Chapter 101
Chapter 101
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: A Fan's Wish List
“Are you going somewhere?”
“No. Why do you ask?”
“It’s just that your outfit looks like you’re about to head out.”
“Well, I couldn’t exactly greet you in what I wear when I’m alone, could I?”
A stark contrast to Im Chae-seul, who greeted me in a slip on my very first visit.
But from Han Ji-hyo’s perspective, this was the right way to do things.
A little disappointing, though.
Han Ji-hyo took out an autograph book and signed it stylishly with a marker.
“Should I write your name?”
“Yes. It’s Lee Chang-woo.”
Han Ji-hyo wrote, <To Lee Chang-woo, my self-proclaimed longtime die-hard fan. Be happy.>
But why did she add ‘self-proclaimed’?
“Here you go.”
“Thank you. I’ll treasure it as a family heirloom.”
“Should we take a selfie, too?”
“Yes.”
“Come over here.”
Han Ji-hyo posed with a white wall as the background.
This way, no one looking at the selfie would be able to tell it was taken at her home.
When her shoulder lightly brushed against mine, my heart pounded fiercely.
It was hard to resist the impulse to put my hand on her waist or shoulder.
The way she could freely flash a bright smile for the camera was a testament to her professional experience.
“Here.”
Han Ji-hyo handed back the phone with a somewhat blunt tone.
The gallery now contained a picture of Han Ji-hyo smiling brilliantly, a stark contrast to the voice she had just used.
“You’ve achieved your goal.”
“I suppose I have.”
“Then you can go.”
“Excuse me?”
“You said you wanted an autograph and a selfie but couldn’t get them because of the time and place. So I gave them to you, even if it was late.”
“Well, yes, that’s true.”
“Now that you’ve achieved your goal, shouldn’t you be heading back?”
“Ah, I see.”
Im Chae-seul.
I think you might have given me some bad advice.
Am I really supposed to leave with just an autograph and a selfie?
‘Just do whatever you want, Chang-woo.’
Wait, maybe I haven't actually followed Im Chae-seul's advice properly yet?
Alright. Time to be shameless.
“What are you going to do if I say I don’t want to leave?”
“What did you say?”
Han Ji-hyo looked at me as if I were absurd.
She crossed her arms, narrowed her eyes, and stared at me disapprovingly.
The sight of her was driving me crazy with desire.
“I’m a longtime fan, and thanks to this hard-won opportunity, I was even invited to your home,”
“It wasn’t an invitation.”
“In any case, now that I’m here, it would be too unfair—no, too disappointing—to leave just like this.”
“So what do you propose we do?”
“Would you like to have a beer?”
“You want to drink with me? The two of us?”
“It’s been my dream. Can’t I?”
“Didn’t you just say an autograph and a selfie were your dream?”
“My dreams aren’t limited to just those two. There’s a mountain of things I want to do with you, Han Ji-hyo. Any die-hard fan would feel the same.”
Suddenly, Han Ji-hyo burst into laughter.
It wasn’t the same cheerful, clear, high-pitched laugh I had heard earlier in the day.
It was a pleasant, relaxed-sounding laugh.
“Ah, that’s hilarious. This is crazy. Are you always this funny?”
When did I say anything funny?
I don’t think I did.
“Alright, what else does my longtime die-hard fan want to do with this washed-up actress? We’ve already done the autograph, the selfie, and the one-on-one fan meeting. What else is there?”
Sex.
The word almost escaped my lips without a filter.
Im Chae-seul had told me to just say what comes to mind and act on impulse.
But how could I possibly say something like that?
With her arms still crossed, Han Ji-hyo watched me intently.
She seemed to be subtly anticipating my answer.
“Uh... Chicken and beer?”
“Chicken and beer? Is that all?”
“Pardon?”
Han Ji-hyo smirked, then picked up her phone and made a call.
“Send up a sashimi set course. Add a whole chicken, too. Oh, and a tenderloin steak.”
Han Ji-hyo ended the call.
“Did you order delivery? But can delivery drivers even get in here?”
“I ordered from the food service. There are chefs on standby 24/7.”
“What?”
“The quality is better than the room service at most five-star hotels, so you won’t be disappointed.”
I think I’ve heard about this.
That high-end apartments even offer breakfast service.
But having chefs on call 24/7 is truly incredible.
“You’re not unable to eat raw fish, are you?”
“I eat it just fine.”
“That’s a relief. I added chicken and steak anyway, so there should be plenty of snacks to go with our drinks.”
“I would have been more than grateful with just chicken and beer...”
“I have a reputation to uphold. If Han Ji-hyo invites a longtime die-hard fan to her home for a one-on-one fan meeting and only serves chicken and beer, the world will judge me.”
“Are you sure this is okay? You said you were struggling financially.”
“Pfft.”
Han Ji-hyo suddenly let out a deflating laugh.
Then she broke into peals of her clear, high-pitched laughter.
That explosive laugh I had been so captivated by, wondering how such a cheerful sound could come from someone with such an innocent beauty.
To see it in 4D, right before my eyes.
I’m so glad I died once...
“No, seriously. With that face, were you preparing to be a comedian? Why do you keep making me burst out laughing all the time?”
I honestly have no idea what was so funny just now.
The women in my first-string harem were always smiling, so I just got used to it.
But Han Ji-hyo goes from being prim and proper to suddenly cracking up, and it’s flustering.
