The Sacred Manager Life - Chapter 54

“Juwon is looking at you with those deep eyes. He comes closer, gently brushing your shoulder, and his hand slowly moves down. His hot breath is just barely touching your neck. And then, he starts unbuttoning, one by one…”

Cha Soyeon strokes Ryu Yeoreum’s body as if she were Shin Juwon himself.

“Hah… unnie…”

Unable to take it anymore, Ryu Yeoreum squeezes her knees together, flustered.

“See? Just from talking about it, you’re already… wet.”

“N-no, that’s not…”

“Don’t be embarrassed. I’m wet too.”

Cha Soyeon’s crude words came out without hesitation—completely unfitting of her usual image.

What surprised Ryu Yeoreum more was that it didn’t sound crude at all.

“But unnie, why are you bringing up Manager-nim when we’re talking about actress Han Sora’s love life?”

“I was checking how you feel about Juwon.”

“Checking?”

“Yeah. Just hearing his name makes you react like that. Doesn’t seem like he’s just a ‘thankful manager’ to you, right? Am I wrong?”

“……”

Ryu Yeoreum couldn’t answer so easily.

She wasn’t sure what Cha Soyeon’s true intention behind the question was.

“I want to have Juwon. 

I’ve never been in love before, so I don’t know if this is what it feels like… but I want him to be there when I wake up in the morning, I want to spend the whole day with him, I want him to hold me tight when I go to sleep. 

If this is love… then yeah, I think I’m in love.”

The sudden confession came without warning, leaving Ryu Yeoreum flustered.

“Why…?”

“Hm?”

“Why are you telling me this?”

Ryu Yeoreum stared straight at Cha Soyeon.

“That’s a confession, isn’t it? A confession should be made to that person. Even if you’ve never been in love, you know that much, don’t you?”

She knew she shouldn’t say it like that—but the words came out sharper than she intended.

“I will tell him eventually. But Juwon told me to be thoughtful about things like that. So I’m waiting until I can say it in a situation where he’ll understand it 100%.”

“……”

Something in Ryu Yeoreum’s heart ached—as if the story had moved ahead without her knowing.

“I’ve said everything in my heart… What about you? Are you just going to leave him as the ‘grateful manager’ who led you from flop idol to success? Is it okay if I take him? Are you sure you won’t regret it later?”

It was a question that bordered on provocation.

And in that corner of her heart that had been aching, a flame ignited.

“No! Manager-nim isn’t just someone I’m grateful to. He changed my life, and the girls’ lives too—and he’s still changing them. I… I like Manager-nim…”

“You should say it all the way. I couldn’t hear you.”

Seeing Cha Soyeon’s playful expression, Ryu Yeoreum finally exploded.

“I said I like him! Just like you, I want to see him when I wake up, spend the whole day with him, and sleep together! I want to have him… No, I want him to have me!!”

Suddenly, Cha Soyeon grabbed Ryu Yeoreum’s hand tightly.

“Yes, that’s it! You have to like him just as much as I do, or our dynamic won’t be complete.”

“Wh-what?”

“You have to appeal to Juwon somehow and win him over before I do. You’re thinking, ‘I’m not going to lose. I’ll win no matter what it takes,’ right?”

“Y-yeah…”

Now that the love triangle had been clearly established, Ryu Yeoreum thought—all that’s left is to win.

“Since it’s a triangle, of course there’ll be a winner and a loser. But Sora unnie managed to create a triangle without a loser. That’s what I wanted to talk about, and why I checked your feelings.”

Ryu Yeoreum stared at Cha Soyeon blankly, unsure how to respond.

A love triangle without a loser? 

She’d never even considered such a thing.

“Earlier, you asked Sora unnie if she had a boyfriend, right? She does. You’ll be shocked when you hear who it is.”

Cha Soyeon beamed with a bright smile.

*

“Actor Byun Hajin?”

It was surprising, but also someone she could accept.

He was a stunningly handsome actor known for his brilliant performances since childhood.

To be with Han Sora, someone like that made sense.

“They’re childhood friends. Met when they were six. Even during the ten years she lived in the U.S., she said she never forgot him for a second. They’re living together in the U.S. now. Don’t they make a good couple?”

“Yeah. I mean, it’s Byun Hajin. He’s incredibly handsome. He and Han Sora seem like a perfect match.”

It was a massive revelation.

Han Sora and Byun Hajin living together?

“But unnie, is it really okay for you to tell me something this huge?”

“You’re in the same boat as me now. It’s fine. And anyway, I haven’t even told you the real bombshell yet.”

“There’s something bigger than that?”

“Yep. Hajin oppa has another lover.”

Ding~.

It was as if a thousand bells rang around them.

