I Know You

[Hello. I am Lee Jae-han, the manager who will be working with you starting today.] [This is Eun-jae-ssi's stylist, over here is the makeup team, and this is the hair team.]

She had no idea how the day had flown by. People constantly approached her one after another to offer their greetings. While this was standard procedure for any actress backed by an agency, it was an entirely novel experience for Eun-jae, leaving her utterly bewildered.

After being introduced to her new manager and styling staff, she also had to formally greet Woo-gyeom once again. Facing his dry, detached expression—which made him look like a complete stranger—only served to make the reality feel even more distant.

Yet, the simple fact that she had signed with Delight caused her social media followers to skyrocket despite her lack of activity, and her name continued to trend on real-time search charts.

“It’s unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.”

Eun-jae murmured to herself, a radiant smile lighting up her face like a child who had just received a magnificent new toy for Christmas.

Whenever she finished her shift at the restaurant, it was routinely dawn. She would usually be crushed by fatigue, barely managing to wash up before dropping off to sleep, but tonight, for some reason, her eyes were wide awake.

Eun-jae sat on the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest. Although her room lacked a sofa or a chair, she had a small, fluffy rug. Looking at the phone numbers of her new manager and stylist registered in her contacts made it all feel real.

And tucked right beneath them was Woo-gyeom’s number, which she had secretly saved. Thinking back to the day the news of her exclusive contract with Delight broke out of nowhere and a call from an unknown number arrived, she had kept his digits hidden away like a personal secret.

She ran her finger over Woo-gyeom’s phone number. It felt as though the eleven digits were bleeding right into the ridges of her fingerprint.

Absurdly enough, Eun-jae had been dwelling on thoughts of Woo-gyeom the entire time. He felt like a savior who had pulled her out of the mud—an object of her profound respect and admiration.

Right then, the phone clutched in her hand began to vibrate. Woo-gyeom’s name vanished from the screen, replaced instead by Dong-hyun’s. She simply hadn’t gotten around to deleting it yet.

She had absolutely no intention of answering, but flustered as if someone had caught her staring at Woo-gyeom’s name, her finger slipped, accidentally pressing the accept button.

- Eun-jae-ya!

Even though it was a voice she had heard relentlessly for years, it made her jump. An instinctive wave of aversion washed over her at the sound of a call from Dong-hyun, a man she thought she would never have to deal with again.

“What is this about, CEO?”

Eun-jae fired off a question instead of a greeting. As if waiting for that exact opening, Dong-hyun pressed on.

- Calling me 'CEO' like that, how hurtful.

“Why are you calling me?”

- I was doing some thinking, and I realized I did so many terrible things to you. I know I have no right, but I wanted to apologize to you now, even if it's late.

“Suddenly?”

- I'm truly sorry for everything that happened in the past.

Faced with this unexpected apology, Eun-jae found herself entirely thrown off balance. Her plush lips parted slightly, but she couldn’t muster a response.

- I feel terrible for only showing you my worst sides. Ah, by the way, did you finish up your part-time job alright?

Eun-jae’s mind naturally drifted to the stark contrast between the operating principles of the two agencies. Her previous agency had a pathetic policy of actively encouraging its signed talents to take on part-time work.

At the same time, Woo-gyeom’s cold voice—reinforcing the exact terms of her new contract—echoed through her head. Eun-jae shook her head forcefully from side to side.

Unlike Delight, where secondary employment was strictly forbidden, Dong-hyun had consistently urged her to work part-time, even going so far as to hook her up with jobs himself. He had behaved exactly like a man who assumed Eun-jae would remain a nameless rookie forever.

Staring blankly at a single spot like someone who had lost her sight, Eun-jae finally managed to counter his question.

“Yes. I just finished and got home.”

- If I had been a competent CEO, you wouldn't have had to struggle with part-time jobs in the first place.

Eun-jae found the entire situation bizarre. Dong-hyun’s successive apologies felt incredibly suspicious, but because of their past history, she found herself softening with a hint of guilt.

“It’s fine. Thanks to you, I managed to get into Delight, so I’m actually grateful.”

Eun-jae caught her breath after letting the words slip. For the first time in a while, her chest felt unburdened.

- Does it work out that way? Well, if you look at it like that, I'm the one who should be grateful. In that case, Eun-jae-ya.

“Yes?”

- Can you step outside for a moment right now?

“Right now?”

The conversation took a bizarre turn. An awkward silence hung in the air. Eun-jae reflexively checked her clock. It was already well past two in the morning.

“It’s far too late, so I think that would be a bit difficult.”

