145: Chapter 145 Her eyes were full of embarrassment and helplessness.

The press conference for the launch of "dark light" was set for one week later. The timing was subtle; it was the tenth day after the negative public opinion against Han Hyo-joo by CJ Entertainment had been clarified by Sky Entertainment's thunderous methods. The heat hadn't completely dissipated, but public attention was already beginning to look for new focal points.

Holding the press conference at this time could both sustain the topic's heat and draw the focus back to the movie itself.

Three days before the press conference, the "Muse" styling studio located in Cheongdam-dong welcomed three special guests.

This studio was one of the top styling studios in Seoul, having long-term collaborations with major television stations, film production companies, and top-tier artists. It was known for its precise character styling designs and high level of privacy. Sky Entertainment was their long-term partner, and Song Tianhao was a VIP client here.

At 2:00 PM, Song Tianhao's black sedan parked on time at the studio's back door. Manager Jang Se-hoon got out first to confirm the situation around them, and only then did Song Tianhao push the door open to get out, walking into the low-profile three-story building.

The reception area on the first floor was empty, with only a middle-aged woman with exquisite makeup standing behind the front desk. She was the person in charge of the studio, Chief Kim.

"President Song, you've arrived." Chief Kim smiled and walked up to greet him, her posture respectful but not sycophantic. "Actress Son Ye-jin and Actress Han Hyo-joo have already arrived and are currently in their respective preparation rooms on the second floor. The photography studio and styling team are already in place."

"Thank you for your hard work." Song Tianhao nodded and followed Chief Kim upstairs to the second floor.

The stairs were covered with dark gray carpet, and the walls were hung with black-and-white portrait photography works of artists who had previously had their styling done here. Some were classic stills, while others were artistic portraits. The air was filled with a faint scent of aromatherapy, mixed with the unique smell of cosmetics, hairspray, and high-end fabrics.

There were three independent preparation rooms on the second floor, and the two rooms at the very end had their doors closed at the moment. Tea and snacks had already been set out in the central public lounge area, and the view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was the streetscape of Cheongdam-dong. Song Tianhao sat down on the sofa in the lounge, and Chief Kim soon brought over a cup of hand-drip coffee.

"About how much longer do they need?" Song Tianhao asked.

"Actress Son's makeup and hair are basically finished, and she is currently trying on the first outfit. Actress Han's makeup is also about done, but the clothing is a bit more complex, so it might need a little more time." Chief Kim checked her watch. "We can see the initial results in about twenty minutes. The photography team is debugging equipment in the studio next door."

"Good, no need to rush them. Let them take their time." Song Tianhao picked up the coffee and took a sip, his gaze sweeping over the two tightly closed doors.

On the left was Son Ye-jin's preparation room, and on the right was Han Hyo-joo's.

About fifteen minutes later, the door on the left opened first. Son Ye-jin walked out.

Song Tianhao looked up, his gaze lingering on her for a few seconds. Today's Son Ye-jin was different from any other time he had seen her before.

She was wearing an off-white cashmere sweater paired with a matching ankle-length skirt. The style was extremely simple, without any superfluous decorations. Her long hair was loosely tied behind her head, with a few stray strands naturally hanging by her cheeks. Her makeup was clean to the point of being almost transparent; she had only lightly brushed her eyebrows, and her lip color was a natural dusty pink.

But the most eye-catching thing was her gaze.

It was a very complex gaze; the surface was soft and gentle, like the sunshine on a spring afternoon, making people want to get close to her unconsciously.

However, if you looked closely, you would find that hidden beneath that softness was a faint trace of aloofness, a kind of polite, restrained sense of distance. It was as if she were standing behind a glass window; you could see her, but you could not touch her true warmth.

This was "Yoon Soo-ah of Light," a woman who appeared perfect, warm, and well-liked, but who had built an invisible high wall inside her heart, isolating her true self from the outside world.

"How is it?" Son Ye-jin walked up to Song Tianhao and naturally did a spin, her skirt swaying in a soft arc.

Her tone was relaxed, but there was inquiry in her eyes—that was a professional actor seeking approval from the director or the producer who held the decision-making power.

