Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Do You Like Hanwoo?
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—
Amid the thick, stuffy air mingled with the stench of alcohol and dust, a sharp sound like flesh tearing rang out.
"Are you insane?! I specifically told you not to cause any trouble!"
A piercing shout stabbed at my ears, and my forearm throbbed in response. The pain spread under my skin, arriving fashionably late.
'It's been a while since I got hit.'
The only silver lining was that she'd struck my arm instead of my face this time. No matter what else, my Biological Mother never touched my face.
If rumors spread that she'd laid a hand on my face, it'd cause her all sorts of headaches.
"I'm sorry, Mom."
I bowed my head and apologized without any excuses. Honestly, I figured this one was on me.
I knew she hated it, but I'd still let an outsider into the house. It wasn't like bringing one person in would expose her real job, but I'd gone and lit the fuse anyway.
But did I regret it?
As if.
The thought of the envelope of cash tucked safely in my room nearly made me grin. Taking a few hits to the arm and some yelling in exchange for over a hundred in bills? This was a profitable deal.
"What? An idol? Do you really think someone like you could ever be an idol?"
Now that I'd pocketed the money, all that was left was to cool her anger a bit.
"......No. How could I ever do something like that."
I lowered my gaze sadly, letting my eyes droop. Thankfully, the venom drained a little from her face at my act.
It was kinda funny how the tricks she'd taught me worked on her too.
"Tsk. I've told you over and over—this house only has one future in store for you."
I could easily guess what future she meant. In the end, it'd be just like hers.
"If you really wanna be an idol that badly, go find some parents to raise you instead of me. Not that anyone would take in trash like you."
Honestly, I couldn't agree with that. Pretty face like mine? Bound to be at least one taker.
"Hide that bruise properly. If you cause me more hassle, it won't end like this."
"Yes, Mom."
The door slammed shut with a bang, and peaceful silence settled over the room once more.
It ended quicker than I thought. I rubbed my throbbing forearm a few times, then hopped onto the computer chair.
Whatever. Personally, I didn't harbor much resentment toward my Biological Mother. Sure, she was a prostitute, but by my standards, she wasn't some irredeemable monster.
As long as I didn't cross the line like this time, she wouldn't lay a hand on me—and she never meddled with whatever money I brought in.
If I had one gripe about her, it'd be just that one thing.
She probably had no idea. That amid the way she looked at me, there was the faintest trace of warmth mixed in.
A tiny, sparse shred of affection wedged into all that resentment and hatred. To me, that was utterly repulsive.
"If only that wasn't there, it'd be perfect."
I popped a small piece of cake into my mouth and turned on the computer.
Sweet as ever.
The walk home from school was lively with the usual youthful clamor, just like always.
"We meet again, Han Sarang."
There, I ran into an unexpected face.
A woman with sharp features and jet-black hair falling to her shoulders. She was the judge who'd sat front and center at my audition.
But why was she here? No way she'd come to take back yesterday's envelope of cash.
"Got a moment?"
"...Sure, whatever."
"Great. Hop in my car. Oh, right—I'm Oh Seo-hee."
Following Oh Seo-hee led to a black car. I opened the passenger door and slid in, enveloped by the faint scent of a diffuser inside.
"You're wondering why I came looking for you, right?"
Oh Seo-hee settled into the driver's seat and closed the door. Up close, her sharp impression softened into refined beauty.
"A few days ago, you made a bet with one of my employees."
"Yeah. And?"
So she was here for the money envelope. Too bad—I had no plans to hand it over. Without that cash, I wouldn't have gotten hit by my Biological Mother in the first place.
"That's why I'm here. To persuade your parents, Han Sarang."
"......The bet's already over."
"No deadline was specified, was there? Or that it was a one-time chance."
Oh Seo-hee gazed at me with a faint smile. Her confident poise was disarming.
"That's sophistry."
"Fine, I'll sweeten the deal. Even if I succeed in convincing them, you keep the money."
Turned out the envelope wasn't the goal. Making me a trainee was the real aim.
Persistent, huh.
Even after all my rejections, she'd tracked me down. Guess I must appeal to her that much.
Huh. Thinking of it that way kinda lifts my mood.
"Are your parents home right now?"
"Mom comes back at night."
"Ah, then we can hang out till then."
Oh Seo-hee bridged the distance without hesitation, reaching over to buckle my seatbelt for me.
She was seriously planning to come home with me and make her pitch. I swallowed a sigh inwardly and flashed a light smile.
This was getting annoying. Time to draw a firm line so it wouldn't repeat.
