72

Ding, the elevator rang to announce that I had arrived at my destination. It was a short distance, only covering a few floors, but I barely managed to open my eyes. My body felt heavy. Even when I had worked tirelessly without resting, my whole body had never hurt this much. That asshole madman, he did not even rest until dawn.

I cursed under my breath and went out the opening elevator door. There was a check-in area on the ground floor of this hotel, but the madman went up here and got a separate key. As I remembered, there was an employee in front of a small desk. As soon as he saw me, he bowed his head and greeted me. I returned the greeting and told him my purpose for coming here.

"I need clothes. Is there a place where I can buy t-shirts?"

And I tried to tell him which room I was staying in, but he smiled and guided me as if he already knew.

"Please let me know what brand and style you want and I will get it for you."

"Just a black t-shirt will do. And a cheap one. The cheapest one."

"Yes. We will send you to the suite where you'll be staying until morning. Is there anything else you need?"

It's already past 2 a.m., where was he going to get it? I wondered, but figured there had to be a way, so I shook my head.

"No. It's fine… "

"What is this? Lee Taemin?"

Suddenly I heard my name from behind. I couldn't see their face, but I could tell who it was just by their voice. Cha Jungwoo? Sure enough, when I turned my head, he was standing there with a startled look on his face.

"Ha, what is this? You are really Lee Taemin. Why are you here?"

I wanted to ask the same thing.

"Why are you here? My manager thought you went down to the countryside to do volunteer work."

Annoyance spread across his face at my words.

"Don't worry, I'm doing well at that."

"If you're doing well, you shouldn't be going in and out of hotels. The manager must be having a hard time looking after you."

I said it bluntly, and the harsh words came right out of his mouth.

"Oh, fuck. I'm having a hard time too. And, that manager smiles but always says everything he has to say. Does he always nag that much?"

"No, not at all."

"…Only to me."

He got irritated and cursed quietly again. Should I give him a beating?

"He does it because you deserve it. If you have a problem with the manager, just tell me, I'll be happy to deal with you."

Then Cha Jungwoo's expression changed strangely. He looked at me as if there was something strange about me.

"That manager is quite ordinary. But you always side with him."

"If there was a bastard who hit your manager with a golf club next to you, anyone would get angry."

"Fuck, watch what you say."

"Be careful not to get caught by me or the reporters."

He chuckled at my response and looked around him.

"Don't worry. I made it this far without being detected. And since this is a suite lounge, there is no one who can follow me. The employees here are very strict about confidentiality, so their mouths are tight."

I didn't know what the suite lounge was, but it seemed like it was managed separately for people staying in expensive rooms. For some reason, I was checked in here. Well, I guess that would be normal if they are charging over a million won per night.

"Anyway, how are you here?"

I paused at his question and then answered as if nothing had happened.

"You're here, why can't I be here?"

The corner of his mouth twitched again in a smirk.

"In my case, the chairman called me suddenly, but wait, do you really have a sponsor?"

His eyes widened in surprise and looked at me. Damn it. I cursed under my breath and turned around.

"Mind your own business and go see your chairman."

"I came ahead of him, so I have time to spare. You wait a minute. I have something to ask you about Director Yoon."

When I paused at that name, he pointed to a sofa at the end of the lounge.

"Don't go and wait while I get my keys. Understand?"

Even though I had absolutely no reason to listen to him, I couldn't escape because I was curious about what he had to say about Director Yoon. Hence, I sat down on the sofa and closed my eyes for a moment. I was so sleepy. Aside from being tired, it was already dawn. The madman probably would not have woken up yet, right? If only he could just keep sleeping. Also, I didn't want to be misunderstood as having ran away.

"Hey, you…"

I opened my eyes and looked up when I heard Cha Jungwoo's voice coming from close by. He was staring at me.

"What?"

"Your partner is a man, right? Women can't leave marks like that."

Marks? Ah, fuck, that madman. I pulled my disheveled gown closer to my neck. Meanwhile, Cha Jungwoo sat down next to me, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"I'm really curious who your partner is."

"Just tell me what you were trying to ask about Director Yoon."

I didn't want to engage in unnecessary chatter, so I got straight to the point, but when he heard the name Director Yoon, his expression immediately turned grim.

"Ah, Director Yoon. Fuck, how is that bastard now?"

