“Haah… Still, I should be thankful I didn’t get beaten up at least.”
When Cha Taehan whispered in my ear, honestly I almost had an accident in my pants. It was at an astonishing level how someone, being the same human, could be so scary just by their very existence. Compared to the disgrace I’d shown yesterday, it was a very light level of punishment, but…
‘Look at me losing focus. I need to go see Seo Hanryul.’
The schedule with Seo Hanryul came to mind, making me think I had no time to be spacing out.
‘No time to be bored.’
Today was an important day, worthy of emphasis ten times over. The day scheduled for the lunch meeting between Seo Hanryul and Lee Dojun before the contract had arrived.
According to the original work, Lee Dojun had a one-on-one meal with successful candidates before the contract. However, that occasion was by no means a comfortable, casual meeting.
Top star Kim Jinha also attempted to transfer to Youth when his contract expiration period with his existing agency approached. However, due to personality filtering at the meal, he spectacularly slipped at the final contract stage.
‘Thinking about it, it’s quite something. Seo Hanryul passed Youth, what do I do~’
‘What? This isn’t a situation to gloat about. What’s so good about that bastard Seo Hanryul anyway.’
Remembering the atrocities Kim Jinha committed against Seo Hanryul made me feel satisfied, but soon I thought I was crazy.
Being treated worse than an ant by him. I thought my situation was no different from Stockholm syndrome.
‘Let me get a grip. I shouldn’t be fooled by that angelic face.’
While having these various idle thoughts, I’d arrived in front of Seo Hanryul’s house before I knew it, and after about 5 minutes, Seo Hanryul entered the car.
“Did you sleep well? Thanks so much for understanding my situation yesterday.”
His face was glowing enough that I didn’t even need to ask how he was.
‘At that level, he’ll break down the door and pass on face points alone at today’s meal.’
“Yeah, I slept really~ well. I was so tired I almost died after yesterday’s schedule ended, but thanks so much for making me drive home.”
He grumbled about something even though he’d rested well.
“…Sorry. Thanks to you, I received the guest well yesterday.”
“So who was this important guest? You said you’d tell me who it was yesterday?”
Seo Hanryul, like a piranha. He remembered everything.
“Ah… This is kind of a private matter. …He’s an old friend of mine who said he urgently had something to tell me, so I called him to my house.”
I pulled off an impossible scam. I judged that if I kept pulling specific scams, Seo Hanryul would lose interest first.
“So you threw away the celebrity you’re in charge of and left just for some old friend. Looking at you, you’re quite the pushover.”
He fell for a scam method so absurd it would be strange if he believed it.
‘This works?’
“Yeah, I’m a pushover. I’m such a pushover that I’m being a slave next to you like this.”
Seeing Seo Hanryul easily fall for it made me feel good and I let out a hearty laugh.
“Yeah, pushover Cha Jaehyun. Cheer up.”
My good mood was brief, as he committed a terrible act. He started massaging my shoulder as if to cheer me on.
“You crazy bastard, what are you doing?”
“Why? You said you received a guest important enough to abandon your celebrity, right? If the guest was that important, didn’t you have a pretty hard time yesterday? I did it to cheer you up, why the fuss?”
“Hey, the guest was a good thing. How is that hard? Why are you suddenly touching me and making a scene?”
My whole body’s hair stood on end at his sudden skinship.
I wanted to say ‘Why are you touching me and acting crazy,’ but as a slave I couldn’t dare use such impure language, so I had no choice but to use a softened expression.
“How ridiculous. Does your shoulder wear out just because I touch it a little?”
Despite using a softened expression, Seo Hanryul openly showed his discomfort. And the expression Seo Hanryul used, ‘does your body wear out,’ was a phrase Cha Jaehyun occasionally threw at Seo Hanryul who glared at him after he attempted skinship without permission in the original work. Hearing words that Cha Jaehyun would say come from his mouth wasn’t very pleasant.
“It’s not that… So who told you to suddenly touch me?”
“Anyone watching would think I’m going to devour you.”
“Why do your words go that far? Ha… What am I even saying to you. I’m starting. Today’s a good day, so let’s try not to fight.”
“I have no intention of fighting with you? You’re the one being sensitive.”
‘Yeah, you’re completely right.’
I internally lamented at Seo Hanryul’s tireless fighting rooster temperament and started the car’s engine.
* * *
‘As expected, big companies are different.’
As befitting a top entertainment company. Unlike the previous agency that just rented a few floors in one building, Youth was different from the building’s exterior. They used an entire large building as their agency, and the Han River flowed in front of the magnificent building.
