Chapter 54: Scandal
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 54: Scandal
“Y-Yoo Young-eun?”
Miju’s jaw dropped as she pointed at Young-eun.
Despite the bravado she’d shown when she first arrived, she was now completely overwhelmed by Young-eun’s aura, unable to do anything but gape.
“That’s right. Nice to meet you.”
Lowering her sunglasses slightly, Young-eun flashed Miju a professional smile and walked over casually, accompanied by her secretary, Chief Park.
“I see you have a guest. A friend?”
“Something like that.”
“You two must be close, for her to visit this early in the morning.”
“That’s none of your business, Young-eun. But more importantly…”
I pointed to the article Miju had shown me.
“What is this? Why are these ridiculous rumors spreading?”
*
[Shocking Scandal! Famous Actress ‘A’ Caught in Secret Tryst. Who is the Mystery Man?]
—Dream Daily, Reporter Lee Hae-soo.
*
Young-eun’s face and mine were both pixelated.
But calling it a mosaic was being generous.
Anyone who knew me would recognize me instantly. It was such a half-hearted attempt at censoring that it was no wonder Miju had come rushing over to my house.
Young-eun, on the other hand, seemed to have taken precautions, as her face was properly obscured.
Me, Young-eun’s secret lover?
What a load of crap.
My voice came out naturally harsh.
“I assume your side didn’t leak this.”
“Of course not. I have nothing to gain from an article like this. You know how fatal a scandal can be for an actress, don’t you? Though I must say, Jae-ho, your photography skills were excellent.”
It would be a lie to say her slight eye-smile wasn't beautiful.
Sigh.
“Let’s go inside and talk. This isn’t a conversation for the hallway.”
“Fine by me.”
“Miju, do you want to come in too?”
“Yes…”
Miju’s voice was weak. She looked completely deflated.
I led them into the living room and had them sit down. Young-eun and Miju sat facing each other across the small coffee table.
“Aren’t you going to sit, Chief?”
“I’m more comfortable standing.”
I brought out drinks for the three of them.
“You have a lot of exercise equipment in your living room,” Young-eun remarked, glancing around.
“I do. I have to work out every day.”
“Hmm…”
As she scanned the room, the corner of Young-eun’s eyebrow twitched. She tilted her head and took another look.
“Huh?”
Did she notice something?
“This living room feels a bit familiar. Like I’ve seen it somewhere before?” Young-eun said, her eyes fixed on the layout.
‘It feels strangely familiar.’
Young-eun stared at Jae-ho’s living room. Ever since she stepped inside, a nagging sense of déjà vu had been tugging at her mind.
Her gaze grew sharper. Her keen intuition was telling her she had definitely seen this place before.
Just then, Jae-ho interrupted her train of thought.
“You’ve seen it somewhere?”
“Yes. The way this equipment is arranged is very similar to the gym—”
“I deliberately set it up to look like the gym.”
“To look like it?”
“Yes. I wanted to create an environment that motivates me to work out.”
“Aha~.”
I offered a quick excuse. It seemed to work, as Young-eun nodded in understanding. This was likely the effect of the weak hypnosis still lingering on her.
I quickly changed the subject to get to the point.
“Shall we get back to the main topic? What brings you here?”
“Oh, right. I didn’t actually come here because of the article.”
Young-eun fell silent for a moment before speaking.
“I’m sorry.”
Huh?
Did Young-eun just apologize?
“Did I hear that right? Did you just say you’re sorry?”
“I did. I’m sorry.”
“Uh, well…”
This was not the response I expected.
“This is a surprise.”
“What, did you think I came here to hold you responsible?”
“The thought did cross my mind.”
Based on my impression of her, I expected her to be annoyed or angry at me.
“It’s a scandal published by a trashy tabloid just to increase their subscribers. It’s not your fault, Jae-ho. If anything, it’s my fault for kicking everyone out of the cafe.”
Oh?
She’s aware of her own faults. She seemed more reasonable than I thought.
“I feel like you were just thinking something very rude.”
