Chapter 75: I, Go Yeon-ju
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 75: I, Go Yeon-ju
The photoshoot continued. While the model fussed over every little detail during wardrobe changes, none of it registered with Yeon-ju.
This is CEO Min. Let's meet.
A memory from long ago suddenly surfaced—an old conversation with CEO Min, who had told her to find some time to stop by his office.
"Yeon-ju. You've had your fun. It's time to let Eun-seong go."
The events of that day were still vivid. The shabby basement office of the entertainment agency, the sound of Tae-gon's voice, and even the cloying, fishy scent of the bouquet she had bought with what was then a small fortune to her.
It was right after she let Eun-seong go that she discovered she was pregnant.
For a while, she’d believed they broke up solely because of Tae-gon's interference. Facing a cascade of misfortunes, she needed someone to blame, so she had resented and hated him.
But as her child grew and the years passed, she came to realize the breakup had ultimately been her choice. Tae-gon’s meddling hadn’t been the deciding factor.
Even if it hadn't happened then, they would have broken up eventually. She didn't know in what season or at what point in their lives, but their paths would have diverged. By the time that premonition clung to her skin like a certainty, her resentment had faded.
That was why she felt no particular hostility when she ran into Tae-gon again. As she grew older and learned more about the world, she even came to understand his position back then, thinking that perhaps he, too, had no other choice.
"How can I help you?"
"I'm here to see CEO Min Tae-gon. My name is Go Yeon-ju."
"Ah, yes. Please wait a moment."
After finishing her fitting work, Yeon-ju went to the Yeonildam building. She entered the grand, luxurious lobby and waited as the security guard instructed.
This was her second visit, the first being when she had reunited with Eun-seong.
"Ms. Go Yeon-ju. Please come this way."
"Thank you."
Once her identity was verified, the security guard led her inside. The door to the CEO's office opened, and Yeon-ju stepped through.
As she entered, Tae-gon spun his chair around to face her.
"You're here."
"Yes, CEO. Hello."
"Stop right there."
Tae-gon flicked his hand, gesturing for her to halt. He then pressed the intercom, asking an employee about Eun-seong's whereabouts.
"What is Eun-seong doing right now?"
—He's on the film set, CEO.
"Got it."
Hanging up with a sharp click, Tae-gon rose from his chair. He rounded his desk and walked toward Yeon-ju. The moment he reached her, he slapped her across the face.
Slap!
Struck without warning, Yeon-ju's head whipped to the side.
"How dare you play games with me?"
Tae-gon unclasped the watch from his wrist.
"Why the hell did you show up in front of Eun-seong? Is it money? You want a payout, don't you?"
She tasted blood in her mouth. Yeon-ju slowly closed and opened her eyes, then brushed her hair back from her face.
She straightened up, turning to face Tae-gon directly. Her cheek burned as if it were on fire, but for the first time in days, her mind felt crystal clear.
"You're doing this for money, aren't you? Huh? What's your angle? Trying to use that brat to turn your life around?"
"What if I am? Am I not allowed to change my life?"
"Watch your mouth, unless you want to get hit again."
"Then you shouldn't have torn people apart so recklessly. If you hadn't told us to break up back then, CEO, none of this would have happened."
"Does Eun-seong know that kid is his son?"
"Ask him yourself."
"Does he know or not! Answer me!"
Tae-gon raised his hand threateningly, his eyes glaring. Yeon-ju lifted her chin, refusing to blink or even bite her lip.
Staring back with fierce intensity, she shot back, "And what if he does?"
"Ha. Have you lost your mind?" Tae-gon scoffed, his brow furrowing deeply. "I don't have time for word games. Speak plainly. Does Eun-seong know or not? Just answer the question."
"Find out for yourself."
When Yeon-ju refused to give a straight answer, Tae-gon placed his hands on his hips and stared her down. Eleven years ago, she would have shrunk back in intimidation, but the woman before him now possessed an aura so strong he wondered if she was even the same person.
Sighing heavily, Tae-gon looked at the floor before raising his head again. His expression was slightly calmer as he spoke.
"Yeon-ju, I told you this before. To Eun-seong, you're a leech. Now that you've added a brat to the mix, you're nothing but a pair of silverfish gnawing away at his life."
"…"
"Just because Eun-seong is in Korea and you see him in waiting rooms, you might think he's just some boy next door or a college senior. But even though you breathe the same air, he belongs to a completely different world. You need to realize that, Yeon-ju."
Tae-gon let his shoulders drop as if utterly exhausted.
"Eun-seong is not in a position to be planning a life with someone like you. Why can't you understand that? Why do you keep repeating the same mistakes? If money is what you want, I'll give it to you. I can give you enough to live comfortably. How about we settle it that way?"
"…"
"Don't cling to Eun-seong. If you keep this up, I won't just stand by. Did you really think I brought him this far in this industry without a way to protect him from being ruined in a single blow?"
A change finally flickered in Yeon-ju's expression, which had remained impassive throughout his tirade. It was the exact same look he had seen in her eyes eleven years ago.
As expected, Go Yeon-ju only reacted when Eun-seong was threatened.
"I heard you quit your job. Good. I also heard your son's last shoot is today, which means you two have no reason to see each other again, right?" Tae-gon pressed, coaxing her as he watched her face. "I'll give you money. Let's part ways here. You should raise your son on your own. Since you're the one who gave birth to him and hid him all this time, he's not really Eun-seong's son, is he? Am I wrong?"
"…"
"Is only your son's future important? You have to think about Eun-seong's. Do you want me to drag him down? Do you want to meet him again at rock bottom?"
"I might have understood you eleven years ago," Yeon-ju said quietly, "but I never forgave you."
"…"
"Just because it was my choice doesn't mean what you did was right."
