A Radiant Star... and a Brilliant Confession
Her lips curved into a lascivious smile as she swallowed the last remnants of her dessert with obvious satisfaction.
A strangely awkward atmosphere settled between us, the two of us.
Lee Ji-yeon, the reporter who had been silent until now, was the first to speak.
"It was good, wasn't it?"
"Yes...?"
"I said, it was good."
"Ah... yes."
I didn't say it.
No, more than that—I couldn't speak at all.
If I said anything else here, wouldn't I feel like I'd just paid for the story in some twisted way...?
I was the manager who had "provided" my body once to stop the scandal. Me... I really was an idiot.
*Did all those countless entertainers in my past life feel this strange emotion too...?*
No, not me—at least I was happy to be with this gorgeous reporter...
They'd just been a one-night stand with some aging, paunchy uncle. They must have wanted to die.
*I absolutely won't do anything like that... No, I'll make sure no one else does either. At least not in my line of sight...*
"Then I really should go! I have a real scoop article to write..."
"What scoop?"
"What scoop? Of course it's the Kim Director one and your article. I broke the story, but I need to file a follow-up by tomorrow morning."
"...?"
"What do you mean 'eh'? Isn't that obvious? The incident happened just now, so the follow-up should be filed tomorrow, right?"
That meant... I had only been unconscious for about half a day?
"Then... Si-a noona and my article..."
"What are you talking about? Kim Si-a and your article? What kind of article could there possibly be?"
*Damn... Did I get played?*
I really... let this noona fool me like an idiot...?
Could she have planned everything from the beginning...!?
When she saw my panicked expression, she smiled as if she found it amusing.
*Why would I write your article? Especially with that cold beauty, Kim Si-a...?*
No need to tell the world.
This kind of... heartwarming manager...
The world now is interested in this kind of professional, not just entertainers...
There's no need for me to step forward and advertise this honey pot of a man to the public at all.
*I'll keep him all to myself—it's enough.*
Exactly...
Right now, this woman was secretly hiding me, planning to enjoy me slowly, bit by bit.
Of course, I had no idea.
"Well... I'm glad the article doesn't come out..."
"What do you mean 'glad'? I got my head hurt like this!"
"It's not that bad... I should be able to go to work tomorrow."
She stared at me like I was some kind of monster, her face bright with delight at my answer.
Well, it did sound weird even to me.
Who in the world was this crazy person, happily going to work with a giant Band-Aid on their head?
"You... you seem to have gotten a pretty bad head injury..."
"Aigoo~ I'm fine. We need to hurry and get Si-a noona's new work started~!"
*Sigh... Do you like this woman that much? No, why?*
"Why? Because she's my actress, of course!"
"Really... Is that the only reason?"
"Then do I need another? I just want to see her soon... My actress. I think this new work could be really good. No, I'll make it happen!"
This man was speaking like he was living a happy dream. He was charming.
His confident, passionate declaration of his ambitions shone as brightly as... well, actually. Could something be this beautiful?
From Lee Ji-yeon, looking at the way he spoke with sparkling eyes, it felt like she was seeing a light that outshone any jewel.
"You... you're amazing. Baby manager."
"...?"
"No, no... I really should go now! I had a great time tonight~!"
"A... taste?"
Again, in moments like this, he became as innocent as a pubescent boy... This man was really charming...
"Then it was extremely thick and delicious~!"
She gently kissed my cheek, which was still flushed from embarrassment, then walked away with her signature haughty stride, never once looking back as she left the terrace.
*Wow... That noona...*
She was so cool...
The perfect example of a proud, career-driven older woman...?
Her back, striding with that confident, haughty step, looked incredibly sexy.
* * *
The gentle spring breeze brushed against my cheeks.
Was it because the time of deep recollection had arrived?
Everything in the world looked beautiful, and my heart felt full of peace.
Was this what real leisure felt like?
This leisurely life... didn't seem so bad after all...
"Hyah~ It's nice... The flowers are so pretty..."
Flowers... How come they look as pretty as Si-a noona's face...?
Si-a noona...
Si... noona?
"Si-a noona!"
*Damn it!* I had completely forgotten that I had left the two of them alone in the hospital room together.
"Aigoo, you stupid boy... Even if your head's spinning, you forgot about it?"
I couldn't let that kind of nonsense come out of this lady's mouth...
My beloved being Kim Si-a... A giant Kim Si-a poster in my room...
I absolutely couldn't let something like that happen.
If it did, how would I face Si-a noona's face...!?
*Dash dash dash!* I ran to the hospital room at full speed, pushing the wheelchair.
"Aigoo! That's what I said... I like Kim Si-a so much! My room has..."
"Huh, mom... Stop! Up to there only..."
Luckily, I managed to cover her mouth just before the terrifying story started coming out.
"You seem to have good stamina despite the injury... You're flying around like crazy!"
"Minhyuk... Are you okay running around like this? It's been only a few hours since your head got banged up, right...?"
"O-of course! But... this lady didn't say anything, right...?"
"..."
The heavy silence in the room, filled with my urgent question, left me uneasy.
Don't say no... Please, just say nothing happened!
Time stretched like an eternity, and slowly, Si-a noona's mouth opened.
