Chapter 79: The Serial Autographer
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 79: The Serial Autographer
A car pulled to a stop in a charming alley lined with cozy, low-rise cafes. The gull-wing door of a silverstone fastback coupe swung upward, and a pair of polished dress shoes touched the ground. As a man emerged from the low-slung vehicle, the idle glances of passersby sharpened with interest.
Clad in a lightweight shearling jacket and sunglasses, the car’s owner was unmistakably Im Eun-seong. A sharp gaze pierced through the light blue lenses, his eyes locked on none other than Yeon-ju.
“Whoa. It’s Im Eun-seong.”
A low gasp escaped the model’s mouth. He had assumed the sudden buzz was for him, but he was wrong. Patrons began pouring out of the cafes, rushing over as Eun-seong started walking toward Yeon-ju, who stood a short distance away.
It’s Im Eun-seong.
Yeon-ju, who had been adjusting the fit of the model’s clothes, let her hands drop. Towering over the swelling crowd, Eun-seong looked as if he had descended from the heavens. He was like a sculpture meticulously carved from head to toe, the very definition of a perfect creation.
Even if he had never become an actor, he would have commanded everyone’s attention. While years in front of the camera had surely forced him to hone his craft and appearance, his innate qualities were on a different level from any artificially crafted charm.
He possessed an aura, and it was unrivaled.
Yeon-ju stared, spellbound. Her body froze and her mouth hung open, but her mind raced, cataloging every detail of his stunning appearance. It felt utterly surreal—as if a legendary dragon had materialized in this narrow alley. Was this really the Im Eun-seong she knew?
Seeing him here, amidst the mundane energy of ordinary people, made him feel even more distant. She had only ever seen him surrounded by film industry professionals; standing in the middle of a public street, he looked like a true star, an icon who belonged on a screen.
This was a street where, if you sat in a cafe for a few hours, you could easily spot a celebrity or two. Because of that, it was hard to hold anyone’s attention for long unless you were truly famous. Yet now, the street was becoming so packed that it was getting difficult for Eun-seong to even take a step.
Where on earth did all these people come from?
“Oh my god…” Yeon-ju muttered, barely snapping out of her daze.
Before she knew it, Eun-seong was completely surrounded. People held their phones high, taking close-up shots and desperately trying to capture themselves in the same frame.
This all happened in less than thirty seconds.
“Oppa, I’m a huge fan! Please take a picture with me!”
“Mr. Im Eun-seong! Just one autograph, please!”
“A photo for me too!”
“Oppa, you’re so cool!”
Eun-seong, who had been struggling to push forward, came to a halt. It was impossible to advance while dragging the crowd with him. Watching him, Yeon-ju gripped the muffler in her hands. Her feet twitched with the urge to help him, but there was nothing she could do. Just standing there felt like sitting on a bed of needles, knowing full well he was here because of her.
I’ll come find you soon to hear the story.
How did he even know I was here?
As Yeon-ju’s lips grew dry with helplessness, Eun-seong seemed to give up on pushing through. He began taking photos and signing autographs, moving with incredible speed as if trying to manage the situation before an even larger crowd gathered.
Even so, he kept moving forward, step by step. As if burning with the determination to reach her no matter what, he diligently signed autograph after autograph, his expression never faltering.
The model watched the scene, then glanced at Yeon-ju. He had instinctively realized that she was the one Eun-seong was looking at.
“Noona. Do you know him? He keeps looking over here.”
At some point, the model’s form of address had shifted to the more familiar “Noona.” Yeon-ju watched Eun-seong approach, scribbling signatures at lightning speed, and finally opened her mouth.
“Yes. We know each other well.”
“No way… Noona, you have some crazy connections. I never would have guessed. Can’t you introduce me? It would be great for my fans, too.”
“I’m not one of your fans, so I’m not interested. Sorry.”
The Serial Autographer was drawing near.
* * *
After his last autograph, Eun-seong raised his hands in a polite gesture of apology, signaling he was done. The crowd began to step back, acknowledging that he had signed a significant number of autographs and taken plenty of photos in a short time. Though disappointed, they were satisfied with the close-up pictures they had managed to get and let him go with words of encouragement.
Surprisingly, he was free. Maintaining a smile until the very end, Eun-seong waved to the crowd as a final greeting. As if an invisible line had been drawn, the people kept their distance, content to simply watch him from afar.
The online mall photoshoot, which had been unintentionally put on hold, suddenly became the center of attention. As Eun-seong approached, the photographer, the CEO, the model, and Yeon-ju all grew incredibly tense.
When Eun-seong finally stood before Yeon-ju, another stir went through the crowd. Feeling cameras clicking from all directions, Yeon-ju felt so dizzy she could faint and stumbled backward. Eun-seong gave a brief nod to the model beside her before turning his gaze back to her.
“When does the shoot end?”
The model’s mouth fell open as he stared between them, wondering if this was real life.
“U-uh, well, that is…”
When Yeon-ju, her mind a complete blank, failed to form a proper sentence, Eun-seong turned to the model. The dazed young man quickly stood up straight. Eun-seong took off his sunglasses and asked, “How many outfits are left?”
