Chapter 241: Summer Vacation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 241: Summer Vacation
"Whew."
I whistle while tuning up my bike.
To someone else, it might just be an ordinary day, but for me, it was a truly wonderful one. It was the kind of day that felt sweeter the more I savored it.
I’d reconciled with Choi I-seo, who had been giving me such a headache; final exams were over; and the bike trip I’d only ever dreamed of was finally about to begin.
"Ah, I feel great."
Happiness comes after hardship, and a downhill slope follows every climb. Well, life doesn't always work that way, but at least for me, right now, it did.
The dormitory was buzzing with excitement. Since summer break had started, everyone was either making a fuss about heading back to their hometowns or planning a massive drinking party for the night.
It was my first time staying in the dorms during a break, and I felt relieved when the supervisor told me I could stay.
‘I can’t spend the entire break traveling, after all.’
If I couldn't stay here, it meant I’d have to go back to the main house, and I’d rather die than do that. Eating breakfast with my father every morning? The mere thought was horrifying.
Especially since I’d already told him the last blind date didn't go well, it seemed like he was trying to arrange another one. I grumbled to myself, wishing he’d just leave me alone.
"Hm?"
As I was prepping my bike for the trip, a familiar voice came from behind me. Turning my head slightly, I saw Senior Ju-hee looking down at me, dressed in a black suit with a crossbody bag over her shoulder.
"Oh, are you leaving?"
I stood up with a smile and greeted her. Ju-hee paused for a moment, then let out a small chuckle as if she’d realized something.
"Did you come to see me off?"
"Ahem, something like that?"
Ju-hee had quit the cafe once the break started. Instead, she’d decided to work at our private security company. She wasn't going out into the field yet; it was more of an internship to learn the ropes, but thanks to my influence, she was at least getting paid minimum wage.
"The team leader is coming, right?"
"Yeah. He said he’d be here soon, so he told me to pack my bags and get ready."
"Did you look into the certifications?"
"I checked them out. It doesn't look like they'll take too long to get."
"Oh."
"Surprisingly, they said being fluent in a foreign language is a much bigger advantage than having security certifications, fighting skills, or martial arts ranks."
"Huh? Really?"
"Yeah. They said just being able to speak another language opens up a much wider range of operations."
"Then majoring in English wasn't a bad choice after all."
When I gave her a thumbs-up, Ju-hee’s lips curled into a slight smile.
"Anyway, this is just the beginning. I think I’m going to be pretty busy during summer break."
I smiled back at her as she indirectly mentioned that she might not be able to stay in touch.
"Hey, I’ll be busy traveling anyway. It’s better for me if you learn as much as you can."
"Right."
Just then, a black sedan pulled up in front of the entrance. The man who stepped out of the vehicle—the kind of car you’d expect bodyguards to drive—was the security team leader I’d met at the cafe before.
I gave him a light wave as he bowed to me from a distance.
"Well, take care. You’re super strong, Senior, so no one’s going to mess with you."
"Pfft."
I was being serious, but she seemed to take it as a joke.
"Well then."
Stepping back, she gave a very slow, deep bow.
"I’ll be going now, Young Master."
"Hey, what’s with the 'Young Master'? Just call me Woo-jin."
I said it, but she only responded with a mischievous smile before climbing into the sedan and driving away.
"Now that she’s gone, I guess I should get going too."
I’d only stayed behind to say a final goodbye before she left. After grabbing my gear, I hopped onto my bike. I’d been worried someone might steal it while I was getting my things, but fortunately, it was still there.
My first destination was Busan. I wasn't sure how long it would take since I planned to take detours whenever I found a place I wanted to see, but the final stop was Busan. If I felt like going further, I could even cross over to Jeju Island. I’d heard there were bike tours where you could cycle all the way around the island.
"Let's go."
Just as I was about to start pedaling, my phone rang. I’d already talked to the three girls separately, so I wasn't expecting any calls.
— Big Hyung -
"What now?"
I hesitated, wondering if he was going to nag me about coming home for the break. But since I wasn't exactly the type of younger brother who listened to his older brothers anyway, I just picked up.
"Hello?"
— I heard your break started.
"It did. Didn't I tell you before that I was going on a bike trip?"
— You didn't.
"I guess I only told Little Hyung, then."
— Are you not coming home this break either?
"I went back once for that blind date. That’s enough."
— Right, I have something to say about that.
"Why? Is he telling me to go on another one? Doesn't he know it’s pointless by now?"
— It’s not that. I heard you were classmates with Choi Jin-ah?
"We were in elementary school together. What about it?"
I had a feeling he was about to say something annoying.
— I heard there’s a reunion in a week. Go to it.
"Ugh, what are you talking about? Why would I go there? I don't even remember their faces."
— Sigh. From what I hear, it’s a gathering of prominent successors around your age.
"So? You want me to go there, get to know them, and build a network? For the sake of the company? You’re the one inheriting the company, Hyung. Are you so incompetent that you need my help?"
— If I were incompetent enough to need your help, I wouldn't have coveted the chairman's seat in the first place.
"……."
Look at that confidence.
"Then why?"
— I want you to accompany Miss Choi Jin-ah. Their side requested it.
