A Call to the Parents
All filming had wrapped. Woo Dan-wol was enjoying his first stretch of free time in ages. He asked Lee Hye-ri, who was driving, for permission before taking the call. The caller was none other than Woo Ri-na.
It was an unusual time for her to ring. A strange feeling crept over him, accompanied by an inexplicable sense of unease.
"...Hello?"
[Oppa!!]
"Why, what's wrong..."
The intense voice pouring through the receiver made his ears ring. Woo Dan-wol's expression tightened slightly, though he had no time to feel annoyed. Ri-na's sharp words struck like a blade straight through his heart.
[Oppa, have you called Mom and Dad?]
"......"
Woo Dan-wol froze. The silence was so heavy that even Lee Hye-ri whispered to ask if something was wrong. Emergency! This was a real emergency. Even a single line added to the "Woo Dan-wol / Controversy" file would be impossible to deny. Truly.
Ever since possessing this body, Woo Dan-wol had been buried in his acting career, but he had completely forgotten about his parents in this world. They were the first people he had seen after the possession, yet they had stirred little emotion in him. Woo Ri-na was a special case; with his parents, he only had a faint memory of their faces.
As Woo Dan-wol sank deeper into thought, his sister's question came again.
[Oppa, oppa?]
"...Should I go down?"
[I've been giving them updates here and there, but you really haven't called?]
"...Yeah."
[Wow... Even with amnesia... No, even if you remembered...]
"I'm sorry."
[You should apologize to Mom and Dad, not me. They say they've been going to see plays lately.]
There seemed to be some story behind it, but Woo Dan-wol couldn't say a word. Even if they were his parents in this possessed world, parents were still parents. Born in the Confucian country of Korea, he knew he had committed an unforgivable act. His heart grew heavy. Not being able to remember the past was frustrating, but what was done was done. So, with filming finished, he decided to visit.
After hanging up, Lee Hye-ri immediately asked what was wrong. She rarely saw Woo Dan-wol apologize, so she asked out of concern.
"Is something the matter?"
"...I haven't called my parents."
"Ah..."
She had no reply. The "Our Dan-wol is bad!" stack was piling up for Lee Hye-ri—though she herself hadn't called her own parents in a long time. She made a mental note to call after work and send some allowance on her next vacation.
After all filming ended, a bitter silence filled the car on what should have been a cheerful ride home.
"......"
"Ah, the settlement for Forest of Flowers came in."
"Really?"
Back at the company, Lee Hye-ri showed Woo Dan-wol the settlement statement first. Since he had signed the contract for Forest of Flowers before joining the agency, this was the first thing she had handled. One might think exploitation was impossible in this day and age, but the world was cold.
Fortunately, the production company had reviewed the contract again, and thanks to Lee Hye-ri's tireless efforts, he received a satisfying payout.
"Hoo, hoo..."
"How is it!"
Even Woo Dan-wol, who had tasted success in his previous life, was surprised. It was only one project, and even with a decent amount of screen time, a supporting role was still a supporting role. The amount deposited into his account was hard to believe for a debut work. Not quite a fortune, but close. And this was before full settlement? This was the payout for a rookie actor? Woo Dan-wol had a habit of undervaluing his own influence apart from his acting, which made the sum feel even more meaningful.
Thanks to it, the company was stable too. Of course, her own hard work played a bigger role, but it was far from the "about to go bankrupt" level. With a rookie yet flagship actor working hard, she too worked with passionate eyes.
"How about moving to a new place?"
"A new place?"
"Yeah, isn't your current place a studio? The company will get you something else."
"I don't really mind... It's not that inconvenient now."
"Didn't you say you live with your sister?"
"Yes."
"People might talk, so let's prepare slowly."
"Understood."
Who would dislike being given a home? Woo Dan-wol trusted Lee Hye-ri completely. Knowing his gaze and heart better than anyone, she worked with even more passion.
Anyway, now that he could dream of owning a home, Woo Dan-wol left work a little early. Around three or four in the afternoon. Today was Friday, and tomorrow was Saturday. He could call tonight and head to his parents' house with Ri-na tomorrow.
Woo Dan-wol took a deep breath. Inhale, exhale. He relaxed his body. Was this how a guilty person felt? No, since he had sinned, it was fitting. Was this how an unfilial child felt? No, since he was unfilial, it was fitting.
After doing housework and washing up, Woo Dan-wol called his parents before dinner. He wondered who to call first, but decided on his father. In his previous life, calling his mother first would have been correct, but this was a gender-reversed world, so he took that into account.
