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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: The Temperature of a Reunion
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After a morning fitting with his old flame, Go Yeon-joo, who had appeared out of the blue, and an afternoon dedicated to action practice, Eun-seong returned home.
It was a luxury villa with a panoramic view of the Han River, bathed in so much natural light during the day that lamps were unnecessary. The German sofa, which he had waited over a year for, anchored the spacious living room, complemented by a uniquely designed table.
As soon as he got out of the shower, Eun-seong took out a bottle of wine to chill. He chilled the white wine—perfect for settling his inexplicably agitated mood—to just the right temperature before pouring it into a glass.
He took a small sip, paused to catch his breath, then, with an unsatisfied expression, took a long drink and finished it all. The wine, low in tannins and sugar, felt a bit dry, but the breath he exhaled was clean.
He poured another glass. Too bothered to pour it in increments, he filled it to the brim and quickly emptied it.
‘Eun-seong, this is Go Yeon-joo, the newest and youngest member of our team. She just started today. Yeon-joo, you've already said hello to our actor, Im Eun-seong, right?’
Go Yeon-joo. Go Yeon-joo.
He had never dreamed he would see that face again. Hadn't he lived all this time believing just that?
“Ha…”
From the moment he came face-to-face with his old lover, his mind had been strangely unsettled.
The moment he saw her face, so unchanged it seemed time had only passed for him, his heart reacted with a fiery heat. His pulse raced so absurdly it felt like his veins would burst, as if he were designed to react only to that face, those eyes.
Before the resentment, hatred, and bitterness he had buried for so long could even surface, he was simply glad to see her. Thinking back on it now, it was driving him absolutely mad.
He had definitely forgotten her. A forgotten face, a forgotten name, a forgotten memory. Of that he was sure. She was a woman who had slowly faded as he buried himself in work, erased until one day she vanished forever along with the memories.
“Everything was fine, so why… why again…”
There was no reason he wouldn't have forgotten a woman like her, who had evaporated after an incomprehensible final goodbye. A love as fiery as it was, mixed with a resentment as cold as ice—it was only natural for the two to cancel each other out.
Right. He was just a little startled because he ran into her unexpectedly. It was because the woman before him was no different from the one in his hazy memories. That's why he was a little flustered.
That was all. Nothing more. There couldn't possibly be anything else, any special emotions mixed in.
‘Eun-seong, this is Go Yeon-joo, the newest and youngest member of our team. She just started today.’
“Unbelievable. This is ridiculous.”
Recalling her face as she gave a silent nod, her eyes betraying her confusion, he let out a dry laugh.
There was no way she didn't know, yet her clumsy attempt to act flustered, as if she had never wanted this meeting, was a sight to behold.
It wasn't like Director Jin Hae-yeong had dragged her here against her will, and she wouldn't have just waited around without any information about the actor she was fitting. And it was highly unlikely she would have joined the staff without even knowing which lead actor's film it was.
Eun-seong took a deep breath. The alcohol from the hastily drunk wine seemed to swirl through his body, and he leaned against the island counter, slowly closing his eyes.
He was an old hand at controlling his emotions; if he just maintained a long, steady breath for a moment, his turbulent heart would calm down.
Eun-seong took another deep breath, then slowly exhaled. *It'll be fine, it'll be fine,* he kept reassuring himself.
Ten years since the breakup. A reunion with an old flame who had faded as much as one could.
She'd said she was leaving to find her dream, so he had no idea why she was still working as the youngest staff member at her age, but that wasn't his business, so he wouldn't get involved.
The important thing was that the Im Eun-seong of ten years ago was dead and gone. The shell might be the same, but I have become a completely different person. You don't need to know everything about the life I've lived, but the fact is, I am not the same person who lives in your memory.
Actor Im Eun-seong had endured and overcome many things he shouldn't have had to, to get to where he was today. Which meant he wasn't shaken by trivial matters.
Surviving this far in this crude and dirty industry, rife with betrayal and backstabbing, had not been easy. He, who had never crumbled before, found the idea of being shaken by a connection from the distant past utterly laughable.
“Fine. Do what you want. Have it your way.”
Eun-seong considered another glass but hesitated, putting the wine bottle down. What good would drinking more do? It would only make tomorrow's schedule more difficult.
With a lingering look of regret, he sealed the wine bottle and went straight to his bedroom. He lay down on the bed with his script and turned on a single lamp.
As he focused on the script to gather his thoughts, a strange sense of defiance stirred within him about what was to come. Perhaps this was his chance to prove to himself that he was finally free of Go Yeon-joo.
He had to prove it. There was no crisis in the world that couldn't be overcome, and if not now, there would be no other way to test that.
