Chapter 25
The place they ended up at was a luxurious Korean barbecue restaurant in the heart of Seoul, specializing in premium Hanwoo beef.
The interior was just as upscale as the exterior, with private dining rooms throughout.
Yeong-won desperately tried to sit with the staff she is more comfortable with, but after being shuffled around, she found herself seated with Director Choi, Tae-geon, In-woo, and two other actors.
Even as the top-grade Hanwoo and wild pine mushrooms sizzled on the grill in front of her, she couldn’t smile.
It was impossible for her to laugh.
‘How did I end up sitting here……?’
Across from her sat Seong Tae-geon, and right beside her was Jo In-woo. If she were to laugh in this situation, it would only be because the discomfort had driven her to madness.
“Oh my, Yeong-won, how lucky you are! Surrounded by such handsome men on both sides.”
Remarked Woo Ju-hyun, the veteran actor playing Manager Im in ‘Distress’, his tone unclear whether it was envy or teasing.
Yeong-won forced an awkward laugh, “Ahaha, right?” Then she hastily grabbed her water and took a large gulp, hoping that pretending to drink would help her evade the conversation.
“Were you that thirsty?”
In-woo, sitting beside her, kindly refilled her empty glass. As he did, Yeong-won could feel Tae-geon’s gaze following his hand.
When she thanked In-woo, Tae-geon broke his silence.
“You two seem close.”
“Oh, we worked on Yeong-won’s debut project together, so we’ve known each other since then. Right, Yeong-won?”
In-woo said with a friendly tone. Yeong-won awkwardly nodded with a forced smile.
In truth, they weren’t that close, but she couldn’t exactly deny it in this situation.
“If you’re personally close, there’s a chance it could lead to a scandal.”
His tone seemed casual, but there was an underlying chill to his words.
Director Choi, sensing the weight of the comment, quickly jumped in, clearly alarmed.
“Oh, don’t worry about that! Absolutely no chance of that happening! I’ll be keeping my eyes wide open and watching everything closely.”
Scandals before a film’s release, especially when it wasn’t a romance film, could be a disaster.
It would be the last thing a serious investor would want.
“That’s an answer I like.”
Tae-geon said with a slight upward curve of his lips, clearly pleased with the somewhat exaggerated response. In contrast, In-woo’s expression visibly hardened.
Sensing the tension, Director Choi chimed in again, eager to reassure.
“Of course, there’s no chance of anything like that happening between the two of them.”
“I’ll trust you on that, Director Choi.”
Tae-geon replied with a smile. The conversation between the two continued in a lighthearted manner, creating a lively atmosphere for everyone—except for Yeong-won and In-woo, who remained silent.
Thanks to Tae-geon’s generous offer to order anything they liked, the rest of the group were ready to tear the menu, ordering an array of dishes.
From beautifully marbled beef to expensive wine.
The sizzling meat barely stayed on the hot stone plate before disappearing into people’s mouths.
Meanwhile, Yeong-won, who had no appetite, quietly nibbled on some leafy vegetables. The meat seemed too heavy to swallow.
After a while, Tae-geon, noticing her half-hearted eating, asked.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
“Oh…… I’m just not very hungry.”
Tae-geon, still gazing quietly at Yeong-won, muttered.
“That won’t do.”
“……Sorry?”
“You’re the reason I came here, so you should eat more,”
A cold silence instantly settled over the table. Even the previously busy hands holding chopsticks froze in place.
Yeong-won, caught off guard, stared at him, unable to swallow or spit out the leafy greens she was chewing.
‘What does he mean by that?’
However, Tae-geon remained disregarded, casually using the tongs to place more meat on her plate.
“Go on, eat.”
“Ah…… It seems the CEO has taken a liking to Yeong-won. Haha.”
The awkward tension became unbearable, prompting Director Choi to break the silence with a forced laugh.
Tae-geon responded with a nonchalant, “Is that so?” As he continued to stare at her with an intense gaze.
The weight of his prolonged attention only deepened the already heavy atmosphere in the room.
The notions of investors and actresses, personal motives, and shady deals began to swirl in the minds of the onlookers.
As the second hand ticked away, the air in the room grew heavier, penetrating to its very core.
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