Epilogue 8
Translator: RaidenTL
Epilogue 8
"Are you out of your mind? What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
While everyone else was busy congratulating Eun-seong, Tae-gon had been waiting for him to step away from the crowd. The moment they finally had a second alone, Tae-gon roared.
"Hey, Im Eun-seong! Do you think this is some kind of joke? Of all places, how could you bring up Go Yeon-ju's name here?!"
Tae-gon's face was so red it looked ready to burst. His eyes, sharp with fury, blazed up at him.
"How are you going to fix this mess? How?! How could you spout something like that without consulting me first?!"
Sigh… Tae-gon’s shoulders heaved as he let out a ragged breath. Infuriated by Eun-seong’s silence, he snatched the bouquet from Eun-seong's hands and slammed it to the floor.
He stomped on it repeatedly to vent the rest of his anger. What? Bring her a bouquet?
"I know you're young, but I thought you had some common sense. I'm disappointed in you, Im Eun-seong."
He took deep, ragged breaths, gradually calming himself. He wanted nothing more than to grab Eun-seong by the collar and throw a punch, but he had to hold back. Having won the award, Im Eun-seong was a completely different actor from the rookie who had walked into the ceremony. Now, Tae-gon was the one who desperately needed him.
To be part of the miraculous future awaiting Eun-seong, he had to hold on to him tightly. To do that, he couldn't afford to upset him. The power dynamic had flipped; Im Eun-seong now held all the cards.
After a moment of calculation, Tae-gon let out a deep sigh and softened his tone.
"We've only just taken our first step, Eun-seong. You had a quick and easy path right in front of you, but you chose to take the long way around."
"..."
"But don't worry. I'll clean this up as best as I can. I'll handle the aftermath so it doesn't hurt your career. Don't stress over it. You know that's my specialty."
Tae-gon gripped Eun-seong's shoulder, as if telling him to trust him. He squeezed tightly, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
"But wait, didn't you and Yeon-ju break up? Didn't you two agree to go your separate ways?"
"That agreement wasn't between Yeon-ju and me. It was between you and Yeon-ju, CEO Min."
"..."
"Ah. Actually, since it was a unilateral notice, I suppose you can't even call it an agreement."
As Eun-seong, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke, Tae-gon's hand dropped. He scowled deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Is that what Go Yeon-ju told you? That I ordered her to break up with you?"
"Wasn't it?"
"..."
Tae-gon fell silent. He massaged his temples and closed his eyes tightly, realizing things had gotten complicated. When Yeon-ju had told him she would break up with Eun-seong, he thought she understood. But what was this? In the end, it seemed she had spilled everything to Eun-seong and clung to him.
"Dammit."
A sharp curse slipped through Tae-gon's lips. She had acted so innocent and pitiful in front of him, nodding meekly, only to go behind his back and pull a stunt like this.
Regardless, he needed to smooth things over with Eun-seong right now. Tae-gon looked up, meeting Eun-seong's gaze, which seemed to demand an answer.
"Fine. I told Yeon-ju to break up with you. Isn't that only natural?"
He looked at Eun-seong as if he were being incredibly foolish.
"Wake up, Im Eun-seong. This is no time for you to be dating. It's an unwritten rule in this industry. Don't tell me you didn't know that. What rookie actor rises to stardom and films romance dramas while publicly dating from the very start? People hide the relationships they already have, let alone flaunt a new one."
"I'm not ignorant of your position or the reality of the industry, CEO Min," Eun-seong countered. "And I don't completely fail to understand why you felt you had no choice back then, either."
"..."
"But if a choice made for the sake of success ends up destroying someone else's life, it can't be called the right choice."
At twenty-five, Im Eun-seong hadn't been able to put up much of a fight when his lover unilaterally broke up with him. Swept away by the harsh realities of the industry and his career path, he had been too overwhelmed just trying to survive, a puppet dressed up and paraded around at the whims of others.
He didn't even have the time to think of Yeon-ju. Despite looking at a bank account with astronomical figures, his only wish back then had been to get a good night's sleep. Everyone around him was happy because of him, but he was physically and mentally exhausted from enduring a murderous schedule.
Was this the kind of life I wanted?
"CEO Min. If you grasp for something too greedily, you're bound to get hurt. There is a natural order to the world, a proper way things should go."
"So, is this 'natural order' of yours just playing boyfriend and girlfriend? You're only twenty-five. I don't care how important you think love is right now, but it is absolutely not more important than success."
"..."
"Sure, it must feel grand. Love at your age is passionate—I get it. But it doesn't last, Eun-seong. It doesn't last nearly as long as you think. Do you really believe that when you're thirty-five or forty-five, having Go Yeon-ju by your side will be enough? Not a chance."
"You're right. A thirty-five-year-old Im Eun-seong wouldn't be happy with just Go Yeon-ju."
"Exactly! That's what I'm saying!"
"Which is why you need to do a good job cleaning this up from now on, CEO Min."
"Wh-what?"
Tae-gon's eyebrow twitched. Just then—
Buzz, buzz.
Eun-seong's phone vibrated. Pulling it from his jacket pocket, he checked the caller ID, and a faint smile brushed his lips.
