64 Pregnant Body

Jinhan, who had been leaning his head back, sharpened his blurry vision. He sat up and glared at Yoonji.

“Are you telling me to go into a legal battle with Haejoo?”

It was not good for either party if the agency went into dispute with Haejoo while she was in breach of contract. The best they could do currently was to faithfully fulfill the remaining contract period.

“We just need to share the profits from what she’s earned so far and send it to her, right?” “It’s not as easy as it sounds. And if we let go of the company’s signboard like that?” “Right now, Haejoo is like a tempting bomb for you, Director.” “If you don’t know well, stay quiet.”

Jinhan’s tone was filled with annoyance. Nothing was going his way, making him anxious. Still, the turbulent public opinion had calmed down since the press conference, and Choi Inho was about to be arrested, which was a significant achievement. In hindsight, Haejoo’s judgment was correct. Truth had triumphed over falsehood. That’s why his heart became even more restless. This was all because Chairman Yoo was watching with keen eyes.

“You don’t know how the filming set is going, do you, Director?” “What do you mean?” “Well, you’re only focused on Haejoo, so how would you know?” “Don’t change the subject.” “Director Kwak’s movie is on the verge of being scrapped!”

Yoonji had also put in all her effort to change her image. She believed it was her last chance, but she felt furious.

“Why would a perfectly fine movie be scrapped?” “You don’t know anything, Director?”

For this movie, she even sold out Haejoo to get the role. Despite her dirty tricks, Haejoo faithfully accommodated Yoonji’s acting. Honestly, she felt sorry for Haejoo. If she had known this would happen, she would have treated her better.

“It seems GN approached Director Kwak.” “...” “He didn’t say what they talked about, but it seems he received an absurd demand.” “You mean that happened in Jeju?” “Yes. Then suddenly, all the freelance directors just quit and left.”

Jinhan closed his eyes and replayed the past few days. He recalled the phone call with Han Jintae when Choi Inho came to visit. At the time, he said he was on his way up from the provinces. It must have been then. Han Jintae went to see Director Kwak.

“This is driving me crazy.” “Didn’t GN do something similar with Director Kim Gyeongwook’s movie before?” “...” “According to Director Kwak, it seems GN is trying to swallow up the movie, using Haejoo’s situation as an excuse.” “Alright. I’ll call the director.” “Director.” “Why?” “Haejoo shouldn’t be here.”

Jinhan’s eyes narrowed, as if they would tear.

“Don’t think about immediate losses; look further ahead.” “What do you keep implying with that kind of talk?” “If you keep going like this, your position will only narrow. I’m leaving.”

Soon, Jinhan was the only one left in the office. He walked restlessly between the window and his desk, then lifted his head.

“What did Father do to Haejoo for her to disappear?”

Distracted, he now confronted the issue that had been cut off. He abruptly left the company and rushed to the place where the press conference was held. He asked for the security guard’s understanding and checked the signpost.

“The control room is... on the first basement floor.”

This place was meticulously managed, to the point where even the restroom entrance had CCTV. So, there was a high possibility that Haejoo’s waiting room also had CCTV. Jinhan went straight to the control room and greeted them first.

“Hello. I’m Director Yoo Jinhan from GN Entertainment.”

Only the team leader was in the control room today. He couldn’t hide his slowly hardening face and sighed.

“What can I do for you?” “It’s about the CCTV in actress Lee Haejoo’s waiting room during the press conference...” “The waiting room CCTV?”

Before he could even state his business, the team leader in charge of the control room retorted curtly. Nevertheless, Jinhan persisted with his request.

“I need to find out what happened in the waiting room that day.” “It’s all deleted.” “Deleted?” “Someone from GN, a director or something, came and told us to delete it.” “Was it Director Han Jintae?” “Yes, that’s him.” “Don’t you have a backup file?” “I really don’t understand. Didn’t you also have an employee ask for the waiting room footage that day, Director?” “Me?” “You have no idea how awkward it was for us in the middle.”

The team leader grumbled but pulled out a hidden confirmation form. Hyunseong’s name was written on it. The copied footage was from the CCTV in Haejoo’s waiting room.

