Chapter 8
Chapter 8
We Can’t Let This Go On
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This couldn’t be allowed to continue.
The late Lee Hui-seo.
At seventeen, she debuted in a four-member idol group and shot to stardom overnight, becoming a hot topic for her looks alone. Word spread that “there’s a really beautiful girl in that group,” and immediately after their debut, they grew into the top idol group of their time, handling a packed schedule.
The group, which had been on a steady path to success, suddenly disbanded when their agency’s CEO fled in the middle of the night. After a two-year hiatus, Lee Hui-seo transitioned to acting.
Lee Hui-seo’s Grand Return
‘Twinkle’s’ Lee Hui-seo Returns to the Big Screen After Two Years
Lee Hui-seo’s comeback was featured prominently in the newspapers. Her acting debut, the film ‘A Happy Farewell,‘ was both a critical and commercial success, and she swept the Best New Actress awards at various film festivals and acting ceremonies.
In an era before the internet was widespread, Lee Hui-seo possessed a beauty and an untouchable aura so captivating that a single magazine photo could spark serious discussions about her international debut.
-Isn’t Lee Hui-seo gorgeous?
-Totally stunning. Honestly, I doubt we’ll ever see someone with a face like that again.
-I always admitted Yu Yeon-seo was handsome, but I couldn’t figure out who he looked like. Turns out he’s the spitting image of his mom.
Even now, whenever her name started to fade from memory, a photo of her would surface, drawing admiration even from those who weren’t from her generation.
It wasn’t just her looks; she was talented too. In her idol group, she was the main vocalist with solid dancing skills, and critics praised her for having acting abilities that were overshadowed by her beauty.
Then, after a sudden six-month disappearance, the news she announced sent the public into a frenzy.
Lee Hui-seo in a ‘Rosy Romance’ with Juseong Group’s Vice Chairman Yu Geon-min
Lee Hui-seo and Yu Geon-min, Juseong Group Heir: A Top Star Marries into a Chaebol Family, a ‘Modern-Day Cinderella Story’
The marriage between the actress who had, quite literally, taken the nation by storm and the heir to South Korea’s top corporation was a massive media sensation, so famous that practically everyone knew about it at the time.
(But why get married so suddenly? Is it because he’s from a chaebol family?)
(She must be marrying him for the money.)
(I thought she had some sense, but in the end, it’s all about money. Celebrities are all the same.)
(Lee Hui-seo was famous for being a gold digger back in her school days.)
(There was a rumor that even after debuting, she went around saying she only became a celebrity so she could marry someone rich.)
The rumors were just as plentiful.
Lee Hui-seo, who retired from the entertainment industry upon her marriage, never responded to the rumors, and as if to prove them wrong, she gave birth to two sons and lived well.
Yu Eun-ho and Yu Yeon-seo resembled their mother so much that other chaebol families had their eyes on them from a young age.
Move Over, Lee Hui-seo! ‘Next-Generation Diva’ Im Yun-ju’s Grand Return
Choi Na-yeon, Former Gangbuk Beauty, Debuts as an Actress... Aims to be the Next Lee Hui-seo
Afterward, many celebrities coveted Lee Hui-seo’s position, but there was never another ‘star’ quite like her. As such, even after her retirement, Lee Hui-seo remained an endless source of gossip.
Whenever a persistent reporter managed to snap a candid photo of her grocery shopping or attending a family event with her children, she would shoot to the top of the real-time search rankings, her star power unrivaled.
Then, suddenly, tragic news broke.
[Breaking News] Lee Hui-seo Commits Suicide
‘Cinderella’ Lee Hui-seo Found Dead in Her Home (First Report)
Top Actress Lee Hui-seo Dead... Suspected Suicide
In an era with no ethical guidelines for reporting on such matters, the news of her death included the graphic detail that she had hanged herself at her in-laws’ mansion in Pyeongchang-dong.
People who had been curious about her every move after retirement were horrified by the sudden news of her death, some even visiting the famous locations from her debut film, ‘A Happy Farewell,‘ to lay flowers in her memory.
