Chapter 61

After returning home, Park Ji-hoon and Seohyun became noticeably closer while cooking and eating dinner. Previously, when they had their fortune told, the focus of their questions was on their relationship, as they were appearing on "We Got Married." The Taoist, who claimed to be the "Nine Drunken Daoist" from China, gave a lot of analysis, but the only thing they truly took to heart was the advice to be less cautious and more proactive.

In fact, even Seohyun had noticed this. However, understanding something and actually putting it into practice are two different things. Using the opportunity of the fortune-telling, they were able to take their relationship to the next level.

After dinner, Park Ji-hoon tutored Seohyun for her driver's license exam. She didn't pass the first time, and in her own words, "I scored so low on my first attempt!" The young girl, who has a very competitive personality, became particularly serious.

The filming only ended when it was completely dark.

Park Ji-hoon didn't wander around outside; he went straight home to continue revising the script. Despite being in the entertainment industry for ten years, he hadn't picked up any bad habits, which was quite rare in this big melting pot! However, it could also be said that his popularity wasn't really that great; if he were at the top, there would likely have been some changes.

Just as he sat down, he received a call from Taeyeon.

"Am I disturbing you?" Taeyeon's words were as gentle and careful as always.

"No," Park Ji-hoon replied.

"How are you feeling?" Taeyeon asked.

"Pretty good," Park Ji-hoon answered.

"Uh-huh." Taeyeon responded softly, then fell silent. She didn't know what to say; she just called Park Ji-hoon after seeing Seohyun return.

Their relationship had gradually improved, but it was only a slight improvement. There had been no real contact, let alone any substantial progress. The few phone calls they had were all initiated by her—she knew Park Ji-hoon was so busy he hardly had time to rest, so she didn't dare call too often.

Sometimes, she envied YoonA and Seohyun! At least YoonA could visit under the pretense of looking for Park Min-young, and she was even more jealous that Seohyun was filming "We Got Married" with Park Ji-hoon.

She had also asked YoonA to invite Park Min-young to their dorm, but Park Min-young always refused.

"How are you?" Park Ji-hoon's words interrupted her thoughts.

"I'm doing pretty well too," Taeyeon quickly replied.

"Okay." Park Ji-hoon responded, then let out a sigh and said, "You don't owe me anything, so there's no need to be so humble! It actually puts a lot of pressure on me." He had mentioned this a few times before, but it didn't seem to have much effect, so this time he decided to express his feelings directly. Each time they talked, he felt an almost tangible pressure.

"Sorry," Taeyeon instinctively apologized.

Park Ji-hoon's brows furrowed involuntarily. He hadn't expected that she would become so sensitive and cautious after being stimulated!

He felt a bit of pain and also some helplessness. The feelings that come from deliberate flattery are not genuine and won't last long.

"By the way! When is your movie coming out? Is the exact date set?" Noticing his silence, Taeyeon quickly changed her tone to a brighter one and asked.

"It's not set yet, but it should be around early August," Park Ji-hoon said. "Once it's confirmed, there will be a press conference."

"Uh-huh." Taeyeon's voice suddenly became low.

"Cough!" After a moment, Park Ji-hoon cleared his throat and said, "If you have time for the VIP premiere..." He understood her meaning.

"I'll definitely go!" Without waiting for him to finish, Taeyeon eagerly responded, her voice suddenly becoming bright and cheerful, like a note jumping on a piano key.

"Uh-huh." Influenced by her mood, the corners of Park Ji-hoon's mouth curled up slightly, and a faint smile appeared. Her joyful face floated in his mind uncontrollably.

"Alright, I won't disturb you anymore." After a few more words, Taeyeon said reluctantly. Each time, she was clearly reluctant, but she always ended the call first.

After speaking, she deliberately waited a moment, hearing the steady breathing from the phone, before hanging up with satisfaction.

"Hee hee..." She suddenly giggled, threw herself onto the bed, and rolled around, hugging a pillow, her hand tightly gripping the phone.

He had invited her himself!

What used to be a trivial matter now felt incredibly precious, and she was overjoyed, as if the whole world had become colorful.

"Taeyeon..." Tiffany said, pushing the door open and seeing her rolling around on the bed like a mischievous child, which made her pause, and she swallowed the rest of her words.

What's going on?

"Pan, what's wrong?" Taeyeon quickly jumped off the bed and asked, her face flushed and her eyes darting, like a lively fish, avoiding her gaze. Such childish behavior was embarrassing.

"Nothing." Tiffany, seeing her tightly gripping the phone, guessed the reason and a hint of joy flashed in her eyes. She waved her hand and said, "I didn't see anything, continue!" It was the first time in the past six months that she had seen her so happy!

Taeyeon pouted and glared at her, then asked, "Continue what?"

"Hee hee..." Tiffany giggled and said, "YoonA bought some snacks, come out and eat with us." Most girls love snacks, and their dorm was full of various snacks.

"Okay." Taeyeon responded and walked out.

"Don't forget to wear your slippers!" Tiffany reminded her.

"Ah!" Taeyeon hurriedly turned back.

