Chapter 412 |
Side Story (29)
“If you were interested in the entertainment industry, you should’ve told me. I would’ve helped. I have a lot of connections in show business too. I was even invited to an awards ceremony not long ago.”
“Haha.”
Lee Saehwa brushed off the response with a polite laugh as the woman spoke with a hint of disappointment.
‘How amusing.’
He had no interest in something as trivial as connections.
Why would those at the very top of the industry need connections in the first place? The very person others desperately tried to reach by using their connections was Seo Yutae.
He himself was Seo Yutae’s connection, and Seo Yutae was his.
He couldn’t believe he was expected to waste time on someone who couldn’t even grasp that much about the industry’s atmosphere.
‘The museum she runs is the second largest after the one owned by the Sanghwa Cultural Foundation.’
She was the second daughter of a fairly reputable conglomerate family. Not on the level of the Sanghwa Group, but still prominent enough. After returning from a long period of studying abroad, she had taken over as director of the museum her mother used to run. That was why he had agreed to the meeting, but it had been nothing but disappointing so far.
“To be honest, I don’t actually like art that much. I have no interest in it at all. I really don’t know why my mom put me in charge of the museum ……. I wish I could work in entertainment like you, CEO Lee. It looks fun.”
He had intended to gauge the caliber of the competitor’s next owner, but it seemed unnecessary. Most likely, her parents had simply handed her an appropriate title in hopes that their incompetent and unambitious child would somehow manage to pull her weight. A textbook example of a useless chaebol offspring.
‘Besides, it feels like she had a different objective from the start…….’
Suppressing the fatigue already creeping in, he leaned back silently and crossed his legs. Her gaze immediately followed; starting at the sliver of ankle revealed beneath the hem of his trousers, trailing over the bones and veins on the back of his hand, before finally settling on his face.
“I heard you enjoy wine, CEO Lee. I asked them to prepare something nice beforehand, though I’m not sure if it’ll be to your taste. I personally prefer tea over alcohol, so I’ll need you to teach me a thing or two.”
“…….”
She seemed to think she was being subtle—calling the waiter occasionally, taking sips of wine—but this sort of situation was far too familiar for Lee Saehwa not to notice.
‘I heard rumors she sponsors exceptionally good-looking celebrities. Was that just gossip?’
Even as those thoughts crossed his mind, he realized it wasn’t the case the moment he saw her eyes staring blankly at his face.
‘So, as long as she likes the face, nothing else matters.’
He had assumed she wouldn’t approach him with such intentions, having heard rumors that she was into idols and actors barely in their early twenties. Besides, being in her early thirties, there was a significant age gap between her and Lee Saehwa himself.
‘I never imagined she’d see me as a romantic prospect.’
Judging by how naively she displayed her interest, it seemed the woman was unaware of the many scandals surrounding him.
Even setting scandals aside, the rumor “Lee Saehwa is such a workaholic he has no intention of ever marrying” was already widely known in their circles. Had she not heard it?
‘I specifically told them to reject any arranged marriage meetings without even asking me ……. So, did she intentionally approach me under the guise of a business meeting?’
“I’ve actually wanted to meet you for a long time, but for some reason, things just didn’t seem to work out, so it wasn’t easy to get an appointment. I’d heard rumors that you were quite impressive, but I didn’t expect you to be this handsome.”
Or perhaps she knew and deliberately ignored it.
Maybe she believed she could change his mind once they met in person.
“I ran into Chairman of the Sanghwa Group at a party recently, and you don’t resemble him much. The Chairman is handsome too, of course, but he has very clean-cut features. You have a more glamorous look. I assume you take after your mother? She must have been quite a beauty.”
“…….”
“Even if someone pisses you off, try to endure it. Don’t think so lightly about burying people. If you have time to go around ruining them, just come home and get some sleep.”
The words Seo Yutae had practically brainwashed him with were the only thing barely holding back the irritation slowly rising within him.
“No. Just let it go. She’s just a kid. She’s cute, okay? She’s cute. Uh-uh, don’t you dare give me that ‘I’m going to kill her’ smile. It’s forbidden.” “…….” “…It’s no use looking at me with those blinking eyes. I can see right through you, You’re just trying to act all adorable so I’ll just let this slide.”
