Part 11

“Seowoo, I’ll enjoy this.”

“…What?”

“I was just getting hungry since it’s lunchtime. Thanks.”

“Thank you, senior!”

As Seowoo arrived at the set and got out of the van, everyone she met on her way to her dressing room thanked her and held up their food.

Not understanding the situation, she awkwardly accepted their greetings until she reached the dressing room.

“Seowoo!”

Jung-ah, who had followed her in, was panting and pointed outside with her index finger.

“What’s going on?”

“Ha. Ha. You know about the snack truck that came?”

“…What?”

“Come see.”

Curious about what she meant, Seowoo just looked on as Jung-ah grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward a different door, the main entrance they hadn’t used when entering. There, parked to one side, was a truck.

“No… What is this?”

With Seowoo’s photo spread, simple quick snacks were laid out in a line.

“You don’t know anything about this? Someone sent it. There’s no name of the sender.”

Seowoo approached it as if she was drawn to it.

[I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Enjoy the food and have fun with the rest of the shoot].

The message was quite cute.

Who on earth sent this?

She hadn’t been back for too long that there were no fans who would send such a thing.

“Aren’t you going to eat anything?”

“Ah, I did have a meal before coming, but…”

“But since it’s in front of you, you should eat a little. I’ll have dumplings, fish cakes, and tteokbokki!”

“Sure, just a moment.”

Jung-ah cheerfully placed her order, and the waiting stall owner nodded with a kind smile.

“Seowoo!”

“Hello?”

At that moment, Sung-hyun approached and greeted her.

It had only been a few days since his last hospital visit, but it felt like weeks had passed.

Seowoo looked up at him and smiled. Sung-hyun watched her quietly, a broad smile spreading across his face.

“You must have been resting well because your face looks so much better.”

“Does it look like that?”

He nodded his head in affirmation.

He was relieved to see her looking better.

“That’s good to hear. Who sent you this, by the way?”

“Um…….”

“I’ll eat well anyway.”

Not knowing who to attribute it to, Seowoo smiled awkwardly and hesitated, then Sung-hyun spoke again.

“Let’s eat together. We can take it to the dressing room or eat right here since the weather is nice.”

“Yeah, Seowoo. Do what Sung-hyun says. I’ll go and eat this with In-ryul!”

“Okay.”

Jung-ah took the food and headed back to the dressing room. Sung-hyun and Seowoo moved closer to the truck.

“Sir, I’d like some fish cakes and sundae. And for Seowoo?”

“I’ll have tteokbokki. And gimmari (Fried Seaweed Roll).”

“Oh, the sender told me to give you this when you come and order.”

The owner suddenly stood up and went to the refrigerator. He then took something out and handed it to her.

Seowoo’s eyes widened as she saw it.

“This is…….”

“Everyone is having coffee, but the sender says you can’t drink coffee. Instead, the sender made sure to give you this.”

Seowoo took it and laughed in disbelief.

Despite thinking hard, she couldn’t figure out who had sent it, but now, holding it in her hands, she instantly knew.

“Who is it?”

Sung-hyun, who now had food in both hands, asked with a puzzled expression.

“A fan, it seems.”

Then, the stall owner, handing over the food, abruptly joined their conversation. Seowoo looked up at the man again.

“A big fan. The sender kept asking me to make it tasty.”

“Was it a man?”

“Yes, tall and handsome. I thought he was an actor because he was so good-looking.”

Hearing this, one of Sung-hyun’s eyebrows twitched slightly. He then narrowed his eyes and looked at her.

“You’re really popular, huh.”

“Ah, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Look at this. An unknown man sent you this. I need to step up my game too.”

He led the dazed Seowoo to a nearby bench.

Seowoo turned her head and took another look at the truck.

****

Late at night.

After finishing shooting at 11 PM, Sung-hyun headed to the meeting place.

It was because of a phone call he received that morning.

‘I’d like to meet with you when you’re free.’

‘Who is this?’

‘I’m Jo Myeong-hye from K Group.’

Jo Myeong-hye.

The name sounded familiar. While he was thinking, the older woman’s voice continued.

‘You might know me as General Manager Kwon Jiwook’s mother.’

An unexpected revelation made Sung-hyun chuckle.

