Chapter46
Sunghoon's feet hit the floor in a restless, relentless rhythm. He looked around the office, the silence of the room amplifying the thrum of his own heartbeat. Alice had left moments ago, leaving him alone to wait for Mae-rin. It was a strange sensation ,this man, once a titan of the industry, a veteran actor who had commanded sets for decades, was now fidgeting like a schoolboy outside the principal's office, even Min-hyuk didnt evote these emotions rushing though him.
Since the drama had started filming, he hadn't had a chance to breathe, let alone visit the agency's main office. On the rare occasions he did drop by, it was for a few frantic minutes, his eyes always scanning the hallways just to catch a fleeting glimpse of her.
His heart was racing. He wondered why she had called him in so suddenly. To prepare, he had agonized over his clothes, finally settling on something that looked effortlessly polished. He had even snuck a few sprays of Se-hee's perfume - a soft, comforting scent. He hoped it would subconsciously mark him as someone "nice," someone she could naturally get close to. But as he sat there, he felt a wave of self-consciousness. He didn't want to seem desperate. He clamped his hands over his knees, trying to force his legs to stop their frantic tapping.
The door swung open, and Mae-rin rushed in.
She was carrying a precarious stack of files, her hair caught up in a messy bun that looked like it had survived a windstorm.
Sunghoon felt a pang of warmth. Alice had mentioned that because they were still a small agency, Mae-rin was essentially the engine room. She did the hands-on work herself and was currently juggling another artist who had just landed a role in a webdrama.
Whenhe heard that, Sunghoon had been jealous. He wished she were the one handling him directly. Not that Alice wasn't spectacular , she was headstrong, protective, and wouldn't back down from a fight if she smelled something unfair - but Mae-rin was his sister. He longed to spend more time with her.
"Sorry I'm late," she panted, letting the files drop onto the desk with a heavy thud. She sat down, still breathing heavily, and tried to adjust the lapels of her suit jacket while regaining her composure.
She pulled her chair closer, her face flushed red from the rush. As she tried to tuck a stray hair back into the bun, Sunghoon offered a small, reassuring smile.
"It's fine," he said softly. He would have waited the entire day if he had to.
His eyes caught the pencil stuck haphazardly into her bun. An internal spark of joy lit up his chest. It was the same habit she'd had as a young girl when she was studying , the same messy, practical quirk. She hadn't changed that much, even if the world around them had.
"So..." she said, finally catching her breath. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the desk. Her expression shifted, the frantic energy of her arrival replaced by a sharp, professional mask. She looked serious.
Sunghoon looked at her and felt a swell of pride so intense it was almost painful. He wanted to tell her. He wanted to say how incredible it was to see her like this. In his previous life, he'd secretly tucked away a massive fund for her, half-convinced she'd end up as a lovable "bum" who would mooch off him forever. He wouldn't have complained; he would have happily funded her entire existence.But here she was, a force to be reckoned with.
"So," Mae-rin repeated, her eyes scanning his face with growing concern. "Alice informed me of an altercation that happened a few days ago."
Oh. That incident.
Sunghoons posture stiffened. Sunghoon had tried to downplay it, telling Alice it was nothing and to brush it off, but clearly, his manager hadn't been convinced. He didn't want to drag them into the darkness of Haru's past. He thought he could handle it alone.
"It was just a misunderstanding," he said, forcing a slight laugh and leaning back in his chair to appear relaxed. "A case of mistaken identity, really."
"If you are in trouble, you can tell us," Mae-rin said, her voice dropping into a firm, professional register. "We are in charge of you. Your safety is part of our contract."
She's grown so much, Sunghoon thought, his heart aching.
"It was just—"
"I am not new to this, Haru," she interrupted, her gaze hardening. "I have seen my fair share of gangs."
Sunghoon's breath hitched. She had? Where? When?
Worry and a sharp, cold fear bloomed in his chest. Was she okay? Had she been hurt while he was... gone? He remembered Alice mentioning, in a drunken stupor during his birthday, that the company was struggling for money.
He wondered, with a sudden flash of confusion, why she hadn't sold his assets. The properties, the royalties, it would have been more than enough to pay off any loan. It would have been enough to set up a bigger agency.Had something gone wrong with the inheritance? Did his death leave her in a lurch he hadn't anticipated?
He wanted to demand answers. He wanted to fix every problem she had. But he caught himself. He was just a rookie actor on her roster. He had no right to ask anything especially so personally.
"It was nothing," he tried again, his voice sounding thin even to his own ears.
Mae-rin folded her hands on the desk and stared at him. Her eyes were sharp, searching, trying to read the layers beneath his skin.
She felt a strange, unsettling pull. How could this boy remind her so much of her dead brother? She told herself she was being ridiculous, that she was hallucinating because she missed him so much. But the mannerisms - the way he leaned back, the tilt of his head - it was eerily similar. It created a hollow longing in her gut. When she had first seen the clip of his audition, her heart had practically stopped. She'd been so overcome with emotion she had given the go ahead for Alice to sign him.
But Sunghoon was gone. He had been gone for twenty-five years. This was just a talented kid who happened to share a "vibe."
She wanted to pry, to push him until the truth came out, but he was clearly hiding it.He wasn't going to offer an explanation today.
But Mae-rin wasn't a quitter. She was relentless. She had secured this major role for her agency by calling in every favor she had and offering a few she didn't even have yet. It had been a massive gamble, especially after the first actor proved to be an idiot. She had staked the agency's future on this unknown boy. She wouldn't let anything destroy what she was building.
"Fine," she said, leaning back and matching his posture. Her eyes didn't leave his.