Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: Just One More Day
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Riiing.
His phone rang.
Lee Jae-hyun, who had been waiting for that exact call, answered without hesitation.
“Now?”
-Yes, please come in.
Her voice trembled so much it was almost shaking. Lee Jae-hyun let out a heavy sigh.
He had hoped it wouldn’t come to this.
He had hoped Han Hyo-jeong’s situation wouldn’t spiral to the worst even after she took her place.
But… just like how the world doesn’t always go your way, it had blown up after all.
‘I’ve never walked into a place like this unscathed.’
Lee Jae-hyun shook his head and grabbed the door handle to the room.
He flung it open.
He stepped right in and quickly scanned the interior.
Three people sat around a table.
“Jae-hyun.”
Han Hyo-jeong looked at him with a face full of fear.
And right in front of her, Hyeon Woo-yong had raised his hand toward her with a vicious expression.
“Alright, everyone freeze.”
Lee Jae-hyun said in a relaxed voice.
Hyeon Woo-yong flinched at his words and turned toward him.
“Who the hell are you!”
Hyeon Woo-yong lowered the arm he’d been swinging at Han Hyo-jeong and pointed at Lee Jae-hyun.
Lee Jae-hyun met his fierce glare with a calm smile as he reached into his pocket.
“Me?”
He pulled out his badge.
“Police. I catch scumbags like you.”
“You little shit…!”
Lee Jae-hyun’s eyebrow twitched at the curse.
Joo Jin-hyuk was rolling his eyes, clearly plotting an escape.
His tie was gone—probably somewhere—and his shirt was completely unbuttoned.
His face was flushed beet red from the booze, and it was downright unpleasant to look at.
“…So what if you’re a cop? What the hell did we do wrong for you to barge in like this!”
“Ha, loudmouth.”
“You got a warrant? You got a warrant, asshole!”
Maybe the pause was just his imagination, but Hyeon Woo-yong started yelling and pointing again.
Lee Jae-hyun’s expression turned ice cold as he stared at him.
He curled his lip at Hyeon Woo-yong.
“That damn warrant again. Every criminal pulls the same shit. Cops show up and it’s all ‘warrant this, warrant that.’”
His eyes on Hyeon Woo-yong grew menacing.
The ones who demand warrants? Not a single innocent among them.
Do they think yelling for a warrant gets them out of the situation?
‘Well… what would a bunch of drunks know?’
Lee Jae-hyun clicked his tongue.
A warrant?
Nice word.
Of course, only for the innocent.
It’s what gives the inhuman scum a chance to run.
They say you can’t arrest without one until it’s issued.
“But you idiots only know half the story.”
Lee Jae-hyun took a step forward as he spoke.
Was the atmosphere too tense, contrary to his expectations?
Hyeon Woo-yong’s bravado faltered, and he stepped back as Lee Jae-hyun approached.
“Hyeon Woo-yong, you’re under emergency arrest for sexual harassment and procuring prostitution in the act.”
“W-what…?”
Hyeon Woo-yong looked at him in panic.
That dumbass face.
They all make the same one.
“You have the right to an attorney, the right to remain silent, to refuse statements that may incriminate you, and to request a court review of your arrest.”
Lee Jae-hyun recited the Miranda rights to him leisurely.
As he started, Hyeon Woo-yong thrashed even more.
“What the fuck is this guy saying! You got a warrant or not!”
Lee Jae-hyun drew closer to Hyeon Woo-yong, who was bellowing at him.
“What you don’t know is that for a crime in progress, we can arrest without a warrant.”
“You motherfucker!”
Hyeon Woo-yong swung a fist.
Lee Jae-hyun dodged and grabbed the arm swinging at him.
Whoosh, thud!
He flipped him over, grabbing his arm and collar.
“Gah!”
Hyeon Woo-yong groaned in pain as he hit the floor.
Click.
Lee Jae-hyun cuffed his wrists.
He stood and approached Joo Jin-hyuk, who stared at him in terror.
“Joo Jin-hyuk. You’re under arrest for sexual harassment and prostitution charges.”
“N-no, I-I…!”
“You heard the Miranda rights earlier, right? Want me to repeat them?”
Lee Jae-hyun grabbed Joo Jin-hyuk’s wrist as he spoke.
Joo Jin-hyuk, panicking and looking around, locked eyes with Han Hyo-jeong in the corner of the room.
Even after her agency CEO got arrested, she remained expressionless.
“You….”
Joo Jin-hyuk glared at Han Hyo-jeong and ground his teeth.
It hadn’t been long since she called him in.
He could easily figure out she’d summoned Lee Jae-hyun.
