Chapter 98
Chapter 98
Why Are You So Nice to Me?
Choi Yu-jin said it in a light tone, as if asking, ‘Want some of the pumpkin I grew?’ Yu Yeon-seo calmly swallowed what was in his mouth and spoke.
“I’d be grateful if you gave them to me. I’ll pay the gift tax.”
He happened to have a lot of money from his investments... The original owner’s knack for investing was the real deal. Now, even without the automatic action mode, he was starting to get a feel for what to do. That’s why he started his days reading investment reports or analyzing domestic and international affairs.
“Really?”
It was Choi Yu-jin who was surprised by his reaction. Shouldn’t it have been the other way around?
“What’s gotten into you? You used to hate the idea.”
“Things are different now. But did I really refuse a lot before?”
The money-grubbing original owner refused a gift of shares? At Yu Yeon-seo’s words, Choi Yu-jin’s eyes grew hazy.
“Rather than refusing... you ignored it.”
From what she said, she had launched an all-out material offensive to get closer to Yu Yeon-seo, eventually even offering him shares. But he had completely ignored her, treating her like she didn’t exist... Wouldn’t that have hurt her pride? Yu Yeon-seo felt a pang of guilt.
‘It wasn’t that I was actually trying to push her away like that...’
He tensed up at the unconscious thought. Was this also the effect of the 40.95% memory synchronization?
“Ah... I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what? You were young back then.”
She added that she was grateful they could now dine together like this, just the two of them.
Actually, they had planned for the four of them to eat together, including Yu Geon-min and Yu Eun-ho, but it often fell through because those two were so busy.
Naturally, it was Yu Yeon-seo who ended up spending more time with Choi Yu-jin. He met with her often whenever he had no schedule, and thanks to that, Choi Yu-jin’s face was exceptionally bright.
“Then do you want to be an executive director?”
“Sounds good, I’ll do it. Will you have business cards made for me too?”
Would he really agree to this too? Yu Yeon-seo replied with a smile to her half-joking words. Choi Yu-jin’s eyes widened in surprise again.
“Really?”
“Would I be lying?”
Yu Yeon-seo said, raising his wine glass. Until now, he had been growing his wealth by running a small investment firm, but he now felt that wasn’t enough.
He needed to get a foothold in production and distribution, not just investing, to secure a big shot like Director Cheon Seong-min. People who knew him would probably say, ‘You want to expand your influence even further from here?’ but he was still thirsty for more.
“But it’s not like I’ll have to come to the office every day, right?”
“Hey, not all directors show up for work. Who’s going to say anything to you?”
Even better. He could just keep up appearances and focus on his acting career.
Of course, they wouldn’t just hand him a business card because he was a director; he had to go through the appointment process at a shareholders’ meeting. But the two of them were confident they could easily pass that hurdle.
“Well, I’ll still do the basics. You know I have a good eye for projects, right?”
“I know. Even our employees ask what you’re interested in.”
Ah, he could tell that was an exaggeration. Would a major corporation like JSENM really take one person’s opinion seriously, as if he were some psychic octopus...? Reading Yu Yeon-seo’s expression, Choi Yu-jin laughed out loud.
“Haha! It’s true. We’re looking for undiscovered gems these days. Just like you did.”
“Really? But those were successful because I starred in them.”
“Oh my. You’re quite the joker.”
Choi Yu-jin ended up covering her mouth with her hand as she laughed. Why, it was true. The level of attention a project received depended on who the actor was. Of course, if it hadn’t been for the terrible acting, the work’s quality would have been even better...
‘What’s wrong with me?’
Yu Yeon-seo clenched and unclenched his trembling hand, which shook as if from a tremor, and forced a smile.
“By the way, the fact that you’re telling me this must mean ‘they’ are bothering you, right?”
“I knew I couldn’t fool you.”
