Chapter 313
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 313
“…A guide?”
Ju Woo-seong stumbled back, seemingly overwhelmed by my momentum.
I stepped forward to close the gap, deciding to push him a little harder.
“I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t had a chance to travel, so I was really excited to finally come to Japan, you know?”
“…….”
“And after helping the staff and finishing rehearsals, I’m absolutely starving.”
All I’d really done was lug some equipment around and sing one song, but the sky had already turned a deep crimson. It was well past dinner time.
The car with the tinted windows was still stubbornly parked in the same spot.
Ju Woo-seong, looking exasperated, ran a hand through his hair and spoke in a slightly softer tone.
“Seo Ho-yun. I’m sorry, but I already have plans to eat with someone else…”
“Ah! I’m so hungry!!”
“…….”
Ju Woo-seong stared at me, mouth agape, not even blinking. He let out a hollow laugh, then sighed deeply and pulled out his phone.
I wondered if he was calling security, but he sent a short text somewhere and shoved the phone back into his pocket.
“…Fine, then. Let’s eat. But I don’t know this area very well.”
“How about Korean food?”
When you think of Ju Woo-seong, you think of kimchi fried rice.
Sure enough, he hesitated for a moment before nodding.
Having successfully hooked the troublemaker, I swallowed my internal annoyance and quickly searched for nearby Korean restaurants on my phone.
“By the way, it’s nice to be able to walk around somewhat freely when we’re abroad.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“…….”
Give me a longer answer, you son of a bitch.
I tried changing the subject a few more times to strike up a conversation, but it didn't flow well. Regardless, the basic goal had been met, so I shut my mouth as well.
I just needed to keep him occupied until the paparazzi gave up and left.
“It’s nice and quiet here.”
Luckily for us, the restaurant I finally found was completely empty.
“……Wow.”
I quickly strode over to a corner table, sat down, and ordered.
And then I realized why it was empty.
Gulp.
“Wow….”
This was worse than the monstrosities Jeong Da-jun cooked up.
How was this even possible?
Despite the menu claiming they had kimchi fried rice, it was nowhere to be found on the actual physical menu. The gomtang I ordered after much deliberation was nothing more than greasy water.
The vegetables in the bibimbap we ordered as an extra were so mushy they dissolved like cotton candy the moment they touched the tongue. It was so salty that I couldn't taste a single natural ingredient.
I’m the type of person who can eat almost anything without complaining, but this was bad enough to make me want to spit it out.
Fuck….
I wouldn't even be able to blame Ju Woo-seong if he stormed out right now. I felt like charging into the kitchen and making the kimchi fried rice myself.
I glanced up at him. He was eating in silence, his expression unreadable.
I poked at my bibimbap, which was already starting to go cold and stiff, and muttered, “…The taste is certainly… unique.”
“Mhm.”
If this were the Ju Woo-seong I knew, he would have complained, “Seo Ho-yun, you bastard, you have zero taste. How could you bring me to a place like this?”
Chew.
Chew, chew, chew.
But the guy in front of me was just moving his jaw out of obligation.
I watched him for a moment before shoving the bibimbap into my own mouth.
Let’s just check the surroundings when we leave and then part ways….
The meal, shrouded in silence, finally ended. After paying, I walked out to find Ju Woo-seong checking his phone. He’d been checking it periodically during dinner, too.
“Let’s head our separate ways now. It’s late.”
Shit, that won’t work.
The shadow lingering nearby had changed tactics. Instead of following in a car, the paparazzi was now tailing us on foot, persistent as ever.
“Haha, Ju Woo-seong, we just ate, so we should grab a coffee to wash it down, right?”
“Not really….”
“Or maybe take some photos for Starstagram?”
“Is that necessary…?”
“Photos it is!”
I threw my arm around Ju Woo-seong’s shoulders—ignoring his deep scowl—and hurried him along.
“I saw it while looking for the restaurant earlier, but there’s a beach park nearby. The photos there are supposed to be incredible. I’m a bit embarrassed to say it myself, but I’m quite the photographer.”
