The CEO Forced Me to Be a Movie Queen! (GL) - Chapter 3

The lingering heat in her stomach from the alcohol wouldn’t subside; a thin sheen of sweat began to bead on Jin-yeon’s forehead. Her thoughts felt like they were being pushed through a layer of thick cotton. Before this negotiation could reach a verdict, she had to stand up, offer a brief apology, and retreat to the restroom.

Leaning over the sink, she endured several bouts of dry heaving. Negotiating this late was a mistake, she thought grimly. She pulled out her phone and stared at a text message she’d received during her morning meeting—a message that had been weighing on her all day.

“I’ve thought it over, and considering how busy you are, I think we should end things today. While we had a good start, I’ve realized lately that you might not actually love me. I wish you the best in your new beginning.”

She hadn’t replied yet. Her head throbbed, and in her mind, the face of the starlet who sent it had already begun to blur.

With a numb flick of her finger, she finally typed back a single word: Okay.

Then, she swiped to delete the message and the contact information entirely. The tiny thorn in her heart was plucked out, and the fog in her brain seemed to lift, if only slightly.

*****

When she stepped back into the boardroom, she heard Representative Han delivering a methodical analysis: “But Mr. Ahn, SPE is heavily in debt. After your creative differences with the shareholders led to a withdrawal of funds and talent poaching, three members of your most profitable six-man group were taken. The damage is catastrophic. And as much as I respect Senior Cha, musical theater is a niche market; its profitability is mediocre at best.”

He paused, driving the point home. “As for your new five-member girl group—they’ve been debuted for a year, not a single song has broken the Top 100, and now their main vocal has been poached. Frankly, I see no reason for us to invest.”

“But the most popular member of the boy group is still with us! And we’ve already brought in a new main vocal for the girl group, THEME,” Papa Ahn argued desperately. This was clearly his last straw; his facial muscles twitched with agitation. “That child is young and incredibly talented—a rare, natural-born singer. If we get the investment and release a new track, everything will change.”

Jin-yeon had never met Ahn Jae-kyu before today, but she knew that long ago, he and her mother had been duet partners. When her mother’s identity as a mistress was exposed at the height of her fame, her career plummeted, leaving her to perform on small-town stages. This man had been one of the few to help her, offering her guest spots at his concerts.

Jin-yeon let out a soft sigh. “I missed the presentation while I was out. I’d like to hear the music and see the team you’re managing.”

Her tone had softened amidst the chaos of her mind. She was looking for a breakthrough—either a reason to be convinced or a reason to provide a definitive, yet polite, rejection. She owed her mother that much; she didn’t want to appear so arrogant that she’d be labeled heartless, potentially tarnishing her mother’s reputation by association.

“President…” Representative Han whispered a warning. Weren’t we supposed to just let me handle the rejection?

Jin-yeon gave him a look that told him to stand down.

*****

Papa Ahn hurried to have his assistant restart the presentation, moving from the company history to the artists’ achievements and their discography. Jin-yeon watched for about fifteen minutes. On the projection screen, a group of teenage girls were pouring their souls into a song-and-dance routine.

She watched for another three minutes, her lips pursed, then looked down at the artist profiles she hadn’t scrutinized earlier.

Leader: Park Seol-soo

19 years old. Main Dancer, Visual.

…

Ha Ji-hyo

18 years old. Rapper.

…

Han Yoo-ri

17 years old. Lead Vocal, Lead Dancer.

…

Kim Moon-wol

17 years old. Lead Vocal.

Ahn Hwa-sun

16 years old. Main Vocal (Tentative).

“Why ‘tentative’?” Jin-yeon asked.

Papa Ahn pulled up a video on his laptop. A girl with a pure, innocent face sat on a doorstep, cradling a guitar and singing a folk song.

Her voice was like something from the heavens.

Ahn Jae-kyu looked conflicted. “Her father… my brother… he’s still uneasy about Hwa-sun entering the industry. Though she’s determined to join the group, I believe that if I secure an investment, I can convince him to entrust her to me. Her talent is meant to be a shining star.”

“So she’s your niece. She inherited the musical talent of the Ahn family, it seems,” Jin-yeon complimented politely. Her interest was piqued, but her eyes kept drifting back to the girl named Park Seol-soo. Her look was incredibly clear and striking; though she was styled in the trendy idol fashion of the day, her features were undeniably that of a “movie face.”

After just one glance, those features were etched into Jin-yeon’s memory.

Amidst the group of childish faces, this girl’s countenance was unique. Her eyes were long and slender, the pupils a deep, watery black that looked perpetually misty. Combined with the slight downward slope of her brows, she possessed a fragile, heart-wrenching quality—as if she were always on the verge of tears—yet there was an underlying, stubborn streak typical of the youth.

“President?” Representative Han called out twice before she snapped out of her observation.

She looked at Papa Ahn. “This child… Seol-soo, is it?”

“Yes, Park Seol-soo. She’s a truly exceptional girl,” Papa Ahn recommended eagerly.

Jin-yeon wasn’t sure what came over her then. Perhaps her brain was overheating, or perhaps it was the alcohol. She had indeed drunk too much that day—vomiting twice in the restroom had left her physically weak, and her heart felt like a hollowed-out cavern with the wind whistling through it. She was desperate to fill the void with work so she wouldn’t have to dwell on her failed romance.

“I want to see these girls in person and evaluate their skills. If they pass my assessment, I’ll consider the investment,” she announced. She checked her watch; it was 10:30 PM. “I have a 4:00 AM flight to the States for an awards ceremony and some partnership talks. If I wait until I return in a week, I fear your company will have already declared bankruptcy. Tonight is my only window.”

A flash of life-saving hope ignited in Papa Ahn’s eyes. He swatted his assistant’s arm. “Quick! Get the girls here! Tell them to come meet the President!”

The young assistant panicked, nearly dropping the laptop. Papa Ahn hurriedly pulled out his phone to call the manager. “Ailee? Are Seol-soo and the others still in the practice room? Get them to NEWONE immediately! Don’t just stand there, move!”

His voice was loud, but the connection on the other end was spotty. “But President… only Seol-soo and Ji-hyo are in the studio. Yoo-ri has a fever from a cold, and Moon-wol is at the dorm looking after her…”

“Aish, that child… why get sick now?” He was frantic, his voice trembling. Gone was the effortless charm he once held on stage; the recent string of business failures had left him a bundle of nerves. “Even if she’s sick, she has to come!”

“Producer Ahn, don’t go to such trouble.” Jin-yeon, still feeling the floaty effects of the wine, gave a faint smile. “I have to head toward the airport anyway. I can stop by your company on the way and see them there. To be practicing this late… they are hardworking children.”

“President… you won’t be able to rest,” Secretary Kim reminded her.

Jin-yeon considered it. She wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight anyway. Having something to do—perhaps discovering a new talent—wasn’t a bad way to spend the time. “I can rest in the car. Prepare the vehicle.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” the secretary replied.

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