Chapter 149
Chapter 149
A Familiar Face
“If anything happens, call me or Seung-hyeon right away.”
“I know. Are you my guardian or something?”
“Isn’t a manager basically a guardian? When someone’s worried about you, you should, you know, learn to accept it.”
“Ha… you’ve really grown up, haven’t you?”
The two had gotten quite close since their trip to the PC bang. It was all because of that game. He’d even lost, and now he had to listen to this.
Yu Yeon-seo lifted a hand from his pocket and gave Lee Tae-gyeom the middle finger.
“My dear slave, you may get lost now.”
“I was just about to. Master.”
Now he even talked back without missing a beat. Had he really matured? For some reason, the fun of teasing him was gone. Disappointed, Yu Yeon-seo clicked his tongue.
As Lee Tae-gyeom turned to head for the elevator, he saw Yu Eun-ho standing there and flinched.
“Did something happen with Yeon-seo?”
“Ah, no. I was just worried he’d be tired after coming straight from the after-party. I’ll be heading in now.”
“You worked hard. Go on in.”
Before Yu Yeon-seo could open the front door, Yu Eun-ho had already punched in the code for the electronic lock. Come to think of it… they had even discussed how using a birthday for the passcode was bad for security and changed it. Was this his house or his brother’s?
“Looks like he’s doing a good job.”
“Lee Tae-gyeom, that guy?”
“Yeah.”
Yu Yeon-seo went inside first and stared blankly at his brother, who opened the refrigerator as if he owned the place.
“So, why are you here?”
“What do you mean, why? I came because I got off work.”
“…Have you been staying here the whole time I was away filming?”
“All my stuff is here.”
So… even while I was away filming, he didn’t go to his own house and just stayed here? Yu Yeon-seo narrowed his eyes.
“Aren’t you going to your own house?”
“This is my house too.”
Such a shameless answer. Yu Yeon-seo was so dumbfounded he couldn’t stop letting out hollow laughs.
“I should at least stay here until we find the culprit. It’s easier to meet with Seo-jun this way, too.”
He had a point… Resigned, Yu Yeon-seo flopped onto the sofa.
“Have you eaten?”
“Not yet, but…”
“If you’re not tired, let’s go out.”
And so, Yu Yeon-seo, who had just gotten home, found himself heading out again, following his brother to a high-end traditional Korean restaurant. It was a place rumored to be so popular that reservations were booked months in advance, but they didn’t need one. As soon as an employee saw the brothers’ faces, they were naturally guided to a table.
“There’s a founding anniversary event this year.”
“Ah, right, there was an event like that…”
Chairman Yu’s asset distribution was being done in installments over several years. With taxes alone easily exceeding trillions of won, it was an unavoidable choice.
During that time, the relatives would be trying to get into their grandfather’s good graces, engaging in a war of nerves with one another.
‘Even a small piece would be enormous, but trying to get more is just a hassle…’
It wasn’t like he didn’t work. Having little interest in the wealth Chairman Yu would bestow, Yu Yeon-seo was already amused at the thought of witnessing the spectacle. Well, they had all been getting along too well for too long.
“It seems they’re planning something big this year since it’s the 80th anniversary.”
“It’s already been 80 years…? But didn’t we usually let these things pass quietly?”
Even for the 70th anniversary just 10 years ago, they had made a grand donation, saying Juseong’s success was thanks to the people, but they hadn’t held any special events. That was because Chairman Yu disliked such superficial displays. So, relatively large events like charity galas were hosted by Park Geum-ju to strengthen her connections.
‘What would they have done without Grandmother?’
They say that’s why Juseong Group benefited from Park Geum-ju’s connections when it began its major growth phase.
“I think it’s to solidify Father’s position.”
“Ahh…”
The group succession process was in its final stages. Yu Geon-min would probably take over as chairman next year or early the year after. Chairman Yu Chang-ho had been a key figure in the explosive growth of both Juseong and the South Korean economy. In contrast, while Yu Geon-min was competent, he tended to be overshadowed by his predecessor.