- It'll only take a moment. I feel like my conscience won't be at peace until I look you in the face and apologize directly.

“No need, really. Your words are more than enough.”

- Well, it's not enough for me. To tell you the truth, I'm standing right outside your house, so come down quickly. It will really just take a minute.

“What?”

- Come down this instant.

“CEO!”

The line went completely dead. Eun-jae stared blankly at her phone. As Dong-hyun’s name cleared from the screen, Woo-gyeom’s name reappeared beneath it. Staring at it, a sudden pang of unprovoked guilt hit her.

Eun-jae gave her head a sharp shake. After tonight, Dong-hyun would be someone she would never have to cross paths with again.

“Fine. Since he wants to see me anyway, I’ll say what needs to be said and end this cleanly for good!”

Contrary to the rapid-fire words she threw out to reassure herself, she stood up slowly. Her mind, which she had thought was perfectly clear, felt as though it was turning hazy all over again.

“I heard rumors that you run your company remarkably well, but so this was the secret? I had absolutely no idea.”

In the face of Woo-gyeom’s merciless, razor-sharp sarcasm, Hyun-sung let out a deep, heavy sigh. It was a sigh born from his intimate knowledge of his brother’s personality, which could be far more unyielding than his own.

The moment Woo-gyeom had stepped into the high-end traditional entertainment parlor hidden behind a flashy signboard—specifically, the exact instant he registered the distinct, murky atmosphere of the establishment—he turned right back around, visibly disgusted by the mere fact that he had set foot in such a place.

“Woo-gyeom-ah, Kim Woo-gyeom!”

Hyun-sung rushed forward and barely managed to catch his arm, but Woo-gyeom shook him off ruthlessly, his face twisted in utter revulsion.

As the co-CEO of Delight and Woo-gyeom’s elder brother, Hyun-sung was the one who shouldered the brunt of the operational duties. That included dealing with situations exactly like this one.

“Did you honestly think you could survive in this industry without this level of grit?”

“Grit? Do you seriously need to summon ‘grit’ just to engage in this kind of trash?”

“Do you think a company only runs on straightforward business? It operates in the shadows too. What’s the grand crime in just stepping inside to exchange greetings?”

“If you truly wanted to exchange greetings, you should have chosen a different venue. I can’t tell if we’re here to pay respects or inspect women like cattle. Every single one of you is pathetic.”

A chilling, venomous stream of words poured from Woo-gyeom’s mouth. His voice, already frosty, carried a piercing edge that cut through the space like a dagger. Woo-gyeom immediately turned on his heel. Or rather, he attempted to. The very act of standing here seemed to cause him physical distress.

“Kim Woo-gyeom! If you walk out like this, that’s it. You have no right to call yourself a CEO or anything else!” Hyun-sung barked.

He was genuinely curious about why Woo-gyeom, who had been a co-CEO in name only and never showed his face, was suddenly dipping his toes into company business now. He couldn’t tell if his brother was being serious or if this was just a fleeting whim.

Hyun-sung’s brow furrowed tightly as he glared at Woo-gyeom’s receding back, doubting his brother would turn around. However, contrary to his expectations, Woo-gyeom halted his steps with a sharp, irritated exhale.

“You’re no different, Hyung.”

“What exactly did I do to earn being lumped together with them? This is strictly business for me, my dear younger brother.”

A volatile war of nerves ensued. While the two brothers locked horns in a silent standoff, the very first door along the extensive corridor flew open.

“Oh? Look who it is. CEO Kim! If you’re here, you should come inside quickly.”

Behind the man with small, narrow snake-like eyes sat a row of CEOs from various other talent agencies. Seated at the center was an elderly gentleman—Yoon Seok-ju, a major shareholder in the entertainment sector and the chairman of T Group.

Bypassing everyone else, he acknowledged Hyun-sung and Woo-gyeom with a familiar greeting.

In a place like this, hierarchy was dictated by wealth, not age. Given that Woo-gyeom held the definitive upper hand when it came to financial power, it was only natural that Seok-ju would seek his favor.

“I obviously know CEO Kim Hyun-sung. And you must be CEO Kim Woo-gyeom, correct? I’ve been wondering when I’d finally get a look at your face. I waited so long I thought this old man would end up buried in the family plot first.”

Woo-gyeom offered a brief, silent nod without offering a verbal response. Sensing the tension, Hyun-sung stepped in to compensate for his brother’s coldness, bowing deeply from the waist.

There wasn’t a single soul in this business who didn’t know the two brothers. However, while Hyun-sung’s background and details were widely publicized, almost nothing besides a name was known about the second son, Woo-gyeom.

