Chapter 150
Chapter 150
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: The Lost Phone
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"Ah, I forgot to mention. He got injured in his arm and leg on the way here, so he was replaced by an actor from our agency."
"Was he hurt badly?"
"I don't know."
She answered indifferently.
It seemed like no big deal that the actor had been suddenly switched out.
"Shooting will be delayed, then?"
"Probably. But after seeing Yu-na perform, I'm not too worried..."
"Daddy! Daddyyy!"
Yu-na came running at full tilt, screaming at the top of her lungs, and thrust something toward me.
I instinctively leaned back in alarm before peering closely at her hand.
What the heck is this?
A small brown pellet clutched in her tiny hand.
"Yu-na, what's this?"
"It's sooo good. Try it quick, okay?"
Yu-na proudly pulled out more from her pocket. It was some cheap junk food branded "Kkwet-sun-ee."
I relaxed and smiled brightly.
"Want to feed it to Daddy, then?"
"Hee hee hee. Okay!
As I opened my mouth wide, a fun idea popped into my head. What if I nibbled on Yu-na's little hand?
My body itched with mischief.
...Should I?
Yu-na's finger and the brown pellet slowly entered my mouth.
Not yet. Just a bit more...
When it was about halfway in, I snapped my mouth shut.
"Ahh!"
Startled, Yu-na yanked her finger back and scowled, furrowing her brow. Then she rubbed her hand vigorously on her clothes.
My saliva must have gotten on it.
She's just too cute.
"Did my girl practice well?"
"Yup! They said I acted just like you, Daddy. And they said I just need to change clothes later."
"My girl's the best, as expected."
"Daddy! Can I buy more of these? I wanna eat them at home too..."
I burst out laughing.
She could buy a ton with just the coins she'd been saving up steadily.
"Ahaha! Buy as many as you want. Daddy'll get them all for you. How about we stop by there after shooting's done?"
"Really? Wooow!"
That was when it happened.
Yoo Sia suddenly scowled deeply, her face twisting in displeasure.
"Excuse me. Did you hear what I said?"
Oh, right. I'd forgotten.
I remembered her saying she wasn't worried after seeing Yu-na act...
What came after that?
"Sorry. What did you say?"
I panicked at the sight of Yoo Sia's face, flushed bright red like it was about to explode.
She was seriously pissed.
"Forget it!"
She shot to her feet and stormed off, huffing—leaving her important phone on the ground behind her.
"Uh, hey! Sia!"
She didn't even turn around.
I let out a quiet sigh.
Guess I'll hold onto it for now...
I hurriedly picked up Yoo Sia's dropped phone to return it to her later.
"Daddy!"
Yu-na suddenly lunged at me, and I accidentally turned on someone else's phone.
"...Huh?"
My body froze at the sight of the photo on the screen, marked by the passage of time.
A girl who looked strikingly like Yu-na and a strikingly handsome man in shabby clothes, both beaming with the world's happiest smiles.
Yoo Sia stormed away from the father and daughter without looking back.
Stomp. Stomp.
After walking for a while, she stopped in a deserted alley and collapsed onto the ground.
"I'm crazy. Totally crazy..."
It wasn't even something worth getting mad about, but seeing Yu-na's innocent face had overlapped with her own past self, making her snap.
Begging her dad over and over for things she wanted, even when they were strapped for cash...
Her most regrettable, childish moments.
Yoo Sia sighed deeply and reached into her pockets. She rummaged through every one, then jumped to her feet.
"Huh? Where'd it go?"
She checked all her pockets again, but no phone.
Thud! Her mind went blank.
'I can't lose that...'
Precious message logs exchanged with her father, who had passed away last year.
If she lost that phone, they'd all be gone forever. Irreplaceable memories...the last remnants she absolutely couldn't lose.
Yoo Sia frantically retraced her steps from earlier that day.
"Seriously... where is it..."
No matter how hard she looked, the phone didn't turn up, and tears began streaming down her face.
Even as her vision blurred and she could barely see, she refused to give up.
"Hey, isn't that Yoo Sia? What's she doing over there? Did she lose something?"
"How should I know?"
She ignored voices like that and kept scanning the ground.
How much time passed?
Judging she couldn't do it alone anymore, she headed to the car to ask for help.
Slam!
"Sis...!"
"Hey! What's wrong with your face!"
Looking at her manager's worried face, Yoo Sia burst into tears.
"Stop crying! Tell me what happened so I can help."
"What do I do... I think I lost my phone..."
"What? Did you try calling it?"
Yoo Sia blinked through her tears. She apparently hadn't even thought of that simple solution.
"I figured. How many times have I told you? If that phone's so precious, get a new one and use this as a backup."
"......"
"Then you could keep it safe at home. Right? Tsk..."
Narrowing her eyes like she was looking at a troublesome little sister, the manager sighed deeply. Then she dialed the number saved as "My Little Sister."
