Chapter 33 – The Time of Waiting  

Even though Malaga is one of the hottest regions in Spain, the temperature was sweltering even in the morning today.

“Crazy, just crazy!”

On the boat deck, Seo-jun muttered under his breath, as if grinding his teeth, releasing a sigh-laden voice.

So-yeon was coming down to the dock wearing a rash guard over her swimsuit. Though there was some distance, her slender, elongated legs and the tantalizing curves of her body were instantly absorbed into Seo-jun’s dark eyes.

He was usually unfazed by extreme exposure on advertisement or film sets. But now, Seo-jun was a completely different person from then. Even though So-yeon’s swimsuit was not a bikini but rather ordinary, his reaction seemed as if he was seeing something more.

Fortunately, there was no one around, because what was he thinking…?

Seo-jun, in shorts with his upper body exposed, exuded rare masculinity under the blazing sun with his firm chest muscles moving. What unsettled Seo-jun’s mind was partly due to what he saw, but the heat gathering in one place also played a significant role.

As So-yeon gradually approached, Seo-jun’s Adam’s apple involuntarily twitched. He was unconsciously very aware of her swimsuit attire. Yet, instead of boarding the yacht, So-yeon stood on the wooden plank, seemingly gazing at the blue water below.

“If you’re here, why are you hesitating? Should I just push you into the water?”

He muttered these words under his breath.

Suddenly, the sound of a splash reached Seo-jun’s ears loudly.

“Danger…”

So-yeon disappeared into the sea before Seo-jun’s urgent shout could even finish.

Not knowing if her swimming skills were perfect, Seo-jun assumed she would soon come up since she said she was good. He jumped off the yacht and quickly ran to where So-yeon had fallen.

But it was strange.

What was she doing underwater? Bubbles were rising slowly, but she showed no sign of emerging from the water. Kneeling on the wooden plank and peering below, he caught a glimpse of something flailing.

“…!”

A foreboding feeling swept through his mind.

Splash!

Without a moment’s hesitation, Seo-jun dove gracefully into the water.

With a clean diving skill, he quickly disappeared into the sea.

Pua…!

Not long after, their heads emerged above the surface. On the opposite side of the yacht, a bit away from the dock.

“Haa, haa… Let go. Haa…”

Seo-jun, who was holding So-yeon’s arm tightly, looked at her sternly as she splashed around, gasping for breath. He wasn’t pleased with her constant attempts to escape from him.

Perhaps stung by that gaze, So-yeon abruptly asked,

“Ha, why!”

“You tell me first. Why did you do that?”

Shaking his wet hair from side to side, Seo-jun pulled So-yeon closer and asked again. Intimidated by his strong grip, So-yeon stammered her response.

“I-I saw the diving rope… My foot slipped… Anyway, since I fell into the sea, I thought I’d practice and try to hold out underwater…”

“Eom So-yeon!”

At his sudden outburst, her small shoulders flinched. The movement spread in the water, hitting Seo-jun’s chest directly.

“You made me worry! If that’s the case, you should’ve stayed still. Why did you try to run away? Do you think I’m some kind of monster?”

When So-yeon, who had fallen into the water, didn’t surface but instead sank further, Seo-jun was terrified. He thought she might have had a heart attack, lost consciousness, or something terrible happened.

That’s why he jumped into the water and wrapped his arm around her neck to pull her up. But at that moment, So-yeon let go of the rope she was holding and darted away.

Her swimming skills were beyond just being good. Especially her underwater swimming was on par with any diver. Tae Seo-jun was also a gold medalist in the youth swimming competition. The two of them were chasing and being chased, struggling underwater.

“When something strange suddenly grabs you and yanks you back, wouldn’t you be startled? Tae Seo-jun, I’m sorry if I scared you, but did you really have to go to this extent?”

No matter what, was it something to shout about? 

It was the first time So-yeon saw him this angry.

“Why are you only angry! You don’t have to be this mad!”

So-yeon shouted back, but her voice ended in a fragile sob.

“It’s because I thought you might become a water ghost…”

At this moment, Seo-jun saw it. The moisture filling her clear, pure eyes. The brilliance like jewels embedded in her pretty eyes.

His heart ached as if pierced deeply by a sharp awl.

Seo-jun stared directly at So-yeon without blinking.

The sound of their pounding hearts was transmitted through their touching torsos.

Though they fought, it wasn’t a fight; though their voices were raised, they weren’t words meant to hurt; though their eyes weren’t kind, it wasn’t out of dislike.

In that strange atmosphere, as their silence continued, it happened.

“Yes, Manager.”

Suddenly, a voice came from someone who descended to the dock.

“The yacht is here, but I don’t see anyone. What should I do?”

The man on the phone was Park Seong-ho, and with no x-ray vision, he couldn’t see So-yeon and Seo-jun hidden by the yacht.

“What? Don’t go into the cabin?”

Seong-ho, who brought lunch in a picnic basket made of straw, was receiving instructions from Manager Bong.

“Ah, yes, yes, I get it. You mean just leave the picnic bag on the deck and not disturb their private time. Hehe.”

Do they think we’re doing something inside? Listening to it, the laughter and the conversation seemed a bit…

So-yeon’s face flushed red.

“See, they’re misunderstanding!”

So-yeon lightly pushed against his firm chest.

