Han Da-sol Joins!

In a certain barbecue restaurant in Seoul. A place notorious for having almost no customers due to its terrible cost-performance ratio. The only reason it stayed in business was its private room-style tables and the way it protected celebrities' privacy. There was even a viral video of a famous singer devouring an unbelievable amount of kimchi here.

"Noona, you're here?"

"Ah, hello..."

Han Da-sol hesitated. The moment she saw Woo Dan-wol sitting at the table and greeting her, her heart gave a faint flutter. But who was she? A veteran who'd been rolling around the entertainment industry since her school days. A seasoned professional and a mid-tier actress.

Which was why Han Da-sol was confident in her ability to control her expression. She noticed that Lee Hye-ri, the CEO of her agency, wasn't there. Maybe he really had come alone?

"Do you like samgyeopsal?"

"Yeah!"

She was clearly failing at keeping her expression in check. Her lips kept twitching. Sitting across from him, the mere thought of eating while looking at his face made her want to break into a helpless smile. Her so-called composure was nothing more than a desperate struggle not to grin like an idiot. The joy of meeting him was blooming freely across her face. She really was like a puppy. Her eyes sparkled. If she had a tail, it would have been spinning like a helicopter.

At that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠moment—

"Oh, Da-sol, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Ah, hello, CEO."

The puppy was disappointed. Her spinning tail drooped completely. Lee Hye-ri's appearance was incredibly unwelcome. Even though this was supposed to be a private meal, it had suddenly turned into something almost like a date—only for it to become a business meeting instead.

Lee Hye-ri's gaze. It clearly held no emotion whatsoever, yet Han Da-sol felt a chill run down her spine. Had she just gotten goosebumps?

Han Da-sol had become a puppy frozen solid in front of a lion. What woke her up was Woo Dan-wol.

"Noona, have you been well?"

"Yeah. I've been... I've been well."

Lee Hye-ri naturally took the seat beside Woo Dan-wol. Han Da-sol glanced at her for no particular reason before answering his question. There was something faintly uncomfortable and nagging about this feeling. Something subtle that couldn't quite be put into words.

Of course, Han Da-sol was simple. She could shake off any complicated emotions that troubled her in an instant. In terms of mindset, she was remarkably free.

"When I acted with you last time, it was really good."

"Hehe, was it...?"

As simple as she was, her mood swings were just as quick. As if she'd never been sulking at all, Han Da-sol smiled at his words. It wasn't very senior-like behavior. But she liked it.

The past six months she'd spent agonizing and hesitating now felt like a waste. Reuniting with Woo Dan-wol was sweet.

Watching the two of them, the corner of Lee Hye-ri's mouth curled up in a sly, almost sinister way before quickly smoothing out again. It was a fleeting moment that Han Da-sol never noticed.

The meat finished grilling. The meal began in earnest.

At first she sat there stiffly, wondering how many of Woo Dan-wol's children she should have. But gradually, Han Da-sol began to relax and join the conversation.

Since they were all actors, the talk naturally turned to acting, and the groundwork for something bigger began to be laid.

"Dan-wol, did you hear we got a practice room at the company?"

"Oh, really?"

"......"

Han Da-sol's ears perked up. She looked positively intrigued.

"But if it's just practicing alone... I'm not sure."

"True. Maybe we should bring in a few more people...?"

Her ears perked up even more. With only about a month left until her contract expired, Han Da-sol's ears twitched at every word. The moment her eyes met Woo Dan-wol's—

Her mouth fell open. Her eyes went hazy. There was a clear difference between practicing acting alone and practicing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with others. Han Da-sol knew this better than anyone. And so, faced with Woo Dan-wol's handsome face, her imagination began to run wild.

She came back to her senses the moment her mouth actually opened.

"My contract... is expiring soon..."

"...?"

Lee Hye-ri tilted her head as if she had no idea what Da-sol was talking about. But from the moment she'd heard about this dinner invitation, everything had been going exactly according to her plan.

"Would you like to join us? At Haesung Entertainment."

"Ah..."

She'd even received a business card. They had exchanged cards before, but this wasn't a casual greeting. This was a card given from a CEO to an actress. A professional relationship.

Han Da-sol hesitated. Even though she'd been the one to bring it up, this wasn't something she could decide lightly. Her current agency wasn't one of the big three, but it was a solid mid-tier company with many actors. She'd been with them for seven years, from her child acting days all the way to her current rise. There were deep ties there.

But one sentence shook her completely.

"It would be nice to act with you again, sunbae. We had such great chemistry during Forest of Flowers."

"R...really?"

She wavered. And the guilt that had been clinging to her pant leg finally let go. This was Lee Hye-ri's decisive finishing blow.

