Wonjun learns about Jiwon’s true nature. Two interesting offers come up. 

 • chapter 7 – offers. 

Yg’s building felt particularly gloomy that day. The sun had set, casting a grey shadow on the buildings surrounding the company. 

Wonjun stepped back and forth, with short and anxious steps. 

“Thank you anyway, I’ll talk to Mr. Yang myself”. 

His long and deep sigh was covered by the busy chattering of the staff running around the hallways. 

The bad news started flooding the moment he stepped into the building.  

"This place is cursed”, he thought.  

A colorful figure appeared at the corner of the cafeteria where Wonjun was headed. 

“Sandara-ssi? What are you doing here? Today’s your day off, why didn’t you stay home to rest?”. 

“Wonjun-ssi!... just needed to take care of a couple of things…”, she quickly wiped the tears forming at the corner of her eyes in a useless attempt to hide from him any trace of her true feelings. 

He sat on the opposite side of the long table, “Well… I’ve spoken with Mr. Yang this morning”.  

“What did he say?”. Her excitement stripped him of the strength to look at his client’s eyes. He cursed at the universe for having the ingrate task to dim the spark in her eyes.                                                                                                                                            

“He said it won’t be produced. I’m sorry”.  

Dara forced a smile with all her might, “It’s okay, I’ll keep practicing my acting Manager-nim!”. 

He knew that tone, He wasn’t her manager for nothing. He could catch the subtle hint of disappointment and resignation hidden in her positivity. Sandara was like that. She tried to be positive even after the umpteenth blow.  

“We can still try next year, I can try to get you a gig…”. Wonjun tried to reach for her hands, in an attempt to reassure her. 

She cut him off, withdrawing her hands to avoid Wonjun’s, “It’s okay, I don’t want you to beg the President again. I’m okay with being an MC for the time being”.  

He hated it. He hated to see her let go of her dreams one after the other, singing and now acting. No matter how hard she fought for them, the circumstances and the higher-ups wouldn’t let a seasoned performer like Sandara Park pursue her ambitions. 

Wonjun knew that Mr. Yang’s new proposal was better than nothing but his duty as her manager was to protect her. He would’ve lied if he said that his personal feelings weren’t in the way of making an objective decision. It was undoubtedly hard to hide that from her in such a desperate time of her career. 

Still, it was for her own good. 

[…] 

“Wonjun-ssi, Mr. Yang called me a few minutes ago”. 

“What for?”. 

“He wants Sandara Park to be the lead actress in Eun Jiwon’s new MV”. 

“EH?!”.  Wonjun broke into a cold sweat. He couldn’t believe he had given Sandara a chance but was even more surprised to hear that stinky man’s name. Good thing Dohyun couldn’t see Wonjun’s panicked face through the phone. 

despicable. 

It was so smart of Mr. Yang to think of something like that. To ride on the buzz Sandara’s had created with her TV confession and milk it until dry. 

He was perfectly aware that Sandara had the fame of having relationships for years without ever being caught. That’s why the media was so interested in her private life. Because of how unattainable it was.  

The love team tactic the CEO came up with was so calculated and studied, yet brilliant, it made him quiver. It was a win-win for both parties. 

He composed himself again. 

“Impossible”. 

“W-why? I thought you wanted an acting gig for Sandara”. Dohyun expressed his perplexity. 

“I don’t think it’s a good idea”.  

Wonjun could just lie his way through it. He couldn’t let that man around her anymore.  

He could still hear her soft sobbing and the fear in her voice of that time he witnessed her being taken advantage of for the umpteenth time.  

He just couldn’t let that happen again. If he had the chance to decide for her he would’ve taken it.  

Sandara’s feelings were more important than that offer. 

“Just think about it once more, I’m saying this for you Wonjun-ssi”. 

“Thank you anyway, I’ll inform Mr. Yang myself”. 

[…] 

「Jiwon's POV」 

“Let’s wrap up Jiwon”. 

The technician announced, pleased by the results of the first recording. 

