“After everyone’s hard work!”

“It was truly the best!”

Following the conclusion of the play, the team of “From the Ground” rented an entire bar in Daehak-ro. Although not a large establishment, it was cozy enough for the cast and crew to sit together comfortably, eat, and drink.

“Above all, the side dishes here are delicious.”

So Yijin, the writer, whose presence had been scarce since the auditions, extended her glass with a bright face.

Beside her, Director Seo Mihee clinked glasses with her. Having already had a few rounds, Seo Mihee’s face was quite flushed.

“Yooil, cheers~”

Han Yooil clinked glasses with a smile.

“You worked hard, Director.”

“Ha, right. I really did work hard.”

Laughing cheerfully, Seo Mihee drained her glass and left her seat to make another toast with Jung Suho.

The assistant director, her face as red as Seo Mihee’s, lowered her eyebrows and whispered to Yooil,

“Yooil… are you okay now?”

“Huh?”

“During the curtain call, I thought you were going to faint.”

“Ah! Right. The tears were really flowing like rain…”

“Seeing Yooil cry made me tear up too.”

“…”

Embarrassed.

Han Yooil, who was just about to get tipsy from the rounds of drinks, felt as if he had suddenly sobered up.

“…It wasn’t that serious.”

“Ay…!”

“It was! Seriously! It was intense!”

The assistant director, oblivious to Han Yooil’s feelings, clapped her hands and added more.

【…Don’t worry, it wasn’t too bad.】

‘…’

Somehow, that consolation made him feel even worse.

Han Yooil picked up a slice of cucumber from in front of him, trying to calm his mind.

“Ah, right!”

Seo Mihee, who was filling her glass with a satisfied face after toasting with Jung Suho, suddenly exclaimed,

“There’s a senior who desperately wanted to join our after-party… I told them they could come… I forgot to tell you guys. Sorry! My bad!”

The table responded generously to the director’s boisterous apology,

“Ah, it’s okay~”

“Why the formality all of a sudden! That’s just like you, Director!”

“But Director, who is it?”

Asked by the staff, Seo Mihee giggled and replied,

“Oh, you know, someone with a lot of money and a bit of bad luck.”

“Wow, Director, you had a rich senior?”

“Who is it?”

“Is it from the National University of Arts, Directing Department?”

As the staff made curious conversation, the door opened.

The first thing Yooil noticed was the tall figure and broad shoulders. A man in a fitting suit strode into the bar.

“Nice to meet you.”

The man with striking features and a gentle smile continued,

“I’m Jang Jaehyun.”

Han Yooil examined the unfamiliar man. Eyes with deep double eyelids, a high nose, and thin lips…

‘…Why does he look oddly familiar?’

【He’s the brother of Jang Jaeyi, the director who came looking for Han Yooil yesterday.】

“…!”

Yooil realized why the man seemed oddly familiar.

But he didn’t have the luxury of time to ponder further. Brion quickly added information.

【…Also, he’s the CEO of JJ Entertainment.】

Han Yooil gazed at Jang Jaehyun, his eyes wide with recognition.

People around who had already recognized him were whispering among themselves.

“Who is that guy?”

“He’s a CEO of an entertainment company.”

“Which company?”

“That one, JJ…”

“Wow, the one with Go Heeyeon and Park Younghyun?”

As people whispered among themselves, they suddenly looked at each other with confused expressions.

‘…Why is he here?’

It wasn’t even a drama wrap-up party but a play after-party, a setting quite distant from an entertainment company CEO.

Ignoring the whispers around him, Jang Jaehyun behaved as if he couldn’t hear them. After exchanging greetings with Director Seo Mihee, he calmly took a seat. Having briefly greeted Jung Suho, he then addressed Han Yooil at the next table.

“Nice to meet you, Actor Han Yooil.”

Yooil responded with a smile and a greeting, prompting Jang Jaehyun to stand up abruptly, his imposing stature startling those around him.

CEO Jang Jaehyun extended his large hand and said,

“I’m a fan.”

That was the first encounter between Han Yooil and the CEO of JJ Entertainment.

* * *

【It seems CEO Jang Jaehyun has come here because of you, Mr. Han Yooil.】

Not long after Jang Jaehyun’s arrival, Brion spoke in a calm voice.

‘…Really?’

Considering that seemed like an overestimation of oneself.

Contradicting Yooil’s thoughts, CEO Jang Jaehyun spent some time conversing with Director Seo Mihee at the same table. Seo Mihee, her face as red as a ripe tomato, was wagging her finger at him.

“How did someone as busy as you come all this way~? Even during our school days, you avoided these kinds of gatherings~”

“I really enjoyed the play.”

“What? That’s not like you! Even when other seniors tried to hold you back, you’d disappear without a change of expression… and teleport away as soon as class ended!”

Seo Mihee, quite tipsy, began to list Jang Jaehyun’s past behaviors, but he maintained his serene smile.

Meanwhile, So Yijin watched Jang Jaehyun with interest.

‘He came all the way to the after-party because he liked the play?’

As a playwright for musicals and plays, So Yijin wasn’t particularly well-versed in the broadcasting industry. However, she occasionally heard rumors about a few entertainment company CEOs through Kim Mijin.

Among them, the most memorable was the story about the CEO of JJ Entertainment.

A few days ago, when Yijin met Kim Mijin,

“Right~ There’s really one weird CEO~”

“Oh, really? Weirder than you?”

“Hey! You wanna die~?”

After playfully exchanging banter, Mijin shared,

“Jang Jaehyun, the CEO! Once he’s fixated on something, he never lets go~ A real tenacious one~! When he was recruiting Go Heeyeon, he even followed her to her temple~”

…That’s right. She had mentioned that.

