MTA 06

Chapter : 06

The baseless jealousy toward Yoon Haein, who had achieved the title of a ten-million-ticket actress — something she herself could never have — and the irritation she used to hide that jealousy.

But today, unlike usual, Haein, who had always let Ayeon win, met her gaze with eyes that were sharp and cold. Haein let out a shallow sigh. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t go on working like this anymore.

“……Unni, please be honest with me. Tell me what I need to do so we can at least work together without being so uncomfortable.”

“Uncomfortable? Are you saying it’s uncomfortable working with me?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“This is about Lee Jinwon, isn’t it? Honestly, seducing a man is also a skill, a talent. Why take out your frustration at work because you couldn’t keep your man? How pathetic.”

Ha.

A sigh she couldn’t hide slipped out before she knew it. It was irritation without reason — childish jealousy.

Three years. For nearly three years, Haein had been in charge of Baek Ayeon — a woman who had been consistently hostile, who never opened up to her — and she was exhausted.

And knowing about Haein’s relationship with Jinwon, Ayeon had still deliberately acted in a suggestive way in front of him. There was not a single trace of respect left in her.

“I’m done.”

“What?”

“I’m quitting as your manager.”

“Hey, Yoon Haein! Are you f***ing kidding me right now? You think you can just quit because you feel like it?”

But today, Haein had no intention of losing. She met Ayeon’s glare head-on, her own gaze razor-sharp.

“I endured two years — because it wasn’t a childish game to me. I wanted to prove that I didn’t come back to this industry on a whim. So I put up with everything — every kind of treatment.”

The mockery, the contempt, the whispers behind her back. Even the scorn of those who had once chased the same dream beside her. Haein had endured it all in silence.

She could no longer stand before the camera, but at least she could stand behind it — as a staff member.

If she couldn’t live her dream, she wanted at least to live in its shadow.

Because if she stayed in that shadow long enough, she believed she might get closer to the truth of that day — the day she was forced to retire from show business.

“Unni, you said it yourself once — that the only reason I was cast as the lead in Temptation was because of my face.”

For three years, Ayeon had belittled Haein’s acting every single day, like holding a daily evaluation session.

Perhaps she wanted to hide her own lack of skill that way. Not once had she ever acknowledged the acting that had once been praised so highly.

Looking back now, Haein felt like a fool — a fool for tolerating the way Ayeon and Jinwon had ridiculed her together.

Fine, since she’d started talking, she might as well say everything. Let it all out, once and for all.

“In this business, looks count as talent too, don’t they? I heard you also auditioned for that lead role back then.”

“Ah, f***.”

Ayeon’s brow furrowed. She had auditioned for that closed-door director’s casting. When the role went to rookie Yoon Haein instead, she’d thrown a fit for weeks.

“Hey, you—!”

“Guess I was just better than you. Both in looks and acting. But please, unni — keep living just the way you are. Ignore what people say. Keep stealing other women’s men and getting criticized for your acting.”

Smack!

“Ayeon! Stop it!”

Ayeon’s hand cut through the air and struck Haein’s cheek.

A red handprint bloomed instantly on her pale skin, and the taste of iron filled her mouth. Turning her head back slowly, Haein gave a faint smile.

“Keep living like that. I hope someday the public forgets you.”

Had she ever worn such an expression in front of a camera? Seeing Haein’s cold smirk, Ayeon’s eyes turned icy.

She wanted to hurl every insult she knew, but she couldn’t even find the words — her fury was too overwhelming.

“Yoon Haein! I’ll make sure you never set foot in this industry again. No matter what it takes, I’ll drive you out and make you too ashamed to ever show your face again.”

“……Do whatever you want.”

Thump. Thump. Thump.

As soon as she stepped out of Room 1904, Haein’s heart began pounding wildly. Her lashes trembled, and her clenched fists shook helplessly at her sides.

“Ah… my heart feels like it’s about to explode.”

Haein, who had never once talked back to Ayeon — always believing that keeping peace was best — finally let out everything she’d held in for two years. The weight pressing down on her chest suddenly felt lighter.

And at the same time, tears she had held back for so long began to fall.

* * *

“Sir, about that production scheduled for filming next spring…”

AJ Entertainment’s CEO office.

At the team leader’s words, the CEO looked up from his phone and turned toward the calendar pinned on the wall to his right. His eyes landed on the poster above it.

“Oh, the historical drama?”

Among next year’s scheduled productions, there was only one he could be referring to.

A massive open audition was planned to cast the female lead, and the parent company, AJ Media, was financing the project.

“Yes. For that audition — currently, our actress Minyoung is set to participate. But honestly, wouldn’t it be better to talk with AJ Media and cancel the open audition? We could just push Baek Ayeon as the lead instead. If Minyoung doesn’t get picked, we’ll only be handing another agency a big win.”

The CEO, Ohng, seemed to be thinking along the same lines, his expression hardening as he mulled over several possibilities.

“Baek Ayeon does seem eager for that role. But AJ Media insists on holding the open audition. If the drama becomes a hit, they plan to turn the entire casting process into an OTT documentary and sell it.”

“But AJ Media is our parent company. If AJ invests in the drama and the lead role goes to an actress from another agency… wouldn’t that look ridiculous?”

“Idiots. As if they’ll just— wait a minute.”

RRR—

[Baek Ayeon]

As soon as her name flashed on his screen, CEO Ohng gestured to the team leader to hold on.

The team leader nodded and lifted his teacup while Ohng, changing his expression entirely, tapped the answer button.

“Oh, my dear Ayeon.”

— CEO! Why haven’t you answered my calls for two days! Hic…

“Ayeon, are you crying? What’s wrong? What happened?”

— Fire that crazy b**h Yoon Haein from the company. Ugh, hang on.*

“A-Ayeon, there aren’t any Koreans or journalists around you, right? You’re sure?”

The so-called “Goddess of Purity.” The angel-faced Baek Ayeon.

Yes, to her male fans she was known as a wingless angel — but her mouth was anything but angelic. Ohng couldn’t hide his dismay.

If anyone ever caught sight of her like this, it would be a PR disaster impossible to clean up.

“If you’re going to smoke, Ayeon, at least wear a hat.”

— For f**’s sake, who cares? I’m in Paris! Anyway, if you don’t fire Yoon Haein, I’m quitting. And make sure she can’t get a job anywhere else either. You handle it, CEO.*

“Ayeon!”

— Click.

The call ended before he could say another word.

Ohng let out a groan. Knowing Baek Ayeon’s temper, if he didn’t fire Haein, she would really quit.

For f***’s sake, what the hell happened?

He quickly punched a number into the office phone.

— Yes, sir?

“Has Yoon Haein from the management team clocked in today? Didn’t she go to Paris with Baek Ayeon?”

— One moment, please.

The secretary went silent for a few seconds, seemingly checking something. Then, after about ten seconds, her calm voice came back on the line.

— Ms. Yoon Haein returned from Paris to Incheon yesterday and reported to work as usual today.

“That crazy woman came back to Korea and left my actress alone in Paris?”

— Sir?

“Nothing. Send Yoon Haein to my office.”

RRR—

Another call came in. For a second, Ohng thought it might be Baek Ayeon again, but when he glanced at the screen, his brow furrowed.

“Jesus, they won’t stop calling.”

Seeing the caller ID, the team leader’s face tensed. That name…

“Isn’t that the board of directors?”

“Yeah. Guess they found out I’ve been talking to some of the actors. Damn vultures — quick to notice, slow to think. Anyway, I’ll think about your proposal.”

Ohng stared coldly at the phone, which kept buzzing for a long while before finally falling silent.