‘They’ referred to Choi Yu-jin’s older brother, Choi Sang-jin, and his son, Choi Ji-hun. He’d heard Ji-hoon couldn’t hide his true colors, acted out, and had his engagement broken off... It was easy to guess their level.
Honestly, for someone like Choi Yu-jin, they were probably just annoying gnats buzzing around. But there was one person she couldn’t defy: her father, Choi Hyeong-su. Although he cherished Choi Yu-jin far more than the incompetent Choi Sang-jin, it seemed he couldn’t help but care for his eldest son, the ‘sore finger’.
“They keep contacting me, probably because they think I’m just saying I’ll hand things over to you... Anyway, it’s annoying.”
“Wishing for something doesn’t make it happen, right?” Choi Yu-jin said, her cheeks slightly flushed from the wine.
“Besides, it’s easier if I start laying the groundwork now.”
It seemed Choi Yu-jin had completely made up her mind to hand the company over to Yu Yeon-seo. Even if Choi Sang-jin and Choi Ji-hun were complete scoundrels, weren’t there other relatives? Yu Yeon-seo narrowed his eyes, studying her.
“But why are you so nice to me?”
Before he was discharged from the hospital after his car accident, the personal information he received through Im Seung-hyeon had detailed everything, even the fact that Choi Yu-jin was infertile.
He couldn’t understand why she would go to such lengths for a grown son she wasn’t even related to by blood, a son who had never opened his heart to her no matter how much effort she put in.
“Well, I wonder why?”
Besides, no matter how close she and Lee Hui-seo were, they were ultimately not family. Honestly, for Yu Yeon-seo, it was convenient that she was nice to him. But he couldn’t help but wonder.
Choi Yu-jin fell silent for a moment at Yu Yeon-seo’s question. It just... happened that she was drawn to him. Was it from when he called her ‘Aunt’ with his angelic childhood face? Or was it because she was bothered by how his personality had changed after witnessing his mother’s passing?
“Because you’re so pretty?”
“What?”
Yu Yeon-seo furrowed his brow at the random answer. Is she drunk? Her face had been red for a while...
“You were really like an angel.”
“...Aren’t all babies cute?”
“No. You were special even among them. Maybe because you resembled Hui-seo, everyone lost their minds over you.”
Yu Yeon-seo felt embarrassed for some reason. Choi Yu-jin chuckled at the sight of him averting his eyes. Her face was full of longing; she seemed to be reminiscing about the past.
“Speaking of which... may I ask how you met my birth mother?”
“Of course.”
Choi Yu-jin rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought.
“Hmm... This might upset you, but her agency’s president once brought only her to a charity event. I think that’s when she first met your father, too.”
“Ah... It’s okay.”
He had a rough idea of what kind of situation it was. At Yu Yeon-seo’s gesture, Choi Yu-jin crossed her arms and rested them on the table.
“Anyway, my brother, who’s always been a womanizer, went up and hit on her... but I don’t know what he said, because Hui-seo slapped him across the face.”
“Sounds like a cliché.”
“Haha! Right. A cliché.”
Is this the part where he says, ‘You’re the first person to ever hit me’? Yu Yeon-seo had a silly thought.
“Seeing that, I thought, ‘Wow, I want to be friends with her’...”
In Choi Yu-jin’s case, it would be, ‘You’re the first person to ever hit my brother.’ Anyway, after subduing her rampant brother, Choi Yu-jin got Lee Hui-seo’s contact information, and they became close by meeting often.
‘Would my mother know that agency president?’
Yu Yeon-seo was momentarily distracted, but he quickly dismissed the thought. He was worried Choi Yu-jin would be concerned if she found out he was looking for traces of Lee Hui-seo. Im Seung-hyeon would find him on his own.
“Shall we get going?”
“Yes.”
He nodded. Perhaps because they were talking about Lee Hui-seo, he had the illusion of something white shimmering behind Choi Yu-jin. No, was it an illusion? He pressed his lips together and widened his eyes, trying not to lose his focus.
