Chapter 181
Chapter 181
Isn’t This Welcome Party a Bit Much?
‘How strange...’
But Yu Yeon-seo walked into the house as naturally as if he could see everything even with his eyes closed. Im Seung-hyeon awkwardly lowered the hand he had extended.
“Should I get you some medicine for your headache?”
“No, it’s fine.”
The place they arrived at after leaving the charity event was a luxury house on the outskirts of the city. It belonged to Choi Yu-jin, and according to Cha Yun-ho, it was the most expensive house in the area... Not that it was surprising anymore.
He was curious just how many houses his family owned. Choi Yu-jin, misinterpreting his interest, had asked, ‘Do you want this house? I can give it to you,’ as if offering to buy a cheap toy at the supermarket.
“Yes, hello.”
(I heard you left the event. Didn’t you see my message?)
Lying on the sofa, Yu Yeon-seo, who had answered the call without much thought, finally looked at the screen. The caller was Jin Su-ho.
“How did you know?”
(A video popped up on social media. People were shouting your name at the car.)
No wonder it had been so noisy. Even across the ocean, quite a few people recognized him. Maybe he should have opened the window and waved. Yu Yeon-seo let out a deflated laugh.
“So, why did you call?”
(We’re having an after-party. You should come too.)
“I’m not going.”
(There are a lot of people who want to see you. It’s been a while for Yoon-jeong noona, and Director Cheon is here too...)
He’d already seen who was there. It wasn’t like he’d never see them again, and what difference did it make that they were in the US?
Yu Yeon-seo waved a hand at Im Seung-hyeon, who was waiting nearby. Im Seung-hyeon hesitated for a moment, then returned to his room. His overprotectiveness had increased, likely on his brother’s orders.
(Why? Is something wr... What? You want me to ask if he’s not happy to see us?)
(Yeah! It’s been a while, you’re not even going to see your noona’s face?)
(Yeon-seo, help me! I’m going to get killed by Yoon-jeong at this rate!)
“Sounds like you’ve had a bit to drink.”
He could hear someone chattering instructions next to Jin Su-ho. It seemed they wanted to force him to attend. This is why being popular was so tiring...
“I can’t. I’m not feeling well. We can meet tomorrow if possible.”
(Right. How are you feeling? It’s not like that time, is it?)
“Well... something like that.”
Jin Su-ho was one of the few people who had witnessed him coughing up blood, so hiding it would only make him take it more seriously.
Besides, he needed someone who would react normally, unlike the overprotective people around him.
(What did the hospital say?)
“They said there’s nothing wrong. You’d think they’d believe it, but they still can’t let it go, talking about going to Minnesota this time...”
(If they see that and say there’s nothing wrong, of course you should change hospitals. Or doctors.)
“Have you ever met my grandfather?”
How could his reaction be exactly the same as his grandfather’s? Jin Su-ho laughed. Then, the sounds around him grew quiet. He must have stepped outside.
“Still, your advice was helpful.”
(What was?)
“About opening up.”
He wasn’t talking about his illness, but in any case, he had been honest with Park Geum-ju and received a promise of help. That alone was a huge achievement.
Yu Yeon-seo sighed, seeing Im Seung-hyeon standing in the hallway. When their eyes met, Im Seung-hyeon bowed his head and went into his room, closing the door.
“...It’s annoying how overprotective they are.”
(But it doesn’t feel bad, does it? When else would you get to be worried over like that?)
That was true. Yu Yeon-seo had been the family’s black sheep, a troublesome burden. He’d been told ‘please don’t cause trouble’ before, but it had been a long time since he’d received such pure concern.
It was the same in his past life. People treated Kang Jin-hu like a disposable part and sent him to his death, and everyone who would have worried about him was already dead.
As he naturally thought of the future, another jolt shot through his head. Why is this happening? It wasn’t like this before.
(Don’t try to push them away too much. It’s all because they care about you.)
