Surprise (II)

The three finally stopped in front of an office in the auditorium. Hea-Jung turned back and said, "Alright, my gift is inside this room. Now, don't get too surprised and don't forget to thank me for this." She puffed her chest out and turned around.

She opened the door, revealing Vice-Dean Song and the special judge, Do Hwan, sitting on a couch. Joon-won had guessed what the surprise might be after noticing the interaction between Do Hwan and Hea-Jung during the drama, and it seemed he was right.

Joon-won stepped into the room with a calm expression, but the same couldn't be said for Jung-hwa. She fidgeted nervously upon seeing two big shots in the room, her mind replaying Do Hwan's harsh remarks from earlier.

Noticing her unease, Joon-won patted the back of her hand reassuringly. Hea-Jung giggled at Jung-hwa's nervousness and joined Do Hwan on the couch. The Vice-Dean sat behind a large desk while Joon-won and Jung-hwa stood before him, waiting.

"See, Uncle, you've made the girl more nervous than she was with me," Do Hwan's cold demeanor melted into a wry smile as he spoke.

"Hea-Jung, if it wasn't for your request yesterday, I wouldn't even be here. It was your idea to be tough on the second batch of students. Who knew the talent you wanted to show me was in that batch," he said, turning toward Joon-won. Joon-won, however, kept his focus on the Vice-Dean, waiting for an explanation.

The Vice-Dean cleared his throat and looked at the two students with a hint of pride. "I'm sure you both are confused as to why student Seo Hea-Jung called you here and why today's special judge, Do Hwan, is present. To tell you the truth, there was no special judge planned for today's exam. After all, you're only in your first year."

He turned to Hea-Jung, who held her head high. "But your senior, Seo Hea-Jung, invited Mr. Hwan yesterday and informed the university this morning. So, it was a surprise. Now, Mr. Hwan here is a producer. I'm sure you figured that out. He has worked with many A-list actors and has some notable achievements under his belt," he said, introducing Do Hwan.

"Vice-Dean, come on. I would have come even if you had invited me. I learned a lot from the present Dean when I was new to this business, and he spoke highly of you," Do Hwan interjected, his voice warm and friendly, quite different from earlier.

"Well, anyway, I called you both here because Mr. Hwan wanted to talk to you after the exam." The Vice-Dean looked at Joon-won, sizing him up. This student had caught his attention with an amazing performance, and he was curious about the kid who had remained unnoticed until the end of the year.

Joon-won finally took a good look at Do Hwan. Up close, Do Hwan looked like a typical middle-aged man, minus the fancy suit and the judging eyes.

"Uncle Hwan, this is my beloved junior. We only met two days ago, but this little brother is really special and always fun to be around. His name is Joon-won. So, what do you think? Was I right? You told me you'd pay for my next purchase if this was worth your time. Get ready to pay up," Hea-Jung introduced Joon-won, a sly smile on her face.

Joon-won raised an eyebrow upon hearing about the bet. Do Hwan coughed and said, "Alright, let's not talk about yesterday's bet now. Well, you're not wrong; this kid is special. It seems you finally met some talented people instead of having Hae Yongsun always around."

The last sentence lit a fuse under Hea-Jung. "Uncle, how could you say that? It's not me having him around, it's him being around me. That dog is shameless and doesn't learn even after I scold and humiliate him," she exclaimed, just as the Vice-Dean coughed.

"Alright, let's not talk about other people like that now. Let's continue with the matter at hand," he said, not wanting her to speak ill of Hae Yongsun, even though he knew it to be true.

With his interference, the strange conversation between the two on the couch ceased. Hea-Jung turned around, and Do Hwan looked at Joon-won.

"Well, I'll get to you in a minute. Let's talk about you," Do Hwan said, turning to Jung-hwa. "I didn't expect you to be with him when Hea-Jung went out to call. But it's good that you came. I wanted to talk to you too if there was a chance."

Jung-hwa stood like a pole, more nervous than she'd ever been. She unconsciously strengthened her mental fortitude, bracing for any comments to come.