Chapter 5

Hyeongseok had been tight-lipped for a while now, trying to suppress the simmering anger within him.

The photoshoot had continued until evening, but considering the photographer’s notorious reputation, it had gone smoothly enough.

Of course, that was thanks to the excellent results. The fact that the photographer, someone rarely satisfied, was grinning so widely, and that the advertising editor looked so flushed with excitement, was all because Lee Yeon had done an outstanding job.

And even though that was something a manager should be incredibly proud of, Hyeongseok simply couldn’t bring himself to smile.

“Wow, this. It’s too good to just use for an ad, isn’t it? Heh… Who took these, huh, hahaha!”

The main assistant subtly approached Hyeongseok, who was imagining giving the photographer a good whack on the back of the head.

“I’m sorry. Please try to understand the director.”

“Yes, well…”

“He’s not a bad person, really. He just has a lot of ambition for his work… He’s spent his whole life just taking photos, so his social skills are a bit lacking… Yes…”

“Yes, well…”

“Ha… I’ll apologize on his behalf. I’m truly, truly sorry.”

Finally letting out a heavy sigh, Hyeongseok simply offered a rough smile while patting the innocent assistant’s shoulder.

What else could he do? It wasn’t him who had endured the photographer’s callous directing throughout the shoot, but Lee Yeon. Checking the closed dressing room, he ran a large hand over his stiff face.

The assistant, noticing his mood, started some small talk to break the heavy atmosphere.

“By the way, Director. Does Lee Yeon only do print shoots? There’s a lot of talk about her being eyed by the film industry. Aren’t a lot of scripts coming in?”

Rumors in the industry were usually accurate. This wasn’t a place where smoke appeared without fire.

There were rumors of a world-renowned director sending a love call to Lee Yeon, and a famous writer who dominated the drama scene reportedly had a work nearing completion that was written with her in mind from the start. So, it was only a matter of time before rumors of Lee Yeon’s screen debut began to circulate.

“It’s time for her to make the leap, isn’t it? She has such a great look. The way her eyes changed earlier was really incredible…”

Hyeongseok was already heavy-hearted from the task his agency CEO had burdened him with.

“You absolutely have to bring her. Understood? Whatever it takes, make sure! I’m going to settle this today.”

“CEO. Lee Yeon doesn’t seem to be thinking about acting.”

“I have a secret weapon. So, you, don’t even think about anything else. Bring her straight here after the shoot is over, alright?”

“Ha… I’ll try my best.”

He had been agonizing since morning about how to approach Lee Yeon, and to make matters worse, the shattered atmosphere of the photoshoot made it even harder to bring up the subject.

;If I let this slide today, the CEO won’t let me off easily…’

Just then, someone in a quick delivery vest walked into the set, cradling a flower basket so large that even a grown man would struggle to carry it.

“Lee Yeon-nim, a delivery for you!”

Even amidst the chaotic atmosphere of packing up equipment, the flower basket’s presence was so immense that it drew everyone’s attention. Not only was it huge, but a rich floral scent permeated the space as if claiming it.

“Wow… Flowers are so expensive these days…”

“How many stems is that? A hundred, maybe? More?”

While Hyeongseok signed the delivery slip, people started gathering one by one around the flower basket. A moment later, hearing the news, Lee Yeon opened the dressing room door and stepped out.

“Oh my, oh my. Who sent this? Goodness… Can you even buy this many peonies? My sister owns a flower shop, so I know these are really expensive. And at this size, it’s hard to get even if you have the money!”

Lee Yeon’s eyes widened in surprise the moment she saw the flower basket.

“Hyeongseok, who…”

“It was sent anonymously. Did you receive any contact separately?”

“No…”

“That’s odd. There’s no message card either.”

Lee Yeon’s expression stiffened slightly at Hyeongseok’s murmur, but only for a moment.

Lee Yeon tilted her head, yet was drawn by the fragrance, approaching the flower basket. As he said, it was a mysterious gift with no message card or business card.

“Who sent it…”

But flowers were flowers. And these were peonies, which she loved.

Unconsciously, she buried her face in them, taking a deep breath of the scent, then quickly realized her actions and stumbled back. Her cheeks flushed a soft pink, like the color of the petals.

Seeing her reaction, the makeup director laughed aloud and started teasing her.

“Oh, are you dating? This is exactly the kind of gift a lover sends!”

