Threads of Fate
A raw fish restaurant in Geoje-do. The place was empty except for our group. I had no idea if the production team had rented out the whole spot or if it was just a slow weekday evening. The only thing I knew for sure was that the sashimi platters spread out on the table looked pricey.
YouTube channel revenue is basically zilch right now, from what I hear... I couldn't help worrying about Ha Bong-seok PD's wallet. Not that I was in any position to fret over someone else when my own nose was barely above water.
"Areum, how do you take care of your skin? What products do you use?"
Park Seoyeun—no, my sister-in-law—no, unnie—had plopped down right next to me, her eyes sparkling as she fired off the question.
"Your outfit is so stylish. Where'd you get it? Is it a brand name?"
"Oh, just some online shop..."
"No way, really? You've got great taste! Send me the link later!"
The questions came raining down like bullets. My head was spinning. Ugh, she was draining my energy.
"Got a boyfriend? If not, unnie can hook you up. I've got tons of cute guys around."
"...Urk."
"Huh?"
"N-no, nothing. Just a gag reflex... My stomach's a bit off."
The word "boyfriend" nearly made my true feelings burst out involuntarily. I could feel how much she wanted to get close. And sure, I wanted to bond with O Seokgyun's wife too. But this pace was way too fast. It felt like I'd been strapped into the passenger seat of a sports car flooring it.
That's when O Seokgyun, sitting across from us, shot me a sympathetic look and spoke up.
"Seoyeun-ah, you're overwhelming Areum. Take it slow. Slow. The kid's gonna choke."
Park Seoyeun pouted at his intervention.
"Hiiing..."
...Ugh. Thank you. But if you're gonna rein her in, do it properly— what's with "take it slow"? And a woman in her forties pulling a "hiiing"? Normally I'd call that cringy, but...
...It suits her, so I'll let it slide.
That glamorous beauty paired with that aegyo... No wonder O Seokgyun's called a doting husband. Anyway, were we finally entering a truce?
"Oh, right! Areum, you do YouTube, yeah? Oppa and I binged your channel from the start at home..."
It wasn't over? My black history videos were about to get dissected. No way. Gotta block that.
I had to change the subject. Anything to derail this train. No choice—time for my ultimate weapon.
"...Y-you two! How did you guys meet?"
"Huh?"
Park Seoyeun's eyes went wide. It was a pretty rude question for first-time acquaintances, especially at a dinner like this. But desperate times.
Better this than my skeletons getting dragged out a hundred times over.
"Curious?"
"...Y-yeah? Totally! You two are perfect together."
"Whoa~! If Areum's curious, no helping it! Time to spill oppas black history! Right?"
Park Seoyeun poked O Seokgyun's side excitedly. His face flushed beet red in an instant.
"...Give me a break. Why bring that up here?"
"Nooo! We can't! Our cute little dongsaeng's dying to know!"
"Sigh... Areum, just take it with a grain of salt... She's definitely exaggerating with MSG."
O Seokgyun shook his head in resignation and downed his soju shot. Oh ho. That reaction screamed trouble. Sounded like he'd spilled this tale plenty of times before. What kind of skeleton could make a tough guy like O Seokgyun squirm like that?
I set down my chopsticks and perked up my ears.
"So it was already 20 years ago. Back when I was doing magazine modeling."
20 years ago—right around O Seokgyun's debut. Magazine model, huh? Explains the unreal looks.
"We met on set, and the second oppa saw me, he froze solid. Like, stood there dazed, practically drooling."
"I wasn't drooling..."
O Seokgyun protested like it was the injustice of the century, but Park Seoyeun brushed it off.
"Anyway, there was a wrap party that night. Oppa got hammered. Then suddenly he shoots up and marches over to me."
She gestured dramatically, reenacting the scene.
"In front of everyone, he grabs my hand and yells at the top of his lungs."
She deepened her voice, mimicking him.
"Park Seoyeun-ssi! Go out with me! I'll make sure you never lift a finger your whole life!"
"..."
Silence blanketed the restaurant for a beat. Then laughter exploded.
"Puhahaha!"
Ha Bong-seok PD nearly spat out his sashimi, and the staff clapped and howled. I couldn't keep a straight face either.
Whoa... for real?
I knew he was a manly man, but zero brakes? A public confession? At a company dinner? What if she'd turned him down—talk about reckless.
