Chapter 171
Chapter 171
Final Message
Everyone chuckled lightly at the panelist’s joke.
On the screen, Yu Yeon-seo and Im Seung-hyeon were seriously focused on growing their assets, with Yu Eun-ho occasionally offering advice. Meanwhile, Lee Tae-gyeom rummaged through the refrigerator, preparing a simple meal. His actions were so natural, it was clear he came over often.
“That looks so… natural. Is it like this every morning?”
“Yes. Everything’s already prepared, so I just have to take it out and heat it up…”
After skillfully heating the breakfast and placing it before them, Lee Tae-gyeom discreetly offered a small rice ball to Yu Yeon-seo. Yu Yeon-seo popped it into his mouth and mumbled while reviewing documents. Im Seung-hyeon did the same.
(Then I’ll handle this matter as instructed.)
(Yes, thank you for your hard work.)
Finally, the long discussion came to an end. Lee Tae-gyeom shot up, grabbed some water and something else, and placed it in front of Yu Yeon-seo.
(Hey, this. You didn’t take it, did you? It’s still here.)
Looking at it now, he’s doing that on purpose. Since his brother and Im Seung-hyeon are there together. Literally, the three people on screen were staring intently at Yu Yeon-seo until he took it.
(…Aren’t you going to work, hyung?)
(After I see you take that.)
(Haaah…)
This won’t make my body any better, Yu Yeon-seo sighed in resignation and tossed it into his mouth. Seeing him chew it without any sign of bitterness, Im Seung-hyeon handed him some water.
“Yeon-seo is being well taken care of.”
“His current appearance does stir up one’s maternal instincts, doesn’t it?”
One female panelist had no qualms saying such embarrassing things, even with Yu Yeon-seo right beside her. No wonder she was a host.
“But what is that?”
“Various health supplements. I’m not sure why he takes them…”
“Well, it is about time for Yeon-seo to start taking care of his health!”
The panelists excitedly talked about what they took and how they managed their health. Yu Yeon-seo secretly sighed.
-Oh I take that too lol He’s surprisingly down-to-earth
-Is it okay to promote a competitor’s brand? lol
-Seeing the brothers in one frame is pure bliss
-Manager-nim, sorry but you look like a squid next to them
-How can a person look like thatㄷㄷ
-Well he has collapsed before so he should take good care of his health
The reactions after the broadcast were mostly similar. Thanks to the two brothers’ appearance, the show’s ratings reportedly hit an all-time high. Furthermore, regarding the extraordinary interior of Yu Yeon-seo’s house, there were reactions that while other celebrities on the show tried hard to show off, seeing the ‘real deal’ was truly different.
(Wait a moment.)
On screen, Yu Yeon-seo went into his room and came out to the living room a short while later. He was wearing black pants, a neat shirt, and a sleek black coat. Combined with his tall, well-proportioned body, he exuded an extraordinary aura.
“Wow…”
“As expected of a fashionista.”
“But isn’t there still time before his schedule? Is he going somewhere?”
The panelists didn’t hold back their reactions. Everyone looked completely engrossed in the screen. Yu Yeon-seo was often called a celebrity of celebrities. The panelists were also curious about his daily life.
The place Lee Tae-gyeom and Yu Yeon-seo were heading to was the JSENM headquarters.
(Good morning.)
(Director!)
As Yu Yeon-seo appeared, Cha Yun-ho shot up to greet him. The caption read <Cha Yun-ho, Secretary at J Entertainment>.
“He had another secretary?”
“Wow, he’s a Director. Look at that office. It’s no joke…”
As Yu Yeon-seo entered his office, Cha Yun-ho, who had gathered some documents, followed him in and sat down.
(How did the film festival submission go?)
(That was all submitted yesterday. But, about the overseas export matter…)
They immediately started discussing business. Yu Yeon-seo was more involved in the company’s affairs than the public thought.
“Another meeting?”
“He’s working diligently.”
-Oh what, I thought they just gave him a position because he’s royalty but he’s a real director
-He does more than I thought
-I just thought he received stocks
-Isn’t this just for show since it’s on TV? He’s probably putting on an act lol
-But I heard the Juseong family’s policy is something like ‘he who does not work, neither shall he eat’?
