CRT Ch 13

—Actor Yoon Inoh has been sensationally cast in Green Tea and Macchiato! The response from Asian fans is already heating up.

—Whenever a novel is adapted into a drama, casting controversies cause headaches. It’s rare for original fans to welcome a casting as much as this one.

On an entertainment news program, the reporter and MC delivered the update in high-pitched tones. Manager Byun flung the TV remote aside and gulped down cold water. Seok Ryu and Yejun gathered in the officetel’s living room with Byun for a strategy meeting.

No sooner had Yoon Inoh snatched the role of Seunghyun than he also hijacked the YouTube ad Yejun was set to film. With an A-list star, whose endorsement fees reached billions, lowering his rate, the advertiser welcomed him with open arms. Yoon Inoh was deliberately out to crush Yejun.

Byun set his glass on the table and spoke gravely.

“Let’s just write an apology letter.”

Yejun’s eyes widened.

“What apology letter? To whom…?”

“Who else? Inoh.”

Yejun, stunned, couldn’t close his mouth. Seok Ryu let out a hollow laugh, equally incredulous. Byun’s expression was more serious than ever.

“Kim Kyubin and Jo Namheon survived as rookies by writing apology letters. The only one who’s defied Inoh and stayed unscathed is Lee Taeon, but that’s because he’s a golden spoon with nothing to lose.”

Byun grabbed Yejun’s hand.

“Close your eyes and write the letter! If Inoh sharpens his blade and blocks your path, even Director Kwak can’t cover for you! Have that useless intern who only eats our food write it.”

Byun shot Seok Ryu a glare while coaxing Yejun. Yejun stared at the table, remaining stubbornly silent. Despite not sleeping all night and being too terrified to even drink water, he refused to back down this time. His master’s defeated eyes turned to Seok Ryu.

“Didn’t you say not to worry?”

Yejun staggered into his room. Byun gazed at Yejun’s retreating figure with longing before glaring at Seok Ryu.

“What the hell are you doing?! If Yejun tries to visit the writer, you should’ve grabbed his pant leg to stop him!”

Byun didn’t know Seok Ryu had run into Cha Yilhyun at Isaac’s place. Since he’d likely just make noise without helping, Seok Ryu hadn’t mentioned it.

Seok Ryu approached Yejun’s door. His hand hesitated before knocking. Hearing that Seok Ryu had encountered Cha Yilhyun at Isaac’s, Yejun had been devastated. It seemed he’d wanted to handle things quietly to avoid complications. Yet, they’d been caught by the two people they least wanted—Cha Yilhyun and Yoon Inoh.

Seok Ryu had reported what Cha Yilhyun did to him at the penthouse the previous night. Crossing lines with a potential devotee without the master’s permission was forbidden. Both guardian stones and potential devotees belonged entirely to the master.

That’s why Seok Ryu reported when Jinguk rubbed against him, when Byun fondled his hand under the pretense of teaching him to drive, and when Manager Kim confessed in the emergency stairwell. Yejun, though grimacing, listened with interest.

But with Cha Yilhyun, it was different. Yejun didn’t want to hear more about what he’d done to Seok Ryu. It was the first time Seok Ryu had seen Yejun’s expression turn so cold.

It was an unexpected accident. Cornered by enemies on all sides and swept away by the cityscape, Seok Ryu nearly crossed a dangerous line. If he hadn’t snapped out of it and fled, things could’ve gone terribly wrong.

After confirming Cha Yilhyun’s enchantment last night, Seok Ryu handed him over to Yejun upon returning. Since Cha Yilhyun had kissed him and attempted more, there was no denying it. Yet, as the afternoon passed, there was no word from Isaac or the company. It felt like sitting in solitary confinement, awaiting an execution date.

Seok Ryu gripped the phone in his pocket.

“Lobby me too.”

In the worst case, if the rights slipped away and no one could shield Yejun, it was an option to consider. Whether Yejun would give Seok Ryu another chance was uncertain.

Ring-ring-ring————

The intercom’s bell snapped Seok Ryu back to reality. Answering it, he heard the urgent voice of a security guard.

—Please come down quickly! People claiming to be Park Yejun’s mother and brother are here…!

—Damn it! I’m his brother! Who’s this guard acting all high and mighty?!

It was unmistakably Jinguk’s voice. Despite tight security against paparazzi and reporters, he’d likely forced his way in. At the intercom’s sound, Yejun rushed out, pale. Seok Ryu covered the receiver and asked, “Should I tell them to leave?”

“What if Jinguk goes crazy and says something stupid? Rumors spread fast here…!”

“It’s better to handle it yourself before it escalates. He’ll obey you.”

“Me?!”

Yejun panicked but ultimately agreed with Seok Ryu. Hearing Yejun’s half-brother was a former judo athlete, Byun suddenly claimed a stomachache and fled to the bathroom.

“Don’t you all have homes to crawl back to?! What’s with the staring, you bastards?!”

