Chapter 53
53. If There Was a Camera Shining on Our Lives 2021.10.30.
Monday morning. Eun-bi greeted Team Leader Seong Mi-ran, who was back at work after a long absence, very politely.
“Team Leader, are you feeling okay? I was very worried.”
“Yes. Thank you for your concern. I’m all better now.”
“Because of your surgery, Deputy Lee Jung-oh got all the credit for your hard work, Team Leader.”
“No, it’s a relief, actually. Deputy Lee Jung-oh also did the presentation.”
“Still, the filming is different. It’s not just domestic filming, it’s overseas. The clients are going too, and his rank is too low. You must be very worried.”
As Eun-bi continued to talk to Mi-ran, Deputy Go Eun-ju chimed in.
“That’s why Director Jeong Ji-heon joined yesterday.”
Eun-bi’s eyes widened at the shocking news.
“Didn’t Manager Chae hear that Director Jeong Ji-heon was going on a business trip overseas? Ah, I guess you didn’t.”
Deputy Go Eun-ju glanced at Eun-bi’s expression and smirked. Eun-bi’s lip muscles twitched.
‘Ji-heon Oppa went on a business trip overseas? Following Lee Jung-oh?’
By now, the fact that Eun-bi and Ji-heon had broken up was widely known in the company, and her colleagues were reluctant to talk about Ji-heon in front of her. Eun-bi also had little contact with Ji-heon, so she didn’t know what he was doing. As a result, she only heard about his overseas business trip belatedly.
“It’s a relief that the director is going too. The clients will feel reassured.”
Eun-bi retorted with a strange reaction that was neither laughter nor anger, and then left them. Watching Eun-bi’s back, Deputy Go Eun-ju snorted, and Mi-ran grabbed Eun-ju’s arm, looking embarrassed.
“Hey, it hasn’t been long since they broke up. Go, you were a bit too much.”
“Team Leader.”
But the princess had no concept of remorse.
“I’m all or nothing.”
\ Eun-yeop, who had come to work, received a call from Eun-bi. Eun-bi immediately started to get angry.
[Oppa, are you even trying to figure out how to separate Lee Jung-oh and Jeong Ji-heon?]
Eun-yeop frowned at Eun-bi’s irritability. He didn’t like the way his younger sister was talking back to him.
[Jeong Ji-heon followed Lee Jung-oh on a business trip overseas! And you’re just standing by?]
Eun-yeop didn’t even know that Jeong Ji-heon had gone on a business trip with Lee Jung-oh. Before Eun-yeop could respond, Eun-bi continued.
[She’s a mother! A single mother! And she’s hitting on Ji-heon Oppa right now!]
Now Eun-bi was yelling. Eun-yeop also knew this fact. In the meantime, Eun-yeop had investigated Lee Jung-oh. Lee Jung-oh. 30 years old. Copywriter. A single mother with a young daughter. The child was seven years old. Jeong Ji-heon lost his memory seven years ago as well. That fact made Eun-yeop uneasy. Eun-yeop thought that Lee Yena might be Jeong Ji-heon’s biological daughter. If so, did Jeong Ji-heon already know this? It was hard to guess because he was such an inscrutable guy. What if he didn’t know the truth yet? Even so, if it was the truth, he would find out soon.
“Chae Eun-bi, don’t be impulsive. Got it?”
Eun-yeop, who knew Eun-bi’s impulsive personality well, warned her.
“Just stay still.”
Eun-yeop gave her a stern warning and hung up the phone. The two of them on a business trip together. It was a headache. The closer the two got, the faster Jeong Ji-heon would reach the truth.
‘Then what can I do?’
