Row from JustX.
Seoyeon had encountered him a few times before. Since she had filmed Dream Future with Ma Yeonwoo, there were plenty of opportunities for them to cross paths.
Outside of that, she had also seen him at an upscale event during the promotion of Shine Moon.
But now, he looked much better than he had back then.
He had the air of someone whose fortunes had turned for the better. Even his outfit screamed wealth, with luxury brands from head to toe.
“Hey, Jo Seohee, didn’t know you hung out at arcades,” he said with a casual grin.
His tone was laid-back, overly familiar. Seohee’s expression immediately hardened.
Clearly, she wasn’t particularly close to Row.
“Knowing Seohee’s personality, she wouldn’t let a comment like that slide.”
As Seoyeon thought this, Row added, “Minyoung talks about you a lot.”
“...You two seem pretty close now,” Seohee replied, her tone frosty.
“Ugh, why are you so formal? We’re not strangers.”
Row seemed determined to bridge the gap between them, continuing to exude a forced sense of camaraderie.
Seohee looked exhausted.
“What’s this? Were you two battling? I’m great at fighting games. Want me to show you some tips?”
“No, thanks...”
“Oh, come on. You’re in the middle of a match anyway. Let me step in and show you how it’s done.”
“...Fine, do whatever you want,” Seohee sighed, stepping aside.
It seemed Row hadn’t noticed that Seoyeon was sitting on the other side of the machine.
The game started, and Seoyeon frowned. She’d been gearing up for her rematch against Seohee, and now this strange guy had butted in.
“No, wait. Maybe I can use this as a test run before facing Seohee again.”
Seoyeon hated playing cheaply in games. Using weak punches or low kicks felt dishonorable to her, and she avoided such tactics whenever possible.
In fighting games, it was all about flashy combos and skills. Resorting to light taps and jabs wasn’t her style—but if that’s what it took to beat Seohee, she was willing to set her pride aside.
Before that, though, she decided to warm up against Row.
“See, that character has a big move you can... Wait, what?!”
“Hey, what the hell? Why’s she playing so dirty?!”
“How’s she even countering that?! There’s no way—this is rigged!”
Row, who had started off so confidently, found himself utterly demolished by Seoyeon’s relentless light punches and kicks. Every time he tried to execute a move, she reacted with absurdly fast counters, leaving him completely defenseless.
Seohee, watching from the side, widened her eyes at the one-sided match.
“She could’ve won without resorting to that...”
For a moment, Seohee wondered if Seoyeon had been going easy on her earlier. But considering how Seoyeon had lost ten rounds in a row and burned with competitive determination, that didn’t seem likely.
Still, Seoyeon’s reflexes were unbelievable. Seohee realized that Seoyeon wasn’t just memorizing moves—she was reacting instinctively, like an animal.
Crash!
“Damn it! This is so unfair. Who even plays like that?! Who is this jerk?!”
Row, having suffered two perfect rounds, slammed his fist onto the machine in frustration and stood up.
From his perspective, everything had been going great until this unexpected disaster.
“What a chance encounter with Jo Seohee...”
As someone managing Shine Moon, Row saw Seohee as an invaluable contact—a daughter of Newlike Group, ranked fifth among Korea’s top conglomerates.
Recently, with a string of successful ventures, Newlike seemed poised to rise even higher.
“I owe Minyoung for this. If not for her, I wouldn’t have known Seohee was the daughter of the Newlike chairman.”
Seohee was widely recognized as an actress, but her family background wasn’t public knowledge. While there had been rumors about her wealth, specifics were scarce.
However, after a concert hosted at Mirinae Park, speculation arose that she might be connected to one of the affiliated companies. Row had confirmed this through Chae Minyoung at a social event.
Seohee was a star with an illustrious future.
Although she wasn’t yet at the level of being called a “legendary actress,” her potential was undeniable. Her friendly nature and extensive network made her a magnet for connections and opportunities.
For Row, securing Seohee’s favor was akin to hitting the jackpot.
Unfortunately, Seohee seemed to sense his motives and had never responded to his attempts to contact her.
Row had been using Minyoung to get closer to Seohee, banking on the fact that Seohee couldn’t outright refuse Minyoung’s requests.
When he saw Seohee at the arcade, Row had rubbed his eyes in disbelief. What was she doing in a place like this, and playing a fighting game no less?