Arriving at the lobby, Seok Ryu was stunned. A young, sturdy guard was being swung around like a balloon by Jinguk, who’d grabbed his collar. Another guard lay on the floor, clutching his waist.

The upscale Palace residents scurried to avoid the unsightly scene. Among the onlookers were Jo Namheon’s crew. Kim Kyubin spotted Yejun first and frowned.

“Look at that family’s class. Don’t stir up trouble—get them out.”

“Stop it.”

“What’s with you lately? Eat something bad?”

“Be quiet.”

Jo Namheon’s low voice silenced Kim Kyubin’s grumbling. He shot a warning glance at his crew before glancing at Yejun. On their first day moving in, Jo Namheon became Yejun’s devotee, but Yejun never spared him a glance. Ignoring him again today, Yejun approached his half-brother.

Jinguk shoved the guard aside and rushed toward Yejun, not forgetting to glare menacingly at Seok Ryu. The stepmother, hiding in a corner, hurried over, beaming, with her hands full of food containers.

“Hyung! You haven’t answered my calls—what’s going on? I thought you killed yourself over the hate comments!”

“Killed himself…”

Snickers erupted around them. Since moving in recently, Seok Ryu hadn’t persuaded many actors. Yejun’s face turned from red to nearly black. Though his eyes burned with disgust toward the duo, he kept his voice low.

“Why are you here? Leave.”

“Of course, I was worried. Mom made side dishes for you since dawn. Gotta eat well to fight those hateful commenters, right?”

“Since when do you care about me? Didn’t you hear me say leave?”

“Why so harsh? That hurts.”

Jinguk’s expression hardened, and Yejun instinctively shrank. Hiding behind Seok Ryu, he signaled to do something. Getting the duo, who’d made Yejun a laughingstock, out of the officetel was the priority.

“Stop embarrassing Yejun and leave. Don’t you know not showing your faces is the best help?”

“What’s this insect yapping about?!”

Jinguk’s eyes blazed as he lunged at Seok Ryu. The stone-like force sent Seok Ryu crashing, breathless. Yejun, behind him, was pushed down too. As Jinguk, startled, tried to help Yejun up, Yejun shuddered.

“Get lost! Just disappear from my life!!”

Yejun’s frenzied scream made Jinguk falter. Leaving his half-brother and stepmother behind, Yejun stormed to the elevator. The crowd busied themselves gossiping. The cold, indifferent city only came alive when voyeuristically feeding on others’ misfortunes.

Seok Ryu got up and followed his master, prepared for the duo holding a grudge. Even as devotees, their leech-like behavior persisted. Yejun, with reddened eyes, glared at the metal doors, swallowing his sobs instead of screaming.

“I’ll just write the apology letter.”

Seok Ryu’s throat tightened, staring at the elevator buttons. He was the one being stubborn. Trying to prove he could match a perfect guardian stone, he was only dragging his master down.

“I’m sorry…”

Cheap apologies wouldn’t earn mercy when Yejun still had nothing in his grasp. Seok Ryu resolved to accept whatever punishment came when they reached his master’s palace.

The elevator arrived, and the doors opened. Byun rushed out like a man pursued, wearing only one shoe, his face ashen. Spotting Yejun, he grabbed his shoulders, shaking him roughly. His contorted face was veins-popping furious.

“Yejun, what the hell did you do to the writer?!!”

Yejun’s lips quivered, and he looked at Seok Ryu with terrified eyes. In that moment, Isaac’s sleeping pills flashed through Seok Ryu’s mind, along with his final scream and expression. He should’ve turned back when Yejun opposed going to Isaac’s.

The timing of the death sentence was impeccable. His legs gave out, and he let out a deranged laugh. Yejun, looking ready to collapse, whimpered, “I-I did well…”

Then, a spasm twitched Byun’s cheek. He hoisted Yejun up and spun him around.

“The rights came to us!! They’re ours!!”

💎

“My precious baby! Where did this blessing come from?!”

Back at the officetel, Byun put Yejun in a headlock, showering him with kisses. Yejun wrinkled his nose at the aggressive affection but grinned widely. Byun’s face was flushed red with excitement.

“The CEO and Director Kwak just signed the rights contract! Every department’s in chaos!”

Seok Ryu couldn’t believe it. Having confirmed Isaac’s safety and secured the rights, he asked the most pressing question.

“What about the Biryu role?”

“Of course, it’s our Yejun’s! The writer gave the rights on the condition that Yejun gets Biryu!”

A shiver ran through Yejun’s eyes. Biting his trembling lips, he cautiously asked, “Did… the CEO approve?”

“You made his lifelong dream come true—of course he approved! He even suggested a party for you. That seals it!”

“A party?”

“You know Songhyul’s parties are legendary, right? Industry bigwigs will flock, and he plans to introduce you. You moved the CEO, so now it’s just a flower path for our Yejun!”

Yejun’s cheeks flushed, and his eyes regained their spark. Byun hugged Yejun, jumping around, crumpling his designer clothes. Hearing Director Kwak was visiting, Yejun and Byun headed to the first-floor coffee shop.

