Chapter 84
Chapter 84
How Long Are You Going to Hide It?
Watching the final shoot of People Who Lack Season 2 from a corner of the set, Lee Tae-gyeom scoffed as he saw Choi Jae-won flinch at the sight of him.
“How’s the young master doing?”
“Sir.”
Lee Tae-gyeom beamed. His perception of the once-unapproachable secretary had completely changed after a certain incident—an incident involving Choi Jae-won, who had just fled the scene as if running for his life.
[Hey, you. Come here.]
[Me?]
With Yu Yeon-seo being quieter than before and the constant barrage of support from his family, his standing on set was at an all-time high.
This was a constant source of irritation for Choi Jae-won. He found it galling that Yeon-seo was being praised just for toning it down a bit. But since he couldn’t take it out on Yu Yeon-seo directly, he started venting his frustration on his manager, Lee Tae-gyeom.
[Go buy me some water.]
[Me? What about your manager?]
[Who else would do it! My manager is busy.]
And I’m not? Lee Tae-gyeom ground his teeth but resigned himself to it. He was used to this kind of treatment.
[But there’s a vending machine outside.]
[It doesn’t have the brand I drink. Go buy it.]
The set was in a remote location; the nearest convenience store was a ten-minute drive away. So that’s why his gaze was so hostile during the script reading. He’s been planning to harass me all along.
[Are you going or not?]
[Yes, yes, I’m going.]
Honestly, compared to the Yu Yeon-seo he’d dealt with as the twelfth manager, this was child’s play, so he just complied. Yu Yeon-seo’s reputation was excellent right now, and he didn’t want to stir up trouble. He planned to handle it quietly. That had always been the way for Yu Yeon-seo’s managers.
In fact, there were many people like this. They couldn’t touch the untouchable Yu Yeon-seo, so they’d pressure his manager instead to feel superior, or they’d take out their frustrations on the manager when they couldn’t say anything to Yeon-seo after he caused trouble. This had contributed significantly to the high turnover rate of his managers.
[Tae-gyeom, I’ll take care of this. You should go to the young master.]
[The, the young master?]
[Mr. Choi Jae-won, may I have a word with you?]
After putting up with Choi Jae-won’s antics a few times, Lee Tae-gyeom was stopped one day by Im Seung-hyeon. With his characteristic relaxed smile, Im Seung-hyeon led Choi Jae-won away.
When they reappeared, Choi Jae-won’s face was pale. He scurried away from Im Seung-hyeon’s side as if escaping.
[…You didn’t hit him, did you?]
At Lee Tae-gyeom’s absurd question, Im Seung-hyeon turned his head as if the question wasn’t even worth a response.
[Then what on earth did you talk about?!]
[That’s a secret.]
He didn’t know the details, only that there was a reason Yu Yeon-seo had called Choi Jae-won pathetic. After that, Choi Jae-won started avoiding anyone associated with Yu Yeon-seo, acting as if getting entangled with him would mean the end of his life.
[So damn cool…]
In any case, after that incident, Lee Tae-gyeom began to look up to Im Seung-hyeon not just as a “secretary,” but as a true senior.
“He’s the same as before. Just quietly gets into character, starts filming, barely makes any NGs…”
“Is that so?”
“But I’m not the only one who’s anxious, right?”
After his sudden outburst, Yu Yeon-seo had returned to working in silence.
Some of the staff might have thought he was feeling sorry for his sudden anger, but Yu Yeon-seo was top-tier among celebrities for not caring about what others thought. To Im Seung-hyeon and Lee Tae-gyeom, it just looked like his mind was elsewhere.
Having witnessed one anomaly, his normal behavior had become even more unsettling. Lee Tae-gyeom and Im Seung-hyeon stared intently at Yu Yeon-seo, who was playing Lee Tae-o on set.
“Will he really be okay?”
“If the young master said he’s fine, then he must be fine.”
Even as he said this, Im Seung-hyeon’s frown didn’t ease. Lee Tae-gyeom knew it but didn’t press the matter.
