LS Ch 75

Jewoo took a deep breath in front of the CEO’s office. When was the last time they were here? Six months ago? No, maybe a year. They couldn’t quite remember. Unless summoned, Jewoo didn’t seek out the CEO, and the CEO rarely called for them.

A dry laugh escaped Jewoo’s lips. It wasn’t directed at the CEO. They felt the same way.

Knock, knock. After a brief pause following their knock, a voice from inside bade them enter. There was no need to confirm who it was. After all, who else would be here at this hour?

Opening the door, Jewoo entered and offered a slight bow. The CEO gestured towards the sofa. As Jewoo sat, the CEO, who seemed to have been working until this late hour, rose from his desk and took a seat opposite them.

“Things have been rather noisy lately.”

As expected, there were no perfunctory greetings. Still, “noisy?” What did he mean by that? Their recent drama was gaining attention, and their workload had increased accordingly.

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it? It means I’m getting attention.”

“It depends on the kind of attention you’re getting.”

The CEO’s curt words made Jewoo’s lips press into a thin line. Even as time passed and they became an adult, facing this man was still uncomfortable. It felt like there was always a high wall between them.

“It’s probably better than being forgotten, though.”

For a celebrity, being forgotten was the biggest problem. There was a reason the term “noise marketing” existed. It was better to be noisy than forgotten.

“Just tell me what you want. It’s late.”

It was a somewhat disrespectful attitude for an actor towards their agency’s CEO, but the CEO simply stared at Jewoo without saying anything.

“Kang Yiwon.”

Yiwon’s name came from his lips. Jewoo wasn’t surprised, having anticipated this. Nevertheless, the weight of his voice pressed down on their heart.

“What’s your relationship with him?”

Jewoo met the CEO’s gaze head-on.

“What are you curious about?”

Even with their slightly defiant tone, the CEO remained unfazed.

“It goes beyond simply being colleagues.”

He placed a few printed photos in front of Jewoo. Jewoo had already seen most of them. More accurately, they’d seen the video from which these stills were taken.

In the photos, Jewoo and Yiwon looked closer than ordinary colleagues. They smiled at each other, and there were light touches, like on the shoulder or arm. That much could be considered normal interaction between colleagues.

The problem was their eyes. The way Yiwon looked at Jewoo was different. Jewoo’s gaze was less intense, but they did occasionally stare at Yiwon with unusual softness.

It’s Kang Yiwon’s fault for being so ridiculously handsome. Sometimes he’s so mesmerizing, I can’t look away.

Jewoo tried to excuse the way they looked at Yiwon in the photos, but it was just an excuse. Regardless, to anyone, it looked like they were looking at Yiwon with special feelings. Kang Yiwon’s gaze towards Jewoo was even more intense.

There’s a saying that eyes can’t lie. It was true. Even Jewoo was startled, almost impressed, when seeing their own unguarded gaze captured in videos or photos like these.

So, there was no way the perceptive CEO wouldn’t have noticed, especially regarding Jewoo. Despite his almost negligent management style, he understood Jewoo better than anyone.

“You know what I’m talking about. So, give me an explanation, or an excuse.”

Jewoo took a small, sharp breath. Neither an explanation nor an excuse was necessary. A clumsy lie wouldn’t work anyway. More than anything, they didn’t want to lie about Yiwon.

“It is what it looks like.”

The CEO narrowed his eyes at Jewoo’s short reply. That was all; he didn’t frown. So, Jewoo couldn’t gauge what he was thinking.

“So, you’re saying you have a special relationship?”

Perhaps wanting confirmation, the CEO clearly wanted to define their relationship. Jewoo simply held his gaze silently. As if their silence was enough of an answer, the CEO let out a short “Hmm” and looked away.

“If you’re going to tell me to break up, or to stop seeing each other, I won’t. And I can’t say I’ll stop seeing him since we barely see each other as it is. I want to see him when I can.”