He thought of several things. Creating distrust between Jeong Ji-heon and Lee Jung-oh. Damaging the past of Jeong Ji-heon and Lee Jung-oh. Scaring Lee Jung-oh. Scaring Lee Jung-oh’s family. Making Jeong Ji-heon’s family kick out Lee Jung-oh and take away only the child. Getting rid of the child, or getting rid of Lee Jung-oh. He decided that several things should happen at the same time, without setting an order. In the end, he had to make Jeong Ji-heon choose Ms. Jang Young-mi, not Lee Jung-oh. How much did Ms. Jang know about Lee Jung-oh? Did she even know that Lee Jung-oh had a child? He needed to find out right away. \ Filming in downtown Melbourne. They had sought cooperation in advance and received permission from the city hall, but unexpected problems always arise on site. A traffic accident occurred in front of Flinders Street Station, a famous landmark in Melbourne. It was around the time the filming crew arrived on site and were setting up their equipment. It was a minor accident with no casualties, but it took quite a while to clear the scene, so the filming crew had to wait endlessly. Jeong-o asked the police officers who had been dispatched to the scene when the scene would be cleared and asked for their cooperation. At first, the police officers were annoyed by the filming crew and Jeong-o, but they showed favor after hearing Jeong-o’s Australian English pronunciation. Ji-heon, who arrived late at the scene after having lunch with the clients, quietly watched Jeong-o roll up her sleeves and walk around. Yesterday afternoon, Ji-heon revisited the restaurant called ‘The Crown.’ To look at the photos on the wall and talk to the owner more. But he couldn’t find any other clues about his traces in the restaurant. Seven years was such a time. Ji-heon left a message with the restaurant owner, asking him to contact him if he found out anything about the woman who took a picture with him. Since he couldn’t know the past, his worries shifted back to the present. Lee Jung-oh’s cold attitude kept coming to his mind. In the meantime, he met her in front of the crosswalk. Again, she tried to run away as soon as she saw him. Just out of reach, just out of grasp. She was always like that. He wanted to get very angry and question her for various reasons, but when he had her in front of him, he couldn’t overcome the plea to please look at him. With that in mind, he handed over the room key. But last night, she didn’t come. The filming ended at 11 o’clock, and he knew that she had entered the room after that. But she didn’t even contact him or show any sign. After a night of waiting, he saw her appear at the filming site in the morning with a face as bright as the sunlight, and he felt a little upset. Because he felt like he was nothing. Because he felt like he was of no value to her. Even now, he wanted to chase after her and ask her why she didn’t come last night, but Ji-heon suppressed his impulse. Will she come today? What if she doesn’t come today either? Should I accept the result and give up? It was a natural thing, but it wasn’t easy to accept. She was familiar with the language and geography of this place, and she blended in well with all the backgrounds. It was like looking at the dazzling scenery outside the window. A scenery that could never be mine. Nevertheless, the fact that he had once stayed in this place where she had spent her student days long ago gave him some comfort. Lee Jung-oh. If there was a camera shining on our lives, maybe. Maybe there was a moment when we were in the same frame.
* Baduk Academy. Yena, who always had sparkling eyes in front of the baduk board, was sitting with a dispirited look for some reason.
“Yena. Do you want to go to my house today? My mom is going to make bread.”
Do-bin said to such Yena. Yena, who flinched once at the word ‘mom,’ answered sullenly.
“No.”
“Why?”
Yena’s lips pouted. She was now almost crying.
“……Mom went on a business trip and isn’t coming. She didn’t even answer the phone today.”
“That’s because she’s busy. My dad doesn’t answer the phone when he goes on business trips either.”
Do-bin defended Jeong-o to comfort Yena, but Yena’s voice grew louder.
“But she should still call in the morning! She should say goodbye before I go to daycare!”
She had never been separated from her mother for this long. There were times when she couldn’t see her mother’s face and fell asleep because of late-night work, but her mother was always by her side in the morning. Even when she went to Gunsan with her grandmother and her grandmother’s friends, she would meet her mother again after one night. If Yena started crying because she missed her, her mother would run to Gunsan the next morning. But now, her mother was so far away.
“I’m scared that Mom won’t come.”
Eventually, Yena burst into tears. There were times when things she desperately wanted didn’t come true.
“Oh, why is our Yena crying.”
The teacher ran over and hugged Yena tightly. But Yena still couldn’t stop crying. Just then, Do-bin’s mother, Jin-seo, entered the academy.
“Mom!”
Do-bin, who ran to Jin-seo, grabbed Jin-seo’s sleeve as if he was in a hurry.
“Mom, Yena is crying. Come quickly!”
Do-bin asked Jin-seo for help with a very serious expression. Jin-seo was also surprised to see Yena crying.
“Yena, what’s wrong?”
“Mom. She went on a business trip to Australia. She didn’t call Yena this morning.”
Yena answered, sobbing.
“Is that so? Maybe Mom was too busy to call. Should I call her now?”
Yena nodded her head greatly at Jin-seo’s solution. Jin-seo immediately called Jeong-o. Hoping that Jeong-o would have time to answer the phone. The long ringing tone stopped with a click. Yena took the cell phone that Jin-seo handed her. Jeong-o’s voice was heard from the other side of the receiver.
[Yes! Do-bin’s mother!]
“Mommyyy!”
Yena’s crying grew louder. Jeong-o, who recognized Yena’s voice, was surprised and asked what was wrong.
