Risa should have declined, but she physically couldn’t. After choking in front of Zeno, being saved by him, and regurgitating a potato piece, she couldn’t even look him in the eye.
However, Zeno appeared excited, like a little kid, about being in the potato field.
She felt she had no choice but to take him there.
“It’s right here,” she said when they arrived. The sun was already hanging low, but it was still bright. Zeno looked around the field, his eyes filled with joy as he took in the nearly empty soil.
“So, this is where you have been hiding,” he muttered.
Then, he turned toward Risa. “Thanks for taking me here,” he said.
“No worries,” Risa responded, a bit in a daze. She had never seen Zeno so… happy. Not even when he had nailed a scene on the first try, which he had done multiple times.
He walked around for a couple of moments, with Risa merely watching him. The setting sun illuminated his features and added to the sparkle in his eyes. He appeared as the most complicated view amidst the simple scenery. Such a mystery.
Risa found herself wanting to get to know him better. However, she quickly snapped out of it when Zeno kneeled down in front of her. Risa’s eyes widened. Marriage?
“Your shoelaces were untied,” Zeno said, quickly tying them before standing once more. “We don’t want you having another emergency. You were lucky the potato got dislodged. Otherwise, you would have turned cyanotic and died.”
Risa pursed her lips and looked away. She should really get herself checked once they were back in the city. She was having too many delusions.
Just then, Zeno kneeled once again, and Risa nearly had a heart attack.
“We can take the potatoes, right? I want to boil them and eat them like you did,” he said, his gaze focused on the exposed leaves of the root crop. “I won’t choke like you, though,” he added.
“Stop bringing that up… please,” she said before she could stop herself. She was already too embarrassed as it was!
Zeno turned to her and chuckled. “Got it.” Fortunately, he truly stopped bringing up the topic.
Risa sighed in relief, and with that, sat next to Zeno. The two of them began digging for the potatoes, filling the paper bag that was in Zeno’s pocket. They did so in peaceful silence. As they continued, they realized that harvesting potatoes was therapeutic after the busy week they had.
Just as the paper bag was about to be filled, Risa cleared her throat, capturing Zeno’s attention.
He turned to her, and behind him was the setting sun, making him look like a literal angel.
“Why did you call me out here?” she finally asked after catching her breath.
However, Zeno’s answer made her feel like she was choking yet again.
“Love,” he answered at first. It was that word again. Did… Zeno develops feelings for her in such a short amount of time? When did it happen? Did he notice the effort she put into defending him when he wasn’t around?
“To find love,” he continued, and her breath hitched.
[Mission Accomplished: Find Love]
Zeno smiled. So, this was what his second mission was looking for. It wasn’t too complicated, after all.
Then, he stared at the potatoes that filled the small paper bag. Love can be so simple.
At that moment, Risa caught something in Zeno’s gaze—it was genuine love. However, she also realized that it wasn’t for her.
She looked down at the dirty, round, and brown potatoes and realized she had lost over them.
Risa bit her lip. Not only did these potatoes try to kill her, but they also made her feel unwanted.
At that very day, Risa Park swore she would never eat potatoes again.
***
“Mr. Kim,” Assistant Byun greeted as he entered the luxurious office. Then, he handed his boss yet another report. “The filming for ‘The Forsaken Prince’ is going well. Your cousin hasn’t done anything out of line, probably fearing Oska Baek Sr.”
Mr. Kim scoffed before an amused smirk appeared on his lips. “Of course, he wouldn’t do anything. That cousin of mine is a coward. He only relies on his connections, which were only built because of me and his father.”
Assistant Byun merely nodded as the esteemed CEO went through the report that was sent by an anonymous person. “Is Zeno Han doing well?”
“Yes,” Assistant Byun answered. “Unbelievably so. The gathered data says, and I quote—”
“He’s so handsome when he’s taking a bath that I want to bathe him myself.”
“How does someone like him come out from a human’s womb? He seems like an alien.”
“He is the best actor next to Ryeo Wang out of every actor in this place.”
“He has great chemistry with everyone. It seems he really likes Risa, really hates Oska, and really admires Ryeo Wang.”
“I thought he would struggle the most. I was wrong.”
“He’s so down-to-earth. The best new actor I’ve seen.”
“I fear he might be the fastest person to enter the Rookie Class. He’s already in ‘Broken Chains of Justice.’ Now, he’s in this. Once ‘Code Black’ comes out, he only needs another acting project and ten awards, which he can easily win before the year ends.”
“I want to eat his—”
“Stop,” Mr. Kim said, holding out a hand. Then, he clicked his tongue, scrolling through the tablet on his own. He placed it right down and began tapping his pen on the table. Assistant Byun stared at the action and began sweating from his temples.
He placed his hands behind his back and turned to the side. This action was made by his boss when he didn’t like something.
“You said you suggested that Zeno Han come to our company before, right?” he began asking.
Assistant Byun gulped and nodded. “Yes, sir,” he truthfully said.
Mr. Kim hummed, still tapping his pen on the table. His assistant was wary of his next action, but fortunately, Mr. Kim stopped, making the former internally sigh in utter relief.
“I have a long list of things I am not too fond of. Do you remember?” Mr. Kim started off.
“Yes, sir,” Assistant Byun answered, straightening his back.
“What’s the one thing I hate the most?” he asked.
There was silence for a few moments before Assistant Byun spoke once again.
“Being wrong.”