Chapter 159
Chapter 159
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 159
Chapter Title: Sister Confirmed
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Two days had passed before I knew it.
I woke up as usual and immediately grabbed my phone from the bedside table.
Countless stacked-up messages.
Nothing different from the norm.
"Replying to them is a chore in itself."
I was leisurely lying in bed, responding to each message one by one.
My eyes suddenly widened.
"...What is this?"
I checked the message from Yousia and rubbed my eyes with my hand. I read it slowly from the beginning.
Yousia: I just spoke with the director at the nursery, and the woman named Kang Min-ju who was here is indeed my younger sister.
Yousia: Are you free today?
My eyes weren't playing tricks on me.
She had just talked to the director at Sunflower Nursery?
It was 8 a.m. now.
Far too early to visit.
'No, that's not the important part.'
I quickly closed the messages and tapped the call button on Yousia's number.
It connected right away.
"Hello?"
-Did you see the message I sent?
To avoid waking Yu-na, I slipped out of the bedroom and sat on the living room sofa before replying.
"Yeah, I just saw it. Did you go to the nursery first thing in the morning? More importantly... is she really your sister? Are you sure?"
A brief silence.
Then she gave an affirmative answer.
-Yes. Honestly, I was doubtful because the name was different from my sister's, but the director here said she was once adopted by an elderly couple. That's when she changed her name. Her original name was 'Park So-yeon.'
"Ah..."
So she had been adopted.
It was a story I had never known.
"Then..."
I stopped mid-sentence.
Should I congratulate her on finding her long-lost younger sister from childhood, even if late? Or... I couldn't think of what to say.
-Brother-in-law?
Yousia's use of the term "brother-in-law" snapped me back to attention.
"Ah, did you call me?"
-The word 'brother-in-law' must feel awkward.
"...It does."
Silence fell again.
After a moment.
-Is my sister doing well?
"......"
At her cautious question, I hung my head. She must not know that my wife had passed away early.
Should I tell her the truth...
I lacked the courage.
I was an unworthy husband.
I couldn't afford to buy her delicious food whenever she wanted because we were struggling financially.
I couldn't even buy her pretty clothes.
Now I could give her anything.
My vision blurred.
I wiped away tears with my sleeve and took a long breath to compose myself.
How much time passed?
My delayed response finally came.
-No, forget I asked. I'm sorry. From your silence, I can guess what happened.
"...I'm sorry."
That was all I could say to her: "I'm sorry."
My voice cracked differently from usual, but that didn't matter now.
I opened my mouth again.
"I'm sorry."
-No. If it's you, Jun-seo, you must have made my sister happy.
"......"
-Yu-na... Just watching how you are with my niece tells me everything. You're the picture-perfect dad straight out of a textbook, aren't you? You must have made my sister so happy.
"...Do you think so?"
-And, Jun-seo? If you're blaming yourself, don't. Absolutely don't.
Her words forbidding self-blame gave me a bit of strength.
"Thanks, Yousia."
-No need to thank me. Well, I'll let you go then...
Click!
The call ended, and soon a message arrived from Yousia.
Yousia: It seems hard to meet and talk right now. Someday, when the time comes, let's meet and chat. Got it? Don't forget!
I checked the text and let out a deep sigh. Now it was certain: singer Yousia was family to my wife, Kang Min-ju.
I had planned to uncover it myself... but with this, did I even need to visit the Sunflower Nursery director?
I closed my eyes and leaned back against the sofa. After sorting through my tangled emotions, I opened them again.
'...No.'
I still needed to go meet her...
To introduce my precious daughter to the director who had worried about us after we became independent adults.
After dropping Yu-na off at kindergarten, I got in the car and headed straight to the Lunatic agency.
To personally inform the CEO about the connection between me and Yousia that had been confirmed today.
He had said the agency was in chaos from excessive attention, so if I handled this well, it should resolve things easily.
That's what I thought.
The CEO would finally get some relief too.
'I arrived at the agency.'
I went inside looking for CEO Do Bong-seok, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Where did he go...
Did he go grab a late lunch?
I wanted to ask the staff about the CEO's whereabouts, but they were swamped with endless calls, so it felt wrong to interrupt.
Ring ring! Ring ring!
"Ah, I'm sorry. I can't give you an answer right now."
"Very sorry. I can't respond to that offhand."
"No, that's not possible. Sorry."
The staff, with hollow eyes repeating the same lines, looked like machines to me.
'Really sorry about this.'
That's when I noticed In-cheol, tapping away at his keyboard unlike the frantic staff.
Would In-cheol know?
I sneaked up behind him.
