Chapter 133: Under the Streetlight
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 133: Under the Streetlight
“Grandfather will help me.”
After hanging up the phone with Chairman Yoo, Young-eun muttered in a low voice.
36 billion won. 30 million dollars.
No matter how successful Yoo Young-eun was, that was an amount of money difficult for her to liquidate on her own.
She was a top star, but there were limits to the wealth one could amass through acting and commercials alone. Even as a third-generation chaebol, not all the assets of the Jeil Group belonged to her.
Therefore, to match the nearly 30 million dollars Olivia had offered, she needed her grandfather’s assistance.
Normally, she would have postponed any arranged marriage meetings for as long as possible. Although she liked Jae-ho and they had already shared an intimate physical connection, she hadn't considered marriage yet. For an actress, marriage was a significant penalty—especially for one in her mid-twenties with a flourishing career ahead of her.
“I can’t let her take him.”
She had been eyeing Jae-ho’s business potential for a long time. The only reason she hadn't made a formal proposal yet was that he was still a university student. If he had expressed a desire to continue his studies, she wouldn't have pushed the business angle until the very end.
But to think the reason he was quitting school was because of Olivia’s investment.
‘I doubt that woman wants Jae-ho for personal reasons, but still...’
Olivia, whose sexual preference involved controlling women through coercion, wasn't the type to fall for a man like Jae-ho. What infuriated Young-eun was the fact that she had been beaten to the punch.
‘It’s okay. It’s no big deal.’
Young-eun closed her eyes and calmed her racing heart, as she always did. Ever since the day she had snapped at Hyun-kyung and fought with Jae-ho, she had developed the habit of mentally etching the character for 'patience' into her heart.
She carefully carved the first stroke of 'patience.' As long as her grandfather agreed to help, this was a hurdle she could easily overcome.
It was then.
“Ah, Young-eun!”
Won Seo-hoon, Korea’s top heartthrob and her co-star in the upcoming drama, called out to her.
“It’s been a while. You haven't been showing up to official events lately, and you haven't been answering my calls.”
“Well, I’ve been busy.”
“Haha, your cold tone is as consistent as ever. By the way, Young-eun, I found a great restaurant recently. Would you like to go with me?”
Her mood was already foul, and now some annoying guy was pestering her. That smirk on his face as he spoke—he was clearly a man well aware of his own good looks. He was likely overflowing with confidence because most women fell for him when he flirted like that.
The problem was, he had picked the wrong target.
“I’m not interested.”
Young-eun was currently in a very low mood. She was on the verge of an explosive outburst.
Be patient. Don't get angry for no reason.
She etched another character for 'patience' in her mind.
“I’m sorry. I have other plans.”
She rejected the offer with a forced smile. She barely had enough time to spend with Jae-ho as it was; the idea of going out with a man like this was absurd.
“Oh, come on. I’m telling you, it’s a place you’ll love. The atmosphere is great, and the prices are reasonable.”
Was he flustered by the rejection? A slight crack appeared in Seo-hoon’s relaxed, smiling expression.
“Go with your stylists, then.”
“Young-eun, wait a second!”
Just as Seo-hoon reached out to grab the wrist of the turning Young-eun, someone stepped in.
“Whoops! Excuse me!”
Jae-ho blocked the space between them. More accurately, he brushed aside Seo-hoon’s arm as it reached for Young-eun’s wrist.
“You have quite the wandering hands.”
“Who the hell are you?”
Seo-hoon grimaced, clutching his arm. He was irritated by Jae-ho’s sudden appearance.
“I am Young-eun’s physical trainer and manager.”
“Manager?”
“Yes.”
“Ha, since when does a mere manager...”
“I stepped in because I’m her manager. It looked like you were about to cause harm to our actress.”
Jae-ho spoke with a professional, business-like smile. However, his eyes weren't smiling at all.
“If you want to use violence, why don't you try it on me? I can even arrange a private spot for us if you’d like.”
Seo-hoon looked at Jae-ho. His broad shoulders and solid, lean muscles wrapped around his body like a suit of armor.
“Hmph, fine. I’m too old to be getting into fights.”
Just as Seo-hoon turned to leave as if fleeing, Young-eun spoke up.
“Seo-hoon.”
She addressed his retreating back.
“You might be older than me, but I believe I’m your senior in this industry. I’d appreciate it if you treated your seniors with proper respect from now on.”
“Understood... Senior.”
After a clumsy bow, Seo-hoon hurried away.
“You didn't have to help me.”
Young-eun’s lower lip was pouting. What was she upset about? Was it because of that man? It didn't seem like it.
“How could I stay still when that guy was trying to grab your wrist?”
“If he had grabbed it, I was going to throw him over my shoulder.”
“You learned self-defense?”
“I learned it back when I was filming a movie. I did all my own action scenes without a stunt double.”
After boasting for a moment, Young-eun let out a heavy sigh.
“Whatever. What’s the point?”
“What is it?”
“I thought you’d ask me for an investment first, Jae-ho, but here you are taking money from another woman.”
“I’ll consider your offer too, Noona.”
“No, forget it.”
Despite her pouting lips, the corners of Young-eun’s mouth were twitching upward. Could this be...?
“Let’s have dinner at a nice place after work today. I know a spot.”
“Really?”
“Didn't you tell that guy you had a schedule?”
“That was a lie, obviously. Usually, if you say you have a schedule, people get the hint that they’ve been rejected and stop bothering you.”
“You’re quite the pro.”
“Of course. Who do you think I am?”
After making plans with Young-eun, we headed back to the script reading.
It was my first time watching a script reading session. The room was filled with actors so famous that I recognized them instantly from movies and dramas. They were all focused on their scripts, immersed in their acting.
“This Noona is taking care of everything today! Follow me!”