Row himself had some skill in fighting games, so he’d hoped to use this opportunity to impress her.
But now, his perfect chance had been ruined.
Seething, Row turned to confront the person who had humiliated him.
“...?”
Then he froze.
The girl sitting on the other side of the machine looked startlingly familiar.
“Ju Seoyeon?”
Was he imagining things? Could the person who had completely destroyed him really be Ju Seoyeon?
Wait, Ju Seoyeon... at an arcade?
“Hold on. Wait a minute.”
Row’s mind raced. He remembered seeing Seoyeon with Seohee at a party before.
“Are they close?”
Ju Seoyeon. A rising star and one of the hottest names in entertainment this year.
As someone involved in business, Row was acutely aware of the international attention she’d been garnering—not just as an actress, but as a multifaceted entertainer.
“If I can get close to Seoyeon, Seohee might naturally follow.”
It all made sense now. Seohee was only here because Seoyeon had invited her. Seoyeon’s love for gaming was well-known in the industry, especially after her appearance on The Royal Challenge.
Row had heard about how her participation had extended the life of a show that was otherwise on the brink of cancellation. Her passion for games had shone through clearly in that appearance.
But none of that prepared him for the sight of her now.
“Wow, I thought my opponent was a pro, but it’s Ju Seoyeon? Amazing!” Row exclaimed.
“Huh? Weren’t you coming over to fight?” Seoyeon asked, tilting her head.
“Wha—?”
Row was stunned. He hadn’t expected her to ask so bluntly.
Seoyeon tilted her head, puzzled by his reaction.
“Isn’t this kind of thing normal at arcades?”
She was aware that her own tactics during the match had been less than honorable. She’d even overheard his muttered curses from across the machine.
But instead of feeling guilty, she’d doubled down, attacking with even more vigor. After his character’s defeat, she’d spent an additional 30 seconds pummeling his lifeless avatar.
“If he hadn’t gotten angry and stormed off, that would’ve been strange.”
Seoyeon’s mindset had been clear—he deserved every bit of it.
“Did... did you hear anything?” Row asked nervously.
“Hear what?”
“Well, uh...”
Row swallowed hard, unable to ask if she’d overheard his string of profanities. If she had, he couldn’t predict her reaction. If she hadn’t, there was no point in bringing it up and causing unnecessary trouble.
"I heard you calling me a jerk and worse," Seoyeon said calmly.
Seohee, who had been silently standing with her arms crossed, narrowed her eyes at Row. Her expression said there were plenty of things she wanted to say, but standing beside Seoyeon, she decided to hold her tongue.
“A celebrity like you... swearing in public where anyone might overhear? Hah.”
That was all she said.
Row, however, felt a surge of irritation at her words. But what could he do? Lashing out would only dig him a deeper hole.
“This is bad.”
Row realized that if things continued like this, he might never get another chance to speak with Seohee.
Worse still, if Seohee reported this incident to her father, the chairman of Newlike Group, the consequences could be dire. Row felt a chill run down his spine.
“Ha-ha, Seoyeon! You know, when someone’s really good at something, it can make them come across a little rough sometimes. Wow, though, you’re amazing! I never imagined I’d get completely destroyed like that, and I play a lot of fighting games!”
Forcing a laugh, Row glanced nervously at the two women staring at him—Seoyeon and Seohee. Their matching cold gazes were enough to make sweat drip down his back.
“What’s with these expressions?”
Row wasn’t new to intimidating women. During his school days, he’d hung out with a rowdy crowd, and he’d even dated girls with tough attitudes. But this was different.
The way Seoyeon and Seohee looked at him wasn’t just intimidating—it was downright unsettling.
“Even the most delinquent girls I’ve met would probably lower their gaze in front of these two.”
As he wracked his brain for a way out, Row suddenly remembered something.
“Wait... I’ve got it!”
Quickly pulling out his smartphone, he scrolled through his contacts. One name jumped out at him.
“Aha! Seoyeon, there’s something I wanted to tell you.”
“To me?”
“Yeah! This is kind of a secret, but you know how celebrities respect each other’s privacy, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I’ve recently started seeing someone. We’re not officially dating yet, but it’s pretty close to that. And, guess what? It’s someone you know.”
Seoyeon tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. Seohee, on the other hand, softened her frown slightly. If Row was talking about another woman, at least he wasn’t trying to flirt with either of them.
