Chapter 64

The name "Park Min-ya" has been frequently mentioned in the Girls' Generation dormitory over the past six months.

Beautiful, talented... these topics lost interest after a few discussions, but there was one point that left them unforgettable: her impeccable cooking skills!

Thanks to YoonA's promotion and Jessica's indirect feedback—according to her, her sister was completely "blown away" by Park Min-ya's cooking!

Every time YoonA returned from Park Min-ya's place, she would show off in the dormitory, making the other members' mouths water.

After hearing so much about her, they finally had the chance to taste it!

Several of them gathered around, placing the bag on the coffee table, opening it, and taking out the croquettes and a small bag of sauce.

"Better to dip them in the sauce," Taeyeon reminded them.

"Don't eat them all, girls!" As the youngest member, YoonA ran to the kitchen to get chopsticks and plates, only to see Sooyoung and Hyoyeon already picking up croquettes with their hands, dipping them in the bag, and putting them in their mouths.

Thanks to YoonA's promotion, and because Park Min-ya had prepared dinner in advance to accommodate Taeyeon, it wasn't very late. Previously, the four of them had been discussing what to have for dinner, so how could they not be eager to try the "legendary" croquettes made by Park Min-ya herself?

"Um!" It was clear that Sooyoung and Hyoyeon's eyes lit up after a few chews, and they couldn't help but let out a muffled exclamation!

In unison, no one gave an evaluation but finished the croquettes in their hands in a few bites and reached for more.

After living together for so long, how could they not know each other's habits?

YoonA and Jessica had already reached out before them.

Chopsticks? Not necessary! They had just washed their hands after eating fruit.

"Um!" After taking a bite, YoonA let out the same muffled exclamation as Sooyoung and Hyoyeon, her eyes widening instantly, then half-closing in enjoyment.

Jessica didn't have such an obvious reaction, but her lips were pursed, and her eyebrows raised, looking content. No wonder Krystal always talked about Park Min-ya's cooking!

"Hey! You guys..." Taeyeon called out, seeing them like a gang of robbers, "Leave two for YoonA and Seohyun! Min-ya specifically mentioned them."

However, she found that her words were in vain; the four of them didn't listen at all.

"Did Taeyeon say something?" In just a moment, the ten croquettes were all gone. YoonA sucked her fingertips and turned to ask.

Sooyoung, Hyoyeon, and Jessica all looked up at Taeyeon with blank faces.

"Hey! Min-ya specifically said to leave some for YoonA and Seohyun, you..." Taeyeon said helplessly, "What do I tell YoonA and Seohyun when they come back?"

"Just say we ate them!" Hyoyeon said nonchalantly. They were like family, so such a small issue didn't matter.

"You guys really..." Taeyeon could only shake her head speechlessly.

"I'm hungrier now!" Sooyoung said with a frown. She had three croquettes, but the hunger was only intensified.

"Me too," YoonA chimed in with a pout.

"You two are food gods!" Hyoyeon retorted.

Jessica didn't say anything, but her eyelashes fluttered as she thought about her sister.

Surprisingly delicious! For people who often ate takeout, snacks, and home-cooked meals, Park Min-ya's cooking had a unique appeal, a "home" flavor that even ordinary people could distinguish from restaurant food.

"Let's go have dinner." Sooyoung and the others seemed to have forgotten about Taeyeon's clothes.

However, when the members returned in the evening, Taeyeon realized she was wrong. Sooyoung and the others weren't forgetting; they were deliberately waiting for the others to come back!

"Spill the beans! Where did you go and why did you change your clothes?" The group pressed her with some urgency.

"My clothes got sauce on them when I was eating the croquettes," Taeyeon explained innocently.

"Did you go to Ji-hoon oppa's house?" Tiffany asked in surprise. As Taeyeon's close friend, she didn't know about it!

"Yes! I brought back croquettes made by Min-ya, but Sooyoung, YoonA, Hyoyeon, and Jessica ate them all!" Taeyeon quickly changed the subject.

"Hey!" Tiffany, Sunny, and YoonA exclaimed in unison.

"It's not our fault! Taeyeon only mentioned it after we finished eating," Sooyoung quickly defended.

No matter how much they argued, they couldn't escape the punishment. Especially Sunny, who had never tasted them, was almost going crazy.

While the others were playing around, Seohyun returned to her room to review her studies. However, she couldn't concentrate as usual, her mind constantly drifting to Taeyeon's gentle smile.

This mood carried over to the filming of "We Got Married."

After the last meeting with the Taoist, she had intended to take things further, but now she had taken a step back.