“No, really, I’m fine—”
“There, we’re here! It’s right in front of us! Oh? That spot looks good. Go stand over there.”
After descending a long set of stairs, the entrance to the beach park appeared.
There were a few passersby here and there, but not many, likely because it was a weekday evening.
At the spot I pointed to, blue waves crashed behind a massive tree with long, thin branches. Ju Woo-seong stood there, looking displeased. I snatched the phone from his hand and pushed him toward the tree.
Perhaps because of his good looks, he looked like a professional model even while just standing there with an annoyed expression.
Click.
“Once you see the photo, you’ll be thanking me, Ju Woo-seong….”
However, the image captured on the phone was Ju Woo-seong with a frigid expression, standing under an eerie tree whose branches swayed as if beckoning someone, all enveloped by the dark night sky.
It looked like a poster for a horror movie.
“…….”
I’d forgotten to turn on the flash.
While I struggled to maintain my composure, Ju Woo-seong strolled over to check the photo.
“……Thank you?”
“…….”
“Quite the photographer indeed.”
Fuck….
Even as I acknowledged my mistake, my fingertips trembled with a sense of ungratefulness.
He was the one who once told me I should be a photographer instead of an idol….
“Here, take it.”
I clicked my tongue softly and handed the phone back to him. Then, the guy who had been indifferent this whole time spoke up, looking a bit uneasy as he gauged my reaction.
“……Um, should I take one of you, Seo Ho-yun?”
“I’m fine.”
I cut him off immediately.
The shadow that had been lingering nearby had finally vanished.
If I’d had to endure another hour or two of this, I might have lost my temper and knocked him unconscious.
Good, let’s get back to the dorm.
Even if an article came out, the most they could write was that he was close with a rookie actor. Well, maybe some rumors would circulate about an unknown actor desperately clinging to Ju Woo-seong’s popularity.
I’d blocked it at least once, so I felt I’d done my duty.
The air, thicker and more humid than in Korea, felt vivid against my skin. I brushed back my damp bangs and called his name.
“…Ju Woo-seong.”
“What now? What are you planning this time?”
“I’m telling you to get going.”
“…Huh?”
Ju Woo-seong, who had been responding irritably, suddenly stopped.
I waved my hand as if shooing away a fly.
“Go back and get some rest.”
I turned around without waiting for his answer.
Muttering curses under my breath, I spotted a convenience store and walked in to buy a six-pack of beer.
“I really overstepped today, didn’t I?”
Ding!
[T_T I’m so moved… T_T]
[Everyone! Seo Ho-yun has finally become a human being!]
I was always a human, you brat.
Exhausted by the endless wave of reality hitting me, I didn't even have the energy to respond. I pressed my fingers against my temples and trudged along.
Just as I reached the back entrance of the hotel—
“…Why are you still here? Where are Mom and Dad?”
I heard a pleasant, low-pitched voice.
Yes, a voice just like Ju Woo-seong’s.
‘……No way.’
I cautiously peeked around to find the source of the voice, and sure enough, Ju Woo-seong was talking to someone.
‘Seriously, no way.’
It was a woman in her early twenties with long, black hair….
[…Wait?]
“I heard she was incredibly innocent and beautiful.”
[……Wait, what?!]
My anger exploded like a firework.
“Haha, hahahaha.”
As an idol, how could he be so careless!
“They didn’t come with me. Mom told me to at least see your face.”
“Text them quickly and say we met.”
“I know—. Can’t you just leave now? You’re annoying, and I’m starting to—”
Using the rustling plastic bag of beer cans as an accessory, I marched straight toward Ju Woo-seong.
“Annoying? You? You certainly have a way with words…. Ack!”
I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and pulled.
His startled eyes met mine directly.
“Hello.”
“What the—”
“……Huh?”
I naturally let go of his clothes and gave my kindest smile.
“I’m sorry for the sudden intrusion. I’m Seo Ho-yun, a close younger friend of Ju Woo-seong.”
“…Uh…… Seo Ho-yun….”
The woman tilted her head, then suddenly clapped her hands.
“Ah!! The actor! You’re that actor, right?!”
