Chapter 90
Chapter 90
At the loud voice, several staff members glanced over. Bom narrowed her eyes. Who was that again?
“Right? You’re Cheong-i’s sister, Bom.”
The memory came back to her faintly. Was he a friend from Yoon-cheong’s college club? His name was… Kim Seung-won. He had visited their house a few times, so the memory was hazy. Come to think of it, she recalled hearing that he worked at a broadcasting station.
“Oh, Seung-won. It’s been a long time.”
Bom’s face clouded with bewilderment; she had never dreamed she would run into him in a place like this.
“Yeah, yeah! How many years has it been?”
Forced by politeness, Bom managed a small smile. The man looked her up and down. It was an unpleasant, lingering scan.
“Wow. You were something else back then, but you’ve gotten even prettier. I heard you’re not married yet?”
“I’m not.”
He launched into a long-winded introduction, explaining that he was a camera director and had been scouted when QBS Broadcasting Station first launched. While he talked, Bom’s eyes wandered busily around the old cafe.
Finally, she spotted Han-gyeol. Despite it being a holiday, he was wearing his school uniform and getting makeup done at a table by the window. All this just for a video letter? Everything was so professional it made her wonder if it was necessary.
Han-gyeol, his forehead exposed with his bangs clipped back, must have felt her gaze because he turned his head. When his eyes met Bom’s, he looked surprised by her unexpected appearance, but soon a slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
He doesn’t seem unhappy that I came. Thank goodness.
The aura Han-gyeol gave off was different from yesterday. He seemed somewhat tense, but his mind appeared much more at peace. Perhaps he really had made up his mind to follow her to the broadcasting stage in Seoul.
As that thought crossed her mind, she grew anxious. Her companion, lacking any sense of social cues, failed to notice her unease and continued to revel in the reunion alone.
“I did hear you’d gone down to the countryside for a bit, Yoon Bom. But I really didn’t expect to see you here. What brings you here? As you can see, I’m in the middle of filming a program.”
“Oh, I’m that student’s homeroom teacher. I stopped by for a moment in place of his guardian.”
“Seriously? Wow, it’s a small world, isn’t it?”
Was he always this talkative? Bom wanted to end the conversation and go to Han-gyeol, but she suddenly asked something she was curious about.
“By the way, I heard this is for a video letter. Won’t that only be on screen for a minute or two? It seems a bit… excessive.”
“It’s all an investment, an investment.”
“An investment?”
Seung-won shrugged. He lowered his voice and began to explain. As she listened, Bom found it hard to maintain her composure out of sheer disillusionment.
I knew something was off.
The story Bom heard was this:
The whole thing had been rigged from the start. It began when the contestant Lee Hee-yeon showed a photo of Han-gyeol to the PD before the survival show even started.
[Take a look at my son’s face. It’s such a shame he couldn’t join the show with me this time.]
Among the female contestants in I Am a K-Trot Singer, there was a woman named Heo Hye-su, who was a guaranteed headline-maker. However, the other participants lacked star power, meaning the production team had to squeeze screen time out of provocative episodes during the survival process. Naturally, the PD had been salivating.
There was someone else who had shown interest as well: the CEO of P Agency, who was both one of the program’s planners and a judge on the panel.
[The mother said she’d take responsibility and have him sign with our company? I like it. He’s a bit late for an idol, but he has the face of an actor. Definitely. He could make us some money.]
Apparently, Hee-yeon had made it into the final 22 through this implicit deal.
“We set up the lighting boards so intensely because he needs to look good enough to blow up on the internet communities. We did a camera test earlier, and he’s incredibly telegenic.”
Bom’s mind raced with the new information. Now that she knew about Hee-yeon’s backroom deal, she was more determined than ever to protect Han-gyeol.
“Listen, let’s talk more later. It looks like the student is finished, so I’m going to go say hello.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
Bom quickly ended the conversation. Han-gyeol was waiting, his hair and makeup just finished.
“Han-gyeol.”
“Teacher, is that someone you know?”
Before they could even exchange greetings, Han-gyeol gestured toward Seung-won with his eyes. Bom simply replied that he was a distant acquaintance.
“More importantly, are you okay? I thought it would be better for an adult to be here with you. If it makes you uncomfortable, though…”
“No, you can stay.”
The cluttered surroundings had been tidied up before they knew it. The PD and writer, who had been nowhere to be seen, reappeared and chatted with the staff. Bom sensed that filming was about to begin.
“Han-gyeol, listen. Are you going to Seoul after this?”
“The schedule changed, so the stage filming was delayed. I think it’ll be next week.”
Thank God. Bom breathed a sigh of relief. Not wanting to waste a moment, she looked Han-gyeol straight in the eye.
“Congratulations on reuniting with your mother, Han-gyeol. I know things have been hard for you. But your uncle was very upset yesterday. If you’re okay with it, how about the three of us have lunch after this? It’s on me.”
Since she had practiced these words several times in the car on the way over, they flowed out smoothly. She had expected two reactions: either he would readily accept, or he would get angry. However, Han-gyeol’s eyes lowered ambiguously.
“It’s not that I’ve stopped being angry at my uncle… I’ll think about it a little more.”
