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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: A War Over Dinner
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“Well, this is my place. Please, come in.”
Hae-yeong had changed the location to her own home midway. The situation had become complicated with Eun-seong’s unexpected arrival.
She’d had no choice, seeing Yeon-joo’s face turn deathly pale at the prospect of Eun-seong’s visit. While Mr. Joo could attend as a neighborhood resident, the sudden visit of a movie’s lead actor was bound to be overwhelming for anyone.
“Eun-seong, let me take Han-byeol. I’ll carry him.”
“Where should I lay him down?”
“Oh, then this way. We’ll go to my bedroom.”
Since Han-byeol, still lost in dreamland, showed no signs of waking, Eun-seong had carried him all the way. He held the boy as if he were a precious treasure, refusing to let him go, and only set him down once he had gently laid him on Hae-yeong’s bed.
As Hae-yeong went to the living room to prepare for her guests, Yeon-joo followed. The sight of him standing in Hae-yeong’s home—a place she had visited so often the threshold was practically worn down—was so unfamiliar it felt surreal.
“Thank you. Han-byeol must have been heavy.”
“He was lighter than my morning weights. Don’t worry about it.”
As if adding a final touch, Eun-seong neatly tucked the blanket in before straightening up. He glanced over, and Yeon-joo swallowed nervously.
“Why, why are you looking at me like that?”
“How petty. Mr. Joo is okay, but I’m not?”
“Pardon?”
Yeon-joo’s brow furrowed slightly in response to Eun-seong’s disgruntled tone.
“Don’t misunderstand. I never invited him, either.”
“Be that as it may, the change of venue was because of me, not Mr. Joo.”
“…”
*How could I possibly bring an actor like you to my house? My mom is there.*
Yeon-joo couldn’t bring herself to explain and pressed her lips tightly together. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t take Eun-seong to a house where her mother was. If she hadn't known, maybe, but knowing what she knew, she couldn't do it.
As she remained silent, Eun-seong raised an eyebrow. Her silence seemed to confirm his accusation, and he felt a slow burn of anger.
“Do you like Mr. Joo?”
“What are you talking about? Like who?”
“Don’t try to be vague. Speak clearly. Is it a yes or a no?”
*No! Absolutely not!*
Yeon-joo flinched, stopping herself before she could answer. She didn’t want to give a straight answer to Eun-seong’s interrogation, his eyes glaring daggers at her.
She had actually called Mr. Joo earlier when she heard Eun-seong was joining them. When she told him she thought their fake marriage act had been exposed, Mr. Joo had simply said he understood.
She already felt terribly sorry for him, so she couldn't understand why Eun-seong was tormenting her like this.
“Your answer is slow.”
“I don’t want to answer. Why do I have to answer your questions?”
“Why? Because I asked.”
“Exactly. So if you ask, I’m supposed to tell you every little detail?”
“Of course. Of course you have to tell me everything.”
“But why?”
As the stubborn Go Yeon-joo continued to deflect with pointless questions instead of complying, Eun-seong’s scowl deepened.
“Why? Should I tell you the reason loudly? Loud enough for Director Jin outside to hear?”
“N-No, that’s okay! It’s fine!”
Yeon-joo shook her head, a look of horror on her face. Eun-seong’s eyes widened, demanding a proper answer.
Just then, the doorbell rang, and Hae-yeong, who had been preparing for the guests, called out in a bustling voice.
“Come on out! I think Mr. Joo is here!”
As Yeon-joo moved to leave the bedroom, Eun-seong grabbed her arm tightly. He wouldn’t let her go until she answered.
“Ah, let go!”
“Tell me before you go. Do you like him or not? Quickly.”
“I like him. There. Are you happy?”
“Ha.”
As Yeon-joo yanked her arm away and left, Eun-seong’s scowl intensified.
*…Just you wait, Go Yeon-joo.*
“Fine. So you’ve decided to unleash a bloodbath today.”
Today, you’ll be the only one left standing.
*
“My goodness, what is all this?”
Hae-yeong’s eyes widened as Mr. Joo entered, laden with a bundle of gifts. Mr. Joo smiled, setting them down by the entrance.
“It is my first time visiting your home, Director. I felt awkward coming empty-handed.”
“Not at all. You could have just come comfortably.”
