Chapter 208: As It Is (3)
Chapter 208: As It Is (3)
Low from JustX.
Seo-yeon had already crossed paths with him a few times.
Since she had filmed Dream Future with Ma Yeon-woo, there had been several opportunities to run into him.
Aside from that, she had seen him before in high-society circles back when she was busy promoting Shine Moon.
Looking at him now, his complexion seemed much better than it had been then. He had the face of someone who was, so to speak, living the high life. Even his outfit was draped in luxury brands from head to toe.
"Hey, Jo Seo-hee, do you actually hang out at arcades?"
He spoke with a smirk, his tone quite casual.
Jo Seo-hee frowned at his attitude. It was clear she wasn't particularly close to him.
But knowing Jo Seo-hee’s personality, there’s no way she’d just let that slide.
As Seo-yeon thought this, Low added another comment.
"Min-young talks about you a lot."
"...You two seem to have become quite close."
"Whoa, why so stiff? We’re friends, aren't we?"
Low seemed intent on getting close to Jo Seo-hee, constantly pushing a sense of familiarity. Jo Seo-hee looked utterly exhausted by it.
"What’s this? Were you guys mid-match? I’m great at fighting games. Want me to show you how it’s done?"
"No..."
"Looks like a match was already going. Move aside. I’ll show you how to absolutely wreck them."
"Ha, fine. Do whatever you want."
Low didn't seem to realize that Seo-yeon was sitting on the opposite side.
As the game began, Seo-yeon narrowed her eyes. Just as she was about to get her revenge on Jo Seo-hee, this weirdo had to butt in.
Actually, wait. I should test it out on him before I use it on Jo Seo-hee.
Seo-yeon disliked fighting dirty. She usually avoided using light punches and kicks because she considered them cheap. In her mind, a fighting game should be about flashy combos and technical skills.
Poking away with light attacks like a total scrub wasn't her style... but it was a necessary evil if she wanted to beat Seo-hee. It would be good to warm up before facing Seo-hee again.
And so...
"Watch closely. This character has big moves, see? So... Argh, damn it!"
"Wait, what? Why is this guy playing so cheap?"
"There’s a way to counter that, but—no, how did they parry that?!"
Low, who had stepped up with such confidence, was literally being pummeled by Seo-yeon’s light punches and kicks. Every time he tried to initiate a move, she parried it with absurd reaction speed and went back to one-sidedly beating him down.
Seo-hee, who had stepped aside with a "fine, do your worst" attitude, watched the one-sided slaughter with wide eyes.
She could have won even without playing like that.
Seo-hee couldn't help but wonder if Seo-yeon had been taking it easy on her. Then again, seeing how Seo-yeon had lost ten times in a row and gotten all fired up, that didn't seem to be the case...
But the more she watched, the more she realized Seo-yeon’s kinetic vision was insane. Seo-hee could tell that Seo-yeon was reacting to the opponent’s attacks by actually seeing them.
It was different from gamers who predicted moves based on animations. It was more... animalistic.
Thud!!
"Argh!! This is so frustrating! What the hell? Is it even fun to play like that? Who the hell is this guy?"
After suffering two consecutive Perfects, a furious Low slammed his fist onto the machine’s console and stood up. From his perspective, cold water had just been thrown on a perfectly good situation.
I finally ran into Jo Seo-hee by chance.
To Low, who ran Shine Moon, Jo Seo-hee was a client he absolutely had to secure. She wasn't just anyone; she was the daughter of the New Like Group, one of the top five conglomerates in the country. Moreover, with her recent string of business successes, it felt like she was headed even higher.
I have Min-young to thank. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have known Jo Seo-hee was the daughter of the New Like Group chairman.
Jo Seo-hee was only known to the public as an actress. While there were open rumors about her family being wealthy, the identity of her backer was largely unknown. However, after her recent performance at Mirinae Park, whispers had started that she might be connected to that specific corporate line.
While various speculations were flying around, Low had gotten the confirmed intel from Chae Min-young, whom he had met at a high-society party.
Jo Seo-hee is an actress with a high-value name.
She was still young, so she couldn't be called a "great actress" yet, but she was clearly a star in the making. Furthermore, given her social personality, she had a vast network, and even more people were eager to get close to her.
The daughter of the New Like chairman. Countless celebrities tied to her. Securing her alone would bring in countless benefits.
But perhaps she had sensed Low’s ulterior motives, as Jo Seo-hee had never once properly answered his calls. That was why he had been putting in all sorts of effort to get close to her. He used Chae Min-young, who was fond of him, to maintain constant contact. Was it a stroke of luck that Seo-hee couldn't turn down a request from the younger Min-young, allowing him to at least get on a first-name basis?
