Chapter 36
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 36
"Well, this is my place. Please, come in."
Hae-young had redirected them to her own home on the way. Things had grown complicated the moment Eun-seong joined them out of the blue.
She’d had no choice; Yeon-ju's face had turned pale at the mere thought of Eun-seong visiting her house. While Dr. Ju’s presence could be explained away as a local neighbor dropping by, a sudden visit from a movie’s lead actor would be too much for anyone to handle.
"Eun-seong, give Han-byeol to me. I'll carry him."
"Where should I lay him down?"
"Ah, this way. Let's go to my bedroom."
Since Han-byeol was still lost in dreamland with no intention of waking, Eun-seong had carried him the whole way. He had held the boy close as if he were a priceless treasure, only parting with him after gently laying him down in Hae-young's bedroom.
As Hae-young headed to the living room to prepare for her guests, Yeon-ju followed. Seeing Eun-seong standing in Hae-young's apartment—a place she had visited so often she’d practically worn a path to the door—felt incredibly surreal and stirred a strange feeling within her.
"Thank you. Han-byeol must have been heavy. That must have been difficult."
"He's lighter than the weights I lift every morning. You don't need to worry."
Eun-seong gave the blanket a final, snug tuck before standing up straight. When his gaze fell on her, Yeon-ju swallowed hard.
"Why… why are you looking at me like that?"
"What’s with the double standard? Dr. Ju is allowed, but I'm not?"
"What?"
As Eun-seong spoke in a disgruntled tone, Yeon-ju’s brow furrowed.
"Don't misunderstand. I didn't invite the doctor, either."
"Either way, the location was changed because of me, not Dr. Ju, wasn't it?"
"..."
How could I possibly bring a famous actor to my house? Especially with my mom there?
Yeon-ju kept her lips sealed, unable to explain. No matter how she looked at it, bringing Eun-seong to a house where her mother was present was out of the question. If she didn't know the full situation, maybe, but knowing what she did, it was simply impossible.
When she remained silent, Eun-seong raised an eyebrow. He seemed to be taking her silence as confirmation, which made her blood boil.
"Do you like Dr. Ju?"
"What… what are you talking about? Like who?"
"Don't dodge the question. Just give me a straight answer. Yes or no?"
No! Absolutely not!
Yeon-ju, who was about to blurt out the truth, caught herself. She refused to give an honest answer to Eun-seong while he was interrogating her with those glaring eyes.
Besides, she had contacted Dr. Ju as soon as she heard Eun-seong was joining them. She told him their fake marriage act seemed to have been exposed, and Dr. Ju had simply replied that he understood.
She already felt incredibly guilty for dragging the doctor into this mess; she couldn't understand why Eun-seong was tormenting her like this.
"You're taking a long time to answer."
"I don't want to answer. Why do I have to answer your questions, anyway?"
"Why? Because I asked."
"Exactly. Just because you ask, I have to tell you every little detail about my life?"
"Of course. You have to tell me everything."
"I'm asking why."
As a stubborn Go Yeon-ju refused to yield, dragging things out with pointless questions, Eun-seong's eyebrows twitched more fiercely.
"Why? Do you want me to say the reason out loud? Loud enough for Director Jin to hear outside?"
"S-Stop! That's enough!"
Yeon-ju shook her head, her face pale with shock. In response, Eun-seong glared at her, demanding an answer.
Just then, the doorbell rang, followed by Hae-young's bustling voice as she went to welcome her guest.
"Come on out! I think Dr. Ju is here!"
Hearing Hae-young, Yeon-ju tried to leave the bedroom, but Eun-seong grabbed her arm firmly. It was clear he wouldn't let her go until she answered.
"Ah, let go of me!"
"Tell me before you go. Do you like him or not? Hurry up."
"Yes, I like him! Is there a problem? Are you happy now?"
"Ha."
Yeon-ju wrenched her arm free and stormed out, leaving Eun-seong to scowl, his brow furrowed even deeper.
...Just you wait, Go Yeon-ju.
"Fine. You just had to invite a bloodbath."
Today, you're the only one walking out of here alive.
* * *
"Oh my goodness, what is all this?"
