Chapter 50 – Let Me See You

Hyun-woo, covered in dirt from playing with mud, was being washed by her mom and Jessica in the bathroom.

Meanwhile, So-yeon, who had skillfully and quickly prepared her son’s favorite snacks in the kitchen, took the freshly cleaned Hyun-woo from her mother and led him to his room. She intended to put him down for a nap.

Time passed, and it was evening.

“I’ll be back, Mom. I might be a little late at work.”

Today, since they planned to watch the first broadcast of the drama together at the company, So-yeon hurriedly finished preparing to go out and was seen off by her mother at the entrance.

“Alright. Don’t worry about the child and have a good time. Oh, I haven’t mentioned it yet. I’m going to Jeju Island tomorrow. Sorin insisted we must visit her house before returning to Canada.”

“I wish I could go too. I want to see my little sister, brother-in-law, and niece.”

“Don’t be silly. You have work. Hyun-woo and I will go.”

Yeon-hee, who followed her to the elevator, spoke with sincere advice in her smiling lips.

“Isn’t there anyone nice at your company? There’s no specific time for dating, but being alone at your prime, when you’re as beautiful as a flower, isn’t good.”

“Oh, Mom, why am I alone? I live with Hyun-woo now.”

“Silly! I’m talking about a man, not a child. I’ll be in Korea for at least another month, so do whatever you want during that time. Like dating, going on dates, or blind dates.”

“Pfft… It’s all the same. Anyway, I’ll try for your sake.”

Reassuring Yeon-hee with words she didn’t mean, So-yeon got into the elevator.

A little later, driving out of the apartment complex, So-yeon smoothly turned the wheel towards Samseong-dong.

It was at that moment.

Bang!

The car following behind collided with So-yeon’s car.

She was driving slowly near the apartment and was even more cautious while turning right. Yet, an absurd accident occurred. The car behind was an obviously rare luxury sedan. A man got out of that car and approached So-yeon, tapping on her window.

Knock, knock.

“Eom So-yeon.”

“!”

The man knew So-yeon’s name.

Meanwhile, So-yeon also recognized who this man was at a glance.

***

In the dark night, a luxury car smoothly entered the garage of Chairman Go’s residence in Seongbuk-dong.

It was the same sedan that had just hit So-yeon’s car from behind.

“I’m back, Madam.”

The attendant, who entered the glass greenhouse through the spacious garden, bowed his head.

“…”

Yeo-jung, who was staring at the orchid flowers, held scissors in her hand. Lost in thought, she remained silent for a while before slowly raising her gaze.

“So, did you give the warning as I instructed?”

As her lips moved heavily, exuding a cold aura, the man bowed his head once more.

“Yes. I conveyed your wishes as instructed.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“…”

If it was done to that extent, she should understand. Emotions, like flowers that bloom and wither in a season, fade quickly, whether it’s people or anything else.

Holding a purple rose she had been placing in a vase, Yeo-jung asked while snipping off the thorns one by one.

“What did that girl say? Did she deny it again?”

“She insisted that you misunderstood. She seemed quite bewildered.”

“Hmm…”

Her lips, which sighed deeply, closed in a straight line, only to move again shortly after.

“The envelope? I added extra to cover the car repair costs generously.”

“She didn’t accept it. She said she’d handle the car repairs herself. Even while angry, she spoke calmly, choosing only logically sound words, leaving me with nothing to say. Should I go back and give it to her?”

When the attendant, pulling out a white envelope from his inner pocket, asked, Yeo-jung, who had been fiddling with her elegantly styled hair, silently waved her hand.

“No. There’s no need. If she doesn’t want it, there’s nothing we can do. She should have understood by now.”

It was clear she understood to leave it alone, but it was too much money to accept easily.

“Then what should I do with this…?”

“Consider it a bonus.”

Yeo-jung, showing a slight smile, spoke in a kind tone.

“Use it for a staff dinner or something.”

“If the Chairman finds out…”

“That’s why I’m giving it.”

It meant that today’s events should remain unknown to anyone, especially Chairman Go.

“Oh, yes…”

So, you intend to silence me with this? She must know she’s ordering something shady.

As the attendant, who had put the money envelope back, withdrew from the glass greenhouse, Yeo-jung leaned her elbow on the armrest of the chair and looked at the orchid as before.

A few days ago, an article about Tae Seo-jun was released to the world. Like a sack that burst from its heavy weight.