“…….”
“Heol! No way! I really enjoyed watching Dead After Hope! Wow, now that your styling has changed, you really look like an idol! You’re so handsome! Could I get an autograph?!”
“…An autograph?”
Do people usually ask someone else for an autograph right in front of their boyfriend?
The atmosphere felt a bit strange. But since fan service was second nature to me, I was able to act smoothly.
“Of course. I’d be happy to give you an autograph.”
“Gasp! Thank you! Wow, Ju Woo-seong is actually useful for once!”
“……Pardon?”
Just then, Ju Woo-seong stepped forward, blocking my view of her, and jerked his chin.
“Hey, you. Just go.”
The atmosphere turned icy in an instant.
However, the woman just pouted and grumbled about needing the autograph.
“Aren’t you going?”
“Fine! I’m going, I’m going!”
Only after Ju Woo-seong glared at her menacingly did she finally walk away.
“Seo Ho-yun, I’ll be sure to watch your dramas! Fighting!”
“…Fighting~.”
She left with a cheerful wave, not intimidated in the slightest.
I waved back until she was out of sight, then turned to Ju Woo-seong with a serious expression.
“Ju Woo-seong.”
“…….”
“Let’s be blunt with each other.”
“Only now?”
Ju Woo-seong crossed his arms and smirked sarcastically.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Honestly, I had no desire to interfere in his private life.
He was young, and it was understandable that he’d be interested in romance.
“Aren’t you being too careless?”
However, if your job is being an idol, that’s a different story.
In fact, I’d already told The Dawn members that dating was strictly forbidden.
“I know it’s easier to meet women abroad than in Korea, but if you get caught, how do you plan to cover it up? Did your agency say they’d protect you?”
“…….”
“Didn’t you see the paparazzi tailing us earlier?”
“I saw them.”
“…What?”
He saw them and still met her so boldly?
I was beyond flabbergasted.
But Ju Woo-seong added coolly, as if he had nothing to hide.
“I don’t care if there are paparazzi or not.”
What do you mean you don’t—
“Because she’s my sister.”
—care?
While I stood there frozen, Ju Woo-seong turned his head and let out a long breath.
“Dating her… just the thought makes me want to gag…. Well, I guess I can understand since we don’t look that much alike.”
When I looked at him with disbelief, he shrugged.
“My sister told me she was going on a trip, and it just happened to be Japan. My parents would have given me an earful if I didn’t see her at least once while we were in the same country, so I was just trying to have dinner with her. Though I couldn't, thanks to someone.”
“……Sister?”
“You don’t believe me? Do you want me to pull up our family registry?”
Come to think of it, a memory I’d buried deep because I thought it was unimportant resurfaced—a text Ju Woo-seong had sent.
When Seo Ho-jin’s identity was revealed, he’d said he also had a younger sister three years his junior and that he’d show me how to handle it….
Ding!
[Gasp!! Now that I look closely, they look exactly alike!!]
“Besides, my solo comeback teaser drops next week. There’s no way I’d be careless with my behavior at a time like this.”
I closed and opened my eyes as I listened to his calm rebuttal.
……Right.
“Aha.”
Dragging Ju Woo-seong around today….
Eating dinner….
Taking photos….
Shaking off the paparazzi….
Giving him a lecture….
It meant all of those actions were nothing but a stupid waste of time.
“……Oh boy.”
Once I’d gathered my thoughts, I forced a smile.
“I was mistaken.”
“…….”
“I’m sorry for bothering you, Ju Woo-seong. Please enjoy the rest of your time with your family.”
I tried to hurry past him, but he raised his arm to block my path.
“Seo Ho-yun.”
“What.”
Ju Woo-seong’s gaze slowly traveled from my feet up to my face.
“The Green Tea Latte. How did you know?”
…What is he talking about?
“……Know what?”
“You gave it to me back then.”
Ju Woo-seong lowered his arm and tilted his head. He wasn't wearing the smooth smile he usually showed others.
His face held only wariness and—
“How did you know that’s what I like?”
—a hint of curiosity.