Chapter 72
Come to think of it, Cheong-yeon hadn’t been in contact with Kim Kyung-seop recently and didn’t know how he was doing. Though it seemed like he was busy running around to various meetings.
Cheong-yeon replied that he understood, then finished the short schedule following his meeting with the director before heading to the agency office.
In the past, he would have worried first wondering if something had happened, but recently he had become so accustomed to his tight schedule—going when told to go and coming when told to come—that no particular thoughts crossed his mind.
“Actor, we’ve arrived.”
Cheong-yeon looked up at the manager’s gentle voice. The van had already parked in front of the agency.
After getting out of the car and entering the building, Kim Kyung-seop, who happened to be in the hallway, waved his hand saying he had arrived well.
“It’s been a while, Cheong-yeon. Come in and sit down. Busy these days?”
“A little. Have you been well, Director?”
“I’ve been fine. But why are your lips so swollen? Are they chapped, or is it an allergy?”
“I think they got chapped because the inside of the van was dry.”
Cheong-yeon naturally made up an excuse he had prepared in advance. Kim Kyung-seop clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
“You need to take care of yourself when the opportunity arises. Don’t you have lip balm? Hey, Dong-gyun! If there’s lip balm here, bring one over!”
After seating Cheong-yeon on the guest sofa, Kim Kyung-seop stuck his head out and shouted. A few seconds later, an employee appeared from somewhere, placed a new lip balm in front of Cheong-yeon, and disappeared.
“Aren’t you busy today? Every time I come to the office, you’re not around.”
Cheong-yeon unwrapped the packaging and applied the thick cream to his lips. The stinging on his lips was one issue, but his jaw still felt like it might dislocate. Now that he thought about it, oral activities weren’t easy either. At this rate, his body would quickly wear out.
“I’ve been a bit overwhelmed going to meetings here and there. I’m not wasting time—I’ve been gathering movie and drama synopses to show you.”
Kim Kyung-seop began brewing tea in a mug himself. When Cheong-yeon stood up to help, he waved him off, telling him to stay seated.
Meanwhile, Cheong-yeon looked around the office. Somehow, the atmosphere seemed to have changed.
Being such a small company office, previously there had been piles of miscellaneous items stacked in every corner, but now the interior was clean, as if everything had been cleared away.
“Must be tough with so many schedules? Being an entertainer doesn’t yield immediate results—it takes time. But once the momentum builds up, you’ll rise quickly, so wait and see.”
Kim Kyung-seop rambled on in an excited voice as he handed over the warm tea. He seemed thrilled about the increased workload.
Cheong-yeon also wanted to match his mood as much as possible, but at the moment, facing Kim Kyung-seop was uncomfortable. Kim Kyung-seop was the only person who knew about his sponsorship relationship with Do-heon. While it might not matter to him, from Cheong-yeon’s perspective, it was inevitably awkward to have a comfortable conversation.
While drinking tea, Kim Kyung-seop asked detailed questions about recent happenings—whether he liked the manager, if the stylist was okay, and if the staff he worked with treated him well. He also added that if anything was uncomfortable, he could change it anytime, so be sure to tell him.
Judging by the unfamiliar employees passing by outside the office door, it seemed that not only was the staff attached to his side growing, but the agency itself was expanding. It was unclear how much Do-heon was involved, but the growth of the contracted agency was, in any case, good news for an actor.
“That reminds me, Cheong-yeon. I’ve picked up a few roles that suddenly became available while I was out networking. Would you like to review the scripts?”
He picked up the stack of papers he had placed on the table in advance.
“Suddenly available roles?”
“You know, roles that suddenly opened up when someone had to leave due to school bullying controversies or drunk driving right before filming.”
“Ah… like when I had to drop Yang Jung-hak’s drama last time…?”
“Well, something like that. But hey, why do you talk like that? That’s ancient history.”
Although it was meant as a joke, Kim Kyung-seop scolded him for bringing up needless talk, seemingly still feeling guilty about the incident.
Cheong-yeon checked each of the scripts placed in front of him.
“You should make your first selection by this week, and then check with Team Leader Kwon Hye-na for final confirmation. Just note that filming for all of them starts next week or the week after, so take the tight schedule into account.”
“Won’t this overlap with the drama I’m currently filming?”
“The characters in these new scripts don’t have many scenes, so even if the filming periods overlap, it shouldn’t be impossible if we coordinate the dates. What do you think?”
