Exotic Love (Novel)

35

     Yang Hyun-ji eventually won the role and contacted me in excitement. I hung up the phone saying I was busy because I didn't have time to listen her bragging and stuff, and a message came right after that. Oppa, are you co-investing?  I talked to my dad. I didn't reply because I felt that she wanted to pressure me to keep my promise. However, I did not reject the phone call from President Yang which came to the office.  A meeting was held.  I refused to hold it in the office, and the new meeting place I decided was the production company.

  Offices were packed in a building filled with a musty smell without being able to see the outside.  Even though a production company could start with just one office, it was a poor space.  The filthy stench felt like it was choking my throat the whole time the secretary lead the way and I followed him. I shove a finger on the inside of my collar because my chest was stuffy for no reason, but the stiffness didn't go away.

  "Oh, Director Jung!"

  As soon as I entered the door opened by the secretary, people were gathering right away.  It seemed that there was no reception room, let alone a representative room. There were three desks that seemed to have been picked up from somewhere, and the old computer was buzzing around. The table and chairs in the middle of the crowd were also mismatched. A large bottle of bottled water was lying on the floor, the water dispenser was nowhere to be seen, and only a dirty coffee pot was placed on the floor next to it.  Even if there were no dust rolling next to it, it was something to be grateful of.

   "Aigoo, Director Jung, you're here!"

   A man with a broad face and a big smile approached me and welcomed me. His attitude was as if he is being the owner of this office. He was Yang Won-il, the father of Yang Hyun-ji. I shook hands with him and exchanged brief greetings. President Yang led me to the table pretending to be the owner until the end.

   "Good afternoon. I'm Jung Jae-han."

   I blurted out before he came forward and introduced me. CEO Yang flinched for a moment, but I pretended not to see it. Instead, he winked and laughed at Yang Hyun-ji, who was wearing sunglasses indoors. Yang Hyun-ji smiled, turning her cheeks red.

   I turned my gaze away and looked at the man next to him.  The corner of my mouth still had a smile on it, but the man who stood up was clearly nervous.  Even his voice was trembling.

    “Director Jung, that… Oh hello!  I,"

    “CEO Han Ju-Sung. Long time no see.        How are you?"

    “Oh, yes, yes. That, yes. Long time…no see."

    Han Ju-Sung, a film producer and CEO of Hangyeom Pictures, a film production company.  He was the person who was present when I reunited with Yoon Hee-gyeom at Lee Kyung-won's bar the other day. He was one of the men who's face turns pale the whole time when I was messing with Yoon Hee-gyeom. He wasn't exactly a person who remained in my memory, but he is included in Yoon Hee-gyeom's data.

    Yoon Hee-gyeom's acting career was quite unique.  In the first place, he didn't become an actor with his looks and acting ability, but he started directing first.  He entered a decent four-year university in Seoul, took a leave of absence in his third year and served in the military, but did not return to school. It was his beginning to jump into the movie theater with the motivation he found while in the military. Under a famous director, he entered the production team as the youngest member of the production team and rolled around, and he seemed to have done everything he could to learn about the scene, not just the movie. Just looking at his record, I could feel his passion.

     It was when he was working on the site that he came into contact with Han Joo-sung.  Han Joo-sung, who worked as a freelancer through various production companies, was the person who selected Yoon Hee-gyeom as an entertainer. At the music video shooting site of a singer in which Yoon Hee-gyeom participated as a staff member, the model he had previously planned does not show up, and the moment the filming was about to falter, Yoon Hee-gyeom replaced the model.  I knew that a minor role in the drama was his first role, but in fact, that music video was his debut and was a huge hit that started his acting career.  Yoon Hee-gyeom, who started his career as a celebrity at the age of 27, took a short break and began his acting career in earnest around the time autumn passed.  It took less than 6 months to see if he had received intensive care during the hiatus, but his appearance, which had been developed, was significantly different from before.

   “Director Yoon, it’s been a long time.”