"Very good." Song Tianhao put down the coffee cup, stood up, and walked to a position two steps away from her to examine her more closely. "Better than I imagined. It's not an extroverted 'light,' but an introverted 'light' with a sense of distance. This sense of aloofness is just right."

Son Ye-jin smiled, and that smile caused the aloofness in her eyes to melt slightly. "I read the third draft of the script. For the character of Yoon Soo-ah, her 'light' is actually a product of social expectations and her own sense of responsibility; it is not her true nature. She lives... very tiredly. So I was thinking, shouldn't there be a trace of fatigue and distance in her eyes even when she is smiling?"

"Exactly." Song Tianhao nodded. "At the press conference, just maintain this feeling. When answering questions, you can be gentle, but don't be overly enthusiastic. You are a prosecutor, an elite, the 'light' in others' eyes, but you yourself know that there are shadows in that light."

"Understood." Son Ye-jin nodded, clearly having a thorough understanding of the character. She walked to the large mirror in the lounge, looked at herself in the mirror, and slightly adjusted her standing posture, making that gentle yet aloof feeling more natural.

Just at this moment, the door on the right also opened. Han Hyo-joo walked out.

If Son Ye-jin's appearance was like a beam of soft morning light cast into the room, then the moment Han Hyo-joo walked out, the air in the entire lounge seemed to freeze for a moment.

She was wearing a sharp-cut, pure black suit, with a simple black silk camisole underneath. The waistline of the suit jacket was cinched extremely tight, accentuating her already slender waist that could be held in one hand. The trouser legs were a slightly loose, straight-cut style, but the fabric was drapey, carrying a cold, fluid sense as she walked.

Her makeup was the exact opposite of Son Ye-jin's; her eyebrows were deliberately drawn to be sharp with upturned tails. The eye makeup used a small area of smoky effect, deepening her eye sockets, making her gaze appear more profound and even somewhat fierce. The lip color was a dark-toned deep red, bordering on black.

What was most impossible to look away from was her gaze.

Hollow, cold, like a bottomless cold pool. But if you stared at it for a long time, you would catch a trace of an extremely faint yet unusually stubborn light from the depths of that hollowness. That light carried a kind of near-pathological obsession, as if it could ignite a black flame at any moment.

This was "Yoon Soo-ah of Shadow," another soul swallowed by darkness and reshaped in the darkness. The surface was cold and hollow, but inside, a twisted and powerful vitality was surging.

Han Hyo-joo seemed a bit unaccustomed to the strong aura brought by this outfit and makeup. She paused, looked up at Song Tianhao, and the coldness in her eyes subconsciously receded a bit, replaced by a little uncertainty: "President... is this okay?"

Song Tianhao did not answer immediately. His gaze moved back and forth between Son Ye-jin and Han Hyo-joo, finally landing on the huge floor-to-ceiling mirror behind them.

In the mirror, one white and one black, one soft and one hard, one gentle and aloof, one cold and stubborn.

But miraculously, when they both appeared in the mirror at the same time, those diametrically opposed qualities did not conflict with each other; instead, they formed an eerie harmony and tension. It was as if inside and outside the mirror, it was the same soul torn into two extremes, or like a perfect presentation of two sides of the same coin.

"Stand together." Song Tianhao suddenly spoke, his voice calm but carrying an unquestionable power. "Face the mirror."

Son Ye-jin and Han Hyo-joo exchanged a look, both a little confused, but they still followed his instructions and walked to the mirror, standing side by side.

In the mirror, Son Ye-jin in white turned her head slightly, looking at Han Hyo-joo in black beside her. The trace of aloofness in her eyes seemed to be touched by something, becoming a bit complex.

And Han Hyo-joo in black stared straight into Son Ye-jin's eyes in the mirror. Beneath that coldness, there seemed to be an indescribable emotion surging—was it jealousy? Was it longing? Or was it a desire for destruction, wanting to drag the other person into the darkness together?

It was this very moment. "Click!"

The photographer, who had long been signaled by Chief Kim and had quietly set up the camera, captured this scene precisely.

The sudden sound of the shutter startled the two people in front of the mirror slightly, and they both turned their heads to look in the photographer's direction at the same time.

"Very good! Very good!" The photographer was a middle-aged man with a beard. He looked excitedly at the camera's display screen and exclaimed repeatedly, "This is the feeling! The gaze between light and shadow, the collision of gentleness and coldness, perfect!"

