The CEO Forced Me to Be a Movie Queen! (GL) - Chapter 8

The training day finally wound down, leaving everyone in a state of bone-deep exhaustion. In the locker room, the members were packing up when Ailee delivered the news: Seol-soo had to rush to the headquarters for an audition, and President Choi would be looking after her personally.

Moon-wol was wide-eyed with excitement. “That’s our Unnie! President Choi is a gold-medal producer—actors she picks end up winning Best Actor trophies. This is a huge deal!”

Ji-hyo, however, looked a bit concerned. “Seol-soo’s going over there this late? Will there be someone to drop her off? Our place is a bit out of the way; does she need one of us to pick her up?” The film company headquarters was quite a distance from their suburban dorm.

Ailee, genuinely happy for their leader, waved off the concern. “Don’t worry. Ms. Choi signed the final agreements today and took Seol-soo with her on the way out. She’ll take good care of her. President Choi is our Big Boss now; we have to trust her. After all, she’s the one who saved SPE.”

The others nodded in agreement, but Hwa-sun hesitated. “Um, Ailee Unnie…”

“What is it, Sun-ah?”

“I… I don’t want to live at my uncle and aunt’s house anymore,” Hwa-sun requested softly. “I want to live with the members… with the other Unnies.” She desperately wanted to be near Seol-soo.

Moon-wol beamed at the idea. “You want to move in with us? I have so many snacks I can share with you!”

Ji-hyo frowned, doing the mental math. “I’d love for Hwa-sun to move in, but I don’t think the room can fit five people right now. We’re short a bed.” She thought for a second. “Maybe not today, but when this month’s lease is up, we can find a slightly bigger place. Then Hwa-sun can move in.”

Ailee agreed. “Ji-hyo’s right. For now, Hwa-sun, stay with Papa. Once the investment clears and our budget is stable, I’m sure Papa will find a better dorm for everyone. Then you can all be together.”

“Okay,” Hwa-sun nodded, her eyes full of anticipation.

******

Outside, Seoul was still trapped in a cycle of gray, drizzling rain. The typhoon season had made everything damp and sticky.

Park Seol-soo left with Choi Jin-yeon. The company directors saw them off at the car, and Seol-soo climbed into the passenger area next to Jin-yeon, looking every bit the obedient, polite junior. As the car pulled out of the underground garage, Jin-yeon remained silent, her gaze fixed calmly on the road ahead.

Seol-soo mirrored her silence. She didn’t cry, she didn’t smile; she simply sat there with a distant, tranquil expression.

The sky was fading into night. After driving through the city for what felt like an eternity, the car pulled into the parking lot of a manor-style club in the Gangnam District. Well-dressed valets hurried to open the doors. A beautiful, poised woman—the headwaiter—bowed to them. She seemed familiar with Jin-yeon, greeting her with a warm smile before leading them to a private dining room with a view of the garden.

Once they were seated, the headwaiter asked, “The usual, Ma’am?”

Jin-yeon glanced at the girl sitting across from her. Seol-soo was remarkably composed, but in this completely alien environment, faced with these people and this situation, a trace of panic and distance still flickered in the corners of her eyes. She was, after all, only nineteen.

“Is there anything specific you’d like to eat? Take a look,” Jin-yeon said with a gentle smile.

The headwaiter presented the menu. Seol-soo stared at the lines of Italian and English. She recognized very few words. Finally, with a touch of frustration, she admitted, “I can’t read the menu.”

The headwaiter bowed low. “My apologies, that was my oversight.” She quickly replaced it with a Korean menu.

Seol-soo’s brow furrowed slightly. Even though she could read the Korean, the names of the dishes were entirely foreign to her. She had to rely on the headwaiter’s descriptions of the ingredients to make a choice.

Throughout this, Jin-yeon watched her with a faint, steady smile. It wasn’t a mocking look; rather, Jin-yeon had the kind of soft, classic beauty that made her smile feel unexpectedly intimate.

Once the waiter withdrew, Jin-yeon spoke. “So… you haven’t continued your studies since middle school?”

Seol-soo shook her head. “Papa helped me transfer schools when I moved here. I finished the second year of high school sporadically, but I took a leave of absence once I debuted.” She hadn’t expected the conversation to start with her education.

