“CEO Goo’s been taking good care of me.”
“Being nice and being competent are two different things. From where I stood, I had no choice but to push Do-yeong back then. And for you, building your filmography step by step was the right path. You agreed too, didn’t you?”
“…”
“I’ll look out for you. If you need to pay a penalty to terminate your contract with Mpia, I’ll cover it. Just come back.”
At Kang Hoon’s coaxing tone, Kang Hyeon simply bowed and walked away. Soon after, under Chief Choi’s guidance, he headed out for a meal with stylist Yoo Kyung-mi. Behind them, Yoon Do-yeong followed, chatting with Baek Ga-yeong. Kang Hoon stuck close by, looking very much like Do-yeong’s acting manager.
“Come back after your contract ends.”
Kang Hoon’s words echoed in his ears.
With CEO Goo nowhere in sight, Kang Hyeon spent the entire shoot under Chief Choi’s care. He rested in the van with Yoo Kyung-mi or memorized lines. But when he caught sight of Yoon Do-yeong through the windshield of the van parked opposite, he let out a shallow breath.
He couldn’t deny it—the van he was riding in was clearly one of Do-yeong’s personal vehicles. The fact that Do-yeong’s personal manager, Chief Choi, was now looking after him also nagged at him. And the sight of Kang Hoon glued to Do-yeong, acting like his manager, felt deeply unsettling.
Just then, Do-yeong slipped out of his van, walked over briskly, and opened the door to the vehicle Kang Hyeon was in. After confirming he was inside, he smiled and climbed in, taking the seat beside him without hesitation.
From the driver’s seat, Chief Choi glanced back at the scene, baffled, then handed Do-yeong a drink from the center console.
“It’s hot. Stop wandering around.”
“I just wanted to be somewhere comfortable.”
Do-yeong accepted the drink and grumbled. Kang Hyeon asked offhandedly,
“What’s bothering you?”
“They treat me like I’m some kind of disaster. Even when I’m talking to the director, someone’s always hovering nearby.”
“The CEO?”
“They take turns.”
At that, Kang Hyeon noticed the full entourage the agency had assigned to Do-yeong—stylist, hair, makeup, assistants… It was clear they were locking him down tight, probably afraid of losing him to another agency.
“You are a disaster, though.”
Chief Choi jabbed at him without missing a beat, and Do-yeong, avoiding eye contact, opened his script.
But moments later, CEO Kang Hoon showed up to say the shoot had started, and Do-yeong had to get off the van just as quickly as he’d come.
The filming continued until the evening. For scenes with Do-yeong, Director Yoo Ji-ha took the reins. Having two directors alternate was unfamiliar, but the way they complemented each other suggested mutual learning and support.
Throughout the day, the warm red tones of the café lighting softened the entire set. The final scene for Kang Hyeon was a tense encounter with Do-yeong outside the café. But Do-yeong still had several more scenes to shoot.
“Hyeon-ah, let’s head out.”
At Chief Choi’s prompt, Kang Hyeon hesitated and asked,
“When is CEO Goo coming back?”
“I told him not to. You’re done shooting, so I’ll drop you off. Then I’m clocking out too.”
“What about Do-yeong?”
“CEO Kang’s stuck to him like glue. He’ll take care of it.”
“Come on, get in. I’ll drop Kyung-mi off near her place too. And tomorrow, I’m picking you up at 5 a.m.”
“You are?”
“CEO Goo has to bring Hyun-sook tomorrow. There’s no room for all the costumes, so we’ll load them into my car.”
“…”
“What’s with that look? Isn’t it obvious? I’m your temp manager. Gonna invoice for this gig.”
Chief Choi said it casually and ushered Kang Hyeon into the car.
Sensing the rush, Kang Hyeon carefully asked,
“What if I stayed until Do-yeong finishes and went with him?”
“You wanna eat dinner, drink coffee, and stay up all night? Then you’ll barely get any sleep.”
The tired tone in Chief Choi’s voice made it clear—he knew exactly what being around Do-yeong would entail. Kang Hyeon nodded.
“Why did Do-yeong renew his agency contract?”
“Because there’s a lot I don’t know.”
“Aren’t you training under CEO Goo?”
“CEO Goo doesn’t know anything about international work. Meanwhile, CEO Kang’s company is well-organized and moves fast. When this drama came up, the only person I could really talk it over with was him. CEO Goo’s running everything alone, and honestly, it seems like he’s overwhelmed.”
Kang Hyeon nodded as he accepted a cotton pad from Yoo Kyung-mi. He used the remover to clean off his makeup, staring into the hand mirror as he thought about what CEO Goo had once told him:
“As you know, we’re running this on scraps. I can’t take proper care of you. Let’s just think of this as looking out for each other a bit. If a good agency comes along later, feel free to go.”
“I’m not capable enough… I just figured we could at least give each other some emotional support and share meals.”
After a long silence, once Yoo Kyung-mi had gotten off, Kang Hyeon finally spoke.
“What can I do to make things easier on CEO Goo?”
