The Arrogant Newcomer

His expression was arrogant as he spewed nonsense.

Yi-seo pressed his lips firmly together out of sheer absurdity.

He was afraid that if his mouth hung open like before, Cha Gye-won might shove a finger in again.

“Anyway, I look forward to working with you.”

When Gye-won reached out as if requesting a handshake, Baek Yi-seo caught his hand with both of his before he even realized it.

The sight was so amusing that Gye-won’s lips curled upward.

“We’ll be moving the office soon, so get ready. Not like you have much to pack anyway.”

“The company office, you mean?”

“Hold back even if you want to move immediately. The interior work is still in progress.”

“I don’t think we really need to move the office….”

Yi-seo mumbled.

The more he heard, the more he wondered what on earth was happening.

Something was definitely off, but there were so many strange things that he couldn’t quite put his finger on just one.

In the meantime, Cha Gye-won was strangely overbearing and, to be honest, a little scary.

“Do I look like I belong in a dump like this?”

“Well, it’s not that, but….”

“Then it’s settled.”

Cha Gye-won reached out a thick-knuckled finger and tapped Baek Yi-seo’s cheek.

The moment Yi-seo tried to pull his head back, Gye-won’s gaze turned predatory.

Click.

“Boss!”

“Oh, oh. Tae-mi. What’s up?”

“Kyaaaah!”

Tae-mi, who had burst into the office, let out a shriek the moment she saw Cha Gye-won.

Ironically, thanks to that scream, the dazed feeling Yi-seo had carried since Gye-won first set foot in the office finally felt a bit more organized.

“Oh my god, Sunbae-nim! What are you doing here? Am I dreaming?”

Despite acting like she’d never step foot in the office again, she took a seat on the sofa.

Judging by the file she held, she had come to terminate her contract.

“Give me the file.”

In fact, Yi-seo had already prepared the contract termination documents before Tae-mi arrived.

Tae-mi was an ambitious person.

Further persuasion wouldn’t work.

Deep down, Yi-seo knew it was better for her to leave for a place with potential rather than stay at a dead-end agency.

“Here.”

Han Tae-mi handed over the file without even sparing a glance toward Yi-seo.

Gye-won’s brow furrowed instantly.

He thought Baek Yi-seo looked like a total idiot, staying so calm while being ignored by a mere kid.

‘He’s a total pushover.’

Perhaps because of his thin frame, Yi-seo’s features looked particularly sharp.

He was pale and lacked much facial expression, which gave him a cynical look, but in reality, he was just a fool.

“Sunbae-nim, what really brought you here? You even missed the dinner yesterday.”

Tae-mi asked, her large eyes growing wider.

Even then, she seemed to find Cha Gye-won intimidating, as she kept glancing at him cautiously.

“I had something to discuss with the CEO.”

Despite Gye-won naturally drawing a line, Tae-mi didn’t back down and kept talking.

I suppose it was that kind of tenacity that allowed her to survive even with such an incompetent agency.

“With our CEO? Have you had lunch yet? I haven’t eaten either—would you like to go together?”

“…….”

“Oh! There’s a great place right in front! It was even on TV!”

“Eat by yourself, Tae-mi-ssi. I get indigestion when I eat with people who talk too much.”

Gye-won’s cold attitude made Yi-seo feel embarrassed just watching.

To Tae-mi, Cha Gye-won must have been someone to admire.

“I’ll send the papers through Hwi-jun, so head home. Take care of yourself. It’s an important time.”

“……Yes.”

Tae-mi stood up but didn’t leave immediately, lingering while watching Cha Gye-won.

He must have felt her gaze, yet he ignored her and simply flipped through the contract.

“Aren’t you leaving, Sunbae-nim?”

“Where would I go? This is my company.”

“Pardon?”

Tae-mi looked at Yi-seo as if demanding an answer.

He had signed it, but explaining this was awkward.

He hoped Cha Gye-won would say something, but Gye-won just joined in on staring at Yi-seo.

After hesitating for a long time, unable to withstand the heavy gazes, Yi-seo finally managed to speak.

“Cha Gye-won-ssi decided to join our company.”

“What?! What does that mean? Why here?!”

Yi-seo smiled bitterly at Tae-mi’s honest reaction.

It was only natural.

The agency Cha Gye-won was currently signed to was a place that gathered only the biggest actors in the country.

Their support was excellent, and their actor management was top-tier.

‘I’m the one who wants to know why.’

“Wait a minute!”

Tae-mi suddenly snatched the file back from Yi-seo.

“I’ll think about it a little more. I think I was being too hasty.”

“Well… okay.”

It was a bit unsettling that her mind could be changed so easily by something like this, but if she didn’t leave, it was a win for the company.

“Aren’t you leaving? It looks like your business is done.”

Gye-won spoke coldly.

Tae-mi’s shoulders slumped at his dismissive tone, unable to say another word.

