Chapter 40

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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Keep in Mind
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The commercial shoot concluded without a hitch.

No one, besides Huiran herself and the other five people involved, knew that she had participated in the shoot without being fully sober. The official word was that her condition was a bit off due to a cold.

The IV drip was highly effective for her hangover, the cold packs significantly helped with the swelling, and the makeup artist Yeongin had hired, a true professional, showcased her skills to the fullest.

The stylist and the field manager breathed sighs of relief, grateful that the shoot had finished without major issues. Naturally, the conversation turned to Yeongin.

“What would we have done today if Team Leader Chae hadn’t been here?”

“Seriously. Just thinking about it, a shiver goes down my spine if it had just been the two of us.”

“Even if Team Leader Jo had been here, she wouldn’t have handled it this flexibly.”

“They said Team Leader Chae was good at her job, and I wondered how good. Now I get it. She doesn’t even panic.”

“Exactly. I was genuinely shocked when I saw Huiran unnie this morning, but Team Leader Chae handled everything so calmly and efficiently that I calmed down too. Is this the power of a leader?”

Until that morning, the two of them hadn’t had a good impression of Yeongin. Just as Huiran had started disliking Yeongin based solely on Hyeonsim’s words, they had done the same.

However, they now realized how frightening premature prejudice could be. It was enough to make them wish they could transfer to Team 5 instead of Team 2, which had an emotional actress and team leader.

“Aren’t you going to stop?”

Huiran, who had been listening to their conversation from the waiting room sofa, irritably rolled her eyes.

“I’ve been listening and listening, and you two just don’t know when to quit.”

She admitted that Chae Yeongin was better at her job than Jo Hyeonsim. If it had been Jo Hyeonsim, she would have postponed the shoot, using illness as an excuse, rather than pushing through with alternatives like this.

But as the two of them praised Chae Yeongin incessantly, a rebellious feeling rose within her. It was unpleasant and annoying.

Immediately after the stylist and field manager fell silent, Yeongin, who had gone out to see off Director Shin—who had stayed until the end of the shoot—returned to the waiting room.

Yeongin approached the sofa where Huiran was sitting.

“Ms. Huiran, you worked hard today. I think I need to head back to the company now.”

“Are you being sarcastic right now?”

Yeongin’s brows furrowed slightly at the clearly provocative tone.

“Regardless of how amateurish Baek Huiran acted today, I said you worked hard because shooting must have been tiring.”

“Amateurish?”

“Then do you think that was professional behavior?”

Huiran sighed deeply, looking up at the sky, and muttered to herself.

“Who are you to judge? How annoying…”

As intended, her words were clearly heard by all three people in the waiting room.

“What did you just say?”

“You heard me, why ask again?”

Huiran repeated her words with an annoyed expression.

“I said, ‘Who are you to judge? So. Annoying.’”

Huiran’s lips curled into a sneer.

“I tend to be a bit blunt with my words.”

“Blunt?”

Yeongin chuckled briefly, then responded with a serious expression.

“Hey, you’re just rude.”

“…What did you say?”

“Why? You said we’re the same age, didn’t you?”

“…”

“You can use informal and harsh language all you want, but I can’t? Did you think I wouldn’t say a word no matter what you said?”

Huiran was momentarily flustered by the unexpected reaction, but she quickly regained her composure and sprang to her feet. She then stood in front of Yeongin.

“You’re finally showing your true colors. You really don’t have the right attitude for a manager.”

“What should a manager be like?”

“Learn from Hyeonsim unnie. If I told her to crawl, she wouldn’t just pretend; she’d actually crawl. Don’t you feel anything?”

“I feel how arrogant you are.”

As Yeongin calmly retorted, a vein pulsed in Huiran’s neck.

“Chae Yeongin, do you want to quit your job? Should I make it so you can’t work in this industry? Is that what you want?”

“What power do you have?”

“…”

Huiran was momentarily speechless.

“This isn’t the time to act tough; it’s the time to worry about what might happen if I reveal your true nature to everyone.”

Yeongin let out a small, contemptuous laugh and continued.

“Should I post something on a highly influential online community? Or should I do an interview? Should I let everyone know how arrogant you are?”

“Who would believe you?”

Despite her attempt to remain calm, Huiran’s eyes darted around, unable to settle.

“Who said I’d do it anonymously? If I reveal my name and face, they’ll believe me.”

“…”

Huiran unconsciously swallowed dryly.

“Now that you’re popular, you think you’re above everyone, don’t you? You see everyone beneath you? You’ve probably made a lot of enemies, whether you know it or not. What are you going to do if even one of them decides to ruin you?”

“…”

“Remember that popularity doesn’t last forever.”

