“…What are you going to do about this?”
At Seri’s sharp words, Dohyeong hung his head, hesitating.
Yuchan sat beside him, and Haesung sat across from them, adding to the silence. What was placed squarely on the table was a special edition with an article implying a love triangle between the three of them.
He’d come all the way to the office thinking he could just deny it, but just looking at the photos, he could tell there was nowhere to run.
The faces of Haesung and Yuchan coming and going from Dohyeong’s house were clearly captured. On top of that, Haesung was even photographed leaving, so. Well, there was nothing to make excuses about.
“What should we do, CEO Jo? CEO Cha?”
Seri glared murderously at the men sitting on either side with sharp eyes. On the left were Yuchan and CEO Cha, and on the right were Haesung and CEO Jo.
When no answer came back even after waiting while suppressing her temper, Seri snorted. Haa. Sighing deeply and thinking quietly for a moment, she slowly opened her mouth and continued speaking.
“Right, you two don’t have anything to worry about.”
Seri, speaking as if mocking them, picked up the paper and looked down quietly at the photo. After swallowing once, she crumpled the newspaper with all her might.
“Good public image, good reputation. No reason to be shaken by a scandal like this.”
Thwack! Seri, who had put down the newspaper irritably, turned her head and let out a sigh. Her eyes sweeping up her hair were full of annoyance.
Her bob cut that didn’t reach her shoulders swayed greatly, as if representing her state of mind.
Then, CEO Jo, who had been clearing his throat, straightened his posture and spoke up cautiously.
“If you think about it that way, it’s not necessarily a bad thing for CEO Yoon either.”
“…Oh, is that what you think, CEO Jo?”
“Think about it. Actor Kim Dohyeong is just starting to stand on his tiptoes to begin again. If no one pays any attention, what could be more frustrating than that? Noise marketing, well, if you think of it that way—”
The reason he couldn’t continue was because of Seri’s sharp gaze. Because she was glaring at CEO Jo as if she would kill him, her eyes wide open.
Seri was famous in this industry. The so-called crazy woodpecker.
It was a nickname born from her personality of pecking away at any situation, any matter, without discrimination, until she eventually got what she wanted.
Especially when faced with answers she couldn’t understand or situations she couldn’t accept, that personality was clearly revealed.
She would lash out at the other person until she understood and accepted. Of course, even so, her skills and abilities were good enough that everyone had no choice but to acknowledge her.
“No… I just meant it like that.”
Wrong person to cross. CEO Jo avoided her gaze with an awkward smile. For some reason, Seri’s momentum was something he could neither suppress nor overcome.
“By that logic, do you think Actor Jung Haesung won’t take any hit? Jung Haesung brazenly visiting his divorced ex-husband’s house. The timing is just perfect too—going to find Kim Dohyeong as soon as the after-party ends? Ha! Where else would you find such a delicious story to tear into!”
Unable to hold back any longer, Seri poured out her words and irritably flicked the newspaper with her hand. Without hiding her sensitivity, she grumbled and then took a deep breath and covered her face with both hands.
After catching her breath for a while like that, she swept up her hair and straightened her back. Her eyes, which had been blazing with anger, quickly regained their composure. Her expression looking around at the people sitting in front of her was coldly hardened.
“Actor Kim Dohyeong, no… our Dohyeong. He worked so hard to climb back up to this point. It was hard enough, and he tried his best.”
“Well, if you’re going to play the emotion card like that, our Yuchan too—”
CEO Cha opened his mouth, but at Seri’s coldly frozen expression, he quickly shut his mouth tight. Hmm, letting out a short cough, he awkwardly turned his head to scan the distance.
Seri glared at CEO Cha until the end, then turned to look at Dohyeong sitting beside her. It contained numerous emotions. There was attachment, but on the other hand, regret showed through, and a gaze that revealed her disappointed heart as much as trust had been built up.
“…I don’t want to personally step on the hand of this kid who barely climbed up. To drop him again—my expectations for Kim Dohyeong are very high.”
Dohyeong chewed his lower lip softly.
It sounded good to hear, but he could tell there was another ulterior motive hidden within.
“CEO Yoon Seri.”
It was Haesung’s voice that broke that subtle atmosphere.
“Is there… a reason to worry?”
Seri’s brow narrowed. It was surprising enough that he would say such a thing after seeing the article just now.
“…It might be nothing to Jung Haesung-ssi, but—”
“Choi Yuchan-ssi. Why did you go to Kim Dohyeong-ssi’s house?”
Haesung, who cut off Seri’s words in one stroke, looked at Yuchan and asked. His already sharply upturned eyes looked even more fierce.
“Because I was worried. He drank and looked like he was having a hard time.”
“Then, why do you think I went to find Kim Dohyeong-ssi, CEO Yoon?”
Seri said nothing. As if waiting to hear Haesung’s next words, she only stared at him intently.
Haesung, who had been scratching his forehead, picked up the special edition placed in front of him. Looking down at the article, he curled up one corner of his mouth.
“We’re not doing business for just a day or two—isn’t it past the time to be swayed by articles like this?”
Haesung, who had been shaking his head, tossed the newspaper back onto the table with a thwack and crossed his other leg. Everyone held their breath at his relaxed expression.
“Use it. Jung Haesung and Kim Dohyeong’s statement.”
“…I don’t understand what you mean by ‘use it.'”
“Kim Dohyeong-ssi’s condition was poor from the after-party.”
Haesung, who had paused his words for a moment, turned his head to look at Yuchan.
“Not wanting to cause trouble for anyone, he went home early, but Jung Haesung…”
He swallowed for a moment. His decision right now was very impulsive. He didn’t know what kind of repercussions it would have, not just on Dohyeong, but on himself as well.