When he saw Jo Seo-hee at the arcade today, Low had rubbed his eyes several times. Jo Seo-hee, who seemed like the last person to ever visit an arcade, was actually playing a fighting game.
As it happened, Low considered himself quite the expert at fighting games. He had planned to show off and then make his next move.
The perfect opportunity finally came, and someone has to ruin it?
Low huffed and puffed as he walked over to the person sitting on the other side. Of course, he had his celebrity image to maintain, so he didn't plan on causing a scene. He just felt like he needed to see their face to vent his anger.
"......?"
Then, Low froze.
The girl sitting on the other side looked incredibly familiar.
Ju Seo-yeon?
Was he seeing things? Was the person who just thrashed him really Ju Seo-yeon? No, more importantly, what was Ju Seo-yeon doing at an arcade?
Wait, hold on a second.
Now that he thought about it, Seo-yeon had arrived at the party he attended previously with Jo Seo-hee.
Are those two close?
Low’s mind began to race.
Ju Seo-yeon. She was a different breed from Jo Seo-hee, but she was undoubtedly a heavyweight. She was the hottest celebrity of the year, and more than anything, her international recognition was staggering.
As a businessman, Low was well aware of the interest overseas markets were showing in the "celebrity" Ju Seo-yeon lately. It wasn't just about her being an actress; it was every aspect of her as an entertainer.
If I get close to her, won't Jo Seo-hee follow naturally?
He wondered why Jo Seo-hee was at an arcade, and it seemed she had come because Seo-yeon asked her to. It was a well-known fact in the industry that Seo-yeon loved games. The proof was her appearance on Play Until the King.
That variety show’s lifespan had been greatly extended after her appearance, but at the time, it was on the verge of cancellation. The way Seo-yeon had acted there was something that couldn't come from anyone who didn't genuinely love games.
Besides, if it was Ju Seo-yeon, Low actually had something to talk about.
"W-Wow! I thought I was up against a pro, but it was you, Seo-yeon? This is crazy!"
"? Weren't you coming over to pick a fight?"
"Pardon?"
Low froze, not expecting her to ask so bluntly. Seo-yeon tilted her head at his reaction.
Doesn't this happen pretty often at arcades?
Moreover, Seo-yeon was aware that she had played a bit dirty this time. She had even heard the swearing coming from the other side. That had only made her more excited to hit him even more unfairly. Even after his character died, she had kept juggling the corpse in the air for thirty seconds.
At that point, it would be weirder if the opponent didn't storm over in a rage. Seo-yeon had beaten him knowing full well what the reaction would be.
"D-Did you happen to hear me?"
"Hear what?"
"Well..."
Low swallowed hard at Seo-yeon’s nonchalant response. He couldn't bring himself to ask if she’d heard him calling her "this bastard" and "that bastard" from across the machines. If she had, he had no idea how she’d react. If she hadn't, he’d just be asking for trouble by bringing it up.
"I did hear you calling me 'this bastard' and 'that bastard.'"
"......"
At Seo-yeon’s words, Jo Seo-hee, who had been standing by with her arms crossed, narrowed her eyes. Her face said she had a lot she wanted to say, but she was holding back for Seo-yeon’s sake.
"A celebrity... swearing like that when people might be listening. Hah."
That was all she said. Low was inwardly piqued by her comment, but what could he do?
This is bad.
Low was certain that if things stayed like this, he’d never get another chance to talk to Jo Seo-hee. And was it just talking? If Jo Seo-hee told the New Like chairman about this with a grudge...
Low felt a chill run down his spine.
"W-Wow, Seo-yeon. You see, when someone is too good, a person might... let a few rough words slip. But man, you’re seriously good. I’m pretty decent at fighting games, but I never expected to get destroyed like that. Hahahaha!"
Forcing a laugh, Low glanced at the two women watching him. Ju Seo-yeon and Jo Seo-hee. With both of them standing side-by-side and staring at him, sweat began to pour down his back.
What’s with those glares?
Low had been a bit of a rebel back in his school days. The kids he hung out with were the same. He had just managed to avoid any real trouble because he’d never crossed the line into school violence. Anyway, he’d met his fair share of "delinquent" girls, but this was on another level. He felt like even those delinquent girls would just lower their eyes if they ran into these two.
What do I do? Wait, come to think of it.
Low hurriedly turned on his smartphone and scrolled through his long list of contacts. Not this one. He’d broken up with this one recently. Ah, here it is.
"Oh, right, right! I should have mentioned this first. Seo-yeon, I’ve actually been wanting to say hello for a while."
"To me?"
"The thing is, this is a total secret. But hey, you know how it is, right? Celebrities gotta protect each other's private lives."
"Yes."
"Well, I’ve recently started seeing someone. And it turns out she knows you. It’s almost at the 'some' stage? Or rather, we’re basically dating already."
Why is he suddenly talking about his love life?
