Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Fragments of Memory
How could he have lived so recklessly?
“What a mess.”
Yu Yeon-seo pressed his throbbing temples.
Even without the basic 2018 knowledge implanted in Kang Jin-hu, wouldn’t any sensible person avoid causing such a scene? Hell, even in 2207, you’d get torn to shreds for acting like this in public.
‘I really want to crack open the real Yu Yeon-seo’s head.’
Why did he live so recklessly? Because he was a chaebol? Of course, for the Juseong Group of this era, it didn’t really matter. It was already an open secret that the successor was Yu Geon-min, and after him, Yu Eun-ho. So, he didn’t need to worry about being an owner risk.
[SNS☆] Yu Yeon-seo, ‘Click’ in front of a luxury sedan... “Not my second car, but my fifth.”
Yu Yeon-seo’s home interior, revealed on SNS, becomes a hot topic... The sofa alone is worth a whopping 50 million won.
In fact, every time Yu Yeon-seo spewed his venom like this, people would curse him out, yet everything associated with him—the clothes he wore, his cologne, his furniture—would sell like hotcakes. It must be the psychology of people wanting to imitate the life of a wealthy chaebol.
According to an expert in an article he looked up, since he was the most active on SNS from Juseong, one of South Korea’s leading corporations that could compete globally, and was therefore familiar to the public, people had a psychological need to worship him like an idol while also tearing him to shreds...
I mean, even his non-celebrity brother had fansite masters, so the attention poured on Yu Yeon-seo probably wasn’t just because of his image as a terrible actor.
Wait, now that I think about it...
“Having a bad image isn’t necessarily just a curse, is it?”
Whether positive or negative, was there any other ‘star’ with this much influence? In all of South Korea?
Beta-9 had implanted not only basic 2018 knowledge but also the general knowledge of a typical 26-year-old man living in this country. While not detailed, he knew enough about the entertainment industry to recognize the top stars and understand their popularity.
But no matter what they did, it wouldn’t be as sensational as the posts Yu Yeon-seo uploaded to SNS.
“As for acting... I just have to be good at it.”
If you’re good and then become bad, you get hammered, but if you’re bad and then become good, you get re-evaluated with a ‘Hey, you actually tried!’
Truthfully, Kang Jin-hu had come to the past with the sole desire to become an actor, so he wasn’t yet confident in his acting. But with Yu Yeon-seo’s wealth, he could hire a decent acting coach.
“Good. Not bad.”
Yu Yeon-seo smiled faintly. But there was another hurdle.
From what he’d gathered by looking at posts and videos on various online communities, Kang Jin-hu and Yu Yeon-seo had somewhat different personalities. And now, he had to live in Yu Yeon-seo’s body until he died.
“I’m confident in being reckless, but...”
Having to act out a person’s entire 26 years of life... he had zero confidence in that. To settle in as Yu Yeon-seo, he needed enough information to fool his family...
“Beta.”
<Yes, Master.>
“Is there a way for me to receive Yu Yeon-seo’s memories, just like how you implanted the basic information from 2018?”
<The real Yu Yeon-seo’s memories have been collected and are in my storage. Would you like to execute automatic memory synchronization?>
Yu Yeon-seo quickly raised a hand.
“Wait, how much will that affect my body?”
<If you were to synchronize all the memories, your organs and brain would shrivel, and you would spew blood from every orifice while experiencing immense pain...>
“Stop, you don’t have to be so detailed. I get it.”
He could die just from downloading memories? No way. Besides, the medical staff and attendants were already making a huge fuss because he had collapsed after vomiting blood yesterday.
His brother, Yu Eun-ho, had called the moment he regained consciousness. At this rate, he’d be locked up by his family before he could even begin the acting career he’d dreamed of.
“Is there a way to receive the memories without putting a strain on my body?”
<...In that case, would you like to experimentally synchronize about 1% of randomly edited memories?>
“What happens if I receive that?”
<You might lose consciousness. Hmm... It will be similar to yesterday.>
Yesterday? Vomiting blood and collapsing? That sounded manageable... They’d probably just think it was a side effect of the car accident.
