IAOSL 14

Chapter 14

“What are you doing here?”

At Taeuk’s sharp, icy voice, warning alarms immediately went off in Jinsu’s head.

The man staring down at Arin with an expressionless face had both anger and displeasure in his eyes.

Jinsu bit his lip, realizing it was his mistake for not putting his phone on silent.

Seeing Taeuk looking ready to drag both him and Arin out at any second, Jinsu hurried over to Arin’s side.

Even while running the less-than-ten-meter distance, his mind raced frantically, trying to figure out how on earth to fix this situation.

But as if mocking Jinsu’s worries, Arin answered first.

“I had plans to meet Winter unni here. I just didn’t know she already had a guest.”

With a bright smile, Arin spoke calmly, and Jinsu’s tiny eyes widened in shock.

She had plans with Han Gyeoul? Since when?

When they entered the building, it was Arin herself who told security they were here to see Taeuk.

Even in the elevator, she had said she was meeting Taeuk.

So why was she suddenly saying she came to see Gyeoul instead?

And why did her lie have to be one that could be exposed with a single phone call from Taeuk?

Unable to understand Arin’s intentions, Jinsu’s thoughts became a tangled mess.

He desperately hoped she had some sort of plan, but when he glanced at her expression, she only looked shamelessly confident, making him even more anxious.

And it seemed the man before them also sensed she was lying.

“I’ve never heard such a thing from my wife.”

“When I saw her last night, she said she wasn’t feeling well and left in a hurry. I guess she forgot to tell you.”

“……”

“Is unni okay?”

Arin answered Taeuk with a smile, completely without hesitation.

In fact, the way she casually asked after Gyeoul’s condition was beyond relaxed—it was downright brazen.

Without the slightest pause, she continued lying smoothly, and Taeuk’s brow twitched.

“So according to Miss Kim Arin, my wife—who currently has the entire nation watching her every move—specifically asked to meet you here at the company instead of at home?”

“Right? That’s what I thought too.”

“……”

“I was wondering what exactly unni was thinking myself.”

Watching Arin lie so fluently without even blinking, Jinsu was speechless.

He even started wondering if she had become an actress specifically for moments like this.

Only now did he fully understand what Yura meant when she said Arin’s talent was wasted.

Taeuk, who had been listening expressionlessly, twisted one corner of his mouth upward.

“The fastest way to confirm this would be with a single phone call. What do you think, Miss Kim Arin?”

“If you’re going to do that, why not just call her here? Even if unni says we had plans, if you insist otherwise, I’ll just end up looking ridiculous.”

“Miss Kim Arin.”

“Sorry. I’m a little twisted. I don’t trust people very well.”

“……”

“Especially in this industry, you know?”

Seeing Arin smiling brightly while speaking like that, Jinsu felt doomed.

Why was she making things bigger when all she had to do was bow her head and apologize?

Would it already be too late if he stepped in and apologized now?

He regretted not stopping Arin’s lie from the start.

He had worked with her for over three years already, but lately he felt like he understood her less than ever before.

People said when your celebrity was difficult, the manager became the sinner.

Only now did he truly understand what that meant.

After quietly staring at Arin for a moment, Taeuk turned toward the CEO office and spoke.

“Fine.”

Huh? Fine?

From the man who looked ready to call the police at any moment came a completely unexpected answer.

Jinsu blinked rapidly, unable to believe what he’d just heard.

“Then let’s all sit down together and have a nice little conversation.”

We’re screwed.

At Taeuk’s response, Jinsu felt certain this life was completely over.

“Is this enough?”

“Hmm. Just put on a mask too before we leave.”

Even with black skinny jeans, a long black padded coat reaching her ankles, and a black baseball cap, Sangwoo still looked uneasy as he handed over a black mask.

Seeing herself so completely covered that not even a patch of skin showed, she let out a shallow sigh and accepted the mask.

“Isn’t this a bit excessive?”

She had gone out with unni plenty of times before.

But never—not once—had she seen her sister bundle herself up this much.

At this point, it almost looked excessive enough for people to mock her for acting like a celebrity.

She glanced at him and asked.

“Things are different now compared to when you were an unknown actress.”

“What do you mean?”

“Back then, nobody even knew who Han Gyeoul was. But now, the entire country is curious about your every move.”

