A Chance Meeting with Na Jun-hu

"How did you know?"

The sunset, dyed red, wrapped Lee Ha-eun in a soft glow.

Her long, straight hair scattered in the wind and shimmered in the afterlight, making her look as though I were staring at the Milky Way itself.

For a moment, I just stood there, lost in the sight of her. Then Lee Ha-eun tipped her head slightly.

The eyes that were usually so cold had taken on the warmth of the sunset, but the expression she wore looked almost as though she might burst into tears at any second.

She really was beautiful when she smiled.

And yet here she was, looking at me like she was about to cry.

Why would an actress as proud and arrogant as she was, someone who lived as though the world itself revolved around her, make that kind of face?

Was it really just because my expression looked bad?

I couldn’t make sense of it.

Lee Ha-eun’s sudden change was hard to follow with my own head.

But one thing was certain.

That unfamiliar expression on her face had melted my taut nerves like ice cream left out under the midsummer sun.

Maybe that was why I couldn’t look away.

She didn’t look away either.

We stared at each other for a long while, as though time had stopped, until Lee Ha-eun finally spoke in a quiet voice.

"I’m heading out."

Her voice carried a trace of regret.

"I came here to tease you, but seeing your face killed the mood."

Even then, there was still that unmistakable pride in her tone.

It was so perfectly, unmistakably her that I let out a snort before I could stop myself. Lee Ha-eun rose from her seat and turned away.

With the sunset at her back and me behind her, she began to walk slowly away.

Only today, her pace was unusually sluggish.

Lee Ha-eun, who was usually so quick-tempered that even her walking pace was brisk, now seemed to be moving at a snail’s pace.

I forced back another laugh at the sight and thought, Seriously. This woman’s going to drive me insane.

Maybe that was why, even though I had just sworn a moment ago that I wouldn’t cross the line, my mouth moved on its own and broke that promise.

"Lee Ha-eun."

She stopped and looked back.

Realizing immediately that I’d just gone and done something stupid, I thought, well, what could I do now?

The water had already been spilled.

So I kept my voice as calm as I could and made the offer as if it were nothing.

"Let’s go eat."

Lee Ha-eun’s eyes widened.

"What?"

"If you don’t have anything scheduled, let’s get a meal. It’s dinnertime, isn’t it?"

"What wind blew you into asking me to eat with you?"

"Since you’re already here, let’s talk business too."

"..."

"You don’t want to? Then never mind."

I shrugged and walked past her toward the entrance.

But I didn’t even get a few steps in before she caught my wrist.

"...When did I say I didn’t want to?"

I turned slowly.

Her ears, lit by the sunset, had gone slightly red.

"So you’re coming?"

Lee Ha-eun avoided my gaze.

Whether it was because of the brilliant evening light or because she was embarrassed, I didn’t know.

I couldn’t say what the reason was, but one thing was clear.

"Yeah. I’m coming."

Her face, flushed red, was so lovely any man would have smiled at the sight.

***

I still had work left, so I couldn’t go far. And it wasn’t exactly easy to treat an actress who was in the middle of a project to some elaborate meal, either.

Maybe because she was a top star, even choosing a restaurant was a hassle. I was still debating what to eat when Lee Ha-eun spoke first.

"I want tteokbokki."

I tilted my head.

"Tteokbokki, all of a sudden?"

"Yeah. Just thought of it."

"You don’t mean rose tteokbokki or anything like that, right?"

"What are you talking about? I mean ordinary tteokbokki from a snack bar."

"That’s fine for dinner?"

"I don’t usually eat dinner anyway."

Right. Lee Ha-eun was the kind of woman who had skipped dinner for years on end to manage her weight.

Well, I guess it doesn’t matter what we eat.

I looked up a nearby snack bar right away.

But in this day and age, finding a decent snack bar wasn’t exactly easy.

After searching for a while, I finally found one nearby and clicked my tongue.

"It’s a twenty-minute walk from here."

"That’s fine. That’s nothing."

"You’re okay walking?"

"Yeah. I like walking."

I folded my arms and looked her over from head to toe.

She’s got sunglasses, a hat, and a mask on.

And still, something felt off.

Frowning ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as I thought it over, I soon figured out why.

Even covered like that, she still stands out.

Her legs went on forever, and her face was tiny.

Her face was hidden by the sunglasses and mask, but the overwhelming proportions that gave her that unmistakable celebrity aura were impossible to hide.

Not confident I could walk twenty minutes next to a woman like that, I gave up on walking altogether.

"Let’s take the car."

"It’s a twenty-minute walk and you want to drive?"

