Chapter 29:
The engagement ceremony of Choi Ji-hoon and Park Se-hwa was nothing special. The guests were not there to congratulate the couple, but to network with each other. The Ju family received the most attention.
Choi Yu-jin and Choi Sang-jin acted as if they had never fought, smiling and greeting the guests side by side. Who would imagine that they had argued over who killed whom and whose company it was? They would make good actors.
“Did you film a movie?”
“It will be released next year, I think.”
Feeling a bit sorry for leaving him alone, I stayed by Yoo Eun-ho’s side for the rest of the time. He looked calm and quiet, answering the questions politely. It would be nice if he could talk to Grandpa well.
“I’ve done the basics, so I’ll go now.”
“Are you leaving already?”
Choi Sang-jin grabbed Choi Yu-jin. Even if they fought, Choi Yu-jin and his sons had to stay until the end.
“Don’t disappoint Father.”
“Why do you care about Father’s feelings? I’ll handle it myself.”
Choi Yu-jin refused coldly. Anyway, Choi Hyung-soo cared more about his daughter than his incompetent eldest son.
When Mother turned around, Yoo Eun-ho and Yoo Yeon Seo quickly followed her.
“We’ll go too.”
“Okay, Eun-ho. If you want to meet a nice girl, just call me anytime.”
“I’ll take care of that myself.”
Yoo Eun-ho’s jaw twitched slightly, but Choi Sang-jin didn’t notice.
‘He must hate Choi Sang-jin too.’
Yoo Yeon Seo followed Yoo Eun-ho outside, but stopped for a moment. He looked back and smiled wickedly at Choi Sang-jin and Choi Ji-hoon.
Why did I do that automatically? I don’t understand. Yoo Yeon Seo laughed out loud and walked away, seeing the rotten faces of the father and son.
“Both of you are busy, so go and rest.”
I shouldn’t have come. Choi Yu-jin muttered and narrowed his eyes at Yoo Yeon Seo, who joined them late.
“Are you okay?”
“Well, it was fun.”
It was fun to make a scene. Is that why Yoo Yeon Seo couldn’t stop messing around?
“Good, I’m glad. If they see you like this, your grandfather and uncle will like you too.”
The eyes of the people around them were focused on them, but they all ignored them as if they were used to it.
Yoo Yeon Seo waved his hand at someone who was taking a picture nearby, and the person was startled and took a burst of photos. Huh, what? Is he my fan?
“Do you have any girl you like, Eun-ho?”
“Mother.”
Choi Yu-jin laughed at Yoo Eun-ho’s serious expression. He felt it before, but they seemed to have a close relationship.
“Can’t you take a joke?”
“I’m not thinking about marriage yet.”
“Fine. Take your time. But make sure your grandfather can see his great-grandchild.”
Ju didn’t need to send his grandson to a political marriage. Rather, if the other side begged him to marry, maybe. As long as he brought a woman with good character, even if she was not from a chaebol family, Ju Chairman would probably welcome her with open arms.
“Then I’ll go.”
“Wait a minute.”
Choi Yu-jin grabbed Yoo Yeon Seo’s arm and moved away from Yoo Eun-ho. Yoo Eun-ho looked puzzled, but he didn’t approach.
“Um… would it be okay if I talked to Hee-seo sometimes?”
I don’t have anyone to share memories with… Choi Yu-jin whispered and looked at Yoo Yeon Seo with a bitter expression. Yoo Yeon Seo smiled and nodded.
“Yes, please do.”
I don’t care at all. I’m just listening to you.
**
The most uncomfortable thing about memory synchronization exceeding 10% was that he couldn’t see it in third person. Yoo Yeon Seo was sitting on the bed in a place that seemed to be his room in the Pyeongchang-dong mansion. He was hugging his legs, and his pants looked like a school uniform.
“…”
He just stared at the blank wall without any pattern.
Can’t you skip this useless memory? As soon as he thought that, his vision went dark.
“Excuse me.”
