Chapter 102
The mention of a Hollywood agency and Daniel’s proposal made my eyebrows twitch.
Go to Hollywood?
If I had heard an offer like that ten years ago, I would have dismissed it as ridiculous nonsense.
But times had changed.
This was an era when K-content rode the wave of Hallyu and drew attention from all over the world.
With Korean entertainers being loved globally, centered around the Asian market, a love call from AMG, a major American agency, was enough to change the look in my eyes.
Sensing the shift in my expression, Daniel continued in a confident voice.
"The importance of the Asian market is growing by the day. In particular, interest in Korean actors has risen sharply thanks to the popularity of K-pop."
I gave him the proper response.
"Lee Ha-eun is top-tier even among Korean actors."
"Haha, exactly. You know that too, Manager Kwon, don’t you? The lead actor from Death Game, which aired on Netflix, has been cast as the next Jedi Master in Star Wars, hasn’t he?"
Of course I knew.
It was the kind of event where a Korean actor was chosen to lead one of America’s biggest megafranchises, Star Wars.
"Death Game was hugely popular, but becoming the lead in Star Wars is another matter entirely. Hollywood is open, yes, but it also has its own strict rules and discipline."
There was force in Daniel’s words.
And people with force had a strange way of making others listen.
Before I realized it, I had started focusing on what he was saying.
"Korean actors have begun crossing Hollywood’s threshold together with Netflix. That challenge will continue, and the timing is right. Disney, one of Hollywood’s giant studios, is wobbling, and the major franchises are churning out works shaped by new ideas and directors’ intentions. The new era represents change, and I believe Korean actors are at the center of that change."
Daniel’s final line shook something in me.
"I believe Lee Ha-eun is more than capable of becoming the face of this new era."
Without meaning to, I clicked my tongue.
That’s so sweet it’s enough to rot your teeth.
What manager could hear an offer like that and not feel his heart shift?
America. Hollywood.
The dream stage of every actor alive.
To think I might be able to take one of my own actors into the biggest, most massive film market in the world.
And yet the sweetness of it only made me look at reality more coldly.
Is it really right to discuss a Hollywood debut based only on Daniel’s word?
It was true that the age of K-content had arrived, and true that Hollywood was undergoing major change.
But if I was being coldly honest, the threshold to Hollywood was still high for Asian actors.
Before Lee Ha-eun, and after her too, countless Korean actors had tried their hand in Hollywood.
And yet none of them had left a clear mark.
The limit of race. The roles offered to Asian actors were still restricted.
Hollywood directors did not want Korean actors.
What they wanted was the Asian recognition and fandom attached to Korean actors.
In that sense, Daniel’s proposal might not have been for Lee Ha-eun the actress at all, but for Lee Ha-eun’s popularity.
Replaying the situation in my mind, I felt the excitement that had risen in me settle back down, and I was able to face Daniel with more calm and space.
"It’s an attractive proposal, Daniel. But I can’t give you an answer right away."
"Haha, I wasn’t expecting one right away, either."
"I’m glad to hear that. To explain the situation a little, Lee Ha-eun’s next project is still filming, and personally, I think a Hollywood debut should depend more on the work itself than on an agency contract."
Daniel’s blond eyebrows twitched.
"Hmm. You’re saying you’d like to decide on Hollywood after seeing the work?"
"Honestly, yes. And..."
"And?"
"Lee Ha-eun herself would want it that way too."
A relaxed smile spread across my mouth.
"Her pride as an actress is stronger and more solid than anyone I’ve ever seen. No matter how good the conditions or the backing, if the role itself isn’t appealing, she won’t even consider a Hollywood debut."
Daniel’s mouth tightened into a line.
The American agency manager who had been making his proposal with a haughty air was now staring at me as if to say, So that’s how it is?
"I got ahead of myself."
"Not at all. It was interesting. More than interesting, actually."
"Haha, next time I’d like to bring you something tempting, not just interesting."
Daniel handed me his card.
"Manager Kwon, may I contact you again next time?"
"Of course."
"Happy Christmas Eve."