“Not at all. I’m just… surprised. Did you really come all this way just to apologize?”
“Yes. I came to tell you that you don’t need to worry about this matter.”
“…”
“My agency will release a rebuttal. We’ll state the truth—that you’re someone completely unrelated and that we were in the process of casting for a photoshoot. And the Jeil Group legal team will handle the rest. I’m a celebrity, so I’m used to this, but you’re a private citizen, aren’t you?”
Young-eun’s eyes sharpened as she looked at me.
“I know how difficult it can be for a regular person to be exposed to the media like this. We’ll make sure you’re fully compensated for that part as well.”
“Is that so?”
“If things get difficult, I’ll use our advertising clout to pressure them… but I doubt it’ll have to go that far.”
The things coming out of her mouth sounded like they were from a different world.
I got the gist of it, though. Young-eun was going to use her power to crush the newspaper.
“Will that be the end of it?”
“It should be. However…”
Young-eun trailed off, her lips twitching slightly.
“Going to school might become quite a nuisance for you.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why? Everyone at your school will know. They’ll know exactly who the ‘mystery man’ in that article is.”
“Ah.”
“Even your friend here came running. How many people do you think were at the scene?”
“Isn’t that your fault, Young-eun?”
“That’s why I said I’m sorry.”
People at school would recognize me and pester me.
In fact…
Vrrr! Vrrr! Vrrrrrr!
My phone was vibrating like crazy. Students I’d exchanged numbers with for group projects and people I’d barely met on campus were flooding me with messages.
I didn’t even have to look to know what they said. They were all asking if the guy in the paper was me.
“So, what do you plan to do about it?”
“Chief Park will drive you until the rumors die down.”
“…”
“We have to prevent people from approaching you as much as possible.”
“Will you be in the car too, Young-eun?”
“I won’t be able to go to school for a while, so no. Why? Do you want me to be there?”
She tilted her head toward me provocatively. Immediately, I felt a sharp gaze from the side. Miju was glaring at us as if she wanted to kill someone.
“I’m fine.”
“Good. I think that covers the scandal… Oh.”
Young-eun clapped her hands as if she’d just remembered something.
“Reporters will probably show up for a while. We’ll try to block them, but… we won’t be able to protect you perfectly. There’s nothing I can do about that.”
“I don’t mind.”
“This might actually be an opportunity for you, Jae-ho.”
An opportunity?
“You mean I can get my name out there before we even do your photoshoot?”
“You catch on quick. Even if that’s not the case, I’ll make sure this benefits you in the future. Personally. That’s my apology to you for the trouble this will cause.”
“You’re very pragmatic.”
“Of course.”
I thought she was just a spoiled brat, but she was showing a different side of herself. It was unexpected.
‘She has a huge ego and a lot of pride, but I guess she really is the daughter of a chaebol family.’
I had one more reason not to let my guard down around her.
“Fine. Since you’re going that far, I’ll let it go.”
“Were you angry?”
“Of course. I just didn’t show it.”
“That’s a relief. So, do I have at least a little bit of decency now?”
I guess my comment about her having no manners had really stuck with her.
“A little bit.”
We both shared a small smile.
It was then.
“E-Excuse me!”
Miju, who had been listening silently, cut in.
“P-Please tell me the truth!”
Her voice was trembling. The glass in her hand shook as much as her voice did. That was how much Young-eun’s presence intimidated her.
“Nothing really happened between you two, right?”
“Do you want something to have happened?”
Miju shook her head violently.
“Nothing happened. Not a thing.”
Young-eun gave Miju a dazzling smile. For some reason, that smile seemed to carry a hint of pity.
“Well, I’ve said everything I needed to say. The drink was delicious.”
“It was nothing.”
“Oh, and…”
Young-eun turned back to me as she was heading out.
“Did you check the photo I sent last night? I worked hard to make sure it looked clean. It was a bit embarrassing, actually.”
And with that, she left.
Wait.
Why would she describe a photo of her dinner in such a suggestive way?
