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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Haughty and Rigid
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The reason Seonghyeok was only now seeing Baek Huiran for the first time was that she had returned to Korea after about a month of overseas location filming.
As he pondered why a guest was occupying a room without its owner, a somewhat chilly voice pierced his ears.
“Come back later.”
What was that supposed to mean?
His bewilderment was fleeting. He instantly realized Baek Huiran had mistaken him for a repairman or a handyman, judging by his attire.
He supposed it was understandable. Though understanding didn't mean he wasn't annoyed.
Cha Seonghyeok was not lenient with everyone.
“Would you mind coming back later?”
At his retort, Baek Huiran let out a scoff of disbelief.
“Excuse me?”
“As you can see, I'm not dressed to receive guests right now.”
“What are you talking about?”
It was at that moment a woman's voice came from behind Seonghyeok.
“CEO…nim…?”
Seonghyeok turned around, removing his mask.
His eyes went to the tray the secretary was holding. On the tray was a steaming cup of coffee. It seemed she had stepped out to brew coffee in the pantry next to the CEO's office.
He answered the secretary's questioning look.
“I just came straight from my workout.”
“Oh…”
The secretary nodded, still observing her boss with wide eyes.
Having only ever seen him impeccably dressed, his casual appearance was quite unfamiliar. Yet, it suited him incredibly well. In fact, she wondered what wouldn't suit him.
Just then, a gentle voice echoed through the office.
“Are you CEO Cha Seonghyeok?”
Seonghyeok turned his gaze back to Baek Huiran.
“Yes, that's right.”
“My apologies. I thought you were someone who came to fix something.”
His prediction was accurate. Even the part about Baek Huiran's demeanor changing once she knew his identity.
He wasn't surprised, having heard things about Baek Huiran.
“I apologize for the confusion caused by my un-CEO-like attire.”
Baek Huiran graced him with a captivating smile.
“I returned yesterday and came to greet the new CEO. I'm a bit sensitive due to jet lag, so please understand.”
“It wouldn't be proper for me to receive greetings like this. Let's meet formally another time.”
“You look fine, why not? Come, sit down.”
Baek Huiran genuinely thought so. Knowing he was the CEO, even his casual clothes looked quite stylish. His healthy image wasn't bad either.
Not wanting to repeat himself, Seonghyeok went and sat in the chair opposite Baek Huiran.
The secretary quickly approached, placed a coffee cup in front of Baek Huiran, and turned to Seonghyeok.
“I'll prepare your coffee right away, CEO.”
“I'll have mine later.”
“Understood.”
“You can leave.”
Once the secretary left the office, Seonghyeok took off his hat and began lightly.
“You must have worked hard on the filming.”
He looks even better up close.
Baek Huiran hid her true thoughts and pouted her lower lip.
“If you knew I was having such a hard time, why didn't you even call to encourage me?”
“That hadn't occurred to me.”
“I was disappointed, thinking you'd already lost interest just because my contract period is almost up.”
“How could that be?”
“Thankfully, I've had a few companies offer me contracts, so I've been wondering if I should contact them.”
Seonghyeok knew she was feigning humility to show off.
Her intention was clear: 'My contract is almost up, I might not renew and could move to another company, so you'd better treat me well.'
He wasn't skilled at pleasing others, but he decided to make an effort nonetheless.
“I hope we can continue to work together in the future.”
“I hope so too.”
After a few more exchanges of formal conversation, Baek Huiran left the office, suggesting they have a meal together soon. Then, the secretary entered.
“From now on, don't let anyone into my office when I'm not here.”
“I'll be careful. I apologize, CEO.”
The secretary swallowed the words that she had tried to guide Baek Huiran to the reception room, but Baek Huiran had insisted, leaving her with no choice.
Seonghyeok nodded silently and entered the inner room within his office to change his clothes.
***
“Yeongin.”
Her unfocused eyes suddenly sharpened.
“…Oh, Seonbae.”
Yeongin realized she was currently sitting opposite Jingyo in the 5th-floor lounge, drinking coffee, and that while he was briefly checking messages, she had been replaying the recent events in her mind.
His refreshing scent, firm chest, and warm presence were still vivid in her memory.
To borrow Seonghyeok's words, they had done everything and anything together, yet she couldn't understand why her heart was pounding like someone who had just started a new relationship.
Was it because she had never once disliked physical contact with him? Was it because the nights she spent with him, from the first to the last, had never been anything but good?
She had never been sexually attracted to anyone before, but Cha Seonghyeok was the exception.
“What are you thinking about so deeply? I called your name several times.”
“Sorry.”
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“No. I think it's because I didn't sleep well.”
Though Jingyo had no idea what had happened between Yeongin and Seonghyeok that morning, he sensed that Cha Seonghyeok was the reason Yeongin was unusually dazed. His mood rapidly soured.
“Why didn't you sleep well? You didn't lie to me about going home and secretly go out, did you?”