Hae-young's eyes widened as Dr. Ju walked in, cradling an armful of gifts. He set them down by the entryway and smiled.
"Well, it's my first time visiting your home, Director. I felt bad coming empty-handed."
"Nonsense. You really could have just come as you are."
"Oh, I couldn't do that. I just grabbed a few things from the mart. It's nothing much, so please accept them."
…Unbelievable.
Eun-seong, the "non-human" who had arrived very much empty-handed, scoffed inwardly. He had desperately wanted to bring something, but he’d come straight from the film set. With Han-byeol sleeping on his lap in the car, stopping to buy anything had been impossible.
"Oh, you're here?"
When Dr. Ju greeted him, Eun-seong merely gave a curt nod. The subtle way Dr. Ju acted like the host with his "Oh, you're here?" sent a slow wave of irritation crawling up from the tips of his toes.
"So you've arrived," Eun-seong shot back.
Dr. Ju let out a soft chuckle, while Yeon-ju, nervously glancing between the two men, pulled out a dining chair.
"Ah, please have a seat, Dr.—"
Before she could finish, Eun-seong plopped down on the very chair she had pulled out. Then, he grabbed the chair next to him and looked up at her.
"Do sit, Han-byeol's Mom."
With mock politeness, he gestured to the seat across from him.
"Please, take a seat, Dr. Ju Geon-hui."
"..."
Left with no choice, Dr. Ju sat in the chair Eun-seong had indicated. Hae-young, who had been busy choosing a wine, came over and naturally sat next to Dr. Ju.
"Everyone's fine with wine, right? I ordered some food to go with it. It should be here soon."
"Director, didn't you say we were going to grill pork belly?" Dr. Ju asked, prompting Hae-young to laugh.
"We were, but the plans changed when we moved to my place. Pork belly is only right with Yeon-ju's mother's kimchi, but unfortunately, I don't have any here."
"Ah, so Yeon-ju's mother's kimchi is that delicious? I'll have to make sure I try it next time."
Ha. Look at him, smoothly setting up a "next time." Did this guy really do nothing but study his whole life? His tongue was practically oiled.
While Hae-young and Yeon-ju went to get the wine glasses, Eun-seong stared at Dr. Ju before speaking.
"It's a relief I don't have to watch that bizarre married couple act anymore."
"An actor is an actor, I see. You saw right through it."
"Why on earth did you tell such a ridiculous lie in the first place?"
As Eun-seong asked aggressively, Dr. Ju let out a long sigh. Now that they were caught, there was no point in hiding it. He had to face it head-on.
"We aren't legally married, but I'd appreciate it if you viewed it as a rehearsal. That's how I'm treating it, after all."
What? A re-rehearsal?
Why, this Dr. Give-and-Take…
While Eun-seong stood there, mouth agape as if he were about to foam at the mouth, the doorbell rang. Thinking the food delivery had arrived, Hae-young opened the door, only to find a wine basket from a department store.
As a bewildered Hae-young brought the basket inside, Eun-seong raised a hand slightly.
"I felt bad coming empty-handed, so I ordered it from the car. I hope it suits your taste."
"Oh my, Eun-seong, you sent this? My god, this is… this is so expensive! And there's so much!"
Only after seeing the eyes of Hae-young, an avid wine collector, light up with excitement did Eun-seong flash a benevolent smile. Then, he glanced at Dr. Ju.
"How could I buy just anything when invited to the home of someone so precious? I chose them with great care, so please enjoy them on a special day, Director."
"Wow, they're too precious to even drink! Thank you so much, Eun-seong. You must have been so busy, when did you find the time?"
"How could a proper person visit empty-handed? It's only natural to bring a gift that matches one's status and class."
As Eun-seong stared intently at him with a raised eyebrow, Dr. Ju remained silent.
A war without weapons had begun. Feeling her palms grow sweaty, Yeon-ju wiped them on her pants.
* * *
Having finished setting the table perfectly, Hae-young quietly put on some music that would pair well with the wine—her way of breaking any awkward silences that might arise.
Eun-seong slowly closed and opened his eyes. The execution song for Dr. Give-and-Take had begun.
"Now, shall we have a drink?"
