Raven Park sat sprawled in the leather chair opposite Chief Kim's desk, one leg slung over the other, his arms folded like he owned the entire building. He tapped his fingers lazily against the armrest, as if the office was his personal lounge.
After Lim Mi Rae left that day, Raven somehow believed she wouldn't really blabber her mouth about his disorder but then for some reason, his eyes kept flickering to that last moment with her.
Lim Mi Rae wasn't even relevant. So Raven decided to shake her off his mind. Although he really didn't think about her, her puffy face had flickered in his mind more than once this week.
Chief Kim, on the other hand, looked as if the heaviness of three companies was pressing down on his shoulders. His glasses had slid halfway down his nose, and the way he flipped through the thick folder on his desk was more out of habit than focus. Raven smirked.
"Your schedule for today," Chief Kim began, his voice tired, "is packed. Two rehearsals, a costume fitting, and the script reading for next month's drama."
Raven raised a brow. "Sounds like a circus."
"It is a circus, thanks to you," Kim muttered under his breath, then quickly cleared his throat. "At least one thing is going right. Han Jehoon has finally agreed on a manager. That saves me half the headache."
Raven leaned forward at that name, but his face betrayed nothing. He had almost forgotten about Jehoon, CEO Han's son, Vega Entertainment's golden boy. Almost. "Good for him," Raven said casually, "though I pity whoever has to babysit him."
Kim glanced up, clearly uncomfortable. He knew Raven was one of the few who understood who Jehoon really was… heir to Vega, hidden in plain sight.
But Raven had a way of speaking about him with that biting indifference that made Kim's skin crawl.
"The applicants' list is here," Chief Kim said, pushing a folder toward Raven. "Not that it concerns you, but if anything happens to Jehoon, it falls back on the company. And that falls back on me. So I'm relieved he won't be hanging around without proper management anymore."
Raven gave a mocking little clap. "Bravo, Chief. Less stress wrinkles for you."
"Don't be sarcastic," Kim snapped, then sighed, rubbing his temples. "You may be Vega's favorite troublemaker, Park, but don't forget, you're still under contract. Which means my problem is also your problem."
Raven scoffed, leaning back again. "You make it sound like I care."
For a moment, silence filled the room, broken only by the faint ticking of the wall clock. Raven's eyes drifted lazily to the folder Kim had pushed across the table. He wasn't even interested, but his hand moved anyway, flipping it open with a kind of bored amusement.
A list of random and meaningless names stared back at him until one leapt off the page.
Lim Mi Rae.
The name felt like a match dropped on cold skin. Raven blinked once, then twice, the smirk slowly faltering at the edges.
Kim didn't notice. He was still muttering about meetings and schedules. "They'll be sorting out her contract soon. Seems CEO Han himself pushed the matter. Honestly, if she lasts even a month, I'll be shocked…"
Raven shut the folder with a snap. Chief Kim finally looked up.
"Problem?"
Raven's eyes narrowed, his voice smooth but clipped. "Nothing." He forced a small smile. "Just amusing to see the kind of people this company hires."
But inside, a ripple disturbed the calm surface he'd built over the past week. He had told himself he'd forgotten the girl, the crying reporter in the rain, her stuttering apologies before she ran off. Meaningless.
A brief nuisance in his otherwise sharp, controlled world.
Yet here she was again. On paper. In Vega.
Chief Kim raised a brow. "Don't cause trouble, Park. Han Jehoon is not someone you can—"
"Spare me the lecture, Chief," Raven cut him off, rising from the chair with lazy grace. He adjusted his cuffs, his lips curling in that infuriating half-smile. "Your blood pressure is high enough already."
"Raven—"
But Raven was already at the door, his tone light but edged with something Kim couldn't place.
"Relax, Chief. Like you said… it's not my concern."
"Raven."
He stopped mid-step when Chief Kim's voice called him back, exasperation layered with command. Raven turned just enough to look over his shoulder.
"What now, Chief?"
