novellhall 45. Kang Seulgi's Curiosity
45. Kang Seulgi's Curiosity
Bae Joo-hyun slept until the sun was high in the sky before groggily waking up. She lazily stretched, the quilt slipping down to reveal her smooth, firm skin.
It was a unique glow that came from being carefully nurtured by love. Her eyes seemed to hold a pool of spring water, exuding a gentle yet alluring charm, making her seem like a completely different person compared to the aloof and distant trainee of yesterday.
The last trace of girlish naiveté has faded, and her temperament has quietly transformed, acquiring the charm and tenderness unique to mature women.
The first thing I did after regaining consciousness was to instinctively reach for warmth around me, only to find a cold, empty space to my touch.
A hint of disappointment flashed across Bae Joo-hyun's face—a woman who has just gone through something like that is most dependent at that time.
However, she was indeed mentally prepared, since Li Jingcheng was currently in the rising phase of his career and was naturally quite busy. After calming down, she picked up her phone.
Two unread text messages lay on the screen, both from that familiar person:
"Are you awake? You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't have the heart to wake you. There's warm water on the table, remember to drink it. Get some rest, and I'll wait until you feel better."
"Contact me anytime if you need anything."
Bae Joo-hyun held her phone, tapping lightly on the screen, the emptiness in her heart instantly filled. She replied carefully, word by word, before belatedly glancing at the time; it was already past 11 a.m.
"Daifa..." she exclaimed softly. Only then did she realize that she hadn't gone home last night and was late again this morning, which was undoubtedly a serious offense under SM's strict attendance system.
Bae Joo-hyun sighed slightly. Although she had been mentally prepared for this to happen, she couldn't help but worry about the management's evaluation of her.
However, recalling the events of last night, the corners of her mouth still involuntarily curled up. Oh well, it's already happened, so it doesn't matter anymore.
She frowned almost imperceptibly as she got up, but her years of training had helped her; aside from some soreness, she was fine.
Fortunately, Li Jingcheng was relatively restrained last night. However, she naturally walked with a seductive air, and now, in order to alleviate her discomfort, she took even smaller steps, making her hip-swaying posture even more alluring.
Entering the bathroom, Bae Joo-hyun shook her head helplessly at the only men's item on the sink.
She could only use Li Jingcheng's toothbrush and towel to tidy up a bit for now. Although she didn't mind, she secretly decided that next time she came, she would bring her own daily necessities.
Wearing a mask that covered most of her face, she hurriedly went out and hailed a taxi back to SM. Taxis in Seoul aren't cheap, but luckily, Lee Kyung-sung had given her the money for food yesterday, so she planned to use it to pay back the money when she received her allowance next month.
She didn't want to owe him too much financially.
The atmosphere inside the carriage was quiet. The driver glanced in the rearview mirror and noticed that the passenger looked unwell, so he wisely refrained from speaking to him.
Bae Joo-hyun gazed at the rapidly receding street scene outside the window, her mind filled with countless thoughts.
Arriving at the SM building quickly, after paying the fare, Bae Joo-hyun took a deep breath, composed herself, and stepped into the company gate.
Unexpectedly, as soon as I stepped into the elevator, I bumped into Li Sulin, who was in charge of managing the trainees.
The other person is of medium build, with neat short hair. He is in charge of courses, class assignments, and assessments, and is someone the trainees both respect and fear.
Bae Joo-hyun's heart leaped into her throat; the fear was even more real than when she faced Lee Kyung-sung the night before—it was a tremor over her future. She instinctively lowered her head, cautiously bracing herself for a scolding.
However, the expected thunderous rage did not materialize. Bae Joo-hyun secretly glanced up and found that Lee So-rin was not angry at all, but was looking her up and down with a look full of inquiry and curiosity.
"Joohyun," Lee So-rin spoke first, her tone unusually calm, "Are you and Chief Oh... very close?"
Bae Joo-hyun was taken aback and subconsciously shook her head.
Li Sulin gave her a meaningful look and casually said, "Next time, if anything comes up, remember to let me know in advance." After saying that, she walked straight out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened.
Bae Joo-hyun stood there, completely bewildered, her back already soaked with cold sweat.
