Chapter 43 – That Guy, Was He Serious? 

Was it because she was so tense? 

Eom So-yeon felt as if her vision was spinning, and even the strength she had managed to maintain in her body suddenly dissipated. She had a haunting premonition that if she closed her eyes now, she might never open them again. Determined to stay alert, she forced her eyes wide open. 

But her increasingly heavy eyelids betrayed her willpower, slowly closing on their own.  

Stop being stubborn and come to me. 

Tae Seo-jun hadn’t even whispered these words into her ear yet.  

That was how it was. 

Unlike his usual self, Tae Seo-jun had sent his car and the two men who usually accompanied him back to the hotel. Instead, he was traveling with the other actors in a large van. And, as if it were the most natural thing, he had taken the seat next to So-yeon that was originally meant for Yeo Do-soon. 

Thanks to this, Do-soon had ended up in the very back seat, chatting happily with fellow managers her age.  

Watching So-yeon, who seemed to be dozing off, Seo-jun couldn’t help but smirk. 

Ever since he realized that his father’s men were keeping a close watch on him, he had been careful with every move he made. Having to act indifferent toward her, even when he wanted to embrace her on impulse, had felt utterly pointless. 

While it was amusing to see So-yeon flustered at times, it wasn’t purely enjoyable. Keeping his distance from her felt like a punishment to himself.  

Feeling that he had given her enough time to think, Seo-jun eagerly anticipated tonight. He wanted to have dinner with her alone and talk about their future. The deep glances she occasionally gave him gave him confidence that he understood what they meant.  

But starting tomorrow, he wouldn’t be able to see Eom So-yeon for a while. Faced with that impatience, waiting any longer felt meaningless. He wanted her answer now.  

Yet, as soon as she got into the car, she had fallen asleep like this…  

By the time the van arrived at the hotel, the actors began stepping out one by one.  

“Eom So-yeon.” 

Seo-jun called out to her, but she remained fast asleep, not moving an inch. Then, as if it were her specialty, Yeo Do-soon quickly approached from the back seat and said, 

“I’ll help her out.”  

Moments later, Do-soon got out of the van, carrying a pile of luggage in both hands, and headed straight into the hotel. Meanwhile, So-yeon, who had stepped onto the pavement, froze in place as if turned to ice. Her gaze had locked with Tae Seo-jun’s, who was standing near the hotel’s revolving doors, talking to the production staff.  

What should I say? Should I thank him for everything? No, that feels too cold. Maybe I should just casually shake his hand since there are so many people around? Or…  

She felt she had to say goodbye to him. But how, and where should she start? As she hesitated, taking a step forward—  

“I think I’ve grown attached to you, So-yeon. Even though we’ll see each other again in Korea, it feels strangely sad.”  

A veteran actress, who played the role of Tae Seo-jun’s servant in the drama, approached So-yeon, expressing her regret.  

“I feel the same way. Thank you all for being so kind to me. My filming is over, but I’ll make sure to visit the set in Ilsan from time to time.”  

“That’s good to hear. You’re flying back tomorrow, right?”  

There was no need to mention the trivial details about why her return had been delayed. Keeping her words brief, So-yeon smiled wistfully. The older actress glanced at Oh Min-jung, who was standing close to Tae Seo-jun, and lowered her voice.  

“No matter how good Oh Min-jung is, here, Eom So-yeon, you were the real star. Your ability to create an atmosphere and immerse yourself in your role was outstanding. At first, people doubted you because they thought you were just a pretty face, but you proved everyone wrong. Everyone’s been saying how great you were. Me included.”  

“Oh, you’re too kind.”  

Though it was just a compliment, it wasn’t unpleasant to hear. So-yeon smiled shyly, but her smile didn’t last long.  

“Look! Isn’t that Yoo Jung-hwa and Jo In-ha? Over there!”  

At someone’s exclamation, all eyes turned toward the direction of Tae Seo-jun and Oh Min-jung. So-yeon also spotted Yoo Jung-hwa and Jo In-ha clearly.  

The moment she saw Yoo Jung-hwa, a series of nightmarish memories flashed through her mind. Her pulse quickened unnaturally, and her body froze in place as if rooted to the spot.  

“How have you been, Seo-jun?”  

With an elegant smile, Yoo Jung-hwa addressed Tae Seo-jun in a casual tone.  

But as soon as Jung-hwa’s voice reached his ears, what caught So-yeon’s attention was the way Seo-jun’s gaze wavered for a moment before settling into a calm stillness. That alone was enough for her to know—Tae Seo-jun still couldn’t ignore Yoo Jung-hwa.  

Others might not notice, but to So-yeon, it was obvious.  

Four years ago, Tae Seo-jun had seemed like someone willing to do anything to forget Yoo Jung-hwa. Jung-hwa had even threatened him by pretending to still be his lover until recently.  

And now, So-yeon realized something new: whatever their relationship was, it wasn’t over yet.  

“Jung-hwa! Didn’t you come here to see me?”  

Min-jung, frustrated by Jung-hwa’s lack of attention, burst out in annoyance. Of course, this was just Min-jung’s way of expressing familiarity.  

“Maybe.”  

“What kind of answer is that? Don’t disappoint me!”  

Feigning innocence, Jung-hwa patted Min-jung’s back affectionately.  

“Ha, don’t get so worked up. Why else would I be here if not for you? I also came to support Director Yoon’s project.”  

Oh Min-jung and Yoo Jung-hwa had grown close during their time in Milan, spending several days together and forming a strong bond. At least, Min-jung had worked hard to make it seem that way, and in this moment, Jung-hwa’s sincerity shone through.  