Along with it, revelations about Tae Seo-jun’s past relationship with Yoo Jung-hwa appeared on various portal sites, but those scandal articles were neatly erased and buried within two days.

In fact, Chairman Tae had intervened to make it so, but it seemed that the past couldn’t outshine the present, and not many were deeply concerned about Tae Seo-jun and Yoo Jung-hwa’s affair.

Instead, the fact that Eom So-yeon had a child and the shocking background of Tae Seo-jun, a member of their family, played a significant role in drawing attention to the drama they starred in.

Anyway, that was someone else’s business.

What bothered Yeo-jung the most was the reporters’ odd comparisons of her family with her sister’s, starting from the distant cousin relationship between Tae Seo-jun and Go Won-hoo.

It was true that Chairman Tae’s family was unrivaled as the top in the financial world, but having her family and son overshadowed by someone else’s brilliance was a blow to her pride.

Is this the sorrow of being second?

While touching the orchid leaves, Yeo-jung recalled the moment a few months ago when she first encountered Eom So-yeon at the El Stella Hotel. Even after a season had passed, Yeo-jung couldn’t shake off that uneasy feeling.

When Eom So-yeon was in Seo-jun’s room, Won-hoo looked at her with an unusual gaze. The girl only looked at Seo-jun. What was shocking at that moment was the strange gaze of the three people, as if they were in a love triangle.

A mere celebrity ignoring my son?

It might not be the case, but Yeo-jung, who noticed Eom So-yeon’s gaze that didn’t consider her son, felt extremely displeased.

That incident kept nagging at her, so she closely watched her son’s actions. Then, a few days ago, she received a report that the initials engraved on the ring Go Won-hoo ordered at the jewelry shop were the initials of that girl’s name.

How could she remain calm?

Especially when it was truly unpleasant for Yeo-jung to know that her son had feelings for that girl who had a child without even the father knowing. She orchestrated today’s events as a preventive measure.

“Ha! Out of all the women, why did it have to be a girl with a child?”

Unable to contain her temper, Yeo-jung cut off the budding orchid she had been waiting for. Though it was a flower she had eagerly anticipated, her expression remained composed as she looked at it scattered on the floor.

No matter how beautiful and pretty a flower is, if it doesn’t please her, it ends up like this.

***

So-yeon found it increasingly absurd.

Go Won-hoo had to be hospitalized due to an unfortunate incident with Jo In-ha.

Recently, So-yeon had been summoned twice by Cha Yeo-jung because she had been visiting his hospital room frequently. It was the same car and driver that had forcefully taken her to a quiet place.

So-yeon firmly denied Yeo-jung’s harsh words, but Yeo-jung pushed as if determined.

If she wasn’t truly involved with her son, she should leave the company to avoid misunderstandings.

And the second time she was summoned, there was no conversation. Yeo-jung just stared at her face, and So-yeon had nothing more to say, so she remained silent.

But today, there was a deliberate accident and even an envelope of money handed over. So-yeon easily grasped Cha Yeo-jung’s intention to humiliate her, leaving her feeling uneasy.

But such trivial matters…

Is it because you’re CEO Go’s mother? Don’t make me laugh!

Try it one more time, I won’t just stand by!

With a strong resolve, she felt somewhat better.

So-yeon, who had been staring at the broken bumper of her car in the CN building parking lot, turned her eyes away and left. Her steps toward the audiovisual room quickened. Her heart was pounding.

She was about to make her drama debut. She, Eom So-yeon.

The reason her lips, which had been sulky, could now hold a smile was because of this.

***

10 PM.

The audiovisual room was crowded not only with CN actors but also other actors gathered.

With Tae Seo-jun absent, Oh Min-jung monopolized their congratulations. Of course, there were those looking for Eom So-yeon, but due to the accident, she arrived slightly later than others, quietly sitting in a corner behind the screen just a minute before the drama started.

“It’s starting!”

As soon as someone shouted, the drama’s opening song flowed grandly, accompanied by high-quality CGI that vividly captured a mysterious atmosphere, quickly passing by.

It was hard to believe it was a work of 100 days, with scenes so high in completion and realism that they seemed to leap out of the screen.

“…!”

So-yeon’s eyes suddenly widened because she hadn’t expected herself, not the protagonist, to appear from the start. Moreover, was this the greatness of editing? All she had filmed was on an empty plain, yet the video with fantasy effects overlaying the live-action was truly artistic.

So Yeo-hwa, precariously standing on a towering rock on a mountain slope, looked down at the territory in crisis with a serene gaze.

