Chapter 158
“Director, you look like you’re in a good mood . ”
Jung HyeJin spoke softly as she placed a cup of coffee on Lee HyunJi’s desk . Lee HyunJi didn’t have her usual poker face on .
At Jung HyeJin’s words, Lee HyunJi expressed her good mood and even praised her back, which was unusual for her .
“Really? Fufu, I guess it’s because everything we’re doing is going well? You look pretty as well today, Miss HyeJin . Are you going on a date?”
“Ah, that’s… . ”
Jung HyeJin became embarra.s.sed but still nodded her head . She was like a lovestruck girl . Lee HyunJi frowned .
“My, my . Good for you . But what do I do? I don’t think I can send you off early today . ”
“Director~~ . ”
When Jung HyeJin freaked out and looked back at her with sad eyes, Lee HyunJi replied with a soft smile .
“I’m sorry . But these are related to the alb.u.m release . You can go home after finishing them . ”
“Nuu… . ”
Jung HyeJin became teary-eyed due to the attack from the single woman .
Having gifted her a present that was work, Lee HyunJi left the office to head towards Lunas . She was going there to get the reservation roster from the manager there .
She was just about to leave through the front door when she saw an unfamiliar lady hanging around the front door . Her thin legs exposed below her long coat were beautiful just like a painting .
‘Who’s this?’
Lee HyunJi tilted her head . This lady kept walking to and fro from the building as though wondering whether she should go in or not . The fact that she covered her face made her look a little suspicious .
‘Who is it? A fan of Mr . JaeHoon’s?’
Lee HyunJi quietly approached the lady .
“Uhm, excuse me, but who may you be? Are you here to meet someone?”
Lee HyunJi asked warily . She couldn’t be recognized from a single look . Not to mention her face and her entire body was covered…
“Director-unni . ”
However, the lady became cheerful after seeing Lee HyunJi . She took off her sungla.s.ses, revealing her face .
“Eh? Ji… JinSeo?”
This was unimaginable . Min JinSeo, who was supposed to be in China, was standing right here .
Lee HyunJi was mixed with panic and joy and approached her with her eyes wide .
“Uhm, JinSeo? H… how… I mean, forget it . Let’s go inside first . ”
Just in case there were any pa.s.sersby, she looked around before taking her inside .
When she entered the office again, Jung HyeJin asked .
“Director, did you forget somethi… eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!?”
Jung HyeJin dropped her pen on the ground after seeing the ‘super celebrity’ that followed Lee HyunJi inside . She was absent-minded for a moment before heading towards the preparation room to get some coffee .
Lee HyunJi and Min JinSeo sat on the sofa .
“JinSeo, it’s been such a long time! Did you get sunburnt? But wait, you look prettier a little sunburnt . ”
Lee HyunJi was delighted to see her . Min JinSeo was the number one priority on her list until she left MG Entertainment . Thanks to that, she was quite close to her .
Min JinSeo also seemed overjoyed to see Lee HyunJi as there was a smile on her face .
“You haven’t changed, director-unni . You look as young as ever . ”
“Thanks for those words . But I’m getting old now . Is your film recording over?”
“Yes . The press release was yesterday . ”
“Really? How was it? Did you get your meals on time in China?”
Soon, Jung HyeJin gave the two some coffee and tea . The tea was for Lee HyunJi since it hadn’t been that long since she had coffee, while the coffee was for Min JinSeo .
“Thank you . ”
When Min JinSeo expressed her thanks with her pretty voice, Jung HyeJin shook a little .
“Ah, uhm…”
When Min JinSeo looked at her with her big eyes, Jung HyeJin was at a loss for words . Her big eyes, pretty nose, and ample lips as well as her streamlined chin and neck fulfilled every condition of being a beautiful lady . Even she, a member of the same s.e.x, felt like she was falling for her . She thought that this was what it meant by being ‘breathtaking’ .
At that moment, Lee HyunJi calmly called out to her .
“Miss HyeJin . ”
“Ye, yes!”
Having come to herself, Jung HyeJin went back to her seat .
The most important thing to Min JinSeo was KangYoon . His empty seat came into her view as soon as she came inside the office .
“Is he out?”
“You mean the president? He went to HMC with MinAh today . ”
“With MinAh-unni? Oh, Eddios signed a contract with World, didn’t they?”
“That’s right . They’re both amazing, whether it’s Eddios who had complete faith in the president of a small company, or the president who actually fulfilled those words . ”
“No, he should be busy . I’ll just wait . ”
(T/N: There’s something missing between those last two lines… . but I can’t find it . )
The two talked about a lot of things and 30 minutes went by in a flash .
After that, the door to the office opened .
“…Haa . ”
“Ah, sheesh, ahjussi . Please listen to me for a sec . ”
KangYoon showed up with a short sigh . Behind him was Jung MinAh who had something to say to him as she kept tugging on his arms .
KangYoon laughed towards Jung MinAh before turning to see the office .
“Is there a guest? Oh…”
Before he had a chance to guess, KangYoon felt a weight on his chest . That one hugged him deeply and shouted .