Lee Saehwa calmly closed and reopened his eyes, then took a sip of wine.
He was enduring it.
If his blood relatives saw him like this, they would faint. When the incident involving that fiancée had occurred, they had witnessed with their own eyes what Choi Jeokhyeon had done.
Unfortunately, thanks to Lee Saehwa’s flawless control over his expression, the other party failed to read the atmosphere and kept chattering away, her face flushed red.
‘She seems to have absolutely no intention of discussing business…….’
And this was despite the fact that Lee Saehwa hadn’t offered a single proper response this whole time.
After rambling on for quite a while, she finally seemed to sense something amiss and began asking questions that required definite answers.
“What do you usually do in your free time?”
“…I mostly work.”
Though he knew perfectly well she meant to ask what hobbies he enjoyed after work, he deliberately cut the conversation short with a curt reply.
In truth, during his limited free time, he mostly dined or drank with Seo Yutae.
Occasionally, he’d also get roped in by the agency’s celebrities … mostly those who functioned as Seo Yutae’s emotional support humans.
“Hehehe, please buy us meat, CEO-nim. I’m starving.”
“CEO-nim, I love you. I love sushi. Premium sushi.” “Whoa, sniff sniff … CEO-nim, you smell nice. Is this … the scent of an adult?” “…CEO-nim, you don’t have to force yourself to entertain those hyungs when they cling to you. I apologize on their behalf…….”
He had never intended to build close relationships with the artists under his company, so he’d been slightly taken aback when they boldly closed the distance at first. But Seo Yutae had asked him to treat the people around him well, and since they weren’t particularly bothersome, this bizarre relationship had continued rather smoothly.
By now, he had adapted enough that he was actually fine with it.
It was something like having a slightly dim-witted puppy constantly trailing after him.
In any case, he had no intention of sharing such private matters with anyone else.
When he took a stance that clearly showed he wasn’t interested, the other person fell silent for a moment before smoothly continuing with a smile.
“I suppose with so many companies under your management, your free time must be limited. I understand. Still, rest is important. How about we go golfing together sometime?”
“I don’t particularly enjoy golf.”
“Oh … then what kind of sports are you interested in?”
Lee Saehwa slowly closed and opened his eyes again before answering vaguely.
“…I’ve been doing a bit of boxing lately.”
If Seo Yutae heard that, he’d shout at him for lying. Not long ago, claiming that such a frail body would collapse from overwork, Seo Yutae had dragged him to the gym … only for Lee Saehwa to do nothing but stand there smiling and watching.
“Boxing? Wow, I didn’t expect you to prefer something so active.”
Clearly flustered by a sport that didn’t suit his image at all—and one he had no real interest in—she hesitated slightly.
In reality, Lee Saehwa simply enjoyed watching Seo Yutae box; he had no interest in boxing itself. He had merely picked something that might dampen her enthusiasm for conversation.
‘Maybe I should install a ring in the company gym. We could use it for in-house content too.’
Lost briefly in thought, Lee Saehwa suddenly checked the phone in his pocket.
It felt like he’d received a call. There had been no vibration or ringtone, so if someone asked how he knew, he could only say he just did.
[Yutae]
As expected. The incoming call screen was displayed.
The moment he saw the name, the fog of fatigue clouding his mind seemed to clear.
Worried the person on the other end would hang up, he pressed the accept button.without asking for the other party’s understanding.
Although he would deny it himself, Seo Yutae was actually quite impatient. If you kept him waiting too long, he would just ditch you and go off to do something else.
“Yeah.”
“What are you doing?”
Just as expected, his voice came through, laced with obvious dissatisfaction.
Judging by how noticeably curt he sounded, Nagi Zen, whom he had sent over without prior agreement, must have arrived safely.
“…I have an appointment.”
‘I noticed his smoking’s been increasing lately, so I figured it was about time to step in at least once. Yutae has a bit of a soft spot for those kids, after all.’
As he absentmindedly let a smile slip while imagining Seo Yutae getting blindsided first thing in the morning, the expression of the person across the table hardened instantly.