Realizing the truth, Joo Jin-hyuk’s face twisted.
“You think this changes anything for you?”
“What?”
“You know what investors care about? Movies that make money. Films by big-name directors like me!”
He yelled, veins bulging in his neck.
Han Hyo-jeong fell silent at his words.
“I’m irreplaceable to investors. You? Girls like you? A dime a dozen in this industry!”
Her eyes shook wildly as his rant continued.
“I….”
“You think pulling this shit will make you succeed? Huh? Use your brain if you have one!”
Han Hyo-jeong’s lips trembled.
She wanted to say something.
That she could make it, even if it was empty words.
But every word stabbed her like a dagger.
Her mouth wouldn’t open, as if sewn shut.
“Think about it!”
As Joo Jin-hyuk’s sharp voice made tears well in Han Hyo-jeong’s eyes.
“Cliché.”
“…What?”
Lee Jae-hyun’s flat voice cut in.
Joo Jin-hyuk, who’d been screaming, and Han Hyo-jeong, on the verge of tears, both turned to him.
“Cliché as hell. Thought a director might say something original. But nah… same old crap. Not even funny. You sure you’ve got real talent?”
“What the hell.”
“No talented director spouts lines this stale. You stealing credit from your underlings or something?”
Joo Jin-hyuk flinched.
Lee Jae-hyun cuffed him fully, looking down.
‘Without his connections, he’d never have directed.’
Joo Jin-hyuk was infamous for stealing his staff’s work.
In his past life, he’d burned out trying to make a comeback by exploiting them, crashing to rock bottom.
To Lee Jae-hyun, who’d seen it all, it was pathetic.
“Succeed? Let’s see. Movies have twists at the end, right?”
That’s the charm of films.
* * *
Woo-woo!
Sirens blared around the hotel.
“What’s going on?”
“Something happening over there?”
Passersby stopped at the sudden police cars.
Some pulled out smartphones to snap photos.
Lee Jae-hyun turned and spoke.
“Better stay inside for now.”
Han Hyo-jeong was an actress.
It’d come out eventually, but not good for her to be seen like this.
“Jae-hyun, you heading out separate?”
“Yeah, looks like it.”
Lee Jae-hyun nodded at Kim Jun-ho’s question.
Kim Jun-ho glanced at Han Hyo-jeong behind him, face hardening.
Only for a moment.
“Alright. Take the day off. Get her home safe.”
“Yes, sunbae.”
“I’m off.”
“Take care.”
Lee Jae-hyun bowed to Kim Jun-ho.
Kim Jun-ho nodded and opened the patrol car’s back door.
“Han Hyo-jeong, you…!”
“You’ll regret this! I’ll bury you!”
Cuffed Hyeon Woo-yong and Joo Jin-hyuk hurled curses at her from behind him.
Lee Jae-hyun shielded her with his body.
“Hey! You old fucks got caught and you’re still yapping?”
Kim Jun-ho shoved them in and drove off.
The patrol car vanished from sight.
Lee Jae-hyun exhaled, watching it go.
One problem for Han Hyo-jeong solved.
“I’ll take you home.”
“…”
She nodded without a word.
He walked beside her as she started moving slowly.
Car was close, but her mood made it hard to speak up.
After a bit.
“I went for it… but now, Director Joo’s right.”
Han Hyo-jeong forced the words out.
Her voice was thick with emotion.
Lee Jae-hyun stopped and turned to her.
She halted too, staring at the ground.
“I guess I’m not cut out for it.”
Resignation?
Regret for her actions?
Maybe both.
Lee Jae-hyun watched her, fists clenched.
“I pretended it was fine. As long as I could act, right?”
“…”
“I barely held on to get here… but now it’s too much.”
Telling her to keep going might be meddling.
He wasn’t that great a person to interfere in her life.
But for some reason.
Seeing her slumped shoulders, he spoke without thinking.
“How about holding out just one more day? Until tomorrow’s jog.”
“One day…”
“Yeah, just one day.”
Lee Jae-hyun nodded.
One day.
24 hours.
Not that long.
Blink and it’s gone.
Same for her.
“Nothing more, nothing less. Just one day.”
“…”
Han Hyo-jeong didn’t answer right away.
She bit her lip, deep in thought.
“One day…”
She murmured.
She looked conflicted.
Lee Jae-hyun waited patiently, no pressure.
Time passed.
“…”
She looked up.
He met her gaze steadily.
They locked eyes briefly.
“…Okay.”
What did she see in his eyes?
Han Hyo-jeong nodded weakly.
Just one day.
Only one day.
She nodded, promising to hold on.