Chapter 139
Chapter 139
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: Chapter 49: Trip to Taiwan
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After wrapping up the final shoot, it was time to say goodbye.
Even though they'd only spent a day and a half together, the Tiramisu members seemed genuinely attached, their eyes glistening with tears.
They'd done group training stays before, but nothing this long with cameras rolling, so emotions were running high for everyone.
The writers felt the same way.
"It's over already...?"
"Didn't we just start shooting today?"
"Ah, what a shame..."
Park Seong-il, Kang Woo-hyuk, and Kim Seon-woo let out heavy sighs.
Lee Jang-hu, on the other hand, stayed cool as he bid farewell to the Tiramisu girls.
"The shoot was fun. And thanks for all your help, hyungs."
"We had a blast too. It was a totally new experience."
"Good to hear."
Maybe he'd picked up something from Woo Ji-hyun's demeanor—Lee Jang-hu's voice carried a relaxed confidence.
His younger colleagues shot him odd looks.
They'd finally caught on that something set him apart.
"Thanks for all your hard work, Writer Woo Ji-hyun."
"No, no—the managers had it rough. Last night was a full-on war in the kitchen."
"Hahaha. The girls have huge appetites. They've been dieting hard too. At least they skip the booze and soda—that's a relief. Anyway, Writer, mind if I contact you separately sometime?"
Nam Hee-gyu fixed Woo Ji-hyun with a desperately earnest gaze.
Truth be told, he'd planned to pull Woo Ji-hyun aside quietly the night before.
Talking one-on-one would be best all around.
But that plan shattered the moment the drinking started.
He couldn't carve out even a minute amid all the drinks being passed around.
"Me?"
"Yes! There's something important I need to discuss. I'd really like to meet you privately."
"Uh..."
Woo Ji-hyun didn't answer right away.
From his expression and tone, he seemed to have a pretty good guess.
Plus, after seeing how much Tiramisu and Nam Hee-gyu had busted their asses the day before, he couldn't bring himself to shut it down outright.
"It won't be any trouble for you at all, Writer Woo Ji-hyun. I'll work around your schedule. If you're in Busan or Daegu, I'll come to you."
"Lucky for you, I'm in Incheon. No need to trek out to the provinces."
"R-Really?"
"Let's set a date and time. I don't have a business card—mind if I give you my number?"
"Of course!"
Nam Hee-gyu whipped out his smartphone in a flash.
He waited, tense as a wire, for Woo Ji-hyun to speak.
"It's 010-XXXX-XXXX."
"Is this right?"
"Yes."
"If it's not too much trouble, could you verify?"
"Go ahead."
Woo Ji-hyun gave Nam Hee-gyu the green light with easy assurance.
Soon, Woo Ji-hyun's phone buzzed with Nam Hee-gyu's number.
"I'll reach out on this line."
"Sure."
"Ji-hyun oppa!"
"Oh, you're here already?"
While Woo Ji-hyun chatted with Nam Hee-gyu, the Tiramisu members finished up with the staff and approached.
Behind them trailed a beaming Lee Jang-hu and his sullen-faced juniors.
"Already? Are we a bother?"
"No, it's not that. You just got here quicker than I expected."
"Be honest, oppa. Were you gonna sneak off without saying bye?"
"What am I, a criminal? Why would I run? I didn't do anything wrong."
After Hye-jeong, Jeong-in tossed in her signature cool quip.
Woo Ji-hyun didn't flinch.
"Don't forget us, oppa."
"Yeah, yeah. Keep up the practice, you guys. When you're on TV, I'll cheer from afar."
Led by Hye-jeong, the Tiramisu girls clustered around Woo Ji-hyun.
Unlike their wistful faces, he stayed utterly calm.
"Wow, oppa, making us feel bad right to the end. Talking like you'll never see us again!"
"If fate doesn't bring us together, what can you do? That's life."
"You swapped numbers with Manager oppa!"
"Well, who knows? Maybe we'll cross paths if things go well."
Jeong-in pouted.
The funny part? All the other members did too.
Even maknae Si-ha pinched Woo Ji-hyun's arm.
"We'll see each other again soon. My gut's telling me so."
"Don't confuse hope with instinct."
"You always say life's unpredictable. So we'll meet again."
"Yeah, sure."
"Such a half-hearted answer!"
Hye-jeong finally lost it at his perfunctory reply.
No real irritation, though—just playful bickering.
"You all worked hard these two days. Safe travels back."
"We'll text!"
Now it was really time to part, so Woo Ji-hyun smiled and waved to the Tiramisu girls.
The five beamed back, waving wildly before piling into the van Nam Hee-gyu had pulled up.