"I don't want to."
If the girls find out, I’m dead. I went through hell just to fix things after our last falling out; why would I sign up for that again?
— If you hadn't unilaterally ditched the blind date and run back to school, I wouldn't be saying this.
"……."
I’d just said I was sorry because I wanted to see the girls and came straight back here. Big Hyung continued, his tone shifting from a request to a command.
— It was a matter their side found quite offensive. Miss Choi Jin-ah is kind, so she didn't make a fuss about it.
"Hyung, I’m literally about to start my bike trip. Do you have to rain on my parade like this?"
— It’s a week away anyway. Ride to your heart's content, and just let me know your location then. I’ll send a car.
"Why does Choi Jin-ah say she needs me?"
— They didn't specify that.
Sigh.
Big Hyung let out a long breath and said,
— This isn't just a business matter; it’s a family matter. You acted rudely, so you should apologize.
"Haaa, I’ll talk to Choi Jin-ah myself. I’ll call you back after that."
Click.
I hung up abruptly, trying to steady my breathing as I put my foot on the pedal. Whatever. Summer break has just begun. I’m going to enjoy it first.
*
"Ooh."
Seo Ye-rin had begun filming her movie. The set she arrived at with the manager YS Entertainment had assigned her was a wasteland designed to look like an apocalyptic world. They would eventually add CG to make it look more vivid.
"This is so cool."
What she found most fascinating was the chair with her name on it. She wondered if she was supposed to wait there, but the other actors' chairs were all empty.
"It’s a bit of a power struggle. Some actors hate being around others, so they wait in their dressing rooms or even their vans and only come out when it’s time for their scenes," the veteran manager explained.
Ye-rin nodded. Since everything was new to her, YS had intentionally paired her with an experienced manager.
"Let's go greet the director first. I heard you need separate makeup, Ye-rin."
"Okay, I understand."
Ye-rin’s role was a lonely female warrior—a woman who had lost her loved one and lived a cynical life consumed by grief.
As she greeted the director and staff, Ye-rin was the picture of elegance and purity. She was so likable that people wondered if a first impression could really be this good. Her refined speech and gestures, and her natural, warm consideration for others, were all thanks to her strict mother.
‘I guess she didn't make me focus on those things for nothing.’
Ye-rin hummed to herself, thinking her mom was right about everything. Then, she spotted a woman who had just finished talking to the sound director and was looking at the set with a contemplative expression.
"Oh, that person is..."
"Do you know her?" the manager asked, stepping in front of her.
"I know who she is, but she doesn't know me. She’s an acquaintance of my boyfriend."
The manager frowned and gave her a warning.
"Ye-rin, don't go around mentioning a boyfriend. Even if you really have one, you shouldn't tell anyone."
"……."
"And don't go approaching people first. It makes you look cheap, and that’s a problem."
"Aha, I see."
Ye-rin nodded, then immediately raised her hand and shouted.
"Jin-ah! Hello!"
"……?!"
The manager was shocked to see Ye-rin waving and shouting. But Ye-rin was already smiling brightly and greeting Choi Jin-ah.
The surrounding eyes instantly shifted toward them. The manager panicked and tried to shield Ye-rin with his body, but she strode right up to Choi Jin-ah.
"Hello, I’m Seo Ye-rin."
"……Seo Ye-rin?"
Choi Jin-ah looked dazed, her mouth hanging open as if the name rang a bell. But Ye-rin was faster.
"I heard my boyfriend was quite rude to you recently."
Ye-rin offered a hand with a smile. The manager wanted to make a scene and say something, but he couldn't act out with Choi Jin-ah right there.
"Ah……."
Only then did Choi Jin-ah remember. This was one of the women Kim Woo-jin had been so excited to talk about during their blind date.
"Miss Ye-rin, I heard you became an actress. So you’re appearing in this film."
"Yes, that’s right. You’re a violinist, Jin-ah. What brings you here?"
"My orchestra was commissioned for the background music. I came to get a feel for the setting and atmosphere."
Smile.
The smile on Ye-rin’s face was sharp, unlike the one she’d shown the director and staff. Even the manager was taken aback, wondering if the innocent and polite girl he knew had this side to her.
Choi Jin-ah was smiling too, but she seemed a bit overwhelmed. She hadn't quite regained her composure after the sudden ambush.
Ye-rin gloated inwardly, thinking this was her victory and imagining how Choi I-seo and Yoo Ah-rin would praise her.
Vibrate!
Her phone went off.
"Just a moment."
Thinking it was a call, Ye-rin excused herself and turned away to check. It wasn't a call, but a flurry of KakaoTalk messages arriving all at once.
She’d muted most of her group chats. For it to be vibrating like this, it had to be about Kim Woo-jin or the other two. The messages were coming from the group chat with the four of them.
"Huh?!"
The moment she saw the content, Ye-rin let out an involuntary cry. Right below Kim Woo-jin’s message from an hour ago about how excited he was to start his bike trip was a new message—.
"Is something wrong?" Choi Jin-ah asked cautiously as Ye-rin’s expression crumpled.
"W-W-Woo-jin..."
Ye-rin’s lips trembled as she cried out.
"They say he’s been in an accident?!"