20 - The Second is Proficient
“Are you even saying that seriously…!”
The echo reverberated with his shout as he abruptly stood up, seemingly enraged. Startled, Yongsan Housekeeper quickly poured cold water into a cup and placed it in front of CEO Im.
CEO Im gulped down the water and then pointed a finger at Se-ah.
“Do you know how many livelihoods depend on that marriage! No, if you knew, you wouldn’t say such a thing!”
She listened silently to her father’s words. How many people worked at the company, how many family members they had, and how the company’s crisis would leave all these people out on the streets.
She couldn’t understand why that was a reason for Se-ah to be sacrificed.
It was, in the truest sense, a ‘sacrifice.’ Giving up or having something taken away for the sake of someone else’s purpose.
“Father.”
Se-ah cut him off, not even glancing at the table set before her. Her father’s expression twisted. He probably expected that if he got angry, she would obediently comply. Not interrupt him like this.
He seemed flustered by his daughter, who had always been obedient and never rebelled, continuing to act in unexpected ways.
“I won’t get married.”
“You will get married.”
“I won’t. Absolutely not.”
CEO Im, still seated, groaned and downed the remaining water in his cup in one go.
“Daughter.”
Her father suddenly uttered an embarrassing word. It was a term she hadn’t heard since before entering elementary school. What was he about to say…
“You must not act.”
The sudden shift in topic, when they were talking about marriage, made her frown.
“I was telling you that I won’t get married. Not about acting.”
At her firm words, asking him not to stray from the topic, CEO Im sighed deeply. She was a smart daughter. Even if she wasn’t going to be his successor, it was a waste for her to be an actress.
“I should have opposed it firmly from the beginning.”
She didn’t understand her father’s remorseful appearance as he covered his eyes. Nor did she understand the tears welling up in his eyes as if he were sad. Se-ah stared at her father, bewildered. What on earth was wrong with him?
“How could I bear to see you die?”
“Die?”
Her bewildered heart transformed into a mix of dismay and absurdity. Who would associate death with the profession of acting? Her father’s extreme reaction was ridiculous.
“You are Hye-soo’s daughter.”
CEO Im rubbed his reddened eyes and gazed at his daughter. Her face looked bewildered and dismayed. He seemed to think that if he explained the reason clearly, she would listen to her father as she had before.
“Even though you resemble me in appearance, your personality and actions are exactly like your mother.”
He placed his hands on his protruding belly, his gaze fixed on the distance. His eyes seemed to be reminiscing about a distant past.
“Do you know why Hye-soo died?”
“……”
Se-ah’s face hardened. She had no idea what her father was trying to say. Why her mother had passed away? It was because of her father.
Her father had prevented her mother from working. One day, they had a big fight over it, and her mother left the house and had an accident. Her most beloved mother had left her side like that.
“I don’t understand.”
She expressed the question she had been holding onto all this time. Forcing her to quit acting because she was getting married. Opposing her acting career, yet finding her a house and leaving her alone, and now acting like this. Suddenly bringing up the story of her mother’s death.
CEO Im closed his eyes tightly and nodded. He meant that he could see how she might think that way.
“You can’t act anyway.”
CEO Im knew Heo Jun-seong, the CEO of Se-ah’s agency. He knew it the moment he saw his face. He had dealt with many people in business, so he could roughly gauge their tendencies just by looking at their impression.
CEO Heo was quick to seize opportunities.
On the day they first met, he had said that he opposed his daughter becoming an actress and would not provide any support. And sure enough, CEO Heo hadn’t created any work for Se-ah, whether it was auditions or anything else.
“Father!”
She shouted, filled with dismay and anger, at CEO Im’s words.
“Your mother.”
She was about to argue, but her lips closed tightly at her father’s mention of her mother.
“Couldn’t distinguish between reality and the roles she played.”
“……”
“She gradually went mad.”
She acted as if she were the character she played even in her daily life, and because of that, she took her own life. Se-ah had to try hard to regain her composure at the story her father was telling her.
“It was an accident.”
It had been said to be a traffic accident. The second most common cause of death after illness.
“No, my dear.”
CEO Im looked her straight in the eye with a calm demeanor.
“Your mother took her own life.”
Se-ah tried to calm herself and recalled the situation at the time. When she went to the hospital after hearing the news, her mother was covered with a white sheet. They had prevented Se-ah, who was still a student, from seeing the body, saying it would be too shocking for her.
Her memories from before the regression were faint, but she had definitely encountered the person who caused the accident. When she came out of the hospital, leaving her mother lying under a white sheet.
That person had apologized, saying that the accident was caused by drowsy driving. He had even knelt down. That was why she found it hard to believe her father’s words.
“I, the culprit…”
“You saw him, right? Because I instructed you to.”
“Pardon?”
“I was worried that you, who were still young, would be shocked. But now I think I should have told you sooner.”
To be precise, it was because he was worried that Se-ah, who was still a minor, would be so shocked that she might make a slip of the tongue.
He had hidden the fact of their marriage to avoid revealing that he was involved with an entertainer, so he couldn’t allow a much more sensational article about her taking her own life to be published.
‘But there’s no need to reveal that much.’
CEO Im looked at Se-ah again, urging her. She still had a doubtful expression.
