CH 28

“Ha… ”

Inseop took a deep breath. He turned on the water in the sink again and started washing his hands.

He turned off the faucet when the sensation in his fingertips was gone. All that was felt on his fingertips was the freezing cold.

He touched his heart as he looked at himself in the mirror.

“You can do it. Let’s think of one thing.”

He slapped his cheek with the palm of his hand and left the bathroom.

‘Let’s not be weak. I can do. I can do it. Let go of useless nonsense.’

Inseop constantly muttered and walked quickly. It was perhaps a natural response that he started walking faster without seeing the person walking from the opposite direction as he turned the corner.

“Oh!”

A woman’s voice followed after bumping into each other. When Inseop raised his head in surprise, the person he had already bumped into was on her buttocks on the floor and leaning back.

“Sorry.”

Choi Inseop quickly reached out his hand and lifted the person that fell.

“Are you okay? This happened because I walked carelessly. I’m sorry.”

He apologized over and over and looked around to see if the other person was hurt.

“It’s okay. I just fell a little…  oh.”

The woman let out a short exclamation and pointed a finger at Inseop’s face.

“You’re the close friend of Lee Wooyeon whom I met by chance after a long time, but now you’re working as Lee Wooyeon’s manager!”

There were thorns in her words. Choi Inseop recognized reporter Kim Haeshin and bowed his head.

“I envy Lee Wooyeon. A close friend serves him as a manager.”

“… ”

Inseop made no excuses. It felt like she knew everything.

“I heard that from that day on, Lee Wooyeon said that he will not accept any interview from us.”

“It’s not like that. We do not decline or refuse interviews with specific media outlets. If the time is right, we will make an appointment.”

“I guess so. But coincidentally, the time seems to be off with us. Mr. Lee Wooyeon.”

After the interview that day, Lee Wooyeon had given an order not to accept interviews with reporter Kim Haeshin. The day she will officially interview Lee Wooyeon will not come in the future. Reporter Kim Haeshin and Choi Inseop knew that fact.

“When the time is right, we will make an appointment.”

Therefore, Inseop had no choice but to repeat the same words as before. Reporter Kim Haeshin glanced at Inseop, then pulled out a cigarette from her pocket and put it in her mouth. She was digging through her pockets and bags looking for a lighter. She asked whether he had a lighter. Inseop took a lighter from his pocket and lit her cigarette.

While exhaling smoke, reporter Kim Haeshin suggested Choi Inseop to smoke.

“I don’t smoke.”

“Why does a person who doesn’t even smoke carry a lighter? Who are you going to light a fire for?”

“…”

From the day after learning that Lee Wooyeon smoked occasionally, Inseop always carried a lighter in his pocket.

“I carry it with me because I never know when I will need it.”

Inseop put the lighter back into his pocket and answered as soon as possible.

“But what are you doing here at this hour?”

“You’re asking too early. Why would a person like me come to this place at a time like this? It’s obvious. I’m just wandering around looking for news.”

Reporter Kim Haeshin smiled as she held up the large camera hanging from her neck.

These days, the more provocative the news articles, the more they sell, so he has heard that reporters followed the stars and cover secret contents like foreign paparazzi’s.

“You are working hard.”

“… That’s not sarcasm, right?”

“Yes. I’m serious…Did I do something wrong?”

“No, looking at your expression, you seem sincere, but I didn’t think it’s something I’d heard from the manager of Lee Wooyeon, who I’m aiming for.”

The expression that she was aiming for him was a little creepy, but in a broader sense, he and reporter Kim Haeshin were comrades.

Inseop murmured, and lowered his gaze.

“How long has it been since you started working as manager of Lee Wooyeon?”

“It’s been a while.”

“Really? Then take this.”

She put the cigarette in her mouth, pulled out her wallet, and pulled out a business card from it. It contained her personal contact information and email.

Choi Inseop hesitated for a moment. As a manager, receiving a business card from a reporter was not a big deal, but Kim Haeshin was a little different. Since she was a reporter who Lee Wooyeon banned from interviewing him in person, he had no choice but to be cautious about his behavior.

“Thank you.”

But if you didn’t take it here, that was a bigger problem.

Inseop took Kim Haeshin’s business card with both hands and bowed his head.

“Can’t you give me your business card, manager?”

“Not yet.”

And he had no intention of making it in the future.

“You made the right decision. You will be cut off before the ink on the business card dries.”

“…”

“When you’re about to quit your job, just give me one phone call. Let’s do an interview with a pseudonym.”

“If I quit, I’ll think about it then.”

With an ambiguous answer that was neither negative nor positive, Inseop greeted her.

“Then I’ll be going.”

“Okay. If you think of it later, please contact me.”

Reporter Kim Haeshin conveyed the conviction that Choi Inseop would be cut soon. Inseop nodded his head without saying a word.

Lee Wooyeon, who was holding the script in front of the set, took off his clothes and handed it to Choi Inseop as if he was waiting.

“I’m going back to filming now.”

“Yes. All right.”

Choi Inseop took Lee Wooyeon’s clothes, folded them in half, and put them on his arms. Then Lee Wooyeon took the clothes again.

“Don’t do that.”

He unfolded his clothes and put them on Inseop’s shoulders. Because of the difference in physique between the two, Lee Wooyeon’s clothes covered Choi Inseop’s body as if it were a hug. He looked like a child in adult clothes, and the passing staff giggled when they saw it.

“I’m fine. I.”

As Choi Inseop hurriedly tried to take off his clothes, Lee Wooyeon pressed his hand on his shoulder. This time, he held him with a strong grip, and Inseop led out a low and wrapped his hands around his shoulders.

