Vol 5 Ch 1

A Love Marriage.

 

“Why are you acting like this lately? Have you gone crazy? Lost your mind?”

 

CEO Kim Hakseung yelled with a frown. Sitting across, Lee Wooyeon responded with a puzzled expression, indicating he didn’t understand.

 

“What am I going to do if you keep rejecting every script that comes in? Just today’s script alone, other actors are going crazy wanting to get in, it’s carefully selected for drama, movies only!”

 

“Well, that’s good news. If those crazy folks want in, let them.”

 

“What good news,… oh, goodness.”

 

CEO Kim, taking a pill from his pocket, popped it into his mouth and gulped down water.

 

“Isn’t that…?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

Lee Wooyeon replied, ignoring the rest.

 

“…I swear, I’m going to kill you one day. Definitely.”

 

CEO Kim’s murder threat was met with a smirk from Lee Wooyeon.

 

“I’ve added another pill to my daily regimen because of you. Really, I just can’t die young.”

 

“Oh, really?”

 

CEO Kim knew well that there was no sincerity in that “really” whatsoever.

 

“Stop the nonsense and choose one already. You need to be in a new project for the first half of the year.”

 

Lee Wooyeon hesitated, flipping through the script, then raised his head.

 

“It just doesn’t seem right.”

 

“Why! Just why?”

 

“Why would a married man like me take on such a role? It’s unbecoming.”

 

Lee Wooyeon stated with a composed smile. CEO Kim slammed the script on the table. Lee Wooyeon deftly avoided the script and further fueled CEO Kim’s anger.

 

“You, I told you to stop that bullshit.”

 

“Bullshit?”

 

“What do you mean by married…!”

 

When the request for soundproofing work in the office was made, the interior design company expressed great bewilderment. They repeatedly questioned whether such extensive soundproofing was necessary for a typical office. CEO Kim tried to justify it, sweating as he mentioned his hobby of singing.

 

“Married? This fucking guy.”

 

Despite being aware of the soundproofing work, CEO Kim muttered the word “married” while deliberately lowering his voice.

 

“A married man. Isn’t that how we say it? Did I learn Korean wrong? Then what do you call it in Korean?”

 

Lee Wooyeon dryly retorted while casually flipping through the script.

 

“You didn’t get married!”

 

“It’s practically the same!”

 

“If you didn’t get married, you’re not married! It’s invalid! Completely invalid!”

 

CEO Kim slammed the desk with his hand.

 

One day, the publicity department reached out. Word was it that there was an unusually high number of articles lately focusing on Lee Wooyeon’s ring finger. At that moment, CEO Kim brushed it off as insignificant.

 

‘Why worry about that? Lee Wooyeon just dresses as he pleases, it’s no big deal.’

 

‘Speculative articles about a couple’s ring have been surfacing.’

 

‘Yeah, yeah. What’s with the couple’s ring? Who in the world wears a couple’s ring on their ring finger? And if it were a couple’s ring…”’

 

CEO Kim recalled the hand of Choi Inseop, whom he had encountered in front of the office yesterday. Not a single ring adorned his pure ten fingers.

 

‘CEO?’

 

‘No, it’s nothing. Anyway, you don’t need to worry about it. Instead, make sure to educate the newcomers properly. Go out and greet them diligently, make sure they understand their roles. In the end, what matters in this field is someone with good character.’

 

CEO Kim concluded his customary nagging and hung up the phone.

 

‘Today was the day I reserved for aesthetics,’ he said, humming a tune as he got up from his seat. That way, Lee Wooyeon’s ring slipped from his mind. However, Lee Wooyeon’s ring on his ring finger became more conspicuous as the days went by.

 

For some reason, that stubborn guy kept wearing the same accessory for a long time. Did he really like it that much? There must be something going on. Well, he’ll take it off someday. Did he wear it again today? …Won’t he take it off? …Why does he keep wearing that? It’s clearly a cheap silver ring?

 

In the end, CEO Kim had no choice but to grab Lee Wooyeon, who was wearing a Burberry all-black suit with the ring, as he was about to go to the movie awards ceremony.

 

‘Going like that?’

 

‘Why? My hair isn’t styled nicely?’