“What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Ah, I’m planning to go to Daehangno. To the theater company that worked on ‘Demon’.”
“That sounds fun. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a play...”
“Would you like to come with me?”
“No, I have work tomorrow.”
Choi Yu-jin now comfortably linked her arm with Yu Yeon-seo’s without asking. Yu Yeon-seo adjusted the angle of his arm and matched her pace so she wouldn’t feel awkward. He could feel a passing employee glance at the harmonious pair.
“Wow, Yu Yeon-seo in person...”
“Who’s that next to him?”
“Isn’t that Choi Yu-jin?”
He could also hear the murmurs of other customers. As if accustomed to it, they walked past the people and headed for the elevator.
“Have you decided on your next project?”
“No, not yet. I have plenty of time, so let’s meet again.”
“Of course, I’d love that. Don’t tell me you’re waiting for news from Director Cheon?”
“Well... it’s true I’m aiming for projects by people like him. If I get the chance, I’ll even audition to get in.”
Even though he said that, a master of that caliber wouldn’t just cast anyone as an actor because they invested. And they wouldn’t accept investments from just anyone, either... For now, he planned to build trust.
“It’ll work out. Of course, you know I won’t back down from the competition either, right?”
“Go easy on me. We’re going to be colleagues at the same company soon.”
Choi Yu-jin laughed heartily. She seemed quite pleased with his answer.
When they reached the first-floor lobby, Choi Yu-jin’s driver and Im Seung-hyeon were already waiting.
“It’s nice seeing my son so often these days. Get home safe.”
“You too.”
They shared a brief hug and got into their respective cars.
“Vice Chairman, did you enjoy your meal?”
“Yes.”
Choi Yu-jin gave a short reply to the driver holding the door open and leaned back into the car seat.
[Auntie! Look at this!]
The memory of a young Yu Yeon-seo picking wildflowers from the garden and placing them in her hand was still vivid.
“He was so lovely...”
How she had beamed when she received the heartfelt gift, picked by his tiny, fern-like hands... Choi Yu-jin let out a small smile.
“But he’s too polite these days...”
“Pardon?”
“No, just talking to myself.”
Compared to before, he had become very polite and formal. Did he mature late?
While this was good in its own way, she sometimes missed the student-aged Yu Yeon-seo. It had been quite amusing to see him act impudently toward her, only to glance away guiltily... Choi Yu-jin felt this was an indulgent thought she could only have now that she was closer to the current Yu Yeon-seo.
“Where should I go with my son next time...”
It was a happy dilemma.
“It all began when I started staying at this mansion...”
A man on stage performs a monologue. There were no other props on the stage. Only a single spotlight illuminated him.
‘Oh...’
As expected of stage acting, his vocalization and pronunciation were superb. The man turned a doorknob in the empty air. The movement of his elbow was so delicate, it was as if he were really opening a door.
Yu Yeon-seo had agreed to Jeong Hyeon-sik’s suggestion to come quietly, watch the rehearsal, and greet them later, so he sat down in the audience.
“Leave me alone!”
He could see why viewers of ‘Demon’ had found the theatrical tone jarring. On stage, the performance was for the audience in their seats, giving it a different flavor from screen acting. What was special was that while some actors might be awkward, not a single one had flawed vocalization or pronunciation.
Even for a simple rehearsal, the performance was highly polished. Then again, Jeong Hyeon-sik’s theater company was quite famous, so it was to be expected. He’d heard that people even flew in from abroad to see their shows...
“Is this your first time at a play?”
As Yu Yeon-seo was engrossed in the play, someone sat down next to him. A shaggy, graying beard covered half of the man’s face.
“Yes.”
“Oh? And what do you think?”
“...It’s interesting.”
He couldn’t offer any complex descriptions. The old man next to him seemed pleased by his dazed reply, engrossed as he was in the stage, and Yu Yeon-seo could feel him chuckle softly.
‘But, this man... I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before.’
Yu Yeon-seo racked his brain. Who was he?