So Yijin discreetly observed Jang Jaehyun. While continuing his conversation with Director Seo Mihee, his gaze was constantly drifting to another table. Realizing who was at the end of his gaze, So Yijin soon understood the situation.

“Strange. Now I understand why he’s here.”

So Yijin murmured to herself, shaking her head slightly. The staff sitting beside her only blinked, not understanding the context.

* * *

With the arrival of CEO Jang Jaehyun, the after-party, which had momentarily stiffened, quickly regained its lively atmosphere. About an hour later, Han Yooil stepped outside to cool his heated face. The cold night breeze was refreshing.

“…It’s cooling.”

The feeling of being slightly aloft from the alcohol subsided, becoming more serene. As Yooil was enjoying the winter breeze with his eyes closed, a low voice suddenly emerged before him.

“Are you tired?”

“…Ah.”

It was Jang Jaehyun.

“Just came out to cool my face.”

“Your face looks a bit red compared to a few hours ago.”

Saying that, Jang Jaehyun took something out of his pocket. It was a lemon-flavored hangover cure.

“I bought a few on my way here. Have one.”

“Thank you.”

Yooil immediately opened the hangover cure. With the sound of the cap opening, a bitter yet sweet scent hit his nose.

As Yooil was finishing the last drop of the hangover cure, Jang Jaehyun asked suddenly,

“…You met my sister yesterday, didn’t you?”

The abrupt question nearly made Yooil choke.

“Yes, the director gave me her business card.”

“I heard you haven’t received the preliminary contract yet.”

“Yes. With the last performance… I wanted to focus on the play.”

Hearing Yooil’s response, Jang Jaehyun smiled, seemingly satisfied. Then, he abruptly changed the topic.

“Actually, what Director Seo Mihee said is true. I’m not the type to enjoy these occasions.”

Nevertheless, Jang Jaehyun’s uncharacteristic urgency brought him here. Contrary to others’ belief that he moved strictly based on meticulous calculation and analysis, he was someone who operated on ‘instinct’. And now, his instinct was whispering to him.

Grab the person in front of you.

Jang Jaehyun’s dark eyes were intently gazing at Han Yooil, a steadfast and persistent gaze.

“I’ll get straight to the point. I’d like Han Yooil to work with our company.”

【Mr. Yooil, what will you do?】

“I…”

After meeting Jang Jaeyi, Han Yooil had been pondering continuously.

And his decision had already been made.

* * *

The next morning, Han Yooil stood in front of a building in Gangnam.

Soon, someone rushed out. It was an employee of JJ Entertainment, wearing their company ID.

“Hello, Actor! I’ll assist you with the guidance.”

Following the employee, Yooil entered the interior, which was neat and casual. The ash-colored marble floor, white walls, interspersed with objects, and large plants like Monstera, softened the potentially cold atmosphere.

Along the corridor hung black and white photos of barefoot actors in white clothing. The pictures conveyed a pure yet refined image. As Yooil attentively observed the profile pictures, Brion chimed in.

【That’s Go Heeyeon and Park Younghyun.】

Actors associated with JJ Entertainment were mostly known for their solid acting and had been constantly appearing in both big and small projects recently.

“Please take a seat here.”

Guided by the employee, Yooil entered the meeting room and sat down. It was a small but tidy meeting room.

It was about 5 minutes later when the door opened again.

“Have you been waiting long? Sorry about that.”

Jang Jaeyi entered the meeting room with her hair tied up high, swaying with each step.

Han Yooil sat in the meeting room, looking down at the contract offered by Jaeyi. Brion quickly scanned the contract and gave its assessment.

【The terms are quite favorable for a rookie actor.】

Typically, rookie actors enter into contracts with a 50-50 profit distribution. However, the contract JJ Entertainment offered to Han Yooil stipulated a 70:30 profit distribution, with the possibility of renegotiation after a three-year term.

It was an offer Yooil found no reason to refuse.

“…”

Facing the contract, Yooil felt a strange surge of emotions. Just a few months ago, he hadn’t even considered the possibility of becoming an actor. He had vaguely hoped to get an agency, but he had never expected to be offered such favorable terms.

Maybe the CEO or the director had misunderstood his potential. Or perhaps…

【No.】

Brion interrupted Yooil’s train of thoughts.

【You should have more confidence in yourself, Mr. Yooil.】

‘…’

Though emotionless and devoid of warmth, the voice somehow managed to stabilize Yooil’s wavering heart.

He let out a small sigh.

【Will you sign?】

Yooil nodded slightly and picked up the pen.

Everything proceeded rapidly after he signed the contract.

* * *

One morning, Lee Hyejin was abruptly woken up by an alarm from BlueChat. Annoyed, she grabbed her phone but her eyes widened as soon as she saw the post.

“What the… Is this for real?”

The early-morning share from her fellow enthusiast was none other than an article about Han Yooil’s new agency.

– JJ Entertainment’s new face… Who could it be?

– Rookie actor Han Yooil, joining forces with Go Heeyeon and Park Younghyun

– Rookie with a commanding presence in the theater… JJ Entertainment’s new gem?

As Hyejin frantically read through the articles, a new BlueChat post caught her eye.

[@yool_actor Our actor’s new profile shoot ㅠㅠㅠ  (photo)]

“Wow.”

With a short exclamation, Hyejin clicked on the photo. The profile filling her phone’s screen was of Han Yooil, dressed in a white shirt and black slacks, barefoot.

Even with such a basic outfit, he managed to exude such an atmosphere. It was almost unfair.

Hyejin, mesmerized by the profile, grabbed her phone and began posting like a whirlwind. Any trace of sleepiness had long since vanished.