With a light bow, Daniel left the spot with complete composure.
Watching his back, I muttered under my breath.
So this is what a team leader at a major American agency looks like.
He was calm and brimming with confidence.
And that confidence and ease weren’t bluster. They came from skill and background, from real power.
Having watched the American agency manager I had just met for the first time with interest, I finally pulled out my smartphone.
"But who was calling on Christmas Eve?"
I unlocked the screen and narrowed my eyes.
"What?"
To my surprise, a new future text had arrived.
And inside it...
* * *
Event plaza hall at the "A" Department Store in Samseong-dong.
A couple stared at the long line stretching ahead of them and muttered.
"What kind of event has a line this long?"
"Looks like a celebrity’s here."
"Aigoo, what celebrity would show up on Christmas, right, honey?"
At his girlfriend’s question, the boyfriend suddenly gaped.
"Uh... honey."
"Yeah, what is it?"
"...The celebrity doing the autograph session right now is Lee Ha-eun."
The girlfriend’s eyes went wide.
"What-! Lee Ha-eun? That Lee Ha-eun is here?"
"...Should we get an autograph too, honey?"
"Of course... no, wait. I’m standing right here and you’re looking at another woman?"
"N-no, I mean, it’s Lee Ha-eun. Not just some other celebrity..."
The girlfriend slapped his back, smacking him repeatedly. Even while that was happening, the line for Lee Ha-eun’s autograph session, organized to celebrate the launch of Eclat d’Or, kept getting longer.
"Wow, it really is Lee Ha-eun..."
"Doesn’t she rarely do autographs?"
"She signs, sure, but events like this are practically nonexistent."
"We are getting signatures today, right?"
"Hey, hey! If we have to wait three hours, we wait three hours. When else are we going to see Lee Ha-eun in person?"
As the line for Lee Ha-eun’s autograph kept growing, all sorts of SNS posts, especially on Instagram, started going up with photos of her in the flesh.
As the rumor spread through SNS, even more people poured in to get Lee Ha-eun’s autograph.
Watching that scene, the people from Eclat d’Or clicked their tongues.
"No way, Lee Ha-eun is that popular?"
"Exactly. Wow, how did this many people end up here on Christmas?"
"This autograph session is going to take at least another two hours to finish."
"Two hours? With the way people are piling in now, I think it’ll be five more."
One of the Eclat d’Or staff pointed toward the reporters and fan photographers shooting Lee Ha-eun.
"Look at all those people taking pictures. If we’re being real, we may have to brace ourselves for five more hours."
"But aren’t some of those photographers past the cutoff line?"
"There are so many people they can’t really control it..."
The staff’s expressions darkened with unease. Unlike their anxiety, the atmosphere at the autograph session grew even hotter.
At the center of it all, the top actress Lee Ha-eun kept signing and asked, "What’s your name?"
"K, Kim Joo-hee!"
At the thin, young voice, Lee Ha-eun lifted her head slightly and looked over. A middle school girl in a school uniform was staring at her, trembling all over.
The corners of Lee Ha-eun’s mouth slowly lifted.
"That."
"...Pardon?"
"The thing in your hand. You weren’t preparing to put that on me, were you?"
Kim Joo-hee startled and answered, "Y-yes...!"
"Cat ears. That’s not really my taste..."
Lee Ha-eun trailed off and leaned her head forward.
"Still, it’s a special day, so I’ll wear it specially. Go ahead."
Lee Ha-eun bowed her head. Kim Joo-hee, who had been staring at her in a daze, hurriedly put the headband on her.
The reporters watching burst into delighted exclamations.
"Whoa... what is this, Lee Ha-eun?"
"Isn’t she famous for having zero fan service?"
"They say she’s especially good to younger fans, though."
"Hey, stop talking nonsense and take the shot already! It’s Lee Ha-eun with cat ears!"
As flashes went off, Kim Joo-hee teared up.
"U-unnie, you’re so pretty!"
"Really? Doesn’t it look weird?"
"N-no, it suits you so well!"