No, if he got caught, he might be confined to a hospital, not just by his family. Yu Yeon-seo glanced at the clock. Eleven p.m. Perfect. After firmly telling the people waiting outside that he was going to sleep and not to wake him, he sat on the bed.
“Am I going to die young if I keep vomiting blood like this?”
<Do not worry about that. It is only a temporary side effect of the memory synchronization and will not have any adverse effects on your body, Master.>
True, his recovery had been fast for someone who’d vomited blood. That was a relief. Yu Yeon-seo held a wad of tissues to his mouth and nodded.
<Initiating random memory synchronization.>
As Beta-9 finished speaking, his vision went black.
[So, you’re quitting?]
[Yeah! I can’t take this crap anymore!]
[Hey! Where are you going! You have to at least drive me home!]
Intense from the very start.
The manager, having abandoned Yu Yeon-seo on the street, opened the driver’s door and got in the car. But he couldn’t drive off. Yu Yeon-seo was holding the door, preventing him.
The manager got out of the car again and moved threateningly close to Yu Yeon-seo. But Yu Yeon-seo didn’t even blink.
[Hey, let me give you some advice as someone your age.]
[What? Are you in any position to give me advice?]
[You keep living like an asshole, and you’re going to get stabbed somewhere.]
The manager’s eyes widened as he pointed his index finger at Yu Yeon-seo. Faced with the blatant gesture, Yu Yeon-seo shot back without missing a beat.
[If I get stabbed, you think the bastard who did it will get away unscathed? And living like an asshole? Do you think Juseong, my family, is a training camp for sons of bitches?]
[Ha! You really look down on people till the very end. When the only thing you have to show for yourself is your precious Juseong Group bloodline...]
[That’s not something you, who wasn’t even born with that bloodline, should be saying. How much do you make as a road manager? Do you even get a million won? You fucking beggar, can you even live on that?]
As Yu Yeon-seo sneered, the manager’s face turned beet red, and he swallowed his rage. He took a deep breath, then lowered his voice.
[Listen up. You might think you get lead roles and a steady stream of work because you’re talented, but that’s not it. Don’t delude yourself.]
[What?]
[Your mother, Vice Chairman Choi, and your grandfather, Chairman Yu! You don’t know that whenever you’re cast in something, they pour in investments and sponsorships to back you up, do you? People cast you because they see what’s behind you. Got it?]
Yu Yeon-seo blinked as if he didn’t understand. His mother? Why? And his grandfather was even less likely to do something like that.
Whenever they were forced to see each other at family gatherings, his grandfather would yell at him to quit that damned celebrity business, and Yu Yeon-seo would fly off the handle and talk back. That’s why family gatherings always devolved into a chaotic fight between Yu Yeon-seo and Chairman Yu Chang-ho.
And Yu Yeon-seo was the type of person who believed he was cast in projects and had a constant flow of work because he was great, talented, and capable. So he thought the manager was just making things up now to screw with him.
[They invested all that, and you’re the result. You, with your terrible acting, getting overshadowed even by the supporting cast.]
[Ha...!]
[Don’t treat people like crap when you have no talent. It’s pathetic. Just go drink like the other third-generation chaebols, huh? Live your life showing off that great wealth of yours. Stop messing around trying to be an actor when you’re not cut out for it.]
[Hey! This car, this car belongs to our company!]
[I’ll return it myself, so mind your own damn business!]
Shaking off Yu Yeon-seo’s hand and slamming the door, the manager immediately drove away. As if words weren’t enough, he rolled down the driver’s side window and gave the middle finger to Yu Yeon-seo behind him.
[What the?!]
Left standing there, Yu Yeon-seo let out a breath of disbelief and fury. He irritably pulled out his phone and pressed the screen.
[Hey, CEO Han. Come pick me up.]
(Don’t tell me... he quit again?)
[He didn’t just quit, he abandoned me on the street. CEO Han, you don’t screen your people properly, do you?]
(That’s because you act like a fucking lunatic... Haa, never mind.)
CEO Han Jun-o groaned. Yu Yeon-seo paid him no mind, glaring down the road where the manager had disappeared and grinding his teeth.
[How dare he ignore me?]
