Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Lee Sin-a (3)
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"Hello."
The first to speak was Lee Sin-a.
Mr. Choi flashed a warm, friendly smile and gestured to the chair opposite him.
"Yes. How have you been? Please, have a seat."
-A slight bow.-
Lee Sin-a nodded her head like a proud duchess before taking her seat.
As her gaze dropped downward, Mr. Choi scanned the curves of her body, flicking out his tongue like a viper.
But the moment she settled in and looked straight ahead again, he adopted a perfectly serious expression, as if nothing had happened.
"So, shall we get straight to the point?"
"Yes. What do the test results say?"
"This is dangerous."
"Dan-dangerous?"
Lee Sin-a's face registered profound shock.
'Mr. Choi' spoke up.
"Yes. Based on what you've told me over the past two weeks, I've analyzed your son. He's someone who's deeply relationship-oriented with high social self-esteem. He took great pride in his work compared to his peers, and his family environment, friendships, and relationship with his girlfriend were all stable."
Mr. Choi paused briefly to catch his breath.
Lee Sin-a fought back rising tears and nodded.
Mr. Choi continued.
"That's why he'll take 'that incident' even more seriously than others might. He could even make an extreme choice—"
-Bang!
Suddenly, Lee Sin-a shot to her feet.
Her shoulders trembled as tears streamed down her face.
"N-no! My son... my son...!"
"Please calm down first. Take a deep breath..."
Mr. Choi handed her a handkerchief and guided her back to her seat.
As Lee Sin-a shuddered uncontrollably, he set water to boil in the coffee pot, then flashed a vile smile and licked his lips.
'Even this haughty bitch loses her mind the moment her son comes up.'
Mr. Choi poured hot water into a paper cup and dropped in a green tea bag.
He handed it to Lee Sin-a and spoke.
"Madam. You need to stay calm, especially now. Please relax and hear me out."
"Yes.... I'm sorry..."
She looked utterly dazed.
Mr. Choi said,
"I've considered several options for your son's treatment.... First off, to prevent any extreme choices, admitting him to a psychiatric hospital would be the best immediate step....."
Mr. Choi paused for effect before continuing.
"...But that's just a temporary delay. In fact, it could be even worse for his mental health. Someone with as high a sense of self-worth as your son would see it as outright betrayal—that his loved ones are sending him away."
Lee Sin-a nodded.
It was a perfectly convincing reason.
"This is where the role of those around him becomes crucial. Especially yours, Madam."
"M-me?"
"Yes. As I mentioned before, your son is relationship-oriented. That means he's heavily influenced by you. After all, you're the real head of the household."
Lee Sin-a nodded, fiddling with her hands.
Just as Mr. Choi said, she was the de facto breadwinner at home.
Her personality was independent and driven, while her husband's was more cooperative and self-sacrificing.
"Forcing your way in at a time like this will only trigger rejection. He'll even resent the attempt to comfort him. But simply waiting for him to recover on his own isn't an option either."
Lee Sin-a furrowed her brow and bit her lower lip.
Just as Mr. Choi described, every attempt to approach her son had been rebuffed, and leaving things as they were might lead to something irreversible.
So what was she supposed to do?
As gloomy thoughts began to consume her, Mr. Choi spoke up.
"That's why you need to change first, Madam. Boldly, if necessary."
"....Me? Change?"
"Yes. It might sound absurd, but your transformation is key."
"Why?"
"The goal of the change is simple: to redirect your son's attention toward you."
".....Toward me?"
"Yes. Right now, he's hyper-fixated on 'that incident.' He's constantly tormenting himself with it. The first step is to pull his focus outward."
"Yes.... I see.... So what should I change, and how? I still can't quite picture it..."
"The most effective method is a change in appearance."
"Appearance?"
"Yes. Why don't you enter a fitness competition? With the goal of winning."
".....A fitness competition... And then?"
"Document the entire process. Post it on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube—whatever. Film your daily progress and share it."
"If I do that, what effect will it have on my son?"