After pouring the wine into large Bordeaux glasses, Hae-young raised her glass, and the other three followed suit.
They started with a red wine from Napa Valley's Oakville region, a fantastic harmony of fruit and tannins. The food pairing began with steak, accompanied by various charcuterie like Bresaola and Lonzino, along with an assortment of cheeses.
Though the portions were small, they were high in calories, making them a perfect accompaniment to wine. It was a clever menu choice by Hae-young, as it didn't clash with Eun-seong's strict diet.
"Here's to celebrating Han-byeol's successful first day of filming. Thank you, everyone, and great job."
Since Yeon-ju was too shy, Hae-young took the lead. In agreement, they all raised their glasses to their lips.
Dr. Ju, who didn't know much about wine, furrowed his brow slightly as he savored the taste.
"How is it, Doctor? It has a heavy body, doesn't it?"
When Hae-young asked, Dr. Ju gave an embarrassed smile.
"To be honest, I don't know much about alcohol. They say the more expensive a wine is, the worse it tastes, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. It's wonderful."
"I brought out a bottle I've been specially saving."
"I don't know how to repay you for such hospitality, Director. I would have been perfectly grateful even if you'd just prepared something simple."
As Dr. Ju spoke, Hae-young's face filled with emotion.
"Oh, Doctor, you always say such beautiful things. You're the type of person who could talk their way out of a massive debt."
"Isn't everyone like that? Though, I did recently witness someone who manages to incur a massive debt with just a single word."
Cough. Eun-seong let out a dry cough. Just listen to this Dr. Give-and-Take.
Should I say a few more words? How about you advance me some cash so I can rack up some more debt? Want to see your name on the bankruptcy list?
"Ah, haha, there are plenty of people like that. Plenty, Doctor. I've seen countless people like that in my line of work."
"That's impressive, Director. I find even one of them to be quite a handful."
Eun-seong—the man who was far too much of a handful for Dr. Ju—picked up his steak knife. As the second execution song played, the tip of the blade seemed to gleam.
Hey, Dr. Give-and-Take. Debts aren't just financial.
"Ah, I'll cut the steak, Eun-seong."
"No, I'll do it. Since I've already got the knife in hand, I might as well slice something."
Because some debts are paid in blood.
With a fiery look in his eyes, Eun-seong sliced the steak with unnecessary force, hacking it into pieces.
"Thank you, Eun-seong. Shall we begin eating?"
The moment Hae-young finished speaking, Eun-seong served meat onto her and Yeon-ju's plates. After taking his own portion, he handed the tongs to Dr. Ju.
Accepting the tongs with a calm expression, Dr. Ju spoke up.
"You're quite attentive, Im Eun-seong. I imagine you must be very popular with women."
"Given my profession, I always welcome the love of others. But personally, I aim for a 'One and Only'."
"For someone aiming for a 'One and Only', you seem like you'd have a rather diverse dating history. Am I wrong?"
"The tone of your question feels a bit too much like a reporter's interrogation, which makes it difficult to answer."
Cough. Hae-young choked on her food. The piece of meat she had just swallowed felt stuck in her throat, so she washed it down with wine before speaking in a desperate, bloody effort to salvage the atmosphere.
"Actually, people like Eun-seong often don't have many people around them. It's like poverty in the midst of plenty, you know? He's so much like a fantasy himself that he's hard to approach. Right, Eun-seong?"
"If I'm hard to approach, then I'll just have to take the initiative. In fact, I've been thinking it's about time I look for a good woman. I'm getting older, and they say what you're looking for is often right under your nose. I should start looking around me."
Cough. This time, Yeon-ju choked. Both Eun-seong's and Dr. Ju's eyes landed on her at the same time.
A good woman. A good woman nearby.
"If there are any good women around you, please introduce one to me. I'd love to meet a good woman, too."
At Dr. Ju's words, Eun-seong took a sip of wine and wiped his lips. Then, he smirked, one corner of his mouth curling up.
Ha. Not a chance.
"You certainly dream big, Doctor. If there's a good woman around, of course I should be the one to date her."
"..."
"There's no way I'd let a fated partner like that slip away. Don't you agree?"
This is my house… but I want to go home…
Hae-young bit her lip hard.