Park Ji-hoon vaguely guessed the reason and didn't push her. Although he wanted to do well in the show, he couldn't demand much from such a pure girl who had never been in love or even had a male friend.

However, the issue that had been troubling him recently showed some signs of improvement. The producer from CJ Group, who had not responded, finally gave an answer and agreed to meet him.

CJ Group, a behemoth, had extended its reach into various aspects of the entertainment industry, including film, television, music, performances, media, and games, making it the undisputed leader in the entertainment world.

As a producer, this person's influence was clearly much greater than Kim Ji-woo's.

It was the same high-end hotel in Cheongdam-dong, the same time in the evening, and Lee Jeong-beom was again introducing them.

"This is Producer Choi Ho-jun, and this is Park Ji-hoon."

The two greeted each other.

Choi Ho-jun exuded an air of arrogance, a common trait among those in higher positions. Humility was just a facade for the media and the public.

Although Park Ji-hoon appeared serious, he was indifferent in his heart—already not expecting much, as he could guess the result from the other's attitude.

Of course, he still had to try.

As expected, Choi Ho-jun also saw the potential in his script. The current trend in the international entertainment industry was a lack of good scripts, not a lack of good actors or directors!

Park Ji-hoon, of course, would not agree to sell the script, leading to a deadlock in negotiations.

Lee Jeong-beom quickly changed the topic, asking Park Ji-hoon to toast.

Fortunately, this person wasn't as narrow-minded as Kim Ji-woo. Perhaps he also saw Park Ji-hoon's talent in writing—Park Ji-hoon didn't mention Park Min-ya—and the atmosphere soon relaxed.

Park Ji-hoon composed himself and chatted with the two. Since he had already given up, he no longer needed to beg or lower himself.

Choi Ho-jun was slightly surprised but didn't change his mind. Although the script was good, Park Ji-hoon's age and experience were issues. In their conversation, he realized that Park Ji-hoon was indeed very talented, knowledgeable, and had his own insights. However, he couldn't take the risk. After all, he was just a producer at CJ Group, not the CEO. If the movie failed, it wouldn't affect CJ Group much, but it would affect him.

One could also say that Park Ji-hoon's connections weren't enough to make him take the risk! Lee Jeong-beom's influence was clearly insufficient.

However, his attitude toward Park Ji-hoon gradually changed. Being able to write such a brilliant script and having such talent, a good image, and excellent communication skills... perhaps, with the right opportunities, he would soar. There were many examples of late bloomers in the entertainment industry, and Park Ji-hoon wasn't that old.

"Young people need to be ambitious, but they also need to be patient," Choi Ho-jun couldn't help but advise. He had heard about Park Ji-hoon's current situation, which could be described as a dilemma due to the rumors. Without special circumstances, it would be almost impossible for him to succeed. Of course, he also hoped that Park Ji-hoon would change his mind and sell the script to him.

"Thank you for your advice, Producer Choi," Park Ji-hoon said with a smile.

"Ah—" Seeing his stubbornness, Choi Ho-jun shook his head in disappointment and regret, then stood up and said, "I'll go to the restroom."

Park Ji-hoon quickly stood up and opened the door for him. When asking for help, one must show the proper attitude, even if the other party hasn't agreed. Moreover, Choi Ho-jun hadn't explicitly refused.

"Ha ha..." Choi Ho-jun laughed, about to say something, but suddenly saw a few people walking by outside. His laughter stopped, and he quickly went out, saying loudly, "Assistant Moon Hye-joo, hello!"

The four people outside paused, and the middle-aged woman with short, neat hair turned her head, seemingly surprised by something, then shifted her gaze and said to Choi Ho-jun, "Mr. Choi, hello!"

"What a coincidence, Assistant Moon is also here for dinner?" Choi Ho-jun, no longer in a hurry to go to the restroom, stood outside and chatted. Although she was just an assistant with little power, getting to know her could still be beneficial.

"Yes." Moon Hye-joo glanced back into the room and then smiled lightly at Choi Ho-jun, "Mr. Choi is here for dinner too?"

"Just discussing some matters," Choi Ho-jun said. It was a common habit in Korean society to boast about being busy!

"Oh." Moon Hye-joo nodded and asked, "Do you know Ji-hoon, Mr. Choi?"

"Ji-hoon?" Choi Ho-jun was slightly taken aback.

"Aunt Moon, hello." Park Ji-hoon appeared behind him at some point.

"Aunt Moon?" Choi Ho-jun turned to look at Park Ji-hoon in surprise. According to his understanding, Park Ji-hoon should have been "clean" and "innocent," so how could he know Moon Hye-joo?