CH 8

Ji-an, who had been looking around the living room, fell silent for a moment. Seung-joon carefully lowered his head to the table’s side.

Ji-an was looking up at the large window that had been cut through the wall that fell diagonally from the ceiling. It had been a long season, but only a soft light that was nothing more than a remnant of the day permeated the window.

“I know. Should I call him my ex-husband now?”

This shocked Seung-joon. He assumed Ji-an had run away from home on a whim, but Ji-an must have decided to divorce more firmly than Seung-joon had assumed. He didn’t know that Ji-an would put the adjective ‘Ex’ in front of ‘husband’ while looking at that window.

Seung-joon was in charge of everything in this mansion, from the design to the interior. That living room window was meticulously designed. He struggled in many ways to include impractical elements into architectural principles.

It was worth it though. Ji-an spent the majority of the rainy season under the window. He described standing there as ‘like being in the rain without getting wet.’ He thought it was interesting to see the shape of the rain falling from the sky. To say that this house does not belong to him, Seung-joon built the window in response to Ji-an’s words, ‘Isn’t it nice when it rains sometimes?’

“It won’t be easy. But Geon-oh-ya. I had this thought. There is nothing a person cannot achieve once he has a goal.”

Seung-joon became irritated because he had been alone for several days. He couldn’t even show himself to Ji-an and was hiding behind the table in a miserable situation.

Maybe it was a good idea to respond to Ji-an’s serious request. In any case, with a 20-year-old face, he couldn’t meet Ji-an or actively pursue him.

He had no idea if his body had changed because it was God’s will to do what he wanted. Seung-joon felt childish and mediocre as a person determined to catch even the shell of a person who had already lost his feelings.

“What do I want to achieve through a divorce? Well, well… The second glory days, although not necessarily so grandiose. Just modestly.”

Ji-an laughed lightly as he stated that he was looking forward to life after the divorce. As a result, the urge to cancel the TOP agency’s investment contract grew stronger. CEO Oh Seok-hyun was also greedy for investment but lacked the commitment to run a business responsibly, so he was forced to pay the penalty.

When Seung-joon thought this far, Ji-an came up with the answer to ‘what he wants to achieve through divorce’.

“Seeing all the pretty people around the world, or playing with a handsome Alpha who’s younger than me?”

Ji-an burst out laughing as if it were a joke. Seung-joon knelt down when he heard Ji-an’s laughter. He clenched his fists and drew his shoulders up to the nape of his neck. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

As soon as Ji-an walked out the front door, Seung-joon dialed Secretary Jang’s number. He shouted so loudly that the veins in his eyes were about to burst.

“Ask On Ji-an to sign the contract first, whether it’s a corporation transition or whatever. Right now!!”

And exactly three days later, Ji-an signed the contract with SJ Entertainment, which was converted into a corporation.

At the time, CEO Oh Seok-hyun warned about ‘faithfulness’ about 500 times, emphasizing the ‘case of causing social trouble’ to Ji-an among the contract termination clauses posted in the contract, was due to a picky investor.

***

After three days of deliberation, Ji-an signed a contract with SJ Entertainment.

There wasn’t much of a choice. The more he met with entertainment agencies by using all of his personal connections in the past, the more he realized how limited his options had become.

There has been no good place for a company that wants to sign a contract with an actor from an idol whose reputation has fallen to the bottom since he retired two years ago. Ji-an had to cultivate a thorny field with his bare hands in order to harvest rice.

At this time, it was SJ Entertainment that gave an unconventional offer to Ji-an. Oh Seok-hyun, CEO of SJ Entertainment, was the person who arranged for Ji-an to get a decent part-time job while he was still a trainee.

Until then, he had been running the business of arranging fitting models in shopping malls as a representative of a TOP agency. There were many trainees among amateur models who want to work in various fields, so the business contents appear to have naturally expanded. He had previously assumed that CEO Oh Seok-hyun was a sleazy man, but based on his clothes and office, he appeared quite resourceful.

However, CEO Oh’s sales power was on his mind, and there was no reason to reject the contract’s terms. A 50 million won down payment was too much for a retired actor who no one was looking for. Although it was not specified in the contract to match the equity with other actors, housing was provided for a deposit of 1 billion won and a monthly rent of 2.5 million won.

The unusual balance came as a warning to Ji-an’s common sense. More surprising than anything else was the provision of lodging, which was unreasonably generous in comparison to the proposed down payment. Furthermore, CEO Oh’s attitude when signing the contract was questionable.