Back in the practice room, she instantly attracted almost everyone's attention. One girl, who looked a bit naive, immediately ran over worriedly, grabbed her hand, and said, "Unnie! Are you alright? I was so worried, I thought something had happened to you!"
When Bae Joo-hyun saw her, she showed her usual smile and said with a smile, "I'm fine, I just wasn't feeling well, so I went home to rest for the night."
Kang Seulgi pulled Bae Joohyun to a corner and then took a closer look at her. Even though she wasn't wearing makeup, her skin was whiter and brighter than usual. Her temperament seemed to have shed its naivety overnight and become gentle and mature. Even her complexion was amazing.
"Strange..." Kang Seulgi murmured to herself, leaning closer to look at her, "Unnie, do you feel like something's changed?"
Bae Joo-hyun's pupils contracted slightly, a hint of panic flashing through her heart, but she forced a smile and waved her hand in feigned composure, "Oh, it's all the same, what could possibly change..."
Although Kang Seulgi was still a little suspicious, she didn't delve into the matter. Instead, she excitedly held up her phone and handed it to her, "Unnie, look! Lee Kyung-sung, the guy you were so concerned about yesterday, really signed with CJ! Amazing! And he was even photographed auditioning at MBC!"
At this point, Kang Seulgi deliberately paused, stealing glances at Bae Joohyun's reaction. She had noticed her unnie's unusual interest in this man on the way back the day before yesterday.
Bae Joohyun hadn't really checked her phone last night. She woke up close to noon, quickly drank some water, and even finished off the leftovers before taking a taxi over. Hearing Kang Seulgi's words, she was incredibly curious and readily asked questions.
"Hmm? And then? What happened?"
"Most importantly, that's it!" Kang Seulgi smiled with satisfaction, then lowered her voice mysteriously, saying, "Industry professionals have analyzed that the drama Lee Kyung-sung auditioned for is very likely the male lead of 'The Sun Embracing the Moon'—Lee Hwon!"
Bae Joo-hyun blinked, trying hard to recall the limited information she had. "I remember that role was supposed to be given to Kim Soo-hyun, right? They'd already done the promotion, and his CEO, Bae Yong-joon, had publicly supported him on several occasions."
"Ugh, unnie, you're so out of touch!" Kang Seulgi shook her shoulder with a look of exasperation. "That's CJ! The big-spending CJ! How could they let their own signed rookie play a supporting role on another TV station? She's definitely aiming for the male lead!"
Seeing Kang Seulgi's confident expression, Bae Joo-hyun, though outwardly still deep in thought, was actually quite intrigued. She simply pulled out her phone, her fingers flying across the screen, a smile involuntarily creeping onto her lips. "I'll just ask him directly; he definitely won't hide anything from me."
Kang Seulgi assumed her unnie had searched on her phone herself and didn't care, continuing her analysis incessantly, "Most importantly, MBC doesn't have any other major projects besides 'The Sun Embracing the Moon.' As for variety shows? Absolutely not! Lee Kyung-sung has had interviews broadcast on several TV stations, his major is film and television performance, and he clearly stated that he wanted to be an actor when he returned to Korea. Plus, his current popularity... Most importantly, Bae Yong-joon and Kim Soo-hyun haven't made a single move regarding these online speculations, isn't that tacit approval?"
However, Bae Joo-hyun completely ignored what she said after that. Her phone vibrated, and the screen lit up with Lee Kyung-sung's reply.
Upon seeing the text message, Bae Joo-hyun's originally cool and aloof expression softened instantly, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up, revealing a happy smile that could melt even the coldest heart.
"Yes, MBC will make an official announcement across all platforms at 4 PM this afternoon. Just wait and see how Oppa performs ^_^. By the way, are you alright? Have you eaten anything? We don't have much food at home, so just order whatever you want to eat. If you don't have enough money, just tell me. Don't go hungry, it will break my heart."
"Unnie! Unnie!" Kang Seulgi reached out and nudged Bae Joohyun, who was lost in thought. Looking at Joohyun's ecstatic smile, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Daaaa... I'm starting to wonder if you're a reincarnated sasaeng fan. That smile is terrifying!"