“This person said you asked for it and took it first, and then Han Jintae came.” “How could this be...” “Just in case, I didn’t tell Mr. Han Jintae that an employee had copied the video.”

He had to get his head straight. It was much too late, but he needed to distinguish what to protect and what to discard.

“Is there really no backup video?” “No. Ask that employee.”

In the end, Jinhan had to turn back empty-handed. As he walked back to the company, he retraced Chairman Yoo’s actions.

GN rose to the ranks of large corporations through the distribution industry and then entered the cultural business. After acquiring a cable broadcasting station, Chairman Yoo sent Jinhan to what is now GN Entertainment, with the goal of nurturing stars. Unlike traditional industries, culture-related businesses had no limits. If content tailored to the public’s taste became a hit, it would generate astronomical profits.

“This is driving me crazy.”

There was a reason why Chairman Yoo invested so much in GN Entertainment. For GN, GN Entertainment, an entertainment agency, was a factory that produced content. However, the production factory kept sputtering. Chairman Yoo probably knew by now that Jinhan liked Haejoo.

“No way?”

While having Han Jintae look into things, Director Kwak’s movie must have seemed promising. And it just so happened that the lead actress of that movie was Haejoo, and he knew Dojun was the investor...

“So that’s what it was.”

Chairman Yoo’s greed created the current GN. He wanted his son, Jinhan, to be like him. It was clear how pathetic Jinhan must seem to Chairman Yoo now, even without seeing it. That’s why he was even angrier. This was a blatant disregard for himself, who was carrying a company.

Jinhan stopped briefly in front of the company’s main entrance. He cleared his head and went to the manager team.

“Hyunseong, I need to see you.” “Yes, Director.”

Hyunseong, who had been grilled all day, was finally resting but was called again. When he went to the office, Jinhan was drinking cold water.

“You took the CCTV footage from Haejoo’s waiting room during the press conference, didn’t you?” “...” “I just came back from the control room there.” “Th-that...” “Tell me honestly. Why did you take that video?”

At Jinhan’s pressing, Hyunseong bowed his head deeply. He didn’t know what to answer and tightly closed his eyes.

“Whose side are you on? Who do you work for?” “...Haejoo noona.” “What?” “You said I should work for Haejoo noona.” “Don’t tell me that video... you gave it to CEO Park Dojun?”

With no answer from Hyunseong, Jinhan’s stomach burned. It seemed that way, so he got angry.

“Why would you leak that to outsiders?” “...” “At least you should have discussed it with me!” “You weren’t there, Director.” “What?” “No one could protect Haejoo noona. Do you know how terrifying the atmosphere was back then?” “So, you’re saying what you did was right?” “That’s not it.”

Jinhan intended to somehow persuade Chairman Yoo and smooth things over. If not, he would even leave GN Entertainment. But if that video fell into Dojun’s hands, it was a problem.

“Hyunseong, you’re off all duties.” “Director!” “Return your car key, employee card, and await your disposition.” “...Yes.”

Hyunseong, leaving Jinhan who was full of anger, bowed his head. He had already felt uncomfortable being there anyway. He reached for the doorknob to leave the office. But experiencing this, Hyunseong felt truly awful.

“Director.” “I don’t want to hear it, just leave.” “Our team leader often contacts the Chairman.” “...” “Just saying.”

Hyunseong returned to his desk and put down his car key and all company-issued items. With a shadowed face, he wrote out a leave request and handed it to his team leader.

“I’ll be resting at home until tomorrow.” “Hey, what’s with you suddenly?”

Hyunseong turned around without answering. He left the company and sent a message to Dojun’s phone. Saying he’d probably get fired soon.

While wandering aimlessly, a call came from an unknown number. When he asked who it was, the caller introduced himself as Manager Song.

-Where is your current location?

The place he arrived at, driven by Manager Song, was a secluded villa in the outskirts of Seoul. The tranquil surroundings blended well with the autumn scenery. As Hyunseong got out, Haejoo came out to greet him.

“Hyunseong!” “Noona!”