Still, Seohee couldn’t shake the feeling that he was trying to manipulate the situation.
“He’s been running a shady club lately too,” Seohee thought.
Chae Minyoung, the daughter of the chairman of Hyo-yeong Group and Seohee’s longtime frenemy, had mentioned Row’s activities. Minyoung, a die-hard fan of Row, had even visited his club a few times.
Though Minyoung denied it, Seohee suspected otherwise.
A minor hanging out at a club didn’t sit well with Seohee, and she shot Row a sharper glare.
“Here, take a look at this photo!” Row said, holding up his phone.
Seoyeon glanced at the screen without much thought, but her eyes widened in surprise.
It was a picture of Row with Pyo Jiwoo.
“...Jiwoo unnie?”
“Yeah, Pyo Jiwoo. She’s been acting in a few dramas recently, right? I met her at the broadcasting station and we hit it off.”
Pyo Jiwoo was currently appearing as a supporting actress in a morning drama. Though her role wasn’t significant, her acting skills had been well-received.
Having transitioned from theater to TV not long ago, she was still finding her footing, but Seoyeon believed she had the potential to rise quickly—especially if she took on villain roles.
“She’d be amazing as an antagonist.”
Seoyeon had been relieved to see Jiwoo thriving in her current life, a stark contrast to her struggles in the past.
“Are you two dating?”
“Pretty much! So, no need to be on guard around me.”
Row’s nonchalant tone made Seoyeon smirk faintly.
“A ‘medicated idol,’ indeed.”
JustX’s members weren’t exactly paragons of virtue. One of their more infamous members, Lee Hyun, was nicknamed the “Chairman of Gangnam” due to his nightlife antics.
Given that Row’s main activities revolved around Shine Moon, it wasn’t surprising that birds of a feather flocked together.
“Now I’m wondering... is Jiwoo involved in this mess too?”
Seoyeon dismissed the thought quickly. She didn’t intend to delve into the issue further.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t take any calls from him.”
Despite the awkward encounter with Row, Seoyeon and Seohee enjoyed the rest of their day.
Surprisingly, Seoyeon and Seohee found they had quite a lot in common personality-wise.
Seohee was someone who approached most things with an open mind and enjoyed exploring the unfamiliar. Together, they visited places like Animate in Hongdae and explored the area, having a genuinely good time.
“I can see why people gravitate toward her.”
Apart from her looks, Seohee was incredibly skilled at connecting with others.
For Seohee, it had been a fulfilling day—aside from the unpleasant run-in with Row.
Before parting ways, the two stopped by a café to discuss the upcoming filming of Gyeongseong Lady.
“Starting tomorrow, Japanese staff will probably join us on set.”
“Japanese staff?”
“They’re coming to shoot additional footage for promotional purposes. I think they want to tie it into the OTT documentary we’re doing.”
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“So, we’ll be filming for two projects at once?”
“Exactly. Initially, we were going to give them our footage, but they insisted on shooting their own. They even paid extra for the rights.”
It was an unusual arrangement. Typically, the production team would simply share their footage for promotional use.
“Why would they do that?”
“Because of you.”
“Me?”
Seohee nodded.
“Gyeongseong Lady is your movie, but in Japan, they want to market you as the main focus for their documentary.”
Seohee didn’t know much about the Japanese broadcasting industry, so she had no issue letting them do as they pleased.
Even if their efforts failed, the extra exposure wouldn’t hurt.
“...That’s unexpected.”
“It makes sense. You have this weird, magnetic presence.”
Seohee looked directly at Seoyeon as she spoke, her gaze steady. Feeling self-conscious under the scrutiny, Seoyeon averted her eyes slightly.
Seohee chuckled.
“Honestly, I never thought I’d be having a conversation like this with you when we first met.”
“Because of the whole ‘nepo baby’ thing?”
“....”
Seohee winced, squeezing her eyes shut. She remembers that?
Was that why Seoyeon still used formal speech with her?
“Look, there was a reason for that... sort of...” Seohee stammered.
“It’s fine. I don’t think about it much anymore. It just crosses my mind sometimes.”
“That’s exactly what it means when someone says they’re not over it!” Seohee thought, pouting slightly.
This time, Seoyeon smiled faintly. It was clear that the awkwardness between them had started to fade.