Chapter 229: A First-Time Experience (1)
Chapter 229: A First-Time Experience (1)
In truth, Seo-yeon was quite a generous person.
While she tended to remember things she disliked for a long time, she wasn't the type to nag or make a scene in the moment. Above all, if someone’s actions were directed at her, she usually let most things slide.
Seo-yeon only truly got angry when those around her were harmed.
For instance, she had stepped in when Cha Na-hee was being bullied during Summer Girl. More recently, she had been quite upset by the way Jo Seo-hee was treated by her father—though in Seo-hee’s case, her father’s reasons were somewhat understandable from his perspective.
Anyway.
"This is my first time in Korea, you know? It feels different from Japan."
"Do you go to Japan often?"
"Huh? No? It’s my first time in Japan, too. Honestly, Asia has never really been on my radar."
Even if the blonde girl acted this way, Seo-yeon could overlook it with her usual generosity. Besides, the girl was undeniably beautiful, so the attitude almost seemed to suit her.
If she’s not interested in Asia, why did she bother learning the languages?
Apparently, she didn't just speak Korean. She seemed to be trilingual, fluent in Korean, Japanese, and Chinese. When asked why, she would only offer a bright smile without giving a straight answer.
A golden bob. Slightly shorter than Seo-yeon. Maybe a year or two older?
That was the gist of the information on Stella.
While Stella prattled on, Seo-yeon looked her up on a wiki, and her career was nothing short of extraordinary. She had won the Best Actress Award at the Berlin International Film Festival at the age of eight. It was a career so stellar it felt surreal. Even Seo-yeon, who had been hailed as a child prodigy back then, had only filmed The Moon That Hides the Sun.
Of course, I was only seven at the time.
Still, it wasn't as if an extra year of activity would have landed her a Best Actress award at Berlin. Well, Seo-yeon had won a domestic award back then, so she had no complaints.
"Ah! I heard this is really popular."
Stella pointed at a small tteokbokki street stall they were passing. With Korean culture spreading globally recently, Stella must have heard about it somewhere.
"And?"
"Hmm? I’m looking at you so you'll buy it for me."
"Can't you just buy it with your own money?"
"Ahaha, what? You're so cold. I was just joking."
A joke this time, then.
Regardless, she didn't seem to have any qualms about spending money, so she must have brought plenty. It would be ridiculous for a global star to be strapped for cash, anyway.
Stella took a few bites of the tteokbokki served in a paper cup.
"Mmm. The texture isn't really my thing."
With that, she made a move to toss it into a nearby trash can. Since the cup was still nearly full, Seo-yeon stopped her.
"Why?"
"It’s a waste."
Seo-yeon had seen the face of the woman who had just served them. Her expression had soured the moment Stella moved to throw it away, so Seo-yeon naturally felt compelled to intervene.
"How strange."
"Pardon?"
"You don't seem like the type who would care about wasting something like this. From what I can see, you're doing pretty well for yourself in this country."
Holding the cup of tteokbokki, Stella glanced around. In a nearby cosmetics store, an ad Seo-yeon had filmed was playing—the one for 'éclat Étoile.' Nearby, there were also large billboards for Sky Garden and an advertisement for Adiz chairs.
Seeing them made Seo-yeon feel a bit embarrassed. There were more ads featuring her face than she had realized.
"Anyway, if you're going to throw it away, give it to me."
"No, I don't want to. I'm going to eat it."
"I thought you said it wasn't your thing?"
"It isn't, but I still don't want to give it away."
What was with her? She was a completely spoiled young lady. She had the exact mindset of a chaebol heiress, the kind Jo Seo-hee might have.
No, maybe it’s a bit different from that.
Stella was all smiles, making it hard to tell what she was actually thinking. Seo-yeon even wondered if she had actually intended to throw the food away. Was she just testing Seo-yeon’s reaction?
More importantly, what am I supposed to do with her?
By now, Seo-yeon and Stella had reached the streets of Hongdae. Having no idea how to handle the situation, Seo-yeon contacted her manager, Park Eun-ha.
[Wait, did I hear that right? Who are you with?]
[Stella Baldwin. She said she came to Korea from Japan by herself.]