 

Not even Manager Cha, who detested Lee Wooyeon to the core, had ever denied Lee Wooyeon’s appearance. CEO Kim was no exception.

 

From head to toe, he was perfect, even bordering on divine. Especially on the day of the awards ceremony, he was dazzling.

 

‘It’s not about the hair, it’s about that. That thing.’

 

CEO Kim pointed to the ring on Lee Wooyeon’s pinky finger.

 

‘Oh, this? Why?’

 

Lee Wooyeon blinked his eyes slightly and raised his finger in question.

 

‘Why are you wearing that?’

 

‘Are you going to wear that? It doesn’t suit you.’

 

‘It doesn’t suit me.’

 

Lee Wooyeon chuckled, playing with the ring on his pinky finger and closing his eyes.

 

For actors, choosing their works was essential, but aesthetic sense in choosing their style was also crucial. No matter how well they chose their works and acted, if their usual style was lacking, it would inevitably leave a bad impression.

 

Lee Wooyeon did not receive sponsorships for clothes or hire a stylist separately.

 

It was because he disliked having someone else choose his clothes for him. At first, CEO Kim, who had initially jumped up in surprise at the idea, quickly shut his mouth after seeing Lee Wooyeon’s casual attire a few times.

 

So to speak, Lee Wooyeon knew how to “dress.” Even CEO Kim, who was a former model, was occasionally surprised at how well Lee Wooyeon dressed. Wherever he went, he was always a strong contender for the Best Dressed list. However, the fact that he went to the movie awards ceremony wearing a cheap-looking ring that didn’t suit him was simply unacceptable to CEO Kim. Finally, now that he seemed to have come to his senses and admitted that the silver ring didn’t suit him, CEO Kim felt somewhat relieved.

 

‘But still, can you just take off a wedding ring so casually?’

 

‘What wedding ring? W-What are you talking about, a wedding ring? Who? What?’

 

CEO Kim stammered, his eyes widening.

 

‘This. The wedding ring.’

 

Lee Wooyeon tapped his pinky finger and replied. Faced with a reality so unbelievable that even seeing and hearing it left CEO Kim momentarily speechless.

Regaining his composure, he took a deep breath and addressed Lee Wooyeon calmly.

‘Yes, CEO.’

‘I thought you might not know, so I’ll explain. A wedding ring is something married people wear. Considering your closeness with Inseop, you two might only wear a couple’s ring.’

Aha, Lee Wooyeon said, squinting his eyes and smiling softly.

‘We’re planning to get married.’

‘What?’

‘Inseop proposed. This is the ring I received then.’

Lee Wooyeon proudly extended the ring, explaining.

‘What… What nonsense are you talking about? How could men… get married in Korea…’

Lee Wooyeon burst into laughter, his clear laughter becoming his trademark. There were even video compilations of just his laughter. But CEO Kim disliked Lee Wooyeon’s laughter. It sounded mocking even to hear it. Especially when he smiled with his neatly swept-back hair and handsome face.

‘Aren’t you the one managing my taxes, CEO?’

‘Huh? Huh?’

CEO Kim stumbled in response to the sudden English from Lee Wooyeon’s lips.

In an environment where people who’ve tasted foreign things always try to show off with an English word whenever they get a chance, Lee Wooyeon, whose native language was English, rarely used it unless necessary. Despite teasing remarks questioning if he’d forgotten all his English, Lee Wooyeon just shrugged.

But why, all of a sudden, now… what are you saying? Tax? Taxes?

‘Can there be a confusion? I’m not Korean.’

‘Ko… Korean? Oh, yeah. You’re American. So what’s the point?’

CEO Kim barely understood and responded.

‘Americans can marry Americans, you know. As you know, CEO.’

‘…’

Following that day, Lee Wooyeon’s banter about being married scratched at CEO Kim’s insides to the point of burning them.

“They didn’t even have a wedding ceremony, and they’re not even legally bound. No, even if you went to the wedding hall and came out a hundred steps later claiming to be single, that’s the norm in this industry, but what’s with the married man talk!”

CEO Kim grabbed his head.

