Chapter 656

Watching Jo Eunnara and Han Yohan blow up like they were going berserk was driving the <Assistant Manager Kim’s Survival Guide> team insane.

The amount of buzz was absurd. They were swallowing up everything from portal sites and communities to social media.

“Ah, these fucking lunatics....”

“Cowards, stripping off their clothes?”

“Playing dirty by shoving their faces at us?”

They opened the entrance with Han Yohan’s shower scene, then blocked the exit with a close-up of Jo Eunnara’s face, leaving absolutely no way to steal the audience back.

“Check the views!”

PR 1’s mouth was going dry. No matter how much they pushed Noh Seungchan and Goo Minho, the engines themselves were on completely different levels.

While their side was desperately pushing a motorcycle engine to top speed, the other side felt like it was chasing them with a helicopter engine.

INTUBE

[Han Yohan??Han Yeoreum’s Chemistry Is Already Insane in Code Name: Time Seven] 03:28

312,445 views

[I DON’T KNOW JUST LET THE THREE OF THEM LIVE TOGETHER DON’T BREAK UP DON’T DIE JUST LIVE TOGETHER I DON’T NEED TO HEAR ANYTHING ELSE DON’T ARGUE?Code Name: Time Seven] 05:11

461,229 views

[<Code Name: Time Seven> Han Yohan, Han Yeoreum & Jo Eunnara Being Adorable Together on the Russia Set Compilation.zip (????????? )] 10:09

561,246 views

“This is fucking insane....”

Not only the accounts created by drama addicts, but even the making-of videos uploaded to KBC’s official account were exploding in views.

They couldn’t even bring themselves to monitor the number of comments.

“Looking at the preview, apparently they’ll even start wearing tactical gear next week....”

And <Code Name: Time Seven> seemed determined to exploit Han Yohan and Jo Eunnara to the absolute fullest.

“Hey, use suits on our side too!”

“We’ll show them what the fantasy of an office drama really is!”

“What was that thing? Push the boyfriend-material angle!”

Having abruptly fallen to last place among the three broadcasters, the <Assistant Manager Kim’s Survival Guide> team decided to capture women’s hearts from a different direction.

[HOT/ The Unicorn-Type Male Coworker Who Apparently Never Exists in Real Life.jpg]

Neat shirt + tie + expensive cologne

(Goo Minho checking his outfit in the mirror.jpg)

And that broad back when he takes someone else’s workload off their hands...///

(Goo Minho from behind, holding a mouse.jpg)

I have a bit of a men-in-dress-shoes thing.

(Goo Minho and Noh Seungchan’s dress shoes.jpg)

A man who puts the cup sleeve + straw on for the woman first during coffee breaks

(Goo Minho screenshot.jpg)

A man who taps a stack of copy paper to straighten the edges before handing it over

(Goo Minho screenshot.jpg)

A man who lets the woman enter the elevator first

(Goo Minho screenshot.jpg)

I like men like that...

-Anonymous 1: Fuck, if he existed in real life I’d have three office romances and then quit

? Anonymous 5: 222 lololol I’d seriously go to every company dinner solely for the man

-Anonymous 28: A flat stomach doesn’t exist in the first place...

-Anonymous 53: His suit fit is seriously driving me insane, my tired-office-worker fetish is awakening?

-Anonymous 89: It’s clearly an office drama but we’re squeezing real-life butterflies out of it

? Anonymous 132: Fr there’s nothing we can do about this

? Anonymous 145: They started it over there first

The response was as good as expected.

“Change Seungchan’s suit sponsorship schedule too, and tell them to pay attention to those scenes!”

PR 1 decided to push this angle.

* * *

Filming had started early that morning, and both the staff and actors were counting down the minutes until mealtime.

That was when a man dressed head to toe in another flashy, vivid hot-pink suit barged in.

“Been a while, huh?”

Along with the flashiest catering truck anyone had ever seen.