In the apartment.

After ending the call with Taeyeon, Park Ji-hoon sat quietly for a moment, then shook his head, cleared his thoughts, and continued revising the script. There are no innate geniuses; to achieve something, one must put in the effort. He was almost entirely focused on his work now.

Not long after, Park Min-young brought in two cups of milk tea and sat beside Park Ji-hoon.

Many aspects of the script needed to be discussed with her.

Time passed unnoticed as they worked.

It wasn't until 1 a.m. that they finally rested.

It took three days, but they finally finished revising the script. However, for Park Ji-hoon, this was not the beginning. The first step would be to find a film company willing to invest in and produce the movie. After all, he had no experience directing a film, and he was still young, so it would be difficult to gain recognition.

He didn't know many people in the industry, so he had to ask Lee Jin-woon for help. Fortunately, Lee Jin-woon was very impressed with him and, after reading the script, agreed to help.

At the same time, he also tried to submit the script to film companies, but when they saw that he wanted to direct it himself, they all rejected it without exception.

A few days later, there was finally some good news! A producer from United Pictures, at Lee Jin-woon's request, agreed to meet with him.

The meeting was scheduled for the evening at a high-end hotel in Cheongdam-dong. Although his life was somewhat tight, he couldn't be stingy with the necessary expenses.

Park Ji-hoon arrived early and reserved a private room.

Not long after, Lee Jin-woon and a middle-aged man arrived. The man had a very "distinctive" appearance: his hair was parted to one side but not neatly, he wore a shirt and jeans, and had a pair of round glasses. His eye sockets were sunken, his eyebrows were short and thick, and his cheeks were slightly sagging, giving the impression that two pieces of meat were hanging from his cheeks.

He seemed difficult to deal with.

"Let me introduce you. This is Mr. Kim Ji-woo, a producer at United Pictures," Lee Jin-woon said, fearing that Park Ji-hoon might be too nervous. "Mr. Kim, this is the lead actor and assistant director of the movie we just shot, Park Ji-hoon."

"Mr. Kim, nice to meet you!" Park Ji-hoon quickly bowed. Regardless of his appearance, his position and status determined the treatment he received.

"Uh-huh." Kim Ji-woo nodded slightly and extended a hand.

Park Ji-hoon quickly extended both hands to shake, a gesture he knew well. His palm felt sweaty and slippery, like holding a piece of raw meat just taken out of water.

However, his face showed no signs of discomfort, and he quickly invited them to sit down and called the waiter to order food.

Lee Jin-woon, knowing his situation, only ordered a few dishes, but Kim Ji-woo didn't hesitate and ordered a full table of expensive dishes.

Park Ji-hoon didn't need to order any more.

"Ji-hoon, did you bring the script?" After the waiter left, Director Lee Jin-woon asked.

"I did!" Park Ji-hoon quickly took the script from his bag, bowed slightly, and handed it to Kim Ji-woo with both hands, saying, "Mr. Kim, please give me your guidance." After ten years in the industry, he wasn't just a fool; he had developed a keen eye for people. This Mr. Kim was very arrogant! So, he spoke very politely.

Kim Ji-woo didn't respond, but lifted a hand and used his thumb and index finger to place the script on the table in front of him.

Park Ji-hoon's eyes twitched, but he quickly concealed it.

Lee Jin-woon also signaled with his eyes that he shouldn't take it to heart. Kim Ji-woo's behavior was actually quite good. In Korea, many superiors and seniors enjoy putting on airs and making things difficult for their subordinates and juniors. This is a kind of "tradition" passed down from generation to generation.

To become a producer at a film company, Kim Ji-woo must have excellent professional knowledge and experience. After a quick flip through the script, his casual expression gradually changed, and he looked at Park Ji-hoon with surprise before continuing to read.

It wasn't until the food and drinks arrived that he put the script aside, not returning it to Park Ji-hoon.

Park Ji-hoon's spirits lifted, and he took the initiative to get up and pour drinks for the two of them.

"Mr. Kim likes to drink, and fortunately, Ji-hoon has a good tolerance," Lee Jin-woon said with a smile. "Ji-hoon, make sure Mr. Kim enjoys himself!"

"Guaranteed!" Park Ji-hoon made a small joke.

"Ha ha..." Surprisingly, Kim Ji-woo even laughed in response.

However, when he raised his glass, Park Ji-hoon realized that Mr. Kim didn't really like drinking; he liked watching others drink! He had seen many such seniors who enjoyed forcing their juniors to drink, and that's how he had developed his tolerance. He didn't expect to encounter such a person again today.

Since he was asking for help, he couldn't refuse and had to act as if he were being generous.

After they were well-fed and drunk, they discussed the script again.

By then, Park Ji-hoon's face was flushed, and his eyes were bleary. Lee Jin-woon had also drunk a lot and occasionally closed his eyes, pushing up his glasses. In contrast, the "very fond of drinking" Kim Ji-woo showed no signs of being drunk.

Kim Ji-woo patted the script in his hand and called out warmly, "Ji-hoon."

Park Ji-hoon quickly straightened up.