Jin Su-ho, with his high empathy, was very good at saying such embarrassing things. Yu Yeon-seo suppressed a cough and focused on the sound of a car outside.
“I’ll call you later.”
(Okay. Let’s meet tomorrow if we can.)
“Yeah.”
After ending the call, Yu Yeon-seo came face to face with Park Geum-ju, who had just come in. The atmosphere instantly became awkward.
“You’re here?”
“Yes, I was looking for you, but you were gone.”
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t feeling well.”
Seeing her grandson frowning and pressing his temples, Park Geum-ju’s expression became complicated.
“Where’s Mother?”
“Yu-jin will probably be late. You know how much she loves parties. She’s so sociable...”
Park Geum-ju didn’t seem to disapprove. A mother-in-law calling her daughter-in-law a party animal... What a peculiar relationship.
“Then... if you’re not feeling well, should we talk later?”
“No, it’s fine.”
The awkward grandmother and grandson sat down on the sofa together. Yu Yeon-seo endured his headache and waited for Park Geum-ju to speak.
“How did you come to investigate that incident?”
“Didn’t Secretary Park tell you?”
“I wanted to hear it from you, so I didn’t look into the details.”
Where should he start...? The hesitation was brief. He needed unconditional cooperation, which meant he needed to gain Park Geum-ju’s sympathy.
“You remember when I went to the emergency room two years ago.”
“Yes.”
“I remembered everything then.”
Yu Yeon-seo continued speaking calmly, as if telling someone else’s story.
As she listened to her grandson’s story, Park Geum-ju’s hand began to tremble slightly. So that’s why he came to Gyeongju and said those things.
“What can I do for you?”
“No, just a moment.”
Having heard the whole story, Park Geum-ju looked at him with a resolute gaze.
“You don’t know, Grandmother.”
“Yes, it’s natural that you don’t trust me.”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you. I’m saying... the culprit could be someone unexpected.”
Perhaps the ‘mastermind’ was his two aunts. If she found out her own children were involved, how would Park Geum-ju react? Wouldn’t she try to hide it?
What Yu Yeon-seo and Yu Eun-ho wanted was to reveal the culprit’s existence to the world and make them pay for their crimes.
“I know what you’re worried about. But... I’m also one of the people who wants to know the truth of that day.”
“...”
“If a crime was committed, punishment must follow.”
Yu Yeon-seo stared blankly, taking in his grandmother’s changed demeanor. Park Geum-ju was convinced her children were not the culprits. If so, the remaining suspect was obvious.
“To dare cause such a disturbance in my house...”
They say a married couple grows to resemble each other... Could it be that his grandfather was influenced by his grandmother?
He spoke up to change the mood.
“I have a question. Back then, didn’t Grandfather suggest that Mom start a business?”
“He did.”
“Why did he do that?”
“Your mother had a good sense for it. The advice she gave your aunts on their businesses was remarkable. And your mother didn’t seem opposed to the idea.”
Having become the daughter-in-law of a conglomerate family, it seemed unlikely she could continue her career in entertainment, and just then, Chairman Yu had offered his generous support if she could convince him.
He didn’t intend to give her everything just because she was his favorite daughter-in-law. Choi Yu-jin had only been able to secure his grandfather’s support after a grueling presentation.
“What kind of business was Mom planning?”
“I don’t know that. Hui-seo kept the business proposal a secret even from me. But your grandfather seemed to like it after hearing just a rough outline.”
A business that took so long to convince even Choi Yu-jin, approved at once? And a business proposal... Something smells fishy. And the diary that must be somewhere in the mansion.
“I’ll have to stop by Pyeongchang-dong as soon as I return to Korea.”
“Young Master, we’re about to arrive.”
Yu Yeon-seo opened his eyes at Im Seung-hyeon’s whisper. He was on his way back to Korea after finishing a long schedule in the United States.
‘First, I’ll stay at Grandfather’s house for a while and look for the diary.’