At Kim Joo-hee’s words, Lee Ha-eun handed over the autograph and said, "It’s late, so once you get the signature, go straight home."
"Yes!"
Kim Joo-hee, autograph in hand, turned away with a blissful expression.
A faint smile appeared on Lee Ha-eun’s lips as well.
"Next please!"
The event staff gestured forward. A man wearing a mask and a cap stepped up after Kim Joo-hee. Since it was the middle of winter, the mask and cap weren’t strange, so Lee Ha-eun asked lightly, "What’s your name?"
"..."
No answer came.
While signing, Lee Ha-eun asked again. "What’s your name? If you don’t answer, I’ll just give you the autograph and that’s it."
She asked once more, but again there was no response. Only then did Lee Ha-eun sense that something was wrong.
She frowned slightly and looked up.
His face was hidden under the cap and mask, but the eyes visible beneath them carried something ominous.
It didn’t take long for her to realize he was no ordinary fan.
A sasaeng fan?
Her body reacted on instinct.
A stalker who came to her home.
An anti-fan who sent letters written in blood.
A sasaeng who grabbed her hand and tried to drag her along at every event.
Every time she met one of them, an uneasy sense of wrongness made cold sweat run down Lee Ha-eun’s back.
And this time, that ominous feeling was not wrong.
"!"
The masked man suddenly reached out.
At the sudden movement, the security guards jolted and moved too late, and Lee Ha-eun’s pupils widened.
At the same time, her center of gravity suddenly lurched backward.
Startled, Lee Ha-eun turned her head.
"Kwon Chan?"
Her own manager, his face twisted in a fierce scowl, stood there panting hard.
While Lee Ha-eun steadied her shocked heart and watched him, Kwon Chan caught his breath, glared at the sasaeng fan, and muttered, "Are you all right, Lee Ha-eun?"
* * *
As I caught my breath, I murmured slowly to myself.
Thank God. I made it in time.
Relief flooded through me at having arrived before a major incident broke loose. Gathering myself, I said to the startled Lee Ha-eun, "Are you okay?"
Lee Ha-eun’s eyes trembled slightly as she answered, "Yeah."
"There are a lot of reporters behind you, so manage your expression first."
"Got it."
Lee Ha-eun was not a top actress for nothing. Even after nearly going through something awful, she flashed a bright smile to reassure the startled fans.
Meanwhile, I grabbed the sasaeng fan by the wrist and hauled him behind the stage. Feeling the security guards follow a beat later, I headed for an enclosed space where no one’s eyes could reach us.
The sasaeng fan, his wrist still caught in my grip, shouted belatedly, "A-ah! Let go! What are you doing? What did I even do..."
I released his wrist.
He had been dragged almost the whole way, and his cap and mask had shifted halfway off, but surprisingly, his face looked perfectly normal.
"Y-you asshole! You can’t do this to a fan!"
If he had looked shady or criminal, I might have understood it. But he looked far too ordinary for the kind of insane nonsense he was spewing, and a hollow laugh escaped me before I could stop it.
What was I supposed to do with this?
For the first time in a while, my temper flared.
I ran a hand through my hair, thought it over, then said flatly, "Usually I keep my temper down and speak politely even to people younger than me..."
Smiling thinly, I lowered my head.
"But today I’m too pissed off for that."
I closed the distance between us.
"A fan? Do fans also try to throw their arms around the star they like?"
The sasaeng fan stammered in a trembling voice. "W-what... throw my arms around her? I was just trying to get an autograph..."
"Right. That’s what you’d say. I stopped you before it happened."
"..."
"Should I call that lucky? No, right. Lucky for you, maybe. You almost had your life ruined just now."
My words came out poorly because I was too agitated.
But the meaning seemed to get through just fine.
"Friend. If I hadn’t stopped you just now, your life would’ve been over."
"!"
"Do you really think Baekhak would sit still and let a sasaeng fan keep breathing around one of its headline stars? Huh? No. Absolutely not. You’re a Lee Ha-eun fan, so you should know that."
I lowered my head and met his eyes.