"…Now? Well, I guess he must be sleeping."

Without realizing it, my voice was stiff. Fortunately, Cha Jugnwoo interpreted it simply and laughed out loud.

"Haha, of course he would be sleeping at this time. You're cute."

"What?"

Although he was irritated, he didn't lose his smile and spoke as if explaining something to a child.

"I wasn't asking that, I was just asking how his work is going."

Then why say 'now' when you should say 'these days', you scared me.

"I heard he was backed into a corner because of Dream Planning. But he's still the same as always, right?"

"I don't see him at work, so I don't know."

"Of course, a trainee like you probably never runs into him. I was just asking if you've heard any rumors within Dream."

I just looked away without saying a word. Ah, did I stay here for no reason?

"Is that all you're curious about?"

"No matter how much I think about it, it's still strange."

He spoke as if he was talking to himself, then looked at me and lowered his voice.

"Shall I tell you something fun to commemorate our meeting here?"

"No."

"Haha, you're still the same as always. Do you know I wanted to tell you more because your reaction is always funny?"

I turned him down because it was unnecessary, so what's so funny about it? This was a guy I couldn't understand. For some reason, he looked at my expression and laughed again.

"Gosh, you're glaring at me so viciously. Whew, I'm scared."

This bastard. When I completely wiped the expression off my face, he raised his hands in surrender.

"Okay okay. Instead, I'll just tell you an interesting story. But first, I want to tell you about the chairman who called me in right now, a man you'd be surprised to know."

"I don't need to know, and I won't be surprised."

A look of interest spread in his eyes.

"You're still indifferent as always. Guys who say that are usually suppressing their curiosity to impress me, but I can see that you are truly not interested."

Had he lived his life receiving so much attention that it's surprising to see people who didn't care? While he just stared at me for a moment, I could not help but say something because the gaze was somewhat annoying.

"Cut the useless crap."

"Fine, I'll keep it simple, there's no need to know or be surprised. The chairman is a very powerful person. So when I was cornered by the military issue, of course I sent an SOS."

Even if the chairman were a general with stars, he wouldn't be able to help with that, would he?

"Of course, I didn't ask him to solve my military issue. I knew that there was nothing he could do about it. Instead, I asked him to put pressure on the company that locked me up in the house, specifically Director Yoon."

It was an unexpected story that caught my attention at that moment.

"It's not like the company forced you to stay home."

"They told me that if I didn't shut up and keep quiet, they'd make me a discarded doll, referred to only by my initials in third-rate gossip, for the rest of my life. That was like a cage to me."

The guy's angry voice overlapped with the madman's voice in my head.

'A top star of Cha Jungwoo's level? I guarantee you, I can get you to that position in two years. Everything scattered across this industry are just dolls. But those who don't even know that and whose heads have grown bigger have forgotten their own value. Not knowing their place as dolls.'

I muttered without realizing it.

"That's what Director Yoon said."

"Yes, you don't know, but that bastard has a languid and annoying way of speaking, when he smiles and says it as if it's no big deal."

Ah, that. That's right, it was annoying.

Plus, he's got a great smile. Fuck, he's got dimples, that prick. He's not even a celebrity, what's the point of having a good-looking face?"

The dimples … were cute, fuck.

"So what I waited for while I was locked up was not only a call from the company, but also a call from the chairman. Although it may be an unreasonable request, I thought it would happen. I thought that if the chairman used his power properly, he could push out at least one of the Entertainment's executives."

"Push out?"

He nodded nonchalantly, burying his upper body deeper into the couch.

"I told him to crush Director Yoon so that he can't use his power at the company. No matter how powerful Director Yoon is, he is not the owner of the company, is he? If a higher person stepped on him, he would get crushed."

However, Cha Jungwoo eventually signed the contract created by Director Yoon. That meant…

"But the chairman's power didn't work at all."

Cha Jungwoo's eyes darkened as if he was remembering that time. Only then did I understand why he so obediently signed. It wasn't because I had provoked him with the magazine, or because the manager had convinced him to sign, it was just that all his options were blocked. There was no way out.

"At that time, the chairman advised me to give in to Director Yoon. He didn't tell me the reason, but the fact that he said that means that Director Yoon also has a huge backing."

Backing? Could that be his hidden card? My mind raced. Meanwhile, Cha Jungwoo continued his monologue.

