Chapter 66:
"I'll be right there."
Yooil replied with a trembling voice. Before he even realized what he had said, the call had ended.
Suddenly, people who had rushed out of the meeting room seized Yooil. Worried gazes were directed at him.
"Yooil, what's wrong?"
He needed to speak.
"Yooil! Are you okay?!"
Yooil moved his lips. Though he was sure he had opened his mouth, no voice came out.
Amidst the chaos, he felt a strong grip on his shoulder.
It was Min Woojin.
"Yooil! I'll drive! Just tell me where to go!"
Han Yooil managed to squeeze out a voice.
"I think we need to go to the hospital."
* * *
Young Han Yooil thought to himself.
Perhaps all of this was a dream, and if he opened the door leading to the living room, his parents might return.
However, every time he opened the door, Yooil's hopes were betrayed.
Turning the doorknob only revealed an empty living room waiting for him.
Even in his dreams, Yooil couldn't escape the same room. The door that stood before him in reality was also there in his dreams, waiting for him.
But each time, Yooil opened the door. Instead of the living room, he saw the jungles of South America where his parents were supposedly.
The thick foliage and the humid air filled his lungs.
It was a vivid dream. So realistic that it was startling each time.
By the time he got used to the hot and humid air, he would always see the familiar backs of two people. Yooil always gazed at them as if enchanted.
Even though he knew it was a dream.
* * *
Yooil forcefully turned the doorknob.
"Yooil."
Seeing his aunt's face, Han Yooil gripped the doorknob even tighter.
It's a relief.'
During the ride with Min Woojin, he had calmed down a bit.
The CEO Jang Jaehyun had immediately arranged a private room and told him not to worry. Manager Jang Jaeyi also followed Yooil and came to the hospital.
Jin Hayoung, on the other hand, was feeling awkward amidst all the faces.
"How can you come here when you're so busy"
What Yooil heard about the incident was as follows: Jin Hayoung was about to open the door after work when she found it already open. Feeling something was amiss, she was about to call for help when someone burst out. That startled Jin Hayoung, causing her to fall.
Just to be safe, they had conducted all possible examinations, and thankfully, it was just a minor scrape.
"Yooil, I'm really fine~"
Jin Hayoung continued cheerfully.
"I threw my bag at him when he ran off, but missed! Even though I was the dodgeball queen during my high school days."
"Aunt."
Seeing Jin Hayoung trying to be cheerful, Yooil closed his mouth.
"Yooil, it's okay. Look at your cold hand."
He had been thinking that there seemed to be more people lurking around their house lately.
Although he hadn't shown it, Min Woojin too seemed to be having a hard time, deliberately taking detours home.
But he hadn't expected something like this to happen.
Probably because it was an old villa and a multi-family house, the security around the area wasn't very strict.
It was careless of me.'
Jin Hayoung, wanting to be discharged immediately, had a light quarrel with Yooil but eventually agreed to just get an IV and then be discharged.
Meanwhile, the culprit was quickly caught. Thanks to the neighborhood CCTV footage that was available.
The culprit was a man in his twenties, living 30 km away from Yooil's house.
"I should have arranged a separate accommodation for you earlier I'm sorry, Yooil."
Jang Jaeyi sighed with a troubled face.
"Though home invasion is definitely a crime, the sentence isn't that severe. Moreover, since it's a first offense, even if we press charges, it'll probably just end in a fine."
"Yes. I'm aware."
Min Woojin looked at Yooil with eyes more downcast than usual.
"Yooil. That person they're at the police station. Are you planning to go? As the manager said, it's okay not to meet
"I'm fine."
I have something I must say in person.'
* * *
"Han Yooil right?"
The police officer, seeing Yooil's face, guided him with a cautious demeanor.
"Over there, the person with long hair sitting on the left."
Even while being interrogated for breaking into someone's house, the person with long hair did not look panicked or afraid.
"Ah it's Yooil."
Yooil, with a dream-like expression, pushed his phone towards the long-haired person.
And he spoke in a voice too low for others to hear.
"This is you, right?"
The face of the person with long hair paled upon seeing the BlueChat account on Yooil's phone.
"H-how did you"
"I happen to have a good network of contacts."
Seeing the person's surprise, it seemed finding the owner of the BlueChat account was not an easy task.
Technically, it's not contacts'.
Yooil ignored Brion and continued.
"Including today, you've been lurking around my house for a total of ten days. It's all recorded on the CCTV."
At those words, the long-haired person quickly shut their mouth.
They had caught the implication in Yooil's words.
"I'm going to let this slide this time. But there won't be any leniency next time."
The long-haired person quickly nodded in response to Yooil's words.
""
It was a complex feeling.
It probably started from a mere liking.'
But
If Aunt had been harmed'
Could he have made the right judgment in that situation?
Yooil couldn't be sure.
"Yooil, if you want, the company can file a complaint. The notion of understanding' a stalker fan is a story from the 2000s. Above all, it's about your and your family's safety."
At Jang Jaeyi's words, Yooil slowly opened his mouth.
"For now."
Making noise about it won't do any good.'
Above all, he didn't want to cause worry for the people who cared about him.
I will be careful to ensure nothing similar happens in the future.
Perhaps it was just his imagination, but even Brion's tone sounded downcast.
The next morning, CEO Jang Jaehyun personally visited Yooil.
This is a clear negligence on the company's part.
CEO Jang's words, about not being able to protect the privacy of their actor and offering to get Yooil a new house immediately, were met with Yooil shaking his head.
But his insistence was not enough to overcome CEO Jang's determination.