Jo In-ha, who had been standing quietly next to Jung-hwa, noticed So-yeon, whose complexion had turned unusually pale.  

And then it happened. 

As So-yeon unconsciously stepped backward, she found herself on the road. A car speeding toward the hotel screeched to a halt.  

Screeeeech!  

On the asphalt, now marked with skid lines, lay Eom So-yeon, collapsed. 

***

It had been over a year since that incident. 

The incident where Eom So-yeon was rushed to the hospital after collapsing unconscious from a head injury caused by a partial collapse of the movie set… 

Fortunately, timely emergency treatment prevented brain damage, but her rare blood type and excessive bleeding made finding blood more urgent than surgery. Had fate not intervened, So-yeon might have lost everything that day. 

Considering the magnitude of the incident, the trauma must have been severe. Still, So-yeon believed she had overcome it—at least until today, when she came face-to-face with Yoo Jung-hwa.  

It was about a month after she had survived that dangerous ordeal and been hospitalized. Although her wounds had healed, the fear of the accident lingered. Around that time, Yoo Jung-hwa visited her hospital room.  

‘So it was you who was such a thorn in my side, and now this happened. With an accident like that, it wouldn’t have been strange if you had died instantly. You’re really lucky, aren’t you? But how long do you think that luck will last?’ 

Those were the words Yoo Jung-hwa had whispered to her. 

‘We might cross paths again in this small industry, but I hope you don’t loiter around or do anything to annoy me ever again.’

From the very first time they met at the El Stella Hotel bar, Yoo Jung-hwa had known exactly who Eom So-yeon was. And it was then that So-yeon realized the mysterious woman connected to Tae Seo-jun was Yoo Jung-hwa. 

‘I’m telling you to stay out of my way. Unless you want to go through this again.’ 

What chilled her the most was Jung-hwa’s final remark. It was so vile and criminally malicious that So-yeon couldn’t believe it, even after hearing it. Despite the suspicions surrounding the incident, it had been quietly concluded as an unfortunate accident.  

Now, a year after that event, coming face-to-face with Yoo Jung-hwa again, So-yeon’s nightmares about the horrifying accident resurfaced. 

Unless you want to go through this again…

Unless you want to go through this again… 

Unless… 

The voice Yoo Jung-hwa had used in the hospital room echoed loudly in her head. At that moment, So-yeon’s vision went pitch black, and the pain in her previously injured head surged, forcing her to stagger backward. Eventually, she lost consciousness.  

So-yeon was now lying on a bed in the hotel’s infirmary.  

The doctor, urgently summoned by the hotel manager, had prescribed nothing but a fever reducer before leaving, saying she would recover soon and that her condition wasn’t serious.  

But even after an hour, her fever hadn’t gone down. The medication didn’t seem to be working, and a second dose was administered. Yet, her temperature remained dangerously high, hovering over 40 degrees Celsius. Motionless since losing consciousness, So-yeon lay there as if lifeless.  

“Um… I need to step out for a bit. Could you watch over So-yeon for me?”  

Letting out a deep sigh, Yeo Do-soon entrusted So-yeon to Jo In-ha and hurriedly left the infirmary. In-ha, acting as if he were her guardian, sat close to the bed.  

“See? There’s no one else but me…”  

In-ha murmured to himself as he wrung out a damp cloth and placed it on So-yeon’s forehead.  

“Even your friend left you. She’s probably tired of you being sick. So just accept it. There’s no one else for you but me, Eom So-yeon.”  

Of course, someone hovering between life and death wouldn’t respond. With no one else around, In-ha let out some of the thoughts he had been suppressing. But his growing greed led him to trace his fingers slowly along So-yeon’s lips.  

His hand lingered there for a while, as if yearning for something more.  

Perhaps, even in her unconscious state, she sensed his lewd intentions. Her dry lips twitched faintly, but that was the only movement she made.  

In-ha once again caressed her lips.  

It wasn’t long before it happened. So engrossed in the sensation of So-yeon’s lips, Jo In-ha failed to notice someone entering the infirmary.  

“Take your hands off her.”  

“…!”  

At the low, menacing voice, In-ha turned around. In that instant, he was met with an intense, piercing gaze unlike anything he had ever experienced. The sheer force of Tae Seo-jun’s glare made In-ha’s upper body instinctively recoil.  

“Guys like you are called stalkers.”  

“What?”  

“Are you insane…?”  

After checking So-yeon’s condition, Seo-jun seemed to make a decision. With unwavering strength, he gently lifted her in his arms.  

“What are you doing?!”  

Seo-jun didn’t bother to respond. Without a word, he tightened his lips and prepared to leave the infirmary. But In-ha blocked the doorway with his body.  

“I asked you what you’re doing!”  

“And I’m asking you—what are you doing? Watching someone burn up with a fever and doing nothing?”  

“The doctor said she’ll be fine soon!”  

“If we don’t act now, it’ll be dangerous. Move!”  

“What nonsense are you—ugh!”  

“Shut up with your nonsense!”  

When In-ha refused to step aside despite his warnings, Seo-jun dealt with him swiftly, taking him down with a single knee strike. Then, without hesitation, he left the infirmary.  

Tae Seo-jun was, in fact, a licensed medical professional.  

“…Ha…”  

Jo In-ha stood there, unable to say a word, his mouth opening and closing in stunned silence.  

But he had felt it clearly.  

Even someone as composed and confident as Tae Seo-jun wasn’t like that when it came to Eom So-yeon. 

That guy… he was serious.