Seo-yeon looked at Low with that exact question in her eyes. Jo Seo-hee’s brow relaxed slightly. Since he was bringing up another woman, it seemed he wasn't planning on hitting on them. Though he still felt like he was trying to reel them in for some other reason.
He’s been running a club with a bad reputation lately.
Chae Min-young—the daughter of the Hyoyoung Group chairman and Jo Seo-hee’s frenemy—was a fan of Low and had been sharing all sorts of news. Chae Min-young had fallen head over heels for him and seemed to have visited his club a few times...
She denies it, but...
A minor in a club. It didn't feel right. Jo Seo-hee watched Low with even sharper eyes.
And then.
"Here’s a photo! See? You know her, right?"
Low showed them his smartphone screen. Seo-yeon, who had looked at it dismissively, suddenly widened her eyes. There was a photo of Pyo Ji-woo posing with Low.
"...Ji-woo Unnie?"
"Yeah, Pyo Ji-woo. She’s been appearing on TV lately doing various acting gigs. We met at the station a while back and hit it off."
Pyo Ji-woo was currently appearing as a supporting character in an ongoing morning drama. Her screen time wasn't very high, but her acting was receiving quite a bit of praise. Having recently transitioned from theater, she seemed a bit lost at times, but Seo-yeon was certain Pyo Ji-woo would reach the top soon.
Especially if she plays a villain.
Seo-yeon was convinced she would receive much higher acclaim then. Regardless, she had been relieved to see Pyo Ji-woo doing well, unlike in her past life.
"...You two are seeing each other?"
"Yeah, so don't be so guarded~."
Seo-yeon let out a hollow laugh at his casual tone. An idol on drugs. A member of his own group, JustX, was Ri-hyun, the "Gangnam Chair King." Considering that his main haunt was Shine Moon... it was safe to assume they were birds of a feather.
So.
Is he the one she’s stuck on this time?
The thought naturally crossed her mind. Of course, she had no intention of letting it stay that way.
*
"Just in case, you should probably avoid his calls."
Though they’d had the annoying encounter with Low in the middle, Seo-yeon and Seo-hee had otherwise had a great time. It felt a bit odd to say, but Seo-hee and Seo-yeon were quite compatible in terms of personality. Seo-hee was the type to approach most things without prejudice and was the kind of person who could enjoy unfamiliar things.
While visiting Animate in Hongdae and wandering around with Seo-yeon, she seemed to have genuinely enjoyed herself.
I can see why she has so many people around her.
Setting aside her looks, she was practically a master at handling people. For Seo-hee’s part, it had been a fulfilling day—except for the part where they met Low.
Finally, before parting ways at a cafe, Seo-yeon and Seo-hee talked about the upcoming filming for Gyeongseong Lady.
"Starting tomorrow, there will probably be Japanese staff on set as well."
"Japanese staff?"
"It seems they want to film something personally to promote Gyeongseong Lady. They’ll probably link it with the OTT documentary we’re planning."
"So they’ll be filming in two places at once?"
"Right. We were going to just give them our footage, but the Japanese side said they wanted to film their own. They even paid extra for it."
It was a truly unprecedented situation. Since the production team here was already making one, they could have just taken that and aired it.
"Why?"
"It’s probably because of you."
"Me?"
"The OTT documentary we’re filming is strictly a promotional tool for the movie Gyeongseong Lady. Naturally, it covers the overall production."
This was also very unusual. Of course, they didn't have much extra to film. They just had to stitch together behind-the-scenes footage from the movie and insert interviews here and there. But that wasn't what the Japanese broadcaster wanted.
"They want to film you. While Lee Ji-yeon is the protagonist of the movie, I think... you’ll be the protagonist of the Japanese promotional documentary."
To be honest, Jo Seo-hee didn't know much about the Japanese broadcasting industry either. Since they said they wanted to do it, she was just letting them. Even if it failed, there was no harm in the extra exposure.
"...That’s interesting."
"Well, I can understand it. You have this strange way of drawing people’s eyes."
Seo-hee sat in the cafe and stared directly at Seo-yeon. Under that steady gaze, Seo-yeon’s eyes slowly drifted to the side. Was she feeling awkward? Jo Seo-hee couldn't help but chuckle.
"To be honest, when we first met, I never thought I’d be talking to you like this."
"You mean the 'parachute' thing?"
"......"
So she still remembers that! Seo-hee squeezed her eyes shut.
"Is that why you’re still using formal speech with me? That’s so mean, seriously."
"W-Well, I had... a reason for that, you know? It’s just..."
"It’s okay. I don't really mind it now. I just think about it occasionally."
That means you mind it a lot!
Jo Seo-hee pouted. At the sight of her, Seo-yeon let out a soft smile. Certainly, the awkwardness between them was gone now.