Chapter 34: The Company Dinner

Warm laughter burst out from within the group.

Ji-tae slowly blinked his eyes.

In that moment, he turned his head away from the colleagues he had been laughing with.

“……”

The two men’s gazes crossed briefly in midair.

After that short eye contact, Woo-joo was the first to look away.

He didn’t particularly feel like pulling that guy out of the group.

Won Ji-tae looked more comfortable over there anyway.

Woo-joo went back into the waiting room and changed into his original clothes.

Afterward, he personally thanked each of the staff members he had encountered during the shoot.

Some even mentioned acquaintances who were huge fans and asked for autographs.

It had felt like they arrived during the day, but after just one shoot, the sun had already set.

He hadn’t even noticed time passing.

“Player Kang, good work today.”

That was when Sun-hyuk approached him.

“You worked hard too, Producer.”

“By any chance… was today’s shoot exhausting? Are you feeling worn out or anything…?”

“Huh? Not at all.”

Woo-joo waved his hands firmly.

Had he looked that way?

His mood had fluctuated because of Won Ji-tae, but that was all.

“That’s good to hear. Shoots like this aren’t exactly your field, after all.”

Sun-hyuk smiled and smoothed it over.

“Oh, and you heard we’re having a dinner tonight, right?”

“Huh? No, I didn’t.”

“Oh, maybe the writers haven’t announced it yet. We realized we haven’t had a proper group meal since filming started, and since we’re all in Seoul today, we thought we’d make an occasion of it.”

Usually, dinners happened before filming to build camaraderie.

But with this program’s rule of not letting the two cast members meet beforehand, they seemed to be using the shoot as an opportunity instead.

“Of course, we won’t be filming, so you can come comfortably.”

“Okay.”

A company dinner.

He was a little tired, but it felt like a good opportunity.

Even though he chatted here and there with staff during filming and interviews, things were still a bit awkward.

Maybe a dinner like this would help him grow closer to the production team he’d be working with for weeks.

“Kang Woo-joo.”

A large shadow approached from behind.

Even without turning, he knew who it was.

“Good job today.”

Ji-tae, now changed as well, looked him over carefully.

“Yeah. You too.”

“For us, that wasn’t bad, right? We didn’t even fight.”

Ji-tae casually spoke while subtly watching Woo-joo’s reaction.

It was the same look he had worn earlier in the waiting room.

“Hey, do you have something to say to me?”

Ji-tae shook his head.

“Then why do you keep staring?”

“…You’re not tired?”

“No. I’m completely fine. The Producer asked too. Why does everyone keep asking that? Did my face look weird?”

Woo-joo seriously touched his face.

Ji-tae muttered under his breath, “Strange…”

“You heard? There’s a dinner tonight.”

“Yeah. I just heard from a writer. But Kang Woo-joo, you—”

Before he could finish, Producer Kwon cut in.

“We’re about done here, so let’s head out. We’ll take the same cars as before.”

“Yes.”

Woo-joo followed behind Sun-hyuk.

He didn’t forget to call out to Ji-tae, who was still standing blankly behind him.

The dinner was held at a barbecue restaurant near the studio.

It seemed Producer Kwon had been planning it since mid-shoot and had already reserved a suitable place.

The photography team joined as well.

Woo-joo took a seat that wasn’t too far in the corner, but not too central either.

Ji-tae, who entered a little later, scanned the room immediately.

When he spotted Woo-joo sitting alone, his eyes lit up.

From the moment he heard about the dinner, he had been worried.

Woo-joo didn’t drink much, and he didn’t seem like someone who could easily refuse drinks.

Ji-tae had planned to sit next to him and keep an eye on things.

He even indulged in the pleasant thought of Woo-joo leaning against his shoulder after getting tipsy.

“Ji-tae! Come over here!”

But before he could move, he was grabbed.

By the photoshoot team.

If it had been ordinary staff, he might have escaped politely.

But it was the main photographer—

A veteran with undeniable status in the industry.

After their earlier conversation and now this, he couldn’t refuse.

Ji-tae glanced toward Woo-joo regretfully.

Woo-joo looked busy chatting with others at his table.

Just then, Kwon Sun-hyuk passed by.

Ji-tae sent him a desperate look—

Save me.

But it was useless.

Sun-hyuk glanced at him once and promptly sat down at Woo-joo’s table instead.

With a troubled expression, Ji-tae picked up his phone.

He texted Sun-hyuk to switch seats.

The reply was immediate: refrain from personal contact.

Cold and merciless.

In the end, Ji-tae had no choice but to give up.

The moment he looked away, someone refilled his glass.

Out of habit, he glanced toward Woo-joo.

Cruelly, Woo-joo wasn’t looking back.

That stung more than it should have.

“Ji-tae, have a drink.”

“Ah, thank you. I’ll pour for you too, Writer.”

He politely filled her glass.

“You’ve been busy lately, right? Your movie was a hit. I heard every drama script is going to you these days.”

“It’s not that much.”

Ji-tae waved his hand modestly.

People around him laughed, accusing him of lying.

“You’ve got to row hard when the tide comes in.”

The photographer tossed back his drink in one go and spoke.

“A celebrity’s lifespan is short. One scandal and you’re done. So take care of yourself. You never know how life will turn out.”

“Of course.”

Advice disguised as mockery.

A meaningless reminder that his popularity could fade anytime.

Early in his debut, words like that had made his insides boil.

Now, the heat that once burned had long since cooled.

Instead of anger, he just felt tired.

“Player Kang, I’ll fill your glass.”

While Ji-tae swallowed down his resignation, Woo-joo struggled to adjust to the noisy atmosphere.

“Ah, thank you.”

Sun-hyuk poured him a drink.

Woo-joo received it politely and filled his glass in return.

“Producer, you should say a few words.”

The most senior writer urged Sun-hyuk.

Others joined in, clapping.

Sun-hyuk looked visibly troubled but stood up dutifully.

“Our Producer will say a few words!”

All eyes turned toward him.

Woo-joo looked up as well.

That was when he felt a piercing gaze.

It was accidental that he noticed.

Everyone should have been looking at Sun-hyuk.

Like a jagged stone standing out among smooth ones, a single gaze directed elsewhere was impossible to miss.

“……”

He turned his head.

Ji-tae was there.

His face looked slightly sulky.

Why is he sitting there like a drenched stray dog?

Like a large puppy who had lost its owner, Ji-tae looked unusually dejected from afar.

Was he just tired from the shoot?

Meanwhile, Sun-hyuk’s speech was nearing its end.

“Well, it’s a bit late to say this, but let’s all do our best together!”

With that, everyone clinked glasses.

Drops of alcohol splashed here and there.

Woo-joo exchanged greetings with those around him and downed the soju Sun-hyuk had poured.

After all, the “first shot is bottoms up” rule still lingered strongly in Korean drinking culture.

“You said you’re not much of a drinker, right?”

Seated to Ji-tae’s right was Han Se-mi, the writer he had interacted with the most.

She handled the pre-interviews and most of the on-set interviews.

“Yes. I look like I can drink well, don’t I?”

She and the others laughed in agreement.

“But I really can’t. My teammates are all heavy drinkers. I’m the only one who can’t hold it, so they always tease me.”

Woo-joo wasn’t particularly sociable.

Back in high school, he hadn’t had many close classmates either.

The only ones he’d truly opened up to were Park Hyun-jin and Jo Soo-hyuk.