‘Besides, people just know him as a guy who stans his own son.’
He’d always been like that, but it was mostly just a topic of conversation within the family. Over the past three years, however, it had gotten much more intense. He was even incredibly active on his personal social media accounts.
“Granduncle’s family will probably come too.”
“…You don’t think one of them could be involved, do you?”
“I don’t know. I hope so, but I’m not sure if I should.”
It would be better if ‘Head’ was someone they hadn’t even been in contact with, rather than someone close. If ‘Head’ was truly someone close, the psychological shock would be quite severe.
“Anyway, did you starve over there?”
“You should try going there, hyung. There’s nowhere decent to eat.”
Food on the film set was limited. There weren’t many restaurants nearby, and while his family did send food trucks, it wasn’t often. There was certainly no hotel in the vicinity, though Park Seung-hwan, who enjoyed cooking as a hobby, would sometimes make meals.
“How’s Baek Seo-jun doing?”
“He said he found a clue in Choi Nam-yun’s call records. He’s going to investigate soon.”
“…He’s doing well.”
Yu Yeon-seo let out a small sigh. Now, the best thing he could do was synchronize his memories to make it easier for Baek Seo-jun to investigate and recall the accomplice as soon as possible.
“How was the shoot?”
“Took you long enough to ask. It was, you know, the same as always.”
Yu Yeon-seo had been staying in lodgings for the filming of ‘Filicide’, rarely even stopping by home. Yu Eun-ho had also been busy with company work, so it had been a while since they’d sat face-to-face like this.
“But why the long face?”
“What is?”
“You’ve looked like you’re about to cry since earlier.”
Yu Yeon-seo raised his hands and massaged his face, relaxing the muscles. To be honest, he hadn’t really enjoyed the after-party either because of a strange feeling. He had only stayed for the first round before tossing them his card and leaving.
“Do you know what this project was about?”
He calmly recounted the plot of ‘Filicide’. His brother wasn’t the type to leak anything, and besides, he was the one ultimately responsible.
“Yesterday’s shoot was the final scene, crying on a bridge.”
“So you’ve felt like crying ever since?”
“Yeah, it’s a bit hard to break out of character this time. I’m not sure if it’s because of the role or because it reminds me of Mom.”
Yu Eun-ho’s hand twitched. It had been a long time since Yu Yeon-seo had opened up his heart like this. And so casually, at that.
“It’s probably the role. We confirmed there was a culprit, remember?”
“Right. It felt strange.”
He was in a state where the memories of Yu Yeon-seo and Kang Jin-hu were mixed with the emotions of Hwang Min-jae. His current feeling could be described as a balloon that had been inflated, only to let out its air with a hiss. The tension from months of nonstop filming had finally dissipated with yesterday’s wrap-up, leaving his body languid.
Yu Yeon-seo recalled the final scene he had shot just yesterday. Hwang Dae-sik, who left on his own so as not to be a burden to his grandson, and Hwang Min-jae, who discovers it, albeit not directly.
‘I was so sad back then, too.’
When he had discovered the tragic state of Lee Hui-seo.
When he had lived forgetting there was a culprit, he felt sad and resentful toward Lee Hui-seo, who had left on her own yet remained as a ghost to torment him. So he took his anger out on others.
When he belatedly remembered the culprit, the arrow turned back on himself. He blamed himself endlessly, spiraling further downward.
Suddenly, he wondered what it had been like for his brother, who had known nothing about the culprit.
“What was it like for you?”
Realizing he was referring to their mother, Yu Eun-ho put down his chopsticks and looked at Yu Yeon-seo. He hadn’t seen the body, as his younger brother had adamantly kept him away. If they had seen it together, it probably would have taken him a long time to recover from the shock.
“Probably similar to you.”
“How about now?”
At first, he had been endlessly sad, but then there was his brother who had fits whenever Lee Hui-seo was mentioned, his anxious father, and the broken atmosphere. Seeing that family environment, he had even harbored resentment toward the one who had passed away. But now, he felt nothing.
