episode_0138

“Wow.”

I found myself licking my lips unconsciously as I looked at the money that had briskly entered my account.

Not only the bald man but the amount sent by Big Bro was truly staggering.

– I sent a little extra. Thanks for showing me something fun.

The voice of my brother-in-law, laughing with a nasal tone.

It was the first time I had seen him express his emotions so openly and enjoy being teased while getting angry, making us seem to get along quite well.

“Moo! Moo! Moo! Moo!”

From the moment she promised to buy beef earlier, Yurin seemed to transform into something other than human.

She roamed around like a cow, shouting “moo,” making me consider filming her antics for a video.

Anyway.

There were two choices if we wanted to eat beef.

“Moo! Moo! Moo! Moo! Moooo!”

One was to go out of Goldwon altogether to eat. I’m not sure if there are any good beef restaurants nearby.

Most places here are pawnshops or real estate offices, so I don’t know about the restaurants.

“Mooo! Mooo!”

The other option was just to eat at Goldwon. Of course, it would be really expensive, but they were open late and guaranteed quality.

“Oh, I don’t know.”

Since we’re already going to eat, might as well go all out and eat something expensive.

“Mooo! Beef! Mooooo!”

“Eat moderately and get ready to go.”

As Yurin cried like a cow, I stopped her and started getting dressed.

Yurin grinned and quickly got up, then ran towards the entrance.

“Let’s go to Building A first. Is there an expensive beef place over there? Let’s go that way….”

“Woochon?! Going to Woochon?! It’s 100,000 won per person there, isn’t it?”

Huh?

100,000 won is a bit much.

“Woojin! Manager! Owner! I will serve you faithfully! Please beat me up for all the trouble I’ve caused!”

“…Oh well, let’s go.”

There are only two of us, how much can we eat anyway?

“Shall we stop by the convenience store? Have a snack before we go…”

“Stop messing around, please.”

“…Alright, let’s just go.”

Yurin swears politely while bowing her head. Well, it’s kind of right to spend money boldly once in a while.

In fact, living expenses were somewhat covered by working here.

Besides, working here was like a bonus, and I was thinking of finding another part-time job.

I worked hard managing the bamboo forest and helped with adult toy deliveries.

“Let’s go! We have to order at least two portions!”

“I love you! I really love you! My man is so cool!”

We hugged tightly and bounced around.

After returning the room key we discreetly used in the lobby, we took the Goldwon internal bus back to Building A.

It’s 7 p.m. now.

It’s a bit late for dinner, but personally, it seems like the perfect time to eat meat.

As we arrived at Woochon, voices could be heard from various directions.

I thought there wouldn’t be many people due to the high prices, but that wasn’t the case.

People dressed in luxury exchanged jokes with relaxed smiles or stacked up bottles in a slightly disheveled manner, possibly after a successful gambling session at the casino.

Although there were separate rooms, since there were only two of us, we sat at a table with partitions.

“Moo? Moooo?”

Yurin, now transformed back into an animal, quickly scanned the menu. The prices were indeed high, but compared to what we earned today, it wasn’t too much of a stretch.

We ordered three portions of sirloin.

“They even charge for kimchi here.”

I licked my lips, understanding why those restaurants my mom used to take me to were so kind to me.

At this price, they better be kind.

The meat arrived sooner than expected, and our meal was swift as well.

The meat wasn’t as big as expected, considering its high price, but that disappointment vanished with each delicious bite.

“Wow! It’s so strong!”

Almost melting Yuarin.

Seeing her savor the taste with tears welling up, it seemed bringing her here was a good idea.

“So this is what they mean by the taste of money.”

People must know why money makes noise. Earning money to eat things like this.

As the food was delicious, we ended up ordering drinks naturally, and unintentionally found ourselves having a company dinner in the bamboo forest.

As managers and staff, we exchanged playful banter, acknowledging each other’s hard work.

“What are you two doing?”

A familiar face peeked over the partition.

It was Yerin.

“Yerin? What are you doing here?”

Surprised, Yuarin asked, and Yerin awkwardly replied with a stiff expression.

“Oh, Director and the actor wanted to have a meeting regarding additional filming… That’s why I’m here.”

Seems like she arrived before us and was waiting in the room.

“Yerin?”

“Oh my, my eyes.”

They say good-looking people have a halo, and it was true. When I saw Cha Seung-ho following behind Yerin, I instinctively covered my eyes with my hands.

“Gosh, he’s amazing.”

Yuarin, who was in front, chuckled at my reaction, probably a bit tipsy.

The atmosphere wasn’t as light-hearted as one might think.

“Are these your friends?”

Without looking at Cha Seung-ho, Yerin just nodded, her expression darkening when she glanced at me and Yuarin.

“….”

Did Cha Seung-ho sense it too?