“……”
Se-ah closed her eyes tightly and then opened them, slowly gazing at CEO Im, who was waiting for her reaction. Her face was expressionless, making it impossible to know what she was thinking.
“Even so, nothing changes. I will not quit acting.”
She expressed her opinion even more firmly. No matter what reason he gave to oppose her, she would not quit. And she would not get married either.
“I don’t understand why you’re telling me to quit acting for that reason while also telling me to get married.”
No, in fact, she bluntly said that he couldn’t see any other solution and was trying to find a way out by arranging his daughter’s marriage. CEO Im’s face twisted unpleasantly.
“How can you say such outrageous things…!”
He roared, saying that she had learned only bad things since she had gone out to be an actress. CEO Im’s secretary, who was standing anxiously by his side, tore open a packet of medicine and handed it to him.
“Miss, the CEO hasn’t been feeling well lately.”
So what was she supposed to do about it? She turned her head and stared at the secretary, who subtly avoided her gaze. Even so, she opened her lips as if she had something more to say.
“Wouldn’t it be better to follow the CEO’s words if possible?”
The secretary chattered on, saying that CEO Im was still her father and wouldn’t bring in a strange person as a marriage partner.
She would say such things because she didn’t know anything. Perhaps she thought that CEO Im might go bankrupt and her job might be in jeopardy. Judging by the way she was speaking as if forcing her to follow CEO Im’s wishes.
“Thank you for the meal.”
Se-ah got up from her seat because her head was throbbing. She thought she knew everything about the shocking events before the regression. The words that her mother had confused her roles with reality, she seemed to understand vaguely what that feeling was like.
If she lived in reality while being completely immersed in a role, wouldn’t that be the case?
She was confused by the possibility that the state she so longed for might actually threaten her life. Se-ah bit her lip tightly and spoke in a clear voice, even as she staggered.
“I have made it clear, Father.”
She couldn’t stay here any longer because she was dizzy. She felt like she needed to go home and sort out her thoughts.
“I will not get married.”
No matter what he said, she wouldn’t waver.
“And I won’t quit acting either.”
After making eye contact and conveying her firm opinion, she left the entrance as it was. She had come to bring evidence from the study, but she felt nauseous and couldn’t stay in this house any longer.
She should come during the day when her schedule was free.
When her father wasn’t there.
If she bought a bouquet of flowers as an apology for upsetting him by not bending her opinion. Wouldn’t that be a suitable excuse? The problem was that no matter how much they talked, it felt like it would be a never-ending cycle. Se-ah’s face, as she left her family home and hailed a taxi, was heavy.
\\
The filming of Elite High School Romance Records* was heading towards its final stages.
She hadn’t been able to properly visit her family home because she had been busy filming. When she happened to have some free time, it was at a time when her father was at home.
Se-ah closed her eyes as if she was tired while looking at the script. As the filming reached the later stages, the role composition and play analysis had become as familiar as if they were ingrained in her body. So, once she memorized the lines and understood the other person’s emotions, there wasn’t much to study.
It was a fortunate thing for her, who had many worries. But that didn’t mean she was looking at the script carelessly. Se-ah, who was in the waiting room, got up from her seat.
“Unnie, I’ll be on set.”
Today was an outdoor shooting day. A secluded bookstore. It was a used bookstore scene where the protagonist, Ji-an, had put out all of her piano sheet music from her house. Ji-an had admitted that she could no longer play the piano, but she kept lingering with lingering feelings. She happened to run into the male protagonist, Woo-seok, and received comfort from him. It was the scene she had acted out during the audition.
She went out to the filming location and was looking around the place that would be captured by the camera.
“Thank you, Se-ah-ssi!”
“Ah, yes…”
Someone passed by and greeted her. Se-ah’s eyes widened at the meaningless thank you. She had answered without thinking, but she didn’t know what was going on.
“Se-ah-ssi. I’ll enjoy it.”
The audio director lowered his headset and held up a coffee.
“What coffee is this?”
“Huh? A coffee truck came for Se-ah-ssi. Didn’t you know?”
She hadn’t heard anything separately from her manager, Ye-won. She didn’t even have a fan cafe yet, so what coffee truck?
“Go over there.”
She greeted the audio director and moved in the direction he had pointed. When she turned the corner, there was a coffee truck near the beginning of the filming site. It was complete with banners and signs.
[We support actress Im Se-ah.]
[Prepared for the actors and staff who are working hard. Enjoy! – From Dan]
And someone was diligently making coffee on the truck. It was a young, tall man.
“Have a cup of coffee and get to work!”
It was clearly a shout, but his voice, which was characterized by its slow and subdued tone, was unique.
It was singer-songwriter Dan (THAN).
“No. What are you doing here?”
Her surprised eyes widened. Dan, who found Se-ah, smiled brightly and brewed an espresso. Instead of hiring someone, Dan was making coffee himself.
“I’ll give you a cup of coffee.”
What would you like to drink? At his question, her gaze involuntarily went to the menu board. The menu board listed Americano and Cafe Latte.
“Give me one too!”
Her manager, Ye-won, leaned against the coffee truck with a bright smile, having arrived sometime.
"Wow, getting coffee from the music source gangster Dan." This is a successful life. Yes.”
“Unnie!”
“Surprise! Were you surprised?”
“What’s going on?”