💎

Seok Ryu sat blankly on the living room sofa. The silence was so profound it rang faintly in his ears. Having not slept an hour in three days, his eyes were dry. With the crisis resolved, he considered lying down, but the path to his room felt impossibly far.

He pulled out his notebook and belatedly added Isaac to the devotee list. Isaac’s bitter words about thinking they were friends kept resurfacing. From now on, Yejun would inspire Isaac’s will to live with kind words and bright smiles.

Seok Ryu zoned out a bit longer before moving the pen to the next slot. It seemed he’d succeeded in persuading Cha Yilhyun yesterday. Could he add him to the list? Throwing a grand party for Yejun and selecting him for Biryu surely meant success. After all, Cha Yilhyun had rejected beautiful actors and thousands of auditions.

Seok Ryu carefully wrote Cha Yilhyun’s name in the list. The damp name seemed to writhe in his mouth. To shake off the nonexistent sensation, he clawed at his lips with his nails. Finishing the final stroke, he stared blankly at the name. Having caught an impregnable giant with all his might, exhaustion washed over him.

As Yejun’s devotee, Cha Yilhyun would treat Seok Ryu with cold indifference. He might not spare a glance or even call his name. Seok Ryu couldn’t picture how he’d face that.

Strangely, his heart raced, and a part of it felt violently torn. It must be from tasting the coffee. If a single drop did this, he’d avoid even its scent from now on.

At some point, his phone had been ringing in his pocket. Though he’d offered Yejun the wine-red phone from Cha Yilhyun, Yejun declined, allowing Seok Ryu to keep it since he needed one.

An unfamiliar number appeared on the screen. He recalled Cha Yilhyun’s instruction not to answer calls except from him. Seok Ryu rejected it immediately. It was likely Cha Yilhyun’s secondary phone.

Three or four more calls came from different numbers, all rejected. Since it was the day the rights transferred, he wondered if they were important. Perhaps he should inform the caller the phone’s owner had changed.

As Seok Ryu hesitated, the frantic ringing stopped. Just as he thought it had quieted, it rang again. This time, Cha Yilhyun’s name appeared.

Assuming it was a thank-you call but unaware of Yejun’s number, Seok Ryu answered. A direct, weighty voice came through.

—What were you doing?

“Just here. You got a few calls earlier—note down the numbers.”

Seok Ryu tilted the phone to check the missed call log.

—Forget it. They’re irrelevant anyway.

Cha Yilhyun cut him off without listening. Seok Ryu brought the phone back to his ear.

“Yejun went to meet Director Kwak. He said it’d be quick, so he’ll be back soon.”

—Is that so?

The sound of a pen scratching paper came through. Bustling footsteps and urgent conversation noises followed. Cha Yilhyun let out a short breath.

—Finally catching a breather.

“I heard you secured the rights.”

—Now the gates of hell open.

“It must be chaotic, happening so suddenly.”

—For the staff, not me.

Despite the company being in a festive uproar, Cha Yilhyun was surprisingly calm. Somehow, it made sense. Seok Ryu was feeling the same listlessness that came after achieving a long-sought goal. After a brief silence, Cha Yilhyun’s voice popped up.

—What are you doing tonight? I’ve got a meeting till late.

He drawled the end of his sentence.

—Wanna meet up for a bit?

Since Cha Yilhyun was now Yejun’s devotee, there was no need for a separate meeting, which puzzled Seok Ryu. Yesterday, he’d spoken as if he’d fire Seok Ryu, so perhaps that was why. Yejun would block it anyway, so it was futile.

“If you have something to say, just say it over the phone.”

—How about meeting briefly at your place? I’ll come.

“Just tell me what it’s about…”

—I want to see you.

Seok Ryu froze.

—Have dinner, watch a movie, you know, stuff like that.

His stomach churned quietly. Cha Yilhyun’s breathing seeped into his ear. The ticklish, nauseating feeling was disconcerting. Hearing Cha Yilhyun was throwing a grand party for Yejun and willingly gave up Biryu, Seok Ryu was certain he’d succeeded this time. Was Cha Yilhyun’s change in attitude simply because Yejun was the hero who secured the rights? The possibility of another failure sent cold sweat trickling.

From the first moment until now, Cha Yilhyun’s actions confirmed he was persuaded by Seok Ryu. Once persuaded, he should become his master’s servant. Yet, Cha Yilhyun was still stagnant. If not persuasion, how else could his behavior be explained?

Seok Ryu gripped the phone, opening and closing his mouth repeatedly. It seemed Cha Yilhyun’s breathing paused, waiting for a reply.

Just then, the front door burst open. Yejun and Byun’s voices echoed.

“Did you see Director Kwak’s eyes? I’ve never seen them so sweet since I joined!”

Seok Ryu frantically hung up and powered off the phone. As Yejun and Byun stormed in, a chill ran down his nape. Yejun, eyes gleaming, recounted the praises from Director Kwak. But none of it registered.