“……I’ll be going then. I’ll call you, Boss. Okay?”

“Right, right. Get home safely.”

Tae-mi left the office, leaving her final promise behind.

She would make it big.

As an actress, she was perfect.

“Hmm. Are you going to take her back?”

Cha Gye-won asked abruptly without a subject.

“……What?”

“I’m asking if you’re taking her back. She insulted you by saying she was re-signing elsewhere.”

“……She’s not a bad kid. It’s not like what she said was wrong.”

He must have heard the conversation at the filming set.

It had been quite loud, so it would have been weirder if he hadn’t heard.

Yi-seo looked away in shame.

How weak and pathetic must he have looked?

He could understand why Cha Gye-won had offered the contract first.

Even he wouldn’t trust a company like this.

“CEO, don’t you have any pride? Don’t take her.”

“From a company perspective, I’m grateful….”

“…….”

“And we’ve spent time together.”

“Ridiculous.”

Gye-won snorted.

The other person was moving strictly for their own benefit, and “grateful” my foot.

Watching that frustrating sight made the good mood he had until moments ago vanish instantly.

“Get up.”

“Pardon?”

“You said there’s a great place in front.”

*******************************

“Does this mean you want me to feed you?”

“……?”

Yi-seo stopped dead while putting salad in his mouth.

Yuzu dressing dripped onto the plate.

“You were just picking at it, so I wondered if I was being insensitive.”

“No. I’m fine.”

It was hard to tell if Gye-won’s words were a joke or serious.

Actually, whether it was a joke or serious, it was terrifying either way.

“Eat more.”

He placed a well-cut piece of meat in front of Yi-seo.

The restaurant, run by a famous chef, felt refreshing down to every sip of water.

Even though it was right in front of the office, today was his first time visiting.

“……Thank you.”

“Aren’t you going to give me any? There should be some give and take.”

Gye-won’s expression was shameless as he looked at Yi-seo as if he were a degenerate, despite having given the meat of his own accord.

“Please enjoy….”

Awkwardly, Yi-seo cut a large chunk of meat and placed it in front of Gye-won.

Stabbing the chunk with his fork, Gye-won twirled it around with a lazy gesture.

“Well, as long as it tastes good.”

“……I have something I’d like to ask.”

“Speak.”

“Why you wanted to join our company….”

Yi-seo was the type to be easily deceived.

It was partly because he was naive, but also because of his “it is what it is” personality.

He often just accepted nonsense at face value, which had led to many near-disasters.

He knew his company’s situation better than anyone.

This could only be explained as some new type of scam.

But the person in front of him was Cha Gye-won.

Why on earth would Cha Gye-won bother scamming him?

“You’ve already signed everything; are you really that curious?”

“Yes. I’m curious….”

‘Isn’t it normal to be curious?’

“It’s because I like it. Do I need another reason?”

What exactly did he like?

The rock-bottom reputation? The sales power that couldn’t even land a single project?

He didn’t understand, but he didn’t think he’d get a straight answer even if he asked again.

Actually, what bothered him most was something else.

It was the contract he had signed earlier without even reading.

“About the contract details….”

Cha Gye-won cut him off.

“You’ll find out eventually. It’s nothing much.”

The contract Gye-won had offered looked like it had over ten pages at a glance.

He had taken it back immediately after getting the signature.

It was only right to at least provide a copy, but he showed no sign of doing so.

“You said earlier you’d tell me….”

“That was a lie.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll say anything to seduce someone. You’re stupider than you look. Ah, actually, you look stupid too.”

He tossed out the insult casually like a monologue and popped a perfectly cut piece of meat into Yi-seo’s mouth.

“Still, the contr—mmph.”

“Chew carefully. Good boy.”

Yi-seo chewed the meat slowly.

He couldn’t even taste it.

Cha Gye-won’s behavior was strangely precarious.

It was almost like…

‘It feels like flirting.’

His attitude toward him was similar to flirting.

A slightly dangerous and selfish kind of flirting.

‘No. That’s impossible.’

There was no way Cha Gye-won would feel that way about him.

He was just getting ahead of himself.

Yi-seo gulped down the meat after only chewing it a few times.

“Tsk. I told you to chew carefully.”

Cha Gye-won clicked his tongue.

Vrrr. Vrrr.

Right then, his phone vibrated noisily.

“I have to take this, so wait here.”

“Ah. Yes.”

“Don’t you dare eat this and run away.”

After saying something incomprehensible, Cha Gye-won left the private room.

He had said the chef was a close acquaintance.

That was why they were led to the best room in the restaurant.

The pleasant-looking chef had told them to eat as much as they wanted, saying he owed Gye-won and wouldn’t accept payment.

So, run away? Why would he run away when he didn’t even have to pay?

“I have indigestion….”

He already had a small appetite, but because the entire situation made no sense, the food wouldn’t go down.

In the end, Yi-seo did nothing but pick at his salad until Cha Gye-won returned.