Chapter 163: Strong Woman (2)

There were still around thirty minutes left until the shoot would begin, but Kang Ra-Eun repeatedly checked the time on her smartphone as if she was waiting for someone.

‘What’s taking her so long?’

She had one leg over the other and was softly biting on her long nail before she had realized it. It was a habit that she had picked up after becoming a woman, along with twisting around the ends of her hair with her finger.

After around five minutes had passed, Director Do Hye-Yeong, Ra-Eun’s close associate, rushed into the fitness center... which had been transformed into a set for Star-log just for today.

“I’m so sorry for being late, Chairwoman. The company car battery died all of a sudden, so... I had to grab a taxi.”

“It’s fine. There’s still a long way until the shoot begins.”

Ra-Eun was satisfied enough that Hye-Yeong had arrived before then. Hye-Yeong took something out of her bag and handed it to Ra-Eun. The eyes of the Star-log program director and the other staff members were fixed on the trade between the two women.

The director asked, “What’s that, Ra-Eun?”

“Oh, this?” Ra-Eun said as she tore the silver vinyl packing that she had received from Hye-Yeong.

Inside of it were...

“Our company’s latest products,” Ra-Eun expressed.

They were female sportswear that Levanche had newly released. A tight top that exposed one’s stomach, leggings that Ra-Eun commonly wore, and sneakers that had just the right amount of white and yellow added together.

“Oh, these must be the clothes that you’d mentioned before,” the director said.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Since she was going to make an appearance on a show with high ratings, she thought she might as well use this opportunity to promote her business. In this day and age, the clothes that a popular celebrity wore, their lipstick and manicure all became massive topics among the public.

Hence, Ra-Eun had asked if it would be okay for her to advertise her company’s products in exchange for appearing on the show, and the Star-log production team immediately agreed. There was no need for her to explain the products like she was in a televised home shopping channel; all she needed to do was to work out in the sportswear, since her simply wearing them was enough advertisement.

“Please excuse me as I get changed, then,” Ra-Eun expressed.

“Understood,” the director remarked.

Ra-Eun headed to the female changing room and returned shortly after. The eyes of staff members, especially the male ones, lit up as soon as they saw her. All eyes were on her figure. It was neither too thick nor too slim, a perfectly proportioned body.

A fitness trainer approached the program director, who was blankly looking at Ra-Eun stretching, and whispered, “Our fitness center sales have skyrocketed thanks to Miss Kang.”

The program director nodded in strong understanding and replied, “I can see why.”

Even he would have purchased a membership if he lived near the area.

***

Je-Woon arrived at the fitness center right on time and greeted Ra-Eun as if it had been a complete coincidence.

“Huh? Ra-Eun! What are you doing here?”

“Hello, sunbae! I’m here to work out, of course.”

Their expressions and actions did not feel scripted at all because they were both actors. The camera quickly filmed Ra-Eun during their conversation since she was a top star with popularity on par with Je-Woon. They had worked out together many times, but this was the first time that their workout had been filmed and would be broadcasted to the public.

The program director smiled in great satisfaction as he watched Je-Woon and Ra-Eun, two beautiful people, chummily exercising together. It was enough to satisfy all audiences, male or female.

They decided to do deadlifts, an exercise that activated the muscles on the posterior side of the body. Je-Woon got into position in front of the barbell first. He lowered his stance, gripped the bar tight and raised it up.

“Hup... Haah!”

His arm muscles bulged out, and his glutes and hamstrings overflowed with power. He performed a few more reps.

“I’ll go next,” Ra-Eun stated.

She personally wanted to lift the same amount as Je-Woon, but it was physically impossible considering the difference between their physiques. Their muscle mass was so different that Ra-Eun had no choice but to take off a plate. Je-Woon also helped her take them out from both sides. But despite that, she was challenging quite a heavy weight for a woman.

“Are you sure you can lift that, Ra-Eun?” Je-Woon asked.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

She would usually go 10 kg lower, but she wanted to show off how much she could deadlift since she was on camera. The weight was important too, but the form was far more important. She braced her back and pulled her butt back. She took a deep breath before lifting the bar, and slowly straightened out her body while activating her leg muscles, as if she was pushing the ground away from her.

“Huuu!”

Ra-Eun’s hair that she had tied back swayed along with her movements. The trainers, who had been watching from behind the camera, nodded in satisfaction as Ra-Eun maintained perfect form until the end. The trainers of the fitness center that Ra-Eun went to were fairly knowledgeable in exercise.

Ra-Eun perfectly mastered anything that she was taught, and often went above and beyond. Ra-Eun displayed her athletic prowess to her heart’s content without getting anxious despite being on camera.

Je-Woon was also impressed by Ra-Eun’s deadlift.

“You’re good. Have you trained professionally before?” he asked.