[Stella Baldwin? The Stella Baldwin I know? That actress is with you right now? For real? It’s not April Fools', is it?]
[I’m not lying. It’s really her.]
[Hold on, let me look into this and get back to you. Please, just keep her with you!!]
Park Eun-ha left the message and went silent. She was likely scrambling in every direction to resolve the situation.
At this point, Seo-yeon started to find it a bit amusing.
"Hey, stand over there for a second with the tteokbokki."
"You're ordering me around quite naturally. I don't want to."
"That's fine, I already took it."
"…What? You're lying, right? Really?"
The moment Stella had turned around with the tteokbokki in hand, Seo-yeon had snapped a photo with her in the background while making a V-sign. It happened in the blink of an eye, leaving even Stella flustered.
How did she do that just now?
Ignoring Stella, who kept chirping about how she’d done it, Seo-yeon uploaded the photo to the Gyeongseong Lady group chat.
She posted it and waited.
Leaving that emoji behind, Seo-yeon closed the app. Feeling a sense of satisfaction from the continuous pings of notifications, she looked at Stella. Suddenly, this arrogant little pixie didn't seem so bad.
So this is why people buy luxury goods.
She was like a luxury bag bought on impulse—not particularly useful, but she served her purpose perfectly when it came to showing off to others.
"Excuse me."
As Seo-yeon was checking her messages, she looked up at the sound of someone calling out. For the record, they weren't calling her. Seo-yeon was currently in disguise, after all.
She saw two men approach Stella, who was eating her tteokbokki with a disgruntled face.
"Oh? She's a foreigner."
"Man, do I have to speak English? But wow, she's seriously insane."
They weren't speaking directly to Stella yet. It was a quiet exchange between the two of them, loud enough only for someone with Seo-yeon’s hearing to catch.
"The one next to her looks like she has great style, too."
"Why is her face covered? Anyway, I'm going to try talking to her again."
When Stella ignored them and tried to walk away, one of the men approached her again.
"Excuse me? Hello?"
"Are you two bored? Want to hang out with us? What's the fun in just two girls hanging out?"
Seo-yeon was stunned by their persistent flirting.
Is this... 'hunting'?
It was the first time she had ever experienced this in person. And in broad daylight in Hongdae, no less. She didn't think this usually happened like this.
Don't these types usually only come out at night?
Despite the thought, Seo-yeon felt incredibly intrigued. Usually, when she came to places like this, she was with Ji-yeon or Jo Seo-hee. Naturally, when the two of them were together... well, most people wouldn't even dream of approaching them.
All three of them had such intense auras that people tended to clear a path just by them walking past. Picking them up? Someone would have to be at least as brazen as Low, who had shamelessly hit on Jo Seo-hee, to even try. When the three of them were together, they didn't even really need disguises. No one dared to approach them anyway.
So, the 'hunters' before her were a fascinating sight. So these creatures actually exist.
Is it because of Stella’s look?
Stella had a relatively innocent, gentle appearance. Her face was practically angelic, so it was only natural for people to stop and stare.
The problem is that very few people recognize her as Stella.
The men seemed to have no idea that the blonde woman eating tteokbokki was the world-famous movie star, Stella Baldwin. Despite being called the 'Pixie of the Century,' she seemed less famous in Korea than expected.
Well, no one would expect the Pixie of the Century to be eating tteokbokki on a Korean street.
Seo-yeon nodded to herself, watching Stella with keen interest. She was curious to see how she would respond.
Then.
"What? You guys speak Korean well, too?" Stella said to them with wide, surprised eyes.
"Huh?"
"I mean, we're Korean, so..."
"Oh? Really? Ah, sorry. My mistake."
She gave them a bright, clear smile and stared straight up at them. Faced with her overwhelming beauty, the men instinctively took a few steps back.
"I heard Korean men were handsome, so I was sure you must be from another country."
At her words, the men froze. She hadn't used a single curse word, yet it felt like they had just been brutally insulted.
"Uh, well..."
"Ugh, damn it. Meeting a crazy bitch first thing in the morning."
Muttering under their breaths, they slunk away. There were too many eyes on them for them to say anything more.