-Wow this is crazy, to think I’d see Director Yu Yeon-seo on TV ㅠㅠㅠ
On screen, Yu Yeon-seo flipped through a tablet and documents with the same posture and expression he had when receiving reports from Im Seung-hyeon at home.
(Then we’ll proceed that way.)
(Oh, and what happened with the script that came in?)
(That is…)
Lee Tae-gyeom, who had been staring at his phone, interjected.
(Just a moment, it’s time.)
(Really? Secretary Cha, send that to me.)
(Understood.)
Secretary Cha withdrew, and Yu Yeon-seo and Lee Tae-gyeom also left the company, heading to the studio for a photoshoot.
“He’s finally going to his schedule.”
“Is it time for celebrity Yeon-seo now?”
Arriving at the set, Yu Yeon-seo listened to the concept for the shoot and had his hair and makeup done. The concept was ‘Flowers and a Man, the Boundary Between a Boy and a Man,‘ a rather abstruse theme.
“Wow…”
The props were flowers, and even without specific instructions from the photographer, Yu Yeon-seo switched the flowers around in his hands or crushed them, staring intensely at the camera.
The production team of ‘24 Hours with a Manager’ seemed to have studied how to make Yu Yeon-seo look even more handsome, meticulously filming his face. The panelists’ exclamations of admiration were endless, almost to the point of being tiresome.
Meanwhile, Lee Tae-gyeom was in a corner of the set, staring intently at Yu Yeon-seo’s face.
“Tae-gyeom, you’re constantly watching Yeon-seo?”
“Aren’t you working too hard?”
Lee Tae-gyeom gave an awkward laugh. At that time, Im Seung-hyeon wasn’t there, so he had to be extra sensitive in checking Yu Yeon-seo’s health.
As the photoshoot was wrapping up, Lee Tae-gyeom handed Yu Yeon-seo some water.
(Is that it for today’s schedule?)
(Yeah, is there anywhere else we need to stop?)
(No. Let’s go home.)
After dropping Yu Yeon-seo off at home, Lee Tae-gyeom immediately headed somewhere else.
(Q. Your celebrity’s schedule is over, but you’re not going home?)
(A. I’ve been learning the ropes at the agency lately.)
After Lee Tae-gyeom waited for a moment, Manager Park came out of the agency building.
(Oh? Tae-gyeom. What are you doing here?)
It was so obvious to Yu Yeon-seo that he was pretending not to know, even though he must have already received a message.
(You’re heading to a meeting, right?)
(Yeah, it’s the ‘Snake’ meeting. You want to come along?)
(Yes.)
(You’re so diligent. Yeon-seo should really appreciate this…)
“What do you think of that comment?”
“Well, I’m well aware of it.”
“And you, Tae-gyeom?”
“He knows too. My salary is proof of that.”
“What? Haha!”
Lee Tae-gyeom’s relaxed joke made everyone in the studio laugh.
“What are you watching? Ah, this. I saw it too.”
“You too, hyung?”
“They play it nonstop. How could I not see it?”
Yu Yeon-seo chuckled at Baek Seo-jun’s disgusted expression. The show’s name was ‘24 Hours with a Manager,‘ but the star wasn’t the manager; it was Yu Yeon-seo. Lee Tae-gyeom seemed relieved that the attention wasn’t on him.
‘Snake’ had also secured a solid viewer base, so its ratings didn’t drop. Moreover, with ‘24 Hours with a Manager’ achieving record-high ratings, rumors spread that Yu Yeon-seo was a guaranteed ratings-puller, whether in dramas or variety shows.
“Hello, hyungs.”
“You’re here?”
Im Seung-hyeon and Lee Tae-gyeom opened the front door and came in, having apparently run into each other outside. Yu Yeon-seo turned off the TV, which was still showing his face. Once Yu Eun-ho also took a seat, Baek Seo-jun cleared his throat and began his explanation.
“Anyway, the person left on the call records. Park Gyeong-won.”
