An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 307

307. #56 – The Hidden Truth (2)

One day before the article about Song Yoona’s drug use broke.

Chief Han rushed into the CEO’s office at WG Entertainment.

Knock, knock-

He knocked and hurriedly opened the door, approaching CEO Park before even hearing a response.

“CEO!”

“Oh, what’s the matter that you’re rushing up here as soon as I called?”

“Haa… Yoona is…”

CEO Park asked with a relaxed expression as Chief Han struggled to catch his breath.

“What is it? Catch your breath and speak slowly and clearly.”

“I just received a call from Chief Choi, and Yoona…”

“Song Yoona?”

As soon as the name ‘Song Yoona’ was mentioned, CEO Park’s expression hardened.

“Yes, it seems Yoona is angry that you’re using her to push in Seo Gyuri.”

At his words, CEO Park let out a burst of laughter as if he couldn’t believe it.

“So?”

“Pardon?”

CEO Park frowned and spoke to Chief Han.

“So what does she want me to do about it, Song Yoona?”

“Ah… she said she doesn’t want you to keep using her to promote Seo Gyuri like this. It seems she told Chief Choi that she can’t take it anymore.”

At his words, CEO Park clicked his tongue and burst into laughter.

“Seriously, how ridiculous.”

Then, lifting his chin, he asked Chief Han.

“What else did she say?”

“Yes, she said if you keep using her to promote Seo Gyuri like this…”

He told CEO Park everything he had heard from Chief Choi without adding or subtracting anything.

After listening to everything, CEO Park shook his head and muttered.

“Our Yoona, losing her appeal… I was going to exploit her a little more, but it seems I can’t…”

Then, biting his lip, he said to him.

“What’s Song Yoona’s schedule like today?”

At his question, Chief Han hurriedly rummaged through his cell phone.

And looking at his cell phone, he replied.

“Song Yoona has a magazine interview today.”

“So what is she doing now?”

“At this time… she’s probably resting since it hasn’t started yet.”

CEO Park nodded and said to him.

“Then tell Song Yoona to come to the company now.”

“Yes, I understand.”

As Chief Han got up from his seat, CEO Park waved his hand in the air and said.

“Call from here.”

“Ah… yes.”

He immediately called Chief Choi, and their conversation could be faintly heard by CEO Park.

“Hey, it’s me. The CEO wants to see you for a bit. Stop by the company before the interview…”

The moment Chief Han was talking to Chief Choi, Song Yoona’s voice, not Chief Choi’s, was heard over the phone.

-Chief Han?

“Ah… Yoona.”

-Are you telling me to come to the company now?

“Yes, the CEO wants to see you for a moment. You have a magazine interview in the afternoon, so…”

-Haa… Is the CEO next to you?

Upon confirming her sharp tone, Chief Han glanced at CEO Park.

Then, CEO Park snatched Chief Han’s cell phone and switched it to speakerphone.

“Yoona.”

At CEO Park’s voice, Song Yoona sighed deeply.

-Haa… CEO, did you tell me to come to the company?

“Yes, let’s talk a bit.”

-Why should I go?

“What?”

-Didn’t you check my schedule for today? Does that mean you don’t care about my schedule anymore?

At her words, CEO Park was speechless as if he couldn’t believe it.

-If you need to talk right now, come here yourself. Who’s the one in need right now?

“Yoona, you…”

-Chief Choi must have told you clearly. Don’t use me like this?

Song Yoona continued to pour out words without giving CEO Park a chance to answer.

-I’ve worked so hard at WG Entertainment, trusting CEO Park, but is this how you treat me now? How can you do this to me?

“So come and let’s talk a bit. To clear up any misunderstandings…”

-What misunderstandings? If you have something to say, come here yourself.

Click-

The call ended just like that.

CEO Park stared blankly at the disconnected phone as if he was dumbfounded.

“Such a bitch…. This won’t do.”