"...Hello?"
[H-hello?]
A middle-aged man's voice came through. At the same time, rather than sounding dignified and composed, it carried a clingy tone that reminded him of his mother in his previous life. It felt a bit odd, but Woo Dan-wol slowly greeted him.
"It's me, Dan-wol, Father."
[Ah, ah! Dan-wol. Yes, yes... Have you been well?]
Kang Jin-hyo's voice grew increasingly wet. The day his son called had finally come! It felt as if all the heartache from before was pouring out. A voice full of tears came through the receiver. Woo Dan-wol's expression darkened.
"I'm sorry. I haven't called often."
[S-sorry...? Aigoo, aigoo...]
Woo Dan-wol was flustered. He had only said "sorry," so why could he hear crying on the other end? He didn't know, but the original Woo Dan-wol of this world had never apologized to his parents. It wasn't a minor mistake.
Entering adolescence, convinced his career path was right, Woo Dan-wol had never backed down from his dreams despite his parents' opposition. Because he wasn't wrong. Because his thoughts were correct. So he had never apologized to them. How long had it been since Kang Jin-hyo heard his son say sorry?
Woo Dan-wol began to wonder what kind of person he had been before the possession. Of course, he himself hadn't called either. Would his parents have been so overjoyed just because he called, and wept so bitterly at his apology?
"Tomorrow... I'd like to visit. With Ri-na."
[Tomorrow? Of course, of course you can!]
"Is Mother there...? Or should I call separately."
[Huh? Uh, yes. She's here.]
A brief exchange passed. His father's disappointed voice came through, saying he still hadn't talked much himself. Woo Dan-wol held his breath, his heart inexplicably heavy. His mother was a very strict person. More precisely, it felt like she was holding back tears. Just how much had the two of them suffered... The "Woo Dan-wol trash" stack was piling up again.
"I'll call often from now on."
[Th-thank you, Dan-wol.]
"Ah, and my acting... I'm on TV now, Mother, Father."
[I-is that so?]
His tone was awkward. Woo Dan-wol could guess that they already knew the truth. Yet they hadn't called their son first. If not consideration, what else could it be? For a son who had lost his memories and was still chasing his remaining dream, what thoughts had kept them from calling?
"Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow."
[Yes, yes. See you tomorrow.]
"Yes, take care. Yes..."
Woo Dan-wol let out a deep sigh. They weren't his real parents, but they were the people who had worried about this body more than anyone since he came to this world. Even if he was possessed, neglecting them went against his sense of duty. Feeling these emotions now was funny, but he resolved to take good care of them from now on.
"Ri-na, you're home?"
"Yeah, Oppa."
Ri-na walked in, apparently home at just the right time after school.
"We might move."
"Oh, where?"
"Nearby, but somewhere bigger. Forest of Flowers was a huge hit, after all."
"Yeah. You're right."
Ri-na's face, which had looked a bit blank at the mention of moving, lit up when Forest of Flowers came up.
"So the CEO is getting us a place."
"Well, it would look bad for an actor to live somewhere like this..."
Even Ri-na, who was a fan, had been worried about that. Being a minor with no money, she hadn't dared to say anything, but she thought it was for the best.
"And we should go down tomorrow, right?"
"Mm... Sounds good."
It wasn't exam season yet. Since she was aiming for a regular high school, missing the last middle school exam wouldn't hurt her grades.
"I have a lot of money now. Tell me everything you want to eat."
"Jeyuk?"
"...Not tired of it?"
Woo Dan-wol felt chills even as he spoke. His eyes widened for a moment as he stared at his trembling hands. He could have asked why he was making such a fuss, but he was confused by the fact that he was saying the words he had once heard from women in his previous life. It had seemed natural before, but now an absurd fear crept in.
"...I'll make it."
Jeyuk. Yes, let's have jeyuk. The only thing that could quell this confusion was jeyuk. The fear that began with jeyuk would be quelled with jeyuk. As Woo Dan-wol pondered these random thoughts, he began marinating the meat.
And the next day, even though Woo Dan-wol knew how to drive, the distance was quite far, so he headed to the train station with Ri-na. Naturally, both were in casual clothes. Though they were siblings, from a distance they looked like a handsome man and beautiful woman. Even though she was in middle school, Ri-na had grown so much that she was almost as tall as Woo Dan-wol. So anyone who didn't know their relationship could easily misunderstand.
"Hehe..."
A woman walking intimately with Woo Dan-wol. She grinned slyly as she took photos of the two.