Then placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered.
"In-cheol. Can't see the CEO. Do you know where he is?"
"...Oh, you're here? I meant to call you in for something today... but I forgot."
In-cheol stood up from his seat and had me sit in his place.
He pointed at the screen.
"I'll explain later. For now, sit here and read this."
What In-cheol told me to read was Yousia's StarSta post.
[I finally found my younger sister, whom I was separated from early due to tough times. Surprisingly, she was once left at Sunflower Nursery. To wrap this up...]
#SunflowerNursery, #ThisIsTheTruth.
#LeeYuNa, #MyNiece.
#OnlyIMessWithMyNiece.
'What? She already told the fans?'
This is too fast.
The post matched exactly what she had messaged me early that morning.
"......"
Click. Click.
Forgetting my search for the CEO, I clicked "View all comments" to check the reactions.
-I knew it. If you're gonna reveal it so cleanly, why drag it out?
-She was being cautious. Celebrities always have to watch their words. Same for us, right?
└Yeah, that's right.
-Turns out the sister's husband is the nation's top rookie actor?
└Turns out the wife's sister is the nation's top singer-songwriter?
└Lmao what are you two? You sync up perfectly? Are you family or friends or something?
└Hahaha.
└Spot on. Lol. World is small like that.
-It'd be fun to make a drama about Yousia unnie and Jun-seo oppa.
└I thought the same!
└Me too! Me too!
└Meee toooo!
-What a coincidence.
└World really is small.
Scanning the reactions, no one seemed surprised. Most were saying they expected it.
"Why is this?"
I turned to ask, and In-cheol narrowed his eyes. His gaze toward me held a hint of suspicion.
"...You don't seem surprised, so you knew?"
"She told me herself this morning."
"Then no need for long explanations. Just like Yousia did, post on StarSta and the fan cafe."
"Of course... I should, right?"
"Yeah. Thanks. I gotta go eat now..."
He hasn't eaten yet?
It's 3 p.m. now.
Too late for lunch.
As In-cheol turned to leave, I grabbed his sleeve.
"What? You still haven't had lunch?"
"Too much work."
In-cheol rubbed his big hand over his stomach and scrunched his dying eyes.
Ah, shouldn't have grabbed him.
I waved him off.
"Go on then. I'll write and post what you said here."
"Post that and stick around. We have somewhere to go today."
"Got it. Go eat."
I sent In-cheol off quickly, sat up straight, and placed my hands on the keyboard.
Tap. Tap. Tap tap tap.
As I typed, a prickling stare hit the back of my head.
I stopped and looked around to see staff holding receivers, glaring at me with resentment.
Yet their mouths didn't stop.
"I'm sorry. I can't respond to that offhand."
"No. I'll hang up then."
The same responses came from the staff again. Those lines must be stuck in their mouths from all the reporter calls.
I felt unnecessarily guilty...
I awkwardly smiled.
But the resentful glares didn't change. Feeling even more sorry, I adjusted my posture and resumed typing.
So this could end quickly.
And the staff could relax.
Tap! Tap! Tap tap tap!
How much time passed?
I posted the confirmation on StarSta and the fan cafe, then leaned back.
'Anyway.'
The influx of calls to the agency has noticeably slowed. The staff's break times were increasing.
"Haa..."
I let out a quiet sigh and stared blankly at the ceiling.
'Singer Yousia...'
Thinking about it, I realized I didn't know much about singer Yousia.
I peeled myself off the backrest and searched for Yousia online.
To learn who she really was.
This time, for sure.
Searching her online, she turned out to be even more incredible than I thought.
The nation's top singer-songwriter.
A genius at lyrics and composition.
And the goddess of CFs to boot.
"She really is an amazing singer..."
I was in awe when I sensed someone behind me.
"What are you doing here?"
CEO Do Bong-seok, in a black suit with his tie loosened, was looking at me while holding coffee.
"Ah, CEO. Hello. I was posting on StarSta and the fan cafe."
"I just saw it. What I mean is, you have a ton to do—why are you messing around here?"
"What I have to do?"
"The guy up for Acting Grand Prize going out looking all drab like that? Go get styled at the salon."
I hadn't heard about going to the salon with In-cheol...
Anyway.
'Acting Grand Prize?'
I scratched my head and asked.
"...It's not confirmed that I'll win the Acting Grand Prize yet."
"Kid, if not you, who? Modesty's good, but don't overdo it. Say that in front of others, and you'll make enemies. Watch it."
"But still, you never know. Actress Kwon In-joo was co-lead and acted great too."
"You think I don't know that? You shone the brightest there."