"Excuse me. This is really rude, but—"
"Oh, Han Sarang. Have you eaten? There's a great Korean BBQ spot nearby. By any chance, do you like Hanwoo?"
"…………I do."
Come to think of it, she didn't seem that bothersome. Maybe spending a little more time wouldn't hurt.
Not that I'd changed my mind just because I'd never tasted Hanwoo in this life.
Every chew filled my mouth with savory juices and a subtle sweetness gliding over my tongue.
'S-so good...'
My lips parted involuntarily, a goofy grin spreading across my face.
The meat was as tender as cake. Hanwoo truly lived up to the hype.
"Eat slowly. Oh, do you like cold noodles too?"
Oh Seo-hee placed two perfectly grilled pieces onto my plate.
"I love cold noodles."
"Hehe, got it. I'll order some."
Oh Seo-hee naturally switched to casual speech with me. The big age gap made it feel more comfortable that way.
'She's a good person.'
I popped another piece into my mouth, sweet juices flooding my senses. I'd thought sweets were peak happiness—but today proved there was something even better.
Alright. New dream: Amass enough wealth to eat Hanwoo daily without a second thought.
Which means streaming it is.
"Sarang, mind if I ask about your parents?"
Oh Seo-hee carefully placed two fresh-off-the-grill pieces on my plate as she asked.
Normally, I'd have no reason to answer. But as thanks for the meat, maybe.
"No dad. Mom doesn't care much about me."
At my flat tone, the faintest flicker crossed Oh Seo-hee's eyes.
"By any chance, are things bad between you and your mom?"
"Not bad."
"Bad" implies thorns in your heart or constant clashes like enemies.
Me and my Biological Mother? We just didn't interfere with each other at all. Slightly different dynamic.
"I see. That's a relief."
Then the server brought a tray of cold noodles. Oh Seo-hee diligently portioned some into a bowl for me.
"Like I said earlier, Unnie wants to make you a famous celebrity, Sarang. And Unnie's got the skills to pull it off."
"Really?"
"Yep. Actually, this is a secret."
Oh Seo-hee covered one side of her mouth with her hand and leaned in close.
"You know Han Sea-ah? Truth is, Unnie raised that girl."
The familiar name hit my ear, and my eyes widened.
Han Sea-ah. More familiar to me than even Baek Yeon-hwa. She was the last celebrity I'd seen on screen before dying in my previous life.
You know, that girl giving her winner's speech on the broadcast.
As expected, ten years later, Han Sea-ah was a global star. Word was she'd quit idols three years back to become an actress.
But this woman raised her?
"Wow, really?"
"Yeah. Keep it secret, okay?"
An obvious lie.
If true, she wouldn't be stuck at some mid-tier agency like this.
Whatever. She just wanted to brag, so I'd play along.
"Um, I really like Han Sea-ah. Unnie, you're amazing."
I scooted my butt closer to Oh Seo-hee, closing the gap.
Resting a hand lightly on her thigh for balance, I tilted my head up with wide, sparkling eyes.
"I really admire you, Unnie."
"A-hem. Y-yeah?"
Pleased by my words, Oh Seo-hee cleared her throat awkwardly and averted her gaze. She covered her mouth, but I caught the faint smile peeking through.
"So... you'll make me a pretty celebrity?"
"O-of course! Unnie's got a great eye for it. With you, Sarang, you could be as amazing as Han Sea-ah."
"Wow, really?"
If a stranger said something this flowery, I'd call scam.
I know I'm pretty, but that felt like overkill.
"Yeah. So, will you help Unnie... convince your mom?"
I set my chopsticks down gently under her expectant gaze. Meat was mostly gone—time to wrap this up with a polite refusal.
As I swallowed the last bite and opened my mouth—
"Well, look who it is."
Someone plopped down beside me and placed a hand atop my head.
First thing I noticed: flashy blonde hair. Then, scars crisscrossing her face. Sharp eyes glinting between them made my body jolt.
The one person in this world I truly feared.
"Y-Yu-na Aunt!"
"Hey, Sarang. Saw you inside and came over."
Her cold eyes turned to Oh Seo-hee, who flinched hard.
A natural reaction.
Anyone meeting Yu-na Aunt for the first time would shrink back. Even I was intimidated at first. Staring down with eyes like she could devour you—who wouldn't tremble?
"So, what business do you have with our Sarang?"
After eyeing Oh Seo-hee for a while, Aunt smiled sweetly and casually ordered another serving of meat.
All while tapping the table with her scar-marked fingers. Tap tap tap.