Have his memories returned?
But if that were the case, his personality hadn’t fully reverted to how it used to be. Im Seung-hyeon narrowed his eyes. There were too many strange things happening lately. He had suddenly started gathering information on Lee Hui-seo, and he sometimes looked unwell but acted as if nothing was wrong, which was concerning.
Should I contact the Senior Managing Director…
Im Seung-hyeon hesitated.
[What are my authorized limits?]
[Anything for Yeon-seo. I’ve already spoken to the Division Head.]
[Then… how much should I report to you, Senior Managing Director?]
[I’m not interested in where he is or what he’s doing. I didn’t plant a spy. Mr. Im, you just need to do what’s necessary for Yeon-seo.]
Yu Eun-ho, who had said that, fell silent for a moment. His younger brother had been on the brink of death. What if there were health complications later on…
But his brother had always been extremely reluctant to talk about himself. In his first year of high school, he had suffered through a fever alone until a servant found him.
[However, if something arises that I, as his family, should know, then please let me know quietly.]
[…]
[This is a request. He’s been in a major accident, so I’m a little worried.]
[Understood.]
The instruction to tell him and him alone meant he intended to handle it at the brotherly level, without informing the Vice Chairman or the Chairman.
It should be fine if it’s the Senior Managing Director… they’re brothers, after all.
After fiddling with the phone in his pocket for a long time, Im Seung-hyeon sighed softly and pulled his hand out. The moment he told Yu Eun-ho, he would lose Yu Yeon-seo’s trust. He didn’t want that.
“Ah, it’ll be a disaster if he reverts to his old personality.”
Lee Tae-gyeom gnawed on his thumbnail. He had seen a familiar glimpse of the old Yu Yeon-seo in his sudden outburst that day. He didn’t want to imagine what would happen if his memories slowly returned and he went back to his old self.
“Cut! Okay!”
At the director’s signal, Yu Yeon-seo rose and stood in front of the monitor. Watching the scene he had just filmed, his mind drifted.
<It seems the real Yu Yeon-seo’s consciousness intervened unexpectedly.>
Was this also related to synchronization? The synchronization rate was approaching 40%.
‘How does this synchronization work in the first place? What’s the principle?’
<To put it simply, it’s a process of collecting the real Yu Yeon-seo’s soul, aligning it to your soul’s frequency, and infusing it into your body.>
‘So, you’re merging our souls?’
<Something like that. The previous situation was likely an accident caused by the strength of the real Yu Yeon-seo’s ego.>
‘If this continues, could the primary consciousness change? What are the chances that the real Yu Yeon-seo takes over this body instead of me?’
<No, he has already been rejected by the body, making re-integration impossible. And since I am modifying his soul to match your frequency, that possibility is nonexistent. The previous outburst was an unforeseen event.>
So, that means the real Yu Yeon-seo’s mental strength is nothing to scoff at. He sighed.
It made sense. He had been seeing those visions since childhood yet never sought medical help for fear of his family finding out. The fact that he maintained his sanity without completely derailing into things like illegal drugs was a testament to his extraordinary resilience.
In the end, it meant he had to strengthen his own mind. Easier said than done. He hadn’t forgotten the sensation of being suddenly swept away by those emotions.
As if venting his frustration, Yu Yeon-seo crushed the empty drink can in one hand. He easily crumpled it into a small ball, as if it were paper. It was an incredible display of strength for someone with such long, slender fingers and a thin wrist.
‘Is this related too?’
<Your soul has also been tailored to Kang Jin-hu’s body. Therefore, I believe the current phenomenon is Yu Yeon-seo’s body adapting to Kang Jin-hu’s soul. And this is proof that you are the primary consciousness.>
Kang Jin-hu was born from genetic modification, and now Yu Yeon-seo’s body was changing to match Kang Jin-hu’s soul.
