~~ A Few Days Later… H’Ommage Headquarters~~
Yi-an casually sipped his iced coffee as he played a game on his phone while CEO Lee nervously fidgeted in his seat. Rolling his eyes at his mentor, the idol ignored the jittery man. God, why was that geezer so on edge these days? It was like he was paranoid that someone would come in and attack him. Well, whatever it was, as long as it didn’t affect him, Yi-an didn’t care.
“Yi-an, don’t slouch! What would people think?!”
“... No one’s here except for you and me. What’s wrong with you these days?”
“You should always keep your manners when out in public! You’re a celebrity– anything can happen!”
“...I know.”
“And yet you go around spouting such nonsense! I’m surprised your fans haven’t caught you yet when you always have one-night stands with those idiots from Cheongdam-dong!” CEO Lee huffed while Yi-an flashed him a deathly glare.
“...What I do in my private life has nothing to do with you.”
“This isn’t Canada, Yi-an; it’s Korea! Do you think you’d make it out unscathed if your fans turn their backs on you? Your career, your life will be over in a flash!”
“And I suppose you’re also worried that your cash flow will be gone?” Yi-an retorted dryly, smirking at the enraged look on CEO Lee’s face. Couldn’t he take a joke?
“Just because you’re popular now doesn’t mean you’ll be safe. It doesn’t hurt to be careful!”
“Teacher, I don’t think this is the appropriate place to have this conversation. I need to ‘be careful,’ right?”
“...Smartass.”
Yi-an ignored the snide remark from his mentor as he gazed out at the towering Seoul skyline in the distance. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand CEO Lee’s concerns, but how much more could he hide from the public before he was found out? Even that incident with S&H Group’s heir was something he never anticipated.
As Yi-an became engrossed in his thoughts, a slight knock rapped against the oak doors. Springing to his feet, CEO Lee eagerly smiled when it faltered just slightly. Noticing the subtle change, Yi-an glanced at the businessman entering the room and froze. What the…? What was that man doing here?
“Hello, sorry I’m late. Please, have a seat.”
Joon-woo beamed at the flabbergasted pair as he turned to his assistant to bring in some more refreshments for his guests. The secretary side-glanced the singer before directing his attention to the manila envelope. Setting the documents on the coffee table, Joon-woo sat across from the idol and offered a friendly smile.
“Nice to meet you, ASH. I’m Lim Joon-woo; I work for the executive director of marketing for S&H Group. I believe we briefly met each other at GOLD Entertainment?”
“... H’Ommage is part of S&H Group?”
“Yes! We recently acquired the company about two months ago.”
“I was under the impression that the man I saw last time was the heir, but….”
“Ah, you’re referring to the media coverage. I was just a stand-in for Jake. Unfortunately, he’s reluctant to come forward as the heir and prefers to maintain anonymity.”
Yi-an felt his heart sink. So that man’s name was Jake? But the resemblance to the former trainee had been uncanny, except for the long scar that had run down the heir’s eye. Shit, what had he been hoping for…? Of course, he wasn’t Min. Gritting his teeth, the idol stared at his hands, trying to erase all memories of the heir from his mind. Stop it. Stop thinking about that person. I need to stay away–
“Er, I thought Director Yoon would be attending…?”
Yi-an furrowed his eyebrows as he glared at his mentor. So CEO Lee knew and didn’t tell him anything about this new modeling contract? Then again, why was he even surprised? It wasn’t like his agency told him these things in advance, anyway.
“Unfortunately, Director Yoon had a last-minute conflict in his schedule. He sends his regards to you, though.” Joon-woo replied curtly while flashing a judgmental look at the CEO.
Clamping his mouth shut, CEO Lee clenched his fists tightly. If it wasn’t for the investment he was receiving from Chairman Yoon, he never would have agreed to this modeling gig! It was already bad enough that Min treated him like he was insignificant; now, even that kid’s secretary was looking down on him?!
Ignoring the pouting CEO, Joon-woo smiled at Yi-an. “Anyways, ASH... We’d like you to model for H’Ommage’s new fragrance collection for men. As detailed in the contract, you’ll be signing on to be the new face of our brand for a term of one year, but this is negotiable….”
As much as he tried to focus on the conversation, Yi-an couldn’t help but wonder why, of all people, he had been chosen to model for them. Why was Jake Yoon’s secretary discussing the contract with him? Was “Jake” the one in charge of this ad campaign…? What in the world was that heir scheming?
“...ASH?”
“Why was I chosen? I don’t think I really fit the image of what you’re going for.”
“Aren’t you dubbed the ‘Nation’s First Crush?’ I think that fits nicely with what we’re aiming for in this ad campaign. You’re a role model to many young men in their 20s and 30s.”
“Ha… You flatter me.”
“I’m being sincere. Here, take your time to review the contract and let us know if you’d like to add additional requirements or terms. We’ll accommodate your needs as best we can. You won’t be disappointed–”
“I’ll sign it on one condition.”
Joon-woo and CEO Lee stared at the idol, stunned by his quick agreement. From his question, they had assumed Yi-an would turn down this offer. With an amused smile, Joon-woo nodded, prompting Yi-an to state his demand.
“I never want to meet Director Jake Yoon while I’m contracted to work for this company.”
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