As soon as he turned on the lights in the office, where no one had come to work, CEO Kim ran up in a hurry. When he saw him, who always paid attention to his looks from head to toe, wearing a sweatshirt and a hat, he was able to understand the seriousness of the situation.
âWait here, Inseop.â
CEO Kim spoke to Inseop and crossed the hallway into his room. Manager Cha and Lee Wooyeon followed him.
After confirming that the door to the representative room was closed, CEO Kim turned around.
âLee Wooyeon. was it you?â
âWhat?â
Lee Wooyeon sat down on the sofa, with an expression that asked what he meant.
âWho else is there besides you? Why was Kang Youngmo suddenly attacked from behind?â
âWell. Could it have been a robbery?â
Lee Wooyeon replied as if it wasnât a big deal. A fellow actor who was filming a drama with him was attacked and was lying in the intensive care unit, and his reaction was not normal. Even with empty words, he never spoke out of concern about Kang Youngmo.
âIs the robber crazy to hit a celebrity from behind in the middle of the city?â
âHe must be a crazy robber.â
Lee Wooyeon smiled brightly.
âDid Kang Youngmo piss you off?â
CEO Kim asked directly.
âSenior Kang Youngmo has the talent to piss people off.â
âYeah, right? Is it because he wounded your pride? I think Kang Youngmo is a little unfriendly. Huh?â
Before things got bigger, CEO Kim pretended to appease Lee Wooyeon, wanting to do something about it.
âHe spits a lot when acting, and, um, his mouth smells a little bit. He has a bad temper, he pretends to be a good person, and he has no luck.â
When Lee Wooyeon pointed out Kang Youngmoâs weaknesses one by one with his fingers, CEO Kim responded with a confused face.
âYeah, yes. okay. Kang Youngmo has a bad temper, I know that well. So, did this happen after fighting with him after you got angry? Huh?â
âFighting.â
Lee Wooyeon opened his eyes and answered.
âDid I fight with Kang Youngmo? Who said that? I had a good mood yesterday. If you need someone to testify about that, you can bring all the people gathered yesterday.â
âBut why did you do that to Kang Youngmo?!â
âBe quiet. People might hear.â
Manager Cha motioned for CEO Kim to lower his voice. CEO Kim tapped his chest with his fist, pulled water from the refrigerator and gulped it down.
âhaâŠÂ Letâs start again.â
CEO Kim put his hands on the desk and tried to calm down.
âSo itâs not you?â
âYes.â
ââŠÂ Why not?â
âCEO. Iâm the one who belongs here in your company. Why canât you trust me?â
When Lee Wooyeon spoke as if it was unfair, manager Cha and CEO Kim bit their lips at the same time.
âWould you believe you if you were me?â
âJust making sure. Itâs not you?â
âNo.â
âThen who is it?â
âI donât know. Burglar? There are many burglars targeting drunken tourists these days. Yesterday the senior drank too much. He was so drunk that he couldnât even move his body properly. When I sent the manager home and said I would take care of it, if I had known it would be like this, I would have been by his side.â
âSince when are you so fond of your seniorsâŠâ
âI can say that I have been affectionate since yesterday.â
That was a really creepy answer. CEO Kim shook his head, pressing his temple with his fingers.
âReally, itâs not you? Even if one article comes out even if itâs useless, it would be shameful. Men fighting each other using fists can be daunting. Are you really not the one?â
Manager Cha asked as if to confirm.
âI said no.â
ââŠÂ The KOSDAQ listing is just around the corner. If thatâs the case, youâre not the only one who will perish, but I will die too.â
CEO Kim said with a pale, hardened face.
âHow could the criminal follow the famous celebrity without checking CCTV? If you donât even check it, you deserve to die.â
ââŠÂ âŠÂ .â
ââŠÂ âŠÂ . âŠÂ âŠÂ .â
This son of a bitch. The culprit is this bastard!
The faces of CEO Kim and manager Cha were wrinkled like rotten and twisted rags.
âThen please contact the director. If you have anything to say, please contact me.â
Lee Wooyeon got up from his seat. CEO Kim, who did not have the energy to speak any more, waved his hand and asked him to leave.
Inseop, who was sitting alone in the corner of the office, saw Lee Wooyeon coming out of the representative office and jumped to his feet.
âUh, how is he? Is Kang Youngmo okay?â
âWell. I havenât heard the details yet.â
ââŠhe, heâs not deadâŠÂ is he?â
âNo way.â
Lee Wooyeon was careful not to cause trouble as much as possible. Of course, there was a high probability that yesterdayâs work would be a nuisance, but after removing Kang Youngmo, his mood improved and he felt refreshed as if a tooth had been removed.