“……”

“If you eat, they’ll curse and ask how food can possibly go down your throat. If you go to the hospital, they’ll point fingers and say you’ve lost your mind.”

“Sangwoo.”

“So no matter who it is, never show them any weakness.”

“……”

“The moment you do, there are countless people waiting to tear you apart like a toy.”

After speaking sharply, he pressed the elevator button.

I looked at his tense back and smiled.

“It’s funny.”

“……?”

“The fact that even after trying for ten years, no one paid any attention to her… but after that one incident, suddenly everyone’s watching.”

“……”

“It’s funny enough to feel empty.”

At my response, he silently turned his head away.

I also said nothing as I stepped into the elevator.

In the elevator mirror, unni’s face was reflected back at me.

Her pale, beautiful face—the scratches finally beginning to heal.

Every time I looked in the mirror, I felt guilty.

But for the first time today, I also felt relieved.

Relieved that it was me who survived that accident, not unni.

If it had been her—soft-hearted and fragile as she was—this kind of attention from people would have hurt her even more.

Compared to all the years of effort unni had poured in, people only became interested because of my life… because of that horrific accident we suffered.

She would never have been able to bear how cruel that was.

I’m glad, unni.

I’m glad it’s me going through this instead of you.

That people are giving attention for something completely unrelated to your hard work.

That we only learned this kind of attention existed after our lives were completely destroyed.

That we came to realize just how cruel people can be.

I’m truly glad it wasn’t you.

The elevator arrived underground and the doors slowly opened.

Sangwoo’s face filled with pity as he looked at me stepping out with a sunken expression.

People’s sympathy, ridicule, and attention—

all of it was only just beginning.

Three people with absolutely no connection to one another sat together in Taeuk’s office.

In the silence where not a single word was spoken, Taeuk glanced at the two people seated across from him.

Judging from earlier, the two seemed to already know each other.

For a moment, Taeuk recalled Arin’s malicious-comment lawsuit that had recently concluded.

Could this man have been the prosecutor in charge back then?

It was baseless speculation, but not entirely impossible.

As Taeuk furrowed his brow, his gaze returned to Arin.

Just moments ago she had stubbornly argued back against him without yielding once, yet now she sat silently like someone who had lost the ability to speak.

And for some reason, Taeuk felt that the man in front of him was the cause.

Interesting.

Amused by the strange relationship between the two, a faint smile rose to Taeuk’s lips.

♫♪♩—

At that moment, Taeuk’s phone rang, breaking the awkward silence.

After checking the caller ID, his brow creased irritably.

Looking at the two people watching him, Taeuk stood up.

“I need to take this call for a moment.”

“Ah, yes. Please go ahead.”

Taeuk gave a slight nod in thanks for their understanding before leaving the office.

Won glanced at Arin, who sat silently before him.

The way she had been standing outside Taeuk’s office earlier made it look almost as if she had been eavesdropping on their conversation.

The thought crossed his mind briefly, but he soon shook it away.

It was just a misunderstanding—an overreaction caused by his own sensitivity.

There was no reason for her to eavesdrop on him and Taeuk.

Finishing the thought, Won cautiously greeted Arin first.

“It’s been a while, Miss Arin. Have you been well?”

At his warm and careful greeting, Arin finally looked toward him.

She had been absently touching her neatly manicured nails, but now she smiled at Won.

Her glossy pink lips curved beautifully upward.

“Yes, not too bad. Have you been well too, Prosecutor?”

“Yes. I suppose I’ve been doing fairly well myself.”

Won answered playfully, smiling.

Arin responded with a light smile of her own.

Just as Won was about to continue the conversation, he noticed Arin subtly turning her head away, and his lips parted awkwardly.

Was talking to him uncomfortable for her?

Embarrassed, Won rubbed the back of his neck.

He searched his memory for anything he might have done wrong, but nothing came to mind.

Perhaps the situation earlier at the office door had also embarrassed Arin.

Seeing her close her mouth tightly again, Won found himself unable to speak easily either, and the office was once more swallowed by awkward silence.

Watching Arin now staring blankly at an empty wall, Won quietly turned his head away.

Whether there were two people or three, it was awkward either way—

but somehow, three still felt better than two.