A Bad Contract (Part 2)
"Wow, this is Korean green tea, and the aroma is absolutely wonderful, isn't it?"
A steaming cup of tea was slid across the table. Accepting the cup and inhaling its unique, yet pleasant aroma, Elena Asimov smiled naturally, even as a faint sense of curiosity washed over her.
May 19, 1997. The trailer for Bad Contract had just been released, and the public's response was explosive. The footage of Sion, clad in military gear, trekking through the desert and effortlessly neutralizing enemies in a single breath, undoubtedly set expectations sky-high. At the same time, Rainbow Road was also sailing smoothly, pulling in an impressive, un-indie-like box office gross of over eighty million dollars.
Even though they had been continuously hiring since they began aggressively scaling up, CK Agency & CK Entertainment remained dizzyingly busy with actors and production teams juggling multiple simultaneous shoots and projects. Yet, amidst the chaos, a brief window for a tea break had miraculously opened up.
Elena, who had been suddenly summoned by the CEO in the middle of preparing for her next project, asked cautiously,
"Charlie, is there something you wanted to tell me?"
"Huh? Oh, uh, well... why don't we, uh, have some tea first before we talk?"
"Mmm, it's delicious."
"You haven't even sipped it yet."
At Charlie's remark, Elena lifted the teacup, blew gently to cool the surface, and took a sip. Charlie Kang quietly watched her, noting how every single one of her movements exuded elegance.
...It was certainly no wonder Sion kept fussing over her.
Elena Asimov. Born into a prestigious acting family and walking an elite path ever since her debut as a child actress, she possessed a remarkably calm and graceful demeanor in her daily life, perfectly matching her public image. Yet, her impenetrable aura, which left little room for anyone to easily approach, reminded people of "an ice sculpture carved in the shape of a goddess"—or so Charlie had read in an article once.
But the real Elena was quite different from that perception. She was cooperative, down-to-earth, and more passionate about acting than anyone he knew.
...Along with that goddess-like image, Charlie had actually believed until recently that she disliked Sion Lee. Every time they met in private, he had only seen her bickering with Sion and glaring at him with sharp eyes. Though they had kissed multiple times, he had merely chalked it up to youthful impulse.
'And since he's the most handsome guy in the world, I guess anyone would want to kiss him at least once.'
But as they say, the older generation never truly understands the youth. Looking back, even those spats could easily be interpreted as lovers' quarrels.
'Still... is it really my place to step in?'
Yet, ever since his conversation with Sion the other day, he had felt a strange urge to talk to Elena as well. Call it... a bit of "Korean style" meddling.
"So, have you been keeping in touch with Yi-siony?"
"...Yi-siony?"
"Y-you know, it's a Korean way of calling someone. Like a nickname. You know both he and I are of Korean descent, right?"
"Ah, yes. I know. ...So in Korean, you call him 'Yi-siony'."
"Exactly. Yi-siony."
"Yes. Yi-siony."
Elena raised her eyes with interest, murmuring the word a few times as if trying to commit it to memory.
"Um, but... what do you mean by keeping in touch?"
"Well... I heard from the boy himself that you met up with him and hit him, Miss Asimov."
"T-that's... I mean, even if he was injured and busy overseas, you'd think he would at least call to let us know something major happened. ...But he always does this. Whenever he goes through something difficult, he just laughs it off like it's nothing because it's his own business. Then, the moment he gets back to the States, he has the nerve to ask, 'Were you worried?' right to my face... So, I just lost my temper without realizing it."
As she spoke, Elena realized she had acted like a child.
"...I'm sorry. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."
"That's quite strange."
"...Pardon?"
"If he were just a co-star, wouldn't you normally assume he's doing fine on his own, even if you can't reach him?"
Charlie subtly probed for Elena's true feelings. In America, where individual privacy is highly valued, this was actually a somewhat rude question, even if they belonged to the same agency. If Elena had bluntly stated that she found this conversation uncomfortable, Charlie wouldn't have had much of a defense.
However, Elena did not ignore Charlie Kang's words. Instead, she seriously pondered, Why is he asking this? Soon, she pinpointed one unique trait about Charlie Kang that she had noticed over time.
How should she put it... he had a habit of casually crossing the boundaries typically set by Americans. Mostly when it came to personal privacy.
While some might dislike this, Elena didn't find it particularly uncomfortable. Because she liked him, she accepted it as a warm, human gesture. Moreover, she knew exactly why he was crossing that line now, which made it impossible to resent.
It was because he was worried about Sion Lee—the young actor he had been with since childhood, who had been left "alone" after a sudden tragedy.
"He's not just a co-star. He spends every Christmas at my house."
"...What?"
