Accident

The moment the articles announcing that production on Hidden had been confirmed went live, the workload at Art Company surged.

Promoting the drama itself was the production company's job — but making sure the actors appearing in it got extra attention was the agency's.

Articles about Iseul were pouring out nonstop. Of course, they were the product of me, Shin Yena, Director Park Eunmi, and one other staff member working in concert.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"But the view count isn't even at ten thousand yet. Calling the reaction 'explosive' is kind of a scam, isn't it?"

"It's not a scam. Everyone just has different standards, that's all."

"Ah…"

I nodded at Director Park Eunmi's words and kept working down the list, calling the remaining reporters. I distributed promotional materials not only for Iseul but also for Lee Junyeong — the actor I'd met once before — and the other Art Company actors confirmed for Hidden, asking the press to run pieces on them.

"Alright, I'm heading out to shoot interviews with the rookie actors!"

"Don't go alone. Take Mr. Yoo Eunho with you."

"No need! I can handle it by myself!"

"Yena, you can't drive."

"…Then I'll be going."

"Take care."

"I-I'll be back…"

I left the office with Shin Yena, who had clearly intended to go alone. Just like every day since that incident, neither of us said much. We rode the elevator down in silence, got into the company car, and while I was adjusting the seat, Yena climbed into the passenger side.

"We're heading out. Buckle up."

"……"

Without a word, she fastened her seatbelt and gripped it with both hands like a handle, stealing glances at me the whole time I drove.

"If you've got something to say, just say it. Stop staring."

"I-I wasn't staring…"

"You really don't have anything to say?"

"……"

Faced with Yena's tightly sealed lips, I was the one who spoke first.

"Iseul and I have feelings for each other."

"Y-you told me you didn't have a girlfriend!"

"She's not my girlfriend."

"…What? Then if she's not even your girlfriend, how did you two end up doing that at the office…"

"Ahem!! It was an accident."

"An accident…?"

"You saw her that day. She looked too good. I couldn't hold myself back."

"Even so, Iseul must have agreed if you did that at the company… Wait—! Don't tell me you forced—"

"I did not!!"

I barked it out and glanced over. The look on Yena's face was something else — contempt and fear, like she was sitting next to a sex offender.

"It wasn't like that…!"

"If it wasn't forced, then Iseul agreed!"

"No! She's just too nice to say no!"

Even as the words left my mouth, I knew they made no sense. If she couldn't refuse, it was basically the same as forcing her. Still — better she misunderstand it that way. I could be the scumbag. At least Iseul's image would stay intact. And if other women saw her as something of a victim, they'd be less likely to go around saying unnecessary things.

But was this enough on its own? No. I needed a stronger safety lock — a threat, even.

"About our company president."

"W-why are you suddenly bringing up the president…?"

"That's me."

"…What??"

"I'm the new president. The rotten CEO your senior was talking about — the one who forced his way into swallowing a company Hong Mincheol didn't want to sell."

"……"

No answer. I snuck a look sideways. Yena was staring at me with eyes the size of saucers, boring a hole straight through me. Yeah — she was pretty shocked.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be honest from the start. But I wanted to learn the work, and then your senior offered to teach me and started taking me around…"

"……"

"Senior??"

"Kyaaah!!!!!"

"Whoa!!! Why are you screaming?! We almost crashed!!"

"L-let me out!!"

"What??"

"I'm so embarrassed — let me out!!!"

"……"

Mortified by her past self — the one who'd called me a backstabbing CEO who'd swallowed the company through underhanded means — Yena kept yelling for me to pull over. But we were on the Gangbyeon Expressway. There was nowhere to let her out. Like it or not, she was stuck in the car until we got off.

"What do I do…! What do I do…!! You're lying, right? You're lying about being the president, right?!"

"Sorry, but it's true. And honestly, that imagination of yours was pretty cute, so it's fine. You don't need to be that embarrassed."

"…Cute…? Hup!! N-no!!"

"What?"

"Mmmph!! I-it's nothing… Never mind…"

What now? She seemed to be spinning some weird fantasy again. Whatever it was, at least she'd quieted down — that was a relief. So I could relax now, right? Once she realized her livelihood depended on me, she wouldn't go around spreading unnecessary stories about me.

We arrived at the studio where the rookie actors' interview videos were being shot.

"Mr. Yoo Eunho!"

"Hello."

"Oh, Yena came along too? Hahaha~"

"……"

Manager Choi Jinu greeted us, but Yena just kept looking back and forth between him and me with deep suspicion.

"Yena…?"

"You're not really the president, right?"

"I am, like I said."

"Then why is Jinu calling you Mr. Yoo Eunho?! You said everyone except me already knew!"

Yena raised the question — and it got answered immediately.

"Huh?? You told her? That you're the president?"

"You heard that?"

"Y-you're so mean… So mean, Jinu! Why didn't you tell me!!"

"Haha… Well, it kind of seemed like a hobby of the president's…"

"It's not a hobby…! Haa…. Anyway, I'll apologize again. I'm sorry I lied to you."

"O-oh, no… President…"

"Just be comfortable."

"I can't! When I didn't know, fine, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠now… how could I possibly…"

"Tch…"

Things had gotten even more awkward, but now that she knew I was the president, it was inevitable. A regular employee and the company president couldn't keep calling each other "Eunho" and "senior."

"Good afternoon, President!"

