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“Hello, everyone.”
Haejoo entered the room, guided by a staff member.
The loud music that had filled the hallway subsided as the door closed.
As if they had planned it, everyone just looked at Haejoo, sizing her up. Yoonji stepped in to ease the awkward atmosphere.
“Thanks for coming. Haejoo, sit next to the director.”
Today’s gathering wasn’t about trying to gain favor.
The colleagues were there to fill numbers, so Yoonji yielded the seat of honor to Haejoo.
Everyone stared at her, as if asking what was going on.
However, they couldn’t say anything much in front of Yoonji and kept their mouths shut.
“I can sit at the end here.”
“How are you going to have a conversation sitting all the way over there? Come here quickly.”
The colleagues who had been vying for a seat to get into Jinhan’s good graces were pushed aside. Reluctantly, Haejoo went to the place Yoonji had prepared for her.
“I brought a birthday present for the director. Where should I put it?”
Seonyoung, who had been complaining the whole time, snapped at Haejoo’s question.
“Is this your first time at a birthday party? Give it to him when he arrives.”
It was indeed Haejoo’s first time being invited to someone’s birthday party.
She just nodded at the unwarranted reprimand.
“Since you came all this way, don’t ruin the director’s mood.”
“I’ll try my best.”
“Everyone came despite their busy schedules. At least try to fit in.”
Yoonji glared at Seonyoung’s unnecessary nagging. Only then did she shut her mouth and sip the beer in front of her.
“Haejoo, you drink the non-alcoholic cocktail in front of you.”
“Yes, Sunbae-nim.”
“I’m giving it to you so you can have a conversation with a clear head.”
“Yes.”
Depending on how Haejoo acted today, a lot would be decided. It was a crucial gathering for Yoonji’s future.
“Don’t pay attention to what the others say.”
“......”
“If things go well today, no one will bother you.”
Yoonji was well aware of Haejoo’s potential.
She predicted that her innate allure and acting skills would shine brightly through Director Kwak’s upcoming movie.
If she were cast as the lead alongside Haejoo, Yoonji could make a comeback.
“Yes, Director. Are you on your way?”
During their conversation, Jinhan called Yoonji’s phone.
She gestured for the colleagues sitting down to bring out the cake and then left the room.
At this moment, Haejoo’s phone also rang.
It was a call from Dojun, so she asked for their understanding and quickly got up.
Haejoo went to the restroom and pressed the call button only after confirming that no one was there.
“Dojun-ssi.”
-Where are you?
“I’m at the director’s birthday party.”
-I’m asking where exactly that is.
“It’s a private room at K Club.”
-You don’t have to cling to that bastard.
“Even if it means giving up my career as an actress?”
-Opportunities will come as you live. I’ll make sure of it.
Haejoo bit her lower lip tightly.
It wasn’t an easy thing for Dojun to say, so she retorted coldly.
“You’re talking as if you’re going to take responsibility for my life, Dojun-ssi.”
-Shouldn’t I?
“Do you trust others besides yourself, Dojun-ssi?”
-There’s no reason for us to be strangers.
“That damn married couple...”
-Enough, get out of there right now.
Haejoo was a respectable adult and carried the weight of being an actress. It wasn’t easy for her to just slip away, thinking only of herself.
Her honest feelings were to run away from this place, but she endured it, knowing it could cause lasting repercussions.
“The director should be here by now. It’s hard to just leave immediately.”
-I’ll head over there, so just say what you need to and come out.
Haejoo put down the phone after the call ended.
As she slowly walked out into the hallway, Seonyoung was arranging the cocktails nicely in the room.
“Was this non-alcoholic?”
“Yeah.”
Yoonji sent a message telling them to light the candles on the cake.
While another colleague was putting candles on the cake, Seonyoung held up a bottle of whiskey.
Then, she poured it into the cocktail placed in front of Haejoo.
“What are you doing?”
“Who drinks because they want to? Alcohol tolerance is all about mental strength.”
“Still, this is a bit...”
“The director has been tolerating Haejoo all this time because he was wrapped around her finger, not because he liked her.”
Seonyoung mixed whiskey into other non-alcoholic cocktails as well. Only when the colors matched did she look satisfied.
“Didn’t you pour too much?”
“This much won’t kill her.”
Just then, Haejoo returned after finishing her call. As she went back to her seat, Yoonji also entered dramatically.
“The birthday boy has arrived!”
The people sitting stood up and sang “Happy Birthday” loudly.
With fervent anticipation, Jinhan appeared.
Firecrackers went off, and champagne bottles popped, causing a commotion.
“Director, happy birthday!”
“Alright, that’s enough!”
Contrary to his words, Jinhan’s expression wasn’t bad.
He wiped the champagne off his head with a napkin Yoonji gave him and waved his hand dismissively.
“Okay, everyone, stop.”
