A Fox, Not a Puppy

“Ahaha. Thank you….”

Baek Yi-seo scratched the area near his eyebrow, looking bashful.

“Oh my goodness. Look at that smile.”

The photographer wasn’t just being polite; she was genuinely intrigued. She liked this “CEO” sitting in front of her far more than the mediocre models she’d worked with lately. He was the kind of raw material that, with just a bit of polishing, could produce some truly incredible shots.

“You’re so cute. How about I take some photos of you next time?”

“Photos? No, I’ll just take the compliment, thank you.”

“He thinks I’m joking. I’m being serious.”

She tucked her business card into Yi-seo’s pocket. He wasn’t exceptionally tall, but his proportions were excellent. What she liked most, however, was his aura. He looked modest, yet there was something strangely eye-catching about him.

“Are we not going to discuss the concept? I’ll be hurt if you treat me like a ghost, Photographer.”

Cha Gye-won, who had been watching their exchange intently, smoothly took back control of the conversation. Gye-won stood up and lightly pulled Yi-seo’s shoulder toward him. The woman clapped her hands together and took a file from her assistant.

“Right, right. Look at me. I forgot because two handsome men were bewitching me.”

“Our CEO is a bit cute, isn’t he?”

Yi-seo was the only one flustered by Gye-won’s nonchalant remark; the woman’s tone only got higher.

“Are you protecting him now? Oh, it’s so good to see. Be honest—you’re doing this just to give my eyes a treat today, aren’t you?”

“You caught me. Shall we sit?”

Gye-won pointed to a chair, and the woman sat down immediately, patting the seat next to her to call Yi-seo over.

“Our handsome CEO, come sit too.”

As Yi-seo moved to follow her gesture, Gye-won grabbed his wrist.

“Ah. The CEO is going to go explore the studio a bit.”

“Me…?”

Yi-seo pointed to himself. He had seen so much of it already that there was nothing left to explore.

“He’s overflowing with curiosity. Right?”

“Uh….”

It was a dismissal that anyone, no matter how dense, could understand.

“Ah, yes. Please, have your conversation comfortably.”

Closing the door behind him, Yi-seo hovered in front of the dressing room for a moment, unsure of where to go. One moment he was told to stay close, the next he was told to leave. Cha Gye-won’s whims were as fickle as boiling water.

“Maybe I should go to a convenience store.”

Deciding to buy some drinks since he was out anyway, Yi-seo walked a bit further from the dressing room. The staff members who had greeted him warmly earlier called out to him.

“Oh! It’s the CEO.”

“CEO, come over here!”

They were gathered away from the set as if they were having a tea party. Since he had nothing to do and figured it wouldn’t hurt to be friendly, he approached them.

“You’re all gathered here.”

Yi-seo sat down carefully among the group.

“There’s a lot of time left before the shoot starts.”

“We were actually just talking about you, CEO.”

“Me?”

It felt like he was receiving a lifetime’s worth of unwanted attention today. A staff member who looked like he had just been discharged from the military leaned toward Yi-seo, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“How did you manage to snag Cha Gye-won?”

“Right. Did you two know each other before?”

The woman next to him chimed in. To be honest, “snagged” wasn’t the right word; it was more like he had just rolled into the company, but Yi-seo couldn’t exactly say that.

“Well… I wonder….”

“Can’t you just tell us? we won’t tell anyone! Really. I promise!”

“We’re really good at keeping secrets. I mean, we’re just so curious. They said Cha Gye-won hadn’t even finished his contract with his previous agency.”

“I’m not really sure myself….”

“Whaaat? If the CEO doesn’t know, who does?”

“Then is it true there was a conflict with his previous agency?”

All eyes were fixed on Yi-seo. Everyone looked like they were dying to know. What on earth did these people take him for?

“I’m afraid I’m not in a position to talk about that. I don’t know the details of his past situation anyway,” Yi-seo answered firmly.

There wasn’t a CEO in the world who would throw their own actor under the bus.

“Wow, you’re more decisive than you look. I’m joking, I’m joking.”

“As if we’d really interrogate you. We just want to get to know you.”

The staff members backed off, exchanging glances. The pressure was making Yi-seo break out in a cold sweat.

“But it really is a mystery. There are so many agencies lined up to work with Cha Gye-won.”

“…….”

“K-New only has Cha Gye-won as an actor right now, don’t they? I looked it up, and the website only has basic information.”

It was such a small company that while they had a website, it only contained the bare essentials. Even that page had been made just to keep up appearances. Ultimately, what they were curious about was why Cha Gye-won had joined such a tiny, insignificant company.