He wondered why Jiwook’s mother call him. 

It was certainly a bizarre phone call.

‘What is this regarding?’

‘I would like to meet you.’

‘I’m not sure if there’s anything you and I need to talk about.’

Sung-hyun immediately set boundaries. He wasn’t particularly interested in meeting her, but he sensed that the conversation wouldn’t be pleasant.

‘It’s about Yoon Seowoo, who was my daughter-in-law.’

Hearing Seowoo’s name made Sung-hyun’s eyes waver for a moment. He took a deep breath while holding his phone.

‘I’m busy filming, and I’m not finishing until late today…….’

‘I will wait until you are finished. I’ll be waiting to hear from you.’

Myeong-hye, cutting him off mid-sentence, said what she had to say, and hung up the phone.

Throughout the shooting, Sung-hyun was distracted and unable to concentrate. His curiosity deepened whenever he faced Seowoo.

He wondered why Jiwook’s mom would mention Yoon Seowoo and call him. 

No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t find an answer. Eventually, after the shooting, Sung-hyun immediately headed to the meeting place.

The destination was a Korean restaurant in Gangnam. Despite the late hour, it was still bustling with people, and the staff were busy moving around.

A staff member approached the door, spoke briefly, and slowly slid the door open. As the door opened halfway, Myeong-hye was visible sitting inside.

After a brief bow, Sung-hyun entered the room. Only then did Myeong-hye turn her gaze towards him with a gentle smile.

“Welcome.”

Sung-hyun sat in front of Myeong-hye with a stern expression.

“You look even more impressive in person.”

“I’m in a bit of a hurry, so why don’t you tell me what you’re here for?”

Despite Sung-hyun’s frosty demeanor, Myeong-hye maintained her composure, merely smiling.

“Have you eaten?”

“I’m fine.”

Then, a staff member entered the room. Recognizing Sung-hyun, the staff glanced at him and then turned toward Myeong-hye.

“Please bring the same tea as mine.”

“Uh, no. I’m fine.”

Sung-hyun declined again. As the staff lingered, unsure of what to do, Myeong-hye nodded slightly, signaling her to leave.

After the staff member left, silence fell in the room. Myeong-hye lifted her teacup and took a sip, then looked up at him and smiled weakly.

“I’ve been enjoying your drama.”

The preamble was dragging on.

Sung-hyun narrowed his eyes slightly in annoyance as he stared at her.

“I have a proposal for you.”

“…”

“Rather than talking, it might be better to show you.”

Myeong-hye picked up a briefcase that was beside her, placed it on the table, and opened it towards Sung-hyun.

Inside, the briefcase was tightly packed with cash. Seeing this, Sung-hyun’s face contorted instantly.

“Yoon Seowoo, what do you think of her?”

Sung-hyun’s eyes turned cold at the blunt question.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, in many senses. I’m curious about her as a woman too. Marriage would be fine, or just a romantic relationship.”

What kind of talk is this about a person who was once her daughter-in-law?

Myeong-hye didn’t seem to mind as she said this. Her nonchalant face gave him goosebumps.

“The money in the bag right now is 2 billion.”

“…”

“Whether it’s a scandal or marriage with her. If you succeed, I’m thinking of adding more.”

“Ha.”

It was such a nonsensical statement.

Sung-hyun burst out laughing in disbelief, and Myeong-hye’s previously calm eyes narrowed.

“Ah, so you want me to take this money and seduce Yoon Seowoo.”

“It’s nice that you understand quickly. We’re on the same wavelength.”

The corners of Myeong-hye’s mouth turned up in satisfaction at his quick understanding of her intentions.

“Why should I? I might not have as much as you, but I have quite a bit of money myself. Enough that I don’t need to resort to such things.”

He had plenty of money.

Enough money that he had earned through his efforts to live comfortably for a lifetime.

He wasn’t entirely averse to material desires, but he had never felt the need to resort to shameful means. He had always ignored the dark temptations that came his way and built his success from the ground up.

This was truly a bizarre proposition.

“Is it because you want to distance her from your son?”

It was ultimately about wanting to separate Yoon Seowoo from her son, Kwon Jiwook.

Because she dislikes Seowoo being involved with her son.