“Birthday drink! Birthday drink!”
As if responding to everyone’s shouts, Yoonji held out a heavily mixed drink.
Jinhan had to gulp it down standing, without even sitting.
“Where did you learn such bad habits?”
Laughter erupted at his not-so-angry grumbling.
As Jinhan shuddered, putting down the empty glass, the cake came right in front of him.
“If you make the cake a mess like last year, I’m leaving!”
“Hey, we wouldn’t do that!”
This time, with the stakes being high, they tried hard to please Jinhan.
He blew out the candles, even while looking completely exhausted.
“Congratulations, Director.”
“Long live the director!”
Amidst the pouring congratulations, the people gathered finally made way.
Wiping the champagne from his face as he went to his seat, he spotted Haejoo.
His bright smile instantly hardened.
Jinhan, who had paused for a moment, avoided eye contact and sat down in the seat prepared for him.
Noticing the subtle reaction between the two, Yoonji quickly shouted.
“Everyone, raise your glasses!”
Everyone raised the glasses in front of them.
Jinhan also clasped the whiskey glass that Seonyoung had poured for him.
He was about to stop Haejoo when she picked up her cocktail glass but then hesitated.
“Director, please say a few words.”
“Uh...”
Being conscious of Haejoo next to him, Jinhan’s mind went blank.
Knowing himself that he had been harsh recently, he found it difficult to make eye contact.
“I thought I had something to say, but I don’t.”
“Hey, what’s that?”
“I’m a flawed person, but thank you for taking care of me like this, and let’s continue to work well together in the future.”
Jinhan raised his glass.
Then, as if they had been waiting, everyone brought their raised glasses to their lips.
As if it had been planned, everyone emptied their first glass.
Haejoo also downed the cocktail in the tall glass in one go.
“Ugh!”
She had heard it was non-alcoholic, but it was incredibly bitter.
As it flowed down her throat, it felt like a terrible heat was burning her skin.
Instantly startled, she looked for water.
However, the lingering numbness didn’t subside easily.
“Hey, she drank it.”
“Seonyoung, you’re responsible if anything happens.”
Seonyoung whispered with another colleague. They watched Haejoo, who was sitting across from them, with interest, observing her reaction.
Yoonji noticed their suspicious behavior.
She took a sip of the non-alcoholic cocktail that she hadn’t drunk yet and then slammed it down.
“Seonyoung-ah, did you put alcohol in this?”
“Huh? What...”
“Tell me honestly.”
“Hey, Unnie. I was just kidding.”
The conversation between the two wasn’t audible to the others.
For Yoonji, who was more desperate than anyone, her anger soared uncontrollably.
“Come outside for a moment.”
Yoonji went to a secluded alley behind the club.
She stood with her back turned, and as Seonyoung approached, she slapped her across the cheek without asking.
“Unnie!”
“I told you today was important.”
“Hmph!”
“I’m warning you, don’t act up.”
“......!”
“Aren’t you going to answer?”
“Yes.”
“Wipe away those tear marks and come back.”
Yoonji returned to the room, leaving Seonyoung behind. Thankfully, Jinhan was laughing and chatting with the others.
“Why are you alone?”
“I sent Seonyoung on an errand. She’ll be here soon.”
After making up an excuse to Jinhan, the problem was Haejoo.
Her face was already flushed red, and she looked like she was barely holding on.
Just as Yoonji was feeling dejected, a message arrived on Haejoo’s phone.
It was from Dojun.
[On my way there, but the traffic is bad. Call me when you come out.]
[Okay.]
Haejoo gulped down several glasses of ice water.
She was managing to hold on because her condition was relatively good, but the alcohol was kicking in quickly.
On the other hand, Jinhan seemed to be in a good mood.
Except for not looking at Haejoo, he was no different from usual.
“Excuse me, Director.”
“Later. I’m in the middle of a conversation.”
Even when she managed to speak to him, this was how he responded.
It was so cold and embarrassing that even the others in the room were watching them.
Eventually, Yoonji, unable to just watch, intervened.
“Director, only Haejoo brought a present. We came empty-handed.”
Laughter broke out here and there.
Only then did Jinhan reluctantly look at Haejoo awkwardly.
“A present?”
“I hope you like it.”
Haejoo handed him the wrapped paper bag. His eyes first went to the logo of the watch brand Jinhan favored.
Those sitting around also looked surprised, seeing the brand that boasted a considerable price range.
Everyone seemed curious and craned their necks to watch.
“Can I open it?”
“Of course.”
Jinhan unwrapped the package.
Lifting the closed case, a metal wristwatch was revealed.
It was a design Jinhan preferred.
Having been close to him for a long time, Haejoo accurately knew his taste.
“Thank you.”
Everyone urged him to try on the watch.
However, Jinhan made various excuses and refused.
“I’ll try it on later at home. Haejoo-ssi, thank you.”