"You stand out too much."

The corners of Lee Ha-eun’s mouth lifted mischievously.

"Do I look that pretty?"

"...Get in the car. Hurry up."

"What, you switched cars?"

"The company gave me a new one."

Lee Ha-eun let out a soft hum through her nose.

"Hmm... so this is the car I gave you, then?"

I stared at her, dumbfounded.

"Why is this a car you gave me? The company gave it to me."

Without answering, Lee Ha-eun let out a little laugh and studied the Mercedes I’d received from the company.

"We’re leaving, so stop gawking and put on your seat belt."

"Okay."

Since it was only ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a twenty-minute walk, we arrived in less than ten minutes by car.

After getting out first, I looked around the inside of the snack bar.

Thankfully, the place was empty.

The students are probably past dinner time, so this should be fine.

For somewhere I’d picked in a hurry, it wasn’t a bad place to eat with Lee Ha-eun.

By the time she climbed out of the car, she was already sounding excited.

"Looks good."

"Pick whatever you want. I’m paying today."

"Are you trying to show off your money in front of me?"

"Stop looking for a fight. When someone’s treating you, you just eat quietly."

"Really? Then I’ll pick whatever I want."

Lee Ha-eun said it playfully and started loading her tray with this and that.

But for all her bravado, what she actually chose was one fish cake and a single plate of tteokbokki.

Since debuting as a child actress, she’d always watched her weight, so even that probably felt like a luxury to her.

Her professionalism was impressive, but at the same time, it made her seem a little pitiful.

Wait. Why am I feeling sorry for this woman?

I was dumbfounded at myself.

Who was I to feel sorry for anyone in my situation? The thought made me self-conscious, so I quickly brought up business.

"How’s filming for Black Bride going?"

"It’s going well."

"When does Director Park think shooting will wrap?"

"In about a month? He said that’s when the final shoot will be done."

For a conversation I’d started in a hurry, it flowed naturally enough.

And in that easy atmosphere, a thought suddenly occurred to me.

Have I ever had a meal this comfortably with this woman before?

No. This was the first time.

Lee Ha-eun was always the woman who put me on edge.

But right now, she wasn’t uncomfortable at all. She wasn’t putting pressure on me, either.

Watching her with tteokbokki sauce smeared at the corner of her mouth, chewing carefully and swallowing each bite, I could feel another laugh rising up in my throat.

I was about to choke it down with a mouthful of cola when the shop auntie came over and set down a plate of sundae I hadn’t ordered.

"This is a special service for our pretty girl over here. Your boyfriend’s a lucky man!"

"!"

The cola I’d just swallowed nearly came back up!

As I choked and coughed, Lee Ha-eun’s eyes flashed dangerously.

"Do we look like a couple, auntie?"

"You’re not a couple? I thought you were, the way the man kept looking at you like honey was dripping out of his eyes."

The corners of Lee Ha-eun’s mouth climbed toward the sky.

At that ominous smile, I desperately tried to mouth the words without speaking them.

Please, Lee Ha-eun!

Maybe she caught my silent plea.

Lee Ha-eun looked at me with a sly expression and casually said, "Unfortunately, no. I’m a celebrity and he’s my manager."

"Oh? You’re a celebrity? Come to think of it... you do look familiar."

"I’m Lee Ha-eun."

"My, my, my! You’re really Lee Ha-eun? I didn’t recognize you with the sunglasses on!"

The shop auntie leaned in and asked in a hopeful voice, "My son’s a fan. Could you sign one for him?"

"I’ll sign a hundred for you, auntie."

At Lee Ha-eun’s answer, the auntie fussed and disappeared somewhere.

She must have gone to fetch paper and a pen for the autograph.

While she was gone, Lee Ha-eun picked up one of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the sundae pieces that had come as service and said, "This place’s food is pretty good. We should come here often, right, Kwon Chan?"

"...Yeah. It is good."

After finishing the rest of the food and signing the autographs, we left the shop.

By then, night had already fallen. Lee Ha-eun, standing beside me, muttered, "I forgot to bring the car."

"Should I call a taxi?"

"I don’t usually take taxis. Not unless it’s really urgent."

"The subway’s still running..."

"You want me to hold a fan sign event down there? If that’s the plan, then I’ll take the subway."

I let out a sigh.

"Just ask me to take you home."

"Oh? You weren’t planning to take me home?"

That woman... she could really be irritating sometimes.

In the end, we got into the car and headed to Lee Ha-eun’s house.

It was a familiar route, so I didn’t even need navigation.

