Chapter 11: Signing the Contract

“Hello.

I’m Choi Han-geon, a friend of Eun-gyeol’s.”

“Great voice and very solid-looking.

Welcome, welcome.

CEO!

The new manager’s here!”

From the sofa deeper inside the large, L-shaped CEO’s office, another man rose to his feet.

He looked slightly older than the chief manager, and with his neatly slicked-back black hair, he gave off an energetic impression similar to the chief’s.

On the desk in the distance, a crystal nameplate gleamed in the sunlight—CEO Kim Sang-hyun.

CEO Kim stepped forward with confident strides and grasped Han-geon’s hand firmly.

“Ah, come in, come in.

Nice to meet you.”

“It’s an honor to meet you.

I’m Choi Han-geon.”

Repeating his polite greeting, Han-geon bowed once more.

At the CEO’s cheerful “Have a seat,” he sat on the inner sofa.

Naturally, Eun-gyeol sat right beside him.

“You’ve got a great first impression.

You look dependable.”

“Haha, thank you.”

Han-geon smiled at the compliment, trying his best to wear an expression that conveyed reliability—but he wasn’t entirely sure it came across naturally.

Still, the two men looked at him with the warm, indulgent expressions of adults watching a toddler take their first steps.

“We’ve been waiting for someone like you for a long time, Mr. Choi.

Goodness, we had no idea our Eun-gyeol had such a dependable friend.

If we’d known, we would’ve begged you to join us ages ago.”

“Haha… Please, feel free to speak casually.”

“Shall I, then?

I don’t usually do that with interviewees, but since you’re Eun-gyeol’s friend…”

The chief manager laughed easily and opened the copy of Han-geon’s resumé he had prepared in advance.

“Taekwondo 5th dan.

Judo 4th dan.

Special forces martial arts 3rd dan… Has experience as a bodyguard.

Class-1 large vehicle driver’s license.

Very nice.”

“But the most important thing is… you know, right?”

When the CEO, who had been watching from the side, cut in with an overly dignified tone, Eun-gyeol let out a small laugh.

“Matching your mood?”

“God, look at this kid…”

At that, the chief shot Eun-gyeol a glare. ‘Who do you think I’m suffering like this for?’

His expression said it all, though he apparently didn’t dare actually say it out loud.

The one who was truly shocked by Eun-gyeol’s bluntness wasn’t the CEO or the chief—it was Han-geon.

Of course he knew better than anyone how prickly Eun-gyeol’s personality could be, but he never imagined Eun-gyeol would talk so brazenly to the CEO and chief… or that they wouldn’t protest at all.

The chief answered with a sour look.

“To be honest… yeah, that’s basically it.

You’re old friends, right?”

“Yes, friends for seventeen years.”

“Amazing, Mr. Han-geon.

How do you manage that?”

“Seriously.

How do you?”

Even the CEO gave him an awestruck look for a moment, and Han-geon had no idea what to do with himself.

He stayed by Eun-gyeol’s side simply because he liked it—if anything, he constantly wished they could spend more time together.

Hearing them talk like this, anyone would think Eun-gyeol was some three-headed monster.

“Well, as you know, we’re in a bit of a rush.

And since you’re Eun-gyeol’s friend, there’s no need to hesitate.

Shall we take a look at the contract? Mr. Han-geon, you read it over first.”

“Yes.”

Han-geon accepted the contract with both hands, respectfully.

He opened the first page and skimmed through it quickly but carefully.

He already knew the general working conditions from what Eun-gyeol had told him beforehand, and since he was here through Eun-gyeol’s introduction, he was sure there wouldn’t be any unfair clauses.

There was only one thing he hadn’t heard from Eun-gyeol: the pay.

But Han-geon hadn’t come expecting much.

The salary at his previous company had never been high, so whatever this place offered, it would certainly be better.

He hadn’t changed jobs for the money anyway.

But the moment he found the salary section, Han-geon’s eyes widened.

Of course getting paid more was better, but he had never expected anything like this.

Flustered, he hurriedly waved his hands.

“Ah—no, sir.

This is… this is way too much.”

“Haha, what, you’re complaining that we’re giving you too much?”

“It’s not a complaint, it’s just… it’s a bit excessive.”

“Mr. Han-geon, there’s a saying in this industry.”

The chief gave him a wink.

“A manager’s pay follows the actor they handle.

Eun-gyeol may act like a wild brat sometimes, but his status is top-tier.

Getting paid this much is only natural.”

“You’re really saying all kinds of things to my manager.

At this rate, won’t he be too scared to even start working?”