At that sight, Chief Han glanced at him, putting his cell phone in his pocket.

But CEO Park, instead of being angry, smiled and said.

“Chief Han.”

“Yes, CEO.”

He evilly raised the corners of his mouth and instructed him.

“Let’s get rid of Song Yoona.”

“Pardon? Then…”

“Yes, release the article immediately.”

* * *

[Song Yoona, urgently arrested on suspicion of drug use….]

“What the hell…”

The moment I saw the headline about Song Yoona’s drug use, I was speechless.

CEO Kim, who was in front of me, frowned at the seriousness and asked me.

“Hee-sung, did you know about this?”

“No. But it can’t be true.”

“Still, this…”

CEO Kim’s words didn’t reach my ears.

I was only worried about Song Yoona’s current state.

I took a deep breath and rummaged through my pocket, taking out my cell phone.

“Hyung [older brother or close male friend], just a moment. Let me call Yoona.”

I swallowed hard and called Song Yoona.

-…The person you are trying to reach is not answering…. Please leave a message after the tone….

CEO Kim bit his lip and cautiously asked.

“Is she answering?”

“No.”

“Right, she’s probably talking to the company…”

Before he could finish speaking, I jumped up from my seat.

“Hyung, I’m sorry. Let’s talk about the overseas thing tomorrow. I have to go.”

“Where are you going?”

“Where else, I have to go to Yoona.”

CEO Kim jumped up from his seat and grabbed my arm.

“Hee-sung, you can’t.”

“Huh?”

“You can’t. Don’t go now.”

Looking at him grabbing my arm, I asked, as CEO Kim waved his hands in the air as if to calm me down.

“You know. This isn’t just a scandal, it’s drugs.”

“I know, so what?”

“What do you mean, so what, you idiot.”

CEO Kim’s voice rose, and he barely managed to sit me back down on the chair, continuing to speak.

“If you go now, you’ll get caught up in it too. Once things calm down a bit… you can go see Yoona then. The article just broke. It’s not time yet.”

At his words, I looked at him without hesitation.

“Hyung, that’s what you’re saying as the CEO of the management company.”

“…….”

“Yoona is my girlfriend.”

“That’s…”

I looked straight into CEO Kim’s eyes and expressed my determination.

However, he shook his head and avoided my gaze.

“I know, I know… and you two haven’t been getting along lately. So let’s wait a little longer and go then.”

At CEO Kim’s words, I grabbed his arm.

“No, hyung. Advise me not as the company’s CEO, but as a brother. You and I have been together for years.”

“…….”

Only then did CEO Kim look at me intently, and I expressed my sincerity to him.

“I want to go to Yoona. I have to go.”

At my words, he finally lowered his head.

And with his arm grabbed by me, he hesitated without saying anything.

I also didn’t press him with repeated questions as if urging him.

My heart was pounding with the desire to run to Song Yoona right away, but I couldn’t make a rational decision right now.

CEO Kim, no, his advice, which was no different from that of a real brother, was desperately needed.

Of course, if he were to stop me, I would run towards Song Yoona unless I was convinced by a sufficient reason.

But right now, I needed CEO Kim to make a rational decision.

As the silence flowed, he raised his head, looked at me, and said briefly.

“Go.”

At CEO Kim’s firm answer, my pupils shook rapidly.

And his following words were filled with sincere concern for me.

“But don’t get involved.”

“…I can’t promise, but I’ll try my best to do that. Thank you, hyung.”

* * *

Song Yoona’s house, which I arrived at in less than two hours after checking the article.

The reporters hadn’t come to Song Yoona’s house yet.

They probably flocked to WG Entertainment instead.

Ding-dong-

I bit my lip in anxiety and pressed the doorbell, but there was no response from inside.

“She’s definitely… home.”

Ding-dong, ding-dong-

I pressed the doorbell again, but there was no answer at all, so I swallowed a sigh and pressed the password to open the tightly closed door.