"Have you ever seen Lee Ha-eun go easy on a sasaeng fan? You were really close to being in serious trouble, buddy."
The sasaeng fan trembled all over.
Only then, perhaps finally sensing reality, he looked at me with frightened eyes.
Normally that look might have shaken me, but now I felt nothing.
I was thinking about how to send a kid who had barely turned twenty into the depths of hell.
Then, with my reason belatedly returning, I spat out a curse under my breath.
Holding back my boiling anger, I handed the sasaeng fan over to security and walked over to the Eclat d’Or staff.
"You should stop the autograph session."
The Eclat d’Or staff looked shocked and asked, "What? But there are so many people waiting."
"Didn’t you just see how close that came to becoming an accident?"
"..."
"If that sasaeng fan had managed to hug Lee Ha-eun, this would have been your fault. Can you take responsibility for that?"
The Eclat d’Or staff fell silent, looking rattled.
Realizing my wording had been too harsh, I softened my tone belatedly.
"She’s already done enough fan service. Even if people complain, it’s better to wrap it up here. That’s better than having an accident, isn’t it?"
"Uh... yes, understood, Manager."
"Then I’d appreciate it."
The autograph session was quickly brought under control. Watching that scene, I loosened my tie and slowly sorted out the situation in my head.
Damn it, if not for the future text telling me exactly, we’d have been screwed...
Fortunately, this time the future text had only shown one thing.
Because of that, I had gotten the future article in full, and I was able to see the time and place of the incident.
Even the identity of the culprit.
Of course, time had been too tight, so I hadn’t been able to stop him from approaching Lee Ha-eun.
How does something like this even happen?
A fan trying to lunge at a star during an autograph session?
But if I thought about it, it wasn’t all that impossible.
Incidents where Hallyu stars or idols got far too much unwanted physical contact from obsessive fans happened often enough.
If I hadn’t stopped this incident, what kind of articles would have spread by tomorrow?
Just imagining it sent a chill down my spine.
Meanwhile, the event hall was filled not with cheers for Lee Ha-eun but with irritated shouts.
"What the hell!"
"We waited for hours and the autograph session ends here?"
"Seriously, what the hell... this is so annoying... why make us wait if they were just going to do this?"
Fans who hadn’t gotten signatures voiced their anger, but the security guards who had just witnessed the incident took a hard line and began clearing the session out.
With all strength drained from my body, I watched dazedly as someone familiar called my name.
"Kwon Chan."
I turned slowly. The top actress was looking at me with wavering eyes.
"Are you okay?"
"I should be asking you that. Lee Ha-eun, are you okay?"
Lee Ha-eun’s lips pressed into a line.
She had been smiling all day, more than usual, that top actress.
But maybe because of what had just happened, her brow and expression were now full of irritation and pent-up frustration.
And in that instant, I had a bad feeling.
"Aigoo, that day she was so furious about the Eclat d'Or launch party getting messed up that Lee Ha-eun’s hysteria hit its peak!"
The things the future text had warned me about were becoming reality.
* * *
I took Lee Ha-eun to the private waiting room prepared by Eclat d’Or. If it had been up to me, I would have sent her home right then, but the party still had schedule left, so I couldn’t do that.
She was the star of today’s party, after all, so she couldn’t simply disappear. But neither could I make her attend the party right after going through something like that.
Once inside the waiting room, I looked around first. Since it was a private room normally used by department store VIPs, it was clean and completely sealed off from outside eyes.
After nodding, I sat Lee Ha-eun down on the sofa and asked carefully, "Were you badly shaken?"
Wrapped in the small light, Lee Ha-eun answered slowly, "I was."
"And yet you did a great job managing your expression."
"Because you were next to me."
"..."
At that, I opened my mouth as if to say something, then let out a deep sigh.
"I’m sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?"
"I should apologize. I should’ve been right there beside you, but I slipped up. I got swept up in the party atmosphere."
Yeah. I had been careless.
I knew something might happen to Lee Ha-eun today, but I had let my guard down.
If I had been even a little more careful, something like this would never have happened in the first place...