With an excited heart, when I entered the first floor, I saw a reception desk.
Previously, the desk was in front of the CEO’s office. Seeing the desk blocking us from the first floor made me feel like I’d finally come to a proper agency.
“Hello. How may I help you?”
“Yes, I came because there’s a lunch meeting with CEO Lee Dojun today.”
“Yes, confirmed. Please wait in the guest room on the 4th floor. This is a temporary pass, you can enter with this pass.”
“Thank you.”
Holding the temporary pass handed by the receptionist, I arrived at the 4th floor guest room. The building’s interior was at a level that shone no less than the exterior.
‘Wow~ Seo Hanryul. You’ve made it big.’
About 20 minutes remained until the lunch appointment. I thought I should thoroughly educate Seo Hanryul, who’d shown poor behavior in front of Lee Dojun last time.
Even if Lee Dojun had favorable feelings toward Seo Hanryul, they were still at the level of first meeting, so there’d be nothing good if Seo Hanryul kept crossing the line at the meal.
“Seo Hanryul.”
“Why?”
“Thinking about it, this isn’t an ordinary lunch meal.”
“What bullshit are you trying to spout again?”
“Don’t listen cynically. Just listen. You saw the CEO last time, right? As you felt, he’s absolutely not an easy person. In my view, the CEO seems to value manners very much. I know your personality, but let’s restrain yourself today. Since it’s before signing the contract, we need to be careful with our behavior too.”
“The word ‘manners’ is coming out of your mouth?”
As soon as Seo Hanryul heard my words, he pouted.
“Ha… Don’t deflect. Try being serious.”
“Do I have to bow down that much to sign the contract? If that’s the case, I don’t need such a contract.”
‘He really doesn’t listen worth a damn.’
“Argh! You crazy bastard, do you want to die?”
At immature Seo Hanryul’s behavior, I finally hit his back once.
“Really, you’re not even a kid, why have you been acting like this since before? Just suppress your temper for the 1 hour you’re meeting the CEO. Is that so difficult?”
“…If you’re that worried, eat with me.”
“What kind of nonsense is that again? When I looked into it through my connections, the CEO only eats with successful candidates one-on-one. This occasion isn’t a simple meal. It’s time to verify the successful candidate. …I really want you to get into Youth. Do well today.”
“So if you’re that anxious, let’s eat together?”
“What are you saying? You don’t understand. I said he only eats one-on-one? How can a mere manager join such an occasion? Seo Hanryul, really, what’s wrong with you? I think I’m going to die from stress because of you.”
My neck started hurting because of Seo Hanryul insisting stubbornly on something strange.
“Really? Then don’t go. Instead, I’ll do as I please.”
‘Really… I really want to hit him just one more time.’
“What are you, a kindergartener? Go alone properly and do well on your own. I don’t know anymore either. Do as you please.”
I answered him, believing he’d do well when he actually went to the meal even though he was making such a fuss.
“I don’t mind if there are 3 people though?”
While I was sighing, I heard Lee Dojun’s voice from behind.
That bastard must have eaten his manners mixed with rice too. I didn’t even know he’d entered, but before I knew it he was confidently occupying a spot in the room.
“Haha, CEO. Hello. I’m just delighted to see you again like this. I’d like to excuse myself for the CEO and Hanryul-ssi’s cozy time together.”
“I don’t mind eating together. From what I’ve been hearing, you’re avoiding joining the lunch meal—anyone listening would think you’re being asked to dine with cockroaches.”
‘That bastard is smiling like that?’
Lee Dojun laughed while saying something not even funny. Perhaps because he was the protagonist in the novel, when that cold-blooded bastard smiled, it felt like even the surroundings became bright. However, I didn’t fall for that smile.
“CEO, not only is your face wonderful but you have humor too. I’m absolutely not avoiding the meal. However, I think it would be much better for you two to dine alone on an occasion like today to discuss contract matters. As long as the CEO calls for me, I can dine together anytime, so please have a comfortable meal just the two of you today.”
“Manager, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but today’s meal will proceed lightly as a comfortable occasion. I’d like you to join the meal without burden.”
‘Both this bastard and that bastard are making a fuss over food.’
Lee Dojun was smiling but had an arrogant expression as if saying ‘how dare you refuse my order.’
“See, the CEO says it’s fine too. Shall we go together then?”
When even Seo Hanryul next to me started smiling as if satisfied, there seemed to be no hole to escape through.
‘The two of you get along really well. Do as you both please.’
