Page 22 of Public Image, Private Heart (K-Drama Love Story #1)

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Yumi

The thought frightened me a little, making me question whether we were truly on the same page.

I still couldn’t completely shake the confusion surrounding his photo scandal with Min-hee.

But for now, at least, he was mine. I placed a gentle kiss on his temple before getting ready for another day of shooting.

My days felt like they were on autopilot—mornings were spent forcing myself to go to the set and doing my best while trying to stay detached, which was challenging since acting demands full emotional investment in every performance.

Today is another day of shooting with Ryan. I felt discouraged, but decided I wouldn’t let him have such control over my life anymore. The next time he makes an inappropriate move, I’ll make sure to document it.

As I walked down the corridor, I was met with Ryan’s cold stare.

I chose to ignore him. He only seems to have two manipulation tactics: a cold and intimidating glare or aggressive and straightforward harassment.

His game is getting old, I thought to myself.

Gathering all my strength and counting the remaining days, I resolved to finish this drama.

During the much-needed break, I checked my phone and found a good luck message from Ji-yong, along with one of his doodles. This time, it was a cute cat sitting beside a steaming cup of hot beverage, making a V-sign with its paws. The speech bubble above the cat said, “Fighting!”

I smiled at the text and replied, wishing him good luck with his shooting as well. Just then, I heard some commotion coming from the courtyard.

Curious, I made my way toward the source of the noise. As I approached, I saw a group of crew members gathered around, whispering excitedly. It seemed that something interesting had happened. I pushed my way through the small crowd.

“What’s going on?” I asked one of the makeup artists standing nearby.

“Uh, someone sent you a gift,” she said, her eyes glimmering with amusement and camaraderie, as if she wanted to say, “I know your little secret!”

Pushing through, I discovered the source of the commotion and what the “gift” was: a coffee truck, emblazoned with a banner declaring the gift from Ryu Ji-yong to Yumi and the film crew, was the center of attention.

My heart pounded in my chest. A coffee truck? From Ji-yong? I was overwhelmed by a mix of warmth and surprise. It was an extravagant gesture that also felt like a territorial statement, as if Ji-yong was subtly warning Ryan that I had strong support and that he shouldn’t mess with me.

My cheeks flushed as I imagined everyone on set whispering about us.

I saw Da-eun from afar, running towards me and the commotion. “Yumi!” she called as she drew nearer.

“So, you two are together?” Da-eun whispered in my ear as she approached me. “I thought he and Min-hee...”

From her perspective, it must have been confusing. The photo scandal involving Ji-yong and Min-hee had been everywhere, and every whispered comment felt like a dagger to my heart.

I glanced at Ryan, who was watching the scene with a hint of annoyance. I smirked in satisfaction and shrugged at Da-eun, adopting a mysterious demeanor.

Over the next few days, Ji-yong’s behavior became increasingly bold. The day after the coffee truck gift, one of his bodyguard showed up on my set, leading to a brief dispute with the film crew, who refused to allow anyone not directly involved in the production to enter.

After a heated phone call between the PD and, I suspected, Ji-yong himself or his spokesperson, the PD reluctantly allowed the bodyguard to remain in the background of the set.

Ji-yong’s bodyguard stayed on set for the next few days, and Ryan occasionally shot me confused and annoyed glances, clearly irritated by the reduced influence he now had over me.

A few days later, Ji-yong made an unexpected appearance on my set, causing an even bigger stir than the bodyguard or the coffee truck had.

“Ji-yong!” I exclaimed, taken aback. He flashed his charming smile, drawing curious glances and excited whispers from the crew.

“Hi, I finished my shoot early today, so I thought I’d drop by,” he said.

I gave him a nervous smile. Is this what he meant by “I’ll personally make sure Ryan never bothers you again”?

“Well, that’s... great,” I replied, attempting to mask my worries with forced enthusiasm.

“But I’m still working, and we have many scenes to shoot today.

” I glanced over at the PD, who was watching the exchange with clear annoyance but seemed hesitant to confront Ji-yong, likely due to potential future collaborations.

I heard the PD mutter audibly, “It’s not like this set is open to just anyone who wants to visit. ”

Ji-yong nodded in acknowledgment of my busy schedule. “I just wanted to drop by and let you know that I did a bit of digging. It turns out some of Ryan’s previous female cast members also felt uncomfortable working with him.”

He leaned in, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “I have screenshots of his exchanges with his past co-stars, but I’m worried it might not be enough. The public could argue that the exchanges were fabricated.”

“So, if he bothers you again, make sure to document it. As a last resort, we could go public with the support of other witnesses,” he muttered, his voice tinged with anger. “Let’s take this bastard down.”

Ji-yong then shot a stern look at Ryan, who stood beside the PD, appearing bewildered and simmering with intensity. I could feel Ryan’s gaze on me, and it made my skin crawl.

“Oh, and Yumi?” he added before leaving, “Are you free this Sunday? I have a birthday event to attend and would love for you to come with me.”

A birthday party? This was a new level of closeness. I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Sure,” I replied, trying to hide my surprise.

As he turned to leave, I noticed the surprised looks and whispers among almost everyone on set, puzzled by Ji-yong’s unexpected appearance.

The PD promptly called me to his office again, rubbing his temples in frustration.

“Yumi, what is all this nonsense? The coffee truck, the bodyguard, and now Ryu Ji-yong? Do you think our set is some kind of night market where you can invite just anyone in?” His voice rose, and I was startled into silence.

I considered showing him the screenshots of the exchanges between Ryan and his previous co-stars that Ji-yong had just sent me.

The messages weren’t overly explicit, but they still contained inappropriate comments about his co-stars’ appearances, calling them “sexy” and making other suggestive remarks.

But now didn’t seem like the right time. Besides, the PD looked so annoyed with me that I doubted he wanted to hear anything I had to say.

“I’m sorry...” was all I could manage.

The PD sighed deeply. “We’re only a few weeks away from wrapping this up. Just please... can you hang in there a little bit longer?”

I met his gaze with what I hoped was a cold stare. “Sure,” I replied through clenched teeth. “But I don’t feel safe at work, and since you’ve failed to ensure our safety, Ji-yong’s bodyguard will stay.”

Before he could respond, I quickly left his office, shutting the door behind me. My breath was uneven and quick, a mix of adrenaline and fear surging through me. I was terrified I might lose my courage and go back to apologize for being so straightforward.

But I was tired—tired of everyone asking us to pretend everything was fine and sick of Ryan getting a free pass, never being reprimanded for his behavior on set.

Once the commotion settled down, we continued the day with another scene involving coffee room chats, offering glimpses into the personal lives of my character, a medical intern, and her interactions with veteran doctors and nurses.

Ryan seemed more agitated than usual. As the cameras rolled, he intentionally brushed his hand against mine in a way that felt invasive. When I pulled away, he smirked and whispered, “Why are your boyfriend and his guard dog trailing you?” His voice dripped with sarcasm.

I looked him straight in the eye and whispered a warning, “I know what you’ve done in other dramas.

It’s only a matter of time before we have evidence, and your career will be at risk.

You’d better be careful.” For the first time, I noticed a flicker of fear in his eyes.

I felt a small sense of victory. We continued with the scenes, and after a grueling 14-hour shoot, we finally wrapped up and called it a day.