But he thought it was better than Yuchan making such a choice. If someone had to do something crazy, at the very least, that subject had to be him.
“Even that sight bothered me, so I followed Kim Dohyeong. Why? Because he’s my ex-husband. Because I still… think I have the right to do that.”
It might be confidence only permitted because it’s Haesung. Although it was an enticing story, Seri was someone who didn’t welcome this kind of adventure.
“Dohyeong might face backlash instead, Jung Haesung-ssi.”
“Yes, as CEO Yoon says, he might face backlash, so that’s why we need Choi Yuchan-ssi’s help.”
Everyone’s gaze turned to Yuchan.
“Choi Yuchan-ssi came to his house because he was worried about Kim Dohyeong-ssi. Well, that’s actually true anyway. You can say you came because you wanted to take him to the hospital or something. Their friendship is widely known anyway.”
“……”
“CEO Yoon. There’s no perfect evasion anyway. No matter what we add, arrows will fly toward Kim Dohyeong-ssi.”
Haesung’s gaze turned to Dohyeong. He knew best that this was the first time something like this had happened to him. That’s why he was so intimidated and looking down at the floor with such a worried expression.
He wanted to tell him to be confident at times like this, to find another way and run away. But right now, he was in no position to easily say such things.
Then all he had to do was create a path for escape. Being at the starting point together must be thanks to luck as well.
“But in this case, we can deflect those arrows even a little. Jung Haesung, who lived pretending to be cool and nonchalant, but clings to Kim Dohyeong at a moment like this. Choi Yuchan, who rushed over in one bound out of care for his friend. I think it’s quite a nice picture. Though it could change depending on how Kim Dohyeong-ssi’s statement comes out.”
Haesung shrugged his shoulders and leaned back against the sofa. His gaze toward Dohyeong still hadn’t withdrawn.
“I agree.”
Yuchan quickly continued. Nodding his head, he looked down quietly at the article.
“Dohyeong was in pain all dawn and couldn’t even come to his senses. So as soon as he came to his senses, he sent Jung Haesung-ssi away for fear of getting caught up in an unnecessary scandal. I also went to his house because I was worried about Dohyeong. If we take it from start to finish as something for the sake of the production, all eyes will turn to Jung Haesung-ssi and me, not Dohyeong.”
CEO Cha, startled by Yuchan’s answer, turned his head. His round eyes represented his feelings.
“Yuchan, then your image will…”
“I’m the one who spoke meaningfully at the production presentation anyway. It would be even stranger to go out ambiguously here. It’s the same as throwing bait to the reporters.”
“Choi Yuchan.”
“It’s an extension of the drama anyway. CEO Jo just said so earlier too, didn’t he? That noise marketing is fine. This level is actually perfect as gossip material. So please allow it, CEO.”
At Yuchan’s unwavering answer, CEO Cha groaned and pressed his forehead. He gestured to CEO Jo to say something, but there was no way an answer would come back.
Because it was none other than Jung Haesung. A person who was difficult for even CEOs to tell what to do.
When Seri was also keeping silent, unable to find words to say, Haesung let out a deep sigh and opened his mouth.
“What does Kim Dohyeong-ssi think?”
And Dohyeong’s gaze turned to Haesung once again. Those fierce eyes looking at him didn’t feel as scary as before.
Even those eyes whose thoughts he couldn’t read—now their inner thoughts were clearly revealed.
So he chewed on it once more. Why, why only at times like this? Of all times, only at moments like this.
Dohyeong slowly turned his head to face Seri. Looking at the gaze urging him as if asking what he would do, he opened his trembling lips.
“…Just give me some time to think. Even just 30 minutes.”
This wasn’t something to decide carelessly. It was something that could give even Haesung and Yuchan a twisted perspective.
But Dohyeong knew all too well. If they released the article without any statement, he would face backlash again.
“Okay, go rest for a bit. Will 30 minutes be enough?”
“Yes. 30 minutes will be enough.”
When Dohyeong smiled awkwardly, Seri stood up, suggesting they have a cup of coffee with CEO Jo and CEO Cha. After all the CEOs went outside, only the three of them remained in the office.
“Do as I say.”
At Haesung’s words, Yuchan frowned and spat out in a sharp voice.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t order Dohyeong around.”
“I’d also appreciate it if Choi Yuchan-ssi didn’t order me around.”
“I’m saying this as a friend.”
“And I’m saying this as a senior.”
Even at the sight of the two who had no intention of yielding, Dohyeong said nothing. He just looked down at the floor and chewed on Haesung’s words from earlier.
“…What hyung means by doing as he says…”
When Dohyeong finally opened his mouth, Haesung and Yuchan turned to look at him.
His mouth opening and closing, unable to find words to say, his pupils scanning here and there as if troubled. At the sight of such a Dohyeong, Haesung bit down hard on the tender flesh inside his mouth and opened his mouth.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. That was a slip of the tongue.”
He took a deep breath. Inflating his chest, then returning to his normal state before opening his mouth again.
“Use me. And run away.”
Dohyeong’s eyes wavered. While gripping tightly the hands placed on his knees, he quietly faced Haesung.
“From Jung Haesung’s shadow. Run away from all those stories that entangle you with me. We’ll embrace all the useless stuff on this side.”
At Haesung’s calm answer, Dohyeong had to chew on those words for quite a while. And then he let out a snort and lowered his head to look down at his clasped hands.
“…It sounds like a dream.”
“No.”
He raised his head again at the resolute answer. He was about to say that he could be certain because it was him, but at the words that followed, he soon shut his mouth tight.
“From now on, the one who will be trapped in your shadow will be me. You… can run away, Kim Dohyeong.”