It feels like she’s setting off these explosions of laughter without any warning, when I’m completely unprepared.
It’s like being ambushed.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Chefs in uniform entered with a food cart and set the table immaculately.
A splendidly lavish platter of sashimi, so large it was doubtful the two of us could finish it.
A golden, crispy, and mouth-watering fried chicken.
A slab of steak with beautifully seared grill marks, looking like its juices were about to burst out.
To think she could order food like this anytime she wanted.
I suddenly want to move here.
“Um, how much does a place like this cost?”
“Let’s see, probably around thirty billion won now?”
Thirty billion won...
The original Chang-woo’s 8.5 billion won apartment was already on another level, but this was...
“But you can’t get in with just money. You need a certain status so the neighbors won’t find you unpleasant. Like a corporate executive, a high-ranking government official, or a famous celebrity.”
“I think I’d be cut off by the money requirement long before that.”
While I sat at the round dining table, Han Ji-hyo brought out a bottle of red wine.
“Is it okay if I take a picture?”
“Posting it online would be problematic.”
“Huh? I was going to take a picture of the food.”
“...Go ahead. Take as many as you like.”
An amazing spread of food and drinks prepared by my all-time favorite actress at a one-on-one fan meeting.
I can’t resist this.
I have to capture it in a photo to remember it for years to come.
[Me] <Photo> <Photo> <Photo>
I proudly showed off the pictures of the table in the group chat.
“Wasn’t a toast with Han Ji-hyo on my die-hard fan’s wish list?”
“A toast with chicken and beer was, but a toast with wine was beyond my imagination.”
“You’d better not forget my fan service.”
“How could I ever forget?”
Clink.
We toasted and drank the wine.
The food was absolutely delicious.
It simply melted in my mouth.
The sashimi and steak were incredible, of course.
But the chicken was on another level.
I don’t know how they fried it, but it was in a completely different league from the franchise chicken you can buy.
So even when Michelin-level chefs fry a common dish like chicken, they create a different taste...
“What did the Representative and my die-hard fan’s girlfriend have to say about me?”
“They didn’t say anything particularly bad.”
“So they did say something. It’s fine. Tell me. I have a rough idea anyway.”
“Why does that matter? Regardless of what those two said, I’m only going to think of you based on what I’ve seen, heard, and experienced for myself. I’ve known you for ten years.”
Han Ji-hyo burst out laughing again, chuckling to herself.
I’d delivered that line with quite a bit of conviction, so why was she laughing like that...
“Ahaha, you’re the man Im Chae-seul chased after to date, and here I am asking such a foolish question. You’re right. A man should have that much conviction.”
“She didn’t chase me.”
“But she made the first move, didn’t she?”
“Well, yes.”
“Then she was chasing you.”
“Is that how it works?”
“If Im Chae-seul made the first move, that’s the same as chasing. Even if she’s insufferable, the brand value of a Hallyu star isn’t something to be dismissed.”
Is that really how it is?
A blush had risen to Han Ji-hyo’s cheeks, perhaps from being slightly drunk.
She rested her chin on one hand and gazed at me intently, her eyes so captivating it felt like I could get lost in them forever.
The eyes of an actress, exuding an aura with a different hue than Im Chae-seul’s.
I felt like I could understand why film directors fall in love with their actresses.
“What else is on my die-hard fan’s wish list? Don’t tell me you’ve already run out.”
“Of course not. There’s still plenty left.”
I could write an encyclopedia on sexual positions alone.
I hope we can get to a point where I can share such honest thoughts with a smile soon.
“Tell me. How often do you think a day comes when I’m not working, feeling good, and feeling generous? Are you going to miss this chance?”
“Uh, well... Never mind. It’s nothing.”
“What is it? Why stop mid-sentence? It just makes me more curious.”
“I think the alcohol was getting to me, and I almost made a mistake. Please pretend you didn’t hear anything.”
“That just makes me even more curious. What could be so incredible that you’d stop yourself from saying it? It’s not like you were going to ask me out, right?”
“Oh, of course not.”
“What was that? Saying ‘of course not’ makes me feel strangely offended. What, am I undateable?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. I just meant it wouldn’t be morally right, so of course it’s not an option. Please don’t misunderstand.”
“I won’t misunderstand, so just tell me. If it’s not asking me out, what could possibly be so hard to say?”
Of course, I wasn’t about to suggest we have sex.
As much as I wanted to, that wasn’t what I was about to say.
My chest tightened with nervousness as I spoke.
“My wish was to get a hug from you, Han Ji-hyo.”
“A hug? An embrace?”
“Yes. Whenever you hugged male fans at fan meetings or movie premieres, I was always so envious.”
Han Ji-hyo let out a small laugh, then suddenly stood up and walked toward me.
With a provocative walk and a smile, she closed the distance, looking straight at me.
She wrapped her arms around my shoulders as I sat, pulling my head into her chest.
The faint scent of her perfume mixed with a subtle hint of wine awakened a dizzying excitement.
The warmth and pulse I could feel from her soft chest against my forehead made my heart race uncontrollably.
For a few moments, she stood there, silently holding my head and shoulders.
“How does it feel to have your wish granted?”
“It makes me think I did the right thing, dying once...”
Han Ji-hyo burst out laughing again.
I was being sincere, so what on earth was so funny?