“…It’s just, it’s been so long.”
“…”
“Time heals all wounds.”
Yu Eun-ho answered calmly and held out his glass. Yu Yeon-seo clinked his own against it. Yes, time would solve everything.
‘…Maybe I’ll start the synchronization tomorrow.’
Back home and lying in bed, Yu Yeon-seo quickly fell asleep. He wanted to rest today.
But the next day, and the day after that, the strange feeling didn’t go away.
When he asked Park Seung-hwan, he said he was the same and that he just hadn’t broken out of character yet. Strange… his mind felt perfectly clear.
‘This won’t do. I need to get into my next project quickly.’
On that note, Yu Yeon-seo visited his agency for the first time in a while. Seeing him burst through the door, CEO Han naturally stood up and turned his chair to make it easier for him to sit.
“Our director is here? Have a seat.”
Seeing this, Yu Yeon-seo clicked his tongue inwardly, thinking the fun of teasing him was gone. First Lee Tae-gyeom, and now CEO Han, had become no fun.
In truth, CEO Han had already resigned himself to defending his chair. Moreover, Yu Yeon-seo’s offer to acquire Halo Media under favorable conditions had made him even more polite.
“Are there any projects I have on hold?”
“You? Of course, there are plenty.”
CEO Han had Manager Park quickly bring a list of projects. It seemed most of them were from rookie creators. They had probably sent their proposals to him directly as a last hope, but since he had tied them up and not released them, it must have been quite the form of torture by hope.
“But why do you ask?”
“It’s time to let them go.”
“You are? That’s unexpected…”
Ignoring CEO Han’s surprised gaze, he quickly scanned the synopses on the list. Just like the old me. I’ve hoarded so many. If I see any decent ones, I’ll provide some production support and release the rest.
“Good thinking.”
“I guess not many actors do this?”
“Most of them just forget about it. The other side just counts the project as a loss. By the way, you’re going to the Baeksang, right?”
“I have to.”
Yu Yeon-seo was nominated for Best Actor in the TV category at the 2022 Baeksang Arts Awards. It was only natural, given that ‘The Imperial Seal’ had swept through 2021.
“It’s a shame you weren’t nominated for the Grand Prize… but seeing as you’re up for Best Actor, I’m sure you’ll win.”
“We don’t know yet.”
“Anyway, you came at a good time. Let’s have a meal with someone who’s coming later.”
“Who?”
Just as he said that, a murmur could be heard from outside. Someone knocked on the CEO’s office door.
“This guy knows how to knock! A man of common sense!”
“So I’m not a man of common sense?”
“You… You’re… Ugh, let’s not even talk about it.”
CEO Han ignored Yu Yeon-seo’s retort and opened the door. Standing there was Lee Han-gyeol, his hair now short.
At the sight of the unexpected person, Yu Yeon-seo straightened up from where he had been leaning back. The person he mentioned was Lee Han-gyeol? But why was he here?
“Hello, CEO.”
“Welcome.”
As soon as he saw Lee Han-gyeol bow his head in greeting, CEO Han beamed and patted him on the shoulder. So polite, unlike someone else. Huh?
Yu Yeon-seo crossed his arms and observed the scene.
“Long time no see.”
“What, are you on leave?”
“Yeah, final leave.”
“Already?”
Yu Yeon-seo furrowed his brow.
“But why are you here, hyung? If you’re on leave, shouldn’t you be at home?”
“I’m getting discharged soon, so I need to start looking for an agency.”
After it was revealed that Yu Yeon-seo had secretly provided support and that the money had been embezzled, AST Entertainment lost One Seven’s trust. They left as soon as their contracts expired, and when the controversy over Yu Yeon-seo’s past arose, they revealed everything, since their contracts were over anyway.
“Looks like we’ll be family again.”
At those words, CEO Han beamed, and Yu Yeon-seo let out a small sigh.