"Ah… good afternoon… President…"

Lee Junyeong and Iseul, who were shooting their in-house interviews today, came over and greeted me. Iseul's greeting looked deeply uncomfortable, but she'd have to get used to it. She couldn't exactly call me "Oppa" just anywhere.

That said — Iseul had dressed up gorgeously again today. And Junyeong cleaned up pretty well too, much handsomer— wait, huh??

"Did you gain weight?"

"Ah… well, the role I got in Trick is a bit of a chubby character, so I've been putting on weight in advance…"

"Liar. Junyeong just eats like the reins came off!"

"Manager…!"

"Hahaha~ It's fine. It's for the role, right? So — did you finish shooting that one?"

"Yes! That project's completely wrapped! My screen time wasn't much, haha…"

"The assistant director didn't come back, did he?"

"No, sir! He still hadn't returned by the time I finished shooting! Thanks to that, the set atmosphere was fantastic."

Good. I'd been worried he might swallow his pride and show up again.

"President…"

"Yes, Ms. Han Iseul."

"Just a second…"

Iseul gestured for me to lean down a little, rose up on her tiptoes, covered her mouth with her hand, and whispered against my ear.

(Did things work out okay with Yena?)

(Yeah. I'll fill you in properly at home.)

(Okay.)

(And you look beautiful today. Don't be nervous — do well.)

(…Thank you…)

A faint flush rose in Iseul's cheeks as she set her heels back down, fighting a smile. I smirked and turned away.

"I'll be stepping out for a bit."

"Oh — where are you going…?"

"It's a secret."

"Ah… okay… Take care…"

"Ah! And if I'm running late, Manager Choi — could you give Yena a ride back to the office? Just shoot me a text."

"Yes, President!"

The moment I left the studio, I punched the destination into my phone's GPS and headed out. But the traffic was worse than expected. They'd said each person would take about thirty minutes to shoot, so by the time I got back, they'd probably already be gone.

In the end, I called ahead while still on the road and asked them to take Yena back to the office. Then I reached my destination, hesitated for a moment, made the decision as fast as I could, and drove straight back toward the company.

Ah… that genuinely scared the hell out of me. Felt like something straight out of a traffic-accident channel.

I'd been moving perfectly in time with the light when an illegally U-turning vehicle slammed straight into the driver's side. Thankfully neither of us had been going very fast, so I wasn't seriously hurt — but the company car's driver-side door was crumpled shut.

What was even more shocking, though, was what the cop kept saying.

"I have partial fault?"

"Yes. You could have easily avoided it and didn't, so it appears you bear a certain degree of responsibility. Why don't we settle this at a reasonable level?"

"Are you related to the other driver?"

"Excuse me??"

"I obeyed the signal. They ignored it, made an illegal U-turn, and hit my car. So tell me — where exactly is my fault?"

"Look, I heard the other driver's account. He says even at a distance where you could have easily avoided him, you saw the U-turning vehicle and didn't slow down."

"Haa… Enough. Drop it. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Give me your precinct and your full name."

"What do you need my precinct and name for?"

"To find out whether you're family trying to bury the case, or whether someone's paying you to bury it. I'm going to file a formal complaint."

"Listen here!"

As the cop raised his voice, I held up a palm and pulled out my phone. Then I called Attorney Park Daehan.

"Counselor, I'm at the emergency room of XX Hospital. Could you come here for a moment?"

"Yes. A traffic accident — and the officer is saying some very strange things. Probably because I was driving a company car. It's an Avante. The other vehicle is a Bentley."

"Understood. Attorney Park Daehan of Hanul Law Firm."

"……"

I hung up and looked back at the cop. Any officer would know — Hanul Law Firm was one of the top five firms in the country. Maybe that was why.

"Looks like you don't need to come after all. He suddenly says I probably have no fault, and that he'll investigate thoroughly."

"Nothing hurts. I only came in for tests just in case."

"Please do. Justice served!"

I hung up and lay back on the ER bed, waiting for the test results. But someone showed up even faster than the results. How did they even know?

"Eunho— no, President!!"

"How did you know I was here?"

"The office called and asked if I was okay, so I grabbed a taxi…!"

"Ah. I forgot to mention I was alone."

"Are you alright??"

"I'm fine. As you can see, I'm perfectly intact. Ah — and this."

I handed Yena the little paper bag sitting on the bed.

"What… is this…?"

"Belatedly — happy birthday."

"…D-don't tell me…. You went out to buy me a present…?"

"Yeah."

"Then the accident was because of— hiing…!"

"Wh-what's wrong??"

"You got hurt because of me! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Hiing…!!"

"I didn't get hurt. So stop crying over nothing."

"Hiing… hic… You awful person…"

"…What??"

In that short exchange, her emotions had flipped four times. Worry, touched, tears — and now resentment? Completely impossible to read, this one. I hadn't seen this kind of outburst coming either.

Smack—

She'd been tearing up and calling me awful, and then she suddenly pressed her lips to my cheek.

"Shin Yena… what do you think you're doing…?"

"You've succeeded…"

"S-succeeded at what…?"

"I've fallen into the president's harem office life too…"

"What are you even—!"

I was flustered — and then I had no choice but to get even more flustered. Not because of the bizarre delusional line Yena had just dropped, or even because she'd thrown her arms around me. Because Iseul was standing there watching the whole thing. Manager Choi Jinu next to her was just a bonus.

How many people is this going to make my life difficult with…?