“Be sure to check the clause that not only will the contract be terminated if it causes a social scandal, but there is also a penalty. As a result, you have to compensate the company for the amount of financial loss suffered.”

“Yes.”

Since it was a symbolical clause, Ji-an thought it was simply explaining the contents of the contract sequentially. However, reading the same article three times over and over again, especially emphasizing ‘faithfulness’, was offensive. Even Ji-an, who had a gentle appearance, couldn’t help but frown.

“Are you doing this because of the divorce case with director Seung-joon Seung?”

When Ji-an asked for a divorce, Seung-joon had the same suspicion. Not long ago, Seung-joon called at 2 in the morning in a drunken state and said he was rude. I was terrified of asking for the divorce papers to ask for an agreement.

‘Why do you want to divorce all of a sudden? Is it really because there is someone else?’

In a fit of anger, Ji-an replied that he would try to do it in the future. In fact, there was nothing wrong with it. After the divorce, he was free to meet someone else, and there was no law against dating an Alpha who is eight years younger than Ji-an.

Even thinking about it again, he felt heated. Ji-an slightly fiddled and stared at the innocent CEO Oh.

“There is really no affair. You don’t have to worry about such a scandal.”

“Really? It would be nice to hear that.”

Ji-an made a point for CEO Oh’s way of speaking ‘it would’ rather than ‘it’s’. CEO Oh’s words were as if it was news that third parties would be happy to hear. Ji-an frowned for a moment, then shrugged it off. He’d been in a sensitive industry for a long time, but he wasn’t the type to be cautious and judgmental in every situation.

However, as they progressed, there were some things to double-check before moving on. Ji-an asked with a slightly worried face.

“Does divorce fall under the category of ‘social scandal’?”

“Yes. Divorce is not a crime, but this field is basically conservative. If a movie starring Ji-an is running or still had the promotion period left, will the reputation be ruined by divorce? This can be the reason for the termination of the contract.”

Ji-an lowered the tip of his eyebrow slightly, expressing his disappointment.

This was the reason why every time he had a meeting with an entertainment agency, the contract was broken at the last minute even though he thought the atmosphere was okay. The fact that On Ji-an was married to Woo Seung-joon, the Managing Director of TK Group and the only heir who is effectively the chairman.

Certainly, his status as Seung-joon’s wife was sufficient to compensate for the damage to his reputation. At the same time, Ji-an’s status rendered him useless from the moment he decided to divorce. Ji-an read the look on their faces every time he brought up his divorce before signing that he had ‘wasted their time.’

“Then this contract will be difficult. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule.”

His heart was filled with regret. However, divorce will surely happen at some point. He couldn’t sign a contract and pretend that it wouldn’t happen. Ji-an couldn’t help but get up from his seat as soon as possible.

Ji-an was taken aback when CEO Oh looked to be in a hurry. CEO Oh ran out of the office and returned sweating after ten minutes. He then changed his words and dismissing divorce by agreement as a social issue is an outdated idea. He urged Ji-an to sign the contract and talk again later. It was a little intimidating, but he eventually signed it.

Perhaps his footsteps did not move because he had a lingering doubt in the back of his mind. So Ji-an wandered around the SJ Entertainment entrance for no apparent reason.

SJ Entertainment used the 3rd to 7th floors of a newly built building that was built on the so-called yolk land, which corresponds to the 3rd district of Gangnam. The third floor was a general office used by part-time employees and field managers. The CEO’s office and client reception room were on the 7th floor.

And from the 4th to the 6th floor, it’s structured well enough to make your eyes widen if you’re a kid dreaming of entering the entertainment industry. There was a choreography practice room, a rehearsal room, and a studio where you could take a profile picture. CEO Oh Seok-hyun said that the trainee under his company could freely use various facilities. There seemed to be a plan to have instructors stationed in the future to run the academy.

‘But there really is no one.’

It seemed that the only people guarding this large and prosperous building were CEO Oh Seok-hyun and three or four full-time employees. Even though actors or singers who have already debuted rarely visit their agency, it was normal for the practice room to be crowded. Ji-an tilted his head left and right and left the building.

SJ Entertainment was in a neighborhood full of large and small entertainment companies. So there were a variety of people among the passers-by, and the younger they looked, the taller and prettier they were. Ji-an was upset at the thought of competing with these young kids after being married for two years.

Then Ji-an discovered the best among those distinguished characters.