Chapter 180
Chapter 180
Charity Event
“Well, look who it is. All familiar faces.”
“It’s been a while.”
Jin Su-ho approached Park Seung-hwan and gave him a brief hug. It wasn’t just Yu Yeon-seo; other famous Korean actors were also attending the charity event in LA.
“Uncle!”
“You’ve gotten a bit older, haven’t you?”
Lee Yun-jeong and Shin Ye-won also greeted Park Seung-hwan warmly. They had run into each other on different projects before.
“What’s everyone doing here?”
“It’s just nice to see you here. We don’t really know anyone else…”
Some people recognized them and took pictures, but it was nothing compared to the top Hollywood star over there drawing a crowd.
“Seeing that makes me want to break into Hollywood too.”
“So you can fail spectacularly again?”
“Niece, it’s been a while, and that’s the first thing you say? That hurts.”
“Anyway, congratulations on your film festival award.”
Park Seung-hwan had a dark past of appearing in a supporting role in a Hollywood movie that ended up being a box office disaster. Jin Su-ho and Shin Ye-won laughed at the exchange between Lee Yun-jeong and Park Seung-hwan.
“But Filicide did well, didn’t it? Congratulations.”
“That was a relief, at least.”
He was an actor who had achieved the “triple ten million” viewer milestone, but he had often been criticized for only caring about commercial success based on those three films. Thanks to Filicide, however, he was being re-evaluated, with people saying they finally saw his true acting prowess.
“But Uncle, haven’t you done a lot of art-house films too?”
“People only pay attention to the famous ones… On that note, Su-ho, why don’t you try to break in here?”
“Me? Come on, it’s obvious they wouldn’t give me a good role.”
Jin Su-ho shrugged. It was true that the success of K-pop idols and the global popularity of exclusive OTT platform content had lowered the barrier, but breaking into Hollywood was still not that easy. Prejudices and stereotypes against Asians still lingered.
“Huh? Isn’t that Director Cheon over there?”
“It is…”
The man they spotted was Director Cheon Seong-min, holding a champagne flute and conversing with people. His nickname, ‘The Emperor of Cannes,’ was recognized even here.
“Director Cheon’s class is on another level.”
“Oh, he saw us. Director!”
Seeing familiar faces, Director Cheon smiled brightly and approached them.
“It’s been a while. Good to see you all here.”
“We were just talking about that.”
They had greeted each other coming and going at various film festivals and investor gatherings, so it wasn’t awkward.
“How about we go to a Korean restaurant after the event? American food doesn’t agree with me.”
“Wow, me too. I’ve been craving Korean food.”
“By the way, what about Yeon-seo? Is he here yet?”
As Park Seung-hwan finished his sentence, a stir went through the venue as three people entered. It was Choi Yu-jin, Park Geum-ju, and Yu Yeon-seo.
“There he is.”
“Speak of the devil…”
Many Hollywood actors and models were scattered about, but the well-dressed Yu Yeon-seo stood out even from a distance. He could feel the people nearby murmuring.
“Let’s talk about that later.”
“…Yes.”
Park Geum-ju smiled as she saw a man recognize her and approach with open arms.
“Director Park! It’s been a long time.”
“Mr. Mayor, it’s a pleasure.”
“Why have you only just arrived? I’ve been wanting to see you.”
“Perhaps it’s old age, but my body isn’t what it used to be. And… I have someone to introduce.”
Yu Yeon-seo, who had been listening quietly beside her, took a step forward. He had wanted to just stick to the wall quietly because of his physical condition, but seeing the gazes turning to him, it seemed that ship had sailed.
“Oh? And who is this handsome young man?”
“Hello, my name is Yu Yeon-seo.”
Feeling a warmth on his back, Yu Yeon-seo smiled and offered a handshake. He could hear a nearby photographer rapidly clicking their shutter.
“Ah! You must be the grandson Director Park was talking so much about. The one who’s an actor…”
“What did she say? She wasn’t badmouthing me, was she?”
“Haha! You have a good sense of humor.”