They were influencing each other. And when the synchronization rate hit 100%, the two would merge. There would be no distinction between Kang Jin-hu and Yu Yeon-seo, just one person… So, were the current issues side effects of this merging process? Because both egos were strong?
<That is my assessment.>
Yu Yeon-seo casually tossed the crumpled aluminum can somewhere.
‘What do you actually know?’
<Information about the soul cannot be proven even with the science of the future. Besides, the humans of 2207 were less concerned with theoretical matters…>
‘They were too busy trying to survive.’
He gave up on talking to Beta-9 and closed his eyes.
‘This is complicated.’
Every time he made up his mind about something, something new popped up.
If he stopped the memory synchronization now, he’d be clueless about the culprit and would have to live with the visions that suddenly tormented his body. If he continued, the original’s personality might surface occasionally, and he might lose control. But if he reached 100% and they merged completely, it would be fine.
‘For now, I need to keep a clear head.’
Though that wouldn’t be easy. He opened his eyes at the touch of Lee Tae-gyeom tapping his shoulder.
“What is it?”
“We need to go take the group photo.”
He dragged his heavy feet and stood in front of the camera. Standing next to Ryu Hye-gyeong, Yu Yeon-seo forced a smile.
“Great work, everyone!”
Everyone clapped, commemorating the final day of shooting. The filming for People Who Lack Season 2 was officially over.
Baek Seo-jun popped the cap off a soju bottle by himself and filled his glass.
Looks like he’s here.
For the surroundings to buzz like this, the newcomer had to be a well-known celebrity or someone extraordinary.
Sure enough, Yu Eun-ho sat down across from Baek Seo-jun. Dressed in a high-end suit with an expensive watch, his unrealistically handsome face seemed out of place in the cheap bar.
“You’re here.”
“What did you find out?”
Baek Seo-jun clicked his tongue at Yu Eun-ho, who got straight to the point.
“Not much of a haul.”
“Then why’d you call me? I’m busy…”
“Hey, I’m a busy man myself. It’s good for friends to have a drink like this sometimes.”
He poured a drink into Yu Eun-ho’s glass as he spoke.
“I went to see the detective who was on the case that day. He said it was too long ago and he can’t remember. He’d need to see the files, but the files are gone.”
They clinked their glasses. Yu Eun-ho took a sip of his drink, set the glass down, and spoke softly.
“For now, I’m keeping an eye on the family.”
“About that… aren’t there other suspects besides immediate family?”
“…My grand-uncle’s side?”
Baek Seo-jun nodded. Yu Eun-ho was lost in thought.
“Well… it’s a possibility.”
Juseong was a corporation that represented South Korea and was famous worldwide. A company like that doesn’t just appear overnight. Yu Chang-ho was the second chairman. The founding chairman was his older brother, Yu Hyeong-jun.
For some reason, Yu Hyeong-jun didn’t pass the chairmanship to his own children, instead handing the group over to his younger brother, Yu Chang-ho. And now, with Yu Geon-min and Yu Eun-ho solidifying their positions as successors, would Yu Chang-ho’s cousins have just stood by quietly?
“Even though we don’t interact much, I thought we were on good terms…”
“They could be holding a grudge for not inheriting Juseong. And that person is influential enough to be a mouthpiece.”
“That’s true.”
A top star of her time. Her marriage of the century had shaken the nation. The unfortunate accident involving Lee Hui-seo had left Juseong’s image in tatters for a long time. If that was the goal, then Yu Hyeong-jun’s family was also a suspect.
“…”
As Yu Eun-ho fell silent, Baek Seo-jun, who had been drinking quietly, slammed his glass down with an irritated expression. He scratched his head roughly.
“Hey, let’s be frank. This isn’t getting us anywhere. No leads, no evidence. Nothing to gain.”
“…”
“But things would be different if there was a witness.”
Yu Eun-ho’s hand, which was caressing his glass, flinched. Baek Seo-jun watched him and spoke in a low voice.
“How long are you going to hide it? He’s not a kid anymore.”
“…”
“It’s time to bring him in. Your brother.”