I was curious to see what she'd do if they got aggressive.
Of course, Stella didn't look like much of a fighter, so Seo-yeon would have had to step in. But since she was an actress, surely she carried a self-defense tool or two?
"Where did you hear that there are many handsome men in Korea?"
"Hmm? I heard it from some other actors. But honestly, I'm not so sure."
"About what?"
"I mean, all Asians look the same, don't they?"
It was a casual bit of racism, delivered as naturally as breathing.
"To us, Westerners all look the same, too."
"Hmph, really? Maybe so. But I'm different, aren't I?"
She shrugged, her self-confidence truly something to behold.
"And you're definitely different, too. In many ways... the scenery I see."
But her following words were quite cryptic.
"Actually, it's not just Asians. Honestly, I have a hard time telling people's faces apart. They all look so similar."
Stella pointed at Seo-yeon with the toothpick she had been using for the tteokbokki.
"But you are definitely different. I can see why my father is interested in you."
Those were likely the most sincere words she had spoken so far. It was hard to read the truth behind her smiling face, even for Seo-yeon, who was skilled at reading others' emotions.
Perhaps most of her behavior was just 'acting.'
After that conversation, Seo-yeon spent more time with Stella in Hongdae until she finally heard back from Manager Park Eun-ha.
[Could you look after Stella until she goes back to Japan?]
That was the gist of the message. Leaving her alone in a hotel was a concern, and Stella had apparently refused to be taken anywhere else. She had said she didn't mind staying with Seo-yeon.
"Ah, did you finally get the message?"
Looking at Stella, who spoke to her as she finished the call, Seo-yeon felt a sudden urge to give her a good flick on the forehead.
*
Stella’s trip to Korea had been a truly impulsive act. She had left a message at the hotel desk where she was staying with her father, Asher Baldwin, saying she was going to Korea, and hopped on a plane immediately.
There wasn't some grand reason for her visit. It was simply because this was only the second time her father had shown such interest in an actor.
The first had been herself. The second was Ju Seo-yeon.
Stella had watched Seo-yeon’s cameo performance that had captivated Asher.
Hmm, she certainly is different.
She felt strangely bored by it. Regardless, Seo-yeon’s acting was certainly worth watching. Had she tailored it to Japanese sensibilities? Acting requirements varied by culture. Japanese movies and dramas had a slightly different vibe—acting that focused more on the fantastical than the realistic. It was often like a live-action version of an anime.
But that was simply how it had evolved because that was what Japanese audiences wanted. It was a cultural form. Stella understood that, but she honestly didn't care for the unique style of Japanese acting. Not only did she find it emotionally juvenile, but she had never seen an actor who could make it feel truly resonant.
"But this... this definitely resonates."
That was how she felt. And meeting Seo-yeon in person had lived up to her expectations.
Her claim that she couldn't distinguish faces wasn't a lie. Stella couldn't truly 'see' ordinary people. They were just monochrome humans. Among them, Seo-yeon, who possessed a brilliant red light, naturally stood out.
So, Stella had planned a little event for Seo-yeon. She had come to Korea on a whim, and while seeing Seo-yeon was the primary reason, it wasn't the only one. She had her own business to attend to in Korea. Well, that too was ultimately related to Seo-yeon.
"But aren't you treating me a bit too harshly?"
Stella grumbled as she watched Seo-yeon sleeping on the bed. Making her sleep on the floor while Seo-yeon took the bed for herself... didn't people usually give the bed to their guests? She wouldn't even let her wear shoes inside.
As she stared at the sleeping Seo-yeon with these thoughts...
"…."
Seo-yeon, sensing her gaze, looked back at her. Her narrowed red eyes stared intently at Stella.
W-when did she wake up?
Startled by the chilling gaze, Stella slunk back down onto her bedding on the floor. She decided to pretend she hadn't seen anything.
The next day.
Before her departure, Stella met Lee Ji-yeon and Jo Seo-hee.
"Wow, Asians really do all look the same. If this were Puyo Puyo, you guys would have popped by now."
She said this while looking back and forth between the three of them, including Ju Seo-yeon.