This time it was outside. He stopped someone who was passing by the company lobby and said bluntly.
“Do you have any plans to add one more person to the debut group?”
“Kid, this is not a playground.”
The employee who answered casually looked at Yoo Yeon Seo’s face and widened his eyes.
“Really? Then I have no choice.”
“Uh… wait a minute. I’ll consult with the president…”
“Call the president.”
Yoo Yeon Seo smiled as he watched the employee hurriedly call the president. See, the president will beg me to debut in his company when he sees my face.
And his guess was right.
“Wha, what…”
The president of AST Entertainment, Choi Dong-won, covered his mouth with both hands when he saw Yoo Yeon Seo’s face.
“Contract, contract, did you bring it?!”
“Here.”
Kim Doo-hyun, who was a manager at the time and would become a director later, brought the contract quickly. Yoo Yeon Seo sat comfortably with his legs crossed and watched their actions.
“But how did you know… we have a debut group…”
“I know you can debut right away. I did some research.”
What, what did you research? Choi Dong-won sweated profusely. The trainees were still confidential…
“There are six of them, right? It would be perfect if you add one more.”
“But by any chance… what is your relationship with Lee Hee-seo…?”
Kim Doo-hyun looked closely at Yoo Yeon Seo’s face and opened his mouth with difficulty. Yoo Yeon Seo shrugged his shoulders. He pretended to be nonchalant and answered.
“My biological mother?”
Choi Dong-won and Kim Doo-hyun gasped. No wonder his unreal appearance was identical to Lee Hee-seo.
“Then… you’re Ju’s…”
“Grandson.”
“Chae, chaebol…?”
“Third generation.”
So you’re saying that Ju’s Chairman Yoo’s grandson and chaebol third generation came to ask for a spot in the idol debut group? Choi Dong-won and Kim Doo-hyun looked at each other in disbelief.
Yoo Yeon Seo closed his eyes slightly and opened them. Then he smiled.
“How about it? You don’t want to miss me, do you?”
<Random memory synchronization completed, synchronization rate 16.04%>
<Master, please wake up. It’s dangerous to vomit while lying down, it can block your airway.>
Yoo Yeon Seo came to his senses at Beta’s words and tried to get up with his weak body.
“Ugh… cough.”
He eventually lost his balance and vomited blood before he could enter the bathroom.
Oh, damn, I vomited on the rug, this is going to be hard to wash… Maybe it’s better to throw it away secretly. He wasn’t worried about his body, since vomiting blood was a daily routine.
“Ah… I’m dying.”
If the aftereffects were this bad, he should have shown me a better memory. Yoo Yeon Seo turned on the shower and washed his body.
“I’m running out of time…”
Today was the day he was going to JMA with Choi Yu-jin. All he had to do was take some photos on the red carpet and present the award for the category he was in charge of.
“Oh, right.”
He realized too late that there was a party after the ceremony. He couldn’t avoid using the automatic mode, but he wouldn’t have synchronized his memory today if he knew.
But what could he do about what had already happened? Yoo Yeon Seo changed into the clothes that Choi Yu-jin had given him and went outside.
“Are you here?”
Lee Tae-gyeom was waiting for him in advance. He checked the seat belt on Yoo Yeon Seo and handed him a coffee he had bought beforehand.
He took a sip of the coffee that he had received unexpectedly. It suited his taste.
“Oh, what is this? Did you know how to do this?”
“I can do anything if I try.”
Lee Tae-gyeom had been scolded by Yoo Yeon Seo many times. He had to fill in the empty spot when the manager ran away. Thanks to his intensive tutoring, Lee Tae-gyeom became more agile. Or maybe it was because yesterday was payday.
“So we just stop by the shop and go to the JSENM headquarters, right?”
“Yeah.”
Yoo Yeon Seo looked out the window with a straw in his mouth. The dazzling buildings of 2018 felt familiar now.
“The coffee is good, where is it from?”
