Chapter 14 – The Blinding Early Spring Sunlight

Seo-jun had the car stop in front of the park.

“Why aren’t you going into the company, Sir…?”

“What if people recognize you and swarm you?”

Manager Bong and Park Seong-ho, turning back to look at the back seat, added comments with puzzled expressions.

It was already unconventional for him to go to CN every day without skipping a single day in the past few days, but today he added another layer of surprise by saying he would take a walk in the crowded park and told them not to follow him. It was a natural reaction.

“The weather is nice, isn’t it? I’m not a child, I’ll walk a bit and then head to the company, so don’t worry about me.”

After finishing the conversation, Seo-jun got out of the car, dressed casually, having shed his formal attire. Wearing light loafers and a white shirt over distressed jeans, he maintained a classic elegance despite his casual appearance.

Seo-jun put on the white corduroy jacket he held in his hand like spreading wings behind him, adjusted the collar, and walked away from the car with long strides.

Manager Bong and Park Seong-ho, unsure of what to do, eventually drove towards the < CN Entertainment > building.

Seo-jun entered the quiet park path and began walking leisurely.

The gentle breeze swaying the leaves seemed to welcome him with a fresh woody scent.

Born with everything in his hands, even things that couldn’t be obtained through hard work, Tae Seo-jun was accustomed to perfection. And his future life would be just as perfect.

But had the obvious become too dull? Seo-jun chose a completely different path from his brothers, who only thought of inheriting the family business. So now, he is walking a more brilliant path than anyone else without regret.

‘Shouldn’t you get married now?’

The day he returned to Korea from the Middle East, Seo-jun quietly laughed off his mother’s urging at the Gahoe-dong family home.

He’s not against marriage, but one relationship of deceit or deception was enough. Moreover, he had no intention of centering his life around something like marriage, which could easily turn into a muddy fight even when breaking up.

‘If you don’t want to get married, at least have a child somewhere before you die. One is good, two would be even better.’

He couldn’t help but laugh at his father’s rare relinquishment of dignity. For someone who didn’t usually say such things, how desperate must he be to almost lose a child?

But why did she suddenly come to mind at that moment? 

Moreover, it was a time when he couldn’t have predicted encountering Eom So-yeon again so soon after his discharge.

What about the dinner a few days ago? Pretending to be shy, didn’t she play with my hand and heart as if they were hers?

‘Eom So-yeon, do you still have feelings for me?’

‘Oh, what are you saying? It’s, it’s the alcohol! TI tend to hold hands with anyone when I drink.’

‘Anyone?’

‘Oh, no, that’s not it…’

‘Did you do this to Jo In-ha as well?’

‘What I just said was nonsense because I was tipsy. I’ve never done this with anyone but you! It was a mistake after drinking for the first time in a while, can’t you overlook it?’

‘What if I don’t want to?’

‘Are you being petty? I didn’t think you were that kind of man, Director?’

‘How did you see me?’

‘Well, handsome, cool, gentle, sexy… Oh, what am I saying now…’

Her lips, stubbornly pouting after blurting out nonsense in embarrassment, looked so tempting. Everything about her seemed beautiful. Enough to want to hug her tightly and kiss her wildly.

Thinking back now, he wonders how he managed to resist being insanely drawn to Eom So-yeon. It seems he had considerable patience.

Anyway, it seemed Eom So-yeon didn’t dislike me… What? Didn’t dislike? Am I, Tae Seo-jun, feeling relieved by such an uncertain assumption? Even because of that small woman alone?

He was annoyed by his increasingly uncharacteristic self, but Seo-jun decided to watch Eom So-yeon a little longer. At least until this intense obsession faded a bit. Because the more he dealt with her, the more interesting she became.

“…….”

A quiet chuckle escaped between his lips. It had been a while since he naturally smiled with satisfaction. Stopping his slow steps, Seo-jun leaned his head back and looked up absentmindedly.

At the canopy created by the long branches extending from the trees.

At the blue sky opened through the gaps.

His unusually deep eyes squinted slightly at the brilliant light.