Song Tianhao walked to the photographer's side and looked at the photo that had just been taken.

In the photo, the huge mirror reflected the two women standing side by side. Son Ye-jin turned her face to look at Han Hyo-joo, her eyes filled with inquiry, a trace of pity, and the instinct belonging to "light" that attempts to understand "shadow."

Han Hyo-joo stared straight at Son Ye-jin's reflection in the mirror. That gaze was bone-chillingly cold, yet it seemed to be burning with some kind of intense flame. Their figures intertwined in the mirror, the white soft light and the black shadow eroding each other, yet also dependent on each other, full of dramatic tension and storytelling.

"This photo," Song Tianhao said, pointing at the display screen to Chief Kim and the photographer, "will be the main visual poster for the press conference. Use the title: 'Who is in the mirror?'"

Chief Kim's eyes lit up. "'Who is in the mirror?'... Brilliant! It has suspense and also points out the core concept of the movie's dual female leads and the two sides of the same coin. President Song, this idea is excellent!"

Son Ye-jin also walked over, looking at the photo with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Which one of the people in the mirror is the real Yoon Soo-ah? Is it the light, or the shadow? Or... are they both?"

Han Hyo-joo also leaned in to look. When she saw that cold and stubborn gaze of hers in the photo, her body trembled almost imperceptibly. Was that her? The woman who, in the hotel room, forced herself over and over again in front of the camera to enter the depths of darkness?

"This is the character you need to present." Song Tianhao's voice rang out behind them, clear and powerful. "On the day of the press conference, remember this feeling. You are not Son Ye-jin and Han Hyo-joo; you are the 'light' and 'shadow' of Yoon Soo-ah. You are opposed to each other, yet dependent on each other. Every time you lock eyes, every line of dialogue, must make the audience feel this tearing and connection."

Son Ye-jin took a deep breath and nodded, her eyes becoming firm and professional once again.

Han Hyo-joo also clenched her hands hanging at her sides, her nails digging into her palms, using the pain to make herself remember the stranger in the mirror at this moment—the person she must become.

"Alright, go change into the next set of clothes. The main styling for the day of the press conference still needs final confirmation." Song Tianhao said to the two of them.

Son Ye-jin responded, took one more look at the mirror, as if wanting to firmly remember the feeling of this moment, and then turned and walked toward her preparation room.

She walked two steps, then suddenly stopped, as if remembering something. She raised her hand to touch her earlobe, then let out an "Oh my," and turned back to the vanity. "It seems I forgot to put on my earrings."

She searched the vanity but couldn't find them, so she smiled at Chief Kim and said, "They might have been left inside. I'll go in and look. Han Hyo-joo, you go ahead and change your clothes."

Han Hyo-joo nodded and turned to walk toward her own preparation room.

Song Tianhao sat back down on the sofa, picked up his phone, and requested the raw photo of the "light and shadow" mirror confrontation from the photographer's camera, setting it as his phone wallpaper. In the image, the silent confrontation between the two women was full of narrative tension.

About ten minutes later, Son Ye-jin came out of the preparation room, a pair of simple diamond earrings now adorning her earlobes.

She said to Song Tianhao, "President, I have an advertising shoot meeting tonight, so I have to leave first. See you on the day of the press conference."

"Go ahead, be careful on the road." Song Tianhao nodded.

Son Ye-jin thanked Chief Kim and the staff members before leaving, accompanied by her assistant. As she left, the pair of pearl earrings she had originally intended to try on lay quietly in the velvet jewelry box on the vanity, seemingly "forgotten" by their owner.

Song Tianhao's gaze swept over the pair of lustrous pearl earrings, but he said nothing.

Another few minutes passed, and Han Hyo-joo still hadn't come out of the preparation room.

Chief Kim checked the time, walked to the door of Han Hyo-joo's preparation room, and knocked gently: "Actress Han, are you alright? Do you need any help?"

From inside came Han Hyo-joo's somewhat flustered voice: "Ah, I'm fine! I'll be out in a moment! It's just... this zipper, it seems to be stuck..."

Her voice grew quieter and quieter, as if she were very embarrassed.