Ah, that phone. Tae-gon stared at the device. He should have gotten rid of that number, but in the end, he hadn't been able to.
"Hello."
Seeing how instantly Eun-seong's voice softened as he answered, Tae-gon knew exactly who it was.
It must be Yeon-ju.
"Ah, yes. Thank you for the congratulations. Did you watch the broadcast?"
Sigh. Tae-gon closed his eyes tightly and turned away. What now? To clean up the mess Eun-seong had made, his only option was to spin it into a fresh, youthful romance. He had planned to keep Eun-seong's private life completely under wraps and build a mysterious, elusive image, but that was ruined. Now, he had no choice but to pivot and rebrand him with a confident, sophisticated image—someone who excelled at both his career and his love life.
"But why are you crying, Yeon-ju? Hello?"
Hearing that Yeon-ju was crying, Tae-gon scoffed. Of course. Her boyfriend, who's about to strike it rich, just shouted her name on national television. How could she not be moved? The tears must be flowing. She probably thinks she's hit the jackpot!
"Yes, tell me, Yeon-ju. Oppa is listening."
Damn it. All my hard work is going to benefit someone else!
"What? You're pregnant?"
Tae-gon, who had been muttering to himself with his back turned, whipped his head around to stare at Eun-seong. His eyes widened so much they looked ready to pop out of his skull, his mouth hanging open in sheer shock.
"So... you're saying we're having a baby?"
—I'm sorry, Oppa... I'm so sorry... I didn't even know I was pregnant. I only broke up with you because I wanted you to succeed... I'm so scared right now, and I'm completely overwhelmed...
Yeon-ju's voice came through the phone clearly. Tae-gon stood frozen, staring blankly at Eun-seong's face.
"I understand. Yeon-ju, Yeon-ju, calm down. I'll be there soon. I'm heading back to Korea right away, so don't cry and just wait for me. I'll be with you soon."
Even after hearing the sudden news of his girlfriend's pregnancy, Eun-seong didn't seem particularly shocked. Instead, a gentle smile graced his lips as he looked at Tae-gon. It was as if he had already known. As if he had foreseen this would happen.
"Don't worry. CEO Min will handle everything. Let's just trust him."
How on earth am I supposed to clean this up? Tae-gon mentally erased his scheduled overseas trips one by one.
Returning to Korea before things escalated further was the top priority.
...He felt like he was watching his golden goose get slaughtered right before his eyes.
*
After meeting ten-year-old Han-byeol and starting a family with Yeon-ju, what had broken Eun-seong's heart the most was the fact that she had given up on her future.
He had no doubt that if she hadn't submitted her withdrawal form and had graduated from university, she would have followed a smooth path to become a brilliant professional. Knowing how deep her despair must have been when she had to abandon the studies and work she loved was a constant, aching thorn in his heart.
Three days after the awards ceremony, Eun-seong returned to Korea. Having wrapped up only his most urgent schedules, he went straight to Yeon-ju's studio apartment. The moment he saw her, locked in a battle with her fears, he pulled her into a tight embrace.
As he held her close and stroked her back, a rush of emotions overwhelmed him. How desperately he had longed to see her in this era, in this very space. He had missed her countless times and longed to see her just as much.
The things he had missed while only looking ahead. The things he had let slip by because he had no time to look back.
Meanwhile, a child had been conceived and had grown, and he had no choice but to believe that all of it was a consequence of his own failings.
Yeon-ju wept endlessly in his arms—tears of anxiety and sorrow, but also of happiness and relief.
Eun-seong closed his eyes gently as he held her. The harsh reality hit him: because his phone number had been changed back then, she hadn't been able to reach him.
Right. You couldn't have come to me. You couldn't have done anything. I was so far out of reach that you couldn't even harbor a shred of hope, so you had no choice but to give up.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry... It's all my fault..."
Eun-seong apologized repeatedly, as if to wash away her tears, completely immersing himself in her emotions.
After a long while, once Yeon-ju had finally calmed down, they sat opposite each other and began to talk. When she mentioned dropping out of school to have the baby, he advised her to take a leave of absence instead. He encouraged her, saying it would be wonderful if she could return to school after giving birth, and promised to do everything in his power to ensure she wouldn't have to abandon her dreams for childcare.
He added that while his frequent overseas schedules meant he couldn't be there every single moment, he would spend every spare second by her side. When she confessed her fear of ruining his future, he firmly reassured her that it wasn't the case at all, comforting her with the promise that the child they would soon meet would bring them even greater happiness.
As they talked, Yeon-ju gradually grew more at ease. She smiled repeatedly, saying she was so glad she wasn't alone and that she had made the right choice by calling him. After they promised to visit each other's parents, Eun-seong, wanting her to rest, gently helped her up and tucked her into bed.
Gently rubbing her stomach, Eun-seong chuckled.
"Hey there, little one. Don't trouble your mom, and stay on your best behavior until you come out. Got it?"
"You're talking as if it's a boy. Do you want a son?"
"Ah." Eun-seong looked up at Yeon-ju.
He wore a sheepish expression for a moment before breaking into a smile.
"You're right. For some reason, I feel like it's a boy."
Hello, Han-byeol. It's Dad.