I let my legs go weak and collapsed onto the bed with a thump.
"What story...? Like... there are my bromides in your room...? Something like that...?"
"..."
She didn't say anything at all~ What do you think?
"Really, no other words?"
"Hehe... But Minhyuk. Among the actors, is noona your favorite?"
I was finished. My hand was shaking, and my face was burning like a ripe persimmon, ready to explode.
If I had been an older soul from a previous life, I would have laughed it off, but...
My mind was already synced with this young body long ago.
Shame flooded over me like a tidal wave, spreading through my entire body.
"Didn't I tell you not to?! Why...? Were you embarrassed? It seems you know me too well, hehe..."
"..."
This lady simply giggled and avoided my eyes, while Si-a noona... for some reason, she was giggling too, giving me those mischievous, knowing smiles.
Completely oblivious to my inner turmoil...
"You two... can go now? I think I should rest..."
"Why! We can sleep together~ The room is so big, it's a private room... right, mom?"
"Exactly, exactly! You two can sleep together! Mom will go now!
Oh my, I must have been so distracted... forgetting to turn on the washing machine!"
This lady smiled at us with a cheerful expression.
Quickly, the mother left the room.
Now only Si-a noona and I remained...
An awkward time alone in the room.
"Noona... You should go too... I want to be alone."
"Aigoo~ Why are you acting like that? Embarrassed? I'll keep it a secret from everyone else~"
What would I do with the secret!? The person involved knows, the person involved!
Other people know everything, but only noona knows...
It's not like only noona knows and the others don't— what's the point!?
I let out a heavy sigh and looked at her.
"Sigh... Noona. You have lessons tomorrow and you need to exercise...
Honestly, that's why you don't want to go, right?"
"Ah, no! I'm not staying here to sleep! I'm staying because I'm worried about you..."
"It won't work. Go in and sleep now. I need to handle tomorrow's schedule..."
"I don't want to! I don't want to! I don't want to exercise! Puuueeeeng!"
Even with my scolding, she started pouting like a child,
and in the end, I had to appease her before we headed back to the very same terrace where I had enjoyed a secret meeting with Lee Ji-yeon just moments ago.
* * *
The late-night hospital corridor was quiet, but it wasn't completely empty.
*What? Those two men and women swapped again... Is this some kind of chaebol thing?*
*Just looking at them, huh? They're cashing in on their faces! Must be some windbag...*
*But that woman's really pretty... What celebrity does she remind me of?*
*Yeah, but there's something familiar about her...*
Hearing the aunties' murmurs,
Si-a noona quickly lowered her head, and we stepped out onto the terrace at a slightly quicker pace.
"Phew! I thought I was going to be caught!"
Her face was oddly happy...
It seemed this noona found the situation quite entertaining.
*Sigh... How am I supposed to deal with this young, naive actor...?*
In the past, she had seemed so mature... But perhaps she still hadn't grown that far.
Well, if I had just gotten close to her, I could have handled it...
"Stop running around like a dog and sit down... What would people think...?"
She had been running around like a puppy, sniffing the flower scent,
and now she plopped down gracefully on a bench under the streetlamp...
*Why here...?*
The same seat, the same man...
And two different women.
One an actress, the other a reporter.
The atmosphere was slightly different, but the spring breeze blowing gently was strangely the same.
"Hey... noona."
"Ah...! Uh, tell me..."
This man... Why was he suddenly making the atmosphere heavy like this?
Wait, could it be... a confession?
The mood was right.
The pleasant spring breeze...
Under the streetlamp light, the two of us...
And his gentle, soft voice...
Right now, at this moment, Kim Si-a's heart began pounding as if it would burst.
"I talked too much, didn't I? We haven't even known each other for long..."
"M, met?"
"So... I became your manager, right?"
"Well... yeah, that's true."
"Sorry noona... I got greedy and went too far...
I know noona is an amazing actress, but people don't realize it."
Kim Si-a's heart started beating much faster than before.
This was the first time.
It wasn't about her pretty face or slim figure—
it was that she could act...
She would fit the role... or more accurately, she could act well...
Words like that... I had never heard them in my life.
*Me...? Does this Kim Si-a really have what it takes to act...?*
I couldn't believe it.
I didn't believe it, but this man... What was he seeing to be so certain?
"You... Are you telling the truth?"
"Of course. People don't know... how amazing noona's acting is... and how lovable she is..."
My face burned.
This direct, hot confession was more straightforward and scorching than any I had ever received.
My heart raced so much I couldn't even look into his confident eyes, and my face flushed.
"Really... Really, I am?"
"Believe me just once. Do you see that star over there? The North Star."
"Yeah... I see it."
"I'll make it shine even brighter than that star. I believe in myself!"
A week-old rookie manager... and not even a major, just a high-school graduate rookie.
His eyes, full of certainty, sparkled brighter than that brilliant North Star.
"I believe... No, trust me. So make it happen..."
"Haha... Just believe in me! Noona!"
With those bold words, Kim Si-a made her decision.
She would make his words truth, not arrogance...
She would do anything for that...
She would definitely become a radiant star up in that high sky with this man...
*Because he is my lovable manager...*
The actress, and this daring week-old rookie manager... fell completely head over heels for him.