“Oh, but how could I? I just grabbed whatever at the supermarket. It’s nothing special, so please just accept it.”
*…Unbelievable.*
Over here, Eun-seong, the one who wasn't human enough to bring a gift, scoffed. He had desperately wanted to bring something, but they had left directly from the set, and he’d had Han-byeol on his lap in the car, making it difficult to stop and buy anything.
“You’re here?”
Mr. Joo offered a greeting, to which Eun-seong responded with a curt nod. The subtle implication of him being the host in the phrase “You’re here?” sent a wave of irritation through him, starting from his toes.
“You’ve arrived.”
Eun-seong shot back. Mr. Joo let out a small laugh, while Yeon-joo, glancing around nervously, pulled out a dining chair.
“Ah, please sit, Mr.…”
The moment Yeon-joo pulled out the chair, Eun-seong plopped down in it. He then pulled out the chair next to him and looked at Yeon-joo.
“Please, have a seat. Han-byeol’s mother.”
Then, with a gracious wave of his hand, he gestured to the chair on the opposite side.
“Please sit. Mr. Joo Geon-hee.”
“…”
Mr. Joo had no choice but to sit in the chair Eun-seong had indicated. Hae-yeong, who had been preoccupied with choosing a wine, approached and naturally sat next to Mr. Joo.
“Wine is okay with everyone, right? I ordered some decent food for delivery. It should be here soon.”
“Director. Didn’t you say we were going to grill pork belly?”
Mr. Joo asked, and Hae-yeong laughed.
“That was the plan. But it changed when we moved to my place. It’s only truly delicious when you grill it with Yeon-joo’s mother’s kimchi, but unfortunately, we don’t have any.”
“Ah, so Yeon-joo’s mother’s kimchi is that good? I’ll have to make sure I try it next time.”
*Ha. Look at him, so smoothly arranging a next time. Did he really spend his whole life just studying? Those lines are awfully well-oiled.*
While Hae-yeong and Yeon-joo went to get wine glasses, Eun-seong looked at Mr. Joo and spoke bluntly.
“It’s a relief not having to watch that preposterous married couple act.”
“You truly are an actor. To see through the act in an instant.”
“Then why did you tell such a ridiculous lie in the first place?”
Eun-seong asked aggressively. Mr. Joo let out a long sigh. What could he do now that the cat was out of the bag? He had to face it head-on.
“We may not be officially married, but I’d appreciate it if you thought of it as a rehearsal. That’s how I’m thinking of it, anyway.”
*Wh-what? A re-re-what?*
*This… this smooth-talking bastard…*
As Eun-seong’s mouth fell open as if he were about to foam at the mouth, the doorbell rang. Assuming it was the food delivery, Hae-yeong opened the door to find a wine basket delivered from a department store.
A bewildered Hae-yeong brought the basket inside, and Eun-seong gave a small wave.
“I felt awkward coming empty-handed, so I ordered it from the car. I hope it’s to your taste.”
“Whoa, Eun-seong, you sent this? Wow, s-something this expensive? And so much of it?”
Only after watching Hae-yeong, a wine collector, practically lose her mind did Eun-seong offer a benevolent smile. He then looked at Mr. Joo.
“When one is invited to the home of a distinguished person, one can’t just buy ‘whatever.’ I chose it with careful consideration, so please enjoy it on a special day, Director.”
“Wow, how could I possibly drink this? It’s too precious! Thank you so much, Eun-seong. You must have been so busy, when did you even have time for this?”
“How can a person show up empty-handed? A gift appropriate for the occasion and one's station is only natural.”
Eun-seong stared pointedly, raising an eyebrow. Mr. Joo said nothing.
A war without swords or guns had begun. Her palms began to sweat, and Yeon-joo wiped them on her pants.
*
After achieving the perfect setup, Hae-yeong put on some quiet music that suited the wine. It was a measure to break the awkward silence that would inevitably pool at the end of their sentences.
Eun-seong slowly closed and opened his eyes. The overture to Joo Geon-hee’s execution had begun.
“Alright, shall we have a drink?”
After pouring wine into large Bordeaux glasses for everyone, Hae-yeong raised her glass, and the other three followed suit.