After a brief moment of attention, his gaze moved away from Haejoo again.
It wasn’t just Yoonji whose face flushed at Jinhan’s blatant behavior.
Haejoo slowly grew angry at Jinhan for embarrassing her in front of everyone.
‘This is too much!’
Jinhan had also been a benefactor to Haejoo.
She was grateful that he had helped her become an actress and had trusted and followed him until now.
However, life didn’t always go according to plan.
She was sorry for rejecting his confession, but driving her into a corner like this was despicable.
It was unacceptable for him to trample not only on Haejoo but also on the opportunities of others just because she wouldn’t divorce Dojun.
The more she thought about it, the more wronged and miserable she felt.
The feeling of someone who should have been on her side becoming an enemy overnight was indescribably foul.
Just then, Seonyoung returned. She glanced at Yoonji and then urged her close colleagues to go dancing.
“Director, can we go play over there?”
“Only drink here.”
As soon as Jinhan gave his permission, people started getting up and leaving one by one.
The male actors exchanged pointless jokes with Jinhan while clinking glasses.
Yoonji was also unusually quiet today.
The person she was anxiously watching was Haejoo, who was pulling a new cocktail towards herself and drinking it.
“Damn it, the conversation is a lost cause.”
Just as Yoonji was giving up, the remaining male actors dragged her out to play.
Thinking they might as well have fun since things were already ruined, Yoonji also left the room.
Before long, only Jinhan and Haejoo remained at the table.
“Haejoo-ssi, stop drinking.”
“Yoo Jinhan Director.”
Haejoo’s voice, with her teeth clenched, was different from usual.
Steadying her swaying body, she called Jinhan’s name with emphasis.
He was inwardly surprised by her unfamiliar appearance.
“Are you drunk?”
“You shouldn’t treat people like this.”
“I’ll call you a taxi, so get up now.”
Jinhan grabbed Haejoo’s arm.
Ignoring him, she sneered.
“If I get a divorce, I’ll just be a divorcee for the rest of my life.”
“I’ll take responsibility.”
“You don’t know me, Director.”
“The future is more important than the past!”
“Do you even know how it feels to be sold off for money?”
“That’s why I’m telling you to break up with Park Dojun!”
“What would someone who grew up without any lack know!”
Tears welled up in Haejoo’s eyes. From her chest, she unleashed a deep-seated resentment that felt like her teeth were grinding.
“Back then, when no one was on my side, the person who saved me... the man who fought for me was Park Dojun!”
“What?”
“I’ll get a divorce if I want to. Do you know why?”
“Why?”
“Because my own will was in that stamp on the marriage certificate.”
Jinhan, who had believed all along that Haejoo’s marriage was forced, was in a daze.
He shook his head sharply and asked again.
“What does that mean?”
Three years ago, Haejoo had gone to President Park’s office, unable to resist Kyung-ae’s coercion.
She hadn’t agreed to the marriage because of his heartfelt pleas.
She could have run away from that place.
Yet, the reason she had stayed was because of what President Park had told her.
“Dojun-ssi’s father said that he and his son would protect me no matter what.”
“For Haejoo-ssi, who had just turned twenty, that was just sweet talk.”
“When I met him again after three years, I realized those words were true.”
“......!”
“If it hadn’t been for his promise, I would have already died.”
Tears welled up in Haejoo’s eyes and fell one by one.
It wasn’t out of sadness or fear.
It was the courage to finally face the wounds of the past.
“Are you already wavering towards Park Dojun?”
“Director, pull yourself together.”
“Haejoo-ssi!”
“What you’ve been doing lately is no different from what my mother did.”
“......!”
“Please forgive me if I was rude.”
Haejoo stood up.
But she couldn’t maintain her balance and staggered.
“Haejoo-ssi!”
Just as Jinhan reached out to grab Haejoo’s arm, the room door burst open, and Dojun rushed in, panting.
“Take your hands off Haejoo.”
He strode in and knocked away Jinhan’s hand that was holding Haejoo.
“I’ll make sure Director Kwak’s movie gets finished no matter what. So stop doing dirty tricks behind the scenes.”
“If I’m doing dirty tricks, is President Park Dojun a gangster?”
“Do you know the difference between you and me?”
“Difference?”
“I tried to save Haejoo, and you tried to kill her.”
Jinhan couldn’t argue anymore.
He knew better than anyone what the profession of acting meant to Haejoo. It was something she loved so much that he thought he could control her by just twisting things a little.
Even though it was a despicable method, he believed he was different. He rationalized it by saying it was all for Haejoo’s sake, but it wasn’t.
He didn’t know how Dojun had tried to save Haejoo.
However, it was clear that he had recently given a death sentence to the woman who had endured day after day for her dream of being an actress.
Jinhan felt a dizzying sensation, as if he had been struck hard on the back of the head, and he simply slumped down.
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