He spoke as if joking, but Yeongin wasn't one to miss the underlying intention in his words.
“Why would I lie to Seonbae about something like that? I really did go home and called you from there.”
If Seonghyeok had heard that, he would have surely questioned why it was a call for one person and a message for another.
“I'm just kidding.”
Yeongin changed the subject, fearing she would blush if she seriously challenged him.
“You don't have a schedule today, so what brings you to the company so early?”
“I woke up early with nothing to do, so I came to hang out.”
“I have a meeting in 20 minutes.”
“Alright. I'll send you off in 15 minutes.”
Yeongin nodded and lowered her gaze to the table. The coffee in the cup looked as dark as someone's eyes, she thought.
“Yeongin.”
Yeongin looked up again and met Jingyo's gaze.
It was truly strange. The same name, yet it felt so different depending on who spoke it. On the other hand, she wondered why her heart only thumped when Cha Seonghyeok called her name.
Realizing she had unconsciously thought of him again, Yeongin scoffed inwardly, finding it absurd. It was, in essence, 'all roads lead to Cha Seonghyeok.'
“There's something I want to ask you.”
“Yes?”
“In your eyes, am I a person with flaws or without?”
“Seonbae, you have everything. Looks, wealth, and even a good personality.”
Regardless of how uncomfortable Jingyo's question made her, she genuinely thought so.
“You said you liked CEO Cha because he was a man without flaws. You said you liked him because he was perfect, so why don't you like me?”
“I do like you.”
“You know that's not what I mean.”
“I told you I liked him because he was a man without flaws, but I also disliked him for that very reason.”
“Even that contradictory feeling makes me envious.”
…
Yeongin quietly watched him as he let out a hollow laugh.
“Cha Seonghyeok, do you still like him that much?”
“Yes.”
A bitter smile spread across Jingyo's face. Even if Yeongin had said no, he wouldn't have believed her, but hearing her answer without hesitation completely deflated him.
“Then why won't you take him back?”
“Because I don't have the courage.”
“What kind of courage?”
“The courage to handle such an extraordinary man.”
Jingyo let out an exaggerated sigh.
“Do you know what it feels like to be rejected before even confessing?”
…
“It's pretty terrible.”
…
“Would it be better to confess and then get rejected?”
“No.”
Yeongin quickly interjected, cutting off his rhetorical question.
Dealing with Cha Seonghyeok alone was already overwhelming; she certainly didn't want Seo Jingyo to seriously join the fray.
***
After leaving the CEO's office and heading to Management Team 2, Baek Huiran exchanged brief greetings with the team members before exiting the office.
A woman with no makeup and shoulder-length hair tied back followed behind Baek Huiran. It was Hyeonsim, the team leader of Team 2 and Baek Huiran's manager.
The two walked side by side down the hallway.
“How's the CEO?”
“He's haughty. And rigid.”
Baek Huiran didn't elaborate that everything else about him was perfectly to her liking.
“Why wouldn't he be? He's the second son of SL Group, after all.”
Another haughty and rigid person came to Baek Huiran's mind.
“Oh, right, I saw her on my way to the office.”
“Who?”
“That one from Hyesung Entertainment.”
“Chae Yeongin?”
“Ah, right. Chae Yeongin. She was with Jingyo.”
“She's quite resourceful. How did she manage to get Seo Jingyo to come here on his own?”
Both of them generally knew how Jingyo came to sign a contract with SL Entertainment.
“She's pretty, isn't she?”
“Don't you think Seo Jingyo has prettier girls around him? Considering he has no interest in you either, looks aren't everything.”
“Then I guess she must be incredibly skilled at charming men.”
Baek Huiran didn't know much about Yeongin, having only exchanged brief greetings with her a few times while on set. Nevertheless, the reason she disliked Yeongin was purely because of Hyeonsim. She had heard many negative things from Hyeonsim: that the girl was arrogant, ill-mannered.
Shortly after joining Hyesung Entertainment, Yeongin had spent a few months working in the field to understand how the industry operated. She first met Hyeonsim as the manager of an actor appearing in the same film. At that time, Hyeonsim was a sixth-year manager.
By chance, Yeongin's educational background became known. Everyone reacted with, 'Why would someone from such a good university be a field manager?' Even though she knew Yeongin hadn't boasted about it herself, Hyeonsim was inwardly annoyed. While consoling herself that nothing was more meaningless than academic background in this industry, she was secretly ashamed of her own high school diploma. It was because she had always had an academic complex. Yeongin's un-amiable personality also felt like showing off. What was even more irritating was that she had only received the team leader title after seven years of working, while this newcomer had been handed it right away.
“Hey, she's twenty-seven, right?”
“Yeah, same age as you.”
Baek Huiran's cell phone vibrated the moment they stepped into the elevator. As if she hadn't just been badmouthing someone, Baek Huiran answered the phone in a sugary voice.
“Yes, Changgeun.”
The four characters 'Changgeun Oppa' were displayed on her phone screen.