Just as Cha Soyeon said—it was an earth-shattering reveal.

Even having Han Sora wasn’t enough? 

There was another woman?

“So he’s two-timing…?”

“Nope. Sora unnie gave her blessing, so it’s not cheating. The three of them chose to live together.”

Ryu Yeoreum’s thoughts couldn’t keep up with Cha Soyeon’s words.

Han Sora allowed another lover?

How was that even possible?

“You’ll be even more shocked when you hear who it is.”

“Who? Who could Han Sora possibly…?”

“Oh Yujin. You know Clover Day, right?”

Cha Soyeon’s next words didn’t even register.

The moment she heard Oh Yujin, her mind went completely blank.

That the other person in this ridiculous relationship was Oh Yujin—unbelievable!

A moment later, Ryu Yeoreum’s shriek echoed through the living room.

*

“You’ll wake the kids.”

“Th-th-this is insane! How can Han Sora, Oh Yujin, and Byun Hajin… live together? How can one man live with two women?!”

“It’s the truth. And if you really don’t believe it, I’ll let you talk to Sora unnie later.”

At those words, Ryu Yeoreum fell silent.

If she was going to hear it directly from the person involved, what more could she say?

“The three of them were childhood friends caught in a love triangle. Until they became adults, both Sora unnie and Yujin unnie couldn’t give up on Hajin oppa, and Hajin oppa just couldn’t choose between the two.”

“And so they’re just living together?”

“A lot happened, but eventually both families agreed to let them go to the U.S. under watch. And now that they have a kid, it’s basically been accepted.”

“A-a kid too?!”

“Well yeah, they’re adults—did you think they just held hands and went to sleep? Can you honestly say you could resist if you were in bed with Juwon?”

“T-that’s…”

At Cha Soyeon’s comment, Ryu Yeoreum’s face turned bright red.

She was picturing Shin Juwon’s thick arms and broad shoulders.

“Right? I mean… there are condoms…”

At Ryu Yeoreum’s simple-minded rebuttal, Cha Soyeon gave a wry smile.

“Of course there are. But imagine this: Juwon is holding you tight and says, ‘I wish we had a daughter who looked just like you, Yeoreum.’ Still think you’d use a condom?”

With a groan, Ryu Yeoreum crumbled.

“This is what I meant by a love triangle with no loser. 

If you asked Sora unnie right now, she’d tell you she’s so happy she doesn’t know what to do with herself. 

It’s not a marriage, and they can’t even tell people about their weird relationship, but they’re genuinely happy.”

At first, when she heard it, Ryu Yeoreum felt dizzy, like her common sense had been shattered. 

But seeing Cha Soyeon speak so fondly about their life in America made her heart calm a little.

If they truly loved each other like that, who was she to deny or judge it?

‘It’s not like I’d ever be in a relationship like that… Wait!’

“Unnie, just a crazy thought but…”

“Yeah?”

“Did you tell me all this because… you’re thinking me, you, and the manager might end up in that kind of relationship too?”

“Yup.”

“You—you’re insane! Seriously!”

Ryu Yeoreum nearly collapsed at Cha Soyeon’s casual tone, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

*

“Well, if you gave up, I’d gladly take him. But if neither of us gives up, and Juwon can’t choose either of us, we’ll just be stuck. In that case, do you have a better solution than this?”

“No matter what, how can you share a man? Can you really just sit by and watch the manager love me, unnie?”

“Is it just cuddling sweetly? Or is it sex?”

Pffft~.

Cha Soyeon’s intense provocation pushed Ryu Yeoreum past her mental limit.

“Sora unnie said it’s even more thrilling with three people, and there’s no room for monotony. But since neither of us has any experience, I guess we’ll find out later.”

“Why do you keep talking like it’s already been decided?! I never said I’d do it!”

“Then I’ll go first. You can just watch.”

“Ugh! You keep…!”

The more they talked, the more Ryu Yeoreum found herself getting swept up by Cha Soyeon.

“I’m saying this because I like you. I’m really into Juwon, but if he ends up with me, you’ll have to give up. And vice versa. With Juwon’s personality, he’d have a hard time choosing. So I thought, maybe this could be a good solution.”

“……”

“I also don’t want to hurt you.”

“You talk like you’re definitely going to win.”

“Because Juwon and I have a special relationship.”

“A special relationship?”

“Yeah, special. We can see and feel things that other people can’t. It’s hard to explain, so just take it as it is.”

She said it vaguely, thinking Yeoreum wouldn’t believe her if she went into detail about their connection through the “grace.” 

It was meant to hint at their closeness without going too deep.

However, Ryu Yeoreum’s expression changed—slightly… no, quite significantly.

“Wait… unnie, do you also… see light around the manager?”