“…This is better than I expected? How did you manage to find these?”
Cheong-yeon flipped through the papers, amazed.
“I have my ways. If any of these get confirmed, it’ll make up for what that bastard Yang Jung-hak did to you last time.”
“We’ll see. Did you call me today just to give me this?”
“Partly that, and also to give you this.”
“What else…”
Kim Kyung-seop made a meaningful expression and rummaged through his inside jacket pocket. Cheong-yeon held out his hand, his eyes asking what it was.
“Keys?”
Receiving the object, Cheong-yeon’s head tilted slightly.
They were car keys with a familiar logo.
“It’s downstairs. Want to go see it now?”
“No, why are you suddenly giving me car keys…”
“Come down. It arrived this morning, and I’ve been waiting for you because I’m curious about how it looks inside too.”
With a sinking feeling, Cheong-yeon followed Kim Kyung-seop down to the building. There was a white imported car that he hadn’t noticed earlier, prominently parked. Of course, it was the same brand as the logo on the car keys in Cheong-yeon’s hand.
“It’s your car, Cheong-yeon. What do you think? Killer, right? Wow!”
Kim Kyung-seop exclaimed admiringly from beside him.
For a moment, Cheong-yeon thought it was the same car he used to drive when living with Do-heon. But looking closely, the exterior design and license plate were subtly different from the one at Do-heon’s house.
“This is mine?”
“Yeah. Apparently, it’s a recent model? You’d normally have to be on a waiting list for over a year to get this, but it came right away. Isn’t that amazing?”
“You didn’t buy this, did you, Director?”
Cheong-yeon asked while staring blankly at the car. Even without hearing the answer, he was already certain that Do-heon had sent it.
Only Moon Do-heon would be able to procure and deliver a car of the same brand and color as the one he used to drive at his house in just one day.
In response to Cheong-yeon’s question, Kim Kyung-seop looked around and then moved closer to whisper:
“Of course not. But publicly, it looks better if it seems like it’s from the agency.”
“…”
“Anyway, your drama will start airing soon. It wouldn’t look right if you were walking around when you’re not on schedule.”
So it was from Do-heon after all. He had expected it, but seeing the multi-million won car gleaming in front of him brought back uncomfortably vivid memories of the expensive items he had received after sex at the hotel last week.
Cheong-yeon tightly gripped the car keys in his hand. The emotion he felt now was exactly the same as what he had felt before. No, it was even more unpleasant.
He had asked for acting opportunities, not expensive gifts every time they slept together. Do-heon’s gift offensive felt excessive and repulsive.
“Go in and take a look. Hey, it looks great!”
Unaware of Cheong-yeon’s feelings, Kim Kyung-seop kept pushing his back from behind. By now, employees who had been in the office had sneaked out to take a look and were joining in.
“All the options are fully loaded?”
“Wow, I wonder how it rides.”
“How much does something like this cost? Director, did you buy this with the investment you mentioned before?”
“How much investment did you receive then?”
Cheong-yeon swallowed a sigh at the commotion coming from all sides.
No, if you’re going to give something, couldn’t you do it quietly? Does it have to be in front of everyone like this?
For a very brief moment, his resentment was directed at Kim Kyung-seop, but then again, if he was going to drive it anyway, it might be better to have the pretense that the agency director had given it as a gift…
After all, showing up one day suddenly driving a new imported car by himself would probably generate more gossip.
“…”
…No, what am I saying? Why am I assuming I’ll be driving this car? I don’t need it, and I don’t want to accept it!
With mixed feelings, Cheong-yeon opened the car door to check the interior. It was similar to the one he drove when living with Do-heon, and since Cheong-yeon had owned several cars at the time, the system wasn’t unfamiliar.
Unable to suddenly burst out in anger at the agency director after receiving a gift, Cheong-yeon reluctantly thanked Kim Kyung-seop in front of the employees.
After pretending to look around the car a bit, he said he had an errand to run and slipped out at an appropriate moment.
Cheong-yeon went to a corner of the alley, carefully checked that no one was passing by, and immediately called Do-heon.
The gleaming car keys in his hand felt as heavy as stones. If he had his way, he would have returned the car to the dealership and had it refunded immediately.
“Ah, Moon Do-heon. This man, really.”
Listening to the clear ringing tone, Cheong-yeon nervously ran his hand through his hair.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