Yeongin offered heartfelt advice to the trembling Huiran and turned away.

“Jihun, Minju. You two worked hard today. I’m sorry you had to see that. I’ll get going now.”

Huiran watched Yeongin, who was bowing to the field manager and stylist and leaving the waiting room, and tightly clenched her fists.

If anyone asked her what she regretted most this year, she would unhesitatingly say it was entrusting Chae Yeongin with the manager’s job.

Contrary to her original intention, she had ultimately shot herself in the foot.

“Damn it…”

A low curse slipped from Huiran’s lips.

***

Hyeonsim heard a detailed account of what happened between Huiran and Yeongin today from the stylist.

The story, which began with the excuse of “I thought you should know, unnie,” was nothing short of tattling. Hyeonsim could sense their schadenfreude, but she pretended not to notice. It was because she knew how much the stylist had suffered under Huiran.

Not long after she finished the call, a call came in from Huiran.

“Yes, Huiran.”

“Unnie, come up tomorrow immediately.”

Her voice was filled with venom.

“I told you I’d be resting until this week. You said it was okay, so why are you doing this?”

Hyeonsim bit back the words, “though you had grudgingly agreed, making your displeasure obvious.”

“No matter how I think about it, I don’t understand taking such a long break. If it were your mother who passed away, that would be different. Isn’t she overreacting about her maternal grandmother’s death?”

“My mom is having a really hard time. I told you what my grandmother meant to my mom.”

A mother and daughter who had lost their husbands on the same day and relied on each other for over twenty years. Hyeonsim knew their tragic and sorrowful life too well, which was why she wanted to stay by her mother’s side for a few more days.

“Tell her to stop being so dramatic.”

“…”

A deep sense of futility spread across Hyeonsim’s face. She felt like her entire life had been trampled.

She hadn’t had a proper break or vacation in years, and now she deeply regretted why she had put up with it.

“I’m having a hard time too. I received a summons from the prosecutor’s office yesterday.”

“Oh, right.”

Hyeonsim responded blandly.

“And today, Chae Yeongin and…”

“I know.”

“Do you know she openly challenged me? A mere manager, how dare she…”

“Huiran, have you forgotten my request?”

“Request?”

“I asked you not to use words like ‘a mere manager’ or ‘just a manager.’”

“You weren’t even talking about me, so why are you like this? I’m already annoyed to death, and now you’re going to be like this too, unnie?”

“Then why did you do it? If you hadn’t stirred up unnecessary trouble…”

“Wow, unnie, you’re really funny. You can’t even comfort me, and you want to preach? You think I’m a joke just because I’ve been calling you ‘unnie, unnie’ and treating you well?”

“…”

If I told her to crawl, she wouldn’t just pretend; she’d actually crawl.

She wasn’t unaware that she was such a presence to Huiran, but today, her mouth felt particularly bitter.

***

“Team Leader Chae is on her way back to the company. I’ll head down now.”

Haeyun recounted in detail to Seonghyeok everything that had happened between Yeongin and Huiran today before leaving his office.

While the stylist was explaining the situation to Hyeonsim, the field manager, not to be outdone, called the Deputy Team Leader of Team 2, who then immediately informed Haeyun.

Thanks to this, Seonghyeok knew everything even before Yeongin arrived at the company.

Haeyun had told him about today’s events not because she couldn’t keep a secret, but out of a sense of debt. She felt she couldn’t stand by knowing that Yeongin wouldn’t have agreed to Huiran’s request if she hadn’t intervened.

After careful consideration, Seonghyeok picked up his phone and scrolled through his recent calls to dial the number that had called him last week.

However, the other party didn’t answer. He had no choice but to send a message.

A moment later, a call came in from Baek Huiran.

“Why would CEO Cha Seonghyeok be calling me?”

Seonghyeok didn’t want to have a long conversation with the openly sarcastic Huiran, so he got straight to the point.

“I called to tell you something.”

“What is it?”

“Do you remember me saying I had a woman I was going to marry?”

“Yes, why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

“That woman is Chae Yeongin.”

“Who…?”

“Chae Yeongin. Team Leader of Management Team 5.”

“…”

“I’m telling you this, Ms. Baek Huiran, as a warning: don’t treat our Yeongin carelessly. I won’t tolerate it anymore, so don’t regret it later.”

“What are you going to do? Are you going to openly ruin the flagship actress of the company you represent?”

Her scoffing sound was grating to his ears.

“There’s nothing I can’t do. Baek Huiran is nothing.”

“…”

“Even if I don’t openly ruin you, I might lend a hand if you start to fall.”

“…”

“Remember that a sign can simply be taken down and replaced.”

After finishing his words and hanging up, a chilling coldness emanated from Seonghyeok’s face.