(I heard her life with her in-laws was hell. They’d apparently speak in a foreign language during meals to exclude her.)
(I heard the Juseong Group family has over twenty ancestral rites a year.)
(There’s a rumor that Yu Geon-min has a mistress. A model, they say.)
(It’s a chaebol family, so they must have put her through a lot. Tsk tsk, poor woman.)
Many speculations swirled around Lee Hui-seo’s death. Capitalizing on this, an acquaintance seeking public attention gave interviews, claiming, “She was always under a lot of stress from her duties as a chaebol daughter-in-law,” and “She suffered from depression because of her difficult life with her in-laws.”
Juseong Group ‘Remains Silent’ on Allegations Surrounding the Late Lee Hui-seo’s Death
Juseong Group Spokesperson: “Claims by the Late Lee Hui-seo’s Acquaintance are Untrue. We Ask the Public to Refrain from Baseless Speculation”
Juseong Group issued a statement to quell the uncontrollable rumors, but it only fanned the flames.
The rumors surrounding Lee Hui-seo’s death continued until they were overshadowed by another top star’s dating scandal.
‘But the atmosphere was strange. I guess the rumors weren’t entirely false, then?’
When he brought up his ‘mother,‘ he got the distinct impression that the Chairman, his father, and his brother were avoiding any mention of Lee Hui-seo. For some reason, Yu Yeon-seo felt a strange unease.
‘So things like this really do happen in real life.’
Kang Jin-hu of the year 2207 had learned about past societies, including the 2010s, through visual media.
‘Or maybe dramas are made from reality.’
Just as he was trying to suppress a vaguely uncomfortable feeling by imagining a common woman who married into a chaebol family, was tormented by her mother-in-law, and received an envelope of cash as part of her divorce, Im Seung-hyeon stopped the car.
“Young Master, we’ve arrived.”
Shaken from his thoughts, he instinctively made his way into the building.
“This way, sir.”
Fortunately, Im Seung-hyeon took the lead and guided Yu Yeon-seo.
Inside the elevator, Yu Yeon-seo hesitated, Uh, what floor am I on? Noticing his hesitation, Im Seung-hyeon pressed the button. The top floor—the penthouse.
“Uh... what’s the passcode?”
“That, I do not know.”
Yu Yeon-seo groaned for a moment before reactivating his automatic action mode. His hand moved on its own.
‘0821? How narcissistic do you have to be to set your own birthday as your passcode?’
He deliberately punched in the code for the door lock, making it obvious for Im Seung-hyeon to see. Im Seung-hyeon took the hint and memorized the number.
“Good work. You can go.”
“Yes, but before I leave, I’d like to formally greet you...”
“We can do that tomorrow.”
Tomorrow? He didn’t think he had any particular schedule. Despite his confusion, Im Seung-hyeon nodded.
“Understood. What time should I come?”
“Come around 10 AM. If I’m not up, just let yourself in. You saw the passcode, right?”
“Is that alright?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
Im Seung-hyeon tried to compose his surprised expression. He had heard from a colleague in the Strategic Planning Office that Yu Yeon-seo hated people invading his personal space.
But seeing how easily he gave permission, he figured it was one of two things: either the rumors about Yu Yeon-seo were exaggerated, or he really did have a problem with his memory.
“Then I will see you tomorrow, Young Master.”
Yu Yeon-seo gave a casual wave and went inside. The lights turned on automatically. Yu Yeon-seo paused at the sight of the spacious shoe closet.
‘Why is the shoe closet the same size as my old apartment?’
Stepping further inside, he saw it was a duplex with high ceilings, from which an elegant chandelier made its presence known.
“Ah...”
As he stared blankly around the apartment, wondering if it was really his, a stream of red blood trickled from his nose, staining his clothes and the floor. It was an aftereffect of the memory synchronization.
‘This automatic action mode... how should I put it... it’s not very cost-effective.’
