NB | Chapter 12

With just a glance, he could tell why Woohyun was wondering why he was there.

“I tried to wait patiently… but I was just too curious about how things went with the producer who gave you his card last time.”

Kim Sungmoon emphasized the word “too” and even frowned, asserting the legitimacy of his appearance. Then he shrugged and glanced around. It was as if he was asking if it didn’t seem like he meant any harm since he came alone.

Of all days, he showed up on the day I signed the contract. His timing was sharp. What a beastly guy…

Woohyun straightened up, trying to suppress his instinct to shrink back like an animal, and firmly closed his lips that had started to curl up. Today wasn’t a day to repay money, and with the contract money from Newon, there wouldn’t be any major repayment issues for a while.

However, he was reluctant to announce that he was seriously preparing to become an actor. This guy always teased him about his looks, and he would surely act like he had given some great advice.

The truth was, Woohyun’s decision to try acting was driven by a rather materialistic desire to earn a lot of money, which made him grit his teeth even more.

“What happened? Haven’t you called yet? Want me to do it for you?”

As Kim Sungmoon tried to get closer, Woohyun instinctively took a step back. Seeing the distance increase, Sungmoon smirked. His face, as he licked the inside of his cheek, was full of mischief, but he didn’t raise his hand. Unless he needed a punching bag that cost 10,000 won per hit, he usually preferred to resolve things with words rather than threats.

“It went well.”

Woohyun answered briefly.

The man paused, trying to gauge the meaning behind the vague answer. He couldn’t know exactly what Woohyun was referring to, but knowing Woohyun’s personality, he would probably give another vague answer if asked, which would only frustrate him.

He knew well how cunning this alpha could be. Once, he had been so annoyed by Woohyun’s glare that he hit him a few times. Woohyun didn’t resist and took the hits, then reported him to the police.

Since the report was filed, he had to be investigated, but due to the debt relationship between them, he was let off with just a warning. Woohyun didn’t seem surprised, as if he had anticipated it all.

It was only after this happened several times that Sungmoon realized Woohyun’s goal was to make things troublesome for him. The accumulated reports indeed caused various inconveniences.

So, Sungmoon decided to be satisfied with the positive answer he received. Of course, he didn’t plan to back off quietly.

“Well, that’s good. If it wasn’t for this opportunity, I was thinking of making you disabled to claim insurance money.”

Woohyun’s face twisted at the man’s added comment. Although he was repaying the debt on time, it was clearly just a threatening remark, but it wasn’t entirely without intent. There might actually be people who paid off debts using such methods.

Sungmoon rummaged through his pants pocket and pulled out a cigarette pack. Only then did he remember that the butt Woohyun had stomped out with his sneaker earlier was his last one. He smacked his lips and asked.

“Still no contact from your brother?”

“Why do you keep asking about someone else’s brother?”

“Not answering my question and talking back…”

“It’s weird. I’m paying off both the interest and principal well on my own, so why do you keep asking unnecessary things?”

“You’re asking me to only care about you in such a shitty way.”

Woohyun glared at him with an expression that was not just annoyed but filled with disgust. Yet, Sungmoon just smiled slyly.

What the hell, damn it. So unsettling… Woohyun swallowed the anxiety stuck in his throat and walked past the man with long strides.

“Please just go back. It’s clearly illegal to come like this when it’s not even a repayment day.”

“What? Are you going to call the police again?”

When Sungmoon mocked him with a fake voice, Woohyun looked back at him with a calm face. He took out his phone, implying he wouldn’t hesitate to do it, and Sungmoon kicked a stone at his feet violently.

“Fine, damn it. I’m leaving.”

It was unsettling how he turned his back so easily, but it was hard to figure out why. Woohyun raised his middle finger at the back of his head as he walked away.

***

Arriving at the Newon building, Woohyun walked down the hallway lined with training rooms. Through the windows on the doors, he could glimpse inside.

Some classrooms were already in session, and there were soundproof rooms for vocal practice. The place labeled as a small theater seemed to be a space for performing plays. Woohyun, with a tense face, adjusted his backpack and walked past it.

The second camera test was scheduled for a week later. They said they would watch serious acting then.

Thanks to receiving the script in advance, he memorized the lines over the past week, but having only lied as his acting experience, his understanding of acting was low.

Practicing at home by reciting lines in front of a mirror, Woohyun was disheartened by his own terrible skills, even to his untrained eyes.

But there was no time to be discouraged. He was taking training to improve, and if he couldn’t develop further after all this, it would just be a waste of time and money.

Although he had signed an exclusive contract with Newon, nothing was confirmed about the drama filming yet. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Director Lee Byungho, but verbal promises and written contracts have different effects.

Currently, as Director Kang said, he was just a novice with no experience other than being a passerby. So, he had to show noticeable growth in a week. If he couldn’t become the ‘usable state’ that man mentioned and ended up embarrassing himself…

Given his calculating nature, it would surely become exponentially harder to seize the next opportunity. Whether he could satisfy Director Kang Jiwon’s high standards was entirely up to him. He realized once again the weight of responsibility and what path he had chosen.

Woohyun ran a dry hand down his face and stopped in front of his destination. Anyway, now that he was here, the important thing was to quickly get used to this work.

Thinking he’d be the first to arrive, Woohyun opened the door wide and found someone already seated. The man, fiddling with his phone in the front row, seemed startled by Woohyun’s sudden appearance.

Being here meant he was a fellow aspirant in the same class, right? Woohyun, simply guessing the man’s identity, greeted him first.

“Hello.”

The man, who had been staring intently without any clear reaction since their eyes met, finally smiled.

“Hello. Is it your first class today?”

“Yes.”

Woohyun nodded and answered briefly. If he were more sociable, he might have added that he had just signed an exclusive contract with the company yesterday, but he wasn’t the type to start talking about himself.

Not being good at small talk, he found himself with nothing to say after the greeting. The other person would likely feel the awkward atmosphere too, so he decided to sit at a reasonable distance.

The interior resembled a university lecture hall. Although he had never set foot in a university, he had seen them in dramas or as backgrounds in media while riding the subway today.

It was large enough to accommodate 18 people, with desks arranged in two rows of three seats each, but only he and the other man were there. Woohyun, after some thought, sat at a desk with an aisle between them.

“What’s your name?”

The man leaned forward and asked. He had put down his phone, which he had been fiddling with, and seemed to be waiting for Woohyun’s answer.

“Seo Woohyun.”

“Ah, Woohyun.”

His slightly flushed lips murmured his name. He had a small build and a cute impression, but he didn’t look entirely gentle. As he leaned closer, a pleasant scent wafted over, hinting at his nature. Woohyun’s brow furrowed slightly but quickly returned to normal.

It’s been a while since I’ve met someone who openly shows their omega nature at first meeting. In his experience, people with such traits, whether alpha or omega, tended to have strong personalities. It rarely came across as likable, though…

“I haven’t seen you before. Have you been here long?”

The man seemed genuinely interested in him. Leaning his upper body towards Woohyun, his eyes looked innocently up at him. Woohyun, his guard slightly lowered, nodded habitually. After a brief hesitation, he added.

“I just joined yesterday.”

“Yesterday?”

The man rolled his large eyes, seemingly thinking about something. After a moment of silence, he muttered to himself, “Ah, the new recruit Kim Team Leader mentioned.” Then his lips curved into a smile.

“Let’s get along well from now on.”

Woohyun, nodding agreeably, suddenly realized he didn’t know the man’s name and asked back.

“But how should I address you?”

At that, a strange crack appeared on the smiling man’s face.

“…You don’t know who I am?”

The man’s voice trembled as if he were utterly shocked.