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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: The Path You Said Not to Take
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16.
“What is this? Who returns a sponsored outfit looking like this?”
The moment Yeon-joo arrived in front of the store to return the sponsored items, a woman who seemed to be the team leader came out and immediately started complaining.
“I’m sorry.”
“Seriously, if you bring it back like this, it puts us in a difficult position. Who’s going to want to sponsor you? Where did someone who doesn’t even know the basics crawl out from?”
The team leader was a person whose voice was etched with irritation. The vertical line creasing her brow was a clear indicator of how often she lost her temper.
She was the type who had even mastered the art of crushing people with thoughtless, harsh words.
“Which agency are you with?”
“…”
“Hey. Are you deaf?”
The team leader, who had been staring at the clothes, snapped at Yeon-joo, who finally opened her mouth.
“I work under Director Jin Hae-yeong.”
“Director Jin? Changrok? Director Jin really has no eye for people. Anyway, I don’t care. You sort all this out before you go. Go spread it out in that corner over there or whatever. You know you’ll have to pay for it if the fabric is damaged, right?”
As the team leader’s nagging continued, Yeon-joo bit her lip hard.
It felt as if the team leader was teaching her a lesson: a powerless subordinate was worth less than a slightly wrinkled designer outfit.
“Oh my, Eun-seong!”
She witnessed a miracle as the wrinkle on the team leader’s brow vanished in an instant. The woman smiled brightly and called out to Eun-seong as he entered, and Yeon-joo’s eyebrows twitched.
“Hello, Eun-seong. Were the sponsored clothes we provided okay? I hope there weren’t any issues.”
Eun-seong, who had stayed out of sight until now, entered the store himself, and the team leader spoke to him kindly.
Eun-seong pointed at the clothes and got straight to the point.
“I wrinkled the clothes a bit on my way here, and it occurred to me that it might be a problem.”
“Oh my, a problem? Not at all. You’ve returned them in pristine condition.”
Her tune changed in a heartbeat. Yeon-joo clenched her fists, feeling as though a groan might escape her lips.
“My apologies. I’ll be more careful next time.”
“You shouldn’t have to worry about things like that, Eun-seong. You’re so considerate. Please don’t worry, we’ll take care of it. Thank you, as always.”
“May I go, then?”
“Yes, of course. Please be sure to attend our next season’s launch.”
“I will. We’ve never met, but you’re very kind.”
As Eun-seong finished his greeting by saying it was their first meeting, the smile vanished from the team leader’s face. *I’ve worked at this store for years. I’ve seen you so many times, and you say we’ve never met?*
“Ah, yes. Get home safely, Eun-seong.”
The team leader forced a smile, feeling the other employees laughing behind her back.
Then, Eun-seong tapped Yeon-joo’s shoulder and started to walk away. The moment he turned, the team leader’s expression hardened again as she glared at Yeon-joo.
“What are you doing? You, hurry up and go.”
After bowing her head in farewell, Yeon-joo finally left the store and watched the car Eun-seong was getting into.
Now that the return was finished, getting back into his car was out of the question.
“I’ll be going now. Thank you.”
Yeon-joo approached the driver’s side to say goodbye, and Eun-seong lowered the car window slightly. He then flicked his fingers, as if to tell her to go.
“Right. Keep my words in mind. I know it’s a good opportunity for your son, but there will be other chances, so this movie, just…”
“No. I’ll decide that for myself.”
*I hope your son doesn’t appear in this film.*
“What? What do you mean you’ll decide for yourself? Are you, what, saying you’re going to let him do it?”
“I’ll discuss it with my son.”
“Hey. Are you telling me to… with your son…”
Unable to finish his sentence, Eun-seong trailed off. Yeon-joo, with a stubborn look on her face, finished it for him.
“My son and I will handle our own affairs. A parent can’t break their child’s will. Especially if it’s the child’s dream.”
“…”
“Thank you for sharing your valuable opinion. Please drive safely.”
Yeon-joo finished her goodbye and opened her umbrella. As she quickly disappeared from sight, Eun-seong stared into the rearview mirror, his mouth agape.
No matter how many times he replayed it in his mind, the absurdity of it all made his head feel like it was about to explode.
*No. I’ll decide that for myself.*
“What does she mean she’ll decide for herself? I’m the one who has to act, so how is this unrelated to me?”
Is she telling me to play a father to her son? How? How?