She had just realized that the smiles he’d shown her until a moment ago were all a performance. Lee Saehwa, having already lost interest in her, couldn’t have cared less about what she thought, though.
When it became clear he had no intention of ending the call, she spoke sharply.
“Wait, I’m talking to you right now, and you suddenly…….”
Hearing her voice, Seo Yutae sounded visibly flustered on the other end and tried to wrap up the call in a hurry.
“No, it’s not that urgent. … G-good luck with your blind date. Fighting!”
“…What?”
It seemed he had completely misunderstood something.
He opened his mouth to quickly explain, but the call had already ended.
“……”
He couldn’t comprehend the situation.
Lowering his arm slowly, he checked the screen. The call had ended, Seo Yutae’s name displayed beneath it. Lee Saehwa simply stared at it in silence.
“Was that Seo Yutae who called? Oh! Why don’t you invite him here right now? I recently had a chance to see him perform up close, and he was so cool. I’ve become his fan! I was thinking I’d like to meet him in person someday, and today is just perfect!”
The moment Seo Yutae’s name left her lips, Lee Saehwa’s crimson eyes turned icy, and a deep sigh escaped him. Before she even had time to react to his blatant display of displeasure, he slowly rose from his seat.
“…Saehwa-ssi?”
…Ah, he had reached his limit in more ways than one.
He had endured this entire waste of time for the sake of a single thing Seo Yutae had said.
And yet the call had ended with a ridiculous misunderstanding, and now he was being told to summon Seo Yutae here—without the slightest consideration for Seo Yutae’s own will.
He was well aware that celebrities were often called out to flaunt connections or serve as entertainment at gatherings. But that did not mean anyone had the right to treat Seo Yutae that way.
This had far exceeded the bounds of what he was willing to tolerate.
Lee Saehwa pressed a button on his phone and spoke.
“I’m done here. Get the car ready.”
“Yes, understood.”
“C-CEO, where are you going all of a sudden? We haven’t even had a proper conversation yet. This is incredibly rude!”
Lee Saehwa looked back at the woman who grabbed him in panic.
He calmly removed her grip from his arm, then bent down and whispered in her ear.
“Seo Yutae-ssi is a busy man. He’s not someone who comes running like a dog whenever he’s called. And even if he did have time, he wouldn’t respond to such a rude invitation.”
“……”
“…It’s going to be a problem if you treat him like the nobodies you’ve met before.”
Never having been spoken to like that, her face crumpled in stark disbelief.
Only after watching that expression did Lee Saehwa, for the first time since arriving, offer her a genuine smile.
“I have another engagement. I’ll be going now.”
The moment he stepped out, he got into the waiting car.
“To the dorm.”
“Yes, sir.”
Gazing out the window, Lee Saehwa tapped lightly against his knee in a steady rhythm.
Then, with a bright smile, he murmured to himself,
‘If there’s a misunderstanding, it should be cleared up. And while I’m at it, I should teach him not to hang up unilaterally.’
You can support this translation through Buy Me a Coffee or Wishlist -`♡´-
(dont ask why the wishlist name is like that sjhdhdhfkdh)
Translator’s Corner:
I’m once again questioning THE GENRE
Happy March, guys … fun fact, do you know that yesterday (it already went down now), Top Idol’s Revenge topped NU monthly activity ranking
I laughed when I saw that because it’s monthly ranking so it just counted how many users interacted with that series in one day (March 1st), and I was ??? WHO STARTED THEIR MARCH CHECKING OUT THIS SERIES ADHKJFKFFKJ I suggest you to run ?
But wow there’s already 3k added to reading list (it was 300~ when I first started), let’s reach 5000 one day … please leave kind reviews ❤
International news have been pretty bleak lately, it’s like we’re really having a World War looming right before us. Did anyone live in countries that get affected? I hope you stay safe, and I wish peace will soon returned upon us … omggg when will God take those old men to His side
And my work update … ha ha ha …. ❤ let’s just think of it as a way to counter depression since I don’t have time to be depressed when I was that overworked and busy all day ….. also thanks everyone for the tips in the previous chapter comments, that was just how I found out I have double eyelids???