It was a staring contest – and Min Ho had no intentions of losing. He was looking into his manager’s eyes as they sat face to face over the dining table. No one breathed a word, no one touched their coffee or food. This was a matter of pride. The first to buckle was the lesser man.
Min Ho put everything he learned about intimidation and acting into it. This ahjussi doesn’t stand a chance. A few moments later, his manager sighed as he slouched and looked away.
‘HA!’ Min Ho clapped his hands once and smirked. He grabbed his mug and smiled after sipping his first caffeine intake for the day.
‘Jashik. You should know how crucial this time is. It’s your biggest role to date. You already got what you wanted from Heirs – everyone’s attention. Now all eyes are on you, just like you planned. Are you really going to risk all that?’
Min Ho eyed his manager and realized he hasn’t seen him this genuinely concerned in a long time. He put down his mug and leaned his elbows on the table. ‘Hyung, how is all that related to my personal life? Of course I know how important this is. I know what this role means. That will never change,’ he told him sincerely. He needed to make him understand.
His manager rubbed his temples in frustration. ‘Will you at least tell me who it is?’
Min Ho shook his head.
‘It’s Park Shin Hye isn’t it?’
‘No. Why does everyone keep asking me that?’ Min Ho didn’t bat an eyelid, his gaze still fixed on the man. He seemed to believe it.
‘Then who is it? One of the other girls?’
Min Ho knew he was talking about his other co-stars. He kept silent and shook his head again. This time, he pulled his rice bowl and started eating. ‘Let’s drop this and just eat.’
‘If you don’t tell me, I’m going to tell the agency.’
Min Ho’s eyes widened. ‘Hyung! You wouldn’t.’
‘I will. I really will. You know I’m not bluffing, Min Ho-yah. They have to know,’ his manager threatened. It dawned on Min Ho that in his relationship with his manager, the man will always have the upper hand over him.
He put his spoon down and stood up, his hands on his waist.
‘Hyung, I’m an honest, tax-paying citizen of the Republic of Korea. You have no idea how much money I’m contributing to the economy. I have rights! Can’t I at least have my privacy? It's bad enough that all my actions have to be limited, do I have to tell everyone my business, too?’ He didn't mean to get into an argument with his manager, but this time he was starting to feel like he needed to speak his mind.
His manager looked at him, his face stoic. ‘Ya, ima. You gave up your right to privacy the moment you decided to become an actor.’
Min Ho bit his lip as he processed his words. He knew, deep down, that his manager was right, but why did he feel so wronged? He wasn’t anyone’s property. He sat down and raked his hand through his hair, aggravated.
‘It’s unfair, but this was your choice. I’m not saying don’t date forever. I’m just saying this isn’t the right time. As a matter of fact, this is the worst time. You should be focusing on your career.’
Min Ho looked up. ‘No. I’ll do what I want because no matter what anybody says, this is still my life,’ he said firmly. ‘Nobody gets to tell me what to do.’ He was angry now. He wasn’t giving up Shin Hye just because people around him think he needs to play it safe. She means too much.
His manager scoffed. ‘How about that girl’s life? Did you ever stop to think about that? If it’s just an unknown person then maybe it could work. But she’s not an ordinary girl, is she?’
Min Ho didn’t say anything and just looked at his manager’s face.
‘If it’s an idol or a lesser celebrity, your fans will rip her apart. Who knows if she’ll ever recover. And even if she does, people will never forget,’ he continued. ‘And if she’s someone famous – let’s say a star just like you, well… I don’t need to tell you what happens next, do I?’ He paused, as if giving Min Ho time to let his words sink in.
‘Don’t risk it for a fleeting feeling. It’s not worth it.’
Min Ho balled his fists under the table and clenched his jaw. He wanted to walk out of that conversation. He didn’t need to hear this from anyone who wasn’t in his position. He hated it when people would talk like they knew what he was going through, when they will never even begin to understand anything from his point of view. He was always tired and restless. He hasn’t felt alive in a long, long time. The brief moments of happiness he felt in the last months were because of this girl his manager is saying isn’t ‘worth it’.
Min Ho looked at him, enraged as hell, but he knew that he only wants what’s best for him. What his manager doesn’t understand is that what’s best for him is to be with her. He couldn’t be without her anymore. It’s too late for that.
He hung his head low and tried to calm down. ‘Hyung. This is different,’ he muttered. ‘She’s different. I can’t—I just can’t.’
He heard his manager sigh. ‘Fine. Then you better be ready to deal with the consequences of your choice.’