“Pardon? Ah… yes?”
When the equally flustered model sputtered without an answer, the CEO rushed over. Her eyes were practically shooting hearts.
“There are about fifteen outfits left! It’ll be over in no time.”
“I see.”
“I-I’m a huge fan, Mr. Im Eun-seong.”
“Thank you. By the way, is Ms. Go Yeon-ju a regular employee here?”
“Pardon? Ah, well, not exactly, but—no! She is a regular employee! I was planning to have her start officially tomorrow!”
As the CEO blurted out the unexpected lie, Yeon-ju’s eyes widened. She only gave me part-time work, and now she’s saying she planned to hire me full-time?
But that wasn’t the answer Eun-seong wanted. With a look of regret, he spoke.
“CEO-nim. If you were planning on having her start tomorrow, I’m afraid you’ll have to drop that idea. I plan to hire Ms. Go Yeon-ju myself.”
“Pardon? Ah… I see… A direct hire… Starting when…?”
“Starting today.”
Starting today? Yeon-ju, the CEO, and the model all stared at Eun-seong with identical expressions of shock. While Yeon-ju merely blinked, too stunned to react, Eun-seong took the muffler from her hands.
He casually wrapped it around his own neck and stood next to the CEO. The muffler, which the model had complained was a tacky color, looked so good on Eun-seong that it could have been from a famous magazine’s fall/winter spread.
“Perhaps a photo…?” the CEO ventured.
“Pardon? Ah, yes! Yes, yes, yes! Just a moment! One second—hey! Chief Hwang! Chief Hwang, take a photo over here!”
As the CEO frantically called out, the photographer raised his camera and quickly snapped shots of the two. Onlookers filmed the scene while the CEO wore an ecstatic expression, as if she couldn’t tell if this was a dream or reality.
“You may use today’s photos for commercial purposes. Go ahead,” Eun-seong said.
“Ah… Oh my, thank you so much! Thank you!”
The sound of a cash register rang in the CEO’s ears. Every dog has its day. Already imagining the power of a single photo featuring Eun-seong, she was busy tapping away on a mental calculator.
Amidst the chaos, Eun-seong handed the muffler back and looked at Yeon-ju.
“Finish up here, then come find me.”
To her, everything felt surreal.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Even his final words.
* * *
The model, who had complained every time he changed clothes, kept his mouth shut and focused solely on the shoot. After seeing how effortlessly Eun-seong had styled the muffler, he realized the clothes weren’t the problem, and his pride had taken a serious hit.
Toward the end of the shoot, he even apologized to Yeon-ju for his rude behavior and slyly asked for her phone number. He had belatedly realized it would be beneficial to have a connection with her, but Yeon-ju turned him down flat.
Thanks to him, the shoot wrapped up faster than expected. Sightings of Eun-seong were already spreading across social media, complete with photos. To outside observers, it looked less like Eun-seong had come for Yeon-ju and more like he had simply visited a small online shopping mall. The mall’s name began appearing in related search terms and hashtags.
The shop, which normally had modest sales, suffered a server crash just three hours after the first posts about Eun-seong appeared. Having completely upended her small world, Eun-seong was waiting leisurely for her when she finished work.
Yeon-ju found him at a nearby paid parking lot and stopped in front of his car. The classic sports car proportions—a long hood and short deck—felt intimidating to even climb into. Just how many cars did he own? Seeing a new one every time they met left her no time to adjust.
While she hesitated, the passenger door opened. As it swung upward automatically, Yeon-ju scrambled inside like a squirrel darting into its hole. Eun-seong let out a short laugh as she waved her hands, urging him to close the door quickly.
“How on earth did you know I was here?”
“What do you mean, ‘knew’? I was just passing by. Coincidentally. By chance.”
“Liar!”
“Do you have proof?”
“I don’t have proof, but still! There’s no way this was a coincidence. That makes no sense!”
“Then it must be fate.”
Heugh… Yeon-ju let out a small whimper. It hadn’t even occurred to her that Hae-young might have tipped him off, and her curiosity only grew.
Was it really a coincidence? Then maybe it is fate… No! No, what do you mean, fate!
“A swarm of people gathered, and you just barged in without any plan…”
“Sometimes, being blatant is the best way to avoid suspicion. Don’t worry.”
“How can you say that so easily!”
Sighing, Yeon-ju could only fidget with her phone. She was too terrified to search online, not knowing what kind of rumors might be spreading.
“Where are we going?”
“To hear your story. You’ll see when we get there.”
“I’m not going to your place.”
“I have no intention of taking you there.”
Eun-seong started the car with a serene expression. As he paid the parking fee, Yeon-ju looked down at her phone and muttered, “Do you think people suspected anything? What would they even think? I’m worried sick.”
“Well. They’ll probably think I’m giving a hard-working staff member a ride.”
“You think so? I hope so.”
“Or they saw me as Im Eun-seong, head over heels for a woman who doesn’t feel the same.”
Yeon-ju squeezed her eyes shut.