"You should've seen his eyes back then—burning like he was gonna devour me. I caved to the intensity, for real!"
Park Seoyeun cackled. O Seokgyun was red as a tomato, head down.
"Ugh... Filter half of it out... I was insane back then..."
"So half of it's true? Wow..."
I was genuinely impressed. 20 years ago, O Seokgyun was a fresh-faced actor in his early twenties. That kind of guts and pure heart at such a young age...
"Kuh... Our Seokgyun's a real man! A true tough guy!"
Ha Bong-seok PD thrust up a thumbs-up, cheering. The staff chimed in with "cool!" and "awesome!" The mood was electric.
O Seokgyun cleared his throat awkwardly, over and over.
"Ahem, hem! Uh, come to think of it... honey."
He scrambled to pivot the topic.
"Where's Sujung's friend's hometown? You said you dropped her off. Better pick her up too—it's dangerous for a student traveling alone."
Sujung—must be O Seokgyun's daughter. Park Seoyeun popped a piece of sashimi in her mouth casually.
"Mokpo! Her friend's super sweet~ Our girl's got great people skills."
Huh? Did I just hear a familiar name?
My chopsticks froze mid-air.
"Mokpo?"
I blurted it out before I could stop myself. Park Seoyeun nodded.
"Yeah, Mokpo. Her family situation's rough... She said she lived there alone as a kid?"
My heart plummeted. Mokpo. Tough family. Lived alone. The keywords clicked together in my brain.
...No way.
Nah, couldn't be. Mokpo's got tons of people. Plenty of kids from broken homes. Just coincidence.
But the bad feeling lingered.
"...How old's your daughter again?"
"Just finished first year high school~ She's 18."
18. I did the math. I'm 22 now. When I was a freshman in middle school at 14, she'd have been a third-grader at 10. Exactly four years younger.
The memory surfaced. That kid from the orphanage volunteer work who stuck to me like glue. While other kids avoided my scary face, she was the only one who'd quietly take my hand. Quiet, but with those clear eyes.
My mouth went dry. On a hunch, I whispered the name from my memory.
"Sora..."
Her eyes went round, and she clapped.
"Yes! Kwon Sora... Huh? How'd you know, Areum?"
"......"
My mind went blank. It was her. Kwon Sora. Friends with O Seokgyun's daughter? What cosmic joke was this?
'Fate can't be hidden.'
The old monk's words from the temple echoed. Goosebumps prickled my skin. Too perfect for mere chance...
"I-I... I gotta go."
"...Yeah. No clue what's up, but hurry. You haven't even drunk yet. Drive safe."
"S-sorry, PD-nim. I have to..."
"Go! Party's fine without you!"
That quiet consideration hit deep. Thank you.
"...Thanks. Unnie, really sorry. I'll make it up to you later."
I bolted out, ignoring their send-off. Jumped in my car in the lot and turned the key.
Whew... Calm down.
Driving like this was a recipe for disaster. Needed a minute to breathe.
Sora...
I recalled Grandpa giving me her number.
"Sora, that li'l one ya know? Her auntie got hold o' her an' she done gone back home~ Wanna her number, eh?"
I'd taken the contact but never called. Why? Busy? Excuse. Later? No. Laziness. Deep down, maybe fear. Too much time passed. Would she even remember me? What if she forgot? Or if that pure kid had changed?
Vague dread plus "someday" procrastination equaled endless delay. Then I forgot. Buried under YouTube explosions, MCN deals, new faces. My life got too hectic as an excuse.
Guilt crashed in. Sorry...
My grip tightened on the wheel. I hated how my heart raced at the chance to see her again. Selfish. But I wanted to. See if she'd grown well, if she was eating right. That little kid, now a high schooler...
...Apologize when we meet.
First, confirm. I fished out my smartphone. Scrolled to the saved number.
Kwon Sora
My thumb hovered over call. Fingertips trembled faintly.
Okay to call now?
Maybe out with her friend? Or back at the orphanage since she went home? I wanted to know. If she remembered my voice.
Deep breath. Eyes squeezed shut. I hit call.
Ring... Ring...
The tone sliced the car's silence. Once. Twice. Three times. About to hang up—
Click.
The ringing stopped. Then, a hesitant voice from the receiver.
"Hello?"
Familiar yet strange—that voice nearly stopped my breath. A familiar yet strange voice came through, and it felt like my breath had caught in my throat.