Charlie's face fell into an expression of utter shock, looking like a father who had just lost his son to his in-laws.
"Oh, you didn't know? Of course, there are times he doesn't come... but our home-cooked borscht is really delicious."
For a split second, Charlie wanted to shout, No matter how good it is, it can't beat my home-cooked kimchi stew! but he managed to hold it in.
"You know how he is. Unless he's acting or getting into trouble somewhere, he spends most of his time 'alone,' right? He's not the type to feed himself properly at home either, and lately, it seems like he's only eating chicken breast. So..."
"You just can't leave him be?"
"...Yes, I suppose so. He's helped me so much, it's hard to just leave him alone."
"Haha, I understand. That rascal Yi-siony is always quick to help others, but he never takes care of himself."
They found themselves in perfect agreement on a rather peculiar point.
"Still, knowing that you've been looking after him, Miss Asimov, puts my mind slightly at ease."
"L-looking after him? Even if I wanted to, I can't even get in touch with him... That's why..."
The warmth of the green tea was melting the Ice Princess's heart.
"Um, so, what... what do you think?"
"Hmm?"
"About actors dating other actors. From the agency's perspective..."
"If it's you two, we'd welcome it with open arms. Besides, the public already practically considers you a couple anyway, so there won't be much backlash."
"B-but still..."
She hesitated, her face flushing slightly before she answered.
"He seems to think this level of relationship is just right. Honestly... so do I, for now. ...But strangely... I miss him. More often than before. And sometimes... I think about the late-night dates we had while filming Fragments of You. But then I tell myself that was just for work. ...Mmm..."
She chewed on her words for a moment before shaking her head as if she had made a grave slip of the tongue.
"A-ah, no. Forget what I just said. That was a mistake. I don't miss him at all."
"You two are exactly the same."
"Pardon?"
"Trying so hard not to cross the line out of consideration for work and each other. You're both afraid. Just from different angles."
"What do you mean by that? Afraid? Sion?"
"Sion's been teasing you even more than usual lately, hasn't he, Miss Asimov?"
"...He's always been like that."
"That's just his childish side. He's been like that since he was a kid. He cares deeply about others, but he doesn't know how to look after his own feelings. You've been acting since you were young too, so you probably know, but people who start out as child actors tend to have a bit of an avoidant streak. It's probably because they were thrown into cutthroat sets when they should have been cherished as children."
"..."
Elena fell silent at his words before asking,
"What was Sion like when he was a rookie?"
"Well... I've only heard stories about his very early childhood, so I don't know the details, but he must have struggled quite a bit after he came over to Hollywood to work with me. Running around to auditions, getting rejected countless times, and even when he finally got a break, having to suppress his emotions on set... that sort of thing."
"He really went through a lot. He doesn't look like the type who would have."
"And yet, that same kid has now become a top-tier actor in Hollywood. It's truly remarkable."
At such a young age, he was already receiving love calls from multiple blockbusters and had even produced a franchise series centered around himself. Wherever he went, everyone sought him out, and sponsorships and advertisements poured in. People were constantly chanting the name Sion Lee. Like it or not, he had become one of the central pillars of this industry.
Yet, when the work was done, he always returned to an empty house. A vast mansion with no one else inside.
"..."
As this reality sank in, Elena suddenly pictured her own home. A place that was always warm whenever she walked through the door, where her parents were always waiting. A home where her family stood as a sturdy shield, ensuring no one in the industry could ever easily lay a finger on her.
And then there was Sion, standing at the exact opposite end... who had climbed up from the very bottom, entirely on his own.
"...Charlie. Can I ask you a favor?"
"Of course. Feel free to ask anything. That's how we do things at our agency."
"Give me the keys to Sion Lee's house."
"...Huh?"
At this completely unexpected request, Charlie's eyes widened in sheer shock.
Normally, someone as close as Charlie Kang would naturally have a spare key to Sion Lee's house. There were times he had to look after the place on behalf of the busy actor, after all. Though he hesitated for a brief moment, he figured there would be no harm if it was Elena, and readily handed over the key.
Returning straight home, Elena spoke to her mother, Olga, who happened to have off early for once.
"Um, I want to cook some food and take it somewhere."
"Oh my~ And where might that be~?"
With the help of Olga, who wore a knowing, mischievous grin, Elena prepared a batch of borscht. Afterward, she bought some of her favorite ingredients from a nearby grocery store and headed to Sion's house.
...It wasn't like she had any grand intentions. It was just that whenever she thought of the warmth of her own home, it was always associated with a shared meal.
Later that evening. Seeing the lights on, Sion Lee walked inside, casually assuming Charlie had dropped by, only to be greeted by an utterly unexpected sight.
"...?"