Seeing Haejoo, Hyunseong couldn’t hold back his sorrow and shed tears. With a compassionate heart, Haejoo comforted him.

“Come inside and talk.” “Yes.”

Haejoo’s face looked more vibrant than before. Hyunseong, who had been struggling for the past few days, finally felt a sense of relief. He told Haejoo and Dojun what had happened today. Dojun listened quietly and nodded.

“Why didn’t you just throw your resignation in their face?” “Then Haejoo noona would be left alone. How could I do that?” “You can just sign a separate contract with Haejoo.” “Ah!” “Or work with me.” “If that’s the case, you should have told me earlier.” “Anyway, if they tell you to leave, then leave.” “Yes.” “Then your problem is solved?” “Oh, I guess it is?”

________________________________________

Hyunseong’s depression, which seemed like it would burrow into the ground, cleared up completely in half a day. If he signed a contract with Haejoo instead, he wouldn’t have to see the company’s ugly side.

“Have dinner here. I have an appointment, so I have to go out.” “Understood!” “There are many rooms, so you can stay over.” “Yep!”

The sun was already setting. Dojun checked the time and got up.

“I’ll stop by the company and take care of some work. I might be late.” “Be careful.”

Dojun, in a suit, got into the car driven by Manager Song. He waved to Haejoo, who was seeing him off, then looked straight ahead.

“Am I late?” “No. We can arrive on time.”

After driving for a long time, they arrived in front of the building where Director Kwak’s office was located. Dojun got out of the car and rang the doorbell, and Director Kwak personally greeted him.

“Oh, it’s been a while! CEO Park Dojun.” “You’ve worked hard in Jeju.” “Not at all. Come in.”

Dojun had been occasionally updated by Director Kwak about the film’s production. He had been waiting for this day since he heard that Han Jintae had visited Jeju.

“What’s the situation now?” “As soon as I came back from Jeju, I contacted the freelance directors, but they absolutely refuse to listen.” “Hmm.” “I wonder what GN told them to make them like this.” “What about other freelance companies?” “It seems the rumor has already spread; everyone is avoiding my calls.”

Dojun nodded instead of answering.

“By the way, CEO Park Dojun.” “Yes.” “Are you sure about this?” “Shouldn’t I hear their stance directly at least once?” “That’s true, but I wonder if it will just stir up trouble.” “We have to face it.”

Director Kwak gained strength from Dojun’s confident answer. Just as he checked the time, a car pulled up outside the building. Director Kwak narrowed his brows, identifying the person getting out of the car through the window.

“He seems to have arrived.”

Silence hung over the building, which had sent its employees home early. Director Kwak let out a breath to shake off his nervousness and went down to the first floor. Just then, the doorbell rang. Director Kwak composed himself for a moment, then opened the door. The person who arrived as the dusk turned to deep night was Han Jintae.

“Welcome.” “Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule.” “Not at all. Please come up.” “Have you made up your mind?” “Yes.” “I look forward to a positive answer.”

The burdensome words only displeased Director Kwak. Despite his politeness, Han Jintae, who held a knife behind his back, was the kind of person he wanted to avoid. He led him to the conference room. Han Jintae’s mouth, which had been set in his characteristic cold smile, instantly tightened and dried up. He saw Dojun sitting at the head of the table and looked coldly down at Director Kwak.

“You had a guest.” “I thought you two should meet. Please, come in.”

Han Jintae walked to the central table. Dojun, who remained seated and merely lifted his chin, opened his narrowed pupils.

“You’ve arrived, Chief Secretary Han Jintae.” “It’s an honor to meet you like this, CEO Park Dojun.” “Please, have a seat.”

Han Jintae pulled out a chair and sat down. Sweat beaded on Director Kwak’s hands as he witnessed the tense power struggle.

“Is Actress Lee Haejoo well after the press conference?” “Your tone suggests you wish she weren’t.”

Again, Han Jintae’s lips thinned, and a chill permeated the air.

“She’s pregnant, isn’t she?”

A grinding sound came from Dojun’s molars. Instantly, venom surged up his throat.