“Sir!”
“J, JinSeo!?”
KangYoon couldn’t hide his surprise at the sudden meeting . No, he didn’t have time to be surprised . Min JinSeo seemed to have lost it and ran into him as soon as she saw him .
“Sir, you’re here!”
“Haha, JinSeo . It’s been a long time . ”
“*Sob sob*…”
She seemed to have gotten very emotional .
His chest started to be soaked with tears . KangYoon put his surprised feelings aside for a moment and quietly patted her back .
Jung MinAh was also very surprised and happy to see her as well . She let go of KangYoon’s arm unintentionally and was now in an awkward position where she was just staring at his back .
Regardless, KangYoon was busy consoling Min JinSeo .
“JinSeo, calm down for a moment and…”
“*Sob sob*…”
“My word…”
KangYoon patted Min JinSeo’s back and tried his best to calm her down .
Jung HyeJin’s eyes were widened due to the unimaginable scene .
‘Th, that Min JinSeo is… what!?’
Min JinSeo, despite being young, could be considered as one of the top actresses in South Korea . Such a huge actress was literally pouring out her emotions on her boss right now…
She had seen and experienced many things while working at World Entertainment, but this scene gave her the biggest shock of all .
Lee HyunJi only shook her head as she knew this was going to happen .
***
Only after a long time did Min JinSeo calm down .
Inside the office, KangYoon, Min JinSeo, Lee HyunJi, and Jung MinAh all sat down .
“Are you okay now?”
“…Yes . ”
At KangYoon’s question, Min JinSeo nodded while looking down with her teary eyes . KangYoon chuckled .
“JinSeo, you haven’t changed at all . You’re still very emotional . ”
“That’s…”
Min JinSeo was unable to deny Lee HyunJi’s words . She also didn’t know she would act like that . She heard a familiar face and saw his face which made her nose tingly and her heart burst out . She ran into him without thinking .
…Though, all that was left now was a memory to be embarra.s.sed about .
“When did you return from China?”
“I came back last night . ”
At Jung MinAh’s question, Min JinSeo calmed down and replied .
KangYoon drank the tea that Jung HyeJin gave him and asked .
“It’s been a long time since you’ve returned, hasn’t it?”
“Yes . I think it’s been more than a year . It’s so good to be back here . ”
“I feel you . ”
The quiet Min JinSeo of usual was all but gone . She pa.s.sionately talked about the company, her activities as well as everything else . KangYoon, Lee HyunJi, and even Jung MinAh sympathized with her and tried to get along .
Soon, the topic switched over to Eddios .
“I’m glad that the unnis at Eddios are doing well . I was always worried about your contract . ”
Jung MinAh replied to Min JinSeo’s words .
“It was November last year, I guess . Back then, I even wondered whether I should quit being an idol . I think I immersed myself in practice to forget about all those things . No one looked for us, yet I still wanted to stand on stage… But then, a miracle happened . ”
Jung MinAh looked towards KangYoon . When no one was looking for them anymore, the appearance of KangYoon was like a miracle . Talking about back then . Jung MinAh tightly grabbed KangYoon’s arm .
Then, KangYoon spoke awkwardly .
“I’ll say this again, but I saw potential in you and that’s the reason I decided to sign a contract with you . It’s just that MG and I had different opinions . ”
“Then what about me?”
At that time, Min JinSeo suddenly interrupted .
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“What do you think of my potential?”
KangYoon blinked several times . A top star actress who was at the peak of both Korea and China asking him about her own potential? KangYoon laughed . However, from her serious eyes, she seemed to have some deep meaning in those words .
“You can be considered a flower that’s already bloomed, JinSeo . I think that’s a more fitting expression . ”
Lee HyunJi agreed with KangYoon .
“You’re right, a flower in full bloom . A flower that attracts honeybees from all around . That’s the perfect description of JinSeo . ”
Just as KangYoon was about to nod in agreement, Min JinSeo interrupted again .
“Doesn’t World need such a flower?”
“Just what do you mean by…!!”
KangYoon’s eyes widened . Lee HyunJi was the same .
Her words practically meant that she wished to change companies from MG Entertainment to World Entertainment .
KangYoon had to calm himself down a little before speaking .
“JinSeo, you shouldn’t tease adults…”
“You know very well I don’t joke . ”
“……”
She looked more serious than ever . KangYoon became speechless at those words .
She was being for real .
Lee HyunJi stood up from her seat with Jung MinAh .
“Looks like we should leave you two alone for the time being . Please tell me the results later . ”
Lee HyunJi left the two alone with Jung MinAh . Jung HyeJin also followed suit .
Inside the office, KangYoon calmly spoke .
“As far as I am aware, your contract with MG still has years left . You still want to come here?”
“…I don’t care about that . ”
Did something happen between her and MG? KangYoon tried to talk her out of it, but Min JinSeo seemed completely serious .
