Chapter 392
Chapter 392
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 392
Chapter Title: Idol Maker (30)
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A week of our brief romance came to an end, and the two of us slipped right back into our usual dynamic. To be honest, I'd half-expected things to get steamy with the Vice President on the last day... but of course, he was the type who kept work and play strictly separate.
The Vice President convinced me that foreplay alone was more than enough. He was so sincere when he treated me like his girlfriend... but the moment I tried to cross that line, he turned into the responsible adult, giving me a stern talking-to.
"Jin-hee, don't rush it. Take your time and think it through."
He really was... such a good guy. Thanks to him, I managed to keep my emotions in check and didn't cross that line. If I'd forced myself on him just to catch up to Han Ji-young... wouldn't I have ended up regretting it, beating myself up over why I'd done something so stupid?
Of course, the Vice President was kind, gentle, soft-spoken, a great kisser, and amazing at foreplay... truly the perfect man. But still, for my first time, it had to be with someone I really liked, right? So sex should wait until he'd quit smoking, lost the weight, gotten more sleep, and was in peak health—until we could have a healthy baby...
...So why the hell was she here?
"Oh, unnie, you're here?"
I'd come for my lesson with the Vice President, only to find Euna waiting for me.
"...Where's the Vice President?"
"In the bathroom."
"...Oh?"
"Yeah."
"......"
"......"
"Ahem, how was your lesson?"
"Good."
"......"
"......"
"Got it... So, you heading out?"
"Hehe, yeah, I should."
Euna kept responding with these curt one-word answers— was she trying to chat, or did she just need to pee? And all the while, she grinned at me like an idiot... It was seriously getting on my nerves. What was her deal? The lesson should've ended thirty minutes ago, so why was she sticking around, smirking like that? I couldn't figure it out no matter how hard I tried.
Maybe Oppa Jin-su was late picking her up?
Irritated, I decided to just ignore her. But right then... a faint, unfamiliar scent wafted from Euna. She'd mentioned going shopping recently—must've picked up a new perfume.
"Huh? Euna, you spray on some perfume?"
"No."
"...Really?"
"Hehe, I didn't put it on."
"...Oh?"
"Yeah. Oh, I got a text. I'll head out first then."
"Yeah... Good work."
"Hehe. You too, unnie."
Euna vanished after dropping those cryptic lines. I stood there in a daze in the practice room, waiting for the Vice President. She seemed even weirder than usual today... but whatever, it wasn't the first time, and right now, I needed to focus on my lesson with him.
-Creak
"Whew... Ah, you're here? Euna must've left already."
"Hehe, yeah, I'm here, Vice Presi... dent..."
"Huh? What's with the sudden stutter?"
"Did you... change your cologne?"
"Oh, uh-huh. Euna gave it to me as a gift. What do you think? Smells good, right?"
Well... ahaha, holy crap. This was ridiculous.
Was that why she'd stuck around to wait for me?
The exact same scent I'd caught from her earlier was coming off the Vice President, whom I hadn't seen in three days. So Euna had gifted him this cologne and was showing it off to me... Wait, no. She'd said she hadn't sprayed it herself.
Did that mean he had sprayed it on her?
Or... no way... had they gotten that intimate for the smell to linger like this?
"...Urk."
A chill ran down my spine at the realization. Sure, it wasn't ironclad proof... but thinking back to how off Euna had seemed today... She'd probably mocked me, tricked me... It was looking more and more likely. Euna, who I'd thought was so sweet when we first met.
"It smells awful."
"R-Really?"
"Sorry, but can you air out the room?"
Betrayal hit me like nausea.
"...Anyway, about this audition..."
Euna had been trying to undermine me. She'd painted a good guy like the Vice President as some creep. Remembering how she'd lied without batting an eye... Euna wasn't the innocent little girl I'd pegged her for.
But... she hadn't crossed any lines before.
Had possessiveness suddenly kicked in? Overnight, she'd turned into a different person.
Sharing the Vice President's scent and flaunting it at me... Like they were already hooking up, telling me not to get any funny ideas. Ugh... my head was spinning from the shock.
'Vice President, this is the choreography for the title track...'
'Uh, Euna?'
'Like this... Oh, where are you looking?'
'What the—'
'Can't get enough of my chest? Hehe... Pervert. Want a better look?'
Something like that... She'd probably asked for feedback mid-lesson and started dancing seductively.