Eun-seong gripped the steering wheel and took several deep breaths. Persuading Director Park, who had been taken with Yeon-joo’s son at first sight, seemed difficult, so he had thought convincing Yeon-joo would be easier. But that didn’t seem to be the case either.
Was Go Yeon-joo really such a bundle of ambition? Was she willing to do anything for her son’s success?
That venomous, cruel woman…
“Ha, this is driving me crazy.”
Eun-seong languished under the tyranny of the venomous and cruel Go Yeon-joo. He glanced down at the chocolates she had left behind, then shoved two of them into his mouth at once and chewed roughly.
Acting with Go Yeon-joo’s son. And as a father and son, no less. A laugh, like that of someone who had lost their mind, began to slip out.
She was bad for his heart, then and now. Even after all this time, nothing had changed. Still.
*
“Han-byeol, you’re out buying snacks with your mom?”
Holding the hand of Han-byeol, who said he wanted ice cream, Yeon-joo visited a small mart near their home.
Knowing his grandmother would nag him for eating ice cream so late at night, mother and son had embarked on a secret nocturnal mission to eat it before going home.
“Yes. It’s a secret from my grandma.”
“Of course. I know, I know.”
Even as she watched Han-byeol meticulously recruit the mart owner into his scheme, Yeon-joo couldn’t bring herself to smile. As the owner scanned the ice cream bar and handed it over, he wore an expression of admiration.
“My, he gets more handsome every time I see him. I wonder whose child he is.”
For some reason, even a compliment like that didn’t bring her joy today.
“Han-byeol, you grow up just like this and become an actor someday. You could be a celebrity.”
At the mart owner’s kind words, Han-byeol glanced at his mother. It was praise he heard so often it made his ears ring, but it was the first time he had ever checked his mother’s reaction.
“Have a good night.”
“You too, Han-byeol’s mom. Get home safe.”
Yeon-joo took Han-byeol’s hand and left the mart. They entered the adjoining park, and Yeon-joo slowly walked with her son as he ate his ice cream.
The night sky, cleared of rain, was high, and even the breeze felt cool.
“I think it’s autumn now, Mom.”
“Yeah. I think so too.”
Walking hand in hand, Yeon-joo looked down at her son. In the face of her child, nibbling on a character-themed ice cream bar, she saw fleeting glimpses of Eun-seong.
“Han-byeol, how was the movie set today?”
“It was okay. Kinda boring.”
Her son’s effort to read her feelings was heartbreaking. Feeling a bitter taste rise in her throat, Yeon-joo took a bite of her ice cream.
“Han-byeol. Do you know what acting is?”
“Isn’t it just doing what’s written in the script? It’s all written there.”
“Is that what you want to do? Really?”
“Umm…”
Han-byeol hesitated, unable to give a quick answer. He seemed to be deliberating, unsure of his mother’s intentions.
“It’s okay. You can be honest. I want to hear what you think.”
“It’s just… well, it’s something I’ve never done before. So I’m curious.”
“If you start filming, you’ll have to miss school and your academies. Things like that will inevitably happen.”
“But I could learn things they don’t teach you at school, couldn’t I?”
Yeon-joo stopped in her tracks. How could he come up with such an astute answer? A deep tremor ran through her heart. When had her child grown up so much?
As his mother stopped to look at him, Han-byeol looked up.
Seeing her son with chocolate smeared around his mouth, a dry laugh escaped her. Yeon-joo wiped his mouth with her hand and spoke.
“Han-byeol. If you want to do it, you can.”
“All of a sudden?”
“Earlier, Mom was, uh, well, a little flustered. You know I get scared easily, right? So I think I was just a little scared.”
“Yeah. Mom’s a scaredy-cat for no reason. How can you know without trying? The only way to know is to try.”
“You’re right.”
Today, after being pushed around from all sides, she felt a little wronged.
*Do I have to take away my own son’s dream? Why do we always have to be the first to avoid things, the first to run away? Isn’t it enough that I alone became the world’s perpetrator and gave up on my life?*
*I hope your son doesn’t appear in this film.*
The thought that he had waited just to say that to her made all the strength drain from her body. Her conviction that she should, of course, stop Han-byeol’s dream had become warped.
*No. I’ll decide that for myself.*
She hadn’t meant to give such a defiant answer, but the moment the words tumbled out of her mouth on their own, she realized what her true feelings were.
