Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Episode 10. Runaway (1)
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After HSL Season 2 came to an end.
Kang Han-do was immensely satisfied to see the huge positive response his first program had garnered across online communities and various SNS platforms.
But the trouble started after that.
"Runaway...?"
Kang Han-do's eyes widened as he asked Choi Ye-hee again to confirm.
Looking up at him with a face slightly flushed from alcohol, she nodded in response.
For Kang Han-do, this was pure panic.
The girl who had always been so docile and patient was suddenly talking about running away from home.
'I can't believe it. There's a saying that even the tamest cat climbs up on the stove first—does it apply to cases like this?'
He thought there were few people as gentle as Choi Ye-hee.
Even so, he hadn't expected her to make such an extreme choice out of nowhere.
He had a vague idea why she had opted to run away.
"Was it... because things didn't go well with your family?"
"......"
Choi Ye-hee clamped her mouth shut and stayed silent.
After a moment, she finally spoke slowly.
"...Yes."
"I see."
There was a reason she had chosen to run away.
She had declared her dream of becoming a singer, but her family hadn't supported her.
Of course, he could understand their side too.
Who would easily accept it if a kid attending a prestigious national university's law school—clearly on track for a career in law—suddenly said she wanted to be a singer?
As far as Kang Han-do knew, parents who readily approved of dreams like Choi Ye-hee's were rare.
He had anticipated the process would be tough.
But he never imagined it would lead to her running away.
"Then... what's in that bag...?"
"It's exactly what you think it is."
He didn't need to look to know.
When he had pulled out the lap blanket earlier, he had glimpsed underwear inside, along with piles of other clothes.
He should have guessed from the moment she showed up with the bag.
But no matter how perceptive someone was, who could instantly tell that Choi Ye-hee had run away?
'Life really is full of surprises.'
Swallowing a wry smile, Kang Han-do glanced at the small clock on the wall.
It was the dead of night, and public transport had stopped running.
"In that case... alright. I'll take a taxi and drop you off wherever you're planning to stay."
"Stay where?"
"Aren't you planning to crash at a friend's place for a while?"
Things were taking a weird turn.
Sensing something off, Kang Han-do asked tentatively.
His uneasy suspicion hit the mark.
"I'm not here to stay at a friend's—I'm here to stay at *your* place, Han-do-ssi."
"......"
Hearing that sent him into his second panic of the night.
It wasn't like he and Choi Ye-hee were total strangers. They had seen each other often enough, and they would continue to cross paths.
But right now, Kang Han-do could say with absolute certainty:
They weren't close enough to share living space.
Sure, he harbored rational feelings of affection for her, but the timing was way too soon. And if her parents found out? Her dream of becoming a singer could become impossible.
Weighing all the factors, no clear answer emerged.
The potential backlash was too severe; avoiding cohabitation for now seemed wisest.
"I think staying at a same-sex friend's place would be the safest option."
"That defeats the purpose of running away. My parents have all my friends' contacts. I'd be dragged back home in a day without even trying."
"......"
There was an oddly convincing ring to it.
She had a point.
Even if she secretly stayed at a female friend's, word would inevitably reach her parents, exposing her location in no time.
But what if it was Han-do's place?
Only Ye-hee knew about him.
And who would expect her to boldly run away to a near-stranger's man's house to crash?
Kang Han-do could only click his tongue softly at Ye-hee's surprisingly gutsy resolve.
"Besides, I haven't contacted any friends in advance. If you kick me out of this room, I'll have to sleep on the street."
"......"
"You're the only one, Han-do-ssi. Please..."
How could he heartlessly ignore the desperate plea from the girl he liked?
In the end, overwhelmed by her begging, Kang Han-do nodded heavily as if conceding.
"Alright. But just for tonight. Starting tomorrow, I can't let you stay here indefinitely—you'll have to find somewhere else. Got it?"
"Yes, thank you, Han-do-ssi."
A bright smile spread across Choi Ye-hee's lips.
That smile from her younger days was worth more than a million dollars to Kang Han-do—priceless beyond any gem.
"Haa."
