Jeon Hae-in, Park Si-yeon, and Lim Jae-eun were waiting in the room, their eyes widening as Ara walked in wearing an oversized, white cartoon hoodie.
Park Si-yeon stared at the hoodie in surprise. "What are you wearing? This is not okay—it will affect your image!"
Ara waved her off. "Relax. I was caught by paparazzi during a secret mall visit. Someone helped me hide by lending me this hoodie."
"Who was it?" Jeon Hae-in asked immediately.
"It was someone I know," Ara replied vaguely.
Hae-in nodded, thinking professionally. "If it was a fan, should I send some signed shirts or movie tickets to him as a thank you?"
Ara paused, thinking of Jin-woo. He didn't seem like the type to care for movies. "Never mind. I don't think he would like that."
Lim Jae-eun looked startled. "He? Ara, you cannot have a scandal right now. There are far too many projects in the pipeline."
Seeing her reaction, Ara laughed. "Oh, come on! There is nothing between us. He was just an acquaintance."
The three women sighed in relief. Having worked with Ara since she was a rookie in the entertainment industry, they were fiercely protective of her and stayed vigilant to avoid unnecessary scandals.
"Where are the others?" Ara asked, looking around the room.
"Some were exhausted, and others already had previous commitments," Hae-in replied.
Ara nodded. "Okay, so what is the plan for today?"
"Nothing much, since it's a rest day," Jae-eun said. "We were just relaxing. Tell me, are you ready to take on a new role, or are you still reading scripts?"
Ara exhaled loudly, sprawling across the sofa. "I don't know. After working for this long, some scripts are starting to feel repetitive. The fresh ones are risky and have low budgets. You guys should look through them and tell me what you think."
The girls nodded in agreement; they had been feeling the same way. Suddenly, Jae-eun spoke up. "What about working on a TV show?"
Ara looked up, interested. "Do you have one in mind?"
Jae-eun hesitated before answering. "There's a new show coming out called Celebrity at Your Service. The premise is that famous actors and actresses work as secretaries for wealthy individuals. What do you think?"
Ara sat up straight, intrigued. It was a fresh idea and far more interesting than the usual offers. It involved real work that people did in their daily lives. "I think it could be done. Who is in charge of the drama?"
"I'll ask my friend and get the details," Jae-eun promised.
"Did you guys order anything, or were you just waiting for me?" Ara asked.
"We were waiting for you, but we were also gossiping about something interesting," Hae-in teased.
Ara leaned in. "What were you girls gossiping about? Tell me."
Park Si-yeon looked at the others. "We were talking about Mr. Cha Tae-jun. He's been in the news lately because of the Fire Festival and the influx of international guests staying at his hotel."
"Ara, don't you think he is handsome, rich, and polite?" Hae-in added. "He's like a real-life hero."
Hearing his name, Ara's mind drifted back to the night she and Tae-jun had fallen asleep near the hotel pool. Seeing her dazed expression, Hae-in shook her gently. "Ara? What happened?"
"Oh, nothing," Ara said, snapping out of it.
"Did you meet Tae-jun at Jeju Island when you went there with your brother?" Si-yeon asked eagerly. "What is he actually like in real life?"
Ara thought back to their conversations. "He's a bit of a 'hard-front' guy."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean, he handles everything professionally, but he doesn't talk informally or joke with his staff," Ara explained.
Jae-eun nodded. "That makes sense. He keeps clear boundaries, which isn't a bad thing."
Ara teased her, "Does that mean I'm bad because I talk to you all like friends?"
Jae-eun shook her head quickly. "It's not like that! In the entertainment industry, we spend so much time traveling and working together that constant communication is non-negotiable. In a conglomerate, you don't talk much with most of the staff. Usually, only the secretaries interact with the upper management."
"You're right," Ara agreed. "But let's stop talking about work. Let's order!"
They looked over the menu. "I'll have the strawberry pastry and mango juice," Jae-eun decided.
"Tiramisu and a hot coffee for me," Si-yeon added.
"I'll take the spicy tteokbokki and a cola," said Hae-in.
Ara pressed the call button, and a staff member arrived to take the order. When the food arrived, the girls began to enjoy their treats.
"Ara, aren't you eating?" Si-yeon asked.
"No, I ate before I came here," Ara replied.
They spent the rest of the time bonding, reminiscing about past projects, and discussing the future. As the day wound down, they said their goodbyes and headed their separate ways.
As Ara began the walk toward her home, she noticed a sound behind her. Someone was following her. She increased her pace, but the person behind her sped up too. Panic flared in her chest. Knowing Cha Tae-jun lived nearby, she quickly pulled out her phone and dialed his number.
"Hello?" Tae-jun's voice came through, steady and comforting.
"Hello, Tae-jun? Can you come to the road between the club cafe and our locality? Someone is following me."
Tae-jun's tone immediately turned serious. "What happened? Where exactly are you?"
"Just come to the road near our neighborhood. There's no one else out here."
"Wait, I'm coming. I'm already outside; I'll be there in a minute," Tae-jun said firmly. "Keep the phone on and walk fast."
"Okay," Ara whispered.
She tried to move faster, but the shadow behind her was quicker. Within seconds, the stalker caught up. Ara swung her bag to hit him, but he dodged it easily. Before she could scream, he pressed a handkerchief over her face. The chemical scent hit her instantly, and her world began to spin.
As she struggled, a sharp voice pierced the air. "What are you doing? Leave her!"
A pair of strong hands supported her just as her knees gave way. The person who caught her looked up at the criminal, who was hidden behind a black cap and face mask.
The rescuer gently lowered Ara to the ground and took off after the attacker. The criminal bolted into the nearby alleys, trying to lose his pursuer, but the man stayed right on his heels. Finally, they reached a dead end. The criminal tried to fight his way out with boxing moves, but he was easily subdued.
"Do you even know how many scums like you I've caught trying to harm women?" the man growled, pinning him down.
He called the police and dragged the criminal back to the main road. While keeping the attacker bound, he checked on Ara. When the police arrived to take the man away, the rescuer lifted Ara into a princess carry before put her in the car and rushed her toward the hospital.