"Y-you're back?"
"Why are you here?"
"...What?"
"No, I mean... this is just so sudden."
He was momentarily dumbfounded. Elena Asimov was in the middle of cooking, wearing an apron adorned with a white cat mascot that he had absolutely no idea where she had acquired. On the stove, a pot of borscht was bubbling away, filling the air with a scent that had now become quite familiar to Sion.
"I don't recall hiring a housekeeper."
"...I just wanted to see if you'd fully recovered from when I hit you the other day."
"Where did you get the key?"
"Charlie gave it to me."
"That old man..."
Faced with Elena, who had suddenly intruded so deeply into his private domain, Sion was momentarily flustered, unable to summon his usual sly, playful demeanor. Reading his state of mind with an actor's sharp intuition, Elena smiled as if finally relieved, and like a strong Eastern European woman, she gave Sion's back a firm nudge.
"Go wash up quickly. I'll set the table."
"Hey... you've already started filming, you should be managing your condition. Why are you here cooking of all things?"
"My parents cook too, you know. I bet even Jack Nicholson cooks."
"The only thing that man cooks is mixing whiskey with club soda."
Muttering under his breath but unable to resist her push, Sion headed to the bathroom to quickly wash up.
"Ta-da, all done."
"..."
"Hurry up and try it."
Elena had indeed been learning to cook from her mother recently. Taking a spoonful of her borscht, Sion's eyes widened in surprise.
"This is fantastic."
"R-really? Is it really fantastic?"
"Yeah... Honestly, I thought I'd have to force myself to finish the bowl, but I'm genuinely surprised. It's delicious."
"Hehe, Yi-siony. So you admit Ellie's cooking is delicious?"
"...Yi-siony? Did you learn that from Charlie too?"
"Yep. It has a pretty cute pronunciation, doesn't it? Yi-siony."
"..."
Sion couldn't bring himself to tease her by saying she looked even cuter pronouncing it while wearing that apron. Nor could he throw out his usual joke: Since things turned out this way, why don't you just marry me?
'I thought I'd just grill a few frozen chicken breasts and call it a night like always.'
Having eaten at the Asimov household so often, he had grown accustomed to Russian cuisine. Just as he was starting to crave borscht, having the very dish placed before him seemed to melt away his tension.
The sharp edges of his mind, honed from kicking paparazzi and dealing with snide TV hosts, began to soften.
The defenses he had built up to protect himself in the outside world were gently rounded off by the warm food, and a relaxed expression spread across his face.
"I'm deeply honored."
"Thanks to you, I got to shoot a great movie and make a successful comeback. This is the least I can do."
"You could buy me a drink sometime instead."
"Forget alcohol. Eating good food and getting plenty of rest is much better."
"Tell me about it. I have a broadcast schedule tomorrow too."
"Now, now, think about tomorrow's work tomorrow. Here, pudding for dessert."
"...You know how to make pudding too?"
"No. I bought it at the store and just plated it."
"Ah."
He had almost been genuinely impressed for a second, but of course not.
With Elena sitting across from him, Sion experienced sharing a meal with someone in this house for the first time in a very long time.
...It was a little awkward, but he found himself thinking it wasn't half bad.
"So, Bad Contract is finally coming out soon."
"Didn't you just tell me to think about work tomorrow?"
"No~ I'm just making small talk about the movie trailer that's been playing on TV so much lately."
"..."
In this sudden turn of events, it felt as though their usual roles had been reversed.
Where Sion used to tease Elena with a sly grin, now it was Elena teasing him, letting out a lovely laugh.
"Want to go see it together?"
"You'll be at the premiere anyway..."
"I heard it's amazing because 'Hollywood's Broken Prince' is starring in it. They say he worked out like crazy to build his body for the shoot, and he did most of the action scenes himself, so it's supposed to be incredibly thrilling and fun."
"That's me you're talking about..."
"We can watch the movie, go shopping at the department store, and then grab dinner before heading back. ...How does that sound?"
"..."
Realizing she was fully "acting" a part, Sion played along.
"I'm busy. I have to work."
"Honey, you're always working. Surely you can spare just one day."
"I have to work hard and save up if I want to marry you later."
"Hmph, in this day and age, why are you trying to do everything on your own? We can just make money together."
The two of them bickered playfully, looking like the leads of a youth sitcom.
Even as he wondered what on earth was happening, Sion found himself swept along by Elena's sudden, bold charm.
It was a playful banter fit for actors. Yet, as a young man and woman in private, their cheeks were gradually flushing pink.
'For some reason, this feels like the real Bad Contract.'
A "bad," yet "absolutely killer" contract.
The home-cooked dinner, his first proper meal in a long while, warmed him to his very bones.