Demon King, Chaebol Heiress, Baek Ga-eun (6)
[On my way.]
I jabbed at some random auto-reply message to kill the call and flipped the phone over.
...Had I dodged a bullet?
"...Isn't it okay if you don't pick up?"
Baek Ga-eun was staring at me steadily.
"...Yeah, it's f... "
My words were cut off as the phone started ringing again. It had to be Lee Ji-yeon. Two calls from her meant she was seriously pissed. I needed to pick up right away and soothe her, but we'd just gotten the mood right again after the last interruption—I couldn't completely ruin it now.
"...It's fine if you answer."
She reached for her glass as she said it. Looking away, sipping her wine while sneaking glances at me, she seemed a little sulky.
The phone showed no signs of stopping. She'd keep calling until I picked up. If I ignored it... well, manager or not, I'd be socially obliterated.
"...Then, if you'll excuse me, I'll take this one quick."
I glanced at the screen—yep, Lee Ji-yeon. I stood up, intending to step away from Baek Ga-eun for some privacy.
"It's fine. Take it sitting down."
"..."
She swirled her wineglass, silently urging me to answer. Looked like following her lead was the smart move here, so I sat back down and picked up.
"...Hello...?"
"..."
A flat, emotionless voice came through the phone. No greeting, just cold. Lee Ji-yeon was furious from head to toe. The alcohol fled my system in an instant.
She waited for my excuse, like she was daring me to explain.
"...I was in the middle of work, so I couldn't pick up."
"...Yes. I'll finish up and call you back."
Click.
The last thing I heard before the line went dead was her hollow laugh. I could feel how seething with rage she was.
I'm fucked.
Baek Ga-eun, who'd been watching my face, seemed amused by my awkward expression and gave a soft smile as she poured wine into my glass.
"...She sounds pretty pissed, huh?"
"...Ah, no, it's nothing."
She flashed a slight smile, looking oddly pleased, and the warm atmosphere returned in no time.
As she picked at some food, she grinned and turned to me.
"...Now, let's talk about the important stuff."
"...Sure."
"You said one year, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Honestly, one year is too short by any common sense. Make it two."
"...Pardon?"
"Suppose I trust you and join CG Entertainment. How exactly do you plan to build me up in two years?"
Her words gave me a spark of hope. Thanks to Lee Ji-yeon, my head was clear now, and stretching my one-year plan to two was no problem—I'd prepped for this on the way here.
"If you join us, Miss Ga-eun, I'd push for a quick debut."
"..."
She swirled her wineglass, eyeing me to go on.
"I'd play to your strengths and aim for a modeling debut."
"...Your body's already perfectly balanced, and that white hair will be a total firestarter."
"Of course, you'd have to go through the company's training program, but someone like you would breeze through it. Then, a fast track to modeling debut and entry into the industry—that's the plan."
"...Isn't that a bit too optimistic?"
She took a sip of her wine. Fair point, of course. She majored in ballet, not modeling or acting. Her striking looks gave her plenty of potential as a model, but she had zero acting experience to spark a real blaze.
"Yes, honestly, this isn't a normal plan."
"But... I want to get you out there to the world as fast as possible."
"So even if it's a tight schedule, if you trust me and follow my lead, I promise I'll make it worth it."
Maybe the alcohol had her flushed—her face looked a little red. She held her glass up near her face like she was hiding and replied.
"...Okay."
"..."
Jackpot.
"...But I have a condition."
"...What condition would that be?"
Her positive response had me thrilled, but she slapped on a condition.
"Handle me personally for those two years."
"..."
A tricky one.
My stomach churned and twisted.
After that, we drained a few more bottles of what looked like expensive booze before I could finally escape her room. She was a black hole for alcohol.
The guest room a servant guided me to—after waiting till late—was luxurious enough to rival a high-end hotel suite.
"Ugh..."
I flopped onto the plush bed, barely holding onto consciousness. Gasping like I was expelling the alcohol with every breath, I replayed our conversation.
She'd laid down her condition, and using the company as a shield, we'd talked contract details. She seemed a bit surprised by how bold the terms were, but she was rich—money wasn't the issue. She wanted me as her manager. I sweet-talked her, we swapped contacts, agreed to continue at the office, and that was that.