They started with a red wine from Napa Valley’s Oakville district, a fantastic harmony of fruit and tannins. The food pairing included steak as the main, alongside various charcuterie and cheeses like bresaola made from beef round and lonzino from pork loin.
Though the portions were small, they were high in calories and perfect with wine. It was a smart menu choice by Hae-yeong, as it didn’t clash with Eun-seong’s diet.
“A toast to Han-byeol’s successful first shoot. Thank you, everyone, and you all worked so hard.”
Hae-yeong, speaking on behalf of the shy Yeon-joo, initiated the toast. They all raised their glasses in agreement before taking a sip.
Mr. Joo, who didn’t know much about wine, narrowed his eyes, savoring the taste on the tip of his tongue.
“What do you think, Mr. Joo? The body is quite heavy, isn’t it?”
Hae-yeong asked, and Mr. Joo gave an awkward smile.
“To be honest, I don’t know much about alcohol. But I’ve heard that the more expensive the wine, the worse it tastes, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. This is quite good.”
“I brought out a wine I’ve been saving for a special occasion.”
“To be treated like this by you, Director, I don’t know what to do with myself. I would have been grateful even if you had just prepared something simple.”
Mr. Joo said, and Hae-yeong’s face filled with emotion.
“How can our Mr. Joo be so well-spoken? You’re a textbook example of someone who can pay off a thousand-nyang debt with a single word.”
“Isn’t everyone like that? Although, I did recently witness someone who incurs a thousand-nyang debt with a single word.”
*Cough.* Eun-seong let out a dry cough. Just listen to that guy.
*You want me to say a few more words for you? You willing to lend me some money so I can rack up some debt? Want to see your name on the bankruptcy list?*
“Ah, haha, there are many people like that. So many, Mr. Joo. I’ve seen countless people like that.”
“That’s impressive, Director. I found even one to be a handful.”
The man who was too much of a handful for Mr. Joo, Eun-seong, picked up the steak knife. As the second execution song began to play, the tip of the knife seemed to flash in the light.
*Hey. Mr. Tit-for-Tat. Debt isn’t just about money.*
“Oh, I’ll cut the steak, Eun-seong.”
“No, it’s alright. I’ll do it. Since I have a knife in my hand, I should cut something.”
*There’s also the debt of a human life.*
With burning eyes, Eun-seong chopped the steak into pieces with unnecessary force.
“Thank you, Eun-seong. Shall we start eating then?”
Before Hae-yeong could finish her sentence, Eun-seong had served the meat onto her and Yeon-joo’s plates. He then took his own portion and handed the tongs to Mr. Joo.
Accepting the tongs with a composed expression, Mr. Joo spoke.
“You’re more considerate than you appear, Mr. Im Eun-seong. You must be quite popular with the ladies.”
“Given my profession, I always welcome the love of others, but personally, I strive for the one and only.”
“For someone who strives for the ‘one and only,’ you seem like you’d have a diverse dating history. Am I wrong?”
“The tone of your question feels like a reporter’s interview, so I find it difficult to answer.”
*Cough.* Hae-yeong burst into a coughing fit. She had just swallowed a piece of meat, and it felt like it was stuck in her throat. She took a sip of wine and spoke, a desperate attempt to salvage the mood.
“People like Eun-seong are often surprisingly lonely. The poverty in the midst of plenty, should I say? He’s so much like a fantasy that he’s hard to approach. Isn’t that right, Eun-seong?”
“If I’m hard to approach, then I’ll have to take the initiative myself. I was just starting to think about finding a good woman. I’m at that age now, and they say the darkest place is under the candlestick, so I suppose I should look around me.”
*Cough.* This time, it was Yeon-joo who coughed. The gazes of both Eun-seong and Mr. Joo landed on her simultaneously.
A good woman. A good woman nearby.
“If you know any good women, please introduce one to me. A good woman… I’d like to meet one, too.”
At Mr. Joo’s words, Eun-seong took a sip of wine and wiped his lips. Then, he smiled, the corner of his mouth lifting.
*Ha. Not a chance.*
“My, you have big dreams, Mr. Joo. If there’s a good woman to be had, it’s obvious I should be the one to have her.”
“…”
“As if I’d let a fated partner like that slip away. Wouldn’t you agree?”
*This is my house… but I want to go home…*
Hae-yeong bit her lip, hard.