I had to break a sweat explaining to Miju that it was just a picture of the food Young-eun had eaten.
*
‘It really does look just like the gym…’
On her way to her next schedule, Young-eun thought back to Jae-ho’s house. The entrance, the interior—it was all so familiar. To call it similar was an understatement; it was practically identical.
To that place she had seen.
‘It definitely looked the same.’
Similar? No, it was a carbon copy.
Wait a minute.
‘Where was it that looked the same?’
She was sure she remembered it. Just a moment ago, the memory had been vivid in her mind…
But now, she couldn’t remember when or where she had seen it. Her chest felt tight with frustration, as if she were wandering through a thick fog.
Should she go back and ask Jae-ho?
She shook her head. She didn’t have time before her next appointment. Even if she left now, she’d be cutting it close. She hated being late.
“Phew, whatever. I’ll remember eventually.”
She decided not to give herself a headache over it. Suddenly, she thought of Miju, the girl who had been by Jae-ho’s side.
‘Is she his girlfriend?’
The girl clearly had feelings for him. That earnest look in her eyes when she asked if anything had happened between them… She seemed like a very innocent girl.
How pitiful.
Young-eun felt bad for Miju, who was pining after an impossible love. After all, Jae-ho was gay, wasn’t he? If he weren’t, he would have surely fallen for Young-eun by now.
‘I should comfort her later when she gets rejected.’
She closed her eyes, silently rooting for Miju’s tragic love.
*
“She was definitely beautiful.”
On her way home, Miju let out a deep sigh.
The actress was stunning. She was so charming that even another woman could fall for her. She was one of the most famous actresses in Korea, after all.
‘She has feelings for him, doesn’t she?’
It was a woman’s intuition. That woman was definitely interested in Jae-ho. She wasn’t sure if it was romantic interest, but it was definitely something. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have looked at him like that.
“Why are there so many women around him…?”
She thought back to the night she spent with Jae-ho.
“What exactly is my relationship with him…?”
The day he had chased away Joo Yeon-seok, her stalker, she had invited Jae-ho to her house and they had crossed the line. Using the excuse of watching a movie together.
They had spent a hot, trembling night together, and the experience was still vivid in her mind. Her face flushed at the memory.
‘Did it mean the same to him?’
Jae-ho was Miju’s first.
The problem was that although they had shared a bed and spent the night together, they hadn’t talked about being in a relationship. Neither had called the other their boyfriend or girlfriend.
They had been too caught up in the afterglow of that night to think about such things.
‘Why was I so stupid?’
She should have asked. She should have said something. She should have at least confessed.
‘Why didn’t Jae-ho say anything?’
Miju didn’t know. She didn’t know that Jae-ho was the ultimate novice when it came to romance, a man with zero experience. She didn’t know that before he gained the hypnosis ability, he couldn’t even talk to women easily. He was a man who had only recently gained the confidence to believe in himself.
The two of them were just spinning their wheels, unable to convey their true feelings because they were both too shy and overwhelmed.
‘Was it just a physical thing? Is this what they call friends with benefits…?’
Miju wanted to stay by Jae-ho’s side, even if it was just a relationship like that. She wanted to get closer, but she was afraid of getting hurt if he rejected her. For the first time, the girl who usually approached others with ease was hesitating.
‘What if he says he doesn’t like me?’
She was agonizing over it.
*
“Phew.”
After finally managing to soothe Miju and send her home, I let out a long sigh.
I was exhausted. I’d spent a lot of energy comforting Miju, who had been depressed by Young-eun’s words. She seemed to have accepted my explanation, but…
I don’t know. I still don’t understand the female heart.
Vrrr!
Right after I sighed, my phone, which had been quiet for a moment, rang again. Who was it this time?
[Father]
It was a call from my father.
“…”
He hadn’t contacted me once since I started university. I thought he had cut ties with me. Why now?
My hesitation was brief. I answered the phone.
“Hello?”
—I saw the article.
My father’s characteristically heavy, deep voice echoed through the receiver.