After Story 137

After Story 137

“This is my first time coming here myself,” Yeonjin said as he opened the door.

He walked past the shower room next to the front door and went inside. The wallpapers were a clean gray. Next to the window that had the view of the Daegu central city was a desk.

The bed was double-size. It looked wide and comfy.

“It’s near the city center, so there shouldn’t be any inconvenience. Maru, how is it?”

“I’m more than satisfied,” Maru said as he stroked the bedsheet.

When he first heard that this was a business hotel under the possession of the company, he was thinking of a pretty old motel, but now that he saw it for himself, it was a newly built building with a good interior.

Once again, he could see the brand value of JA.

“Was there a need to come down so early? The shoot starts on Tuesday, so you could’ve come on Monday.”

“It’s a habit of mine. When there’s an extended period of shooting in the countryside, I have to go there early to get some of the air there and look around the place to feel at ease.”

“You sound like you’ve done a lot of countryside shoots?” Yeonjin asked with a smile.

This was Maru’s first time playing a supporting character, but his way of speaking was like that of a veteran actor. There were times when Maru acted like this. Whether he was a showoff or he was joking in order to ease his nervousness, he couldn’t tell.

Maru twitched his eyes and spoke, “Are you going to keep staying here as well, hyung?”

“I want to do that too, but I need to tend to other people’s schedules. I’d love to be exclusively in charge of you, but the company won’t help me with that.”

“You’re going back right away?”

“No, I’m going to stay here for the day and go back tomorrow. I’ll come back by Thursday. Though, if the team leader tells me to prioritize looking after you, I might come earlier.”

The company did not provide an exclusive manager to Maru yet. If the company deemed it necessary, they would’ve brought it up first, but Yeonjin had an inkling that he might be called Maru’s exclusive manager quite soon.

Not long after he started his activities, he managed to win a supporting character for a famous director’s work. He was a sapling that showed promise. He would soon become busy enough to need an exclusive manager.

“Let’s go have dinner now. What would you like to eat?”

“How about some cold noodles since it’s hot? We can have some meat on the side as well.”

“Sounds good.”

“You should eat up. I heard that there’s a heat warning tomorrow, so we can’t have you become exhausted.”

“I was planning on eating a lot.”

Yeonjin smiled and opened the door.

* * *

“My, my. Come on in. The weather’s really hot today, isn’t it?”

Haneul smiled at head manager Kim who made a fuss, before sitting down.

“The course menu here is incredible. There’s no better Chinese restaurant around here than this. The food is neither salty nor too oily. I’m sure you’ll like it,” said head manager Kim as she glanced at the door. She seemed to be waiting for a guest.

Haneul drank some water.

“Miss Jung Dawoon was it? The one you said will model with me.”

“Yes, she’s Jung Dawoon. You’ll know when you meet her, but she’s a really good person. She gives off good vibes as a model, and our designer said she has a good atmosphere too.”

Designer. Haneul recalled the name ‘Na Baekhoon.’ The reason she made some time after the business meeting was to meet the designer of Eterium. She thought that it would be okay to meet him before the collab with Eterium.

“It’s about time.”

Head manager Kim looked nervous. She seemed to be feeling uneasy because there was no call despite the fact that it was almost nearing the appointed time.

“Is the designer frequently late to appointments?”

“People have their flaws. Please be understanding.”

“He’s not late yet. If he’s late, we can just start eating by ourselves.”

“I like that easygoing attitude of yours, Miss Haneul.”

Head manager Kim then left the room with her phone after telling her to wait just a little.

Haneul pushed the rotating table with her fingers as she looked at the door that head manager Kim just left through.

“The designer told us to eat first.”

A few minutes after head manager Kim returned, the door opened along with a knock.

“Hello.”

“Miss Dawoon, you’re here. Why are you so late? You should’ve come on time.”

“I’m sorry. The photoshoot took longer than I expected.”

Haneul looked at Dawoon, who made an apologetic expression. She gave off an innocent impression or maybe it was an adorable one. Although she had never heard of this actress before, she felt like she would soon rise up based on her image alone.

“Really? Then I guess I can’t help it. Why don’t I introduce you two to each other? This is President Han Haneul of Friendly Aroma.”

Haneul corrected head manager Kim’s words.

“You’re saying that again. It’s no longer a permanent position now, so just call me Miss Haneul. Also, I’m not here as the CEO of Friendly Aroma. I am just here to enjoy a light dinner.”

“Oh, look at me. I keep calling you Miss Haneul, but it feels somewhat wrong to do that when I introduce you to others. Anyway, Miss Dawoon, you should say hello. This is Miss Han Haneul, who will be modeling alongside you for the designer shop collab. Well, I guess calling you an actress would be better?”

“Please call me with whatever you’re comfortable with. Anyway, nice to meet you, Miss Dawoon. I’m Han Haneul.”

Haneul stood up and put her hand out. Dawoon stared at her in a daze and didn’t move.

“Is there a problem?” Haneul asked.

“No, I’m just too nervous that I forgot what I had to do.”

“It’s just a handshake. Why are you so nervous?”

“The thing is, I actually respect you a lot unni. Oh, right, can I call you that?”

“I don’t really mind, but respect, you said?”

Dawoon took a step closer. She was a little too close for comfort.

“I saw the poster for Friendly Aroma in the streets a few months ago, and that changed my life. I started putting a lot of effort in after seeing you in it.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“I’m a little surprised, but I guess I appreciate that you strived to improve after seeing me. But I’m no one amazing to deserve respect.”

“No, you’re really amazing, unni. I want to become like you.”

I want to become like you — for some reason, Haneul found these words rather iffy. It may be because of all the years she lived, but she felt wary when she received more than necessary goodwill.