Of course, no bra to tempt him. Hell, maybe she'd stripped right in front of him. The shocked Vice President scolded her, but she wouldn't stop... and eventually pinned him down, yanked off his clothes...
"...Here, this is the script."
"The collarbone..."
"Huh?"
"Ah, n-nothing!"
Haah, was I letting my imagination run wild?
I felt guilty for suspecting them over a bit of cologne. A guy as professional as the Vice President wouldn't fool around with Euna. And an idol as pretty as her wouldn't crush on him.
It was a stretch, even on second thought.
Probably just Euna messing around.
Even if there was some hidden meaning, it was likely her way of saying, 'If unnie got something, shouldn't you return the favor?' Emphasizing the gift she'd given him. She acted weird sometimes... but deep down, Euna was a good kid.
Buying cologne as a thank-you gift proved she was pure-hearted.
Whew... Time for some self-reflection.
I snapped out of my delusions and focused, reading the script the Vice President handed me.
[Na-young: Please, don't do this!]
(Na-young looks up at Ho-jin, her eyes brimming with tears.)
[Ho-jin: Behave yourself. Heh... Do you have any idea how much money I've spent on you?]
(Ho-jin unbuckles his belt and climbs on top of the trembling Na-young.)
(Soon, his pants come off, and he pulls down her panties, closing in on Na-young.)
[Ho-jin: Do you have any idea how much I've spent on you?!]
(Ho-jin roars. Na-young gazes at him quietly, sobbing.)
[Na-young: Ho-jin... please... You're not that kind of person!]
[Ho-jin: Hahaha... Not that kind of person?]
(Now half-naked, Ho-jin straddles Na-young and slaps her cheek.)
(At that moment, Na-young notices Ho-jin's hand trembling.)
^This is key—capture Na-young's complex emotions in her eyes: fear of Ho-jin mixed with pity for him. / How many slaps? / About 8 to 2 for now? It'll shift more toward pity as it goes on. / Got it.
[Ho-jin: What do you know? Huh? Who are you to judge me?!]
[Na-young: Ho-jin... p-please... Aaah!]
(Ho-jin yanks off Na-young's skirt after hesitating and thrusts himself inside her.)
(Panicked, Na-young thrashes, but can't escape Ho-jin's grasp.)
^You'll handle this, right, Vice President? / Do I have to? / Obviously.
But this... wasn't the script I knew.
"Ah, sorry. My mistake. Here's yours."
"Th-That one just now..."
"Uh... Sorry, just forget about it? Haha..."
"That's the one you use for lessons with Han Ji-young, right?"
"W-Well... Yeah."
I'd known they were hooking up... but seeing it so blatant and up close made my stomach churn. They really were doing it. Glancing at the doodles scribbled in the margins made disgust bubble up.
^But Vice President, aren't you too good at this? / That's sexual harassment, you know. / You're the one harassing—slapping cheeks, rape... Wait, not harassment, that's assault. / Hey, it's Ho-jin, not me. / Ahhhn, Vice Presiii! / Sigh.
^Vice President is so big it hurts. / Can't be helped. / Will the other actor be as big as you? / We just fake it on set. / Just curious. / Shut up. / Should I change your contact to Big Dick? / Wanna die?
They weren't analyzing the script like they should—instead, trading dumb jokes. It made me sick to my stomach. The Vice President was just helping with lessons... and Han Ji-young was too dense to see that, fawning over him disgustingly.
Chatting like that with a Vice President who kept work separate?
Lies... They looked closer than me.
I'd thought he was my secret weapon... but it was all in my head. To him, I was just another actress getting lessons. Whereas Han Ji-young was someone he traded real feelings with... far more precious than me.
So who he'd pick between us was obvious without asking.
"You're really close with Han Ji-young, huh?"
"Huh? Oh, well... I've been coaching her for over a year now, so yeah."
"Liar."
"Huh?"
"It's not just time... You sleep with her, that's why you're close."
"...What?"
"Han Ji-young's so serious about acting she sleeps with you... so you take care of her, get closer. But I was scared of sex and avoided it... so I seem insincere, and you keep your distance."
"No, Jin-hee. What's gotten into you?"
"But... I'm serious too!"
"Jin-hee."
"About acting, and about you!"
"...What did you say?"
"So sleep with me too... Do it with me! It's fine if you're my first. Please, have sex with me. Our 'adult love' is still unfinished. Teach me for real. Yeah? Come on! Teach me now!"
I stripped right in front of the Vice President.
A faint trace of that cologne still lingered on his sweating body.