“Nineteen is a very precious age,” Jin-yeon said softly. “You should learn as much as you can. Even with music—without a systematic understanding of theory, it’s hard to advance beyond a certain point. True aesthetic sense requires the accumulation of knowledge and a broad perspective.”

Her tone was like a mentor’s, or perhaps a friend’s. Seol-soo nodded. “I understand.”

“Of course, there’s no rush,” Jin-yeon added. “You could start university classes next autumn.”

Seol-soo blinked, certain she had misheard. “Pardon?”

Jin-yeon gave a mischievous, low laugh. “Did I startle you? Is making academic plans for your date different from what you imagined this would be like?”

Normally, Seol-soo would have felt nothing but resentment—even disgust—toward a woman of Jin-yeon’s status who had made the kind of “request” she had. But sitting here now, that smile somehow lightened the heavy burden on her chest.

Before she could respond, the waiter arrived with the appetizers.

Seol-soo rarely ate Western cuisine; in fact, she rarely ate dinner at all.

“Papa told me you’re very strict with yourself,” Jin-yeon said warmly. “That’s a good trait. You’re an ambitious girl. Don’t worry—I’ve already instructed the kitchen to keep the calories low for the recommended dishes. You can eat freely.”

The appetizer was plated so beautifully Seol-soo almost felt guilty for eating it. She whispered a “thank you.”

The meal proceeded smoothly. Jin-yeon spoke very little while eating, and when she did, her voice was soft and accompanied by a smile. She seemed like an ideal older sister; it was impossible to reconcile this woman with the one who had made that preposterous demand. She looked after Seol-soo throughout the meal, even slicing a small portion of steak for her before having the waiter pass it over.

The food was delicious. For someone who lived on a diet of salad and bread, Seol-soo wasn’t devoid of appetite; she simply possessed a level of self-discipline that overrode her cravings.

Jin-yeon didn’t complain about Seol-soo’s silence or pepper her with questions. They simply ate in a quiet, shared space, watching the drizzle fall on the courtyard garden outside.

*****

When they left the restaurant, the wind had picked up. Jin-yeon slipped off her gray blazer and draped it gently over Seol-soo’s shoulders. “There’s one more place I’d like you to accompany me to. Do you mind?”

Seol-soo said she didn’t mind. To her surprise, the jacket felt warm.

In the car, Jin-yeon took a few business calls before turning to Seol-soo with a weary sigh. “I’m preparing a new production, so things are hectic. I’ve barely slept the last few days.”

Seol-soo, still wearing the older woman’s blazer, looked at her. Beneath the jacket, Jin-yeon wore a pale purple silk blouse; a single pearl pendant hung from her white neck. She looked noble and elegant. Combined with her soft, melodic voice, she was a woman who was—under any other circumstances—impossible to dislike.

“Would you like to rest?” Seol-soo asked, keeping her tone formal.

Jin-yeon laughed and shook her head, looking at Seol-soo with genuine fondness. “It would be a waste to sleep now. I finally get to see you, and after today, I have to go to Japan for a few days.”

They were essentially strangers who had met twice and exchanged only a few sentences. Seol-soo let out a sigh, sounding like the more mature one for a moment. “If the destination is far, you should take a nap, President. When I’m rushing between schedules, I sometimes go days with less than five hours of sleep. A quick nap in the car helps.”

Jin-yeon nodded and, quite naturally, leaned her head onto Seol-soo’s shoulder. “May I?” she whispered.

Seol-soo gave a small “mhm,” but she turned her head away, staring out the window at the rain. The storm was lasting much too long.

*****

The car eventually stopped at a small alleyway in the middle of the night. As they stepped out, the night wind blew past, making the scenery feel like something from another world.

Seol-soo realized they were in front of a tiny bookstore. Jin-yeon took the umbrella from the driver and held it over both of them. “I’d like to have a cup of coffee,” she said.

Seol-soo, still wrapped in the blazer, nodded.

They entered the old shop, a clear bell chiming as the door opened. The owner was a man in his forties with a beard and a pipe, looking very cultured. He recognized Jin-yeon immediately. “It’s you,” he said with a bow and a smile. “Long time no see.”

Jin-yeon returned the greeting warmly. “It has been a long time. How have you been, Shopkeeper?”

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