The weather was so nice that the early spring sunlight was even more dazzling.

***

Three days ago, there was a drama production meeting.

The event, where the director, writer, and all the cast gathered, proceeded relatively smoothly.

The atmosphere of mixing encouraging smiles and strong camaraderie wasn’t bad either.

However, if there was a flaw in that place, it might have been Eom So-yeon’s mistake of stumbling over her lines twice during the script reading.

But that wasn’t due to So-yeon’s lack of skill. No one knew, but it was Tae Seo-jun’s mischievous prank of tapping So-yeon’s leg under the table that was the culprit.

Wasn’t Tae Seo-jun someone who wore dignity and integrity like armor all over his body? What was more bewildering for So-yeon was that she hadn’t expected such a person to do something so naughty.

Other than that, the entire meeting flowed naturally like water.

But the problem arose the next day.

She didn’t know whose mouth it started from, but the unverified acting skills of Eom So-yeon became a topic of controversy in this project as well. Moreover, her mistake during the reading became gossip, spreading negatively among people.

So-yeon, who often found herself on the chopping block before starting work, could only muster a bitter smile each time.

But this time was different. Though she let out a hollow laugh at the absurd talk, she didn’t lose confidence. So-yeon diligently prepared her part, making the most of each day.

She wasn’t someone who clung to luck or easily despaired.

Looking back at times when she couldn’t take a step forward in a bleak situation, this was just a light ordeal she could endure.

After spending the entire morning strengthening her physical fitness at the fitness center used exclusively by CN-affiliated celebrities, So-yeon was practicing pronunciation in the actor’s practice room today as well.

“So-yeon, let’s have lunch.”

Do-soon, slightly opening the sliding glass door, peeked in with just her face and smiled bashfully.

“When did you come? You said you didn’t have to come to the company today.”

“I stopped by because the style team said your outfit came out beautifully. I couldn’t resist my curiosity.”

“So, did you see it?”

“Yeah. It’s amazing. It really looks like a princess dress.”

Do-soon, who entered the practice room and sat on the desk, said.

“Has Oh Min-jung shown up? I was worried she might be bothering you again.”

“Oh, our Do-soon was worried about that?”

“Is it just worry? If she did, I was going to either yank her hair or bite her to flatten her nose.”

“Typical Yeo Do-soon.”

Sitting in the chair with her arms crossed, So-yeon looked up at Do-soon with a face devoid of makeup except for pink lipstick.

“Oh Min-jung is in hell right now.”

“With that attitude, there’s no way she’d go to heaven, but surely, she hasn’t died, right?”

The difference between the lead and supporting roles is vast, but in <Master of the Sun>, the impactful role was the past So Yeo-hwa, played by So-yeon.

In the context of the entire work, it’s a relatively small part, but the scenes Eom So-yeon had to portray carried more weight than the lead.

Not satisfied with this, Oh Min-jung seemed to feel the need to throw a tantrum, but So-yeon, who had developed calluses from the envy and jealousy of those around her, wasn’t particularly bothered.

“That’s not it, but it’s probably something similar. She’s gone into special martial arts training. She’ll be too busy shooting martial arts scenes starting tomorrow. It means we won’t run into her except during the Spain shoot.”

When So-yeon spoke with a bright face, Do-soon, who heard the most welcome news, jumped off the desk.

“Oh, really? That’s great!”

“So let’s eat comfortably! I was really hungry too.”

With a bright smile, So-yeon headed to the cafeteria with Do-soon.

***

The company cafeteria was quiet during the weekday afternoon.

Coincidentally, So-yeon and Do-soon ended up joining a table where three men were dining. Go Won-hoo casually called the two women, who were about to sit elsewhere with their trays, to join them.

Seo-jun, seemingly not interested in eating, hadn’t touched his utensils and was staring blankly. At Eom So-yeon, who was sitting across from him, quietly eating her meal. At her small lips focused solely on chewing.

Cough!

So-yeon, who had a coughing fit, choked. It seemed like something she forced down got stuck, and as she drank water, suddenly, like during the meeting, Seo-jun tapped So-yeon’s foot.