The unexpected words made Tae-gon's face contort with fury. Yeon-ju slowly closed and opened her eyes.
"And today, I realized it once again. Someone like you doesn't deserve to be by his side."
"What kind of bullshit is that? I'm the one who made Im Eun-seong a star!"
"He would have succeeded even without you." Yeon-ju let out a heavy breath. "You don't truly care about him. This is about your own greed. That's why you're even prepared to ruin him yourself."
"Stop wasting my time and take the money. How much do you want? One billion won? Two billion?"
"From this moment on, I will never forgive you."
Tae-gon let out a hollow laugh. As Yeon-ju stood there, her expression resolute, he shook his shoulders and laughed for a long time. "Haha, hahahaha." He looked at her as if she were an ignorant child putting on a brave face.
"Look at you," he said sarcastically. "Are you sure you'll be okay? Huh? I'm not the Min Tae-gon I was back then. Wake up."
Yeon-ju wiped her split lip with the back of her hand. Glancing at the smear of blood on her skin, she looked up and smiled.
"I'll be fine. Because I recorded this."
"…"
"You're the one who needs to wake up, CEO Min. Because I'm not the Go Yeon-ju of the past, either."
Tae-gon froze.
* * *
Perhaps sensing it was the last time, Han-byeol was reluctant to leave Eun-seong's side. Though he had already made his rounds saying goodbye to everyone, he lingered on set, waiting for Eun-seong to finish filming.
Hae-young, who had stopped by after finishing some business, kept an eye on him. It was obvious the child was waiting for Eun-seong, so she gave them some space, allowing the boy to say a proper farewell.
"You're still here?"
Returning to the waiting room after his final scene, Eun-seong was surprised to see Han-byeol. He had thought the boy was already gone.
"I'm leaving now. But, mister, I don't have your address. How am I supposed to visit?"
A laugh escaped Eun-seong. Wondering if the boy had waited all this time just to ask that, he ruffled his hair.
"I'll send the address to your phone."
"But you never contact me."
"I will from now on."
At the promise of contact, Han-byeol looked up at Eun-seong. For some reason, there were so many things he wanted to confirm, so many promises he wanted to extract from him. It was a strange feeling.
"Will you call me?"
"Yeah. I'll call you, and we'll hang out."
"Really?"
Eun-seong nodded. As if all his questions had been answered, Han-byeol shrugged and gave a small wave.
A moment later, Hae-young entered the waiting room just as Han-byeol was leaving, holding his guardian's hand.
"Did you say your goodbyes to Han-byeol?" Hae-young asked, her tone suggestive.
Eun-seong glanced at her. "There wasn't much to say. I just told him to have a safe trip."
His reply was curt. Hae-young let out a long sigh. She pushed a chair back into place, tidying the room as she spoke.
"Han-byeol seems to have grown attached to you. He might try to contact you once or twice. Please make sure you draw a clear line and distance yourself appropriately."
"Why should I?"
"What do you mean, why?" Hae-young stopped what she was doing and turned to face him.
"I'm asking why I should draw a line and distance myself."
"Are you planning to keep in touch with him, then?" Hae-young's tone grew blunt.
Eun-seong crossed his legs, looking at her from an angle. "I'm saying it's not your place to tell me what to do. I don't want to waste any more energy on this, so you make sure he doesn't contact me."
"How can you be so…"
Hae-young was so dumbfounded she couldn't finish her sentence. She had thought Eun-seong had a tender side, that it must have been painful for him to look at his own son.
But to say he didn't want to waste energy on it? To tell her to block the child's contact?
"Now I finally understand why Yeon-ju went to such lengths to raise him alone. She must have known you were this kind of person all along."
"What do you expect me to do about a child she went to such lengths to raise? It's only right not to touch something you can't take responsibility for."
"It's right… not to touch something you can't take responsibility for?"
"Yes. That's why I'm not touching it. Because I won't take responsibility."
Hae-young's eyes filled with disgust at his cold, ruthless words. How could anyone be so heartless?
She took a step closer, glaring fiercely at Eun-seong, who sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, idly swinging his foot. "Do you have any idea how Yeon-ju has lived? The feelings she had while raising Han-byeol all by herself? She did all of that for your sake, so you could succeed!"
"…"
"Even if this situation is hard to accept, how can you be like this to your own child? This all happened because of your future! The least you could do is try to understand how Yeon-ju feels."
When Eun-seong had turned a blind eye to Yeon-ju quitting her job, Hae-young had tried to understand. When he remained silent after learning Han-byeol was his son, she had struggled to accept his actions.
But to call it a nuisance? To say it was uncomfortable? How could he say such things?
"How can you be like this? How can a person… knowing everything, how can you act this way?"
"Right?"
"…"
"I shouldn't be acting like this, should I?"
As Eun-seong, who had been swinging his foot, looked up to meet her gaze, Hae-young fell silent. A brief smile touched his lips, as if he had finally heard the words he was waiting for.
He had been waiting for her to say that all along.
"Thanks, Director Jin. I needed someone to tell me I shouldn't be acting like this."
"W-What does that even mean?"
Eun-seong stood up and patted Hae-young on the shoulder gratefully.
"They say 'Director Jin's Mandate of Heaven,' so how could I possibly disobey? In that spirit, I'll start trying to understand Go Yeon-ju's feelings from now on."
"Ah… Huh? Ah… I was baited…"
Realizing too late that she had fallen for his leading questions, which had masterfully drawn out the exact words he wanted to hear, Hae-young sighed in regret.
Eun-seong exhaled, relieved. For the first time in a long while, his chaotic thoughts had finally settled.
There was no need to be cautious. The answer was already decided.
"Since you've taken the bait anyway, Director Jin, why don't you take my side from now on?"
Now, it was time to let impulse do the work.