I finally left the headphones on the music stand, I thought my ears would bleed out If I listened to my singing voice one more time. 

“Good work Jiwon Hyung”.  

Dohyun handed me a bottle of water as soon as I came out of that claustrophobic boot. 

The pleased grin plastered on him was such a rare sight, such a different look when compared to the sweaty-nervous manager he was the same morning.  

“I’ll just make a quick call, get something to eat if you want”. He waltzed out of the recording room, readily placing his ear on the phone. 

I shortly  followed my manager out of the door.

“Just think about it once more, I’m saying this for you Wonjun-ssi”. 

I overheard Dohyun, insisting over the phone. He sure knew how to be pressing when he wanted to. 

I shrugged it off and calmly made my way towards the cafeteria. 

I felt hot again, anger boiling up to my throat out of the blue. 

Work could distract me for just so long, I couldn’t pretend it didn’t bother me. 

“I’m sorry for liking you this much”. 

Her words sounded so honest. Aren’t drunk people usually the more sincere? No matter how earnest she was in the moment, I pitied myself for caring for such a scheming person. 

Suwon wasn’t exempted from my rage, He was another culprit. Helping Sandara behind my back; forcing me to go out with her and guilt-tripping me for wanting to tell her that the message where I invited her out was just an “accident”.  

Accident my . 

No one meddles in my private life. 

The fact I actually felt drawn to her made me go out of my mind. To think I almost had a fight with her piece of of a manager.

Madness. 

The elevator ding alerted me that I was on the cafeteria’s floor, making me snap back to reality. 

I slowly looked up, a man dashed inside before I could get off. 

“Wait up!”. 

He pressed a floor button before I could react.

I could recognize that cheeky voice everywhere. It was Sandara’s guard dog.  

“You!”. I snapped, grabbing him by the collar. 

“I hope you’ll understand my behavior this morning, It’s my job to protect Sandara”. He uttered, raising his palms and surrendering to which I released my grip. 

“Protecting? Are you her guardian? Why do you keep bothering her around anyway? “. 

“As I told you, it’s my job”. He fixed his now wrinkly button up. 

“I didn’t do a thing to her, if that’s what you want to know”. 

“Why were you at her place then? And the alcol smell…”. 

“Will you stop bothering me if I tell you?”. I rolled my eyes. 

“Sure”. 

“It was my fault if she drank too much. I had to make sure she would get home safely. I owned her at least that much”. No matter how disappointed I was in her, I was a man who took accountability for his own actions.  

“She didn’t want to call me, is that true?”. Sandara’s manager looked down, sorrowful. 

“It’s true. She clearly asked me not to call you”.  

“So it’s like that…”. The er mumbled, as if he realized something. 

“It’s time you let go of her, your job is to take care of her career, not of her personal life”. 

He kept looking straight in front of him, almost disregarding my presence, deep in thought.  

For some reason I had the certainty he was actually considering my advice. 

“I was wrong about you, I apologize. I thought you were just another one of those pricks…”. He chuckled by himself. 

“Huh?”. 

“You actually give good advice”. 

“Tsk-“. I got off the elevator only to realize I was on the wrong floor. 

My phone started vibrating. 

“Hello?”. 

“Jiwon-Oppa, it’s Mihyun-”. 

“What’s up?”. 

 “I didn’t think you’d pick up right away. Remember what we talked about?”. 

“Why?”. 

“I just wanted to remind you of that offer”.  

I sighed. 

“We’re both adults, why do you keep rejecting me?”. 

“Come over at place on Tuesday then. 9pm”. 

“I knew you couldn’t resist it, see you there”. 

[…] 

Wonjun gathered all his strength. No matter how much it hurt his pride, Jiwon was right. He had to be Sandara’s manager first. He wasn't the nasty man he thought after all. He had to make this choice for her career's sake.

He pressed his contact. 

“Dohyun-ssi? Regarding Mr. Yang’s offer for Sandara. Let’s do it”.