Her face, half-covered by a red veil symbolizing a warrior, was undoubtedly a mysterious goddess. The tears dropping from her large eyes were so beautiful that everyone’s mouths hung open.

“Awesome!”

“Why are they blowing our minds right from the start?”

“Indeed, Director Yoon Ji-wan’s skills must be acknowledged.”

People captivated by the screen couldn’t hide their goosebumps and thrilling excitement.

However, only Oh Min-jung, sitting in the front row, remained silent with her arms crossed. Her mismatched, crumpled eyes clearly expressed displeasure.

She was the protagonist, yet she didn’t appear in the first scene, which was deeply unsatisfactory. Moreover, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Eom So-yeon’s presence overshadowed her right from the start of the drama.

The scale of the first episode, which began and ended with Eom So-yeon, was unimaginably grand compared to what Oh Min-jung had imagined.

Whiiing—

A gust blew from somewhere, making the red dress ripple like a river of blood. The flock of white birds surrounding So Yeo-hwa was just the beginning. Soon, a giant figure rose from below the rock, stirring the majestic wind.

So Yeo-hwa, who fearlessly jumped onto the dragon’s back and soared high into the sky, flying to the village square, was a warrior who handled the legendary dragon as if it were her own body.

As if by magic, when the enormous dragon appeared in the sky, people stopped what they were doing and began to run after it, gathering in front of the royal palace in an instant.

The dragon, which had been hovering in the sky, landed, and she shouted loudly from its high back.

“I am So Yeo-hwa, daughter of King So-myeong!”

The return of the princess of Hanok Kingdom, who boldly accepted her tragic fate.

“I have come for you! Hanok people, do not cry anymore! We will rise again!”

The crowd, overwhelmed by So Yeo-hwa’s beautiful appearance, clear and resonant voice, and above all, her confident and strong warrior image, shed tears of joy.

Looking at her enslaved compatriots who had fallen after losing their king, So Yeo-hwa shouted with a firmer voice.

“We will surely regain the freedom of this country and its people! I, So Yeo-hwa, will do it!”

Waaaah—

As the crowd’s cheers echoed into the royal palace, at some point, the palace doors swung wide open.

And from those doors emerged a man in black armor riding a black horse, the Demon King Ki Cheon-yul, who had plunged Hanok Kingdom into darkness and was a powerful ruler with the world at his feet.

“To do that, you must first defeat me. Welcome, Princess So Yeo-hwa.”

His strong gaze, smiling grimly, seemed to cut down Princess So Yeo-hwa at once.

The close-up of Eom So-yeon and Tae Seo-jun facing each other, with the drama’s background music playing heavily, marked the end of the first episode of <Master of the Sun.>

Though everyone was speechless, So-yeon, sitting at the back of the audiovisual room, remained quiet. The pounding of her heart while watching the drama had vanished. Instead, what filled her heart was an overwhelming sense of emptiness. An unbearable longing.

It seemed more so because she had been watching Tae Seo-jun on the screen for an hour.

And then, at some moment.

“…!”

So-yeon’s gaze, which had been fixed downward, suddenly lifted. Her eyes moved rapidly, searching around.

Though it couldn’t be, she felt as if he was somehow here. Even knowing it wasn’t true, it felt as if he was watching her from somewhere. So-yeon strangely felt that way strongly.

But of course.

It was just a feeling.

Her eyes returned to the screen. The slender hope that had briefly brushed her large eyes turned into bitter regret.

She should have held onto his hand tightly and not let go when he was leaving the exhibition hall. She should have told him she missed him when he called. It was a belated regret. Her mind thought she had completely ended things with Tae Seo-jun, but her heart hadn’t given up on him yet.

So-yeon’s feelings were indescribably sad.

Until all the subtitles disappeared, people in the audiovisual room couldn’t take their eyes off the screen.

“Is this a drama or a movie?”

“Wow, it’s crazy!”

“Totally nailed it!”

The grand story and outstanding graphic visuals overwhelmed everyone’s sight and hearing completely.

“So, what happens next? Does that evil Ki Cheon-yul kill So Yeo-hwa or save her?”

“Exactly. How are we supposed to wait until tomorrow after cutting it here?”

“That’s what I’m saying. I think I’ll just watch the first episode on repeat until tomorrow.”

While everyone was talking, a text arrived on So-yeon’s phone.

[Let me see you. Come outside. Now.]