Chapter 136 - Hann Constructions (XII) D-Day Part One

Ash pulled up in front of Hann Constructions' building. Mirae, who was seated right next to him, looked at the building. She was carrying a handbag with her.

"All set?" Ash asked.

"Yes," Mirae nodded. "Remember, you'll need to buy me at least twenty minutes. More if you can."

"Understood," Ash replied. "But how will I know if you're not done? We'll not be able to text each other nor contact each other after I enter that room."

"I've got that covered," Mirae said. "Just head over to the waiting room after your meeting is over."

Ash was worried but nodded. "Alright," he said. "Let's go."

They exited the car and faced the entrance of the building. It was showtime.

….

Hyun Jung and Eli were standing a little distance away. They did not notice Ash and Mirae walking towards the entrance. 

"Sunbae, how can you be so sure that we can coerce information out of him this time?" Eli frowned.

"There is a lead," Hyun Jung revealed. "That video, is a big lead."

"What?" Eli's eyes widened in surprise. "How? What's in it?"

"You'll see," Hyun Jung said smugly. "Let's head in."

Still confused, Eli followed her superior to the Hann Constructions building.

….

"Manager Gu, what are we doing here again?" Dasom asked. They were at Hann Constructions, a renowned real estate firm of Korea. It was the largest and topmost conglomerate of the country.

His manager, Mr. Gu was accompanying him. "They called us urgently," Manager Gu shrugged. "Apparently, they are investing in some drama but the lead actor is throwing a fuss. If the end up firing the lead actor, then they want to sign you up."

"Okay," Daso, said slowly. "I still don't get why she is here."

He pointed at Somi, who was sitting next to him.

"I was approached to be the lead character," she answered in a cutesy tone. "Isn't that exciting, oppa?"

"Oppa?" Dasom scoffed. "I'm a little younger than you!"

"All members of EXOTIC are my oppa!" Somi said, widening her eyes in excitement. Kill me now, she said inwardly. Mirae, you owe me big time!

Dasom scrunched his nose. Her fake act was really annoying. Instead, he turned his attention to his manager. 

"Why me?" Dasom questioned. "I'm not much of an actor. I only played one lead role in a web series. Isn't Ash more suited to it?"

"The lead actor is Ash," Manager Gu said.

"What?" Dasom exclaimed. That was strange. Ash never threw tantrums. That was KJ's job. Why would he suddenly throw his weight around?

"Apparently, Ash is considering another offer," Manager Gu said. "He is demanding for more facilities for himself. Since KJ and Jinhyun aren't actors, they have specifically asked if you would be available since they wanted to get a member of EXOTIC as the male lead."

"Ash oppa sure is very meticulous," Somi said in awe. "After all, he wants the best treatment for himself. Expected of my oppa!"

A frown formed on Dasom's face. It was hard for him to believe that Ash would be very demanding. He was usually the type who would go with the flow and not care much about comforts. There was something fishy about this.

"Alright!" Dasom said. "Let's check out this offer."

"Aren't you excited, oppa?" Somi exclaimed. "We're gonna star in a drama together! We may even have a kiss scene."

She flew a kiss at Dasom, who shifted in his seat. He winced at the very thought. Somi, on the other hand, enjoyed teasing the younger guy. She might not like KJ much but the other members were fun to tease.

Their chauffeur parked in front of the Hann Constructions' building.

"We're here sir," the chauffeur said.

….

Ash and Mirae were in a large meeting room. The PR, Soojin, had greeted them upon entering and asked them to wait in the meeting room. They did not dare to discuss anything in there even if they were alone since there were cameras inside the room.

In order for their plan to work, it had to be the two of them. KJ had to stay back at his apartment because he was still not fully healed and also, bringing him here may raise questions. 

"How long do we have to wait, sir?" Mirae asked, feigning her professional attitude.

"Let's see," Ash replied, keeping up the ruse. "They must listen to my demands otherwise I'm quitting the drama."

"Understood sir," Mirae said in compliance. Suddenly the door opened. They spun around to see Dasom and Somi entering.

"Dasom?" Ash asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"The management of Hann Constructions called us in," Dasom replied. Behind him, Somi gave a cold look to Mirae, who returned a stiff nod. 

"Why did they call you here?" Ash frowned.

"You'll see," Dasom replied grimly. 

They heard the clinking of heels approaching them. Soojin, a tall brunette, entered the room.

"President Shun will be here in a minute," she informed them. 

"I will be at the waiting room, sir," Mirae said to Ash, bowing. Ash nodded and bowed back.

Mirae quietly slipped out of the room before the President appeared. She kept her head down, avoiding people's gazes. There was no guarantee that she would not be recognized in that place since her father was the former President. 

However, instead of going towards the waiting room, she made her way towards a washroom at the very end of the main entrance's corridor.

The washroom was thankfully empty. For days, she had her men scan the building for an opening. The waiting room was bugged by a camera, so she looked for an alternate way to enter the ventilation without being detected. Luckily for her, this particular washroom had a ventilation system, which led to the secret tunnel to the IT department. 

She took out a small sign from her handbag which read 'Out of Order' and put it in front of the washroom's door. Making her way towards the ventilator, she stepped on the sink to reach it. Slowly, she unscrewed the grill and climbed into it.

It was a very narrow pathway but Mirae was small enough to fit into it. However, it was getting cramped as she crawled on. Even though it was uncomfortable, she kept on crawling until she found another ventilator opening. 

Peering through the grill, she saw it was the IT room. The room was for camera control. Mirae checked her watch. 

One minute left, she thought. It's your turn, Somi!