“Hello, our Yeoreum. Hahaha.”

Shin Seojin walked in smiling as well, wearing black-rimmed glasses and a V-neck knit that looked casually thrown on despite obviously having been carefully styled.

[For the Happy Filming of the <Code Name: Time Seven> Team

Shin Seojin Is Treating]

“W-What is that smell?”

“It smells like... meat, but... it’s not spicy pork?”

Overwhelmed by the sheer scale of it, the staff wandered toward the catering truck in a daze.

[SO YOU’RE THE BRAT MY MASTER RAISED!!!]

[GOOD TO MEET YOU!!!]

“That’s Taejin, the man who opened up a whole new frontier for second male leads, isn’t it? Of course, he can’t compare to Master, but apparently people call me the Pythagoras, Euclid, or Pascal of the drama industry who creates perfect triangles too? I don’t really know, but that’s what people say. They say only Eunnara can break Taejin’s record.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Director Ja. It’s an honor to be able to visit the set. Hahaha.”

Shin Seojin greeted Ja Sokhwan’s disciples with his easygoing smile. Meanwhile, I was horrified by the sheer scale of the catering.

“Senior! Are you insane?”

“Hahaha. What? This is nothing.”

That’s right. This crazy senior had brought a wedding-style catered buffet as his food truck menu.

Grilled salmon with asparagus, jumbo shrimp lemon salad, caprese and rice noodles, omelets made fresh on the spot, plus beef topped with truffle oil and braised short ribs.

Galdaeguk practically jumped up and down with joy.

[EVERYONE, EAT AND DRINK TO YOUR HEART’S CONTENT!!!]

“YOUR COMMAND!!!”

The staff worshiped Shin Seojin as well. But perhaps because there were far too many men, Shin Seojin didn’t look particularly happy about it.

He stared soullessly at the men devouring their meals.

“I made far more than I deserved while touring overseas for fan meetings.... I might never be that popular again, so think of this as the last time and eat as much as you want, Yeoreum....”

Shin Seojin’s self-esteem had fallen considerably.

While he had been away from Korea, the disaster known as Myeong Jeha had struck, Yun Hyeonjo had carved out an entirely new market, the punk rookie Joo Junseo had appeared, and now Han Yohan and Jo Eunnara had stormed in too.

I could roughly imagine how hard it must have been for him in a faraway foreign land.

“Senior, men without confidence have a hard time being popular with women. Get a grip.”

“That thought is the only reason I’ve managed to hold on this long.”

Shin Seojin held out the abalone porridge he had prepared separately.

He seemed terribly sorry that he hadn’t been able to visit me in the hospital because he had been overseas. The moment I took a bite, I couldn’t help but marvel at the taste.

“Senior, did your cooking get even better?”

“Well, I’ve got to at least be good at making food. Hahaha.”

“Don’t tell me you caught the abalone yourself too...?”

Given his current mental state, I couldn’t rule out the possibility that he had dived into the sea out of emotional anguish and changed his entire strategy to becoming a man who caught abalone for women.

But Shin Seojin answered firmly.

“Men who fish aren’t popular with women. I bought those at Noryangjin.”

“Ahhh—.”

“You think I’d take up fishing, the number one hobby women hate in men? Hahaha. I haven’t fallen that far, Yeoreum.”

Right. Shin Seojin was still the gentleman among gentlemen.

Looking closely, he was remarkably well-maintained for someone who had just returned from an overseas tour. Apparently, he had exercised whenever things got hard....

“Um, Senior....”

“Yeah?”

But I had no choice but to issue a disaster warning to Shin Seojin, who had only just managed to pull himself together.

“Stay strong....”

“What? What other misfortune could possibly be waiting to strike me now?”

“N-No. I mean, stay strong so you can make this for me again next time....”

I couldn’t bring myself to tell him.

Shin Seojin smiled and said he’d make it for me anytime.