Confronting Woo-gyeom properly for the first time today, he appeared vastly more dangerous than Hyun-sung—resembling a predator who didn’t even bother to conceal his long, sharp talons.

“Since it’s your first time here, surely you aren’t planning to leave right after swapping pleasantries?”

Seok-ju, who had been assessing Woo-gyeom intently with a calculating gaze, suddenly brightened up and gestured toward the far end of the corridor.

“Excellent timing, they’re arriving just now.”

He deliberately amplified his movements to capture Woo-gyeom’s attention, flashing a sinister, sly grin.

“I took the liberty of selecting them with the utmost care while I was waiting.”

Seok-ju spoke as if he were picking out luxury timepieces from a department store display. However, the figures making their way down the opposite corridor were human beings—specifically, exceptionally beautiful, glamorous women.

Woo-gyeom’s eyebrow twitched. With his hair styled up and away from his face, his profound irritation was laid bare across his forehead.

Inside the wide-open room, the scene was already chaotic. The tables were cluttered with an endless supply of potent liquor and vodka, and the executives—already half-pickled in alcohol—ogled the newly arrived women with visible salivation.

One, two, three. Women continued to filter into the room in a steady stream, resembling products moving along a conveyor belt. The moment their eyes landed on the women, the executives began reaching out blindly, breathing heavily with undisguised lust.

“Take your pick. You understand what an incredible privilege it is to be granted the first choice, don’t you?”

Seok-ju clapped a thick hand onto Woo-gyeom’s shoulder. But Woo-gyeom didn’t budge an inch. Instead, he simply shifted his gaze to cast a slow, condemning look at Hyun-sung. Hyun-sung flinched, looking significantly more rattled now than when they had first run into Seok-ju. He peeked nervously at his younger brother.

Lined up like merchandise on display, the women offered timid smiles as if waiting to be selected, dressed in revealing clothes while adopting artificial expressions of modesty. Watching them try their absolute best to flash cheerful smiles and lock eyes with him only caused a surge of annoyance to flare up inside Woo-gyeom.

Averting his gaze immediately, he delivered a polite yet unyielding refusal.

“I am not entirely certain how grand this privilege you speak of truly is, Chairman, but I am perfectly fine. I will decline.”

His tone when pronouncing the word ‘privilege’ carried a distinct, mocking edge. Furthermore, the tips of Woo-gyeom’s dress shoes were already pointed directly toward the exit, signaling his desire to abandon the venue immediately. The moment they cleared the establishment, he intended to unleash a torrent of vitriol onto Hyun-sung.

Woo-gyeom signaled that it was time to leave, and Hyun-sung, caught squarely in the middle, finally took a step forward as if resigning himself to defeat.

It was precisely at that moment.

Through the deafening din of loud music and superficial laughter, the distinct sound of a physical altercation pierced the air. A man who had just rounded the corner was dragging a woman along, the two of them locked in a heated argument.

Since such occurrences were a dime a dozen in a venue like this, everyone’s attention naturally migrated toward them without any particular shock.

The woman, her face obscured by cascading sheets of fine, long hair, was leaning her upper body back to resist, while the man dragged her forward by her slender wrist with a brutal grip.

“I told you this is a golden opportunity! Consider it the final parting gift I’m giving you!”

“You told me you wanted to see me because you wanted to apologize! Let go of me!”

“This is an apology! Do you have any idea how powerful the people inside this room are? Slide your backside into a seat here just once, and you’ll climb all the way to the top. Ever heard of skyrocketing success?”

“I no longer have anything to do with you, CEO!”

“What do you mean we have nothing to do with each other? The only reason you even managed to get into Delight is entirely because of me!”

It felt exactly like being forced to rewatch a deeply unpleasant film. That was precisely how Woo-gyeom felt right now.

The delicate, fragile body swaying like a leaf in the wind under Dong-hyun’s violent grasp undeniably belonged to Eun-jae.

“We’re already late as it is… Chairman!”

The moment Dong-hyun spotted Seok-ju, he rejoiced as if he were a feudal lord presenting a prized offering to royalty. But his joy was short-lived; the moment his eyes landed on the man standing right next to the chairman, he froze in absolute horror.

“CEO Kim Woo-gyeom?”

The familiar faces, the names, and the exact scenario mirrored the incident in the dressing room that day. While Woo-gyeom silently observed the sheer terror flooding Eun-jae’s eyes upon hearing Dong-hyun’s final words, his lips parted with a grim twist.