Haneul closed her eyes before opening them again. She thought that she shouldn’t be so paranoid. This girl might just be overly affectionate when it came to expressing her emotions.

“You shouldn’t become like me, you should strive to be better.”

“No. It’s my wish to become like you. I mean it.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I’ll definitely become like you, unni,” Dawoon said with a smile.

Whether it was the terms she used, her tone of speech, her expression, or her attitude of getting too close for comfort… Haneul flicked the back of her teeth with her tongue. Her intuition was not wrong. This girl was rather aggressive.

Her smiling eyes and lips and her docilely clasped hands were nothing more than illusions.

It was rather peculiar. Why was she seeing this reaction from someone she had never met before? It would be understandable if Dawoon was sarcastically praising her because her first impression of Haneul wasn’t good, but the vibes Dawoon gave off were nothing of that sort.

Jealousy? No, it was something much more intense….

Just then, the door opened and the waiter came in with the food.

Haneul sat down on her seat for now. This wasn’t a problem she could nitpick openly, so she was going to put it to the side for now. Though, she would bring up the topic if Dawoon tried to pry.

“This is so good. Unni, how is it?”

“Yes. It’s good. It’s not surprising that head manager Kim recommended this place.”

Head manager Kim spoke with a smile, “I’m glad that it’s to your liking. There’s a reason I book this place when there’s an important meeting. If the food is good, people’s mood becomes good, and if their moods are good, the conversation naturally becomes a lot smoother, don’t you think? It’s just a simple meal, but we might end up talking about contracts here.”

“I hope to exchange some good words as well.”

It was around the time they finished the appetizer soup that designer Na Baekhoon entered the room.

“I’m sorry. I was late despite being the one who invited all of you.”

He had a wide back and shoulders like a water polo athlete. Unlike other fashion designers who were known for their delicate images, Na Baek Hoon gave off a thick masculine beauty. He was just like the rumors.

“It’s okay. We started eating ahead of you.”

“That’s good. How’s the meal? This is one of head manager Kim’s secret weapons.”

“We only had soup, but that alone was satisfactory,” Haneul replied with a smile.

She turned her gaze to Dawoon for a little bit from Na Baekhoon. This was the time to look at Na Baekhoon since he was the host, but Dawoon’s gaze was still glued to her.

It didn’t feel like she was simply watching, but observing every little detail. A little like a thief scouting a place to steal.

She became more interesting the more she watched her. Just what was on her mind?

It had been a while since she had been observed in so much detail for unknown reasons. She wondered what kind of cute accident this girl might cause.

“As a token of apology for being late, I’ve prepared some gifts.”

Na Baekhoon gave some orders to the waiter carrying food. Soon, an employee appeared carrying a wine bottle and two paper bags.

“Both of you are okay with a cup of wine, right?”

Haneul nodded. Dawoon also responded with a yes. While the employee poured the wine after decanting it, Na Baekhoon handed out the paper bags to the two of them.

“It’s a scarf. I wish I could fit you with evening dresses, but I do not know your exact measurements yet. Please accept this scarf first, and if there’s an opportunity, I’d like to make you dresses.”

He naturally spoke words that might come off as a little over the top. His tone was plain and not unpleasant at all. He knew how to talk to other people.

“Thank you for the gift.” Haneul put down the paper bag on the floor.

“May I open it now?” Dawoon said as she took out the box from the bag.

“Of course.”

Haneul looked at Dawoon who smiled brightly before moving her chopsticks to the food. The girl next to her seemed to be playing the role of being overjoyed by the gift, so she was planning to have her fill.

“You must’ve been hungry,” Na Baekhoon said.

Haneul chewed the food in her mouth and nodded.

“Designer, this is really pretty.”

“I’m glad that you like it.”

Na Baekhoon then gave a glance her way. He seemed to want her to open the box. Haneul smiled and grabbed a stir-fried shrimp this time.

“The food is getting cold. You should eat as well.”

Hearing her words, Na Baekhoon also smiled and started eating. They talked about the food for a while. The topic of conversation changed when Na Baekhoon started talking about the stock exchange and real estate.

For a while, a story, or more accurately a boast, continued.

Na Baekhoon sneakily boasted his wealth. He also implied that his social standing was unlike normal people. It was as though he wanted them to know that he wasn’t simply a designer running a shop.

“Oh, the time’s so late already. I’ll take my leave first,” Na Baekhoon said by the time the meal ended.

As soon as he left, head manager Kim spoke,

“The designer is a busy man. As you could imagine from his words before, his design work is closer to a hobby.”

“He sounds like an incredible man,” Dawoon said.

“Actually, there are many people who wish to meet him. He’s just that hard to meet. In that sense, the two of you are very lucky.”

Head manager Kim shrugged as though Na Baekhoon’s social standing was hers. Then, she received a call.

“Yes, okay,” she said as she hung up.

“You two have it good. The designer just told me that if you two are okay with it, he wants to invite you two to his house. I’m envious. You get proper invitations like this.”

“To his house?” Dawoon asked back.

“Yes, his house. Not just anyone gets invited like this. He’s a really quiet and clean man, so he doesn’t bring anyone to his home. How about it, you two? You can have important conversations there too. Isn’t that good?”

Head manager Kim was all smiles.

Haneul picked up the paper bag. “Head manager Kim. Please tell him that I really enjoyed our meal today. Oh, and that I really appreciate the gift. The next time we meet will be at the shoot, right?”

“M-miss Haneul. You’re leaving?”

“Yes.”

Haneul looked at Dawoon. Dawoon stood still with a stiff expression.

“Well, you two can continue. Miss Dawoon. It was nice meeting you today.”

She opened the door and left. Whatever decision Dawoon made was not her problem. Whether she went to his house and just had a chat, or she had a deeper conversation than that, it was all up to the young actress known as Jung Dawoon.