“Just focus on your own work. I’m using you as an excuse to learn from CEO Kang and build some industry contacts. When I say I’m your manager, people lower their guard.”
“…”
“If CEO Goo’s busy, then I’m your manager. Let’s just roll with that for now.”
“Who said you could?”
“I did.”
Chief Choi glanced back at a red light and smiled.
“Let’s help each other out. If I learn enough to set up a one-man agency for Do-yeong and build a real system, I’ll pass it on to CEO Goo. You’re gonna go global too, remember?”
“That feels like a distant dream.”
“If your drama blows up, it’ll happen fast. Do-yeong got a hit, and now he’s getting invited overseas and filming ads. Not that he seems to have any clue what’s going on—makes me want to scream.”
Kang Hyeon stared out the window, taking in his words. He was playing the lead, but it didn’t feel like it. He liked CEO Goo, but as even Goo himself had said, he wasn’t in a position to properly support him. It felt like wearing clothes that didn’t fit—like being somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be. So, instead of speaking clearly like he normally would, he found himself bottling it all up, constantly trying to read the room.
On the way home, Chief Choi stopped briefly to grab some takeout from a gukbap place, then swung by a bakery for snacks. He handed everything over to Kang Hyeon at the door.
“5 a.m. call. I’m calling at 4:50.”
With that, he drove off. Kang Hyeon bowed and went inside. After washing up and eating his gukbap, exhaustion crashed over him. Lying in bed, reviewing tomorrow’s scenes, his vision faded to black.
The smartphone ringing dragged his eyes open.
Chief Choi. 4:50 a.m. on the dot.
Having slept like the dead, Kang Hyeon quickly showered, grabbed his script, and bolted out the door.
“Kimbap okay?”
As soon as he got in the car, Chief Choi handed him a bag. Inside were around ten rolls.
“Why is there so much?”
“CEO Goo and Hyun-sook will be at the shop too, right? The makeup team’s gotta eat too.”
“Right…”
“Get some more sleep. I’ll wake you when we get there.”
Leaning against the seat, Kang Hyeon closed his eyes. Soon after, CEO Goo called Chief Choi. Something about the whole situation felt off to Kang Hyeon.
At Edith Shop, they met up with Hyun-sook and Goo to review the day’s schedule. Chief Choi remained by their side. On days when filming was light, they also shot a camping gear commercial. Since it was with a respected senior actor, the shoot was full of laughter. Hyun-sook effectively played the role of manager in place of Goo, who was always on the phone trying to land more work. Eventually, the senior actor became a regular at Mpia too.
A few days later, the shoot took place in a newly built office building. The interior wasn’t fully finished, but from the outside it looked fine, and filming went smoothly. Each floor was designed like offices, meeting rooms, or studio apartments from the drama, so almost everything could be shot in one location.
By now, they’d been filming for over a week. The cast had grown close, and the staff felt comfortable around them too. The script had advanced three episodes, and everyone was getting deeper into their roles.
While waiting for his next scene, Kang Hyeon stood behind the props team, going over his lines. It was the same scene from his audition—confronting Kwon Ji-sang after discovering his plot to poach workers from Kang I-chan’s subcontractor firm and funnel them into a third party. Do-yeong had most of the lines, so Kang Hyeon was focused on how to convey emotion during the silent parts.
Then, he overheard some staff chatting nearby. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but the surprise in their voices caught his attention.
“Yeah, this whole new building.”
“Wasn’t it just the hotel that was provided?”
“The café was recommended by Yoon Do-yeong too. That’s how they slashed the budget and hired more staff.”
“No wonder… They barely took any product placements.”
“The place we’re filming for Kwon Ji-sang’s house tomorrow? That’s actually his place.”
The casual conversation hit his ears like a bolt. Kang Hyeon’s pupils trembled.
The company setting of the drama, the studio apartment used as his home in the show, the hotel scenes they’d be filming soon… Even Kwon Ji-sang’s house. All of it—provided by Yoon Do-yeong.
At this point, wasn’t he basically an unofficial investor?
Kang Hyeon’s gaze swept toward the veteran actor nearby, then to Hyun-sook. Then the camera director. Director Ji Seok-woo. Director Yoo Ji-ha. The assistant director. And finally, Chief Choi—his self-appointed manager.
His gaze began to waver. His mind twisted.
Then Baek Ga-yeong came to mind—the one who’d offered her café. The suggestion to take promo photos before the film premiere. The way she already knew the drama was confirmed.
“I told you—I’m cunning.”
One by one, the strange pieces started to click.
Oh I-seul, the writer who helped him with the script.
The stylist at Edith Shop who’d been assigned just to him.
Kang Hyeon’s eyes sharpened. He took a deep breath to calm his rising emotions and stepped outside the building.
Something told him to check the parking lot. And sure enough, there it was—the agency van Yoon Do-yeong always rode in.
He rushed over. As he approached, the door slid open and Do-yeong poked his head out.
“Hyeon—”
“Was it you who got me this role?”