[Yena! What’s wrong!]
“Why didn’t you call meee. Yena was worrieed.”
Yena held onto the cell phone and cried sadly. It took a long time for Yena to stop crying. Even after she stopped crying and hung up the phone, she couldn’t open her mouth as if she was still missing something. In the car moving to Guk-soon’s restaurant, Do-bin said as if to comfort Yena’s heart.
“Yena. I’m going to go to the baduk academy with you forever, for the rest of my life.”
“…….”
“I’ll keep staying by your side.”
In the driver's seat, Jin-seo chuckled silently at the cute, innocent confession of puppy love. Her son seemed to have forgotten about his mother while gazing at his first love, but Jin-seo felt proud that she had contributed to her son's love. Jeong-o barely managed to soothe Yena, and then called Jin-seo again to apologize for causing worry and to express his gratitude. In the morning, he was preparing for the shoot and couldn't call Guk-soon. Later, Guk-soon called, but he missed it. He thought he would call when Yena was due to return home, but the wait seemed to have been painful for the child. Unexpected things made his heart sink. The same was true of last night. Jeong-o turned his head as if looking around the set and glanced at Ji-heon. Ji-heon was standing in the back, talking to the client. Their eyes met briefly, but he quickly looked away at the client, as if avoiding her. Seeing that attitude, it felt as if yesterday had been a lie. But the card key he had pressed into her hand was still in her coat pocket. Receiving Yena's call made her even more impatient. I need to reach you quickly. Our child is still growing. I need to make him realize what he's missing as soon as possible. But the fear of losing my child if I act rashly makes me hesitate.
‘If only I could secretly look at his phone...’
She knew it was a bad thing to do, but it was the fastest way for Jeong-o to learn about Jeong Ji-heon's mother. But to secretly look at his phone, she would have to get that close to him. The thought made it hard to decide. The will to move towards her goal and the guilt of deceiving him again continued to fight within her.
“Thanks to Assistant Manager Lee, we finished the shoot well. It looks like we won't have to work until dawn. Everything should be wrapped up by around 10 PM. We can take the plane leisurely tomorrow.”
Chief Park Young-gwang announced the schedule. From 10 PM to dawn tomorrow was free time. Not much time, since they had to leave on the morning flight. That time. What should I do? While she was worrying, the sun hanging between the buildings dyed the city red and then bid farewell. The last night in Melbourne. Before she knew it, the model had finished the last shoot and said goodbye to the client. Ji-heon was nowhere to be seen, perhaps he had left with the client. Jeong-o also finished cleaning up the set and returned to the hotel. Jeong-o left her luggage in the room and came out again, hesitating a few times in the hotel lobby. It would be difficult to return the card key Ji-heon gave her, so should she leave it at the desk? As she wandered around the lobby, the client called out to her.
“Assistant Manager Lee, you're here. Are you waiting for someone?”
“Ah, no. I just, I went to look around the city.”
Jeong-o, flustered, barely managed to make an excuse, and the client nodded and said goodbye.
“Okay. Then rest well. Thank you for your hard work.”
Jeong-o also politely greeted the client. After the client left, Jeong-o let out a long sigh. In the end, she couldn't hand over the card key to the desk and returned to her room. She washed up in the bathroom, dried her hair, and changed her clothes. Jeong-o looked at herself in the mirror. Lee Jung-oh, the fresh-faced and innocent twenty-three-year-old, was now thirty. Perhaps she had neglected to take care of herself while raising a child and working hard. She wasn't sure if she was as pretty as she was at twenty-three. Nevertheless, if he wanted her, did that mean he still thought she was pretty? The thought made her heart flutter like it used to. She left the room with only the card key. He was in a room on the 5th floor. She was in a room on the 4th floor. She was nervous that she might run into other colleagues or the client on her way to him. She moved anxiously and reached his door. If she opened this door, something would change. Should she ring the doorbell? She wanted to, but she was worried the sound would be too loud. Was that why he gave her the card key? To open the door and come in on her own?
‘But I can’t.’
He might be in his room talking to the client. If she opened the door with the card key, she could be in a very awkward situation. Right. She should knock. And if there was no response, if he wasn't in the room, she would leave the card key at the desk and return to her room. Jeong-o braced herself firmly in body and mind and knocked on the door. Knock, knock. The sound wasn't as loud as her firm resolve. It was a very timid leap. But the door opened. Had she been waiting for this moment?
“Assista…”
Before she could call him. Jeong-o was pulled inside as if caught by his outstretched hand.