I gestured to Jo Eunnara in the distance as well. From what I’d seen so far, Jo Eunnara seemed perfectly capable of answering when someone spoke to her first, but she couldn’t bring herself to join a conversation on her own.

Even though we were one.

‘Seriously, how can she be that innocent....’

Considering her childhood growing up alongside Eun Baekhap, it wasn’t surprising that she was so soft-hearted, shy, and incapable of calculating these things.

But this set was being personally watched over and managed by the KBC director, meaning it was filled exclusively with carefully selected, highly skilled staff members.

In other words, this was practically a land of opportunity where anyone who made it big could potentially cast Jo Eunnara in their next project.

And she didn’t even know how to turn mealtime into a stepping stone toward her next project.

‘I should help her out a little.’

Seeing her live while carrying so much misfortune on her shoulders reminded me of the old Han Yeoreum so much that tears nearly blurred my vision.

The innocent Jo Eunnara came over.

“Beopbeop!”

Beopsun, who had been sitting beside me, wagged her tail at Jo Eunnara.

“Does she bite?”

“No, she doesn’t.”

“That there is a demon dog!!! Be careful or she’ll bite your hand clean off!”

The head of Management Yeonggwang, who had been refilling Galdaeguk and Ma Eungyo’s plates with meat, shouted.

But Jo Eunnara seemed to like dogs.

She cautiously held out her hand and let Beopsun sniff it.

After sniffing Jo Eunnara a few times, however, Beopsun apparently lost interest, hopped off the chair, and went on her way.

She really was a dog with very firm preferences.

“Uh....”

I comforted Jo Eunnara as she followed Beopsun with slightly wounded eyes.

“Beopsun kind of only likes... puppy-faced people?”

“Ah. So that’s why....”

Jo Eunnara nodded as though she understood and quietly continued eating.

Jo Eunnara’s profile, looking slightly hurt, was truly the best.

‘Just a tiny preview spoonful of the scene we’re filming later is already making my heart swell....’

Inside Han Yeoreum’s mercenary calculator, Jo Eunnara’s face was practically a multiplier. Whatever you paired it with, it would multiply the effect several times over.

As it was, all the buzz was already concentrating on Han Yohan and Jo Eunnara.

‘I can’t just keep watching this happen.’

I was going to wedge myself right between them.

I couldn’t even begin to describe how jealous I’d been of Eun Baekhap, who played the adult Yeon Huijae in <The Great Garland>.

The central axis of the perfect triangle.

Just thinking that Han Yeoreum’s Im Ria would now be taking that position made a smile rise naturally to my lips.

“You gonna get any strength from eating nothing but porridge? What’re we gonna do about this?”

Before I knew it, the head of Management Yeonggwang had come over and was endlessly refilling my plate with braised short ribs.

The look he gave me was even warmer than those of the JC ENM employees.

“Pretty little thing....”

“Please say things like that louder.”

“Fine, you little puppy! You’re so damn cute I could die. So damn pretty I could die! I knew our new-baby-melon-bun would lift Yohan up, I did! I got the feeling from the very first time we met!”

Why was there a word I’d never seen before in front of baby melon bun?

Still, I could understand why he was this moved.

‘One conversation was enough for viewers to start shipping Taeo and Ria already.’

It was the first time anything like this had ever happened in the filmography of Han Yohan, the Grim Reaper of Romance.

“Eat plenty, new baby. Hm? I packed some separately over there, so take it home with you.”

The head of Management Yeonggwang tightly hugged my head.

* * *

‘They’re already talking about marriage and shit, fuck....’

Jo Eunnara nearly dropped her spoon.

‘Is this seriously okay to do on a set? Seriously?’

Watching even the head of the management company come over and dote on Han Yeoreum left her dumbfounded.

He was cherishing his daughter-in-law as though afraid the wind might blow her away.

‘They’re going this far and being this obvious while trying to fool me. This is fucking ridiculous....’

The dating rumors between Han Yeoreum and Han Yohan really were true.

