Chapter 92
“Ah… Team Leader-nim, these two are going to film together in a drama called <Eternal Night>, which is an anticipated work for the second half of the year. You know that drama called <Channel> that you watched enthusiastically? It’s by the same director who directed that drama.”
Knox’s deputy stepped in to recover the awkwardly stiffened atmosphere.
“Oh, really? Jung Jiin-ssi, what kind of role are you playing?”
“The protagonist is Yoon Juho… this actor here, and I’m a character who opposes Actor Yoon. We do have a confrontational structure over one woman… but I’m quite dissatisfied that I’m at a much greater disadvantage even within the drama.”
Team Leader 1, with his greasy face, laughed heartily while even patting my shoulder. It was completely different from his attitude just moments before, when he had only shown interest in Yoon Juho and treated me like an appendage.
“When such a handsome man says things like that, what are people like us supposed to do? Seeing you in person, your face is absolutely glowing. You look like a cartoon protagonist. You’re an actor because you look like this.”
My earlobes burned hot at the team leader’s change, blatantly switching attitudes like flipping his palm just because he had said one word. But the actual person involved seemed to feel no humiliation about it.
“That’s right. Jiin always ranks first in surveys about actors who are overwhelming in real life too.”
Suddenly, a light and soft touch came to my shoulder. It was Yoon Juho.
“I have a bit of an atmospheric feel, but this guy is a real handsome man. Among fans, he’s called a prince from Europe. He speaks so modestly, but he’s practically a lead actor in this project too. You can think of actress Park Seyeon, me, and Jiin as the three tops.”
I didn’t even have time to admire Yoon Juho speaking fluently as if acting out pre-memorized lines. My eyes were tired from constantly glancing to check his reaction.
He was standing leaning against the bar with a feeling of being slightly apart from the group. Until just a moment ago, he seemed to be concentrating on drinking… but now he was looking this way over the rim of his on-the-rocks glass tilted to his lips. Precisely, he was aiming at Yoon Juho’s hand on my shoulder.
Those eyes weren’t blazing with anger or seething with resentment.
They were closer to the eyes of a child sitting in a corner of a playground, envying another child’s wonderful toy.
It was a fleeting thought. I bit my lips and turned my gaze away from him.
As if a performance was starting in the central hall, the area beyond the entrance suddenly became noisy. Pretending to look toward that commotion, I slipped away from Yoon Juho’s hand.
Knox’s deputy didn’t miss the gap and attached herself to Yoon Juho and me.
“Um… would you two like to try making cocktails? We’re planning to separately update today’s event content on our hotel’s SNS too. If we post it along with cocktails you’ve made yourselves, I think fans would like it. Over here… here, there are various cocktails you can make.”
She brought over a tablet that was set up on one side of the bar and showed it to Yoon Juho and me. Colorful cocktails that could be made with today’s event protagonist, ‘Krief’ whiskey, as a base were displayed with photos.
We hadn’t come here to enjoy drinks and atmosphere but to work, no different from her. Wearing expensive clothes and getting hair and makeup done at a salon before attending was to leave photographic evidence of having been there. In other words, selling our faces.
As if pushed, Yoon Juho and I were positioned in front of the bar. Lee Han stepped aside to give up his spot. We exchanged brief eye contact with short nods as a sign of thanks.
Like strangers. As if maintaining basic courtesy between strangers.
This time I occupied the spot where he had been leaning just moments before. He leaned his back against the bar a couple of steps away and conversed with his close associates.
After flipping through the tablet screen here and there, I chose an orange-tinted cocktail, while Yoon Juho selected a cocktail based on brandy imported by the same company.
Actually, I was so distracted by him standing right beside me that I couldn’t really tell what ingredients my chosen cocktail contained. I had just roughly pointed at anything with my finger.
“…after 2 o’clock… with the madam…”
“…no need to go that far… downstairs…”
Even though he was right beside me, I couldn’t know the exact content of the conversation. The music and people’s commotion were also interfering, and I had to at least somewhat listen to the bartender’s explanation in front of me, so I couldn’t focus only on that side.
One cocktail was quickly completed.
Photo shooting continued with each of us holding the glasses we had made. Having to smile pretending to be friendly side by side with Yoon Juho, and putting on such a show in front of him, was miserable.