“You know, you got mad at me for bringing bad coffee and told me to buy it again. I asked Director Park and he said there was a special recipe.”
He had to pay attention to everything from the beans to the number of ice cubes. Lee Tae-gyeom’s lips were pouting as he grumbled. By then, he meant… the 12th manager?
‘I shouldn’t say anything bad about the coffee since it’s good.’
He was so proud that he did it on his own without being asked. Yoo Yeon Seo smiled softly.
The car that had been running on the road for a while stopped smoothly. The shop that Yoo Yeon Seo went to was unusual. He opened the heavy wooden door without a sign and saw the employees who greeted him silently with a bow. It was a place known only to a few VIPs.
No one talked to him and they did their job quickly. The designer swept his hair back as usual. He probably did it like that unless he asked for something else.
‘It’s nice to be quiet.’
He finished his hair and went straight to makeup. His skin was so good that he got up from his seat with only sunscreen on. He didn’t spend much time at the shop, so he didn’t seem to be late.
“Yeon Seo.”
“Mother.”
As he went to the front gate of JSENM, he saw Choi Yu-jin coming out of the company. Yoo Yeon Seo and Lee Tae-gyeom got out of the car and approached Choi Yu-jin.
“Is this the manager?”
“Ni, nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you. Please take good care of my son. And don’t run away… Yoo Yeon Seo’s managers tend to quit quickly.”
Well… I already have a record of running away, and that was on the street. Lee Tae-gyeom sweated nervously. Yoo Yeon Seo watched him and laughed dryly.
‘She said that on purpose.’
He knew very well that it was because of Yoo Yeon Seo’s personality that the managers quit so easily.
“I’ll go ahead and follow you.”
“Are you sure?”
She was going to enter with him, but Choi Yu-jin stepped back, saying that Yoo Yeon Seo’s fans would like a solo photo.
JMA was held at the second largest concert hall in Korea. As soon as Yoo Yeon Seo and Choi Yu-jin’s cars parked side by side, the red carpet MC stretched his head and held the microphone.
“Yes, two cars have arrived almost at the same time. Who are they?”
“…Actor Yoo Yeon Seo is entering the red carpet!”
As soon as Yoo Yeon Seo got out of the van, he was showered with flashes from the reporters. It was a more enthusiastic reaction than the idol group that had just entered.
He had studied the red carpet on YouTube beforehand, but he didn’t expect his eyes to hurt so much. Yoo Yeon Seo tried to look at the distance.
“And next is…”
“JSENM Vice President Choi Yu-jin is entering!”
Yoo Yeon Seo stepped off the red carpet and waited for a while. The MC and the reporters looked at him curiously, wondering why he didn’t enter the ceremony hall, but they turned their eyes to the front when they heard the news of Choi Yu-jin’s entrance.
Choi Yu-jin looked relaxed and smiled at the camera, as if her eyes were not stinging.
“Oh, I was wondering why Yoo Yeon Seo didn’t go in, but he was waiting for the vice president?”
“They’re really close, aren’t they? Well, then, this is the end of the red carpet for JMA!”
The MC’s closing remarks followed behind Yoo Yeon Seo and Choi Yu-jin.
“They’re going in together today. I didn’t know they were that close.”
“Right? I heard they’ve been hanging out a lot lately.”
“Oh, the engagement ceremony?”
The reporters who were left behind quickly transferred the photos to the articles.
[JMA] Yoo Yeon Seo’s eyes ‘squint’ on the long-awaited red carpet
Yoo Yeon Seo and Choi Yu-jin, JSENM vice president, enter the ceremony hall side by side
[Photo] Yoo Yeon Seo, chic and handsome hand gesture (2018 JMA)
└Wow, so cool
└So cuteㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└F*cking handsome
└He squinted his eyes because of the flashㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└Was he always like that?
└└Maybe he’s tired todayㅋㅋ
└It’s nice to see him with his mother these days, my husband♥
└└Are you crazy?
└└└Isn’t this guy the villain of the story?
└└└└Seems right