No matter how thoroughly the staff treated Jo Eunnara as a complete outsider and tried to deceive her, the head of Management Yeonggwang was careless.

Once again, she firmly swore that she would never, ever, truly never trust anyone again.

Even the dog called Beopsun made it obvious at a glance.

Of course, Jo Eunnara wasn’t particularly popular with animals to begin with, but even setting that aside, Beopsun showed little interest in most other people while being exceptionally fond of Han Yeoreum.

It had to be because Han Yohan and Han Yeoreum met often.

‘Like a dog gives a shit about someone’s face.’

Meanwhile, Shin Seojin, sitting across from her, was keeping her in check.

Jo Eunnara could tell immediately. Everyone else in the world might be fooled, but her eyes couldn’t be.

‘What the fuck are you glaring at?’

It was obvious he was sizing her up behind that smiling face.

He was probably checking whether Jo Eunnara had feelings for Han Yeoreum too.

‘He acts all friendly and smiles like he’s such a nice guy, but he’s definitely not just some harmless good-natured type. One look at him and you can tell his brain works fast, and he’s the kind of person who only feels comfortable when he has everyone above and below him dancing in the palm of his hand.’

In other words, he was the type who was good at office politics and reading the board.

‘Doesn’t seem like he has zero feelings for her either... He probably thinks it’s not the right time yet, so he’s occupying the comfortably close older-brother position until the timing is right, then he’ll make his move. Fuck, does this bastard have no conscience? He knows perfectly well they’re dating and he’s still waiting for them to break up.’

He was obviously the jealous type too, even if he didn’t show it, the kind who would constantly fret and feel insecure.

He was only a level above that bastard from last time. He couldn’t compare to a secure type like Han Yohan.

Even while Han Yohan sat off by himself eating unseasoned chicken breast because of his strict diet, he shared a bite with the dog.

There really was no comparison.

‘Stop fucking smiling....’

Shin Seojin watched Han Yeoreum finish every last bit of her porridge with a satisfied smile. Just then, Shin Seojin’s phone lit up with a notification.

At that moment, Jo Eunnara caught sight of it.

His wallpaper was a photo of Han Yeoreum.

‘Please, just fucking stop....’

Amid the laughing, chattering staff, Jo Eunnara sat there with a gloomy expression, wishing Shin Seojin would hurry up and fuck off.

* * *

Still, it was strange.

Even though Han Yeoreum had a boyfriend, Jo Eunnara couldn’t understand why lunatics who liked her kept popping up everywhere.

‘It’s not like she really leads anyone on....’

Han Yeoreum practically lived with her phone in her hand, but if you looked closely, she wasn’t actually messaging anyone.

She wasn’t a typer. She was a professional scroller.

Han Yeoreum did nothing but browse her own fan accounts, check her fan café, look through ordinary people’s reactions on Intube and social media, and, once dawn came, read through the private fan accounts she had successfully infiltrated.

‘Then what the hell do they like so much about her?’

Of course, contrary to Jo Eunnara’s earlier judgment, Han Yeoreum did seem good at taking care of people and had a somewhat innocent side to her.

But that alone couldn’t possibly explain why so many bastards were after her.

There had to be at least a few more hiding their ulterior motives and waiting for an opening.

‘She eats well, likes fooling around, smiles a lot. And, well, she works hard too.’

The meal had ended, and the set was busy being prepared for filming.

Jo Eunnara stared silently at Han Yeoreum.

She seemed to be uploading proof of the catering truck to her Story.

‘I really don’t get it....’

Just then, Han Yeoreum raised her head.

Their eyes met.

Han Yeoreum beckoned to her.

“Senior! Should we start rehearsing now? Let’s just check our angles once.”

“Sure, well... okay.”

Jo Eunnara headed over to Han Yeoreum.

The scene they were about to film was one where Ria stood on tiptoe trying to retrieve a file from a shelf, and V reached over from behind her to take it down as though embracing her.