“But I want you to think about it carefully. I trust you, Mom does. Think it over and give me your answer.”
“Okay. I’ll think about it.”
“Okay. Whatever you choose, I’ll respect your decision.”
At that moment, I made up my mind. I would watch closely to see where God intended to lead my son.
If this path happened to lead to him, then I would face it. I never asked for God’s help, so I would tell him not to interfere this time, and I would block the way with my entire being.
I didn’t want to teach my still-young child how to get lost. I couldn’t turn a child holding his mother’s hand into a lost soul.
*Han-byeol. Promise me. Don’t let go of my hand. And then, just breathe easy. No matter which way we walk, no matter where we’re headed, you can believe we are on the right path.*
“Han-byeol. Is the ice cream good?”
“Yeah. It’s refreshing. Let’s eat half and then switch, Mom.”
“Okay. I wanted to try that one too.”
Only I, the mother, will lose my way.
*
The Path You Said Not to Take
“Alright, Ms. Go Yeon-joo. To be frank, an opportunity like this isn’t common. It’s sort of like winning the lottery.”
In the meeting room sat Director Park Hyung-wook, several staff members, and Hae-yeong, Yeon-joo, and Han-byeol.
“For some kids, it’s a miracle. Debuting in a Park Hyung-wook film starring Im Eun-seong… well, it’s game over.”
When morning came, Han-byeol had said he wanted to try acting. Yeon-joo immediately called Hae-yeong, and a contract was swiftly arranged.
From any angle, it was an unconventional situation.
Deciding on a child actor for a significant role based solely on the director’s intuition, without a single camera test, was something only a director like Park Hyung-wook could do.
A staff member droned on about what an incredible opportunity it was, an indoctrination-style explanation that they must understand this wasn’t a chance that came by easily.
“He’s really handsome. His expression looks just like his mom’s, doesn’t it?”
Director Park murmured, interrupting the flow of conversation. Yeon-joo looked at Han-byeol. People who met him for the first time always said he resembled his mother. Especially his smile, they said, was a perfect match.
He was a child like a drawing sketched by Eun-seong and colored in by Yeon-joo. It was nothing short of a marvelous mystery of genetics.
“So, how shall we proceed with the contract?”
When a staff member asked, Hae-yeong stepped forward. The moment she had received Yeon-joo’s call, she knew it was her time to act.
“I will take full responsibility for managing Han-byeol. Let’s sign the contract with us, Changrok Entertainment.”
“If Director Jin is handling it, there’s no problem. Well then, there’s nothing more to consider.”
Just as the staff member said, having Hae-yeong step in was truly reassuring. For Yeon-joo, who knew nothing about the industry, Hae-yeong’s help felt immense.
Acting as a representative, Hae-yeong took the lead on the contract.
As they were discussing various points for review, the door opened and Eun-seong walked in.
“Huh? Eun-seong!”
He didn’t seem to be an invited guest, as Director Park asked in a surprised tone. Yeon-joo’s eyes widened. Han-byeol’s head turned slowly, and Eun-seong, standing at the door, looked at Han-byeol.
It was their first meeting. The first meeting between a father and son who did not recognize each other.
Eun-seong casually walked in, pulled out a chair, and sat down. He was seated opposite Yeon-joo and Han-byeol. He crossed his long legs comfortably and lifted his head.
When his gaze fell on Han-byeol, Yeon-joo became incredibly tense. His words from last night echoed in her mind, making her fingertips tremble.
He seemed to have appeared to make her pay the price for disobeying him, as if he intended to scrap the contract altogether.
A single word from Eun-seong would make the contract disappear. It was a foregone conclusion. She knew all too well that he was an actor who held that kind of power.
“Hey, what brings you here? I was debating whether to call you or not, but I figured you’d be busy, so I didn’t.”
The director smiled as if welcoming him, but Eun-seong remained silent for a few seconds, just looking at the child. The longer he stared, the more anxious Yeon-joo became.
How much time had passed? At last, in a voice devoid of any emotion, Eun-seong spoke.
“I was passing by and heard there was a contract signing, so I dropped in for a moment.”
Yeon-joo stopped breathing for a moment.
…I dragged my shabby body, withered by farewell.
Only at the entrance to the destination laid out by God did I close my eyes in belated realization.
“I thought I’d come see my son’s face.”
This path, this alley.
“Since I’m the father.”
I was crossing over destiny.