“As for the breach of contract penalty, I can just pay it . I don’t care about the money anyway . Money… if those people who treat me like a machine want money so much, they can just have it . ”
“……”
KangYoon couldn’t say anything . As an entertainment business owner, this was great news, but as someone who made her enter this industry, he felt bitter .
“Do the directors make you have a hard time?”
“After you left… it was already over . However, they never said anything to me directly . After all, I’m doing quite well, despite everything that happened . ”
When Min JinSeo laughed in a joking tone, KangYoon shrugged his shoulders .
“Girlie, you can joke after all . ”
“Of course . How much time do you think has pa.s.sed? Anyway, my conditions are simple . I wish to sign a contract with president Lee KangYoon of World Entertainment . Contract deposit? Penalty? I really don’t wish for anything . I’ll take care of everything so that no one says bad about you or me . ”
Min JinSeo seemed completely resolved as she laid out all of her cards . She wasn’t just here to meet her old acquaintances .
A re-contract .
This was her true purpose in her visit .
KangYoon couldn’t say anything easily in front of her seriousness .
“Can I think about it for a moment?”
“Sure . ”
KangYoon fell into thought . The conditions she offered were simply put, the best it could possibly be . As for the relationship with MG, they already went different ways since he took Eddios away from them . However, there was one problem, which was reputation .
‘An actress who pays all of the breaches of contract penalty and switches companies without even a contract deposit? There will definitely be an issue with that . If people become suspicious of our personal relationships, it may turn into a scandal as well . This may not be so good for the company . ’
Min JinSeo switching companies was a huge issue . It was obvious that journalists would flock to this issue like flies . If such-and-such rumors start floating around as well, it was very likely that the whole topic would become a giant mess . This also meant a bad influence on Min JinSeo’s reputation .
However, he didn’t want her to continue her life as it is when she even went as far as calling herself a machine at her current company .
KangYoon thought about it for a long time before replying .
“JinSeo, let’s sign a contract . ”
At those words, Min JinSeo’s expression brightened .
“What? Really? Then let’s do it immedia…”
“But not now . ”
However, his following words made her dejected . When she was about to ask, KangYoon elaborated .
“Let’s change those conditions a little . You paying the entire penalty for the breach of contract is nonsensical . It’s only right for you to pay the penalty if you wish to leave this industry altogether, but your objective is to sign a contract with us . If that’s the case, then it’s only right and proper for us to prepare that money . ”
“But the fee won’t be small . On top of the contract I signed when you were still at MG, I’ve also signed a contract about going to China, so the fee isn’t anything to laugh about . ”
“Then you’re going to pay such a huge sum yourself? You’re reckless alright . ”
When KangYoon scolded her, Min JinSeo was embarra.s.sed .
“I won’t make you wait for long . I’ll get everything prepared so that you’re treated better here than you are at MG . So please wait . ”
“…I guess I can’t help it . ”
Min JinSeo expressed her disappointment . However, she felt that it was fine since she got a positive reply from KangYoon .
On the other hand, KangYoon inwardly sighed . He felt that the company would stabilize once White Moonlight entered major and Eddios made their comeback but new tasks kept heading their way towards him .
“Then I’ll take my leave now . ”
Min JinSeo stood up from her seat . Her flight time was nearing .
“Already? Do you have a schedule?”
“Yes . I must return right now . But still, it was so good to see you again . You haven’t changed at all either…”
Min JinSeo couldn’t step away . She grabbed KangYoon’s hands . His warmth made her calm down a lot .
“Please don’t make me wait for a long time . If you do, I’ll take matters into my own hands and finish everything . ”
“Please refrain from doing that . It’ll be bad for you as well . ”
“Hahaha . I’m going then . ”
Min JinSeo and KangYoon had a light hug before the former left World Entertainment .
On the way out, Min JinSeo carefully asked .
“Uhm… Can I visit here often?”
“Of course . Anytime . ”
At KangYoon’s words, Min JinSeo nodded her head with a satisfied expression .
Things had entered a new phase .
***
There was a fuss at the director Moon Gw.a.n.gShik’s office at MG Entertainment .
“What!? Min JinSeo is in Korea?”
There was no way he was in a good mood when the one to contact him was not Min JinSeo’s manager, but her coordinator . Her course of action in Korea was obvious . Min JinSeo chased after ‘him’ more than anyone else . Moreover, ‘he’ also took Eddios, who had failed in their own hands, and was taking procedures to make a comeback with them .
It was obvious that the company’s attention on her would be strong right now .
“…What the f*ck is the manager doing! Okay, got it!”
Director Moon Gw.a.n.gShik violently hung up on the call and panted heavily in anger . He had put a manager who was loyal to the company by Min JinSeo’s side, but he didn’t give back such a simple report…
However, just because their interest was on her didn’t mean they could do anything to her . JooAh at least pretended to listen to them, but Min JinSeo just outright ignored them . It wasn’t that she was lazing around either . If she did something wrong, they would have something to scold her about, but she didn’t have anything like that…
She was a headache to a lot of the directors in many aspects .
“Kids are hard…”
Director Moon Gw.a.n.gShik hurriedly took a stress pill .
***