And above all.
âWhat if he is seriously injured?â
Choi Inseop, who was restless while crying, came into Lee Wooyeonâs field of vision. Lee Wooyeon reached out and grabbed Inseopâs chin.
âDid you take any medicine?â
âWhat?â
âYou were bruised.â
When his hand touched Inseop, he blinked with a frightened face. Lee Wooyeon was briefly immersed in the recollection of how he felt when he tormented a young animal. When he pressed on the wound on the corner of Inseopâs mouth pretending it was unintentional, Inseop frowned, saying, âAww!â
âI donât think you put any medicine. What if it leaves a scar?â
âItâs fineâŠâ
âItâs because Iâm not okay.â
ââŠÂ â
After saying that, he felt really bad. To cut out all the complicated emotions, he didnât like the scars on Inseopâs face. It wasnât that it was a waste of a wound on his pretty face. He had seen a lot of pretty people in the entertainment industry, so he didnât really think that Inseopâs looks were great.
A round nose, freckles, and eyes that were too large for a small face even made him look uneasy. It wasnât an objectively beautiful face. Still, the moment he saw the scratches, he felt a surge of displeasure.
âThe medicine is in the cabinet over there.â
âYes. All right. But thereâŠÂ â
Inseop, who hesitated for a moment, opened his mouth with difficulty.
âMr. Kang Youngmo⊠Is he really going to be okay?â
Lee Wooyeon sighed..
âDo you like Kang Youngmo?â
âWhat?â
âDidnât you hate him?â
Inseop was dazed for a moment at the sudden question, then stuttered an answer.
âHeâs, heâs not good, but itâs justâŠÂ , what I donât like isâŠÂ of course I hate him, butâŠÂ â
This situation, in which he asked whether he liked or disliked the person who was lying in bed injured was uncomfortable for Inseop. Of course, if he were to talk about his feelings for Kang Youngmo, it was closer to dislike. But he didnât want him to die or be crippled.
âAnyone who sees you would think that you are a fan of Kang Youngmo. You are very concerned.â
âThatâsâŠâ
ââŠÂ ?â
Lee Wooyeon waited for Inseopâs next words with a relaxed face.
âJustâŠÂ Because we know each otherâŠâ
Inseop felt a heavy burden because he felt that Kang Youngmoâs condition had gotten worse because he had reported late. The fact that he endangered people with his vengeance haunted him the whole time he came here.
âMr. Inseop is reallyâŠâ
Lee Wooyeon, who looked at Inseop with his eyes down sadly, narrowed his eyes and smiled. Not knowing what he was trying to say, Inseopâs heart raced with anxiety.
âInseop! Inseop-ah!â
CEO Kim opened the door to the representative room and called out his name.
âYes! CEO.â
âIâm calling them right nowâŠÂ Why is your face like that?â
CEO Kim was surprised to see Choi Inseopâs face and asked. He didnât even think to look at Inseop because he wasnât in a good mood before.
âI fell.â
âDo you fall down and get hurt like that? Did you get hit by someone?â
CEO Kim glanced at Lee Wooyeon. If it were him, he would pretend it was a mistake and slap people in the face just because he didnât like him.
When their eyes met, Lee Wooyeon frowned slightly. It meant that he didnât like the misunderstanding.
âHe didnât even put medicine.â
âYou have to take medicine. Your face is hurt.â
âI know. Iâm worried.â
CEO Kim looked at Lee Wooyeon as if he heard something unbelievable. Lee Wooyeon smiled and asked what.
âWorryâŠ?â
âOf course I am concerned. He is my lifesaver. Mr. Inseop. He saved me three times.â
âOh, no. Itâs not like that.â
Inseop strongly denied it, waving his hands. Words could not express the pressure he felt whenever the word lifesaver came out of Lee Wooyeonâs mouth. He had to leave Korea soon and expose Lee Wooyeonâs weakness, so he wasnât a life saver.
âYouâre a lifesaver. In this case, if the person was a woman, weâll get married. Right? CEO.â
CEO Kim looked at Lee Wooyeon with a sullen face. In front of Inseop, he couldnât say he was lucky because Inseop was a man.
âYeah, yes. Well, anyway, Inseop, call here. The article will be published in the morning, so if you get calls from reporters, answer them appropriately.â
Inseop took out his notebook, put a pen between his injured fingers, and calmly wrote down his to-dos.
âItâs probably going to be crazy for a while, so Inseop, you should be careful too. In such a case, if any word comes outâŠÂ Well, I did a good job making up his image.âŠÂ .â
CEO Kim muttered bitterly and handed Inseop various papers. Lee Wooyeon, who was watching Choi Inseop accepting it, put his hands together as if he remembered him.