Let's do this then. The house where your aunt will stay will be on you, Yooil, and the house where you will stay will be covered by JJ Entertainment.
Again, this is an investment.
After more refusals that felt like it would take all night, he eventually agreed.
It was a day that felt like a week.
Though it's chaotic.
At least things were somewhat sorted out now.
Until a house was secured, his aunt would stay at a close friend's house, and Yooil (who had quite a struggle convincing Manager Jang Jaeyi and Kim Suna from offering their own homes) needed to find a temporary place to stay as he was soon to travel abroad.
"Feel free to use it."
That was the reason he was currently staying at the same house as Park Younghyun.
"The house is really nice. Very clean."
While touring the modest 20-pyeong house with two small rooms, Yooil realized that Younghyun was an extreme modern, black and white enthusiast.
"My family home is in Cheongju. I've been independent since becoming an adult."
Park Younghyun showed him a room, claiming it was a guest room. While the living room had white walls, every other room was surrounded by black wallpaper.
The guest room, although claimed as such, seemed barely used, making one wonder if there had ever been any guests.
"My mom comes over sometimes," Park Younghyun said, as if making an excuse.
While Yooil sat quietly at a table with Younghyun, his phone rang.
The caller was someone unexpected.
Hyung, are you okay?
How did he find out?
Kim Harang's subdued voice felt somewhat unfamiliar.
We've been through a lot too. Especially when we first used our accommodation, people used to stand right outside our door. So, we even stayed at our manager's house together.
Just the thought of it was dizzying.
While reflecting on how being an idol was a profession full of ups and downs, Yooil slowly replied,
"I'm okay. Things are somewhat resolved now. I'll be moving soon too."
Really?
Harang quickly lightened the mood.
You always say you're fine, so it's hard to know if you really are~
And so, Kim Harang began to chew up Yooil's time with various stories.
He's got a lot of schedules, why isn't he sleeping?'
It was slightly bothersome, but listening to stories unrelated to today's events made him feel a bit better.
But Hyung!
"Yes."
Will there be a speed quiz or something at the fan meeting?
The fifth item in the upcoming online fan meeting is a speed quiz. You need to call a friend and solve the quiz.
Repeating what he heard from Brion, the answer came back quickly.
I want to do that!
"Go ahead."
Yooil had no idea. The ripple effect this decision would bring.
* * *
An office worker quickly opened the door and entered the home. After hurriedly changing clothes, they settled down. The video was already queued up on OTube.
[Han Yooil Online Fan Meeting: First Step]
This was precisely why the office worker had dashed out of the company like the wind.
I never thought I'd be waiting for an actor's online fan meeting in my life.'
There was a momentary sense of reality hitting but they decided not to dwell on it.
The main reason was the opportunity to see Yooil in real-time whom they had only seen through a screen (although online fan meetings were technically also a screen).
Moreover, wasn't it said that the fan club name would be decided together with Yooil?
Lost in thought, it soon turned 7:00 PM.
Gosh!'
The office worker turned on the recently purchased 60-inch TV with a reverent heart.
As the saying goes, the best things should be seen on a big screen.
Soon, Han Yooil's face appeared on the screen.
A white table adorned with harmoniously colorful flowers and dolls, with balloons and placards hanging in the background.
However, what caught the attention the most was Han Yooil himself.
As soon as the office worker saw his face, they felt the week's stress melting away in real-time.
This is life.'
The office worker fixed their gaze on the television with a happy expression.
Hello, I'm Han Yooil.
Yooil!!!!!!!!!
Skipped cram school to be here
What's with the sweatshirt, it's so pretty
Yooil was wearing a sky-blue sweatshirt with a tiny teddy bear drawn near the left chest, paired with white pants.
He looks cute.'
The office worker smiled contentedly and focused on the TV.
Oh Wow. Already 523 people watching.
At that moment, Yooil, looking beyond the camera, opened his mouth in surprise.
Ah Not 523, but 5230?
Look at his expression. He really didn't know.'
Watching Yooil widen his eyes in astonishment, the office worker burst into laughter unknowingly.
Over five thousand people are watching this?
His face truly depicted disbelief.
I'm worried. It has to be fun
Don't worry Yooil, just seeing your face is enjoyable
It's fun, thrilling, the best
What is this, Han Yooil stole my laughter
The office worker felt a sense of kinship while reading the flood of cheesy comments.
They considered writing one themselves but gave up, feeling no confidence to outdo them.
Next I'll pick a few questions sent by fans and answer them.
Initially, simple questions like favorite food or ideal type came up.
Doenjang jjigae and jjajangmyeon I like them.
I haven't really thought about my ideal type Oh, you want me to squeeze out an answer? Okay then.
I'll say someone I can communicate well with.'
What kind of problem is this lol
Is this Golden Bell?
Yooil, I'm confident we can communicate well
After a few questions passed, Yooil picked another one.
The next one was an unexpected question.
[Can you show us some impromptu acting?]
Impromptu acting, huh.'
It seemed like a tall order, but curiosity was piqued.
After all, Han Yooil was known for his acting skills!
The corners of Han Yooil's mouth slightly lifted as he read the note.
This sounds fun.
His single comment caused the live comments to explode.
First, let's decide on a scenario.
Historical drama
Act as a son!
Let's go sad
Oh, historical drama sounds good
Until this point, the office worker was merely preparing to find it cute.
However, the moment Han Yooil, who had briefly closed and then reopened his eyes, started to speak.
The office worker couldn't help but drop their jaw in awe.
""
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