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Chapter 17
Sitting in the car, Yujeong glanced at him as he drove, then quickly turned her head forward again. Since she had suddenly gotten a ride without warning, she felt uncomfortable.
“Um… sorry for asking you so abruptly. I was so flustered I didn’t even greet you properly. Thanks in advance for giving me a ride.”
At her words, he nodded gently and smiled softly.
“It was already on my way. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Hearing that, Yujeong hesitated. In the awkward silence of the car, he turned on the radio. The loud, cheerful chatter of the DJs helped calm her nerves a bit. When music started to play, she turned her head toward him.
“And… I’m sorry for forgetting about our lunch appointment today.”
He glanced at her fidgeting with the back of her neck in embarrassment and lightly shook his head. He slowly turned down the radio volume while gauging her expression. Everything about his attentiveness felt instinctive—like he was born a gentle person. Every gesture toward her was warm.
“It’s not something you need to apologize for.”
“I know you made time for me, so I feel bad.”
“If you really feel sorry, then promise me one thing.”
When she stared at him, he shifted his gaze back to the road.
“If you can’t come next time, just tell me. I was worried, you know.”
Hearing that, Yujeong lowered her head. Whenever she was with him, she often felt comforted for no particular reason. Maybe to others his words might seem small, but to her they were incredibly healing. It felt like he was saying she wasn’t alone—that someone truly cared for her. Just knowing such a person existed made her heart feel stronger.
“Gogyeol, can I ask you something? It’s just personal curiosity, so you don’t have to answer.”
“…Go ahead.”
“You asked me to have lunch today, but from what I’ve seen, you don’t really like eating out. Were you actually planning to have lunch?”
For a brief moment, his eyes flickered as if caught off guard. Soon, he regained composure and absentmindedly tapped the steering wheel with his index finger—like he had picked up her habit.
“I’m not sure. I just… wanted to watch you eat a little. Was that rude?”
“Oh—no, of course not. Actually, I wanted to have a meal together. If eating out is uncomfortable for you, we could meet somewhere you can eat.”
Embarrassed, Yujeong quickly turned toward the window. He tilted his head slightly, then straightened his posture.
“If an unmarried woman starts coming to a man’s house before marriage, wouldn’t her future spouse dislike it?”
His ridiculous question left Yujeong speechless.
“Would they dislike it?”
“Probably. They’d be anxious before marriage.”
It was such a random topic that she found it amusing, but she forced a bright smile. She was too busy to even think about marriage right now—but since he asked so seriously, she wanted to answer without ruining the mood.
“If it were you, my future spouse wouldn’t worry. You’re Gogyeol, after all.”
If he became an actor under Soulmate, her future spouse would have plenty to hear. She could start with, “Let me tell you how I recruited this top-tier actor…” The story would become a legend. And if a man got angry over something like that, she wouldn’t marry him in the first place—so she felt confident in her answer.
“If you’re okay with it, I’ll invite you to my place.”
He spoke awkwardly, as if he had made a firm decision. Yujeong swallowed nervously, unsure how to handle the sudden seriousness. Just as her fingers tapped her arm, he smiled.
“Would you hate that?”
“No, no. Actually… I was thinking it’d be nice if by then we were already tied together by a contract.”
“May I ask why you want that contract so much?”
At his careful question, she hesitated. Publicly, she had plenty of reasons—Gogyeol was a top star coveted by everyone in the industry. Of course she wanted him. But personally, why she clung to this choice… that was harder.
“At first, it was the same reason as everyone else. A top star would help the company.”
He nodded quietly.
“But it’s strange. The more I meet you, the more it reminds me of when I first met Seol-a. It feels like I’m returning to my roots. Feelings I thought I could only experience with Seol-a are coming back.”
That was her honest truth. Not something she said to persuade him—just the real reason she wanted him so much. Soulmate had many actors, but Seol-a was the only one who ever ignited her passion. She thought she’d never feel that again—but with Gogyeol, those forgotten emotions resurfaced.
“Of course, I can’t ask you to join Soulmate based solely on my passion. I do have a conscience. How could I say that to a top star like you?”
Blushing, she briefly covered her face with both hands. Usually she seemed confident, fearless even—but when it came to her true feelings, she was just as timid as anyone.
“All I can promise is that I’ll protect you, help you grow even more, and find you a manager who suits you perfectly so you can act comfortably on set. If there’s anything that makes you uncomfortable, I’ll fix it.”
“And if I start making unreasonable demands?”
“I trust you. Even if you do, I’m sure you’ll have a good reason.”
Her words weren’t based on his public image. He was the one who had appeared whenever she was in trouble, helping her without hesitation. He was kind to others as well. She was certain he wasn’t someone who would make unreasonable demands for no reason.
* * *
At BE Entertainment’s parking lot, the elevator doors opened—and the two of them came face to face with a furious Seoyoon.
“Wow, you’re seriously a piece of work.”
Seeing her sneer, Yujeong froze. Standing next to Gogyeol only made Seoyoon’s rudeness feel more humiliating. She forced herself to regain composure and gave a professional smile.
“What brings you to BE Entertainment?”
Seeing Seoyoon—an unpredictable ticking time bomb—appear here made Yujeong’s heart pound faster than usual. A chill ran down her spine. What if Seoyoon had found out about Jung Oh and Seol-a?
“You should be asking yourself why you’re here. Didn’t you see Min Seol-a’s scandal?”
“I saw it. My staff is already preparing a clarification article.”
“From your face, I can already tell. Min Seol-a was disposable from the start, wasn’t she? You pretended to treasure her just to suddenly toss her aside.”
“What are you talking about?”
Hearing Yujeong’s serious voice, Seoyoon smirked.
“You blocking Min Seol-a’s ad renewal was suspicious. So I checked. Turns out she really did drop out of high school?”
Yujeong brushed back her hair in frustration.
“I don’t know how your mind works to create such fiction, but you should be careful. Reckless rumors will get you in trouble.”
“I’m only saying it because I’m certain. You even paid her CF drama penalty fee out of your own pocket to terminate the contract.”
Yujeong couldn’t argue. It had nothing to do with school violence, but she had indeed moved to hide the pregnancy. So she couldn’t deny it.
“Think whatever you want.”
“You’re unbelievable. Meeting Gogyeol in front, sneaking around with CEO Baek Jeong-oh behind the scenes… must be inconvenient having only one body.”
At that sudden accusation, Yujeong frowned deeply.
“Why would you say something like that?”
“Why else would CEO Baek take your side?”
It was clear Seoyoon had met with CEO Baek—and judging by her anger, things hadn’t gone her way. The real issue was why she had such a ridiculous misunderstanding… and why she was spouting such filth right in front of Gogyeol.
“Did you get home safely yesterday? I was too drunk to thank you properly.”
Seoyoon glanced at Gogyeol and smiled sweetly—an expression she had never once shown Yujeong but easily displayed to others.
“…I don’t think we’re close enough to greet each other like this in public. Don’t you agree?”
His cold response made Seoyoon frown.
“Thanks to you, I slept comfortably in a suite last night. Well, if you don’t want to keep meeting like this, I can’t help it.”
As if they were in some intimate relationship, she placed her hand lightly on his chest—wearing a coy, teasing smile.