"Do you remember the advice I gave you earlier? I told you to watch out for Director Yoon. Even though that bastard is being attacked from all sides right now, he won't go down easily. You can trust me because I've seen it myself. In other words, if you're thinking of climbing higher, Director Yoon is someone you cannot avoid."

Rather than avoiding him, it would be better if he would let me go.

"So then what?"

"What 'what'? When you meet Director Yoon, there are only two things you can do. Either you crawl flat and do as you're told, or you make him an enemy."

What kind of advice was that? I was so dumbfounded that I blurted it out right away.

"I will do neither."

"Then make Director Yoon fall in love with you and make him give everything to you."

"…"

"But someone like him has a heart of stone and will never do anything for others. There is nothing more important to Director Yoon than work."

I was rendered speechless, like a man with his lips glued together, but he was unbothered and let out a silly laugh to himself.

"Ha, even if he had a lover, he would just do overtime and not meet them. He's not the kind of person who would skip work."

Well… I was not a 'lover'.

"So who is it?"

"What?"

"Who's into you enough to rent that expensive room?"

I kept my face expressionless, but my gaze shifted to the side and I let out a small mumble.

"There is, just someone who is not-quite-human."

"What? Hahaha, you're kind of funny, aren't you?"

I stared at him cluelessly as he laughed.

"Bullshit. And the guy who rented that room isn't into me, there's no way."

I denied it vehemently, and his smile faded, replaced by a strange glare.

"You, what are you."

"What?"

"Do you have feelings for your partner? Hey, get a grip. There's nothing as dumb as giving your heart to a sponsor. Just think of it as an off-camera act. It's only about appearances anyway."

it would have been better if it was just about appearances. I sighed inwardly and stood up from my seat. I was about to walk away when he suddenly caught up with me and grabbed my arm.

"Hey, Lee Taemin. Wait."

"Let go."

I swung my arm, knocking his hand away in one swift motion, and he took a step back, looking down at his hand in surprise.

"Ha, you work out or something? I mean, you're strong and well-built, but… it's cute."

Ugh, seriously. He's saying bullshit all over the place. While I was annoyed, he suddenly warned me.

"You're going to get tired."

I gave him a questioning look, and he advised me seriously.

"This business, even though there are no cameras, it's really hard work, and the people who pay us are more sensitive than most directors, and they can see through the bullshit. So if you want to stay in that room for long, you're gonna need an outlet."

"No thanks."

"No. Don't you get what I'm saying? You can enjoy it with a real seductive person with a great appearance and body."

He stared at me and added,

"Like me."

What? I was stunned, and I couldn't help but laugh. What was this bastard saying now?

"I'm not usually into guys, but for some reason you make me want to play with you."

He lowered his gaze to peer inside my robe and whispered in a low voice.

"If you like it fast, I'll suck you harder."

I wasn't angry anymore. Instead, I was puzzled. Did I come across as an easy person? I thought I'd done a good job of not being a pushover. Why did everyone think they could screw me like this? I had a moment of regret, wondering if I'd been too meek for five years.

"I'll call you before I enlist, so make sure you take it."

Smiling, he brushed his hand down my arm. I shrugged off his hand and took a step toward him, grabbing him by the scruff of the neck. He was taller than me, but when you're shorter, it's perfect for grabbing necks. I made a face and pulled him toward me, not letting go as he tried to pull away. As he reached out to push me away, I grabbed his wrist with my other hand. His eyes widened in surprise at my strength. I caught him off guard and grabbed his throat with my other hand.

"Ugh!"

He let out a strangled sound, his face instantly reddening. I grinned at him.

"There's no need to wait for a call, let's just do it now. You got the key, right? Let's show your great chairman how you get down on your hands and knees like a dog and get fucked by a man."

"You son of bitch… ugh!"

Cha Jungwoo tried to pull my hand away, so I tightened my grip around his neck, and his face turned red like a ripe persimmon in an instant. When he couldn't remove my hand, I kindly informed him, who was bewildered,

"I didn't work out, but I did do some work with a knife. If you don't want to get your throat slit, be still like a dead mouse and do what the manager tells you to do. Don't act out of line."

With that advice, I pushed him away.

"Cough, cough, fuck… cough."

I left him coughing and muttering profanities as I left the lounge. I wasted my time needlessly.