Young-eun’s acting, in particular, was top-tier. She captured the essence of a refreshing first love without letting it feel childish. Every time she spoke her lines, the atmosphere of the room brightened.
Of course, it wasn't just Young-eun; the other actors there brought an incredible sense of realism to the scene. The three-hour script reading felt like it passed in the blink of an eye.
“I think it would be better to change this line. It doesn't fit the character.”
Seeing her focus on the performance—pointing out lines or situations that didn't match the character’s personality and giving feedback—gave me a new perspective on her. She was truly sincere about her work.
*
“You worked hard today.”
Young-eun spoke to me as we arrived in front of her house.
“That bulgogi place you took me to was delicious. Honestly, I was surprised.”
“Where did you think I’d take you? An Italian restaurant?”
“No, I thought you’d drag me to a salad bar and insist I eat chicken breast.”
“Noona, no matter how much I love working out, I don’t force people to eat protein in settings like that.”
Chief Park spoke as he watched us through the rearview mirror.
“We have arrived.”
“Ah, thank you for your hard work. I’ll just see Jae-ho off for a moment.”
“Are you going yourself?”
“Of course. He worked hard today.”
“Understood.”
Chief Park nodded. With just that one sentence, he immediately understood Young-eun’s intention. She wanted to go somewhere private and talk to him alone.
“Have a safe trip back.”
I got out of the car with Young-eun. As soon as we stepped out, she subtly slid her fingers between mine.
“Oh?”
Startled, I looked at her, and Young-eun smiled, placing her index finger to her lips.
“Shh. It’s dark, no one will see.”
Young-eun interlaced her fingers with mine and squeezed gently. Her warmth traveled through my hand. The sensation of her soft fingers and palm was so vivid that I let out an involuntary cough.
“Ahem.”
“Are you shy now? After everything we’ve done?”
“Well, that’s...”
“Why? Why are you shy?”
Young-eun leaned her face close to mine. The scent of her skin, a mix of shampoo and perfume, tickled my nose.
“Because you’re... you’re pretty, Noona.”
“What was that?”
“I said you’re pretty.”
“Hmm~ I can’t quite hear you?”
“I said I’m shy because you’re so pretty!”
She clearly had an expression intended to tease me. The corners of her mouth were twitching.
“My, my. Where did you learn to say such sweet things?”
She stood on her tiptoes, meeting my eyes at the same level.
“I didn't learn it... I’m just saying it.”
“You’re a total player, aren't you?”
Young-eun found the sight of the blushing, embarrassed Jae-ho incredibly cute. Under the glow of the streetlight piercing the darkness, she gazed silently into his eyes.
Young-eun closed her eyes and tilted her head toward Jae-ho. He naturally pulled her into his arms. Standing on her tiptoes, Young-eun met his lips. Jae-ho held her waist and leaned into the kiss passionately.
She felt like she was floating. Even though a cold wind was blowing, she didn't feel the chill. For a moment, Young-eun wished time would stop. She hadn't realized she was capable of such girlish emotions.
As their faces pulled apart, a bridge of saliva formed between their lips—a vivid testament to their connection. Seeing it, Young-eun bit her lip as the emotions she had just felt rushed back, making her feel shy.
It was at that moment.
“Oh, Young-eun, what are you doing here?”
A familiar voice spoke in English.
“Huh?”
Startled, Young-eun hurriedly turned her head. And there she was.
Olivia stood there in an overcoat, having arrived with her secretary, Clarice.
“It’s been a while, Young-eun.”
“Olivia?”
“I came here to discuss business with Mr. Jae-ho, but I’ve run into someone unexpected.”
Olivia shrugged, looking back and forth between Jae-ho and Young-eun.
“Are you here to make a business proposal to Mr. Jae-ho as well? It seems I’ve gained a formidable competitor... Surely the two of you don't have some sort of private relationship, do you?”
“No, we don't.”
Jae-ho was the first to deny it. Even though she knew he was stepping up because a scandal would negatively impact a top actress, Young-eun couldn't hide her disappointment.
“I heard you invested?”
“In who? Your boyfriend?”
“He’s... he’s not my boyfriend. He’s just my physical trainer. My trainer.”
Young-eun stammered momentarily, flustered by the word 'boyfriend.'
“Young-eun, you’re not trying to steal the man I have my eye on, are you?”
“Don’t talk nonsense, Ollie. I saw him first.”
“It seems I was the first to decide to invest money, though? Being a member is different from investing. You’ve always been like this—too emotional. If you wanted to claim you saw him first, you should have made a professional investment first.”
Olivia stepped closer, clicking her heels, and poked Young-eun’s nose with her finger.
“By the way, you’re as beautiful as ever. Do you know what my biggest regret is? Not embracing you when we met during our teenage years, before I fully understood my own identity.”
“You’ll be regretting it for the rest of your life, then. Because it’s never going to happen.”
“Hmph.”
Olivia snorted. Her gaze turned toward me.
“You already guessed, didn't you? What my sexual preferences are.”
“Well, yes.”
“Honestly, I’m a bit surprised. To think you have a connection with Young-eun in addition to Miss Im. I’m becoming even more interested in you as a person.”
“I suppose I’m just overflowing with charm.”
“I’ll be waiting for your answer until Saturday. I’m a very punctual person, and I don’t like it when people are late. Whether the answer is yes or no, I expect to hear from you. Well then.”
Without waiting for my reply, Olivia turned and left.
In the wake of her departure, the heated atmosphere cooled, and it felt too awkward to start anything again.
“Ahem...”
“I... I should head back now. Chief Park must be waiting.”
“Yeah, get home safe.”
I called out to Young-eun as she walked away.
“Noona, I’m looking forward to Saturday!”
At my voice, Young-eun turned back and gave a bright smile.