The mayor of LA reeled off the things he had heard from Park Geum-ju: ‘My grandson is handsome and a great actor. He has a knack for investment and is fluent in languages.’ Park Geum-ju gave an awkward laugh, looking like she wanted to escape the situation as quickly as possible.
Yu Yeon-seo stared at his grandmother with a peculiar expression. Just like his grandfather… they say couples grow to resemble each other, and they were identical in how they looked out for him behind his back while pretending to be indifferent to his face.
“You said all that?”
“Don’t try to confirm every little thing.”
Thanks to that, the atmosphere between the two of them softened considerably. His grandmother’s words, about not wanting to make any more mistakes and indirectly supporting him, were sincere.
‘How far will Grandmother help me?’
Thirsty for clues about the ‘mastermind,’ Yu Yeon-seo decided to put aside his past grievances for now. The urgent priorities were to catch the culprit to resolve his body’s lingering resentment and to complete the soul adjustment to adapt to this world.
“Director Park!”
“He’s a Republican congressman. A strong presidential candidate, too.”
The people greeting Park Geum-ju were all big shots, so it was good for him to make an impression. After greeting so many people, Yu Yeon-seo slipped away for a moment and stood in a quiet corner.
‘Ah, I’m exhausted.’
So many people recognized him. On top of that, everyone he greeted reacted with some version of, ‘The super-talented grandson?’ It was enough to give him goosebumps.
Park Geum-ju, seemingly tireless, continued to exchange long conversations with those who greeted her.
“Are you done?”
“I think so. My face is about to cramp up.”
“Stop exaggerating.”
Choi Yu-jin, who had entered earlier, handed him a glass of champagne. Yu Yeon-seo was gulping it down when he felt a warmth on his wrist and tilted his head.
“Mother, what’s with the hand?”
“There are still a lot of people to greet.”
Did she grab me just in case I tried to run away? He sighed in resignation.
“…It will end today, right?”
“Well, I can’t promise that. A lot of people want to see you.”
“How much did you brag about me?”
“Quite a bit.”
Choi Yu-jin smiled playfully, took Yu Yeon-seo by the wrist, and led the way. As he was dragged along, he spotted some familiar faces and gave a small wave.
‘Later.’
Then, he stood beside Choi Yu-jin and conversed with a famous Hollywood producer. The other actors, observing from a distance, just laughed heartily as if they were used to it by now.
“…He looks busy, doesn’t he?”
“He does, right? Gasp, isn’t that Emma Rose?”
“I’m not even surprised anymore…”
Watching him get his picture taken with top Hollywood stars through the producer, Park Seung-hwan and the other actors were amazed. They knew Yu Yeon-seo was always surrounded by people, but they hadn’t expected it to be like this here, too.
“Should we head out first?”
“Let’s text him the restaurant address, just to be polite.”
After they left the venue, Yu Yeon-seo grew quite accustomed to being led around by Choi Yu-jin to greet people.
“You’ll be inaugurated as Chairman soon, right? Congratulations.”
“This must be your son?”
“Oh! I’ve seen his drama!”
When he had been briefly out of the hospital, he was surrounded by bodyguards, and here, perhaps because of his grandmother’s and mother’s influence, no one showed any racial prejudice. Yu Yeon-seo maintained a smile while accepting their greetings, his mind elsewhere.
‘It’s definitely not Mother…’
From what he found out through Park Jeong-ho, Choi Yu-jin was indeed Lee Hui-seo’s best friend, but it was revealed that she couldn’t easily come and go from the mansion. At the time, there were no links to the ‘tail,’ and her family background was clean.
‘It seems Grandmother doesn’t know the full details yet either…’
That means it could be my aunt or uncle. How will Grandmother react?
As Yu Yeon-seo, momentarily separated from Choi Yu-jin, was looking for a chance to slip away quietly, someone called out to him loudly.
“Boss! We finally meet!”
Who is this? As Yu Yeon-seo hesitated, Im Seung-hyeon, who had appeared behind him, whispered quietly.
