SBC 16

SBC

Posted by Ali, Released on September 5, 2025

Chapter 16

“He’s an investor I know personally.”

“……”

“Why? Am I not allowed to know people?”

At Kang Dasom’s words, Yoon Jinwoo flinched faintly. He too had heard secondhand about the way her family treated her.

The daughter of an illegitimate child.

“No, I was out of line.”

Jinwoo lowered his eyes slightly. That’s when he noticed her evening dress slipping off her thin frame. He couldn’t understand how someone could be so frail that their clothes fit that loosely.

Just then, Dasom lightly touched the hem of her dress sleeve. Realizing something was wrong, Jinwoo took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.

“Thanks.”

Clutching the coat tighter around herself, Dasom whispered softly. Jinwoo frowned slightly as he glanced inside—part of the dress fabric was torn.

“Careless.”

“Sorry. My mistake.”

“I didn’t say it for you to apologize.”

Feeling awkward, Jinwoo cleared his throat and turned his head.

Wasn’t this supposed to be a birthday party?

Even if it was a formal affair, usually after such things ended, friends or acquaintances would gather to celebrate. But in the hall now, only staff bustled about cleaning.

“Why even hold a birthday party like this?”

Wasn’t it just for show? Jinwoo couldn’t understand Dasom’s reasoning. Dasom, wrapped in his coat, lifted her head.

“You know… I can’t remember a time in my childhood when anyone ever celebrated my birthday.”

Not only did no one congratulate her, not a single person in her family even remembered what day her birthday was. The only memory she had was back in high school—one close friend had once stuck a candle in a Choco Pie for her.

“Even if it’s fake, I wanted to experience it at least once. Being thanked for being born, being applauded.”

“Does that kind of thing actually bring you comfort?”

“It doesn’t comfort me, but it consoles me. You should try it someday too.”

“I doubt that’ll ever happen.”

Dasom gave a low laugh at Jinwoo’s blunt refusal. The light makeup she wore suited her far better than when he’d seen her meet his brother, Yoon Sunghoon. Maybe it was just the lighting, but still.

“I’ll book a room, so wait in the hallway.”

“Alright.”

Jinwoo went down to the lobby and soon returned with a key card. Quietly, the two took the elevator up to the top floor.

The room they entered after scanning the card was a suite with a wide-open view of Seoul. Seoyoung Hotel wasn’t among Korea’s absolute top hotels, but it was still five-star, and the suite cost several million won a night.

“They said this was the only room left.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

Jinwoo offered a clumsy excuse before she could ask. Dasom sat down on the sofa in the living area.

“Do you mind if I order room service?”

Despite it being her birthday party, Dasom herself hadn’t eaten properly, busy greeting everyone.

Relaxing back, Jinwoo rolled up his shirt cuffs and nodded.

Dasom picked up the room phone and ordered wine, cheese, and dessert. Until the food came, the two didn’t speak a word.

“The driver’s probably waiting, so you should drink lightly and go.”

“There isn’t one.”

“…What?”

“My brother assigned me Secretary Baek, but I sent him off already.”

The hand pouring wine into Jinwoo’s glass froze. He quickly glanced at her glass, but Dasom downed the wine as if to show him.

“I’m not driving you home.”

“I’ll sober up before I leave. What about you?”

“I didn’t bring my car.”

“Simple of you.”

“Sometimes in Seoul, having a car is inconvenient.”

Was that the only reason?

In truth, his manager, Lee Sangtae, had offered to drive him. Normally Jinwoo would’ve agreed, but for some reason tonight he didn’t feel like it. He couldn’t explain why, but it felt almost like his manager had betrayed him—just a little.

“Dasom-ssi…”

“Just call me noona. You can drop the honorifics too.”

“……”

“Stubborn, huh. Then at least when it’s just us, speak casually. I’ll do the same.”

Crossing her legs, she set down her emptied wine glass. Perhaps it was the wine, but her lips seemed even more alluringly red.

Jinwoo suddenly felt suffocated by the necktie he always wore. He loosened it and tossed it onto the sofa beside him.

“Suit yourself.”

“‘Suit yourself’—that’s kind of rude, don’t you think?”

“You’re the one who told me to drop honorifics. Isn’t it up to me how I phrase things?”

“Still, you should be polite.”

“If you wanted politeness, you shouldn’t have told me to speak casually.”

“You sure like talking back clearly.”

Jinwoo shrugged, as if to say he didn’t know what she wanted. Dasom handed him her empty wine glass. Sighing, he poured her another.

Dasom tilted her glass, and Jinwoo tapped his against hers.

A strange woman.

The more he saw of her, the more mysterious and suspicious she seemed. And yet…

What is she thinking?

Jinwoo quickly pushed the thought away. Whatever it was—acting, pretension—Dasom was still Yoon Sunghoon’s fiancée.

After her first quick glass, she hardly touched the wine again. Instead, she ate fruit and cheese from the dessert plate with a surprising appetite. Her small, delicate fingers plucking at the fruit looked almost cute.

“Got any interesting stories?”

“What’s the point? I’ll leave after finishing this wine.”

“Still, tell me something. About yourself maybe.”

“Why would I tell you about myself…”

Jinwoo trailed off, meeting her gaze. Her steady eyes silenced him for a moment.

Even when he tried to think of something to say, nothing came to mind. Their only connection was BiYoon Films, after all.

“If someone you trusted—someone you thought was on your side—failed to stand by you at a crucial moment, what would you do?”

Dasom, nibbling on cheese, finally reached for her wine again. She held the glass as she locked eyes with him.

“Who’s the one with decision-making power?”

“Me.”

“Then cut them off. If you can’t, replace them.”

“Cold-hearted.”

“Think about why they didn’t take your side.”

Dasom slowly swirled the wine in her glass, tracing a circle.

“Was that really a choice for your sake?”

Her words struck directly into Jinwoo’s chest. It was the same point she’d raised when they’d met at his family home.

“……”

“Whatever it is, think it through carefully.”

She didn’t ask outright, but she seemed to guess who he was talking about. Most likely his agency.

If Jinwoo had someone he could rely on, it would be his manager, Lee Sangtae—he’d been assigned to Jinwoo from the very start of his career.

Would she know he’s a swindler?

Later, Sangtae would start his own company, taking Jinwoo and other actors with him, but in the process he made them sign double contracts and pocketed money.

Dasom didn’t know all the details, but she remembered back then when she sometimes spoke with Jung Hana, who had once called her in anger—

“Can you believe it? After all I did for him? I’m finding a lawyer and suing him, no matter what!”

Over the phone, Hana had raged about how she’d given Sangtae billions of won.

“…Forget it, that was a pointless story.”

Embarrassed, Jinwoo sipped his wine and averted his gaze.

“There you go again.”

“What?”

“You always avoid people’s eyes whenever you’re embarrassed or have nothing to say. Is that a habit?”

Hearing her voice beside him, Jinwoo turned—but still couldn’t meet her gaze directly.

“Not really.”

He mumbled it, but inside, he was rattled. Did he really have such a habit? No…

It was only with Kang Dasom. For some reason, looking at her directly felt like something he shouldn’t do.