Seo-jun, who willingly leaned back at her gentle push, had a different, heavy expression from before. So-yeon realized the meaning of that expression the moment she floated lightly in the seawater and paddled towards the dock.

“Wait…”

Seo-jun hurriedly grabbed So-yeon, who was moving away from him.

“Pfft, cough, cough!”

She should have moved forward, but being pulled back, she swallowed water and choked. In the meantime, So-yeon was enveloped in Seo-jun’s broad chest.

“Salty?”

“Of course, seawater isn’t sweet. Why ask the obvious…!”

The sensation on her back made her chatter stop abruptly. Tensed by the large hand’s movement, So-yeon asked in a small voice again.

“Why…?”

“Do you want to know why I’m angry?”

“…”

When So-yeon nodded, his perfectly handsome face came close.

Just as his warm breath brushed past her earlobe, her upper body was pulled snugly into his firm chest.

“!”

Startled by the intense heartbeat transmitted from his chest to hers, So-yeon couldn’t help but be surprised.

“My heart is like this. Because of you, my heart is pounding as if it will break.”

“…”

So-yeon, gazing blankly at Seo-jun’s face, hesitated but reached out to embrace him. Then she gently patted his back.

When she had first boarded the plane to Spain with Tae Seo-jun, she had two conflicting thoughts. One was to never give in, no matter how much he tried to sway her, to make it clear that there was no future for them. The other was a quiet hope.

She wanted to confirm that this man truly loved her and could joyfully accept her and Hyun-woo.

But now, it was neither. She couldn’t grasp why she was with him. She just wanted to convey her slightly more open heart to him than yesterday, hoping his heart was the same as hers, feeling excited.

Clear eyes and large eyes.

The trembling pupils within sparkled beautifully like water scales on the sea.

Seo-jun firmly captured those lovely eyes in his dark eyes.

“Let’s stay like this a little longer…”

As Seo-jun whispered, So-yeon complied with his wish.

Seo-jun, who tightly embraced her soft and tender upper body, closed his eyes gently.

The last few days already felt like years.

This waiting, this longing—he could endure it only by holding her like this.

***

In the meeting room of CN Entertainment, Go Won-hoo and Team Leader Joo from the planning department were having a quiet conversation.

“You’re removing Eom So-yeon from the support program for contracted actors? And you’ve decided not to accept any advertising offers for her? It seems like you’re throwing her under the bus. Why would you make such a decision without consulting me?”

Won-hoo, with a seemingly troubled expression, spoke in a lower tone.

“We won’t know how the public will react until after the drama airs, but the company is already abuzz with rumors about Eom So-yeon. It would be reckless to push her forward in this situation. If reporters start digging into her private life, it won’t do the company’s image any good. For now, she’ll need to fend for herself without company support.”

Team Leader Joo, lowering his gaze as if to say there was no other choice, presented his reasoning in a measured and logical manner.

Go Won-hoo had promised Director Yoon and Writer Kwon that he would support Eom So-yeon. However, Team Leader Joo had acted faster than him, taking steps in line with company policy.

Even as the CEO of CN Entertainment, it was a sensitive issue that could draw criticism from the company’s executives if he intervened without a clear justification. But if Go Won-hoo had a clever strategy, the situation could change drastically.

“Stay quiet and observe? And if things don’t work out, just cut her loose?”

“Isn’t that the best course of action? Personally, I understand Eom So-yeon’s circumstances, but in this industry, where image is everything, it’s regrettable but unavoidable.”

She has no husband but does have a child.

Team Leader Joo, who had only recently learned this fact, felt genuinely sorry for her.

The company had plenty of A-list actors. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that their success or failure was heavily influenced by the company’s power.

In such an environment, if Eom So-yeon’s personal story were to be picked up by reporters, and if it tarnished the company’s image, it could also harm the careers of other celebrities who had found success under CN Entertainment’s banner.

Preventing such a scenario before it became a reality was the responsibility of the planning department head, leaving Team Leader Joo with little choice.

However, Go Won-hoo, as the CEO, seemed to have a different plan in mind as he gave orders to Team Leader Joo.

“Reveal everything. But make it short and impactful.”

“What? But…”

“Eom So-yeon is part of our company. And when it comes to unfavorable situations, hiding them isn’t the answer. The best defense is a good offense. We need to bring everything into the open quickly and steer the narrative in a way that benefits us. That’s the only way to avoid problems later, and if we’re lucky, it might even turn into an opportunity for greater success.”

“But what if it backfires…”

“I’ll take responsibility. But that won’t happen.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Eom So-yeon said it herself. If she has to be criticized for choosing to become a single mother, she can accept it, but she can’t stand the child being criticized. She wants to raise the child proudly, allowing them to bask in the bright sunlight of the world. We should approach this with the mindset of a new modern woman and break outdated concepts.”

As if he’d done business many times before, Won-hoo subtly hinted, and Team Leader Joo slapped his knee.

“Ah! So what you’re saying is, we should reveal her story to the public all at once, presenting her as a bold and confident modern woman, giving people a fresh perspective.”

“You’ve got it!”

A crisis, when handled well, can turn into an opportunity.

As CEO Go Won-hoo, who excelled at turning ‘disadvantage’ into ‘advantage,’ playfully winked with one eye, Team Leader Joo already had a refreshing smile on his lips, as if he had figured it all out.