Chapter 20: SUB Entertainment
by Gideon“No, I don’t have any plans…”
If I had to see him a set number of times, I wanted to at least shorten the intervals between meetings to maintain my composure.
“I found a really great bar and want to take you there.”
But it was useless.
“A bar?”
“I don’t drink much, but the bartender there is amazing, so I go sometimes.”
If someone who doesn’t even like alcohol says it’s good, just how delicious is it?
My curiosity was piqued. Or maybe I just want to ask him a bunch of things while I’m tipsy, since we have to deal with the contract renewal.
Besides, if the pheromones were the issue, I could just add a chip before the meeting and quit smoking.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Seeing Zion’s joyful smile, I was glad I hadn’t refused. After we finished our meal and headed out, a few fans recognized us. We stopped to sign autographs instead of taking photos before quickly leaving the restaurant to avoid a crowd.
“Are you heading straight home?”
“What about you? Don’t you have another schedule?”
“It’s a secret.”
He tossed the words out playfully, a smirk on his face.
“So suddenly?”
“You’re going to worry, aren’t you?”
“Of course. I know how busy you are.”
He lightly changed the subject, pretending not to hear Jubin’s words.
“Should I drop you off in front of the park where we kissed?”
Why did he have to specify ‘where we kissed’? I realized it was time to put an end to playing along with his whims.
“…No, just let me out at any bus stop on the way.”
This is the perfect time to put an end to this, I thought, swallowing hard before calling his name.
“Do Zion.”
At that exact moment, Zion’s phone rang. It was connected to the car via Bluetooth, and the caller’s name flashed on the screen.
Ghost
Talk about a terrifying contact name.
My eyes met Zion’s. We both just stared at each other, gauging the other’s reaction.
“I’ll put in my earbuds,” Jubin offered, stepping in first.
“It’s a call you can hear,” Zion said, connecting the call as if it were no big deal. “Yes, CEO.”
—Do Ji, did you meet CEO Moon Woo-jin?
The voice belonged to CEO Park Ji-bun of SUB Entertainment. His deep, resonant voice had once dominated the entertainment industry in the Republic of Korea—it was unmistakable.
“We met.”
Zion’s tone was so casual, so unbothered, that CEO Park Ji-bun let out an audible, exasperated sigh.
—What the hell is wrong with you?
“I’m on a date right now, so I’m hanging up.”
—A-A date?
So much for not being able to lie, Jubin thought. He’s doing just fine. When did we ever start dating?
Is he trying to give CEO Park a heart attack?
Cha Jubin sighed softly and turned his gaze to the window.
The weather outside looked sweltering. Inside the car, however, the atmosphere was so frigid it felt like walking on thin ice. He wanted to bolt.
—With who?
“That’s private. I’m not answering.”
—Hey, Do Ji—!
Zion ended the call without hesitation. He then yanked the steering wheel to the left, pulling over to the curb in front of the park near Jubin’s house.
“See you again, sunbae.”
It still bothered Jubin that he hadn’t properly ended things with Zion, but he couldn’t stay parked here any longer. He needed to get out. I’ll put things right next time. There will be another chance.
“Yeah, thanks for today.”
“Ah, wait a second.”
Zion’s hand shot out, grabbing Jubin’s shoulder just as he was about to step out of the car. Jubin squeezed his eyes shut, certain that a kiss was coming.
When nothing happened, he peeked through one eye, only to find Zion staring at him. Zion burst out laughing.
“Sunbae, are you seriously this cute? Should I give you a goodbye kiss?”
How embarrassing. Jubin could feel the heat rushing to his face, his ears turning crimson. The only way to hide this mortification was to get out of the car as quickly as possible.
“I’m going.”
As Jubin turned to get out of the car, Zion’s hand gently caught his wrist.
“Wait. I have something for you.”
He pulled two bandages from the car’s center console and unwrapped one.
“You know your finger is bleeding, right?”
“Bleeding? Where?”
Jubin hadn’t felt any pain, so he turned his hand over, examining it.
“Not there.”
Zion’s large hand gently gripped Jubin’s wrist, turning it so the injury was clearly visible.
“Here.”
“Oh, when did this happen?”
Jubin couldn’t remember. It wasn’t a major wound, but it was surprisingly large for him to have missed.
“Apply some ointment when you get home, then take the bandage off so it can breathe.”
Zion carefully wrapped the bandage around the cut.
“Yeah, thanks.”