In the end, my carelessness had hurt Lee Ha-eun’s mood and handed the reporters useless gossip on a platter.
Maybe some clickbait articles had already picked up on the scent of today’s accident and were trying to drive traffic by linking the words "sasaeng fan" and "Lee Ha-eun" together.
The thought made my temper rise again.
But there was nowhere for that anger to go. The sasaeng fan hadn’t actually caused damage, and no article had broken yet.
In a situation like this, all I could do was hate myself.
I was feeling disappointment and self-reproach toward myself for the first time in a while.
Lee Ha-eun, who had been watching me quietly, slowly stood up.
She moved to the window without a sound and called my name.
"Kwon Chan."
"Yes?"
"Look at this."
I raised my head.
My eyes widened at once.
Snow?
The year’s first snow was falling outside the window. Lee Ha-eun’s soft voice echoed through the room.
"A white Christmas, huh?"
Then she suddenly shoved the window open. Startled, I got to my feet and draped my coat over her shoulders.
"No, Lee Ha-eun. At least think about what you’re wearing..."
"Kwon Chan."
"Yes?"
"Don’t frown."
Leaning against the window, Lee Ha-eun turned her head and looked at me.
"I’m the one who almost got hurt, so why are you the one scowling?"
For a moment I had nothing to say.
Trying to decide how to answer, I finally laid bare what I was feeling.
"Because I should’ve been by your side."
"Would it have changed anything if you had been there?"
"Yes. It would have changed enough."
The corners of Lee Ha-eun’s eyes curved.
That eye-smile made me stop hating myself without realizing it.
"How did you know?"
"Know what?"
"How did you know about this and come running like that?"
At her words, my expression shifted slightly.
"...Why are you curious about that?"
"Just because. You always come running whenever I need you."
"Have I been doing that?"
"Yeah. How did you know this time?"
How did I know?
Because I saw the future text, of course.
A suitable excuse slid from my mouth.
"Instinct, I guess."
"Instinct?"
"Yeah. I just had a bad feeling about it."
Lee Ha-eun snorted with laughter.
"Am I really that much on your mind?"
"...If it were you, wouldn’t you be on your own mind?"
"Yeah. I suppose I would be."
With that, Lee Ha-eun met my eyes.
It was strange.
The expression on her face was far too calm for someone I’d expected to still be angry about the incident just now.
Had she cooled off?
I hoped so.
As I always thought, this woman was prettier when she smiled than when she was angry.
So seeing her in a good mood and smiling brightly today had lifted my own spirits along with hers.
Then Lee Ha-eun leaned closer and whispered to me.
"Kwon Chan."
"Yes?"
"Do you know what my ideal type is?"
I tilted my head.
"Your ideal type?"
"A prince on a white horse."
With that, Lee Ha-eun pulled my face toward hers.
We wish you a Merry Christmas.
The carol rang out, and outside the window the first snow was falling.
".........!"
Between our overlapping lips, a familiar sensation surfaced.
That one night from the day we had both been drunk, endlessly devouring each other.
The sensation I had tried so hard to shake off rose again like a snake and wrapped itself around my entire body.
I should have pulled away. I should have stepped back. My mind knew that, but my body refused to obey.
Instinct, having devoured reason, hungrily savored Lee Ha-eun’s sweet lips.
Saliva mingled with saliva, weaving threads inside our mouths.
My mind went blank, and my whole body trembled in intermittent waves of dopamine and orgasm surging through my veins.
In that sensation of time standing still, there was only me and Lee Ha-eun.
And the year’s first snow, and Christmas.
When only the carol remained, Lee Ha-eun ended the sudden kiss and hugged me close.
"Prince."
At her voice, I slowly returned to reality.
"You came to save me again."
On the white Christmas when the year’s first snow fell, I kissed the top actress once more.
That top actress’s voice made my ears feel like they were melting.
"You’re mine, Kwon Chan."
And with that unavoidable brand, I realized something.
The actress who had once tormented me so relentlessly...
"You’re mine, Kwon Chan."
...was someone I liked now.