“No, no, okay. Let’s say you’re married. According to you, Korean married actors shouldn’t appear in romantic works, right? What is it, are we in the Joseon era?”

“But we’re newlyweds.”

“Even if you’re newlyweds, what’s all this about? It’s inappropriate.”

Lee Wooyeon chuckled and tossed the script he was reading onto the table.

“What’s inappropriate is your big mouth. This is all about artistic merit and excellence.”

CEO Kim carefully gathered the script placed on the table and glared at Lee Wooyeon.

 

“So, if talented and excellent actors want to participate, they can.”

 

“What’s the problem here! Whether it’s a bed scene or not! It just needs to be intense for it to be a kiss scene!”

 

“I see.”

 

Lee Wooyeon spoke with a grimace.

 

“I really hate kissing scenes. It’s disgusting. I don’t like mixing my saliva with someone.”

 

“……”

 

CEO Kim’s face turned pale. For someone who had watched Lee Wooyeon’s intimate scenes live not once, but twice, he couldn’t easily ignore what had just been said. The sound of heavy breathing, messy friction, and lewd whispers… amidst it all, the sounds of sucking and licking.

 

“…So, you hate kissing?”

 

“Of course, it’s different when it’s with Inseop. Just kissing him makes me want to cum.”

 

Adding to the repulsiveness, there was a vulgar mutter. CEO Kim glared at Lee Wooyeon with a pitch-black expression.

 

“Anyway, I’ll refrain from projects with romantic elements for a while.”

 

“If you filter out projects without romantic elements, what will be left?”

 

“Well, what will be left?”

 

There was no doubt about the implication CEO Kim wouldn’t understand. He couldn’t manipulate Lee Wooyeon with money. He didn’t particularly covet roles. It was truly just a hobby for him.

 

“…Then why did you come? If you weren’t going to even glance at the script, why bother coming all the way to the office?”

 

CEO Kim was thrilled when Lee Wooyeon, who never bothered to even glance at the script sent quickly, came to the office today.

 

“I have something to say after seeing your face.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Don’t send the script to Inseop.”

 

“…Why?”

 

“Since you understand Lee Wooyeon the best, don’t try to influence him by discussing my career as an actor.”

 

“While returning to Korea, we promised not to interfere in Choi Inseop and actor Lee Wooyeon’s affairs. We agreed not to read articles, not to search on the internet, and to try to avoid worrying about work-related matters.”

 

Inseop earnestly tried to keep the promise. Occasionally, he couldn’t suppress his fandom and got caught watching Lee Wooyeon’s movies alone, secretly bought magazines featuring Lee Wooyeon on the cover, or got caught buying limited edition DVDs. But those things were so cute that he could easily overlook them. Of course, there were times when fans went too far and turned Lee Wooyeon’s outfit upside down.

 

One day when Lee Wooyeon came home, he found Inseop sleeping on the couch with a movie playing. It was an independent film in which he had appeared. Inseop particularly liked that movie. He had seen him absorbed in watching that movie countless times.

 

Lee Wooyeon loosened his tie and rushed over to Inseop, planting kisses on him. As he undressed him while he half-asleep protested, he whispered, “Since you seem to like actor Lee Wooyeon so much, why don’t we watch this and then have some fun together?” He then raised the TV volume with the remote control. Then, they passionately made out until the movie ended. After that, Inseop at least stopped searching for that movie in front of him. It was a happy ending.

 

But the problem was CEO Kim. Whenever a good script came or an advertisement appeared, he would pretend to pass by and drop hints to Inseop. Inseop couldn’t say anything and would just groan, sometimes even getting a fever and collapsing.

 

“He still doesn’t know what to do, afraid that he might have ruined my life.”

 

“What do you mean? Your life is already…”

 

“Yeah, there was nothing to ruin before or after meeting him.”

 

It was fine to occasionally act pitiful and cling to Inseop using his guilt. But he didn’t want him to suffer because of me.

 

“Inseop is the one who ruined his own life, isn’t he? Isn’t that right? Let’s be straightforward about it. F**k. Does he have to live with a bastard like me for the rest of his life?”

 

Lee Wooyeon chuckled, lowering his gaze. CEO Kim shuddered, feeling a chill run down his spine. He felt like Lee Wooyeon’s words just now sounded like a declaration that he wouldn’t let go of Inseop for the rest of his life.