He pressed the last remaining bandage into Jubin’s palm.
“Take this one with you.”
Jubin, mindful of the cars waiting behind them, hurriedly got out. The man rolled down the passenger-side window.
“Call me when you get home.”
“Uh-huh, will do~”
Jubin waved his hand—the one still holding the bandage—as if to tell him to hurry and go.
As he watched the car pull away, Jubin let out a heavy sigh. Things had moved too fast.
Whenever I get close to someone this quickly, it always ends badly.
He’d get swept up in the moment, lose his footing, and by the time the project was over, they wouldn’t even be comfortable friends—they’d be enemies. Or at best, just barely not enemies.
And more than anything, this fluttering in his chest… he knew he couldn’t let it linger.
“…Is this really okay?”
Asking myself the question made me want to take a step back. It’s not like I’m just blindly running away, so it should be fine, right? My worry was short-lived.
“What if it’s not fine?”
I decided to keep things simple for now. Yeah, having an amazing junior like him would be great.
I just happened to kiss that amazing junior. I decided to act bold.
Besides, adding a chip will solve everything anyway.
As I slid my hand into my pocket, I felt the pack of cigarettes Zion had bought me. The sticker he’d placed on it—so cute it was almost ridiculous—asserted its presence once more.
“Ah…”
A sigh escaped my lips. I stared at the empty cigarette pack in my hand for a long time.
Normally, I would have tossed it in the trash without a second thought…
In the end, I crumpled it up and stuffed it back into my pocket.
A luxury foreign car followed the guide lines into the SUB Entertainment parking lot. After pulling into a spot, the engine cut off smoothly.
The driver stepped out, his footsteps echoing sharply across the vast, empty lot.
He entered the employee-only elevator. When it reached the top floor, a secretary was already waiting at the end of the long hallway.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Do Zion.”
“Is the CEO in?”
“Yes, but he’s in a foul mood after the phone call he just had.”
The secretary lowered her voice, offering the warning as a subtle hint. Zion merely offered a polite smile, as if it didn’t matter, and opened the door to the CEO’s office without knocking.
CEO Park Ji-bun, who had been looking up with a guarded expression, wondering who would dare barge in without knocking, let out a short, dry laugh.
“Finished with your date already?”
Zion settled onto the luxurious sofa with a practiced ease and smiled.
CEO Park Ji-bun set down the pen he’d been holding, stood up, and sank into the sofa’s most prominent seat.
“What the hell are you thinking? You’re really not going to renew with me?”
“You’re not the only CEO in town, sir.”
“CEO Moon didn’t go to see you—you went to see him. Does that even make sense?”
Park Ji-bun’s voice, sharp and accusatory, sounded desperate and anxious to anyone who heard it. In contrast, Zion’s expression remained perfectly calm.
“MOON Entertainment can’t possibly pay the signing bonus you’re demanding. I’m the only one who can meet that amount.”
Zion knew that too. He knew SUB Entertainment was the only company in the Republic of Korea that could afford his market value.
With its IPO looming, SUB Entertainment would see everything go down the drain if they failed to renew Zion’s contract.
CEO Park Ji-bun was clearly the one with more to lose, but Zion would suffer a massive financial blow if he signed with another agency.
“I can just slash the signing bonus to lower the price,” Zion said.
CEO Park’s expression instantly turned murderous. “Hey! That’s a violation of industry ethics!”
It was also a matter of respect.
CEO Park had already offered Zion a signing bonus dozens of times higher than what he’d received after winning at the Dunamis Film Festival. It was an astronomical sum that other agencies couldn’t even dream of, even if they liquidated everything they owned and took out loans.
He’d even told Zion he could set the contract term to whatever he wanted. CEO Park rubbed his face with his hand, trying to control his temper, unable to understand why Zion was being so difficult.
“Is this because I’m making you do a romance?”
Zion chose silence over an answer.
CEO Park Ji-bun took a deep breath, seemingly resolving to persuade him slowly. He cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice steady.
“Do Zion. Romance is the gold standard for an actor. How long do you think you can keep doing action movies?”
“Until I die.”
CEO Park closed his eyes, suppressing his anger once more.
“I debuted in action too, and I rode that wave perfectly. But these days, if you can’t pull off a romance, a visual like yours won’t survive long in this industry.”
CEO Park had a point. In Hollywood, action stars often secured their careers by turning their films into franchises.
But Zion’s situation was different.
Everyone wanted to see him in a romance.
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