Chapter 95
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: Family Trip to Paris
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“Seojun, Heesang is downstairs. Let's get going.”
“Okay!”
At his mother's words, Seojun, wearing a backpack with a wolf on it, quickly came out of his room.
His parents stood by the front door with a suitcase packed for their week-long trip. They looked just as excited as Seojun.
“At least we’ll be able to travel quietly this time.”
“I know.”
They hadn't announced their departure. It was just a family trip to enjoy a festival.
Kim Heesang was giving them a ride to the airport, so Seojun and his parents loaded their luggage into his car and got in.
Seojun's car seat was there too, and Kim Heesang installed it himself, treating it as practice. He'd done it a few times when Seojun was younger, so he was able to install it quite easily.
“Experience really seems to be important for everything.”
Kim Heesang grinned, his hands on the steering wheel. Ever since Kim Soobin was born, his experience taking care of baby Seojun had been a huge help. His mind might have forgotten, but his body seemed to remember.
Kim Soobin, who still seemed a little uncomfortable in the arms of her new mother, Choi Sohee, would often smile contentedly in Kim Heesang's embrace.
“Samchon, is Soobin sleeping well these days?”
“Yeah, she’s sleeping like a log. That slime doll you gave her seems to work wonders.”
Kim Heesang's car headed for the airport. Lately, whenever he and Seojun's family got together, the conversation always turned to Kim Soobin.
The slime doll was a gift from Seojun after hearing that Kim Soobin wasn't sleeping well.
He had originally planned to give her one of his own dolls, but it was old and looked too worn. So, Seojun used his own allowance to buy a new one directly from the Monster Inc. website.
A fluffy, light-green slime doll.
He imbued the doll with his ability—a texture that calmed the mind—and even wrapped it himself before giving it to Soobin.
Kim Heesang's words made Seojun smile brightly.
“Right? It’s a really good one.”
“Thanks to that, Sohee and I have been sleeping well, too. But what did you do to it? How does it make her sleep so soundly? It’s become her absolute favorite security doll.”
“Um. It’s because it’s super fluffy.”
He couldn't tell him he'd used his ability. Seojun grinned and gave the reason he had prepared.
“I made it with the perfect amount of fluffiness. If Soobin has trouble sleeping again, bring it back. I’ll make it fluffy again for you.”
“Really? I couldn’t tell much of a difference from other dolls. But Soobin knows, like it's magic. The other day, the slime doll wasn't fully dry, so we gave her another one, and she just turned her head away. How on earth did you do it?”
“We have our own special connection. It’s a secret from the grown-ups!”
The adults burst out laughing at Seojun's words. The drive to the airport felt short, filled with talk about Kim Soobin.
Kim Heesang's car pulled up in front of the international terminal. Due to the chilly weather, everyone was bundled up with their shoulders hunched, so no one paid any attention to Seojun in his scarf and hat.
Seojun's family unloaded their luggage and said their goodbyes to Kim Heesang.
Seojun. Kim Heesang mouthed his name. Seojun looked up at Kim Heesang, who was sitting in the driver's seat.
“Yeah?”
“Do well at the festival competition!”
“I will! I’ll show everyone the perfect werewolf! I’ll take pictures, too!”
If a Seojun this fired up played a werewolf, wouldn't it make the news that a real one had appeared? Kim Heesang thought it was a relief that the costume he made wasn't *that* realistic.
“Hmm. It might be okay to tone it down a bit, Seojun.”
Seojun blinked and tilted his head.
“You think so?”
“Yeah. Moderation is good in all things. You guys have a safe trip.”
“Drive safe.”
Kim Heesang waved, and Seojun and his parents waved back.
Seojun and his parents watched Kim Heesang's car drive away before the chilly wind urged them quickly inside the airport.
They managed to stay hidden at the airport, but they couldn't hide their faces for the entire ten-hour-plus flight.
After taking photos, signing autographs, getting a good sleep, and even eating the in-flight meal, they had arrived in Paris, France.
As Seojun waved goodbye and left, the people who had been on the same flight immediately started posting on social media the moment they could use their phones.
-Saw Lee Seojun! On a flight to Paris!
-Was on the same flight as Lee Seojun! Seems like a family trip. Got his autograph!
Reporters whose daily routine included searching [#LeeSeojun] on social media immediately began writing articles.
[Actor Lee Seojun Spotted on a Flight to Paris!]
[What's Happening in Paris? Actor Lee Seojun Heads to France!]
And quick-witted reporters picked up on the keyword 'family trip'.
A search for 'Monster Inc.,' the company where Lee Seojun's father, Lee Minjun, worked, brought up several articles. It was almost strange that they hadn't noticed until now.
“*Naeuiwon* was just too big of a hit.”
“I know, right? I can’t even count how many articles got buried because of *Naeuiwon*. I hear people are now clamoring for a DVD release.”
“A DVD?”
“Yeah. Usually when you buy a DVD set, you get some drama-related merchandise. The *Naeuiwon* viewers want the script that Lee Seojun used. They're curious about what he was writing so diligently during the table read video.”
“That would sell like crazy, too.”
The reporter, who just moments before had been writing an article titled '*Naeuiwon*, Export Revenue Reaches an Astonishing...?!', shook his head at his junior's words and started writing a new piece.
[Monster Inc. Sponsors Halloween Festival in Orce, France!]
[Orce, a City Near Paris!]
[Will Actor Lee Seojun Attend the Halloween Festival?]
-OMG, I live in Paris! Should I go check out Orce!
-I’m in Belgium, thinking about going.
-From the UK. Debating. When else will I get to see Lee Seojun? ㅠ
-The Halloween festival is in two days, so it'll be hard to go now ㅠ
-But the Halloween festival looks fun.