 

“What’s marriage? It’s just another stamp. Once you stamp it again, it breaks. That’s marriage.”

 

“Um, then did our CEO stamp it six times?”

 

“I only stamped it four times!”

 

CEO Kim blurted out involuntarily.

 

“Why?”

 

“…I signed it at first.”

 

Lee Wooyeon chuckled and sat down on the couch.

 

“Anyway, marriage might seem like a happy ending. But it’s not. It’s just the beginning. The prologue to unhappiness.”

 

Lee Wooyeon hmm-ed and stared directly at CEO Kim.

 

“Why, what… What did I say wrong?”

 

It wasn’t something to say to someone who had just promised to marry, but it was a realistic advice.

 

“I don’t usually respect or admire anyone. I don’t really have such thoughts.”

 

Lee Wooyeon tapped the table with his elegant, slender fingers as he spoke.

 

“But sometimes, CEO, there are moments when I genuinely respect you.”

 

“What? You? Me?”

 

Even though he tried not to, CEO Kim’s smirk was evident.

 

“You seem really impressive. Perhaps people are just like that…”

 

CEO Kim inwardly smiled contentedly.

 

“Yeah. It’s quite impressive how you always think the beginning of unhappiness is good. And you’ve done it three times.”

 

“Well, I’m a person full of love, so of course!”

 

“Full of love, huh? Did you share that love equally with three people? Oh, including Manager Cha, is it four people?”

 

“What nonsense! Why do you always bring me and Manager Cha into this! Why do you want to tarnish our pure friendship!”

 

“What pure friendship in the world involves sharing a wife?”

 

“I didn’t share! I told Hyunkyu it was off-limits, that he could never have Huiyeon, but Hyunkyu just… sigh. Poor Hyunkyu.”

 

CEO Kim sighed sincerely with a pitiful expression on his face as he spoke about Manager Cha.

 

“It’s not Hyunkyu’s fault. Once Kim Huiyeon and he exchange a word, have a drink, it’s over. There’s nothing you can do. That charm isn’t human. Just locking eyes with her is enough to be captivated.”

 

No matter how much he didn’t like it, Manager Cha had his share to endure, having married his friend’s ex-wife. So, for a while, he heard that CEO Kim, as well as common acquaintances, cut off contact with Manager Cha. When they eventually divorced and Manager Cha became penniless, it was CEO Kim who reached out first. There was a reason why Manager Cha, despite cursing CEO Kim and threatening to quit the company, ended up following him.

 

“Yes. The CEO who protected his pure friendship with his ex-wife’s ex husband. Then why did you renew the contract with me? Is that also perhaps a pure friendship?”

 

“…Tha…”

 

‘Don’t try to win against Lee Wooyeon with words. We’ll never win against that guy anyway. But someday, I’ll definitely defeat him at least once.’

 

The drunken rambling Manager Cha had shouted at a drinking party came to mind. CEO Kim trembled as he glanced at Lee Wooyeon.

 

I want to win. I want to defeat that guy too….

 

“By the way, CEO, it seems like you’ve made a lot of money lately.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“It seems like you’ve invested a lot.”

 

Lee Wooyeon glanced over at the wine cellar next to the display shelf and replied, “I drink occasionally because of you. What’s the point of making money? I probably spend more money because of the stress you give me than the money you earn for me. From skincare to hair loss, well, anyway, you better get some work out… soon!”

While CEO Kim was babbling, Lee Wooyeon stood up from his seat and approached the wine cellar.

 

“It’s time to go now.”

 

“If it’s time to go, why are you opening that? What are you doing?”

 

“I’m trying to live my messed-up life nicely. I’ll enjoy this. Cheers.”

 

Lee Wooyeon lifted the wine bottle to show it off, winked with one eye, and then abruptly closed the office door without a word.

 

As soon as the door closed, all sorts of curses erupted from CEO Kim’s mouth like dialects.

 

“Lee Wooyeon, you damn son of a bitch!”

 

The curses continued for a while. The interior designer’s words were right. The interior renovation was as superbly done as ever.