Just as Chief Kim was about to speak, Song Tianhao stood up, walked over, and waved his hand at her, signaling her to go attend to other things first.

Chief Kim understood and took the other staff members to the studio next door, saying they were going to check the equipment.

Song Tianhao stood outside the preparation room door and could hear the faint sounds of fabric rubbing and the struggle of a metal zipper from inside, mixed with Han Hyo-joo's soft, frustrated muttering.

He waited for about half a minute, but the sounds of struggle from inside hadn't stopped; instead, they seemed to be intensifying.

Finally, the fitting room door was pulled open a tiny crack, and Han Hyo-joo's flushed face peeked out from behind the door. Her hair was a bit messy, with a few strands stuck to her forehead by sweat, and her eyes were full of embarrassment and helplessness.

She was still wearing the black suit jacket, but a portion of the silk camisole underneath was exposed, and the zipper on her back seemed to be stuck halfway.

"Um..." Her voice sounded like a mosquito's hum, her cheeks burning red. "President, is the stylist unnie still outside? I... the zipper on my back is stuck, I can't reach it myself, and I can't undo it..."

The more she spoke, the quieter her voice became, and the lower her head bowed; she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

To be this embarrassed in front of the President, especially right after finalizing such an important look.

Song Tianhao watched her looking as if she wanted to disappear on the spot; his face remained expressionless as he said calmly, "Chief Kim and the others went to the studio next door."

"Ah..." Han Hyo-joo's face turned even redder, her eyes darting around, at a loss.

Ask the President for help? That was too absurd. But was she supposed to just stay stuck like this? Wait for Chief Kim and the others to return? That would be even more awkward...

Just as her mind was in a whirl, Song Tianhao's voice sounded again, still steady and devoid of emotion: "I'll go call them back for you."

As he spoke, he took out his phone, seemingly about to make a call.

"Wait!" Han Hyo-joo blurted out subconsciously, regretting it the moment she shouted; her face was hot enough to fry an egg.

Song Tianhao stopped his movement and looked at her.

Han Hyo-joo bit her lip, staring at the floor, her voice like a thin thread: "Could... could you please, President, call Chief Kim for me? No need to call; you... you can just go over and tell her..."

In the end, she didn't have the courage to say, "Could you fix it for me."

Song Tianhao looked at her for two seconds, put his phone away, and said, "Alright."

He turned and walked toward the studio.

After just a few steps, he saw Chief Kim hurrying over from the studio, her face apologetic: "Sorry, sorry, there was a small problem with the equipment... President Song, are you...?"

"Actress Han's zipper is stuck; go help her fix it." Song Tianhao stepped aside, his tone normal.

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" Chief Kim hurried over and knocked on the fitting room door. "Actress Han, it's me, I'm coming in, okay?"

From inside came Han Hyo-joo's voice, sounding relieved yet bashful: "...Please come in."

Chief Kim pushed the door open and entered, and the door closed gently. Inside came the rustling sounds and the hushed conversation between the two.

"I'm so sorry, Actress Han. This is a new garment, so it might be a bit tight..."

"It's okay, it was my own carelessness..."

A few minutes later, the fitting room door opened again. Han Hyo-joo had changed back into her casual clothes, simple jeans and a white T-shirt, and had removed her heavy makeup, returning to her delicate, natural appearance, though a suspicious flush still lingered on the tips of her ears.

With her head lowered, not daring to look at Song Tianhao, she thanked Chief Kim in a low voice, then walked quickly to the lounge area, picked up her bag, and looked as if she were ready to flee the scene at any moment.

Song Tianhao seemed completely oblivious to her embarrassment as he said to Chief Kim, "The waistline of that black suit can be taken in a bit more for the press conference, about half a centimeter. We need to highlight that sense of contradiction—being constrained, yet having an inner strength yearning to break free."

He pointed to the pair of pearl earrings Son Ye-jin had "forgotten" on the vanity. "Also, for the accessories prepared for Son Ye-jin for the press conference, use this pair. It matches her beige outfit very well."

"Understood, President Song, I've noted it down." Chief Kim nodded quickly, secretly admiring Song Tianhao's grasp of detail. Taking the waist in by half a centimeter would indeed feel different.