"Isn't the CEO of your current agency the one from Muna Actors?"

"Ah, yes..."

"I'm close with that CEO. I'll talk to him and smooth things over."

"Ah..."

Han Da-sol recalled the past. It was during the height of filming Forest of Flowers. She remembered the CEO laughing heartily and asking if Lee Hye-ri had finally gone independent. She could still picture him smacking his lips and saying, "We should grab a drink sometime."

"Umm..."

Woo Dan-wol's gentle smile. Lee Hye-ri's snake-like temptation.

Han Da-sol covered her face with both hands. She felt like she was being completely played, but... acting practice with Woo Dan-wol?

In the end, she couldn't hold back.

"I'll... join."

"You made the right choice, noona."

"Yes. I'll take good care of you, Da-sol."

Moving from a well-established mid-tier agency to a newly launched one. If the CEO hadn't been Lee Hye-ri, it would never have happened.

And so, Haesung Entertainment gained its second actor. Han Da-sol had officially joined!

Time passed quickly. Aside from the fact that Woo Dan-wol's fans had gone into a frenzy due to his period of self-reflection, his daily life had no problems whatsoever.

January passed and February arrived. During that time, he finished filming a Pepsi Zero commercial.

The massive craze for I Want to Stay for Just One More Minute had ended, but the image of Woo Dan-wol remained firmly planted in people's minds. Wearing tight-fitting sportswear, sweating, then drinking a Pepsi Zero. It was more than enough to stir the hearts of women.

Of course, his fans weren't the type to be happy just because he appeared in a commercial. If there had been news about his next project, maybe it would have been different. But after his self-reflection announcement, there was no news at all. Fans began to worry that their promising star had given up, and their frenzy only grew more intense.

"Hmm..."

"What do you think?"

"Not really..."

Countless scripts were piled on the desk. Movies, dramas—there was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a mountain of them. But not a single one satisfied Woo Dan-wol.

He wanted to start working on his next project soon. His schedule wasn't particularly busy, but he often practiced with Han Da-sol.

Thanks to that, employee satisfaction with Haesung Entertainment's welfare improved day by day. Lee Hye-ri paid close attention to staff benefits, but more than anything, the bright smile Woo Dan-wol gave when greeting people was the ultimate perk for the female employees. Just hearing him say "Thank you for your hard work" was enough for some to volunteer for overtime and stay late. That was how powerful his influence was.

Anyway, Woo Dan-wol set the script down and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"Yes. Could you give me a ride?"

"Sure. That's literally my job."

"Thank you, noona."

"Yeah..."

When she heard the destination, Lee Hye-ri's eyes widened. It looked like they would need more people for this.

Current time: 11 a.m. It was cold at the middle school in February, but a new wind was blowing. That ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was because a graduation ceremony was taking place at the school Woo Ri-na attended.

"Look at her face."

"Sigh."

Jin Yu-jeong and Lee Da-bin giggled. They'd spotted Woo Ri-na sulking by herself. They understood the situation perfectly.

She was practically living on her own these days. She'd firmly told Woo Dan-wol not to come to her graduation. He was her guardian and family, but he was also a celebrity.

There would definitely be chaos. Woo Ri-na didn't want to cause trouble for her brother.

Still, why was she sulking? She was still young, so it was only natural.

No matter how many times she told herself it was fine, that it was okay, the moment she saw Jin Yu-jeong's and Lee Da-bin's mothers and fathers, she couldn't help but feel bitter.

That was why her friends were being extra careful. They weren't the kind of tactless friends who would tease her like usual. And they certainly weren't the kind who wouldn't consider their friend's feelings.

In the end, it was the parents of the trio who stepped forward first. Knowing the situation, they handed her a bouquet of flowers.

"Congratulations on graduating, Ri-na."

"You've worked hard."

"Thank you, ma'am, sir."

Woo Ri-na bowed her head and expressed her gratitude. She tried to look fine, but she couldn't hide the bittersweet look in her eyes.

Usually, graduation ceremonies ended around lunchtime. She'd been so adamant that her brother absolutely shouldn't come that she'd practically shouted at him. But now that the moment had arrived, she was starting to regret it a little.

It wasn't like there weren't other kids in similar situations, but people still felt that sense of longing, didn't they?

At that moment, a murmur rose from far away. It sounded like a crowd was gathering. The noise was gradually getting closer.

"Ri-na!"

Good, he wasn't too late. Woo Dan-wol, who had just entered the auditorium, called out. People's eyes naturally turned toward him, but he still managed to reach Woo Ri-na.

"O...ppa?"

Woo Dan-wol smiled. They weren't close enough yet, but his smile was filled with the warmth of someone who had come to congratulate her on her graduation.