He wasn’t sure if his body would be up for it... and besides, the thought of peeking into a deceased person’s diary bothered him. But it couldn’t be helped.
Following Park Geum-ju and Choi Yu-jin off the private jet, Yu Yeon-seo spotted a manager hurrying towards them from a distance.
“Good day. Did you have a comfortable flight?”
“What’s going on?”
Park Geum-ju asked quietly, noticing the manager’s tense demeanor. He glanced around nervously and swallowed hard. Despite his job dealing with the so-called ‘royal family,‘ he couldn’t help but be nervous. Juseong was the royalty of royalty.
“Actually, there is something I must ask for your understanding on first.”
“What is it?”
“The private entrance is under construction, so you will have to use the passage for regular travelers. Will that be alright?”
“If it’s not alright, will the exit under construction magically appear? Do as you see fit.”
At Park Geum-ju’s permission, the man showed an excessive sense of relief. Yu Yeon-seo sensed something was off.
“...What is this?”
That man, he seems to be lying. He followed the manager toward the exit with suspicious eyes, then paused.
“What’s wrong?”
“It looks like there are quite a lot of people outside.”
“Really? That can’t be...”
It was a private jet, so there was no way the flight information could have been leaked. Besides, they had a private entrance, so there was no reason for a crowd to gather.
Did someone leak it intentionally? Yu Yeon-seo frowned as he saw bodyguards surrounding them right on cue.
“What is this?”
“We are truly sorry. We have no choice but to follow orders...”
So who gave the orders? As Yu Yeon-seo passed through the exit gate, screams erupted from all around.
“Aaaah!”
“What in the...”
The people in the front row were waving slogans with Yu Yeon-seo’s picture printed on them, trying to get his attention.
Among the attendants who came to greet them was his father. Wow, he couldn’t have imagined this level of fanfare.
“Son!”
“Haaah...”
Seeing Yu Geon-min greeting him with a bright smile, he heard Park Geum-ju sigh, ‘That nuisance...’
“Honey, what is all this?”
“What do you mean? It’s a welcome party.”
Choi Yu-jin just laughed as if to say he was hopeless, but she didn’t scold him. They really were two peas in a pod. Only Park Geum-ju and Yu Yeon-seo were sighing heavily.
“Oppa!”
“Yu Yeon-seo is so handsome!”
“Look over here, please!”
Yu Yeon-seo put on his celebrity smile and waved to the people around him calling his name. He posed for pictures and took selfies with them. Yu Geon-min watched his son with a pleased expression.
“Dad. Isn’t this welcome party a bit much?”
He must have leaked his arrival time to the press and posted on the fan club site. He’d heard from Lee Tae-gyeom that Yu Geon-min was such a prominent member of Yu Yeon-seo’s fan club that he was practically an admin...
“Isn’t it fun? Let me see... you’ve gotten so thin.”
“My weight is the same.”
“My poor son, you must be sick.”
Yu Geon-min ignored him and turned Yu Yeon-seo this way and that, examining his son.
To think that child is my son. Park Geum-ju placed a hand on her forehead and frowned.
“You just wait until we get home.”
“Huh? Mom, wasn’t it fun?”
“Call me Director.”
Yu Geon-min fretted as he followed Park Geum-ju, who was leading the way, while Choi Yu-jin and Yu Yeon-seo let out small laughs.
[Photo] Yu Yeon-seo, Who ‘Swept US Film Festivals,‘ Returns to Korea
[Issue] The Juseong Family Departs the Airport... Smiles on Their Faces
...The surprise welcome party at the airport was reportedly orchestrated by Yu Geon-min, Vice Chairman of Juseong Group.
└As expected of Father-in-law ♥
└Look at Park Geum-ju facepalming lol
└└Losing her mind
└We stan hard, but we can’t beat his father’s stanning.
└Thanks to his dad, I got a selfie with him at the airport.
└I was wondering where Yu Yeon-seo got his attention-seeking skills from, turns out it was Yu Geon-min lol