He glanced at us and then made a friendly offer with a warm smile.

“Would you like to join us? We have plenty of space on our side.”

“…Who’s paying?”

“Haha, we’ll take care of it, of course.”

“Oh yeah! Arin, move to their table right away.”

“Yes, Captain!”

We immediately moved our meat dishes and followed Cha Seung-ho. He had a huge table, probably because he’s a big star.

“Add four more portions of meat inside!”

“And one each of cold noodles and pickled radish!”

As we entered, additional orders were placed.

Watching us, he smiled cutely, showing that he was indeed a big star.

From now on, I’m a fan of Cha Seung-ho.

“Hmm?”

As we entered the room, a man who seemed like the director looked puzzled, but the big star quickly explained that we were Yerin’s friends.

“Ah, Yerin’s friends? Order whatever you want.”

“We already did!”

“We’ll enjoy it crammed in the corner!”

With bright smiles, we settled into our corner, devouring the meat and noodles.

Though Yerin’s gaze lingered on us, it seemed like the others were more important.

“So, we want to give Yerin a separate role. The scriptwriter initially disagreed, but once Yerin saw the scene, she immediately agreed.”

“Oh, I see.”

Look at how awkwardly she responds.

She wrote about wanting to have sex in the bamboo forest today too.

“There aren’t many lines. Just a few words, but it has a significant impact. It really highlights the character’s personality, you know?”

“Yes.”

“Are you okay with this? If it’s too much pressure, you don’t have to do it, but we really hope Yerin will.”

When the director gently spoke, Cha Seung-ho chimed in with support.

“This is a great opportunity for Yerin to get noticed with this role. Since she’s not under YS contract yet, it’s a good narrative for an ordinary person catching the director’s eye and becoming an actor.”

“….”

It truly is a good opportunity.

Especially since Yerin didn’t seem eager to miss out on it.

Yerin’s gaze fixed on me, then she took a deep breath, slightly lowering her head.

And then.

“Just a moment… Can I think about it?”

With that, she stood up.

It seemed like she wanted to go to the restroom, but neither the director nor Cha Seung-ho stopped her; they let her go.

Seo Yerin left, and I found myself staring blankly at her vacant seat when Yu Arin, who had been eating meat on the opposite side, suddenly stood up.

“I’m back.”

Did she know what I was thinking even though I didn’t say anything?

Unlike moments ago when she was engrossed in the meat, she stood up gracefully and headed outside.

As a result, the atmosphere felt a bit heavier.

Trying to cool off my insides with a sip of cold noodles, I gulped down the broth. Director Nam and Actor Cha Seung-ho were looking at me.

“Um, your name is….”

“Kim Woojin.”

“Oh, Mr. Woojin.”

Cha Seung-ho, awkwardly smiling, cautiously asked me, “Do you think it’s possible with Yerin?”

“Why ask me that?”

“You two seem quite close…”

Not really.

After a moment of contemplation, I nodded.

“Maybe? She seemed somewhat interested herself.”

“Is that so?”

Cha Seung-ho, nodding slightly, seemed somewhat relieved, but it seemed like he had more to say.

“Ahem.”

The director interjected, perhaps sensing this.

“I feel like I’m intruding into their affairs… Have you ever dated Yerin or something?”

“Uh, well….”

About 3 minutes?

We dated for about 3 minutes when Yerin’s mother caught us.

“No?”

But saying we dated for 3 minutes sounded ambiguous, so I denied it for now.

“Is it one-sided love then?”

“It seems like it.”

Two people came to the same conclusion.

Looking at me, the director began speaking candidly.

“Woojin, Yerin will probably become an actress. YS is also keeping an eye on her, and full support will likely be given.”

“….”

“From what we’ve seen, it seems like Yerin has feelings for you.”

Since she made it so obvious earlier, there was no way not to know.

“I see.”

When I answered honestly, they seemed slightly taken aback but continued.

“Can you tell Yerin well? After all, isn’t Woojin already in a relationship?”

“For Yerin’s sake as a future actress. As fellow actors, we should avoid scandals as much as possible. And from the beginning….”

He seemed reluctant to say more, but Cha Seung-ho drew a clear line.

“Our worlds are different. When she becomes an actress, Yerin will find out. What Woojin is doing now is leaving the most beautiful memories by letting go.”

It was amusing.

‘I must have a good sense.’

When I saw Seo Yerin becoming an actress, various thoughts crossed my mind.

Among them, the biggest realization was the barrier.

The idea of living in a different world hit me so intensely that I probably hadn’t been truly at peace until now.

So, even just now, pretending not to hear the conversation and simply focusing on the meat.

With this straightforward conversation, I felt a bit more at ease.

“That’s true.”

I replied while eating the meat again.

“It’s Seo Yerin’s choice.”