Riiiing!
The call connected clearly.
Yoo Sia prayed fervently.
Soon, the ringing stopped, and a very familiar man's voice came through the phone.
-Hello?
I tilted my head.
I'd answered, but no response. Feeling something off, I checked the number: saved as "My Sister."
Wait, this wasn't my phone.
Cold sweat trickled down my spine.
I'd mindlessly used Yoo Sia's phone that I was keeping.
Sister... probably her actual older sister?
-This is Yoo Sia's manager.
I breathed a huge sigh of relief.
"I'm actor Lee Jun-seo. I have the phone Yoo Sia dropped earlier. She left without responding when I called, so I was planning to give it back later."
-Where are you right now?
"Inside the white tent. Yu-na's changing into her shooting outfit and getting simple makeup done."
Click!
The call ended.
She's probably rushing over here.
"Daddy, my lips taste weird. It's gross..."
Yu-na kept licking her lips.
The two makeup artists looked flustered, hovering over her.
"D-Don't lick it."
"Oh... gotta do it again."
It was just basic lotion and lip balm, but Yu-na's face seemed to glow anyway.
Was she even prettier? Or was that just my imagination?
I raised the corners of my mouth.
"Hey, can we skip the lip balm?"
"It's okay, but..."
"Then let's skip it. It won't affect the shooting concept much, right?"
Yu-na hated it so much.
I didn't want to force her.
Maybe because I spoke firmly?
The ones picking out another balm slumped their shoulders in agreement.
Hop!
Yu-na jumped down from the folding chair, snack in hand.
"Yu-na bite! Daddy bite!"
She grabbed a handful for herself and delicately pinched one for me with her fingers. Her greed for snacks was impressive.
"Yu-na bite! Daddy bite!"
"Just one again?"
"Oh, no."
"Then... I'll trust you this time?"
"Hee hee hee. Yup."
As I opened my mouth, Yoo Sia burst into the tent, panting.
"Haa, haa..."
The makeup artists tidying tools.
Yu-na, placing a snack in my mouth.
And me, eating it.
We all froze, staring at Yoo Sia as she entered.
Yoo Sia caught her breath and looked up. Her bloodshot eyes fixed on me.
Step. Step.
She approached menacingly and thrust out her hand.
"Give it. My phone."
"Oh... this?"
The moment she saw it, she snatched it lightning-fast and clutched it like a precious treasure.
A brief silence.
Yu-na broke it.
"Daddy, that auntie's weird."
"...You're weirder. What's with that outfit? It doesn't look anything like what I wore as a kid."
Yu-na was in a beige coat and black pants. To me, she looked perfect and adorable...
Why was it weird?
Yu-na puffed out her cheeks.
"Daddy said it was pretty."
"Of course Daddy thinks his daughter looks pretty no matter what. To me, you're really ugly."
"Nooo!"
For the first time, Yu-na spoke casually to her. Being called ugly outright had really upset her.
"Yeah. Super ugly."
"No! Yu-na's pretty!"
It turned into a childish spat.
What the heck was this...
I sighed deeply, then suddenly remembered the photo on Yoo Sia's phone.
'Might as well ask about that.'
I stopped Yu-na's silly fight and turned to Yoo Sia.
"Um, I have a question. The photo on the screen... is that you?"
"Oh, you saw that?"
"Sorry for looking without permission."
She shook her head.
"It's my fault for losing it... Yeah. It's me as a kid. Your daughter looks so much like her—I was shocked."
"Yeah, honestly, I was too."
She gazed at the recovered phone screen and smiled faintly. Sadness and longing radiated from her.
"...Auntie. Cheer up."
Yu-na, mid-squabble, offered words of comfort to Yoo Sia.
Even little Yu-na seemed to sense it.
'When's shooting gonna start?'
Everyone seemed way too relaxed.
The actor playing the dad had arrived.
Yu-na and Yoo Sia were both ready, but the staff were roasting sweet potatoes over a small bonfire.
And there was Yu-na, somehow blending in with them.
'That's a sponsored outfit...'
Too close to the fire. It made me nervous.
'Should I go get her?'
I shook my head.
Earlier, when the staff were building the bonfire and I'd offered to help, they'd all glanced at me awkwardly, unsure.
So.
If I joined in now, the fun vibe would definitely sour. The staff would take good care of Yu-na, right?
That's what I thought.
Suddenly, loud laughter erupted.
"Ahahaha!"
"Was it that good?"
"You grew a beard? Beard!"
"Ahaha! Don't wipe it with your hand. You smeared it."
From afar, Yu-na's cute face was covered in soot.
She must've touched the burnt part after eating the sweet potato deliciously.
And then rubbed her face with that hand?
I could picture it without watching. She was still smearing her face with those pitch-black hands.
Can't keep an eye on her for a second.