(You were the one ignoring him, not the other way around! How many times has this been? This is the twelfth time! There’s a limit to how often you can replace people!)
[Ah, whatever! Just come get me!]
(Haa... I’m going to die cleaning up after you. Where are you? I’ll send Manager Park, so please, just stay put and don’t cause any trouble.)
The fragment of memory ended there. For a few seconds, he floated in the blackness before moving on to another memory.
[Excuse me, Mr. Yu Yeon-seo!]
A woman called out loudly from the end of the hallway. Yu Yeon-seo, who had finished his schedule and was heading back to his car, turned around.
[Who are you?]
[I, I’m Jeong Da-hee, a drama writer.]
The woman who introduced herself as Jeong Da-hee was clutching a script to her chest.
[Jeong Da-hee? Never heard of you... What’s your most famous work?]
[W-well...]
She was a drama writer. She had a record of winning various contests and had received many offers to be an assistant to famous writers, but since none of her own works had been produced yet, she was practically still an aspiring writer.
When Jeong Da-hee hesitated, Yu Yeon-seo immediately caught on and clicked his tongue.
[Whatever, let’s just hear what you want.]
[Could, could you please take a look at this script?]
Jeong Da-hee offered the script to Yu Yeon-seo with trembling hands. Annoyed, Yu Yeon-seo scowled.
[Haa... Why are there so many people like this lately?]
Jeong Da-hee flinched. The truth was, she had heard through industry rumors that if Yu Yeon-seo agreed to a project, everything from production to scheduling would be a smooth ride. That’s why she had sought him out in desperation.
[Shouldn’t you be writing another line for your synopsis instead of doing this? I’m not interested in the script.]
But Yu Yeon-seo, fed up with such requests, didn’t even glance at the script and continued on his way. Left behind, Jeong Da-hee’s face fell.
And once again, his vision went black.
It seemed to be a childhood memory, as his point of view was unusually low. Outside, pink cherry blossoms fluttered, and a pleasant spring breeze wafted through the open door.
With a heart full of excitement, he took small steps. Young Yu Yeon-seo entered the room at the end of the hall to call for someone, but after scanning the interior, he let out a loud scream.
[Aaaah!]
His vision fizzled as if there were static on a camera. In the midst of his panic, Yu Yeon-seo managed to slam the door shut and even lock it.
[What’s wrong? Hey! Yu Yeon-seo!]
A youthful voice called to him from beyond the closed door. It was his older brother, Yu Eun-ho. He had come running at the sound of Yu Yeon-seo’s scream, but the locked door wouldn’t budge.
[Yeon-seo! Open the door!]
A white curtain fluttered in the spring breeze. No, it wasn’t a curtain.
[Hey! Yu Yeon-seo!]
[Young Master? What’s the matter?]
[Housekeeper, please give me the key to the door!]
From between the folds of the skirt he had mistaken for a curtain, someone’s legs appeared, hanging heavy. In mid-air.
Yu Yeon-seo slowly lifted his head. His vision fizzled again. It seemed the shock was so great that he couldn’t fully recall the memory.
[Yeon-seo, the housekeeper went to get the key, so open the door before I have to force it.]
[Don’t open it!]
[What?]
Yu Yeon-seo’s voice cracked with tears. Hearing the sobbing from behind the door, Yu Eun-ho pounded on it.
[Don’t look!]
[What do you mean, don’t look! Hey!]
Yu Yeon-seo gasped for breath as he stared at the person in the air. Through the static in his vision, he saw lifeless eyes...
[Hh, uh... uh...]
Gripped by panic, Yu Yeon-seo panted. Tears streamed from his eyes. After stammering for a long moment, he opened his mouth.
[...Mom.]
“Gasp...!”
<Danger to the body detected. Deactivating memory synchronization. Synchronization rate: 0.72%.>
His head felt like it was on fire, hot and throbbing. Mom? What was that about? Then who was the Vice Chairman Choi the manager had mentioned?
‘What is this now...’
Just when it seemed one problem was solved, another peeked its head out. But before he had a chance to think about it in detail, he suddenly coughed up blood and collapsed onto the bed.