Basically, I'd signed her. Despite all the chaos, recruiting Baek Ga-eun made the tension melt away.
But something felt off. Like I'd forgotten...
I thought back to leaving home that morning—did I turn off the lights? Lock the door? Nah, it had a smart lock.
...No clue what I'd overlooked. No matter how hard I racked my brain, nothing came up, and the hangover dragged me under. I closed my eyes.
*
Unfamiliar bed meant I didn't sleep long. My eyes snapped open. The lingering hangover throbbed in my head, but it was bearable. I reached for my phone to check the time, but it wasn't around.
On a hunch, I checked under the bed—yep, there it was on the floor. I grabbed it and looked.
7:21 AM
74 Missed Calls
Lee Ji-yeon
"Ah."
The hangover vanished in a flash.
*
I woke early, and thanks to Baek Ga-eun's heads-up, a servant drove me back to Seoul. The whole ride, I called Lee Ji-yeon nonstop, but she didn't pick up once.
At first, I figured she was still asleep, but knowing her from before, she'd probably pulled an all-nighter staring at the ceiling.
The servant eyed me weirdly as I kept calling, looking all anxious, but I couldn't stop.
In what felt like both a short and endless drive, I fired off a bunch of calls and apology texts, but that unread '1' never went away.
I had the servant drop me near her place, grabbed her favorite bread, and headed to her apartment.
Beep.
I eased the door open and peeked inside. There she stood, like she'd been waiting with a frozen glare.
"..."
"...You're here?"
Our eyes met, and I flinched, but I had to play it natural. Amid the crossed gazes, I noticed her eyes were a bit red. Proof she'd been up all night.
"...Yeah."
Sticking to formal speech here might've screamed "kill me," so I dropped it casually and shut the door.
Beep.
"...You're late."
"...Yeah, sorry..."
"And you drank, too?"
"...It just kinda happened..."
Tension had my throat dry; I swallowed hard. I prayed those frantic messages I'd sent would buy me some mercy.
"Met up with a girl, huh?"
Her words lit the fuse on the bomb. How much did she know? I hadn't told the office exactly about Baek Ga-eun—only the staff who'd tipped me off knew, and I'd gotten approval for a "business trip."
This wasn't a question; it was confirmation. Lying now would blow up in my face fast. The fuse was burning even as I hesitated. If it went off... death.
"Yeah, Baek Ga-eun—you know Baekil Group? She's the chairman's granddaughter. Met her to recruit her after Hyeon Ha-yeon, talked contracts, and ended up having a few drinks."
Even to me, that lame excuse sounded suspicious. But not a single lie in it.
...I'm done for.
Suddenly, she grabbed my collar and yanked me toward her. I dropped the bags in my hands. Her breath was hot on my face.
"Ugh..."
"Ha, our little Cho-in... you've grown up, huh?"
"..."
I dropped my gaze to avoid her eyes.
"Look me in the eye."
"..."
She stared into my eyes for a long moment, then flung me to the floor.
Crash.
"Kuh..."
Was Lee Ji-yeon always this strong? Stunned by how easily she'd tossed me, I rolled on the floor.
As I tried to get up, she pinned me effortlessly, glaring down coldly. Even with her slight weight on me, I couldn't budge—like a massive boulder crushing me.
...This level of violence was new.
"Kim Cho-in..."
"..."
"Kim Cho-in!!"
Her grip trembled with rage. It'd been ages since I'd seen her this explosively angry. Still dazed, I couldn't resist her sudden outburst.
"Mmph, mmph!"
"Slurp, smack..."
Her fierce kiss choked me, but she showed no sign of letting go. My freed hands grabbed at her to push her away, but she didn't flinch.
Her unusually long tongue plunged deep, ravaging my mouth.
"Mmph..."
"Smack... slurp..."
She tangled her tongue with mine aggressively, like she was scolding it. I dodged this way and that, but her longer tongue kept catching up, making it impossible—and breathing even harder.
"Haa... haa..."
"Hoo... hoo..."
She was breathless too; she finally pulled her lips away. Saliva from her intense kiss trailed from her mouth to my lips. Our exhales mingled so close it felt like we were sharing breaths.
"Cho-in-ah..."
"You're... mine... don't forget it..."
"..."
Her eyes, staring into mine, looked even redder than before.