“No. I just learned it as a hobby.”

“You exude far too much expert energy for that to be the case, though.”

It was natural. Back when she was still a ‘he,’ she had been in charge of her security teammates’ physical training. Although she was a bit lacking to be considered a professional, she was also too skilled to be called an amateur.

Ra-Eun and Je-Woon would usually be engrossed in their workouts without breaks, but they couldn’t forget that they weren’t here to work out, but to film a show.

Je-Woon suggested, “Why don’t we take a short break?”

“Sounds good.”

Ra-Eun sat down on the bench and wiped her neck with her towel. She usually sweat a lot around the back of her neck because air did not travel well to the area due to her long hair. She had her hair tied back at the moment, but that did not stop her from sweating.

As Je-Woon unconsciously stared at her wiping her sweat, he bluntly asked, “Is there a reason why you haven’t cut your hair ever since your debut?”

As soon as she heard that, Ra-Eun thought,

‘This is perfect broadcast material.’

“Yes, there is,” she replied.

“What is it?”

“My late mother told me that I’m the prettiest and cutest with long hair.”

Kang Ra-Eun’s mother had expressed her desire that she wanted her daughter to keep her hair long.

Je-Woon said with an apologetic face, “I’m sorry. I asked something unnecessary.”

“No, it’s okay. All my friends know.”

Ra-Eun had never revealed this on TV, so Je-Woon and the staff members did not know this fact. Variety shows, just like films and dramas, needed a good story. Since Ra-Eun had revealed her story...

‘I’m sure the director will edit it appropriately.’

The former Kang Ra-Eun might find the backstory regarding her long hair sad, but the current Ra-Eun did not mind it very much. Hence, she had been able to speak about it calmly to Je-Woon. She had set herself up as a charismatic and perfect woman with a hidden sad backstory.

‘Not a bad setting, if I do say so myself.’

Ra-Eun gave her own story a fairly high score.

***

They finished their workout after a little over two hours. Je-Woon asked if Ra-Eun had any plans in the evening.

“I’m gonna be having dinner with Han-Seok at my place. You know Han-Seok is a good cook, right?”

“Yes. Is Han-Seok sunbae going to cook for you?”

“Yeah. He said he wanted to make me something delicious as an apology for abruptly hanging up on me last time.”

Ra-Eun also remembered when it had happened. On the day that key individuals for her revenge gathered at Chairman Ji’s home, Ji Han-Seok had abruptly ended his call with Je-Woon to escort Ra-Eun, who had been wearing a dress. Han-Seok seemed to have set dinner plans with Je-Woon today as an apology for that day.

“Would you like to join us? I’m sure Han-Seok would love it,” Je-Woon suggested.

He most definitely would love it. Ra-Eun’s part in the show had originally been just meeting Je-Woon at the fitness center “by coincidence” and working out with him, but it was purely up to her to join them in their dinner plans or not.

Ra-Eun glanced at Shin Yu-Bin behind the cameras. Yu-Bin signaled that she could decide on her own. Ra-Eun nodded and smiled as if nothing had happened.

“Yes, I’d love to.”

Since she had decided to make an appearance on the show, she would see it through to the end.

***

This was obviously the first time that Ra-Eun had visited Je-Woon’s home.

‘It’s not as nice as Chairman Ji’s, but it’s definitely among Korea’s top class homes.’

The Han River could be seen out the glass wall. Just the view could give an idea of how much this home would cost. Since Je-Woon was a member of a world-class boy group, he would have plenty of money to spare.

Han-Seok, who had come to Je-Woon’s home in advance to prepare dinner, was shocked to see Ra-Eun come in together with Je-Woon.

“Huh? Ra-Eun! You came too?”

Han-Seok had also heard that Je-Woon would be working out together with Ra-Eun at the fitness center, but he had never expected her to join them for dinner as well.

“Yes. Good evening, sunbae. You look great in that apron,” Ra-Eun expressed.

Han-Seok expressed his embarrassment. Ra-Eun was not saying this for the cameras; there was a reason why Han-Seok was described by the public as gentle and family-oriented.

One more guest had been waiting for them besides Han-Seok.

“It’s very nice to meet you! I’m Tae-Chan, a member of the same boy group as Je-Woon hyung!”

Tae-Chan was the youngest member of Bex, the boy group that Je-Woon was in, and the same age as Ra-Eun. Je-Woon exposed one of Tae-Chan’s secrets to Ra-Eun as they were greeting each other.

“Tae-Chan is your fan. He has a poster of you in his room.”

“Hyung! Why did you tell her that?!”

“Who cares? It’s not like it’s a crime.”

Ra-Eun felt somewhat proud to have a fan that was a member of a globally famous boy group.

1. A plate refers to a weight plate that weighs 45 lbs, or 20 kg.