“Hey.”

“Hey, what?

If you’ve been friends for seventeen years, you’re basically family.

At that point he knows all about that temper of yours, so what’s there to be scared of?”

Eun-gyeol snorted as if they were all ridiculous, but the chief continued unfazed.

“And he’s working as both manager and bodyguard.

Of course he should be paid this much.

Don’t feel pressured—just accept it comfortably.

We put that number in because we genuinely hope you’ll stay with us for a long time.

I’d like you to understand that.”

“…Thank you.

I’ll do my best.”

The amount was unlike anything Han-geon had ever seen, and it overwhelmed him—but after they insisted so warmly, it felt impossible to refuse any further.

All he could do was bow deeply in gratitude.

“What would you like to do?

If you need more time to think, just say so.

Otherwise, we can sign right away.”

“Ah, I’ll sign now.”

“Oh, really? Then just sign here.

You can submit the documents once they’re ready.”

“I actually prepared everything in advance.”

Han-geon calmly signed the contract, then took the documents he’d brought in his bag and handed them over with both hands.

The representative and chief both broke into wide smiles.

“Hahaha!

He’s a fully prepared talent, isn’t he?

Director, I don’t know where this bundle of luck rolled in from.”

“Exactly.

Mr. Han-geon, please take good care of our Eun-gyeol.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best.”

Han-geon shook hands with the representative and the chief as they each reached out to him, bowing politely.

Meanwhile, Eun-gyeol, who had been watching the scene with a bored, detached expression as if it were someone else’s business, stood up and wrapped an arm around Han-geon’s shoulder.

“Are we done here?”

“We still need to do the handover.

Mr. Han-geon, could you handle it in about an hour?

The director and I have something to take care of.”

“Then in the meantime, have a cup of coffee with Han-geon or show him around the company.”

“Alright, do that.”

Eun-gyeol stood up first and motioned with his eyes, urging Han-geon to follow, so Han-geon leapt up in a fluster.

Bowing repeatedly, he called out, “Thank you again! I’ll work hard!”

The two men smiled warmly at him.

Practically dragged out by Eun-gyeol, he slipped through the door just as the voices of the director and chief, filled with amazement, drifted out.

“Is it because he’s a friend? He really is different.

Cha Eun-gyeol giving his manager a tour of the company—who would’ve imagined.”

“Right? You really do live long enough to see everything.”

***

Eun-gyeol slammed the office door shut with a completely indifferent expression.

Then he turned to face Han-geon directly and grinned.

“So, how about having a cup of coffee with me?

Manager.”

His tone was teasing, but his eyes were—deliberately—romantic, almost like someone asking for a date.

Han-geon nodded with a look that seemed on the verge of steam erupting from his ears.

Even as Eun-gyeol tugged him toward the elevator, Han-geon blinked blankly, still dazed.

‘Is this really happening…?’

Had he really already become Cha Eun-gyeol’s manager?

It felt almost too easy.

But Eun-gyeol didn’t give him a single moment to get lost in the afterglow.

“There’s a café on B1.

Payments are made with your employee card only, so remember that.”

“O-okay.”

Café on B1.

Payments only with the employee card… It was the kind of information most people would consider trivial, but Han-geon repeated it to himself with a serious face.

If he wanted to take proper care of Eun-gyeol—who barely ate but practically lived on drinks—this was definitely something he needed to know.

Watching him quietly, Eun-gyeol suddenly chuckled.

“Nervous? Why’re you making that dramatic face?”

“I mean… it’d be weird not to be nervous.

I’m starting a new job.”

“I told you, there’s no need.

Just do what you’ve always done.”

Once again, those beautiful fingers brushed against his body.

This time, it was his collar.

Seeing Eun-gyeol casually fiddling with the front of his suit jacket, Han-geon felt his face heat up instantly.

“What?”

“You’ve got something on you.”

“What? What is it?”

What if he looked sloppy during the meeting? Worried, Han-geon bit down on his lip and frowned—only for Eun-gyeol to pinch a loose hair and wiggle it lightly in the air.

“It’s just a hair.

Don’t worry.”

“…Thank goodness.”

“Judging by the length, it’s not yours.”

Eun-gyeol whispered, almost conspiratorial, and his eyes curved into a playful smile.

“Pretty sure it’s mine.

How’d it end up there?”

For something so trivial, Han-geon’s ears flared red-hot.

Why did Cha Eun-gyeol have to say things like that while looking at him like that? His heartbeat pounded so loudly in his ears he worried the entire cramped elevator might echo with the sound.