“Young Master, it’s Patrick Jones. From LV Productions.”
“Ah…”
Right. I had forgotten for a moment, but I had invested a lot of money in this industry too. LV Productions was a famous production company in the US right now, having released three consecutive hit films and discovered two rising stars in their twenties.
He was the owner, and Patrick Jones was the one in charge of management.
“I should have greeted you sooner. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
It seemed he had been watching from the sidelines because of Choi Yu-jin and Park Geum-ju and had only now found the chance to approach. Perhaps it was because the people flocking to his grandmother and mother were all such big names…
“Riley! This is the man I was telling you about.”
“Hello.”
In this circle too, the relationship with investors was considered important, and the way people looked at Yu Yeon-seo changed. Before, he was seen as a young master who was acting as a hobby, relying on his family background. Now, they saw him as a respectable investor and businessman.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time.”
“Please, speak comfortably.”
Patrick Jones had brought a blonde woman with him. Her name is Riley? She looked familiar… where had he seen her? Reading his expression, Patrick grinned.
“She’s the lead in our new movie.”
“Ah, I see. I’m glad to have such a competent manager. You do so well even without me…”
The truth was, he hadn’t properly read the investment reports because he’d been sick. It was a relief that Im Seung-hyeon had whispered the key information to him.
“It wouldn’t have been possible without your money, Boss. I hear you’re doing well as an actor in Korea… would you consider appearing in one of our productions here?”
“If the script is good.”
“Oh, you won’t make it easy, I see.”
Starting with Patrick Jones, people from production and investment companies he had a stake in came to make their presence known. Even without Park Geum-ju and Choi Yu-jin, he wouldn’t have been able to get away easily.
‘It might be fun to cultivate talent here.’
Yu Yeon-seo narrowed his eyes at Riley, whose gaze he had been catching for a while. No wonder she looked familiar; he remembered seeing her in the ‘future’s’ video archive.
In other words… that woman would soon star in a major film franchise and become world-famous.
“Ugh…”
“Young Master?”
Thinking about the ‘future’ brought on a sudden headache, as if his head had been struck with a hammer. Why is this happening all of a sudden? It never happened before.
“Are you okay?”
Riley, who was nearby, grabbed his arm. Immediately, the sound of camera shutters filled the air. Ah, this is going to end up in an article linking us together.
“I’m not feeling well. I’ll be taking my leave now.”
Yu Yeon-seo’s expression, which had been smiling and conversational just moments before, was now rigid. He ignored the people trying to stop him and exited the venue.
“What was that all of a sudden?”
“I heard he was so sick he had to be hospitalized.”
“Oh… I was looking forward to talking with him. What a shame.”
The people left behind watched his retreating back with looks of disappointment.
“Young Master, should we go to the hospital?”
“No, it’s fine. Let’s go to the hotel.”
Yu Yeon-seo pressed his temples, trying to soothe the throbbing pain. Im Seung-hyeon was watching him through the rearview mirror, but he didn’t seem to notice.
‘Is this also an effect of the soul adjustment?’
My body’s become trash. How annoying. Yu Yeon-seo closed his eyes.
Yu Yeon-seo, the New Playboy… ‘Snaps’ with Beautiful Actresses at US Charity Event
└What’s with that headline?
└The state of journalism smh
[Photo] Yu Yeon-seo’s Insane Social Skills with Hollywood Stars
Yu Yeon-seo Becomes the Man of the Hour at ‘US Charity Event’
What Happened with Yu Yeon-seo at the US Charity Event? World ★s’ Social Media Posts Go Viral
└Wow his styling is insane
└└His face itself is insane
└Wow a two-shot with Emma Rose, that’s crazyㄷㄷ
└My internal universes are colliding lol
└Who’s that blonde girl? Why are there so many articles linking them?
-What does Yu Yeon-seo even lack
He has the face, the wealth, the influence, everything ㅠㅠ
└Me
└He doesn’t have me
└└What glory was I hoping to achieve by writing this comment..