Chapter 36
Han Jun-woo.
He debuted as an idol over ten years ago, became famous for his strikingly pretty face, and after starring in a hit drama two years ago, he skyrocketed to the ranks of top stars overnight.
Men and women of all ages couldn’t help but admire him at first sight — handsome, well-mannered, and the subject of countless online stories about his good deeds.
In any case—
We were practically buzzing with excitement to see Han Jun-woo, the hottest actor in Korea right now, standing right before our eyes.
“Funny how I never manage to see you when I try so hard, but then you just show up here.”
Her genuine feelings, barely hidden, were clasped between her hands before her chest — visible even to Yoon-jae.
“……”
Watching us get all excited for a completely different reason, he finally muttered:
“Didn’t know you were into celebrities.”
His tone was oddly lower than usual.
She didn’t notice that slight shift and, still fixated on the actor filming nearby, replied casually:
“Oh, didn’t I tell you? I like everything pretty.”
“…You?”
“Yeah. There’s seriously no face as aesthetically perfect as his. The fact that the public chose him means a lot, you know?”
“Perfect, huh.”
“Look. That’s all natural — perfect symmetry, balance that just pleases the eye.”
Her steady stream of compliments didn’t sound exaggerated at all.
Yoon-jae tilted his head slightly, calling out with a faint edge:
“Joo Ae-jung.”
“Yeah? Wow, he’s taller than I thought. His proportions are unreal.”
Ignoring him, she kept gushing to herself. Yoon-jae took a step forward—
“Huh?”
That one step was enough to block our view entirely. Looking down at her, he said quietly:
“You’re a secretary, aren’t you.”
“…Excuse me?”
“What you should be paying attention to isn’t that.”
“Ah.”
Finally snapping out of it, we both looked away from “that” and gave awkward smiles.
“He’s just an actor I’ve liked for a while, I got carried away. Sorry.”
Liked him for a while?
Yoon-jae’s frown deepened slightly.
He’d never seen her this passionate about anything before — and for some reason, that irritated him more than it should have.
‘Still, what a shame.’
Of course, her “interest” wasn’t what he thought.
Years ago, when the company was still pushing its PR efforts, she had wanted to work with Han Jun-woo — back when he wasn’t quite this famous.
But her foolish, idiotic half-brother had stubbornly opposed it, and she’d had to give up. Within a year, Jun-woo’s career exploded.
‘It still stings thinking about that. Who would’ve guessed I’d see him this close?’
Carrying that little secret, she shrugged lightly.
“But it’s weird— no one stopped us from coming in.”
“The car’s registered.”
“Oh… really?”
We both nodded casually.
‘If his car’s registered, that means Ha Eun-se isn’t interfering at all… Yoon-jae must be keeping a close eye himself.’
[Poor Executive Director Ha Yoon-jae. Always stuck cleaning up other people’s messes.]
That was what the gossiping wives at the department store had said, chattering endlessly while we were there to meet Hye-won and Eun-se.
She’d heard it from their own mouths before, but seeing it play out before her eyes made her feel oddly uncomfortable.
‘No, that’s ridiculous. Why should I be uncomfortable?’
Before she could sort out the mess in her head, a loud voice rang out:
“Executive Director!”
A man near the center of the set, who had been wearing a hat, quickly ran toward them.
Stopping just before Yoon-jae and bowing deeply, he apologized breathlessly:
“I’m sorry, sir. I couldn’t greet you sooner — we were in the middle of shooting.”
“It’s fine. Please continue as you need.”
“Thank you for understanding. We’re almost done, but— oh, and this is…?”
The man, clearly someone in charge, gestured vaguely before noticing us standing beside Yoon-jae.
Sensing his curiosity, she quickly introduced herself:
“I’m his secretary.”
Yoon-jae didn’t deny it, which immediately earned her credibility.
“Ah, I see. Executive Director Ha usually comes alone, so I was surprised. Oh— Jun-woo! Come here for a second!”
And just like that, a wave of chaos followed.
At the director’s call, a fair-skinned man — bright as sunlight — descended from the set toward us.
At the unexpected invitation, Yoon-jae glanced sideways at us.
“……”
Her eyes were already sparkling behind her glasses, bright and alive.
And her hands — once clasped politely — were now entwined together at her chest again.
If jealousy made a sound, it would have creaked right then.
The director introduced the actor with enthusiasm:
“Executive Director, this is our main model for the shoot, Han Jun-woo. Jun-woo, this is Ha Yoon-jae from Yeongdo Group.”