The lustrous glow of those pearl earrings would also neutralize the excessive sense of aloofness in Son Ye-jin's look, adding a touch of warmth—it was brilliant.

"Let's go, I'll take you back." Song Tianhao then looked at Han Hyo-joo, who had been keeping her head down, pretending to be an ostrich; his tone was as flat as if nothing had happened just moments ago.

"...Yes, President." Han Hyo-joo replied softly, following behind him and walking out of the styling room like a submissive young wife.

The atmosphere in the car on the way back was somewhat quiet.

Jang Se-hoon was driving in the front, maintaining a professional silence. Han Hyo-joo sat in the back by the window, keeping her head turned to watch the rapidly receding streetscape outside, leaving Song Tianhao with only the back of her head and her slightly reddened ears.

Song Tianhao, on the other hand, closed his eyes to rest, appearing genuinely tired.

The car drove across the Han River Bridge, and the distant city lights began to twinkle on.

As they neared the apartment complex, the silent Han Hyo-joo suddenly spoke up in a low voice, her tone still somewhat tense: "President..."

"Hm?"

"Tomorrow's press conference..." She paused, her fingers unconsciously picking at the strap of her bag. "Will Director Jeong from CJ Entertainment and the others... be coming?"

Song Tianhao opened his eyes, his gaze falling on her nervously curled fingers. His tone was flat but carried a hint of coldness: "Chairman Lee Jae-hyun personally sent me an invitation, saying he 'looks forward to the masterpiece.'"

Han Hyo-joo's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

"Are you afraid?" Song Tianhao asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

Han Hyo-joo turned her head abruptly to look at him. There was a flash of fear in her eyes, but it was quickly suppressed by a stronger emotion.

She shook her head, with a kind of grit-your-teeth tenacity: "No! I just..."

She took a deep breath, as if psyching herself up. "I don't want to lose face in front of them. I don't want them to think that after leaving CJ Entertainment, after leaving behind their... methods, I really am nothing."

Song Tianhao looked at her. The girl's eyes, under the flowing light from outside the window, were startlingly bright; they held unwillingness, humiliation, and even more so, the desperate courage born from being backed into a corner.

"You will not lose face." Song Tianhao's voice was not loud, but it carried a strange power, resolute and decisive. "Tomorrow, you will show them how Han Hyo-joo, whom they discarded like worn-out shoes and even wanted to trample into the mud, rises up again and shines at Sky Entertainment."

He paused and added, "Standing together with Son Ye-jin, you are the 'light' and the 'shadow', you are dark light itself. This in itself is the most powerful declaration and counterattack."

The car slowly drove into the complex and stopped under Building B.

Han Hyo-joo clenched her fists, her fingertips digging deep into her palms, sending a clear sensation of pain. This pain made her more clear-headed and more determined.

She nodded heavily, as if to carve Song Tianhao's words into her heart. "Yes! I understand, President!"

She pushed open the car door, and before getting out, she turned to give Song Tianhao a deep bow, then closed the door, straightened her back, and walked toward the apartment building entrance. The streetlights stretched her shadow long; that silhouette held a bit more resilient strength compared to the confusion and uneasiness she had shown at the hotel a few days ago.

Not until her figure disappeared behind the glass door did Song Tianhao withdraw his gaze.

"President, back to the company or..." Jang Se-hoon asked through the rearview mirror.

"Back to the company." Song Tianhao leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes again, but his voice no longer held any trace of weariness, only a cold sharpness. "Also, contact the security company. Double the number of security personnel for tomorrow's press conference site."

"Pay close attention to the movements of those 'distinguished guests' from CJ Entertainment, and any 'unrelated personnel' they might bring. I want to ensure that tomorrow, not even a fly that shouldn't be there can fly into the venue."

"Yes, President." Jang Se-hoon's expression turned stern, and he immediately complied.

The car drove back into the night. Song Tianhao looked out the window, the city's brilliant lights reflecting in his deep black eyes, flickering on and off.

Tomorrow is not just the press conference for the movie dark light.

It will be the first stage that he, Song Tianhao, and his Sky Entertainment, will have built in the center of the vanity fair that is the South Korean entertainment industry, after ruthlessly crushing the provocations of CJ Entertainment.

And the stars on that stage are the "light" and "shadow" he personally selected.