Unexpected Dopamine
Namgoong Min had looked briefly startled, but he immediately lost control at Min Seo-eun’s reaction and burst into hearty laughter.
“Pfft… Bwahahahaha.”
“I’m hurt, Seo-eun. A playboy? Hahaha! I never imagined you thought of me that way.”
Seo-eun’s face burned even hotter at his laughter, and she hung her head. She was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear, yet the warmth woven into that laugh sent a tiny thrill through her.
Namgoong Min stopped laughing and gazed at her, his voice softening.
“I’m joking. If that’s how you see me, Seo-eun… I suppose I’ll just have to do better.”
At those words, Seo-eun lifted her head a fraction. His eyes were playful yet warm. The moment she met them, her heart gave another heavy thud. And just as that heartbeat grew louder, so did the feelings she held for him.
After the meeting ended, Min Seo-eun left the office and headed for the elevator on unsteady legs. She kept her head down, face scarlet, shaking it again and again.
I’m crazy… I’ve completely lost it…
The absurd slip of the tongue she could hardly believe had come from her own mouth replayed on loop inside her head. That single word—“playboy”—the instant it shattered the office silence and reached his ears, the moment was seared into her memory.
Haa… Calling the CEO a playboy… What on earth was I babbling about!?
She knew perfectly well that the remark, which had flown out with no context, was far more than a simple mistake.
This is basically a confession. A confession that I’m jealous and want you to notice me too! How could I make such an idiotic blunder…
Her cheeks blazed. That quiet murmur she hadn’t meant to utter had laid every tangled emotion in her heart completely bare. It wasn’t mere petulance; it was a confession that exposed her deepest feelings.
Did the CEO… realize what I feel? No, of course he did… That laugh… I’m finished…
What do I do… How can I ever look at him again…
Even as mortification threatened to drown her, a small bud of anticipation and excitement unfurled in one corner of her heart. The look in his eyes at the very end, that smile. Though it had been a reaction to her ridiculous slip, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the distance between her and the CEO had narrowed, if only a little.
Can I… let myself hope, just a bit?
His earlier words came back to her—asking her to wait just a little longer, promising something satisfying soon. It sounded as if he were saying that right now he had to focus on Ju-ri because of staffing issues, but that her turn would come next.
Is he saying he’ll cast me in a film or drama later, the way he did for Ju-ri?
Since he had called it “satisfying,” he must have been referring to her own acting debut. Because she still felt she fell short compared to Ju-ri, she prayed with all her heart that her guess was right.
Caught between heaven and hell in a storm of conflicting emotions, Min Seo-eun’s small figure disappeared down the far end of the corridor.
Namgoong Min leaned back against the office table with a faintly mischievous expression, turning Seo-eun’s earlier words over in his mind.
Playboy.
The word drew a small smile to his lips. It contained everything her unconscious had revealed—jealousy, resentment, and a deep interest. Among all the Blossoms members, he had never expected the quietest and most timid one, Seo-eun, to show her feelings in such a way.
And that completely unexpected moment sent a strange rush of dopamine through him.
The brain seeks reward by predicting the future; when something unforeseen occurs, it activates dopamine to update those predictions. Situations beyond one’s control—gambling, thrilling games, spontaneous trips. Because the outcome is uncertain, the brain interprets the process as pleasure and releases dopamine. Just as a soccer match with an obvious winner fails to capture attention, while a back-and-forth rivalry ignites explosive focus.
The feeling Namgoong Min was experiencing now was exactly like that.
Seo-eun’s half-confession, something he had never seen coming. Fully grasping its meaning, he smiled and murmured under his breath.
“What am I going to do…”
Suddenly he remembered the look in her eyes the first time they met. It hadn’t been the gaze one gave a mere celebrity or star; there had been something tender and old in it. Even later, when he visited the practice room, he had faintly sensed a longing heart behind the glances she kept stealing at him.
Of course, he was not omniscient. He didn’t know exactly what her behavior meant or how long it had been going on. He could only guess.
