Chapter 94: The Sound of Cracks Forming in a Friendship (1)

Kang Ra-Eun’s schedule was jam-packed yet again from the Waitress?shoots heading toward its final stages. They were about to shoot the scene where the female protagonist Kang Seon-Hye finds out her mother’s identity and confronts her for the first time.

Ra-Eun read her lines with Yeo Song-Won to get in sync with her before the filming started. There was no need to instill emotion into one’s lines during the reading process since it was simply to make sure they were on the same page. But of course, there were actors who read their lines like they were actually in the middle of filming, and Song-Won was one of them.

“So what? Do you resent me for abandoning you three? Say it straight to my face. Say it!”

The gazes of the staff members naturally shifted to the reading area due to Song-Won’s cries that echoed throughout the set. Stimulated by her powerful performance, Ra-Eun also put her all into her acting to not fall behind.

“Do you even have any idea how hard it was for us to live because of you? How hard it was to be treated like outcasts just because we had no mother to raise us?! And you ask me if I resent you? Is that all you have to say for yourself? Why are you asking the obvious?!”

Ra-Eun’s powerful voice did not fall behind Song-Won’s in the slightest. Her hand that was holding the script trembled. One could tell from such expressions that she was bursting with emotions.

“I’ll resent you until the day I die. Mark my words!”

The reading came to an end with Ra-Eun’s hate-filled line. Song-Won was genuinely impressed by Ra-Eun’s acting that improved day after day.

“You’re good, Ra-Eun,” she expressed.

“It’s nothing compared to you, sunbae.”

“No, what you showed me just now was more than enough. I couldn’t find any faults in it. Let’s keep this up for the actual filming.”

“Yes, sunbae.”

Reading lines with Song-Won sitting right across from her was far more exhausting than actually shooting the scene, because Song-Won would tackle her for the smallest mistakes. Ra-Eun managed to safely overcome the imposing trial.

Ji Han-Seok, who had been watching their passionate reading from a distance, commended Ra-Eun.

“It’s tough reading with sunbae, isn’t it?” he asked.

“It’s certainly difficult, but it’s okay since she helps me improve my acting in the process.”

“You’re so optimistic, Ra-Eun. I got super depressed during my first reading with her because she gave me hell.”

This was nothing to Ra-Eun because she had worked with people far worse than Song-Won in the past. She didn’t really want to mention their names, since they were her current targets for revenge.

Her acting skills somewhat helped in her plan to ruin Kim Han-Gyo because she needed to maintain a poker face in front of people that would soon become her allies. Chairman Ji was one of such allies.

“I remember you saying last time that the chairman wanted to have a meal with me. Has he said anything about it after that?” Ra-Eun asked.

“I was planning on letting you know after today’s shoot. He said he’s free to meet you next Friday. Is that fine with you?”

“Yes, of course.”

As long as there was no drama shoot scheduled, Ra-Eun could always make time for Chairman Ji, the most important individual in her plan for revenge. Her meetings with him were always her top priority.

“Then I’ll let him know you’re free as well,” Han-Seok remarked.

“Thank you. You’ll be there as well, right, sunbae?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Han-Seok always tagged along in her meetings with Chairman Ji. If Ra-Eun considered Chairman Ji to be her top priority, then Han-Seok considered Ra-Eun to be his top priority. It was a give-and-take relationship. The gears in Ra-Eun’s head were already turning to plan out what to do to get what she wanted from the meeting.

***

Ra-Eun headed to Do-Dam Group as soon as she finished getting ready. Although she had taken a short break at home, she had realized yet again that driving to a dinner meeting almost right after a morning shoot was very tiring.

‘Maybe I should hire a chauffeur.’

She had Shin Yu-Bin to drive her for anything related to the TV industry, but she had to drive herself for anything else. Not only was it annoying, but she had a considerable amount of matters to handle. Hence, it did not seem like a bad idea to have someone handle the driving for her.

‘I’ll have to consult Director Do.’

If she had a chauffeur, then she could have them meet Reporter Ahn Su-Jin in her place. She could think of many other uses for one.

Ra-Eun headed to Chairman Ji’s office as soon as she arrived at Do-Dam Group. She got on the elevator that went straight up to the top floor. Chairman Ji’s secretary bowed to her as soon as the elevator doors opened, as if he had been waiting for her.

.

“Welcome. The chairman is waiting for you.”

Ra-Eun was guided by the secretary to Chairman Ji’s office. She used to find it extremely difficult to walk in heels, but she had become able to walk naturally even while wearing high heels. This was the effect of dramas; she had filmed so many scenes in heels that she had gotten accustomed to them.

