YDCF 08

Chapter – 08

The dinner party ended like that.

Out of all the gifts, Chairman Joo accepted nine in total. Among them, the only one that earned his applause was, without question, Sae-yi’s acting.

As the distinguished guests gradually left Jaedamjae, Sae-yi was led inside by a secretary.

“Why are you going in there?”

“The Chairman is waiting for the young lady.”

Joo Soo-yeon stopped halfway up the stairs and snorted. The secretary answered in her place.

“Hah—Grandfather is?”

She asked again, as if she couldn’t believe it. Sae-yi nodded instead of answering and looked away.

The place the secretary led her to was the Chairman’s private room. Unlike the rest of Jaedamjae, it had a traditional Korean layout, remodeled to suit his taste.

The secretary stood guard outside the door. It was the Chairman’s order—no one, not even members of the Joo family, was allowed to listen in.

I’ve never been here before.

Sae-yi scanned the room filled with porcelain. It was such a private space that even when she had been treated as part of the Joo family, she had never entered it.

“Stop looking around and come sit here.”

The Chairman broke her thoughts. Sae-yi obediently sat where he pointed. An awkward silence settled.

“There seems to be quite a lot I need answers to.”

“Ask whatever you like, Chairman.”

At the word Chairman, he paused briefly. Then he asked,

“How did you know about that script?”

“My mother mentioned it once. She said my grandmother wrote works herself. I went to Dongwu Hall to see if there were any more of my mother’s belongings, and I found it there.”

“And that’s why you prepared an act?”

“The moment I saw it, I thought I had to show it to you.”

She answered smoothly, as if she had expected these questions.

“A child who used to run away whenever the Joo family was mentioned…”

“……”

“…coming to me to show something like that.”

After a brief silence, he continued, still unconvinced.

“When did you learn to act? I’ve never received a report saying you could.”

“I studied on my own.”

Before he could respond, Sae-yi quickly added,

“I’m Grandma’s granddaughter too. I wanted to resemble her, even if just a little…”

“Enough.”

The Chairman cut her off and ran a hand through his hair. Thinking of his wife seemed to stir overwhelming emotions.

“I’ve heard everything you had to say.”

“……”

“What I can say is… thank you. Thanks to my granddaughter, it feels like I’ve regained my spring days.”

He meant it.

Among all those piranhas who brought gifts only to ask about business, Sae-yi’s gift was like a protected natural treasure.

“You.”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to become an actress?”

As if she had been waiting for it, Sae-yi’s eyes lit up. Without a second of hesitation, she nodded.

The Chairman stared at her for a moment, then took out a document from his drawer and handed it to her.

[Wave Actors Establishment Plan]

It was a report written in preparation for the launch of the agency Chairman Joo had secretly planned.

“I’m sick of growing companies now. So, following your grandmother’s wishes, I want to polish some raw stones.”

Locking eyes with his granddaughter, he continued,

“Watching your acting today… I thought you might be worth making the first candidate in my plan.”

“…Me?”

“Yes. But I’m not someone who would make such a decision based on a short performance alone.”

Sae-yi smiled faintly, as if she understood. She looked disappointed, clearly convinced she wouldn’t be recruited.

Still a kid, he thought, amused at how easily her thoughts showed on her face.

“So, Joo Sae-yi.”

“…Yes.”

“Can you prove it to me?”

The old businessman’s eyes shone like a young man’s.

From the moment she started acting, he had no intention of leaving his granddaughter alone. He could feel how she captured everyone’s attention.

She’s not some dirt-covered pearl. That child… will become an unprecedented great actress.

What held him back from recruiting her immediately was the plan he had set up.

Without knowing that Joo Tae-baek was behind it, Wave Actors was nothing more than a new agency.

And Joo Sae-yi was a rookie actress.

If a rookie agency and a rookie actress suddenly succeeded together, suspicion would inevitably follow.