Despite the sudden introduction, Jun-woo — clearly used to situations like this — bowed politely.
“It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Han Jun-woo.”
That gentle, sincere smile — whether acting or not — was flawless.
Yoon-jae extended his hand without betraying a hint of emotion.
“Ha Yoon-jae. I look forward to your good work.”
Few people could mask their thoughts as well as he could.
The set briefly fell silent, drawn to the sight of the two men — both striking in completely different ways.
If Jun-woo was like a blooming flower in full sunlight, Yoon-jae was an orchid at dawn — cool and refined.
Between the two radiating presences, we stood there, eyes sparkling, fixated on Jun-woo.
“As I mentioned before, he’s exceptionally talented. Fits the concept perfectly. He even worked on the storyboard himself before the shoot — his passion and skill are top-notch.”
“Our planning department is expecting great results.”
“I’ll do my best. Thank you.”
After a brief but professional exchange, the director gestured toward the office.
“You must be busy — shall we head to the office now? Jun-woo, take a short break before the next scene.”
“Yes, sir. Then, if you’ll excuse me.”
The actor bowed deeply, maintaining perfect composure to the end.
Yoon-jae, holding back the faint irritation simmering inside, spoke up before turning away:
“If it’s all right… could we trouble you for an autograph?”
Even he wasn’t sure why he was saying this.
“My secretary happens to be a big fan of yours.”
“Ah— of course!”
Jun-woo nodded eagerly.
The director looked surprised — clearly not expecting Yoon-jae to make such a request — but Yoon-jae merely motioned toward us.
Only then did she timidly speak up:
“Um… could we maybe take a photo too? Instead of just an autograph?”
She really shouldn’t have.
Another deep line formed between Yoon-jae’s brows.
So she liked photos, huh? And now she wanted evidence of meeting him too.
Suppressing the unexplainable irritation twisting inside, he stood back as the three of us began chatting amiably.
“Of course! Should I take it, or would you like someone to—?”
“Anything’s fine, as long as you look good!”
“Then please hand me your phone — I’ll take it for you.”
Leaving Yoon-jae aside, the three of us quickly organized ourselves, smiling and chatting as if we’d known each other for ages.
Standing beside Jun-woo, she spoke shyly.
“Okay, ready? One, two—”
Yoon-jae could feel his stomach churn.
Heat rose from somewhere deep inside him, for no logical reason at all.
“Thank you so much.”
“No problem at all.”
After a quick handshake, she beamed — bright and cheerful as ever.
The director, pleased with himself, smiled too.
“Please wait a moment — we’ll be ready soon.”
“Take your time.”
Yoon-jae nodded calmly as the director and Jun-woo walked away. Then, he turned toward her.
“Wow… amazing.”
“……”
She was already checking the photo.
When she zoomed in on Jun-woo’s face, a vein popped at Yoon-jae’s temple.
His voice came out cold:
“Is that really your type?”
“Huh? What?”
Still staring at the screen, she blinked up at him. He tilted his head slightly, gesturing with his chin.
The gesture pointed at the screen — at Jun-woo’s perfectly handsome face.
Realizing what he meant, she gasped softly.
“No! Of course not!”
The firmness of her denial caught him off guard.
“Not your type?”
“Nope.”
“You don’t have to hide it.”
“Hide what? Oh— because I said I like pretty things? I like pretty, sure, but that’s not the same as having a crush. Look at this, though.”
Without missing a beat, she shoved the phone toward him.
“See how sharp his eyes are in person? I was curious how that’d come out on camera — and he knows exactly how to adjust his angles. He’s good. Knows how to control his image. You said this was for a poster shoot, right? This one’s going to get rave reviews. I guarantee it.”
Even Yoon-jae hadn’t expected such a detailed, professional analysis.
And she was right — in the photo, Jun-woo exuded a slightly different charm than in person.
Yoon-jae slowly relaxed the tension in his brow.
“So… you took the photo to check that?”
“Of course. We came here to help you, didn’t we? Why else would I take it?”
“……”
“I am your secretary, remember?”
Her words — plain, matter-of-fact — landed squarely in his chest.
In that moment, he realized: all her shining eyes, her attention, her excitement — it was all for him, for his work.
And that realization hit him hard.
“What? Why are you smiling like that? Are you… mocking me?”
No.
Right then, Ha Yoon-jae realized—
He wanted to pull her into his arms.
