Chapter 75
Sara was so busy denying it vehemently that she didn’t notice how his tone had become oddly stiff.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Well, we broke up a year and a half ago, and I don’t have any lingering feelings, so I didn’t think it was worth mentioning.”
“He seems to have plenty of lingering feelings, though.”
“Well, I don’t, so what does it matter?”
Instead of answering, Seung-tae looked at her for a long time.
Anyone could tell from that gaze that he was questioning her.
Since Sara was still in his arms, his stare felt even more piercing.
In the end, she blurted out her explanation.
“…I had to find a lead actor on short notice, so there was no other way. Any well-known actor’s schedule is booked solid for at least six months. There was no way to align the timing.”
“So, because of that, you didn’t even tell the director that your co-star was your ex, who’s still hung up on you?”
“If I just kept quiet, there was no reason to make a big deal out of it. And come on, do you think every actor on a set gets along perfectly? People work through all sorts of situations.”
“Work through it? You didn’t even give Director Choi the chance to decide whether to work through it. There’s a world of difference between casting someone knowing the circumstances and doing it without knowing.”
“That’s…!”
Seung-tae’s voice turned cold.
Sara wanted to argue that he was wrong, but no words came out.
He sighed shortly, released her from his arms, and stepped back.
“What is Director Choi to you, Sara?”
“What?”
“Is she just someone you can deceive and move past it with? If so, fine.”
“Of course not! Eunyeong unnie is more than family to me. That’s why I couldn’t tell her. You know how much she wanted this film to succeed. I thought… if I could just endure for a few months, it would be fine, so I didn’t say anything…”
Her voice grew quieter until it was barely audible.
Even she knew it sounded like an excuse.
“How is this any different from the time you went to meet investors without telling her? Remember how mad she was when she found out? You cried in front of me then.”
“……”
“Even if you couldn’t tell her because of the confidentiality clause in our contract, once trust is broken, it’s hard to rebuild it. Even if the lie is told for the other person’s sake.”
Sara pressed her lips tightly together and looked away.
Her pursed lips revealed her stubbornness.
Seung-tae reached out and gently brushed her thin cheek.
His touch was so natural that it didn’t even feel strange.
“I don’t want to see you cry over this again.”
“If I can just endure a little—”
“And I don’t want to see you constantly putting up with Kang Han-sung either.”
There was genuine concern and tenderness in his voice.
Feeling that, Sara couldn’t bring herself to say, ‘Stay out of it, I’ll handle it.’
“…Fine.”
“Hm?”
“I’ll tell her. I’ll tell unnie.”
“Good. That’s the right choice.”
When she gave the answer he wanted, Seung-tae smiled warmly.
Sara had said it reluctantly, but even she was surprised by herself—she had given in.
It was proof of how deeply he had already entered her life’s boundaries.
She realized she was letting him in far more than she’d intended, but at this point, pushing him out again would be difficult.
When had it started, she wondered?
She even felt a faint trace of fear.
Not even when she’d dated Han-sung had she ever let someone in so quickly.
“Why?” he asked.
“No, it’s nothing.”
Sara avoided his eyes and changed the subject.
“But even if I tell her, that doesn’t change the fact that I have to shoot a movie with Han-sung. Like it or not, we can’t make a movie without a male lead.”
“We’ll see about that.”
His words carried a strange, meaningful weight.
It wasn’t something she could just laugh off, especially knowing what he was capable of.
Sara’s eyes widened slightly.
“What do you mean by that? Don’t tell me—”
“Hm? Don’t tell you what?”
“You’re not planning to, I don’t know… run him over in a hit-and-run at some deserted intersection on a rainy dawn, are you?”
Sara glanced around and lowered her voice to whisper the ridiculous question.
The unexpected remark made Seung-tae burst out laughing.
“A hit-and-run? Ha! You’re scary, Sara. I didn’t even think of that. But why does your plan sound so specific? Were you considering it?”
“What? No, of course not… I mean, imagination is free, right?”
She couldn’t admit that after the police had come twice because of Han-sung, she’d half-jokingly sketched out such a plan.
“If it were me, I’d choose a gentler method than a hit-and-run.”
“Gentler? I doubt that. If Han-sung listened to reason, this would’ve been solved ages ago.”
Sara shook her head, her face full of suspicion.
But Seung-tae just smiled mysteriously and said something unexpected.
“Do you know how to make a dog drop what it’s holding in its mouth?”
“Hm. You don’t just take it away?”
“If you try to force it, it bites down harder. It’s easier to make it drop it on its own.”
“How?”
“It’s simple. You give it something better. Then you don’t even have to tell it to let go—it just does. People are the same.”
Sara understood the metaphor, but she couldn’t see what that had to do with Han-sung.
She wanted to ask more, but there were too many eyes glancing at them now, so it was time to part ways.
“I’ll get going,” he said first.
“Okay. Drive safe.”
Sara saw him off and then went back into the waiting room.
The makeup artist, who had arrived before her, sat her down and asked casually,
“Hey, who was that guy you were with earlier?”
“Huh? What guy?”
Sara feigned ignorance.
They’d known each other for a long time, so the artist spoke to her freely.
“You know, the guy Do-hee saw with you in the parking lot. She said he was super handsome. Is he a rookie? From your agency?”
“No, nothing like that. Just…”
“Oh, come on, tell me. You know I can keep a secret.”
Sure you can.
Everyone calls you Miss Dandelion because your mouth’s lighter than a dandelion seed.
Sara blushed slightly and said in a small voice,
“He’s… just my boyfriend.”
“Oh my god, really? You’re dating? That’s great! What does he do? Is he in the industry?”
By the time the shoot ended today, that single comment would spread through the entire set: Sara has a boyfriend.
Since she was pretending to date Seung-tae anyway, she decided to use that to her advantage.
If everyone knew she had a boyfriend, Han-sung wouldn’t dare act up again.
After exchanging a few more words, Sara finished getting ready and stepped out.
Eunyeong, who was talking with the cinematographer, spotted her and waved.
“Oh, Sara! Just a minute—we’re almost ready.”
“Unnie, are you free after shooting today?”
Having decided to come clean, Sara resolved to tell her tonight—better to strike while the iron was hot.
If she hesitated, she might lose her chance again.
“After shooting? Why? Is something wrong?”
“I just… have something to tell you.”
“What’s with that serious tone? Wait—does this have to do with your boyfriend?”
“Huh?”
“I heard you brought your boyfriend to the set. That’s surprising—you used to hate that kind of thing. Must be serious, huh?”
“Oh… he just dropped me off, that’s all.”
“He came all the way here—he could’ve at least said hi! The assistant director said he was really handsome.”
Eunyeong laughed heartily and patted Sara’s shoulder.
Sara could only give an awkward smile in return.
“Alright, we’ll wrap up early today. Let’s talk afterward.”
“Okay.”
But when it came time to start shooting, no matter how long they waited, Han-sung didn’t show up.
His manager, drenched in sweat, kept insisting, “He’ll be here any minute,” but it took almost an hour before Han-sung finally arrived—his every step radiating annoyance and anger.
