Chapter 97
Chapter 97
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Stalking Misunderstanding
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“I’m sorry!”
Han Hyo-jeong’s apologetic voice rang out quite loudly.
Lee Jae-hyun hurriedly waved his hand at the sight of her bowing her head repeatedly and shouting as if to shake the park itself.
“It’s fine. Really, that’s enough.”
“...I feel so terrible about it.”
“No. It’s completely understandable. I get it.”
Lee Jae-hyun said with an awkward smile.
He truly was okay with it.
It was a misunderstanding, and she hadn’t done it knowingly.
Something anyone could easily understand.
“What the hell is going on?”
“Jae-hyun, you can’t go stalking people.”
Kim Jun-ho and Min Ji-hye clicked their tongues, teasing him like they were scolding a junior.
“...Why are you all like this?”
Lee Jae-hyun let out a small sigh.
But Kim Jun-ho showed no signs of dropping his playful teasing.
Min Ji-hye chimed in too, her expression stoic as she added her own jabs.
“You’re at that age where your blood’s running hot. I get it.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Lee Jae-hyun gave up on explaining as he watched them grin mischievously and keep up the banter.
He turned his head to look at Han Hyo-jeong, who was bowing her head toward him once more, and let out a hollow chuckle.
There was no need for her to apologize this much.
“Thank you for understanding. I’m so sorry. I’ve been getting stalked lately, so I’ve been really on edge. I ended up taking it out on an innocent person.”
Lee Jae-hyun shook his head at her self-reproachful words, assuring her it was fine.
He’d lost count of how many times she’d apologized.
It was strange and a bit embarrassing to see Han Hyo-jeong—who would become so famous in the future—apologizing like this.
“From what I’ve heard, it makes sense. If anything, I should be the one apologizing. It’s my first time seeing someone I’ve only ever seen on TV in person, so I didn’t think about how my actions might come across.”
“Huh? Oh... ouch.”
Han Hyo-jeong brought her hands to her mouth, making a pained face and an odd noise.
She must have been pretty flustered. She’d even bitten her tongue.
“Ow... that hurts.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I got startled too.”
Han Hyo-jeong nodded quickly in response.
Lee Jae-hyun stifled a laugh at her slurred pronunciation.
“By the way... you said you’ve seen me on TV?”
Lee Jae-hyun nodded reflexively at her question, then froze.
What was it... Was it that weird to say he’d seen a famous actress on TV?
As that thought crossed his mind, Lee Jae-hyun remembered he’d regressed and let out a soft “Ah.”
At this point in time... she hadn’t become famous yet.
She still would have done some work, though.
Lee Jae-hyun racked his brain and recalled her early project.
“Didn’t you do a drama called ‘For You Alone’? I think I saw you there.”
“Gasp, yeah! So you’re a fan of mine...?”
“Well, something like that.”
“Wow! You’re the first person to recognize me on the street. And a fan, no less.”
Han Hyo-jeong said with an ecstatic expression.
Lee Jae-hyun gave an awkward smile as she leaned in close, her eyes sparkling.
“Gasp, I must have been so rude to a fan... I’m really sorry!”
“Isn’t that stalking if a fan follows you around?”
He tried to ignore Min Ji-hye’s mutter from the side as Han Hyo-jeong apologized, but...
Stalking was a crime involving persistently following someone to cause anxiety or fear.
He’d just run into her by chance and had no intention of scaring her.
Yeah, it was a misunderstanding.
“How can I ever make this up to you...? I can’t just let you go like this; I feel too guilty. Calling a fan a stalker...”
Lee Jae-hyun let out a small hum as he watched her fidget anxiously.
She wouldn’t let this drop without some proper compensation.
He figured he’d better accept something minor to wrap it up.
“Well... if you really feel bad, how about an autograph?”
An autograph should be fine.
It wasn’t like he was asking for money, just speaking as a pure fan.
It wouldn’t burden her, and getting one from a future superstar...
‘It’d be a win for me too.’
Once she got famous, he could sell this autograph for a good price due to its rarity.
Not that he planned to sell it.
But Han Hyo-jeong’s expression looked a bit off.
Flustered, maybe.
“My autograph? You’re sure that’s enough?”
“Huh?”
“My autograph probably isn’t worth collecting or anything. But if it’s okay with you, I’ll do it.”
Lee Jae-hyun narrowed his eyes slightly at her awkward smile.
This was far from the Han Hyo-jeong he knew.
‘She seemed so bold on TV.’
On screen, she was sharp and full of confidence, but in person, she was completely different.
‘Eh... it’s nothing major. It’s common for TV personas to differ from the real person.’