*
The next day.
Yeon-joo arrived at Changrok Entertainment, where Hae-yeong worked. Her eyelids, which hadn't seen a wink of sleep all night, felt unusually heavy, forcing her gaze constantly to the floor.
“I have to tell her I’m quitting….”
That was the conclusion she had reached during the long night.
Cleaning up the mess would be a headache, but she couldn't think of a better solution than quitting. No matter how much time had passed, their breakup had been harsh, and she didn't have the nerve to face him with a nonchalant expression.
Even if she were shameless enough to do so, it was something she shouldn't do. Besides, lurking around him while hiding the enormous secret of Han-byeol was far too dangerous.
“How am I supposed to say it…?”
Sigh. A short breath escaped her unconsciously.
The thought of how to bring up quitting to Hae-yeong again made her heart feel as heavy as lead. To hide one thing, she needed a hundred lies, and to maintain those hundred lies, she needed a thousand more.
It pained her and made her feel sorry to have to lie to Hae-yeong all the time, but when she thought of Han-byeol's future, it was a secret she couldn't reveal to anyone. The moment anyone found out that Han-byeol's biological father was Eun-seong, she could no longer guarantee a safe future for her son.
Steeling herself once more, Yeon-joo stood in front of Hae-yeong's office.
Knock, knock. After taking a long, deep breath, she knocked a couple of times and opened the door. Hae-yeong, who was organizing a pile of fabric on her desk, raised a hand in greeting, and Yeon-joo bowed in return.
“Hello, Director.”
She walked in quickly. Wanting to say she was quitting before her resolve wavered, Yeon-joo opened her mouth more hastily than usual.
“Um, Director, I have something to tell you.”
Before she could finish, Hae-yeong held up a hand.
“Ah, hey, I’m sorry, Yeon-joo.”
Hae-yeong called to her using a formal title she rarely used. Yeon-joo, who had been staring at her feet, looked up as Hae-yeong pointed to a corner of the room.
“Let’s talk later. First, you should know who’s here right now….”
Before she could finish her sentence, it happened. The curtain of what appeared to be a makeshift fitting room opened, and Eun-seong emerged.
Startled, Yeon-joo instinctively took a step back. Hae-yeong approached and quickly whispered in her ear.
“He’s here for a fitting for a film festival award ceremony soon. Just a moment.”
Giving her a look that seemed to say, *get a clue*, Hae-yeong turned toward Eun-seong, who had finished changing, and raised her voice.
“Wow, Eun-seong! I knew it would look good on you, but this is even more stunning than I imagined.”
Clapping in admiration, Hae-yeong glanced at Yeon-joo, urging her to clap as well. Standing frozen and stiff, Yeon-joo, unable to resist Hae-yeong's prodding, began to clap slowly.
The jacket, with its three-dimensional gray jacquard pattern, added a layer of splendor to Eun-seong’s naturally composed aura. The crisp shirt collar and matte black cummerbund neutralized any potential gaudiness, enhancing the overall mood.
It preserved a strict, conservative, and classic form without looking stuffy. Eun-seong, who perfectly pulled off the outfit that brought out the personality of an otherwise potentially monotonous tuxedo, was the picture of perfection.
As she watched him, she felt herself growing dazed and distant. Yeon-joo forced her eyes open wider, trying to clear her head.
Standing before the mirror, Eun-seong scanned his reflection from head to toe. Down to the subtly tanned wingtip shoes, it was a flawless ensemble.
As Eun-seong examined himself with a meticulous eye, Hae-yeong added her own recommendation.
“What do you think, Eun-seong? I think this one suits you best.”
“Well, it’s not bad.”
By actor Im Eun-seong's standards, that was the highest praise possible.
“Should we go with this one, then? I think a pocket watch would go well with this particular look. I’ll look into a few.”
“Do that.”
They decided on the outfit without any issue. As Eun-seong continued to kill time, his eyes fixed on the mirror, Hae-yeong snapped her fingers.
Hae-yeong, who could read her client's mind, was a pro to an almost irritating degree.
“Oh, actually, just wait here a moment, Eun-seong. We just got a few sponsored watches for our team. I’ll bring them up. You can just get a feel for them.”
Hae-yeong turned to go get the watches. She signaled for Yeon-joo to stall for time. As Hae-yeong closed the door behind her, Yeon-joo could only bite her lip.
A stifling silence passed between her and Eun-seong, who was still standing in front of the mirror. Unsure of what to do, Yeon-joo could only breathe uncomfortably. Then, Eun-seong broke the silence.
“You look like you have a lot to say this morning. What is it? Were you going to tell Director Jin you’re quitting?”
The question landed as if he had read her mind.