Mr. Choi gathered his thoughts at Lee Sin-a's question.
Finally, he spoke.
"To break your son's hyper-fixation on 'that incident,' we need an equally powerful stimulus. Something big, like your contest entry. Once that fixation cracks, he can temporarily escape the self-loathing that's eating him alive all day. Then, watching your daily transformations will give him positive reinforcement. He might even get a vicarious thrill from comments cheering you on or the attention you receive. And when you win the contest and draw even more notice, it'll spark his desire to re-enter society. Your son was always the proactive type who'd enter contests himself, so he'll bounce back to that stage in no time."
Hope flickered in Lee Sin-a's eyes at Mr. Choi's words.
She nodded repeatedly, feeling a surge of passion rising in her chest.
If she changed, her son could change too.
She was already resolved to give it her all.
"Great.... Sounds good! So... should I sign up for a gym now?"
"Yes. I'll guide you through it, so let's go together today."
Lee Sin-a's face registered surprise.
She said,
"You... you're coming with me to sign up for the gym too?"
"Yes. My fees are high, so I want to make sure everything's done right. I'll oversee every detail of your progress to ensure no issues arise—and because I want those stellar results. You understand, right?"
Lee Sin-a smiled and nodded.
There had been something shady about his underworld vibe, but seeing his commitment to handling things thoroughly put her mind at ease.
"Alright then. Let's go. I'll help you pick a fitness center and map out your full schedule."
"Yes."
Lee Sin-a followed Mr. Choi, watching his reliable back.
But ironically, the place he led her to was a department store.
"Um... why are we here...?"
"To get you some properly fitting clothes."
"Oh... clothes?"
"Yes. It's part of the motivation process."
With that, Mr. Choi began rifling through the racks in the women's clothing section—swish, swish.
Soon, he picked up a piece, examined it from all angles, and handed it to Lee Sin-a.
"This'll suit you perfectly. Try it on."
"This, right now?"
"Yes."
His face showed no hint of hesitation.
Lee Sin-a nodded at his resolve and changed in the fitting room.
When she stepped out, he smiled and gave a light clap.
"I knew it'd look great. The outfit found its perfect owner."
"R-really?"
Lee Sin-a blushed and checked the mirror.
Just as he said, the clothes fit her like a glove.
He had an exceptional eye for fashion.
"Oh my~ Madam! It suits you so well. Your husband has great taste~"
"Ah. He's not my—husband—"
"How much?"
Mr. Choi cut her off abruptly and pulled out his card.
The clerk beamed. "That'll be 260,000 won~," she said, and he handed it over without a second thought.
"This one's my gift."
"Oh, no... I can pay for—"
"You'll have plenty more expenses ahead, so just take it. We still have shopping to do."
More shopping, and even bigger bills to come?
Lee Sin-a tilted her head in confusion.
Soon, Mr. Choi rummaged again and brought over another outfit.
"This is your goal, Madam. The dress you'll wear when the contest ends."
"....."
Lee Sin-a's expression turned to shock as she eyed the clothes.
Not only did it scream luxury at a glance, but the back was plunging, the neckline revealed ample cleavage, and the hem was scandalously short—an outrageously sexy number.
"I... I'm supposed to wear this... later?"
"Yes. Make wearing this your first milestone."
"But isn't it... a bit too revealing?"
"Haha. You're quite conservative, aren't you? Think of it as expressing confidence and pride in your body. You need to post pics like this on SNS for the real buzz—and it'll do wonders for drawing your son's attention."
She nearly voiced, 'But I'm a married woman,' but Lee Sin-a swallowed the words.
For her son, she'd do anything.
"Well then, try it on."
"Huh? I don't think it'll fit... I need to lose some weight first... ahem... before trying..."
"That's exactly what you need to feel viscerally. If it's impossible, just come out in your old clothes."
"Mm.... Alright, I'll give it a shot...."
Lee Sin-a entered the fitting room again.
She stripped off her clothes in one go and picked up the short dress.