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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Unreasonable Suspicion
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“Ugh, I’m so tired…”
Hae-yeong looked completely drained, her expression blank. Just a few years ago, she used to pull all-nighters like it was nothing, shouting that she’d sleep when she was dead.
But yesterday, caught in the middle of a strange war of nerves between Eun-seong and Mr. Joo, all she could do was read the room, and it had sucked all the energy out of her.
“I fed them expensive drinks and food, so why are they acting like they want to tear each other apart? Unbelievable.”
They barely had any connection, yet Eun-seong and Mr. Joo had bickered as if they were sworn family enemies. Quietly replaying yesterday’s events, Hae-yeong stretched.
“It’s not like they’re two guys fighting over a girl. How childish…”
She trailed off, then stopped. One girl. One girl.
As if struck by a revelation, Hae-yeong’s eyes widened.
“No way.”
‘I’m getting older, and they say the darkest place is under the candlestick, so I should probably look around me.’
“No way, do they like me?”
Then, was Mr. Joo’s target me from the start, not Yeon-joo?
Hae-yeong blinked, speechless. If they weren’t vying for the same woman, what other reason could there be for them to glare daggers at each other and trade barbs?
‘Last time, Go Yeon-joo was practically throwing herself at Im Eun-seong. She even locked the dressing room door.’
Suddenly, she remembered something Ju-mi had let slip. Hae-yeong held her breath for a moment.
It had been so absurd and ridiculous at the time that she’d dismissed it as some elaborate nonsense, but now, it put her on edge.
“Good morning, Director.”
Just then, Ju-mi approached, and Hae-yeong masked her expression as she returned the greeting.
“Hi, Ju-mi. Busy morning?”
“I have some time before the actor’s fitting. I’m fine.”
“Even without a fitting, there must be a lot to prepare, no? Isn’t the whole wardrobe team busy right now?”
“We all have our own tasks. There’s no need to do things that aren’t assigned to us, right?”
Hae-yeong stared intently at Ju-mi. It was astounding how she could snatch Yeon-joo’s work and then pretend the rest wasn’t her business.
She wasn’t an employee Hae-yeong had hired directly, but rather someone entrusted to her, so she had tried to keep things amicable until the end.
“Ju-mi. In the morning, things are hectic, so everyone has to pitch in. That’s true not just for us, but everywhere. You didn’t know that?”
“Go Yeon-joo told me it was fine and to leave her alone. Isn’t it more meddlesome to interfere when someone tells you to stay out of it?”
So it’s not a matter of skill, but a problem with your character?
Hae-yeong tilted her head. As if to say such a look had no effect on her, Ju-mi stared right back.
Ju-mi knew full well that Hae-yeong couldn’t fire her or give her a serious scolding. She had ridden the coattails of the agency’s CEO, Tae-gon, to get here; she was confident that a mere director like Hae-yeong wouldn’t dare treat her carelessly.
As if seeing right through Ju-mi’s thoughts, Hae-yeong smiled sweetly.
“Ju-mi, do you happen to know my nickname?”
“What? No?”
“My nickname is Director Jin, the Mandate of Heaven. Do you know why?”
“…”
“Think about it. Why do you think that is?”
A chill ran down her spine, and Ju-mi swallowed dryly. A wave of regret washed over her—perhaps she had talked back too brazenly. It seemed a little too late.
“Actually, I wanted to help Go Yeon-joo.”
“How many times do I have to tell you it’s not about helping, but working together?”
“…I was trying to work with her. But Go Yeon-joo treats me so badly whenever we’re alone, so I’ve been avoiding her.”
Hae-yeong crossed her arms, adopting a more engaged posture. It was a sign that, since the topic was broached, she intended to talk it out.
“Tell me honestly. What exactly is Go Yeon-joo doing to you?”
“Don’t even get me started. She looks down on me so much because I’m young. She uses my things without asking and doesn’t even return them, you know?”
Ju-mi put on an aggrieved expression and began to chip away at Yeon-joo’s reputation. It was a calculated slander, confident that turning the arrow toward Yeon-joo would bring about the happy ending she desired.
“Director, what if… What if Go Yeon-joo intentionally got a job on set to get her son a role? I can’t help but think that.”
“Is that entirely your own thought, Ju-mi?”
“What? Well, yes. No? To be honest, our CEO isn’t too… well.”
Ju-mi quickly stopped herself. The warning Tae-gon had given her when he sent her to Hae-yeong came back to her, a moment too late.
“The CEO what? He told you to go and keep an eye on Go Yeon-joo? To see if she was trying to get her son a role?”
“No, it’s not like that, but…”
“Ju-mi. Why are you here? I’m getting a bad feeling about this.”
Hae-yeong’s expression turned sharp and cold, causing Ju-mi to chew on her lip. She felt like things were taking a strange turn because she had needlessly brought the CEO into it.
“There’s a lot you don’t know, Director. Go Yeon-joo is a really strange person. I’m sure she was determined to get her son a role from the very beginning.”
“…”
“The other day, she even locked the door to be alone in the dressing room with Im Eun-seong. The circumstances explain everything. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do to get her son preferential treatment.”
“Ha… The more I listen, the more ridiculous you sound.”
“Excuse me?”
Letting out a deep sigh that seemed to rise from her core, Hae-yeong slowly lifted her eyelids. As if there was no other way, she took out her phone.
“I’m a busy person. Do I really have to fight your prejudices too? Do I look like I have that much free time to you?”
“That’s not it, it’s really…”
“Hello. Hyeong-mi, this is Jin Hae-yeong.”
Hae-yeong cut Ju-mi off and started the call. It was with Ju-mi’s superior, the head of Yeonildam’s wardrobe team.
“Are you busy? Can you talk?”