“It’s not like that, Director.”

“Right, right, everyone says that.”

It was as if this was the catalyst that finally eased the tense atmosphere on set, which had been stiff because of the photographer.

Lee Yeon was subjected to a slightly unfair misunderstanding, but since it happened often, Hyeongseok didn’t particularly question the flower basket. He just thought it was a good thing now that Lee Yeon seemed to be in a better mood.

However, even when he drove Lee Yeon home with the massive flower basket in tow, Hyeongseok couldn’t utter a single word about the promise he had made to the agency CEO.

But when a worry was too burdensome, it often showed on one’s face.

“Hyeongseok, did I… make another mistake?”

“No, no! Not at all! You did wonderfully today. Everyone was full of praise for you, haha.”

Lee Yeon hadn’t shown any fatigue earlier, but once she was in the car, a hint of exhaustion became visible.

She was pitiful, admirable, and he felt sorry for her… A complex mix of emotions tangled within Hyeongseok, making him feel disheartened. He resolved to simply take the scolding from the CEO himself.

“You must be tired, right? I’ll take you home quickly.”

However, his difficult resolution quickly faded into meaninglessness.

“I think the CEO might be waiting.”

“Huh? Oh… Did it show that much?”

A knowing smile appeared on Lee Yeon’s face, reflected in the rearview mirror, as if she already understood everything.

“I’m fine, so let’s go.”

The next day. Lee Yeon greeted the morning having not slept a wink all night.

The reason was the thinly bound book resting on the sofa where she had been sitting all night.

The book, with nothing written on its cover, also contained no title or author’s name inside—just a simple synopsis and the script for the first few episodes.

She had received it directly from the company CEO yesterday.

“I know it sounds strange. I was baffled at first too. But he said you just need to read it once. He was incredibly confident, you know?”

When the CEO asked to meet, she had more or less anticipated what he would say.

He always brought up broadening her horizons beyond print shoots, encouraging her to try other things for experience, so she assumed this meeting would be for the same purpose.

That’s why she didn’t fully believe what the CEO said when he handed her this book. She thought he was just throwing it out there, considering a slim possibility.

However, one last remark bothered her, which was why she took the book.

“He said that if you read this, you’ll definitely want to meet him. That mysterious writer who won’t even reveal his name. So I just couldn’t stand not knowing!”

Whether it was the writer’s intention or not, hearing those words made her curious, and she ended up taking it.

“Just read it when you can’t sleep. No pressure. Okay?”

True to what he said, she was sleepless all night long. And since she had no intention of acting anyway, she decided to read it without any expectation.

But to sum it up, the writer’s words were not an exaggeration.

If she had to describe her impression after staying up all night, reading and re-reading the ten-page book, it was simply that she absolutely had to meet the person who wrote this.

“I need to… pull myself together.”

Lee Yeon, who had been blankly staring at the dawn sky, rose from the sofa, her body heavy like waterlogged cotton.

To clear her cloudy mind, she splashed cold water on her face and soothed her queasy stomach with a warm cup of tea. Then she picked up the book again.

‘Was it a dream? Was I seeing things because I wished for it too desperately?’

But just as she had confirmed all night, even reading it again, the content was the same.

「#001. (Yeon and Geom’s First Meeting)

The sky is clear and blue. Clouds like torn cotton balls fill the sky.

When the wind blows, the flowers in the field sway in unison, and small insects jump about, often becoming prey for birds. It is a peaceful and beautiful spring day.

(Behind the bell tower, at the entrance leading to the field, Geom stands tense. He bites his lip, hesitates, and finally takes a step. Hiding himself in the bushes, bent at the waist, he moves toward the center of the field.)

(Yeon emerges from the chapel on the opposite side and looks at the field with flowers. After a moment of thought, she turns towards the familiar shortcut.)

The two have not yet discovered each other. Their gazes almost meet, but not quite. Then, a strong gust of wind suddenly blows, making Yeon sway.

Yeon: (Lets out a short yell.)

Geom: (Startled by the sound, he instinctively turns his body to look in Yeon’s direction.)

The two discover each other. They cautiously examine one another in tension.

Geom is mesmerized by Yeon’s beautiful appearance. Yeon notices something about his attire.

Yeon: (Smiling gently) Hello? Who are you?

Geom: (Head bowed, terrified) I, I am…」

Lee Yeon was certain.

The person who wrote this was San.