Please! My relationship with the girl group leader is purely platonic.

Chapter 54 Pani: Hmm? Her?

After filming wrapped up, there was much less pressure. I no longer had to stay on set all day, constantly competing with each other, and always be aware of what others were looking at. Even more exaggeratedly, I had to cooperate with the director and be mindful of his every move.

Jiang Youzhen still admires those actors; at least they've figured these aspects out.

The conversation with the girl brought him comfort, allowing him to focus on his scriptwriting project. However, the thought of returning to New York in a few days, with no clear return date, made him feel dizzy.

Perhaps by the time he comes back next time, the girl will be making her debut.

Regardless, he had to make it in time.

The text message exchange ended close to midnight. Jiang Youzhen went into the bathroom to take a hot shower, planning to sleep in.

Having spent so much time on set, his body was constantly on edge. Now that he's home and work is over, he feels relaxed and carefree. He's decided to have his day of relaxation tomorrow.

The next morning, before going to bed the night before, Jiang Youzhen was still determined to sleep in, at least until the sun was high in the sky.

but...

His wicked biological clock woke him up at 5:30.

The result was that Kang Woo-jin ran on the treadmill like a robot with a pair of blank eyes.

When Mads-Oh got up and went downstairs, he saw Kang Woo-jin already exercising. He was a little surprised, but after regaining his composure, he chuckled and teased him softly.

"Anders, I thought you'd sleep in a bit longer. I was planning to bring breakfast to your room later."

"Dad... don't scold me, I wanted to sleep too, but I just woke up like this."

With a slightly hoarse voice, Jiang Youzhen pressed the buttons on the treadmill a couple of times before slowing down. He grabbed a water bottle to moisten his throat and said, "I'm planning to buy a ticket for the 10th to fly back to New York. What about you, Dad?"

"Me? More or less. I have a script reading appointment with two directors, and I also have an event in the middle of the month. I'll book my plane tickets later."

Since they came together, they should leave together. Mads Wu quickly made a decision. He had a lot of work to do, and coming back would only be to spend time with his wife and children.

Since the child is going back to New York, he can go back with him.

The father and son stayed in the gym for a long time until the maid came and knocked on the door to remind them that the elderly man was already at the dining table. Only then did they hurriedly wipe their sweat and go out.

Before entering the restaurant, Kang Woo-jin straightened his sweat-dampened clothes and smoothed his hair back with his hand to make sure he wasn't being too impolite before going in.

Seeing that the father and son were still covered in sweat, the old man didn't say anything. For two people who had just finished exercising, at least they wouldn't be too impolite.

Jiang Jingshu came down very late. She had returned home very late last night, probably because she was checking the information of the interviewees and the on-site records.

Finally, she spoke up, saying that none of them were pleasing to the eye, so she rejected them all.

Nearly a hundred people were eliminated in one go. Even Kang Woo-jin had to admire his mother's "iron-fisted" methods. Even SM Entertainment would have to hesitate for a while over such a move.

Jiang Youzhen stopped listening to what was going on in the company after that point; he wasn't interested in those things and was just listening for the sake of listening.

After the family finished breakfast, Mads-Wu went to call and book plane tickets, while Kang Woo-jin went upstairs to take a shower. He had planned to go back to bed for a nap.

But his mind was as clear as it could possibly be, so he turned on his laptop again.

At roughly the same time, he couldn't resist grabbing his car keys and running out the door. He hadn't bought the girl's birthday present yet, and he also planned to buy some things to take back to New York.

We drove to the busiest area, Myeongdong. At this time of day, all the shops outside were already open, and there were still many tourists and locals strolling around.

Choosing a birthday gift for a girl is a difficult task. At least right now, Kang Woo-jin's eyes are dazzled by the wide array of goods in the shops.

After buying some snacks and candies that girls like, he wandered around a couple more times before finally finding a gift that was somewhat to his liking.

A well-made instant camera isn't an outstanding gift, but it's easy for people to accept.

After buying enough snacks to fill an entire suitcase, it was already afternoon, and as usual, I received a text message from the production company urging me to hurry up.

However, this time he was able to reply with something different.

I'll be back in New York on the 10th, and I should be able to give them the script soon.

After I replied to that message, the production company sent over a dozen more messages in quick succession, showing just how much they were pressing me.

Before heading home, Kang Woo-jin went into a convenience store. He planned to buy some drinks to take back with him, as he didn't intend to go out for the next few days. In addition to the snacks he had bought earlier, he also wanted to pick up some canned coffee to take home.

He stood in front of the shelf, carefully selecting several cans of bitter Americano coffee, when he heard girls chatting from the shelf behind him.

Their chat content... was related to FFF and SM Entertainment.

The two companies are right across the street from each other, so SM Entertainment naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity to receive a business card from FFF.

Judging from the conversation, the girls who just spoke had interviewed at both companies but were rejected by both.

They are now comparing the two companies. This is the second time that Kang Woo-jin has heard FFF's evaluation from someone else. The first time was when Kim Tae-yeon said it.

FFF is a new company. In her memory, it was a company that signed actors, but surprisingly, the company actually had trainees, which surprised her.

Jiang Youzhen listened to the girls for a while, but he didn't hear anything unpleasant, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

If he overheard someone talking about how bad or terrible his mother's company was, he would feel embarrassed and perhaps annoyed, but he wouldn't get angry easily.

After buying the coffee he wanted, Kang Woo-jin returned home and immediately went into "homebody mode." He had very few ways to entertain himself. If he were in New York, he might go to a driving range or a shooting range in the suburbs. At the very least, he could drive to the countryside and write a script while enjoying the scenery. Even just taking a skateboard out for a ride would be a way to relax.

But in the country? It's best to stay home.

Even though it was Taeyeon's birthday, SM Entertainment didn't give her a day off just because it was her birthday. She still had to practice, and in fact, they were stricter with her every day. They had recently added another member to their practice room.

Seo Joo-hyun.

A child a year younger than Im Yoon-a, given her age, Kang Woo-jin could only address her as...

This child.

Because they were very busy, it was already evening by the time Jiang Youzhen finally got the girl to have some free time.

They specifically asked their roommate if they could go back to the dormitory earlier today, and only after receiving permission did they leave with great joy.

In the evening, they also bought a small fruit cake. They could have bought a much larger cake, but it would have been too high in calories, and they also had to manage their weight.

As Kim Tae-yeon and her friends were about to reach their dormitory, they spotted a black SUV parked by the roadside.

The next second, her phone rang, and sure enough, it was Jiang Youzhen calling.

"I saw you in the car."

"Okay, wait a moment."

After hurriedly finishing her sentence, Kim Tae-yeon hung up the phone. She glanced at her companions walking quickly ahead, then quickly grabbed Tiffany, asking her to provide cover, before breaking away from the group and walking towards the roadside.

Tiffany pointed to herself in surprise, wanting to ask Kim Tae-yeon if she had called the wrong person.

she?

Tiffany was a little unsure why her best friend would entrust her with such a difficult task.