehicle and bodyguards to Yoon Hye-an seemed to be beyond his imagination.
‘It’s beneficial to the company, not detrimental… so we have no reason to refuse…’
CEO Lim’s hesitant face turned towards ‘Yoon Hye-an’.
‘Why are you giving our actor such a good offer, it’s just…’
‘Think of it as sponsorship.’
‘Pardon?’
‘You can accept it as Vice President Lee Hae-sung personally sponsoring actor Yoon Hye-an for his talent.’
Manager Kang stated it unequivocally.
‘There’s no need to know more, and knowing more won’t benefit you, CEO Lim.’
The meeting concluded with an agreement on all proposed terms. After the meeting, CEO Lim wanted to speak with ‘Yoon Hye-an’ alone for a moment, and Manager Kang ‘allowed’ about 10 minutes. It was as good as stating that the company could not interfere with ‘Yoon Hye-an’ without Lee Hae-sung’s permission.
CEO Lim lit a cigarette in the empty office and asked discreetly.
‘Did your memory come back?’
‘No.’
‘Then, even without your memory returning, your nature remains the same?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Is Vice President Lee Hae-sung your sponsor?’
‘No. You heard the explanation from Manager Kang.’
CEO Lim scoffed and brought the cigarette to his thick lips.
‘You want me to believe a threat like, “Don’t try to find out too much, it’ll hurt you, just know that Lee Hae-sung is your sponsor”…?’
He added with a bitter chuckle, along with the smoke he exhaled.
‘Well, a sponsor is ultimately a benefactor, isn’t it.’
CEO Lim, who had been leaning back leisurely, sat up from the sofa.
‘I have no reason to refuse since it’s all beneficial to me, but Lee Hae-sung… This time, the game is too big. It’s overwhelming for you too.’
The man’s thick index finger pointed at ‘Yoon Hye-an’s’ chest.
‘He’s a descendant of Hanseo Group and the next chairman of ARA Group. How much do you think he’ll focus on you? A year? No, half a year? If you don’t want to end up in the same situation again, be prepared this time.’
‘Prepared for what?’
‘Prepared to be abandoned at any moment.’
CEO Lim said it as if it were obvious and glanced at the clock on the wall. Then he shook his head and smiled.
‘I borrowed 10 minutes to talk with you from the great Lee Hae-sung, so I have to be punctual. Go on.’
Before 10 minutes were up, CEO Lim gestured towards the exit with his chin, and Choi Hong-seo left the building with Manager Kang, who was waiting in the underground parking lot.
Park Dong-ha and CEO Lim were ultimately saying similar things.
That his old habit of trying to make his entertainment career easier by leeching off someone with money and power was resurfacing.
He had known beforehand that Yoon Hye-an had gone through several sponsors, but it seemed that wasn’t all.
‘If you don’t want to end up in the same situation again, be prepared this time.’
CEO Lim’s words kept echoing in Choi Hong-seo’s mind.
Meanwhile, the car was driving along the long wall surrounding Lee Hae-sung’s mansion in Bundang. As the vehicle approached the parking lot entrance, the garage door automatically opened. The car slid silently into the secret fortress.