‘I’ve seriously become a full-fledged woman, for God’s sake.’

As she laughed self-deprecatingly in her head, Chairman Ji greeted her.

“Welcome, Ra-Eun. You’re getting more beautiful by the day!”

“Thank you very much, Chairman.”

Ra-Eun had dressed up fairly well for her meeting with a VIP. She would have come in a shirt and jeans if this was a normal meeting, but she did not want to show Chairman Ji her casual side.

“Where is Han-Seok sunbae?” Ra-Eun asked.

“He’ll be here soon. His movie shoot ended a little late, apparently.”

Aside from the drama Waitress, Han-Seok was also starring in a comedy film Double Standards at the same time. His active involvement in the entertainment industry was raising public awareness of him as much as Ra-Eun by the day.

“He could’ve just come straight after his shoot, but he went home first apparently because he couldn’t afford to look bad when he’d be having a meal with you.”

Han-Seok’s romantic feelings toward Ra-Eun were still going strong. Ra-Eun was already well aware of his feelings for her; even the densest person in the world would notice when he was so blatant about it. However, she was not yet mentally ready to accept a man’s feelings.

‘I likely never will be.’

She still could not imagine herself dating a man. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Han-Seok arrived shortly after she was chatting with Chairman Ji.

“I’m sorry I’m late!”

He had come wearing a very stylish formal suit. As expected of a celebrity, it fitted him very nicely.

As Han-Seok was pondering over whether to sit next to Ra-Eun or Chairman Ji, Ra-Eun said while pointing to the seat next to her.

“Sit here, sunbae.”

“Should I?”

Chairman Ji looked at the two satisfyingly as Han-Seok naturally took the seat next to Ra-Eun.

“You suit each other very well. It’s as if I’m looking at myself and my wife back in my youth. My wife was as beautiful as you back when she was your age, Ra-Eun.”

Han-Seok’s face reddened. On the other hand, Ra-Eun simply covered her mouth and lightly laughed without saying a word. She had been interested in something else entirely.

“Chairman. I remember you saying that you’d like to invite me to the gathering where famous people of the financial world met up. May I ask what happened to that?”

“Oh, the thing is...”

Chairman Ji expressed reluctance. Something likely happened.

“I actually haven’t been attending those gatherings much lately.”

“Oh, why is that?” Ra-Eun asked.

“It’s just that I have a friend who I’d gotten along with ever since my school days, but we had a slight dispute recently. I might ruin the mood if I go, so I’ve been stopping myself from going.”

Ra-Eun knew exactly who his school friend was.

‘It’s probably Kim Han-Gyo.’

It was obvious, but Ra-Eun pretended not to know.

“I hope you work things out with them soon,” she expressed. She didn't mean it in the slightest.

Chairman Ji said awkwardly as Ra-Eun consoled him, “This isn’t our first time disputing like this over a difference in opinions. We fought and immediately made up, but... I think it’ll take quite a while this time.”

The signs of cracks in their friendship might have started to show themselves from this moment, or the time might have been moved up because Ra-Eun got in Kim Han-Gyo and Kim Chi-Yeol’s way whenever they had tried to do something. Whichever the case, it did not change the fact that it was good news for her.

‘All I have to do now is to slowly bring him over to my side.’

She felt like she would be fairly busy for a while.

***

She received a call from Do Hye-Yeong a few days later.

- I’ve sent someone your way just now, Chairwoman.

“Who?”

- You said you needed a chauffeur, so I selected someone after careful consideration.

Hye-Yeong was very quick to handle things. The only qualities that Ra-Eun wanted in a chauffeur were good driving skills and ability to keep secrets. The second quality was the most important, because it must never be revealed that she had Ma Yeong-Jun and his men under her wing and that she was having Reporter Ahn Su-Jin leak information in her stead.

There happened to be someone perfect for the job, and he had just arrived in front of her house. He introduced himself to Ra-Eun with a ninety-degree bow.

“My name is Lim Seok-Jun. I will be in your care from now on, Chairwoman!”

“You look very familiar. Oh, aren’t you one of Mr. Gangster’s men?”

“Yes, that’s correct. I’m honored that you remember me!”

There were a few smart individuals among Yeong-Jun’s men, and Seok-Jun was one of them.

‘I guess it’s much better to use someone internal than hiring an outsider.’

Ra-Eun had realized why Hye-Yeong was able to find someone so quickly. Since he had come all this way to greet her, she decided to assign him his first duty.

“I was just about to head out. Can you give me a ride?”

“Where would you like to go?”

Ra-Eun answered simply, “The fitness center.”

She felt like warming up after a long while.