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“Well…”
It wasn’t difficult to imagine. Perhaps because I thought it could easily happen to me too.
Still.
“If it were me, I would ask.”
Because we’re not strangers. Because we love each other and are together.
“If you don’t say anything, you won’t know. There could be misunderstandings, or things could go wrong because of not knowing. If you want to resolve it, I think you ultimately need to talk about it.”
If there was anything I’d learned from my past relationships, it was that keeping things bottled up inside wasn’t always the best approach.
It’s not that enduring and being patient is entirely bad. But that only buys you a little time; it doesn’t actually provide a solution by itself.
“How about being honest with your husband? You said you’re in the same agency, right? Try bringing it up by saying you heard about it through the CEO.”
“The agency CEO is a longtime friend of Igyeong-ssi. What if I say something wrong and damage their relationship?”
“It might be good to ask for the CEO’s understanding first. As you said, if they’re longtime friends, their relationship won’t easily fall apart. Even if they argue a little, they’ll be able to reconcile.”
That’s how Gam Seonghan and I are. Despite occasionally arguing—me being frustrating and Seonghan having some rough edges—we’ve developed a knack for making up since we’ve known each other for so long.
“Or maybe it would be good to arrange a meeting with all three of you. Misunderstandings can happen when words get distorted.”
Juyeon frowned deeply while staring at his beer glass, then poured soju into it. Seeing that he might fill it halfway with soju if left alone, I panicked and tried to naturally grab the green bottle and pour the rest into my own glass.
After wetting his throat with alcohol, he spoke up.
“So in the end, I need to talk about it anyway.”
“…”
“Sanho-ssi is right. I should get it off my chest before the worry grows, right? I know this, but my concerns keep growing. It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but, um, finding the courage feels too difficult.”
I nodded with a slight smile.
“I’m the same as Juyeon-ssi.”
“You are?”
“Yes. Giving advice is easy. After all, advice is just advice. But if I were actually in that position… I don’t think it would be so easy and simple.”
I’d probably suffer in silence, agonizing over it. Then Jin Woohyeon, being perceptive, would notice and make me spill everything while he held me.
“What if you ask the agency CEO for help first? Maybe they could mediate?”
“…That might be possible. They’re quite mature.”
Despite seeming worried due to his sensitive nature, I thought he would resolve things well. Both Juyeon and the people around him seemed like good people. As they say, good people attract good people.
“It’s interesting.”
I took a sip of my drink and grinned. The soju mix was definitely starting to affect me, creating a warm sensation in my cheeks and the nape of my neck.
“Would it be strange to call it a workplace? Anyway, being in the same agency means you have one more thing in common. I think celebrities probably understand each other in ways others don’t.”
Unlike him, Woohyeon and I hadn’t had any significant points of contact since the program filming. Sometimes I even thought we lived in somewhat different worlds.
Of course, I didn’t want to be completely attached to him at all times, sharing everything without any distance.
‘That would feel too suffocating.’
But occasionally, I wanted to know more about the industry ecosystem Woohyeon was part of. That way, I could better empathize, respond more vividly, and perhaps even be more helpful.
“Can I ask you about the entertainment industry later if I have questions?”
“Of course.”
Juyeon answered enthusiastically. He nodded eagerly and added in a quite motivated voice:
“I’d be happy to help in any way I can. I was actually about to bring this up… just a moment.”
After rustling through his bag for a while, Juyeon handed me a business card. I tilted my head slightly to examine the neat embossed letters.
Comprehensive Arts Management, Prism Entertainment. CEO Lee Shinui.
“This is our CEO’s business card. After watching ‘Can Love Be Transferred Too?’, she’s been showing a lot of interest in Woohyeon-ssi and Sanho-ssi. From what I hear, Woohyeon-ssi still has some time left on his contract, but Sanho-ssi, are you not interested in activities in this field?”
I answered with a bewildered voice.
“Me? I can’t sing or act.”
“Actors and singers aren’t the only entertainers. Our agency defines ‘artists’ quite broadly.”
According to Juyeon, Prism Entertainment represented not only Juyeon and his wife Shin Igyeong, but also Mariella Kang, who had been a panel member on the show. Even Anna Kang, the famous violinist and Mariella’s cousin, was with them.
“I didn’t know the two panel members were from the same agency.”
“We were lucky. Anyway, our CEO wanted me to tell you to consider our agency if you’re interested. Debuting doesn’t necessarily mean showing your face on screen. These days, people do personal broadcasts or work mainly as social media influencers.”
“I see…”
“Many people who become famous through dating shows end up becoming influencers. From a realistic perspective, that’s what most people aim for when appearing on such shows.”
Influencer. There was someone who came to mind at that word, causing both Juyeon’s and my expressions to darken simultaneously.
Lee Chan.
“I’ll think about it. But… it might be difficult for me to give a positive answer. I like my current job, and I also want to live quietly.”
What I realized after appearing in front of cameras a few times was that I wasn’t the type to enjoy filming. Whether it was poster shoots or interviews, I got a bit nervous whenever camera lenses got close.
Moreover, my existence had become known to the world, whether I liked it or not. And to make matters more complicated, my name was firmly attached to Jin Woohyeon’s. I was worried about potentially having a negative impact on him just as opportunities were beginning to come his way, so I wanted to maintain as faint a presence as possible, at least until he established himself.
“Sanho-ssi. May I ask how things are with Lee Chan-ssi?”
He looked at me with concern, as if worried the question might have sounded offensive, so I smiled to indicate it was okay.
“We’re just strangers now. We don’t contact each other.”
We did meet once, but it wasn’t a meaningful encounter.
I hesitated for a moment before adding:
“The… the way other participants defended me during the follow-up filming was just because they were concerned about me. I didn’t ask them to do that. I just didn’t want to interfere with whether Chan succeeded or not.”
“Of course I didn’t misunderstand that! I never thought you were that kind of person, nor did I think the others were deliberately doing it at your request. I was more on the side of empathizing, thinking you had every right to be angry.”
Juyeon said with a slight smile:
“And I can tell just from hearing about it. I knew it was just everyone expressing their honest feelings.”
That was true. But the reactions had been more intense than I’d vaguely anticipated, which had been somewhat surprising.
‘I’m actually glad Chan hyung didn’t come. We couldn’t exactly fight during filming, could we?’
‘…Haha, Yeonwoo.’
‘What? Wouldn’t you take my side if I fought?’
‘Of course I’d be on your side, but…’
‘You’d be on my side even if we weren’t close. Anyone with a brain couldn’t take his side. I think everyone here except one person has similar opinions. It’s the only topic Jiwon and I don’t fight about these days.’
‘…I don’t think taking sides is a good approach, Taeseong hyung.’
‘Strictly speaking, it’s not about taking sides. It’s about common sense versus nonsense, isn’t it?’
Even after that, Bae Taeseong was eager to tear into Lee Chan at every opportunity. It was obvious he would have growled at him in front of the cameras if Chan had actually shown up, so I thought it was better that Chan hadn’t come.
“Why are you asking about this suddenly?”
“While monitoring broadcast reactions, I unintentionally saw various posts…”
Juyeon gave a somewhat apologetic smile.
“Controversy around Lee Chan-ssi is growing. About his private life, the broadcast, and even brand-related issues. Recently, someone claiming to be an acquaintance of yours posted an exposé saying Lee Chan-ssi had an affair with them while dating you.”
I could guess who it was. It felt like something that had been coming.
“You said you’re strangers now, but since all of this became known in a way that’s not unrelated to you… I’m worried you might be affected by this.”
He asked me in a serious voice:
“What do you think about writing a statement?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