Just because he was talking with his associates pretending not to mind this side didn’t mean I was foolish enough to think he had really become indifferent to me in the meantime. If that had been truly possible, he would have avoided this place from the beginning. Even though he had every authority to do so, he continued to stay here. Even while enduring scenes that must not be very pleasant…
“What a picture, what a picture. I was going to ask to be photographed together too… but no good. Squeezing in between those two would be suicide.”
Team Leader 1, checking the photos taken by the deputy, shook his head and pushed his phone far away.
“Team Leader-nim, why don’t you take a shot with the two actors? You need to be at least Team Leader-nim’s level of looks… I think I’d just leave material to be teased for the rest of my life.”
“I’ll also decline. Fans would prefer this two-shot more.”
He refused cleanly and immediately. It seemed polite, but it was a refusal where a firm wall could be felt.
“You should try the cocktails you made yourselves. Jiin-ssi’s cocktail has a very pretty color.”
As expected, it was Knox’s deputy who was breaking into a sweat to lighten the atmosphere. I couldn’t know what Yoon Juho’s true feelings were about how he was accepting this situation.
My portion of the glass, containing lemon juice and raspberry syrup, looked quite sour.
When the strong sourness seeped into the wound on my lips and I grimaced, people burst into laughter. They seemed to think it was because I didn’t like the taste of the cocktail.
I couldn’t explain that it wasn’t that, but because my lips stung. As I awkwardly pulled up the corners of my lips and tried to bring the glass to my lips again, the glass slipped from my hand.
“Drink this. This is more your taste.”
“……”
Yoon Juho was showing unnecessary kindness.
Every time he did this, I inevitably ended up checking his reaction.
I thought he would still be ignoring this side and drinking whiskey, but unexpectedly he was looking straight at me. All the scenes I didn’t want him to see were being exposed to him.
With his elbow leaning on the bar and his fingers fiddling with his lips, he already looked quite drunk. Only ice remained in the glass he had set down on the bar.
His large hands, with unusually wide backs, covered his entire lower face, making it difficult to read his expression.
His eyelids blinked slowly. His lips also moved slowly.
“You two seem to be… very close.”
“……”
His eyes, red and bloodshot behind the lenses, were loosely relaxed with alcohol.
It would be better if he stopped drinking now. The fact that I had become someone who couldn’t worry about him, the pain of recognizing that as reality, was too vivid.
I had to give a plausible answer before Yoon Juho started talking nonsense. Though I thought that way, my lips wouldn’t open.
“We’ve known each other since before Jiin debuted.”
Jiin… How many times had Yoon Juho, who had never once called me that in actual private settings, called me that way just today?
“Ah… since before debut… I see.”
He lowered his head deeply and chuckled. Then, as if trying to shake off the alcohol, or as if reproaching himself, he shook his head several times. When he lifted his face to look at me again, a bitter smile was hovering around his lips.
What could I say in this situation?
Even though we were close enough that I could count the number of his eyelashes, the words I was allowed to say to him were few.
As he straightened his upper body that had been leaning, his eyes just passed over my upper lip, where the lip gloss would have been wiped off and the wound exposed. The moment I turned my head to avoid his narrowing eyes, he grabbed my arm.
Just as I was about to push him outward, the team leader suddenly interjected.
“Team Leader-nim, wouldn’t it be fine if these two actors became the next ambassadors for ‘Krief’ whiskey? The picture looks too good. I know the current model’s contract doesn’t have much time left until expiration… how about it?”
His hand that had been gripping my arm smoothly fell away.
“That’s something for Milton Korea, the importer, to decide.”
“If Team Leader-nim wants it, the process would be simple.”
“Why? I’m Knox’s PR team leader, so how could you think I can interfere in Milton Korea’s affairs…”
Like someone whose thoughts were elsewhere, displeasure mixed into his voice as he casually deflected the team leader’s words.
“Ah… no. I misspoke.”
The associate who had been standing across from him approached him closely. Covering his mouth with his hand, he whispered a few words to him.
“I need to show my face elsewhere… I’ll excuse myself now. It was nice meeting you both.”
After bowing briefly and firmly in greeting, he hurriedly left. The two associates who had been with him at Director Kang Woohyeon’s party followed behind him like shadows.
“Ha… geez, it’s really hard to please them. A chaebol is a chaebol. Right?”
As soon as he left through the arched entrance, Team Leader 1 laughed helplessly and clicked his tongue. Then he pointed with his chin toward where he had disappeared.
“You know, right? That he’s Hanseo Group’s youngest son.”
“……”
Seeing Yoon Juho drinking whiskey without any particular reaction, he must have already known.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