“…!”

Tae Seo-jun, why do you keep doing this, making things difficult for people!

She wanted to ask right away, but So-yeon stopped herself, feeling a guilty conscience. Her precious child had become the fuel of her life, allowing her to endure well until now. And with that strength, she had come this far. But she wasn’t unaware that it was a significant sin she had committed.

Dropping her gaze, So-yeon stared at Seo-jun for a long time. He was smiling, as if finding it amusing, meeting her eyes and curling his lips.

So-yeon glanced at the other people. Wondering if anyone had seen the brief eye contact between him and her.

There was something So-yeon couldn’t understand.

Last week, he called her to the director’s office every day to apply medicine to the wound she got in the pantry. It was a wound that healed cleanly in just a week, but he kept his word to watch over it until it healed, and she ran to him whenever he called.

She thought he was a kind person at that time, but the day after the treatment was no longer necessary, he suddenly ignored her with a cold attitude. Yet, during the meeting and now, he was playing footsie again, making it hard to know how to respond.

Was this Tae Seo-jun something only I knew?

The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed, and So-yeon found him annoying.

Seo-jun seemed to find So-yeon’s reaction, unable to do this or that, quite amusing. He nonchalantly cleared his untouched tray and returned to sit at the table.

Just then, Won-hoo, who had finished his meal, looked at So-yeon and spoke.

“I have a proposal for you, Eom So-yeon.”

“A proposal?”

“Yes. I’m not forcing you, but Jo In-ha here wants to help you, so how about the two of you try working together?”

Go Won-hoo was referring to one-on-one training.

So-yeon also felt the need for that, but Jo In-ha was out of the question. Since learning about Senior Jo’s feelings, she had avoided unnecessary contact with him, even maintaining an appropriate distance, so being alone with him was still burdensome.

“Ah, I…”

But So-yeon couldn’t readily answer.

In the harsh entertainment industry, Jo In-ha was one of the few acquaintances who could inquire about and share each other’s well-being. She didn’t want to ruin the harmonious relationship she had painstakingly maintained overnight.

At this moment, Do-soon, who knew her friend’s difficult situation better than anyone else, boldly stepped in.

“That’s not possible! They’re not even in the same project, and So-yeon finds excessive consideration from anyone very burdensome. In the same context, no matter how close Senior Jo In-ha is, she wouldn’t want unnecessary indebtedness. Right, So-yeon?”

So-yeon nodded carefully, but Jo In-ha wasn’t one to back down easily.

“I heard there are quite a few people who tear you apart. So I know you’re working harder, but just practicing alone in front of a wall isn’t the solution, is it?”

As In-ha, who openly expressed his goodwill, tried to persuade her, So-yeon spoke calmly.

“If I needed help, I would have requested it from the CN Academy instructors long ago. I know you’re trying to be considerate with good intentions, Senior. But I’ll just gratefully accept your kind offer. I can’t take up your precious time. I’ll handle my work myself.”

Though her tone was gentle, Eom So-yeon, both now and in the past, and even more so now, had built a higher wall around herself. In-ha, who had long pretended not to notice, decided he couldn’t ignore it any longer and wanted to tear down that wall this time.

But being rejected again, the words that came out of his mouth, having lost his composure, were far from pleasant.

“Acting is also about interaction between actors, but Eom So-yeon, your nature doesn’t do that well, does it? That’s why you don’t have anyone taking your side. How far do you think you can endure alone in this field where they tear you down more if you stay still?”

“Senior…”

So-yeon’s face hardened with humiliation.

But In-ha pressed her further with an aggressive tone.

“Is that all? You can’t even exchange what’s necessary properly, which is why you’re struggling. Everything you do gets tangled, and unfortunate things keep happening. With your situation and that personality, what more can you do? By now, shouldn’t you know that your blocked thinking is the biggest problem in your life?”

“…….”

When someone close to you pokes at your sore spot, it hurts even more.

Moreover, Tae Seo-jun was also present here.

In front of him, it felt as if her shabby self was being exposed, and So-yeon could only drop her gaze to her trembling fingertips.