A nosebleed after less than a minute. With that thought, Yu Yeon-seo wiped the blood with his sleeve and began opening the doors to the rooms in his new home.
“Why is a house for one person so big?”
After Yu Yeon-seo left, a silence fell over the Chairman’s mansion in Pyeongchang-dong.
“So... he remembered that day.”
The Chairman said in a devastated voice.
When Lee Hui-seo had taken her own life, Yu Yeon-seo was the one who found her first.
Hearing the commotion, Yu Eun-ho and the household staff had rushed over, but the firmly locked door showed no signs of opening.
[Young Master, please step back for now.]
[But...]
[There must be a reason the Young Master told you not to look. Please leave this to us.]
A staff member found the key and opened the door, and everyone gasped at the devastating sight.
[Gasp...!]
[An ambulance! Call an ambulance!]
Yu Eun-ho was held in someone’s arms and couldn’t see the scene, but he clearly heard his younger brother’s voice from inside.
[Ma’am, I’m holding on... but Mom, Mom is strange...]
[Young Master!]
He later heard that his younger brother had been hugging their mother’s legs, trying to lift her with all his might. All while screaming for his older brother not to come in, afraid he might see.
[What’s going on!]
[Oh, my... my God... Honey!]
It was the first time Yu Eun-ho had ever seen his grandparents look so horrified, and the first time he had ever seen his father scream so heart-wrenchingly.
Having witnessed his mother’s death firsthand, Yu Yeon-seo had to undergo counseling for a long time due to the psychological trauma.
[But where did Mom go?]
[What?]
[My... m-mom...]
Afterward, Yu Yeon-seo began to act strangely, as if he were broken. The entire family tried to help him overcome his trauma, but their efforts were in vain.
[Aaaaargh!]
[Yeon-seo!]
Then one day, after a major seizure, Yu Yeon-seo seemed to become fine. It was as if he didn’t even know the word ‘mom.’
The doctor at the time said that the immense shock had likely affected his brain, causing him to lose his memories of his mother.
[From now on, do not bring up Hui-seo, your mother. We don’t know if the boy will have another seizure.]
[...Yes, Grandmother.]
[Eun-ho, my poor grandson. I should be taking better care of you, too...]
[I’m fine.]
Lee Hui-seo’s name became taboo within the family.
After the major seizure, his younger brother’s personality changed. The once considerate and bright Yu Yeon-seo became selfish and ill-mannered.
Then, while his grandfather and father were away on a long business trip, he suddenly joined an agency and became a trainee.
“...It seems the accident awakened his memories.”
Yu Eun-ho, who had been tight-lipped, said quietly. Yu Geon-min’s face had already gone pale, his lower lip trembling.
“For now, let’s leave Yeon-seo be, Grandfather. Even if you plan to persuade him later.”
“...Yes, let’s do that.”
Chairman Yu pressed his temples. He sighed heavily, worried that saying anything to Yu Yeon-seo now might trigger another seizure like the one back then.
“But I can’t just stand by and watch like before.”
“Father...”
Chairman Yu was annoyed with his disobedient younger grandson, but he had also been discreetly supporting him from behind the scenes. It was half out of genuine concern and half an impulsive thought that seeing him succeed as a celebrity wouldn’t be so bad.
And he was well aware of Yu Yeon-seo’s reputation in the industry and how he was being ridiculed and consumed as a laughingstock online.
But he never took any action.
It was due to the duplicitous hope that if he took enough flak, he would give up on his own and come back to work at the company.
“I was wrong... He’s not the type to bend to my will just because of that.”
Yu Geon-min and Yu Eun-ho looked at the Chairman as he muttered to himself.
“We can’t let that boy’s reputation sink any lower.”
“You’re right.”
Yu Geon-min, coming to his senses, nodded. He had been ready to do anything for his son, but he could only sit on his hands because of Chairman Yu’s stern order not to do anything for Yu Yeon-seo.
“That boy probably thought it wasn’t even worth responding to. But I can’t let this go on.”
“I’ll have to step in myself.” Chairman Yu clicked his tongue.