Chapter 65
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 65
Han-byeol stared quietly at the strange man. He’d answered the man's question about his grade reflexively, without thinking. But when the questions kept coming, Han-byeol took a step back.
"What year were you born? Even if you're young, you must know that much, right?"
It didn’t seem like he was asking out of simple curiosity. Even a child could tell something was off. But no matter how quick-witted he was, Han-byeol was still just a boy, and he didn't know how to escape the man's intimidating presence.
"You don't have a dad, do you? Not like you had one and he left. Do you even know what your dad looks like?"
As he hesitated, another, even more absurd question followed.
Han-byeol clutched his backpack straps, looking completely overwhelmed. The man just waved his hand dismissively.
"Ah, it's okay. You can tell me. I'm not a weird person. I'm, uh, from a movie production company or something..."
"Who are you?"
Just then, Dr. Ju, who was passing by, stepped in and stood beside Han-byeol.
Han-byeol immediately grabbed Dr. Ju's hand and shuffled behind him.
"Who are you to stop a child on the street like this?"
"No, it's not like that..."
"He's a stranger," Han-byeol added. "He came up to me and started asking weird things."
Dr. Ju’s brow furrowed. A deep crease formed between his brows—a rare sight on his usually calm face.
"No, no, I swear, I'm not a weird person, I'm... oh, honestly."
"If I see you hanging around here again, I'm calling the police."
"No, ah, well, I'm not a suspicious person. The kid was just cute, so I wanted to chat with him a bit. Geez, really."
Muttering awkwardly, the man coughed a few times before hurrying away. Dr. Ju shouted at his retreating back.
"I've memorized your face! Just try showing up in this neighborhood again!"
The man vanished even faster. Only after he was completely out of sight did Dr. Ju look down at Han-byeol.
"Han-byeol. Are you okay?"
"Yes. I'm okay."
"If a stranger approaches you and makes you feel threatened like that, you have to shout for help. You must never try to handle it on your own, understand?"
"Yes. Now that I’ve experienced it once, I'll definitely do that next time."
Han-byeol nodded at Dr. Ju’s advice. He wanted to explain that he knew what to do in theory, but his body had frozen up, leaving him speechless. He decided to keep it to himself.
Han-byeol looked down at Dr. Ju's hand holding his so tightly. An adult's hand was so big and reassuring. Just holding it made him feel safe and grounded.
They began walking together naturally, Dr. Ju keeping a firm grip on Han-byeol's hand as the boy followed along.
"He was a weird guy. He asked me what year I was born and if I didn't have a dad from the start."
Dr. Ju stopped in his tracks. Han-byeol babbled on, oblivious.
"He was like, 'You don't know what your dad looks like, do you?' Was he teasing me? Hmph."
"That man asked you those things?"
"Yes. Is it written on my face? That I don't know what my dad looks like?"
Han-byeol tilted his head and looked up at Dr. Ju. As the child's pure, innocent face turned toward him, Dr. Ju managed a faint smile.
The question—was the absence of a father written on his face?—was incredibly painful.
"Han-byeol, you grew up receiving so much love from your grandmother and mother. Your face is filled with all their love. I don't think you need to worry about that at all."
Dr. Ju spoke playfully, and Han-byeol’s face soon broke into a wide smile. When that pale, clear face smiled so freely, Dr. Ju caught a fleeting glimpse of Eun-seong and drew a sharp breath.
Why hadn't he realized it before? They looked so much alike.
Before he’d entertained the thought that Han-byeol was Eun-seong's child, the resemblance had never crossed his mind. He had assumed Han-byeol was cast as Eun-seong's son simply for his handsome looks, not because of any shared features.
He'd always thought Han-byeol had an aura that completely resembled Yeon-ju's; Eun-seong had never even occurred to him.
How strange perception is. Now, looking at the child under the assumption that he was Eun-seong's son, he could see flashes of Eun-seong's face. It was uncanny.
Dr. Ju walked Han-byeol all the way home. Yeon-ju, who happened to be there, opened the door, and Han-byeol burst inside. When she saw Dr. Ju standing with him, her eyes widened.
"Doctor, what brings you all the way here...?"
"Mom! I met some weird guy, but the doctor saved me!" Han-byeol shouted from his room.
Yeon-ju glanced back before her gaze returned to Dr. Ju. He offered a light bow as he looked at her.
He wasn't smiling, and his usual warmth was gone.
"It seems someone is digging for information on Han-byeol's father."
"What? Pardon?"
As Yeon-ju covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock, Dr. Ju continued with a calm expression.
"I think you need to be careful. I came to deliver this message."
"Ah..."
"I'll be going now."
Dr. Ju bowed again and turned away quickly. He left without his usual warm pleasantries—asking how she was doing, or mentioning that the weather had gotten quite cold.
"Um, Doctor!"
Someone I have to erase.
Dr. Ju looked back at Yeon-ju, his eyes unreadable. She bowed to him, and he returned the gesture.
Yeon-ju. I want to take back the feelings I sent to you.
But now, it seems you never even received them.
"Please go inside, Han-byeol's mother."
I sent them, but it seems they never reached you.
* * *
Seeing Off
"Sigh, how am I supposed to look Eun-seong in the eye now? I'm going crazy, seriously."