Yu Yeon-seo furrowed his brow as he looked at the photo Baek Seo-jun held out. He hadn’t recognized him before, but as the synchronization continued, the face had become familiar. Park Gyeong-won was one of the men he had called ‘uncle’ and followed around fondly.
“Looks like you remember him now. Anything special come to mind?”
“…I don’t know.”
Yu Yeon-seo felt a hollowness in his heart. Is this what betrayal feels like?
Observing his younger brother’s reaction, Yu Eun-ho looked at Baek Seo-jun and changed the subject.
“This person also suddenly quit that day.”
“Suspicious, right? And Eun-ho, I used the person you assigned to trace Park Gyeong-won’s bank account.”
“And the result?”
“Well, it’s obvious.”
Baek Seo-jun scowled and tossed a document onto the table. A section of Park Gyeong-won’s account statement was highlighted. It showed traces of several deposits of an amount Park Gyeong-won could never earn in a lifetime.
“The sender was obviously using a shell account, right?”
“Right. It was untraceable. But there’s another problem.”
“What is it?”
Everyone sitting on the sofa looked at Baek Seo-jun.
“We’ve roughly figured out his whereabouts, but we can’t catch him now, right? Where would we even lock him up?”
If they catch him now and try to get him to confess who his accomplice is, it will get complicated if the ‘mastermind’ finds out. The ‘mastermind’ could cut their losses, and various other variables could come into play. Besides, this is someone who erased police records. Would they be unable to eliminate a single suspect in custody?
Have I been watching too many dramas?
Baek Seo-jun found himself ridiculous for thinking that, but with Juseong, it was possible. They already had a history of killing their daughter-in-law, so…
“Don’t worry about that.”
“Yeon-seo, do you have something in mind?”
Actually, I have something prepared for a time like this… Yu Yeon-seo started to speak but stopped. Instead, his eyes widened as he stared into empty space.
“Yeon-seo.”
“…”
“Yeon-seo?”
Yu Eun-ho gently shook his shoulder, but Yu Yeon-seo didn’t move.
<Final message to the Time Travel Management Server has been interpreted. Would you like to confirm?>
Final message? Yu Yeon-seo was hesitant, but he gave a small nod. That’s what’s been giving me nightmares. I need to find out right now what took so long.
<The Time Travel Management Server has confirmed that ‘Yu Yeon-seo’ of the year 2022 is replicating a portion of the technology from the year 2207 under the influence of the soul.>
Kang Jin-hu was an artificially born, modified human. Drastic physical abilities and a superior intellect. Those were traits completely absent in humans of the year 2022.
‘Don’t tell me this is all because of that?’
It’s not like I did it on purpose, so what am I supposed to do? Yu Yeon-seo felt wronged.
<Therefore, it has been determined that your very existence is causing problems in the timeline, and your time travel authority will be revoked.>
What?
<…was the intention, but after coordination with the Time Travel Management Server, a different solution has been found.>
Beta inserted the record of that time into Yu Yeon-seo’s mind.
T: Final conclusion, revoke ‘Kang Jin-hu’s’ time travel authority. Replace the time travel authority by retrieving the soul and initiating the reincarnation process.
B9: Denied. ‘Kang Jin-hu’s’ contributions far exceed the conditions for time travel. Revoking his reward is out of the question.
T: This server understands his contributions. However, we cannot stand by and watch as future technology is wielded in the past.
B9: However, we were unable to confirm that the soul affects the physical body. My master is still receiving a reward that is insufficient for his contributions. Another solution must be provided.
Beta… so you’re not just a tin can after all. Is that why the interpretation took so long? Yu Yeon-seo sighed in relief.
<If the soul is affecting the physical body, it has been concluded that the problematic soul should be replaced.>
Uh… something feels ominous.
<Firmware update received from the Time Travel Server.>
<Commencing soul adjustment. This may sting a little.>
What? Hey, wait….
“…Huh?”
Yu Yeon-seo felt blood dripping onto his lap and his mouth fell open in a daze. Ah, no way. He quickly covered his mouth. But even covering it couldn’t stop the blood from overflowing.
“Ugh…”
“Yeon-seo!”
Ah, this can’t be happening.