Anticipating the CEO’s words, Jewoo answered preemptively. The corner of the CEO’s lips curled up slightly. Thinking he was mocking them, Jewoo clenched their fists in their lap.

“Such defiance tells me you’re serious.”

He turned back to Jewoo with a faint smile. It wasn’t quite a sneer, but it was still unsettling, leaving Jewoo on edge.

“I just wanted to confirm your feelings, so don’t be nervous.”

His added words, acknowledging Jewoo’s anxiety, made them groan internally. They could never hide anything from this man. That’s why it was so difficult and uncomfortable.

“I’m not going to tell young people to break up. I just wanted to caution you against playing games. If you’re serious, then it’s your decision. You’re not a child anymore. You should be able to take responsibility for your own life.”

The tension that had gripped Jewoo’s body dissipated at the implication that he wouldn’t oppose their relationship with Yiwon.

“You’re not against it?”

They asked again, and the CEO stared at them intently. He didn’t repeat himself, having just implied his acceptance.

“We’re both men.”

“So?”

The nonchalant reply made Jewoo laugh dryly. Yes, this was the kind of person he was. As indifferent to others’ affairs as he was, he lacked prejudice, and that made him appear open-minded and tolerant.

“Well, alright. I understand you’re not against it.”

Jewoo couldn’t understand why he’d called them in at this hour if he wasn’t going to object. Feeling there was nothing more to discuss, they rose to leave, and his gaze followed.

“Your mother called.”

The unexpected topic made Jewoo freeze. Their mother…? Their heart seemed to harden, hearing that word from his lips after so many years.

“She was making a fuss, asking if it’s true about you and Kang Yiwon. Saying how can I let you be like this.”

Jewoo let out a hollow laugh at his words. Their mother had no right to interfere in their life.

“She said you don’t answer her calls?”

“I blocked her.”

They answered without a moment’s hesitation. It was ironic that he was only finding out about it now, after so many years. It meant he hadn’t tried to contact her once during that time.

“Are you sure Yiwon contacted you about work? And not because my name is finally being mentioned again?”

Even to their own ears, their tone was overly sharp. Emotions churned within them, making it impossible to feign composure.

“Well, I wouldn’t know what’s in his heart.”

The CEO neither confirmed nor denied it.

“Right. If you did, things wouldn’t be like this between the two of you.”

Sharp words directed at the CEO slipped out. Still, he didn’t frown or get angry, but calmly met Jewoo’s gaze. This was even more frustrating. It felt like everything they said bounced off him. While they disliked their mother, they sometimes understood her choices.

“If you have nothing else to say, I’ll be going.”

Not wanting to say anything they might regret, Jewoo suppressed their surging emotions and turned away.

“Jewoo.”

As they reached for the doorknob, the CEO called out their name. They bit their lip at the rare use of their name, but didn’t reply or turn around.

“If you have any trouble with your mother, don’t hide it and tell me. It might be difficult for you to handle on your own.”

Their grip on the doorknob tightened involuntarily. From the moment he mentioned their mother, he was no longer speaking as their agency CEO.

“I’ll think about it.”

They didn’t want to readily agree.

“…….”

The CEO’s silence indicated his dissatisfaction with their response. Jewoo took a deep breath and turned to face him.

“You two never consulted me about my life either.”

Their emotions finally burst. This wasn’t how they wanted things to go… While their mind was already filled with regret, once the dam broke, they couldn’t control the flow.

“Since when did you have a say in my life? Just leave me alone, like you always have. Neither Mother…nor Father have the right to interfere in my affairs.”

After their outburst, Jewoo left the CEO’s office. Standing in the hallway, they took several agitated breaths and ran a hand through their hair.

‘I should have held back a little longer. Nothing will change because of this.‘

Sensing a presence, Jewoo turned to see Jiho approaching from the opposite hallway. Jiho simply patted Jewoo’s shoulder without a word. As if understanding their emotional state just from their expression, they didn’t ask anything.