─ *Yes, Director. How have you been?*
“Skip the pleasantries. I need you to come to the set right now.”
─ *What? Why? Is there an issue with Eun-seong?*
“No, that’s not it. Come and get your person right now.”
Hae-yeong’s tone was forceful, and Ju-mi’s eyes widened.
─ *My person? Who? Ah, you mean Ju-mi?*
“Get her now. If you leave her here, she’ll end up crying. Because I’m going to make her cry. So hurry.”
─ *Ah… Yes. Director. I’ll be right there.*
“One hour. Get here within the hour.”
Hae-yeong ended the call and looked at Ju-mi. Having never imagined she would be fired, Ju-mi faltered. Hae-yeong gently stroked her shoulder.
“Ju-mi. You don’t talk behind people’s backs, anywhere. It’s not that I didn’t talk about you because I was particularly fond of you. It’s just pathetic to bad-mouth people at this age. Don’t you think?”
“…”
“No matter how I look at it, I just can’t keep you. Someone who stirs up trouble and muddies the waters can’t work under me. I don’t know how Yeonildam is, but that’s not happening at Changrok.”
“Director…”
“I’d appreciate it if you recognized that I’ve cut you a lot of slack until now. And as a senior who’s lived a little longer than you, let me add one more piece of advice: don’t live so pathetically. Life isn’t that easy.”
‘Director Jin, you have a new junior on your team, right? The one who just joined. Let’s get rid of her.’
She shouldn’t have brushed off Tae-gon’s words back then. She should have known when he asked her to take on this ridiculous girl.
“Well, goodbye. Let’s meet next time in a world without backstabbing. Got it?”
Tae-gon clearly wanted to get rid of Yeon-joo.
*
“What’s this all of a sudden?”
Eun-seong looked baffled as Yeon-joo approached him for a fitting.
After getting a fiery lecture from Hae-yeong, Ju-mi had left the set in tears, but no one knew the full story. Hae-yeong had shut down any questions, citing ‘personal reasons,’ and since it wasn’t uncommon for staff to leave mid-project, it didn’t draw much attention.
When Eun-seong heard the brief news that Ju-mi had quit, he couldn’t hide a smile.
“Good thing she quit. Yeah, she was a bit weird. She touched people way too much.”
“That’s unavoidable during a fitting. You think she did it because she wanted to?”
“You think I can’t tell the difference between a fitting and just groping?”
“Yes. You once said the same thing about me.”
“That was wishful thinking.”
Yeon-joo, in the middle of helping him take off his jacket, glared at him with narrowed eyes. Eun-seong responded with a playful expression, as if daring her to glare even harder.
“Well, anyway, I’m thrilled to have Go Yeon-joo back. In that spirit, feel free to touch me as much as you want.”
“Don’t talk to me. I have no desire to speak with you, Baeunim.”
Was the shock of the morning kiss still lingering? Eun-seong looked abashed at Yeon-joo’s frosty reply.
With so many fight scenes, his clothes were constantly getting wrinkled and dirty, so they had to be readjusted for every retake. As Yeon-joo brought over a new, identical outfit, Eun-seong took off his shirt.
“Are you angry?”
“Yes.”
“That’s strange. I’m in a great mood.”
Ugh! As Yeon-joo fell for his provocation, Eun-seong burst out laughing. Her reactions were sometimes so explosive that he found it endlessly entertaining and couldn’t stop teasing her.
“Do you think I’m staying quiet because I have nothing to say?”
“Then say whatever you want. I prefer a Go Yeon-joo who’s raising hell over a quiet one.”
“Why on earth…!”
Sensing her own voice rising, Yeon-joo clamped her mouth shut. She continued to glare at Eun-seong with a look of pure fury before speaking again in a slightly lower voice.
“Did you just laugh? You find this funny?”
“Should I cry instead? It’s not hard. Just give me ten seconds.”
“Forget it! Why are you so calm when I’m about to die from frustration? Why?”
“This morning was nice. You liked it too, but now you’re pretending you didn’t.”
Ha! Yeon-joo’s eyes widened in horror.
“I… I liked it? When?”
“Earlier. This morning. When you kissed me.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me! Do you have any proof? Do you?!”
“Proof of what? That you enjoyed it? Well, my feelings are the proof.”
See? This is what unreasonable suspicion looks like.
As Eun-seong acted like a broken record stuck on the same point, Yeon-joo shook her head. This man seemed to be playing the part of a lunatic, and she couldn’t afford to play along.
Get a grip! Im Eun-seong is a brilliant actor! Don’t fall for that expression!
“I really, truly cannot understand you, Baeunim.”
“Right. It’s not an easy task.”
“You said it when we first met. That you’d done everything you could for me and had nothing left. So you said it was fine if I worked, right?”
“Ah, yes. I did. That was a miscalculation on my part.”
If… if you admit it so easily, what am I supposed to do!
“Oh, right. And last time, you said you were the one who wanted to forget the past more than anyone. You told me that.”
“That was a lie.”
“A… a lie…”
“A total fabrication.”
“Ah… a fabrication…”
…Get a grip! Please!
Feeling like she was constantly being reeled in, Yeon-joo shook her head. With a dazed look on her face, her complexion shifted from white to pale blue to red. Eun-seong found her utterly adorable and burst into laughter once more.
Yeon-joo looked completely stunned.
“Is this funny to you…?”
“No, you’re cute.”
Eun-seong handed his removed shirt to Yeon-joo. Amidst it all, his firm chest was unnecessarily and distractingly prominent.
“Should we talk more? We can delay the shoot.”
“…Never mind. I’ve lost the will to fight. Please hurry and put this on.”
“What are you doing this weekend?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Why do you think I asked?”
Eun-seong asked as he put on the shirt.