I drove along the Han River road, playing the pop tracks Lee Ha-eun liked and were still saved in my playlist.

How much time had passed? Before long, I realized we’d arrived at her house, and I took my hands off the wheel.

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

"We’re here, Lee Ha-eun."

"Yeah."

"Aren’t you getting out?"

Lee Ha-eun twirled a lock of hair around her finger and said, "I know, I should get out..."

Then she suddenly whipped her head around to look at me.

"Why do I suddenly not want to go inside?"

"That’s not something you say to someone who has to work overtime."

"Right. It’d be a little much to keep a busy person here."

Suddenly, Lee Ha-eun lifted a hand. Startled, I leaned back, and she narrowed her eyes slightly.

"I’m not going to eat you."

"...You raised your hand out of nowhere. Of course I got startled."

Her hand gave my forehead a light tap.

"Unfurl that face of yours. I told you you’d get those smile lines."

"Such nagging... but seriously, do I have smile lines?"

Concerned, I rubbed between my brows, and after staring at me for a moment, Lee Ha-eun muttered, "You’re not even a handsome face, so what exactly is getting tangled up like this..."

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

She didn’t answer. Instead, she just looked steadily at my face.

At that gaze, I found myself falling silent too.

"..."

A natural silence settled over us.

We didn’t say a word, only looked into each other’s eyes.

Under that strange exchange of looks, my heart began to pound.

-Thud, thud.

Strange.

Lee Ha-eun wasn’t doing or saying anything, so why was I so tense?

But she didn’t look all that steady either.

Her eyes had gone a little hazy.

Our rough breaths began to heat the air inside the car.

The lyrics drifting from the speakers only fed the strange thoughts curling in my head.

-Cause all of me loves all of you.

-Love your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections

A dark night, a dangerous pop song, a sealed space.

A man and a woman staring at each other.

I knew I shouldn’t be thinking like this, but the strange spell of the moment kept loosening my self-control.

Just as I finally couldn’t take it anymore and was about to say something meaningless, Lee Ha-eun spoke first.

"Kwon Chan."

She said my name softly.

Then words I couldn’t make sense of spilled from her mouth.

"Keep Christmas Eve open."

"...What are you talking about?"

"There’s an Eclat d'Or launch party on Christmas Eve."

My eyes widened.

By contrast, Lee Ha-eun’s eyes curved like those of a fox with nine tails.

"You ate dinner with me today, so you have to go to the party with me that day."

Her sudden invitation left me no time to refuse.

Meanwhile, the top-star actress who had gotten out of the car stuck out her tongue playfully.

"Work hard, manager."

Watching her, I came to my senses a beat too late.

"Huh?"

...Right.

I had work overtime, didn’t I?

Damn it.

***

When I got back to the company, I spent the night clearing the backlog of work and only managed to leave after midnight.

I dragged my exhausted body home and collapsed onto my bed, falling asleep as if I’d passed out.

The next morning, when I finally pried my eyes open in a daze, my body felt almost unnervingly refreshed.

"Is this really what a person feels like after working overtime?"

Usually, after a night like that, I could barely drag myself out of bed. So why was I like this today?

Still puzzled, I started getting ready for work.

Just as I was finishing my shower and changing clothes, Sek-du hyung called me.

"Kwon Chan! Where are you?"

"At home."

"What? You’re still home? When are you coming in?"

"I was just about to leave."

Sek-du hyung let out a low groan.

"It’s already this late and you’re still home!"

"I worked overtime yesterday, so I took the morning off."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah. But did something happen? Why do you sound like that?"

Sek-du hyung swallowed hard before speaking.

"...Director Na Jun-hu came to headquarters to see you, idiot!"

At that, the last of my sleepiness vanished in an instant.

What? Director Na Jun-hu came to Baekhak headquarters?

Sek-du hyung added to the situation.

"Since you weren’t here, he’s talking with the vice president now, so get your ass in here, fast!"

The call ended.

For a moment I just blinked stupidly, then slowly muttered, "Director Na Jun-hu coming to Baekhak headquarters... there’s only one reason for that, isn’t there? Casting an actor?"

That seemed likely.

...In other words, the two-time ten-million director had come in person to headquarters to cast one of the actors I managed in his next project!

Only after I belatedly grasped the gravity of the situation did I rush to change clothes, but then my smartphone, left on the table, rang again.

What now, is it Sek-du hyung again?

With that thought, I picked up the phone.

And then.

Unidentified messages from an international number appeared one after another on the screen.

"What?"

A new future text message had arrived.

And not just one, but three of them.