A few days later, a haggard-looking Hae-young visited the film set to talk to Yeon-ju. Her memory of that night drinking with Eun-seong was a blur.
"Why did you drink so much, Unni?"
"I don't know. I was so pissed off. I was so pissed, the alcohol went down like water."
Hae-young sighed, cautiously studying Yeon-ju's expression. She remembered dropping honorifics at Eun-seong's suggestion, but now she regretted eagerly accepting his offer.
Regardless of Yeon-ju's situation, as a director at Chang-rok, she knew she shouldn't have acted that way.
"Why was Im Eun-seong's shoot pushed back? It's making me anxious."
Eun-seong's shoot had been delayed. The director changed the filming priorities, so Han-byeol's scenes were moved up, and the schedule was rearranged to accommodate reshoots for other actors.
"Im Eun-seong didn't change it because he didn't want to see my face, did he?"
"No way. The director said it was changed due to circumstances on set."
"I can't bring myself to believe it. I'm so anxious. Does Eun-seong contact you?"
"No. He hasn't contacted me either."
"Really?"
Eun-seong's absence stretched on for several days. Though it was only a short time, his presence had vanished so completely it felt as if he had never been there at all. His absence felt more natural—yes, this is how it should be—and Yeon-ju felt herself slowly returning to reality.
Although she didn't know what his absence meant.
What you want to protect.
She wondered if his promise to protect what she wanted to protect meant he would distance himself.
"Sigh, why did I drink so much? I shot myself in the foot."
While Yeon-ju was lost in thought, a guilt-ridden Hae-young sighed again. In her hazy memory, she had a nagging feeling she might have cursed at Eun-seong. But she couldn't bring herself to contact him first either.
Ah! I'm really going crazy!
"Nothing happened that day, right?"
"Huh? Nothing happened? Of course. Nothing happened," Hae-young said reassuringly in response to Yeon-ju's question.
Although her memory was spotty, she hadn't let her guard down enough to spill the tightly held secret. She couldn't be certain, but Hae-young had no choice but to trust her own tight-lipped nature.
"That day, Eun-seong asked me to take good care of you."
Yeon-ju lowered her eyelids listlessly.
What you want to protect.
His voice was engraved in her mind, tormenting her all day.
"Yeon-ju. Why don't you just tell him?"
"No. Absolutely not."
Yeon-ju shook her head. At her firm response, Hae-young let out a long sigh. She had only brought it up out of sheer frustration, knowing full well that Yeon-ju would never be able to do it.
"Could even Solomon solve this? How can something be this crazy and frustrating?"
"Han-byeol only has one shoot left," Yeon-ju blurted out.
One time. Yes, just once.
How many days were left? Four days? A week?
"Once Han-byeol's filming is over, Director, please let me go too."
"You're quitting?"
"I have to. Once Han-byeol is done, it'll be... easier for me to quit too."
Yeon-ju murmured, almost to herself, then looked at Hae-young. Her eyes were devoid of life, their calmness leaving Hae-young speechless.
"There isn't much time left for me to be with him."
"......"
"I can disappear quietly. Don't worry."
Sigh. Hae-young turned her head away. She couldn't bear to see the resignation in Yeon-ju's eyes.
"What are you going to do...?"
"He has to live. I have to let him live the way he used to."
Yeon-ju smiled bitterly. She had to humbly accept that their time to part had come once again.
For him, for my child.
"I want him to live in a golden world."
Let's wake up. Let's shake my body awake, drunk as it is on his love.
All the time we spent together was a dream, not reality.
"He and I were only meant to go this far. I can't linger any longer and ruin our memories."
Because it was a send-off, not a journey together.
* * *
"Yes, CEO. Eun-seong Hyung is resting for a bit after finishing his action practice."
Manager Dong-hwan stood a good distance away from Eun-seong as he spoke on the phone with Tae-gon. Tae-gon, who was still on an overseas business trip, had ordered him to report Eun-seong's every move, and Dong-hwan was relaying his daily routine as instructed.
— Nothing out of the ordinary?
"Yes, sir. Nothing. Hyung has been spending all his time alone lately."
— What about phone calls?
"I haven't seen him talking to anyone."
— You said he met with Jin Hae-young separately last time. Did you ask what they talked about?
"Ah, well..."
Dong-hwan scratched his head. Tae-gon had been informed about Eun-seong and Hae-young's private meeting, and he'd been even more on edge ever since.
— Hey, you bastard. You still don't know? I told you to find out.
"I couldn't really ask him that..."
— If it's hard to ask, you should have found out by any means necessary. Plant a wiretap or something, you bastard.
"A wiretap? On Hyung?"
— Don't let me get blindsided, you fucking piece of shit!
Dong-hwan’s question was met with an explosion of rage from Tae-gon. The sudden shouting made Dong-hwan squeeze his eyes shut.
— You know Eun-seong's contract renewal is coming up soon, right? If I hear even a whisper of another agency contacting him, you're dead that day. Got it?
"Yes, CEO."
Still fuming, Tae-gon spat a few more curses before hanging up. Dong-hwan lowered his phone, his face contorted in frustration.
"Why? Did CEO Min tell you to wiretap me?"
Startled, Dong-hwan spun around to find Eun-seong standing right behind him.