Joo Tae-baek didn’t want to stain her with that kind of stigma.

“Anything is fine. Can you create a reason—by your own hands—that I can put you forward?”

So this was a plea disguised as an order.

Anything is fine. Just give me a foothold to recruit you. Leave proof that you started before any contract.

The decision was now Joo Sae-yi’s.

And Sae-yi—

“Of course.”

She accepted his offer without fail.

“No hesitation at all. I wonder who you take after.”

“Haha… I wonder.”

The history of Wave Actors began. The Chairman already felt restless, eager to see the countless characters Sae-yi would portray.

“It’s gotten late. You may go home now.”

If he kept her any longer, he might end up asking her to sign a contract immediately.

“I heard you came in Jung-hee’s car. I’ll assign a driver—ride comfortably.”

“Thank you, Chairman. I’ll be going now.”

Sae-yi clasped her hands and bowed politely. Her unhesitating retreat caught his eye.

As soon as she left the room, the Chairman muttered softly,

“Brat… you still won’t call me Grandpa.”

The day his eldest daughter—and Sae-yi’s mother—Joo Jung-wol died.

From that day on, the child looked frightened whenever she saw him.

The little girl who once called him Grandpa in a sweet voice now called him Chairman, refused to stay at Jaedamjae, and avoided events altogether.

She hadn’t seemed scared today, so he had hoped.

But the title remained the same.

“Do you really dislike me that much? Is calling me Grandpa really that hard?”

Opening the window and looking up at the moonlit sky, Joo Tae-baek whispered,

“Jung-wol… your bloodline is so difficult for me.”

Today, more than ever, he felt sorry toward the daughter who had left before her father.

Ah, I’m exhausted.

“Hey! Are you ignoring me?”

I’m exhausted because of Joo Soo-yeon. Seriously.

Ever since I was summoned by Grandpa and went to the private room, she wouldn’t leave me alone—even starting from the lobby.

“How dare you meet Grandpa alone? You’re not even treated as family!”

That was it. I stopped and turned around sharply.

“Soo-yeon.”

“W-What!”

“Are you that anxious? Like you said, I’m just the daughter of the dead eldest daughter—barely considered family.”

Her face flushed red instantly. Seems she still knew what shame was.

You should think about the difference in weight class before picking a fight.

Leaving the fuming Soo-yeon behind, I crossed the garden without looking back. The moment I stepped out the gate—

“Joo Sae-yi. Let’s talk.”

“You scared me! Why are you just standing here?”

“I was waiting. You weren’t coming out.”

Soo-yeon, and now Ryu Do-gyeong. What a pair.

“So I’m not even allowed to worry now?”

Ryu Do-gyeong frowned slightly, clenching his teeth. He still looked displeased.

“When did you learn to act?”

How many times have I heard this question today?

“Why did you come back?”

“……”

“Why—after throwing everything away, do you still have regrets?”

What is he even saying?

“I’m not doing this because I regret anything.”

“Then what?”

He was always like this. He knew I liked him and followed him around, ignored me every time, yet still interrogated me like this.

“Don’t ask if you won’t understand anyway.”

My words came out sharper than I meant.

Maybe that cold reply was the problem. Ryu Do-gyeong blocked my path silently, then finally stepped aside when the driver arrived.

As I passed him, I gave a brief nod. He spoke as if in passing,

“I’m not interested in dating. I can’t be with you.”

“…I know?”

Dating? The sudden topic caught me off guard.

He widened his eyes briefly, then slumped.

“Joo Sae-yi.”

He barely caught the edge of my sleeve.

“Are you… not regretful anymore?”

Why was he looking at me like that? He let go just as easily as he had grabbed me.

After getting into Grandpa’s car, I peeked at Ryu Do-gyeong through the tinted window.

Hands in his pockets, my first love walked alone down the dark street in front of Jaedamjae.

No driver. No escort.

Somehow, his back looked lonely.