Bom opened her lips to explain on Jae-gyu’s behalf, but she was forced to close them again. Behind her, the PD rolled up a script, held it high, and shouted.
“Alright, let’s get this filmed and get out of here!”
A female staff member approached and led Han-gyeol to the set table. Bom stood beside the camera. The PD looked displeased when he spotted her, but he didn’t say anything.
“Seon Han-gyeol. It’s your first time in front of a camera, so you’re nervous, right?”
“Um, a little.”
The PD quickly signaled the writer with a hand gesture. The writer stepped up to Han-gyeol.
“We thought so, so we wrote a script in advance. It’ll be better if you just follow this. If you’re too nervous, the words won’t come out smoothly.”
Without even taking the script the writer offered, Han-gyeol looked at the PD and spoke calmly.
“I want the video letter to my mother to just be the things I want to say. That’s okay, right?”
“Well… sure. You’re a good talker. I guess we don’t need to worry.”
Despite his words, the PD seemed irritated. The cue sign was given immediately.
Bom checked the time on her phone. Why hasn’t there been any contact yet? She had asked Se-jin for a favor before coming, but since there was no news, things might not be going well.
Swallowing a worried sigh, she pumped her fist at Han-gyeol to cheer him on.
“Mom.”
At that single word, the filming set became deathly silent.
“I saw the letter you sent me. I was always curious. What does my mom look like? Does she look like me?”
It was so sad from the very beginning that tears pricked Bom’s eyes. Her heart ached as if she could feel the depth of the longing Han-gyeol must have felt.
“My eyes are exactly like yours. It’s strange.”
While the balance of his features resembled Jae-gyu, his eyes and skin tone were inherited from his mother’s side. Han-gyeol was acknowledging that.
“I’m a terrible singer, but you’re really good. We don’t take after each other in that at all.”
Han-gyeol let out a small, airy chuckle and slowly lifted the corners of his mouth.
At the sight of Han-gyeol with his characteristic smile, the watching staff members began to buzz with excitement. Beside them, the writer frowned, muttering, “He should be crying. Why is he smiling?”
“You said your dream is to be a singer? It’s cool to see you challenging yourself without giving up. Actually, I…”
Han-gyeol paused there. His words became slower after that.
“Growing up, I missed you so much, and at the same time, I resented you a lot. But I’ve decided not to resent you anymore.”
Bom, who had thought about revealing what kind of person Hee-yeon was if necessary, changed her mind. Han-gyeol, speaking like that, was so mature. Wouldn’t it be too cruel to tell the truth to a child like him?
“Mom. I hope you finish the competition well and get a good result. I’ll be watching from afar.”
Bom, who had been watching with her hands clasped to her chest in suspense, widened her eyes.
“It’s the path you chose instead of me. I really hope you succeed. I’ll be sincerely rooting for you. Be happy, Mom.”
“Cut! Dammit!”
The director’s voice turned harsh. The writer also rushed out in front of Han-gyeol. Han-gyeol stood up from his chair, pulling down his neatly tied school tie.
“I’m finished.”
“Hey, kid! Wait a minute. You can’t do this.”
“I really said everything I wanted to say. I meant it.”
The two of them shouted in agitation, then quickly changed their strategy and began to coax him.
“How can you be so cold-hearted after seeing your mother’s video letter yesterday? You said you missed her.”
“Seeing that was enough for me.”
“Your mother cried so much, saying she missed you… She only sent a video letter because she’s in the middle of a competition and couldn’t come. Can’t you understand how she feels?”
The two of them blocked Han-gyeol as he tried to leave.
“Then! Then at least come to see your mother’s stage next week. That’s fine, right?”
“I have no intention of going.”
“Ugh… This is a real headache. How do you think a mother who found her son after ten years feels?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know if you’re being fooled or if you’re in on it, but my mom has known I was here for a long time.”
Listening, Bom gasped in shock. Han-gyeol knew? Since when? No, how?
“Well, adults can have circumstances that prevent them from showing up even if they know. That’s how it is. Come on, kid. How can you be so heartless when your family has appeared? You finally have your only family back.”
At the word ‘family’ that the writer emphasized so much, Han-gyeol frowned and let out a hollow laugh.
“The only family I have is my uncle.”
Convinced by Han-gyeol’s firm attitude that the shoot was a failure, the staff began preparing to pack up.
The PD and writer’s faces were full of annoyance. Han-gyeol looked them straight in the eye and spoke.
“Move. I’m leaving.”
“Kid, are you playing with us right now? Seriously, dammit, this is so irritating. How are you going to compensate for all this loss?”
The PD shouted again, spitting out curses. Bom quickly ran over and stood in front of Han-gyeol.
“Han-gyeol only said what he wanted to say to his mother. What did he do wrong? Stop threatening him and back off.”
“You stay out of this! You’ve been an eyesore since yesterday. The brat and the teacher are exactly the same.”
“What did you just say? Han-gyeol, go to the car first. I’ll stay and talk to these people.”
“I told you to stay out of it!”
It was just as the PD, unable to control his temper, raised his hand. With a loud bang, the cafe door swung wide open.