Take politicians at campaign events, for example.
It wasn’t a big deal.
“An autograph is plenty. You’re going to be a huge star someday.”
“A huge star? Hehe... That’d be amazing. Oh, do you have any paper and a pen? I don’t have anything on me.”
“Don’t think I do either.”
He hadn’t brought any since he was just out for a jog.
“Then... are you coming back to jog tomorrow too? I always run at this time. I’ll definitely give it to you then.”
Lee Jae-hyun scratched his chin at the way she tried to sound bold while still gauging his reaction.
She didn’t need to worry this much.
It was just a misunderstanding.
Once he said he was fine, she didn’t need to compensate him at all.
Calling her nice didn’t quite cover it.
Something more than that.
‘As expected of a future superstar. Even her sprouts are different. Her character’s on another level from regular people.’
Lee Jae-hyun chuckled softly.
“Got it. See you tomorrow. And if you ever feel threatened again, call 112 like you did today. Not sure I should say this as the guy who got called out, but... you did the right thing.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
Lee Jae-hyun gave her a gentle smile as she responded energetically.
Meeting someone he’d only seen on TV—and seeing a new side of her—felt strangely refreshing.
A fresh feeling.
“Take care going back. Watch out for stalkers.”
“Yeah. See you tomorrow!”
She waved her hand and jogged back the way she’d come.
Lee Jae-hyun watched her retreating figure for a moment before turning at the sudden gaze he felt.
“...Why are you looking at me like that?”
Kim Jun-ho and Min Ji-hye stared at him with half-lidded eyes.
Lee Jae-hyun tilted his head at their odd looks.
“Nah, it’s nothing.”
“Our maknae has that kind of taste, huh. Noted.”
“...”
What were these people even saying?
Lee Jae-hyun sighed but said nothing more.
He had nothing to say.
Explaining would just sound like making excuses.
‘By the way, she’s being stalked— is it okay to let her go alone?’
Lee Jae-hyun glanced in the direction Han Hyo-jeong had run off.
She’d said herself she was on edge from the stalking, so he couldn’t help worrying.
Celebrities getting stalked was common, and the stress was part of their daily life.
That’s why terms like sasaeng fans even existed.
Worried something might happen on her way, Lee Jae-hyun watched her direction a bit longer before turning away.
It was an unavoidable concern and sense of responsibility as a detective.
“Look at him, totally smitten.”
“Right? Never seen our maknae like that before.”
“...”
That wasn’t how it looked to Kim Jun-ho and Min Ji-hye, apparently.
Lee Jae-hyun shook his head at them.
If they knew how famous she’d become, they wouldn’t react like this.
No way he’d show them the autograph later if they begged.
Lee Jae-hyun thought to himself as he started walking.
Thus, the eventful day drew to a close as night fell.
* * *
Meanwhile, after Han Hyo-jeong and Lee Jae-hyun had left.
The park regained its quiet peace.
The people who’d gathered murmuring about the commotion dispersed to their own paths.
Silence settled over the park.
Rustle.
The bushes lining the park path rustled, breaking the quiet.
After a moment, a man slowly emerged from them.
Dark jeans, a white short-sleeved tee, and a black hoodie zipped over it.
Having sat there for quite a while, his clothes were marked with various stains and dirt.
Anyone would find his appearance suspicious.
But with everyone gone, no one was around to notice or call him out.
The man ignored it all, quietly standing and gazing at the spot where Han Hyo-jeong and Lee Jae-hyun had departed.
“...What the hell was that?”
The man, who’d been silent for a long time, muttered softly.
He’d been watching Han Hyo-jeong for ages, but it was rare for her to suddenly get friendly with someone like that.
‘He said he was a fan... but that’s probably a lie.’
The man mulled over Lee Jae-hyun’s words, scrutinizing their truth.
He was a longtime fan of Han Hyo-jeong.
He’d attended nearly all her events.
He’d even met and greeted other fans there occasionally.
So if that guy were really a fan of hers, he’d recognize the face.
But Lee Jae-hyun’s face was unfamiliar from fan meetings, events, premieres...
Anywhere.
‘Another fly buzzing around.’
The man clicked his tongue.
From his long observation, guys like Lee Jae-hyun buzzing around Han Hyo-jeong weren’t just one or two.
No matter how much he swatted them away, they stuck to her like iron to a magnet.
Only the faces changed.
The type of people around her never did.
Why did these weirdos keep showing up?
“...I’ll protect you, Hyo-jeong.”
He muttered to himself.
Dragging his shoes, the man turned and headed in the direction Han Hyo-jeong had gone.
Silently trailing her footsteps like a shadow in the darkness, unknown to anyone.