“I’m sorry. Are you sick?”

“… no.”

It hurt so much that tears came out, but Inseop raised his head while pretending to be calm. Lee Wooyeon’s eyes met his eyes.

Lee Wooyeon smiled and patted his shoulder.

“Then wait. Don’t take the clothes off. If you take off the coat, I will come out during filming and put it back on.”

Lee Wooyeon said so and walked back into the filming set. Inseop, wrapped in his coat, stood there, unable to do anything, and waited for the filming to end.

It was just as Lee Wooyeon said.

It was such a long day.

“Ugh, Inseop-ah.”

When CEO Kim saw Inseop coming to the office, he was surprised and called his name.

“Hello.”

“Hey, why did you get so slim in just a few days? Oh right. Did Lee Wooyeon start filming?”

“Yes.”

“It will be really hard. But it will be more difficult in the future.”

It was pre-filming now, so he was filming all night once every two days, but once the broadcast started, he would be fortunate to sleep even three hours a day. Unlike Lee Wooyeon, who had steel-like stamina, Inseop was so weak that even if he only stayed up all night, it was immediately visible on his face.

“Are you taking the medicine I gave you well? Eat well.”

Manager Cha next to him also said some words as if he was worried. 

“Yes… I’m eating well.”

It was a gift, so he couldn’t throw it away, but it was a medicine he didn’t want to take. But for some reason, did Inseop take medicine after Wooyeon ate? He was going to take the medicine. It was an unwanted kindness.

“… What about Lee Wooyeon, is there anything else?”

“Yes. Nothing special.”

“I’m glad. Well, isn’t it difficult?”

CEO Kim asked politely. Whenever he had time, he called Inseop and asked if he had any difficulties or if there was anything he could do to help. Every time he came to the office, he bought his food and sometimes gave him a bonus.

Compared to the other managers, at a glance, he was being extra kind with him. Choi Inseop felt guilty as CEO Kim was good to him, and he did his best in his work. CEO Kim was a person who knew how to properly use reward and punishment. He had the ability to instinctively figure out what would work for a certain person.

As soon as he saw Choi Inseop, he decided to use reward tactics. This was because a person with a weak heart like Choi Inseop tried to live up to expectations the more he does it well. In fact, Choi Inseop met expectations and did a good job. It was difficult to find a reason not to do well.

CEO Kim wanted to somehow hold Choi Inseop next to Lee Wooyeon.

“I’m fine.”

“Tell me if it’s hard. For a day or so, Manager Cha will take care of him… Ouch!”

The edge of the file folder fell on CEO Kim’s feet without mercy. As he ran around the representative room holding his feet in both hands, Manager Cha spoke calmly.

“Sleep while you can sleep, Mr. Inseop. And you don’t have to come to the office for a while. Why would you go to the office and waste time when you can check by email or phone?”

“It doesn’t matter because it’s on the way home anyway.”

“Even so, it’s different to visit and go.”

“It’s fine.”

“Aigoo, I guess you did not learn how to say it’s not okay.”

It was from a famous show program, so as soon as Manager Cha finished speaking, CEO Kim chuckled and laughed. Manager Cha also giggled.

Inseop, who had never watched a Korean show, exclaimed with a red face at the thought that he had been teased.

“I learned. I know that. I learned.”

“Really? Who said that? Because Inseop doesn’t seem to be able to tell the difference between a real joke and a serious story. Would you like to go to a school that separates them?”

“…”

When Inseop went home today, he decided to search for the academy and register right away.

“Then the schedule for today ends here, right? It’s over early. If you’re going home, I’ll drive you home.”

CEO Kim said, putting the car key in his pocket. The last time Choi Inseop drove Lee Wooyeon home, he always parked his car in the office parking lot and walked home. The fact that Inseop, who was busy these days, came to the office to check his schedule, meant that he took Lee Wooyeon home.

“No. I must go back.”

“Where are you going again?”

“Lee Wooyeon is currently working out, so I stopped by for a while.”

“You are you too, but Lee Wooyeon is also Lee Wooyeon. How can he be not tired and even exercise? He’s not human. He is a beast, a beast.”

Manager Cha looked at CEO Kim, who badmouthed his company’s entertainers as if they were others.

“It’s good to take good care of yourself. CEO.”

“Although it is. There is no humanity.”

Manager Cha smiled and pinched CEO Kim’s side. It was because he thought that Inseop, who claimed to be Lee Wooyeon’s fan, might be offended.

“Why pinch? Did I say something wrong?”

Manager Cha pointed to Inseop, who was quietly making a complicated expression. Realizing his mistake, CEO Kim tried to change the topic with a broad smile.

“Of course, there is no humanity, but it is true that he is professional. Lee Wooyeon is so perfect that he’s not human. I can’t catch a flaw.”

“Yes. He is.”

Choi Inseop’s expression darkened even more. He was a person who devoted everyday to finding Lee Wooyeon’s fault.

“Hahaha. Okay. Our Inseop. It takes a lot of hard work to be the perfect celebrity manager.”

“It’s all good because it’s what I love to do. Then I’ll just go. Good-bye.”

“Okay. Do your best.”

“See you next time.”

Inseop greeted the two of them and left the office.

In fact, he still had a lot of time before Lee Wooyeon’s workout was over, but it was time to close the office, so he couldn’t stay there forever.

Most of all, the problem was that people who were kind to him were getting better and better. As the day cleared, Inseop felt distressed because it seemed that his heart would be relieved at the same time. He desperately wanted to finish his revenge before spring came and return to America.