I couldn’t just go back home with this uneasy feeling.

As the door opened, my heart started beating fast.

The number of heartbeats was proportional to the worry for Song Yoona.

I wondered if she had any bad thoughts.

I wondered if she was crying at home and fell asleep exhausted.

I wondered if she drank a lot of alcohol and collapsed.

My breath kept getting rough with so many thoughts.

“Yoona!”

I ran past the shoe rack and into the living room.

“Yoona?”

I kept calling her name, but there was no answer.

My voice grew louder and my pace quickened as I became more and more anxious.

“Song Yoona!”

Turning the corner, I faintly saw Song Yoona’s figure.

“Yoona!”

She was sitting on the living room floor with her hair tied up high.

Then, she was eating ramen straight from the pot, watching the news about her drug use.

“Yoona, what are you doing right now…?”

I stuttered at her completely unexpected appearance.

But Song Yoona shrugged as if nothing was wrong and put a chopstick of ramen in her mouth and said.

“Didn’t you come after seeing the article? Why are you so surprised?”

“Yeah. I came after seeing the article, but…”

She laughed and stared intently at the TV, answering.

“Well, it could happen, right?”

“What?”

Thud-

Song Yoona put down the chopsticks and frowned.

“Isn’t it possible to do drugs because life is boring?”

She even raised her voice at me.

But I didn’t take her answer at face value.

No, I could be sure that it wasn’t the truth.

“Don’t say ridiculous things.”

“Why, a lot of celebrities do it.”

She started eating ramen again with a straight face.

That appearance wasn’t telling me that she had done drugs.

Rather, that appearance seemed to be telling me that the article was false.

Whether the article about doing drugs was true or false.

Knowing that her position as a celebrity was deteriorating, it seemed like she was trying to break up with me.

Her attitude, which was so different from usual, was proving all of this.

I went up to her, snatched the chopsticks in her hand, and shouted.

“Tell me honestly.”

“What?”

“Yoona, you don’t even eat ramen normally. Because your face gets puffy.”

She responded with a sneer at my words.

“I’m retiring from the entertainment industry anyway, so what does it matter if my face gets puffy.”

“What the hell is going on? What is it? You have to tell me so I can help you. This isn’t the time to be like this.”

I grabbed her arm and shouted pleadingly, and Song Yoona bit her lip as if it would tear and muttered.

“You can’t help me.”

“No, I can help you with everything. So you can tell me everything honestly.”

Only then did she look straight into my eyes and say.

“How do you know what it is?”

She immediately closed her eyes tightly, shook off my hand, and shouted.

“It’s okay. And… leave quickly.”

“Why should I leave?”

I cupped her face with both hands and made eye contact.

But she pushed me away, stared out the window, and opened her mouth.

“The reporters will be here soon. It’s not good for you to get more involved with me.”

Her attitude of deliberately avoiding eye contact with me.

Then, pushing me away, who was close to her, she continued to speak.

“I’m a celebrity who has also done drugs. You’re all out of love for me, right? So let’s stop seeing each other from now on, whether it’s in the entertainment industry or privately… let’s not see each other anymore.”

“Song Yoona!”

The moment I called her, the cell phone suddenly started ringing.

Calls and texts from reporters poured in like crazy.

At the same time, a headache came along.

Throb-

“…Ah.”

I staggered and grabbed my head with my hand.

Suddenly, memories of Song Yoona from the past began to swirl in my head.

“Ugh….”

My body staggered and Song Yoona in front of me spun around.

“What’s wrong, what’s wrong?”

“Haa….”

I strained my eyes to come to my senses and looked at Song Yoona, but I felt the strength in my body gradually weakening in real time.

“Ah, don’t pretend to be sick….”

Song Yoona came up to me and grabbed my arm.

“…Ugh….”

“Oppa [term of endearment used by a younger woman to an older man]!”

After hearing her voice calling me, my vision completely closed.

Thud-

“No, Jin Hee-sung!”