-Must Read) I've been to the Orce festival before. It's super hard to recognize anyone's face there. Everyone comes in costume. There are tons of kids, too. Lee Seojun could walk right past you and you'd never know ㅠ
=lol, true.
***
Choi Yeseul, an employee of Monster Inc., walked into the warehouse carrying a box. She called out to the other employees who were organizing things inside.
“This is the last one!”
“Great work!”
They had moved all the items into the warehouse provided by the Orce city hall. The team leader checked the schedule and nodded.
The festival was set to begin at 5 p.m. the next day. They would set up the booth in the square tomorrow morning, which meant their work for today was done. Tomorrow would be busy from the start, so they needed to rest up.
“Let’s wrap it up for today. It’s a bit early, but shall we go get some dinner?”
“Yes!”
The Monster Inc. employees locked up the warehouse and headed to a nearby restaurant in a group.
The team leader, who spoke decent French, explained the menu. *Team Leader, you have our utmost respect!* Everyone listened intently, their ears perked. After considering the ingredients and potential allergies, they each ordered a dish they liked.
“The pasta here is delicious.”
“A city hall employee recommended it. They said the bœuf bourguignon here is good, too.”
“What’s bœuf bourguignon?”
“It’s a beef stew. It’s made by slowly simmering beef, red wine, vegetables, and mushrooms. Should we order some?”
“Yes!”
Although it was a business trip, everyone was excited to be working in France for the first time. The CEO had suggested they could use their vacation days after the Orce Halloween festival to holiday in France. Most of them planned to do just that.
“This is really great. It’s my first time abroad.”
“Me too. I thought my first trip overseas would be to a country close to Korea, but here I am in France. As soon as this is all over, I’m heading straight to Italy. I’ve always wanted to go!”
“I was thinking the same thing! I’m planning on going to Belgium.”
Laughing and chatting, they didn't look like people on a business trip at all.
While the employees were enjoying a leisurely early dinner and dessert, Choi Yeseul, who had gone online to check the news from Korea, shot up from her seat in surprise.
“Whoa!”
“What’s wrong, Yeseul?”
With a shocked expression, Choi Yeseul silently showed the team leader her phone screen.
[Actor Lee Seojun's Family Vacation Destination: France!]
[Lee Seojun to Attend the Halloween Festival in Orce, France?!]
[The Specialty of Orce, France: Wine!]
[Monster Inc. Sponsors Orce City Festival!]
The team leader’s face lit up as he read the articles.
“Wow. It says Lee Seojun is in France.”
At the mention of Lee Seojun, everyone gathered around Choi Yeseul's phone.
“I loved *Naeuiwon*!”
“Honestly, isn't it harder to find someone who *hasn't* seen *Naeuiwon*?”
“I started by rewatching the episodes, but from episode 10, I had to watch it live. I just couldn't wait for the reruns to be uploaded.”
“I cried so much. During episode 14, and the finale, too.”
“I bet every avid viewer of *Naeuiwon* cried. Is it true there might be a DVD release soon?”
“Yes. I really hope they include the script book as a bonus item.”
The mood was cheerful. Only Choi Yeseul had a serious expression. Noticing this, the team leader tilted his head.
“Yeseul. Are you feeling unwell? Do you want to go back and rest?”
“No, it’s not that…”
Choi Yeseul let out a deep sigh without realizing it. The gazes of the other employees, who had been happily chatting about Lee Seojun, turned to her. Choi Yeseul tapped on one of the articles with her finger.
“It says here that it’s a family trip for Lee Seojun.”
“Right?”
“And it says he might come to Orce, right?”
“Then we might run into him! Since he’s CEO Lee Minjun’s son, I thought I’d get to see him at the company, but I never did… oh?”
The employee who was speaking froze mid-sentence. The other staff, who had been nodding along thinking, ‘I thought I’d get to see him, too…,’ slowly turned back to the articles, their faces dawning with realization. Even the team leader’s expression had stiffened.
[Actor Lee Seojun's Family Vacation Destination: France!]
The words ‘family trip’ seemed to stand out, bold and large.
“...If it's Seojun's family, that means our CEO.”
“...!”
“The CEO might be coming here.”
The cheerful atmosphere instantly turned somber.
***
After adjusting to the time difference, Seojun and his parents decided to go see the Eiffel Tower. As expected of a famous tourist spot, it was crowded even as the sun began to set.
Seojun gazed at the enormous tower before him. The Eiffel Tower, set against the slowly descending sunset, was truly magnificent.
Seojun and his parents watched the Eiffel Tower in silence.
“They say the lights will come on soon. It’ll be even more amazing then.”
“Should we wait and take a picture then?”
“Yeah!”
Perhaps because they were in a foreign country, no one recognized them, and there was a simple joy in walking around freely.
Thrilled by the unexpected trip, Seojun and his parents wandered around, taking pictures.
Just then, Lee Minjun's phone rang. It was Kim Heesang. As he took the call, Lee Minjun massaged the back of his neck as if his blood pressure was rising.
“Dad, who is it?”
“Heesang.”
“Kim Heesang? What’s going on?”
“Our company has a booth at the Orce Halloween festival. He wants me to stop by. Just to see if they’re doing okay.”
Seo Eunhye tilted her head at her husband's words.
“Didn’t you take vacation days for this trip?”
“I did. He said since we’re going to Orce anyway, I should just take a look. That punk, making someone work on their vacation?”
“Well, we’re going there anyway, so it doesn’t really matter, does it?”
“...I don't want to work during my vacation…”
As Lee Minjun sighed, Seojun and Seo Eunhye laughed and hugged him tightly.
“There, there. Let’s think about that later. For now, we should enjoy our trip.”
“Leave tomorrow’s work to tomorrow’s Dad!”
Lee Minjun burst out laughing at Seojun’s words.