Vol 6 Ch 20

“Is it to your taste?”

 

At some point, Lee Wooyeon, who had returned, sat next to Inseop and asked.

 

“Yes, it’s delicious.”

 

“Good to hear. Here, have this for dessert.”

 

Lee Wooyeon placed a small paper bag on the table.

 

“Walnut pastries? Let me have one too.”

 

Manager Cha, who had a sweet tooth, reached out his hand. Inseop quickly took a walnut pastry from the bag and handed it to Manager Cha.

 

“It’s strange. I never think of these, but whenever I stop by a rest area, I suddenly crave them.”

 

“Please, have as many as you like.”

 

Inseop smiled as he tilted the bag of walnut pastries toward Manager Cha.

 

“Thanks. Unlike someone else who doesn’t even offer.”

 

“Well, Manager Cha, you could always ask CEO Kim to buy some for you.”

 

Lee Wooyeon retorted shamelessly without changing his expression. Manager Cha snorted and started chewing on the walnut pastry.

 

“By the way, what were you guys talking about?”

 

“Huh? About what?”

 

Manager Cha asked back.

 

“Before I came. The two of you. Inseop looked so flustered, his face was all red.”

 

“Oh, it was nothing. We didn’t talk about anything serious.”

 

Inseop quickly deflected.

 

“Oh, right. It wasn’t much. I just said that good people should meet other good people to get married and be happy, something like that.”

 

Lee Wooyeon smirked, pulling the corners of his lips in amusement at the implied meaning.

 

“Oh, so that’s why CEO Kim…”

 

When Lee Wooyeon trailed off, Manager Cha, unable to resist his curiosity, asked, “Why?”

 

“That’s why he let go of the women he had been seeing and started dating you, Manager Cha.”

 

“What?”

 

“Because you’re both such good people. Isn’t that right, Inseop?”

 

“Oh, yes. You’re both very nice people.”

 

Not fully understanding the context of the conversation, Inseop quickly responded. Lee Wooyeon gave a warm smile, saying, “Well, it’s late, but I’m glad you’re happy now.”

 

‘Can’t beat that bastard in an argument. Where the hell did he learn Korean? F*ck.’

 

Manager Cha gritted his teeth as he remembered CEO Kim, who had once muttered this while chewing on some squid over drinks.

 

If only I could bash his head just once with a pot….

 

At that moment, Lee Wooyeon’s smiling eyes met Manager Cha’s, who quickly turned his head away. He couldn’t outmatch that bastard, not just in words.

 

“But, Inseop, are you planning on getting married?”

 

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Inseop started coughing, his face turning red. Lee Wooyeon handed him some water, saying, “Oh dear, here, drink this.”

 

“Ah, …thank you…”

 

Inseop quickly drank the water. After his coughing subsided, he looked confused, as if wondering what they were talking about.

 

“You said good people should marry other good people. You’re a good person, Inseop.”

 

“…I’m not.”

 

Inseop answered in a small voice.

 

“You are.”

 

“……”

 

It was almost as if Lee Wooyeon was challenging him, asking why he wasn’t a good person.

 

“So, will you marry a good person? Is there a good person you’ve got your eye on?”

 

“Oh, no. Nothing like that.”

 

Under the table, Lee Wooyeon playfully nudged Inseop’s leg with his foot, as if suggesting he should name him.

 

“No one? Not a single person?”

 

“……”

 

Inseop, unable to say, “You’re the good person,” just fiddled with his water glass.

 

“If you don’t have a good person in mind, what will you do? I guess you’ll have to marry a bad person and live happily ever after.”

 

“……”

 

“……”

 

Both of them were left speechless.

 

If someone leaps to conclusions that quickly, they should be sued.

 

At that moment, there was a commotion near the entrance, and a woman in sunglasses walked over, recognizing them.

 

“Oh, you’re really here.”

 

It was Shin Roa, an actress who was starring in the same drama as them. She was considered one of the most promising new talents of the year, known for her exceptional acting skills. A former model, she had a tall, striking figure, and rumors of her and Lee Wooyeon being a perfect visual match had already sparked romance speculations.