"They're really gone."
"Feels like a dream."
"At least we snagged their Instagram handles."
"I wanted their numbers too."
Unlike the breezily departing Woo Ji-hyun, the four juniors lingered, staring after the van.
They could still picture the Tiramisu girls with their eyes closed.
"Even if you track 'em down, they won't use personal phones post-debut. I looked it up—gotta hit number one on music shows or charts to get them back. Till then, nada, or maybe one shared group phone."
"So... you were prepping for that?"
Kim Seon-woo straight-up chugged the fantasy juice.
Lost in absurd daydreams, blank-faced.
Lee Jang-hu snapped him back to reality quick.
"We should say our goodbyes too. Packing's done—time to head back to Bucheon."
"Yeah. After-party at ours. Booked you all motels so you can crash hard—no worries."
"Yes!"
Kang Tae-jin chimed in after Woo Ji-hyun.
Cheers erupted everywhere.
Full-fledged writers, sure—but still twenty-something youths.
With stockpiles ready, one more day of fun wouldn't hurt.
"Alright, let's roll."
"Yes!"
Cooler and quicker than with Tiramisu, the seven bid the Seoul Planning staff farewell, hopped in the car, and headed to Bucheon.
* * *
June brought the heat in force, and Woo Ji-hyun was overseas for the first time ever.
He'd flown in from Incheon the night before—to Taiwan.
Business class, no less, so the trip was comfy as could be.
"The vibe's totally different from nighttime."
Strolling the street with Chae Nam-hee—who'd shown up early at his hotel as interpreter and guide—Woo Ji-hyun's eyes widened.
The night-market blaze of lights had mellowed into something serene.
Saturday quiet added a poetic touch.
"That's Taiwan's charm. There's a reason for it, of course."
"Too bad we gotta head out today."
"Next time, pad the schedule."
"Who knows if I'll be back."
Woo Ji-hyun gave an awkward smile.
Hard to believe this trip, let alone a repeat.
"No biggie—come visit for fun."
"Not a bad idea. Doesn't even take that long."
"You need to see more of the world, oppa. You're killing it already, but I bet you could crush it even harder."
"Talking like my handler."
"'Cause it's true?"
Min A-rang—who'd joined for this Taiwan jaunt—grinned brightly.
Her smile shone as warm as the sun.
"But if I travel a ton, won't that screw Frontier Management?"
"Nah. You write crazy fast. I figure you need a real break now and then. I know you think you're recharging, but it looks dicey to me."
"I agree. Finish this project, then hit a nearby spot overseas. Europe'd be great."
Jo Jin-gu backed Min A-rang up.
Travel broadened the mind in ways nothing else could.
Those insights fueled the writing.
So Jo Jin-gu shared her view.
At Woo Ji-hyun's level, a free trip abroad wouldn't dent his wallet.
"Been thinking Europe myself. England specifically. Huge soccer fan—gotta hit England and Spain before I die."
Past life: never left Korea, never even flown. This life? Overseas trip on the bucket list.
Subcategory: live soccer abroad.
"Tickets'll be easy. Lee Woo-hyung just transferred to Manchester United."
"Yeah, kinda banking on that. Haha."
Shinji Kagawa swapped back to Dortmund like yesterday's news; Lee Woo-hyung filled the gap.
Some foreign hacks cried swap deal, but nah.
Lee Woo-hyung paid a straight-up £25 million to Dortmund and joined United.
"You know Lee Woo-hyung personally too, right, Writer Woo Ji-hyun?"
"Yeah, fate brought us together."
"Heard Maestro on the Field sparked it. Pretty romantic story."
"You know your stuff."
"Of course. You're our writer here in Taiwan too."
Chae Nam-hee smiled slyly.
Not entirely wrong.
Manbai Publishing repped him here, at least.
Frontier Management looped in, sure.
"Grateful for that. Fans know me enough to fly out for a signing—something I haven't even done back home."
"You'll pull one off in Korea soon, I'd bet. Here we are—Taipei's landmark bookstore, Cheng Pin Bookstore. 'Chengpin Shudian' in Mandarin."
Chae Nam-hee stretched an arm toward the street ahead.
Dunhua South Road's chunk of Taipei business district came into view, with Cheng Pin Bookstore dominating.
Way grander than imagined.
Gray-toned building with a mysterious aura—befitting Taipei's iconic spot.
"This is really where my signing's at?"
They'd called it Taipei's top bookstore, nothing more.
Woo Ji-hyun figured fan event, modest scale.
Heard he was popular here, but untested.
The building changed that—bigger than he'd dreamed.
"Come on in, Writer. The fans are waiting."