Kim pinched the bridge of his nose. "Don't pretend you've forgotten. Your schedule today isn't over. It's already been rearranged once for you. You're expected to drop by the studio floor before you leave."
Raven's lips twitched into the faintest smirk. "Studio, office, interviews… you really like seeing my face everywhere, don't you?"
"Just go," Kim snapped, waving him off.
With a lazy shrug, Raven resumed his walk through Vega's halls. The building was alive with staff rushing between rooms, assistants whispering into phones, screens flashing with schedules and lineups. And wherever Raven passed, heads turned.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Park!" an intern bowed nervously.
"Raven Park!" A cluster of female writers from the PR department squealed when they spotted him, clutching at one another like schoolgirls. "You're even more handsome in person… ahh!"
Raven's demeanor shifted instantly, like flipping a switch. His smile blossomed, radiant and warm, his eyes crinkling at the corners in that way that melted cameras and fans alike.
"Thank you," he said smoothly, dipping his head just enough to be polite but not humble. "You're all working hard, I see. Please take care of yourselves."
The women practically melted, their laughter echoing down the corridor.
Behind the mask, Raven's thoughts were elsewhere. The smile didn't reach his eyes, but no one noticed. They never did. He was Raven Park… their actor, their idol, their fantasy. His charm was a weapon polished to perfection.
He reached the glass doors leading outside, staff still parting like a tide wherever he walked. But just before pushing through, something tugged at him. His gaze flicked toward a side corridor at the corner of the building, half-hidden and quieter than the rest.
For reasons he couldn't name, or refused to admit, he turned.
His steps carried him away from the main exit, toward the side hall. His charm-mask still lingered faintly on his lips, but it was softer now, more calculated.
At the end of the corridor was a door. He rested his hand on the handle. Raven pushed the door open with that smile still plastered on his lips, though the shine in his eyes had dulled the moment he stepped inside.
Sitting casually on the leather couch was Han Jehoon, twenty-three years old, the rising star who'd managed to steal half the spotlight Raven once dominated alone.
A model-turned-actor, Jehoon had recently finished a drama that exploded in popularity, catapulting him into the ranks of household names. His youthful charm, earnest interviews, and gentle manners had won the public over. Too sweet for Raven's taste, too perfect.
The air between them dropped several degrees the instant Raven's feet touched the room.
"Ah… Han Jehoon." Raven's tone carried a hint of sarcasm.
"Raven-hyung," Jehoon replied politely, bowing slightly.
(Hyung: Korean term used by a younger male to address an older male, showing respect.)
Raven arched a brow, that lazy smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Still playing the good boy, I see."
Jehoon's jaw ticked, but he didn't rise to the bait. He adjusted his jacket, his movements deliberate and careful. Everything about him screamed composure. They didn't like each other, but Jehoon was too well-mannered to bare his fangs first.
Raven lounged against the desk, his voice dripping with indifference. "So, your big news. You've finally got yourself a manager, hm?" He said it as though the words bored him, as though he couldn't care less if Jehoon had one or not.
Jehoon looked up, his gaze meaningful, almost amused. "When did you ever care about anything concerning me?"
Raven scoffed, pretending it hadn't struck a nerve. "Point taken."
But before they could get on each other's nerves further, Jehoon's phone buzzed on the table. He glanced at the screen, and instantly, his whole demeanor shifted. His face lit up, an unguarded smile breaking free.
He answered swiftly. "Mi Rae-ssi?"
(-ssi: a polite suffix in Korean used after a person's name, similar to 'Mr.' or 'Ms.')
His tone softened, warm in a way Raven had never heard directed at anyone in the industry. "Oh, you're there already? I'm on my way."
Without another word, Jehoon grabbed his jacket and all but rushed out, grinning like a fool as though the world outside had suddenly turned brighter.
Raven didn't move. His hand hung in mid-air as if he'd forgotten what he was doing. His smile was gone, erased so cleanly it was unsettling.
For a moment, he just stared at the door Jehoon had rushed through, his chest rising too slow, like he was holding his breath against a storm only he could feel.