âDonât put the pen down. You have to sign it.â
âA sign?â
âThe contract signing. Have you thought about it?â
âWhat? AhâŠ!â
Confused, Inseob missed the pile of paper he was holding. Picking up the scattered papers on the floor, he desperately tried not to make eye contact with Lee Wooyeon. Lee Wooyeon picked up a piece of paper that had fallen at his feet and handed it to Inseop.
âAre you still thinking?â
ââŠÂ Yes.â
âWhat do you need to think about? You donât like the terms of the contract? Then letâs raise your salary a little more.â
âWhat?â
It was CEO Kim who was surprised this time. The terms of the three-year contract written at Lee Wooyeonâs request were so good that it could be said that it was exceptional. Even Manager Cha looked at the salary written there and said that it would be better not to show this to other people.
Was he suggesting a higher salary? Did he go crazy?
At CEO Kimâs surprised face, Lee Wooyeon glared at him and said in a soft tone.
âCEO. If you can have a good person by your side, is money a problem?â
Heâs being ripped off.
Lee Wooyeon swallowed the words inside and smiled lightly.
Although Kang Youngmo was arrogant in front of his eyes, the fact that he kept harassing Inseop was offensive to Lee Wooyeon. During the drinking party, Kang Youngmo went to the bathroom for a while, while the staff got drunk and discussed various things. Kang Youngmo harassed the managers of other actors so much that one or two managers quit after filming together.
Lee Wooyeon smiled and said, âYes, yes,â but at that time, he made up his mind to get rid of Kang Youngmo.
âIf you have a desired salary, please tell me. I will discuss it with the representative and update it.â
âNo. Itâs enough for now.â
Enough and overflowing. Inseop was only sorry for everything he received here. CEO Kim and Manager Cha treated Inseop, who was in charge of Lee Wooyeon, especially better than the other managers. He wouldnât be able to properly repay such a favor and leaveâŠ
âThen when are you going to sign?â
There seemed to be no doubt in Lee Wooyeonâs mind that Inseop would refuse. Inseop replied, âWell, well,â and left the room.
CEO Kim made fun of Lee Wooyeon by clicking his tongue.
âLee Wooyeonâs getting dumped. Donât you think Choi Inseop doesnât want to sign?â
âIs it possible?â
âIf he was going to sign the contract, he would have done it on the day he got the contract. Isnât it so?â
It was half a joke. He thought that Lee Wooyeon would pass it on with a light smile as always. However, there was no reply from Lee Wooyeon, who was standing there.
CEO Kim, who felt a strange energy, turned his head to check Lee Wooyeonâs face, and breathed in. Lee Wooyeon was standing there with an expressionless face, not smiling or angry. Even though Lee Wooyeon was deceiving people inside, he showed various expressions on the outside, so he was able to treat him without hesitation. But he couldnât believe he could make such a face.
It was creepy. It felt like he had glimpsed the moment when Lee Wooyeon, standing next to him, was out of the human category.
âPlease. Inseop is my fan.â
Lee Wooyeonâs face as he said that came back to life again. CEO Kim took a deep breath. Now it felt like he was talking to a living person.
âYeah, yes. WhatâŠÂ But youâŠÂ Kang Youngmo.â
CEO Kim and Manager Cha put their heads together in the representative office and discussed measures to save themselves. If Lee Wooyeon really hit Kang Youngmoâs head from the back, how should they fix it? How will they convince Lee Wooyeon to go voluntarily to the police? âŠÂ Will Lee Wooyeon really listen to them?
The conclusion was that Lee Wooyeon would never leave any evidence and would never go to the police with his own two feet.
âWhat are you going to do?â
As he touched the beard that had grown rough because he had not yet shaved it, CEO Kim made a sad expression.
âWhat?
âKang Young-mo.â
âWhat will I do? Am I a doctor?â
ââŠâ
âIâll buy a red rose and visit him, okay?â
âLee Wooyeon!â
âHahahaha, I wonât. Â Iâll take good care of it.â
âWhere are you going? Where are you going?â
When Lee Wooyeon looked like he was about to leave, CEO Kim shouted. Now, Lee Wooyeonâs every move was an uneasy one.
âTo the aesthetician. Iâve been filming all night these days, and my skin seems to have gotten rougher. Reporters will come.â
ââŠÂ â
âThen see you later.â
Watching Lee Wooyeon disappearing with a light wave of his hand, CEO Kim cursed himself on the day he cast a young man who came without any connection.