 

“People were gathered over there saying that Lee Wooyeon was having a meal here. I didn’t believe it, but I came, and here you are.”

 

She smiled as she spoke. Lee Wooyeon politely greeted her with a “Hello.” Manager Cha and Inseop also stood up and immediately greeted her.

 

“Are you headed to the filming location? The soup here is really good, so you should have some before you go.”

 

Manager Cha offered cheerfully.

 

“Yes, that was the plan. Were you also eating, sunbae?”

 

“I’ve already finished.”

 

Lee Wooyeon answered briefly.

 

“What did you have? I’ll order the same thing.”

 

At Shin Roa’s question, Inseop stood up.

 

“I’ll go place the order for you.”

 

“No need. I’ll go myself. You should finish your meal, Inseop.”

 

Lee Wooyeon pushed Inseop back into his seat and stood up. Silently, Inseop picked up his spoon.

 

“It’s your first shoot today, right? You must be nervous. Would you like one of these?”

 

Manager Cha offered Inseop some of his walnut pastries, but Inseop quickly handed the bag to Shin Roa.

 

“Thank you. I’ll just have one.”

 

She smiled and popped a walnut pastry into her mouth. Lee Wooyeon soon returned, placing a tray in front of her.

 

“I shouldn’t eat too much. I can’t afford to have a swollen face.”

 

“You don’t seem like the type to swell up. Eat as much as you like.”

 

Manager Cha gestured for her to dig in.

 

“Lee Wooyeon sunbae, your manager is really nice. My manager gives me a hard time even when I eat just a little snack. I tend to gain weight easily, haha.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Well, since you take such good care of yourself, it probably doesn’t matter for you, sunbae. Have you memorized all your lines? When I first got the script, I thought my head was going to explode. All those medical terms written in English.”

 

“Yeah, I can imagine.”

 

“I heard you memorize even your co-stars’ lines. Please help me out if I forget mine.”

 

Inseop quietly put down his spoon and called out to Manager Cha.

 

“Yes, Inseop?”

 

“Could you give me the car keys? I’ll stop by the restroom and wait in the car.”

 

“Oh, sure?”

 

Manager Cha handed over the car keys.

 

“Enjoy your meal. I’ll see you later.”

 

Inseop gave Shin Roa a polite bow before getting up and walking away with the tray. Lee Wooyeon silently watched Inseop disappear from sight.

 

“Sunbae, are you going straight to the filming site?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Then, would it be okay if I got a ride with you? Our car’s having some trouble, and my manager said he was going to call a taxi, but it’ll probably make me late.”

 

“What’s wrong with the car? Is the engine broken?”

 

Manager Cha clicked his tongue.

 

“The engine’s making strange noises. We barely made it here. My manager is a stickler for safety, haha.”

 

Despite the frustrating situation, she laughed cheerfully.

 

“Still, it’s lucky we ran into you here, Sunbae.”

 

Lee Wooyeon responded casually, “That’s true. But I’m afraid I can’t give you a ride.”

 

“What?”

 

Caught off guard, she couldn’t hide her surprise.

 

“My manager is really shy. He’s not fond of people. He can’t drive if there’s someone unfamiliar in the car.”

 

“Who? Your manager?”

 

Manager Cha, feeling wronged, asked with a confused expression, while Lee Wooyeon smiled gently, gesturing toward him.

 

“When did I ever… I don’t mind at all—”

 

“Don’t push yourself. What if you get into an accident?”

 

The meaning behind his words was clear.

 

If you say something unnecessary, an accident might be waiting for you.

 

And Manager Cha, having spent so much time with Lee Wooyeon, could read those hidden meanings well.

 

“…Oh. …Right. I, uh, have terrible social anxiety. …Sorry about that.”

 

Manager Cha, always the friendly mood maker on set, now found himself apologizing to Shin Roa with a bitter expression.

 

“Well, we’ll be heading off first then. If you think you’ll be late, I’ll let the director know.”

 

“Oh, uh, yes… See you later…”

 

“Yeah, see you later.”

 

Lee Wooyeon flashed a bright smile as he stood up. Manager Cha bowed once more to Shin Roa and hurriedly followed Lee Wooyeon out.