“I… I think I should head back in. I only came out for a moment.”

Yi-seo stood up, making a vague excuse. It was too uncomfortable. If he stayed, the questions would keep coming, and no matter how careful he was, he didn’t know how his words might be twisted. This was exactly how rumors started.

“Aww, why? Stay and talk with us a bit longer.”

“I think Gye-won-ssi might be looking for me.”

“Ehy, what a shame.”

It was Gye-won who had sent him out, but Gye-won was the only excuse he had. Yi-seo left them behind, pretending to head for the restroom. He felt their eyes lingering on his back for a long time.

In front of the dressing room, Yi-seo reached for the doorknob several times before letting go. He wasn’t sure if he should go in or not. He thought about buying drinks, but there were already snacks and beverages provided, so that excuse was out. And he’d been to the restroom not long ago.

Just as Yi-seo moistened his lips and reached for the knob again, the door opened from the inside.

“Oh? We just finished talking. How did you know?”

The photographers were coming out, their conversation apparently over. The woman touched Yi-seo’s cheek once more. The assistant photographer standing next to her looked Yi-seo up and down with an unimpressed gaze.

“Your skin is so good. Really.”

“Is Gye-won-ssi….”

“He’s inside. But seriously, what do you use for your skin? You have to share the good stuff.”

“Haha….”

Yi-seo dodged the joke with an awkward laugh. The constant praise was embarrassing. Gye-won was just beginning his styling. The woman waved energetically as she left, followed by the assistant, who gave a quick bow.

“Good luck with the shoot, Gye-won-ssi. And you too, CEO.”

“Yes. See you later.”

Click.

When he closed the door and stepped inside, Gye-won looked at him through the mirror. Three stylists were busy helping with his hair and makeup.

“The conversation… ended quickly.”

“It was just details I’d already been briefed on.”

“…….”

“I told you to go explore, so why are you back?” Gye-won said bluntly.

“Well….”

Yi-seo paused to choose his words. It was too embarrassing to say that the people outside made him uncomfortable. He wasn’t a child, after all.

“……You told me to stay close.”

It was an excuse, but he figured it wasn’t a lie. Gye-won was the one who said it first.

“I told you to follow me around, I never said to stay glued to me.”

In the mirror, Gye-won, sitting with his legs crossed, glanced at him sideways. He had a playful expression.

“Aren’t they… the same thing?”

Fearing he might be told to go back out, Yi-seo slowly edged closer to Gye-won. Gye-won let out a chuckle at the sight of Yi-seo hesitating while pretending to look into thin air.

“You’re right. They are the same.”

Relieved, the tension left Yi-seo’s shoulders.

“In that case, stay right there and watch me.”

“Yes, sir.”

Seizing the opportunity, Yi-seo sat down in the chair next to Gye-won. This was definitely more comfortable than being outside. It was actually quite interesting to watch.

With his chin in his hand, Yi-seo studied Gye-won’s styling process as if he were watching a show. His gaze was unnecessarily steady, which strangely drew Gye-won’s attention.

“I thought you were a puppy, but you’re actually a little fox.”

“Pardon? A fox…?”

Thinking he had misheard, Yi-seo asked for clarification. It didn’t seem like the kind of thing he should hear after spending the whole day following Gye-won around and playing manager. Gye-won’s word choices were always blunt—a raw honesty that lacked any friendliness.

“Ah. You looked like a puppy earlier, when you were looking all over the place.”

He spoke nonchalantly, as if he had already told him that before. Yi-seo looked down at the floor. He could never get used to the way Gye-won talked.

“Why are you looking away? You said you were going to watch me.”

It had only been for a split second, but he was already barking orders again. In the end, Yi-seo had to watch every single step of the styling process until it was finished.

Well, how often will we actually run into each other in the future?

Usually, a CEO and an actor only meet during the initial contract or the occasional meeting; there isn’t much reason for them to see each other face-to-face. Unless a new project comes in, they just check in on each other’s well-being out of obligation.

It would be even more so for Cha Gye-won. Yi-seo had heard that he didn’t consult with the agency when choosing projects; he decided everything himself. He had even made it clear on the first day that he would bring in the staff he needed himself.

It’s okay.

From what he’d seen, the man was fickle. He might feel like he needs a company to control right now, but he’ll likely leave on his own before long. Then, there would be no need to pay a penalty, and no reason to see him again.

So, it was okay. There was no need to adapt. This was just a temporary situation.

It’ll all fade away soon, Yi-seo reminded himself.