He glanced once more at Seo-eun’s profile on the desk. Her pure, innocent face, the note that she was timid, and the line “aspiring actress.” Even in the photograph, her bright smile radiated clearly.
A beauty with a similar yet slightly different charm from Eun-jung. When it came to looks alone, he personally considered her top-tier in the entire industry alongside Eun-jung. And if one factored in that voluptuous F-cup figure, he wondered if Seo-eun might actually be a cut above.
Eun-jung possessed an unmatched aura with her doll-like proportions and elegant image, while Seo-eun combined a body full of volume and sculptural beauty with a timid, pure personality that created a uniquely captivating allure. In any case, both were undeniably rare beauties.
Once again, the words she had unconsciously let slip echoed in Namgoong Min’s ears. That remark laced with adorable jealousy and timid anger directed at him.
Playboy.
This is going to get interesting.
The thought that something unexpected might happen in his relationship with her from now on made a smile bloom fully across his lips.
A few days later, in the lobby of Four Square Entertainment.
It was the final day of script reading for the massive drama, and the lead actors and key staff who would create this overwhelmingly scaled masterpiece had gathered to take a commemorative photo.
Posters for Yeoyo War and life-size standees of the main and supporting cast stood throughout the lobby. The star-studded lineup had drawn company employees from all over the building to watch the shoot.
At the center of the assembled actors, in the most eye-catching position, stood Yoon Eun-jung.
Today her beauty was nothing short of overwhelming. She radiated the charisma of a seductive yet intelligent, pure actress to the fullest. Her long, straight hair swept over one shoulder and left to flow naturally only accentuated her delicate facial lines. A neat, simple black dress hugged her perfect curves and doll-like proportions. Voluptuous breasts, a rounded hip line, a narrow waist, and long, straight legs—every element harmonized beautifully.
Standing among the actors, Eun-jung smiled brightly and struck a pose that left no doubt she was the true owner of that central spot. The way she chatted lightly with her fellow cast members while holding her pose captured the gaze of every employee watching.
“Wow… Eun-jung is absolutely insane today. She’s in full bloom.”
“She’s always been pretty, but today it looks like she really came prepared.”
“Well, we’ll see when the results are in, but this project’s success is already set, isn’t it? Just look at the lineup.”
“Exactly. With a cast like this, failure would be harder than success. And the budget is record-breaking.”
“Still, I wonder who’ll end up with Yoon Eun-jung… I’m so jealous.”
Leaving the murmurs behind, Eun-jung kept her bright smile fixed on the camera. Inside, her heart was filled with pure pride and happiness.
The lead role in a blockbuster drama drawing media attention. The career and status it guaranteed. And, in her mind—and everyone else’s—the perfect man, Namgoong Min, by her side. Each thrilling day and the brilliant future stretching ahead made her chest swell with emotion.
We have three days off until the first shoot… I wonder what the CEO is doing? Should I call him when we’re done?
Since their last meeting, the two had naturally fallen into exchanging calls and messages. Today’s script reading was ending early, so Eun-jung was seriously considering calling him. Once filming began, opportunities to meet would become rare. She desperately wanted to fill the entire three-day break with time spent with him.
While she was lost in thoughts of Namgoong Min, senior actor Han Seok-jung approached.
“Eun-jung, what are you thinking about?”
“Oh, it’s nothing, sunbae.”
“It’s the last day of reading. How about we all have dinner together? Maybe drinks too. We’ve got three days off ahead, so no pressure, right?”
“Ah… you mean today?”
“Why? Got plans?”
Eun-jung had been thinking about meeting Namgoong Min, but refusing a senior actor’s invitation wasn’t easy—especially when they would be filming together for months.
“No, sunbae. It would be nice to gather before we start shooting.”
“Good. See you later, then.”
The commemorative photo shoot began in earnest. Each time the camera flashed, her beauty shone even more brilliantly.
I guess I’ll have to put off seeing the CEO until tomorrow.
Swallowing her regret, Yoon Eun-jung offered the camera her most radiant smile.