He let out a deep sigh.
In that moment, he realized something new about himself:
He was hopelessly weak when it came to the girl he liked.
* * *
3 a.m.
The hour when most people were deep in sleep, yet the light in Kang Han-do's one-room stayed stubbornly on.
His mind was a tangled mess, like a knotted ball of yarn, all because of housing Choi Ye-hee for the night.
He never imagined putting up a woman would be this complicated.
And in a one-room, there were no separate rooms.
He had to somehow make sleeping arrangements in this combined living space.
Plus, he only had one blanket and one pillow.
The two of them had to share that single set.
"Ye-hee-ssi, you can use the blanket and pillow."
"Me?"
"Yes. My conscience would sting too much to make a woman sleep without anything."
"And you?"
"I'll just wear thick clothes to bed. A parka or something—it's fluffy, feels just like a blanket. I sometimes sleep like that anyway, so don't worry about it. Haha!"
He said it casually, but blankets were still the best.
He'd never actually slept bundled only in clothes.
Who would pass up a proper comforter for layers of clothing?
It didn't make sense.
Still, to spare Ye-hee any worry, he exaggerated.
He piled on words to minimize her guilt over hogging the blanket.
But her next words were shockingly bold.
"Can't we just share the blanket?"
"......!!"
He had lost count of how many times she'd plunged him into panic since her runaway bombshell.
Her explosive statements kept coming.
"It's not like it's *for that* anyway... Sharing one blanket shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"......"
When she said "that," Ye-hee's face turned red as an apple.
Kang Han-do knew exactly what she meant.
Because he was an adult.
"That might be a bit... No, absolutely not. Sleeping in the same room is already risky enough—sharing a blanket would be a disaster."
"R-right? I guess so."
Choi Ye-hee wondered if she'd gone too far suggesting the blanket share.
This time, she decided to go along with him.
With his major concession, they settled the biggest issue: blanket and pillow.
A pillow was easy—roll up clothes and use that.
The blanket was trickier, but he wasn't the type who *had* to have one to sleep; thick clothes could suffice.
Their sleeping setup was finally taking shape.
"I'll turn off the light now."
"Okay."
It was nearing 4 a.m. before they could finally try to sleep.
Under the comforter with just her face peeking out, Choi Ye-hee gazed at Kang Han-do.
Even in the dark room, his figure was clear.
She stared silently for a while before her eyes slowly closed.
Meanwhile, huddled in the corner, Kang Han-do had layered on every thick garment he owned.
Probably four or five layers.
Just in case, he even added socks and gloves.
'Should've bought a sleeping bag if I'd known.'
But who could predict Choi Ye-hee's runaway and prepare for sharing space with her?
Physically, it was cold and uncomfortable.
"......"
But with the girl he liked breathing softly in sleep across from him, his heart was full of happiness.
'How high is my happiness meter right now?'
He was even curious about that.
* * *
Jeon Yu-hyeon, unable to sleep late into the night, kept watching TV with a bitter smile.
Once hailed as variety TV's rising star by many.
Now, he had faded from people's memories.
Two years. Long enough to be an eternity, short enough to forget someone entirely.
During that time, Jeon Yu-hyeon had battled his fear... not of broadcasting, but of the public's attention.
That fear manifested as panic attacks.
He avoided people for a long while.
Because he was scared.
Believing he hadn't overcome it, he shut himself away in his own world.
Then one day.
Jeon Yu-hyeon realized something.
In his dark room, he happened to glance at the glowing TV.
The celebrities on screen dazzled him.
They basked in the public's gaze, asserting their presence.
They were true stars.
He wondered:
Had I ever shone like that in people's eyes?
Did they see me as a star?
And.
Could I become that dazzling again?
He wanted to. No—he *had* to.
Breaking his two-year hiatus, Jeon Yu-hyeon stepped boldly back toward the broadcasting stage.
How would the public judge his return?
Fear was his biggest hurdle. But he had to overcome it somehow.
"...Alright. Get it together, Jeon Yu-hyeon! This is your fresh start!"
He psyched himself up.