# Chapter 33
“Hey, get out.”
The place we arrived at was a small house in a remote area of Seoul. I could tell where this was without him having to say. I had now arrived at Seo Hanryul’s house.
‘Why did he suddenly come to his house?’
This place had often appeared in the novel as well. Seo Hanryul’s cozy home filled with memories.
Even after he became a top star and earned ridiculous amounts of money later on, Seo Hanryul couldn’t easily leave this place filled with memories of him and his mother. In the ending, after Lee Dojun’s long persuasion, he would leave here and live together with Lee Dojun at his house.
“Why did we come here?”
What was the reason for bringing me to his house from the very first day?
“You’re about to annoy me, so keep your mouth shut.”
‘Ugh. That guy’s temperament.’
In the end, without even knowing why we came to his house, I silently followed him inside. As soon as the door opened, I could feel the atmosphere of a cozy family home.
“Why are you standing there like a pole? Sit anywhere.”
When I hesitated about what to do after going in, Seo Hanryul clicked his tongue and gestured for me to sit anywhere.
“Oh, thanks.”
When I sat down on the living room sofa as if pushed, Seo Hanryul naturally went into his room.
‘What? Is that it?’
Watching him disappear into his room, I thought it was anticlimactic. At the same time, I felt relieved that bringing me to his house didn’t seem to have any particular meaning. I thought he would at least threaten me to get my head straight if I didn’t want to break the contract.
On top of a wooden cabinet showing traces of time, several picture frames were visible. The most eye-catching among them was a frame containing what appeared to be Seo Hanryul’s childhood.
Bright, sparkling eyes as if stars had been placed in them. He grew up well without any adverse changes, so how did he end up with such a temperament?
Next to him, someone who appeared to be Seo Hanryul’s mother was smiling brightly with both hands placed on Seo Hanryul’s shoulders. She was a beauty with a warm and gentle impression.
Suddenly, I recalled Seo Hanryul’s family history. When Seo Hanryul was very young, his father died early in an unexpected accident, and his mother became a single mom.
But she didn’t lose her spirited attitude and raised Seo Hanryul well and properly. Seo Hanryul, also influenced by her, was able to spend a stable childhood despite not being financially well-off.
However, happiness didn’t last long. When Seo Hanryul entered high school, she was diagnosed with lung cancer, and the disease gradually worsened.
Eventually, in the year Seo Hanryul became a senior, his mother passed away. What was Seo Hanryul’s mood like then?
It was written, ‘That day, 19-year-old Hanryul’s world collapsed miserably.’
Seeing the photograph overflowing with love in person made me understand even more why Seo Hanryul couldn’t leave this house for a long time. Looking at the image of the child laughing purely and innocently, I felt a kind of sympathy.
The insane Cha Jaehyun had dug into Seo Hanryul’s sad family history and didn’t hesitate to make unfilial remarks to him…
‘I thought too deeply.’
Seo Hanryul being pitiful is one thing, but the problem of being forced to become his slave is another story. My situation of being dragged to Korea overnight after having a happy study abroad life and getting slapped by the chairman is also pitifully enough, so who is worrying about whom right now?
Seo Hanryul seemed endlessly pitiful, then I hated the guy who put me in this ridiculous situation, my thoughts going back and forth. Because of that one photograph I accidentally encountered, my heart kept going between hot and cold baths endlessly.
My heart is jumping around everywhere and it’s chaotic. Why did that guy suddenly bring me to his house and make me confused in the middle of the night?
“Ah!”
A set of clothes and an ice pack flew toward me.
“What?”
“Stop having random thoughts and change your clothes.”
He seemed to be trying to take care of me somehow, but his attitude was extremely rough.
“Right now, suddenly?”
“Look at your clothes. It’s not like you’re wearing burlap sacks or something.”
What’s wrong with my clothes? After hearing Seo Hanryul’s words and looking down, I finally saw the white shirt stained with blood. To think I went outside wearing these clothes. I let out an embarrassed laugh.
“Got it.”
“After you change clothes and come out, keep the ice pack on your face.”
Looking at him closely, he seems to be quite the tsundere. When he was causing all sorts of trouble in America, it was quite funny to see him taking care of things when he needed to.
“Thanks for everything.”
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I have a schedule starting tomorrow, and if the manager’s face looks like that, people will think I hit him and misunderstand.”
“Right, you’re so great. I’ll go change clothes.”
“I think I can see why your personality is so twisted.”
I was about to go into the bathroom to change clothes when I heard him muttering something behind me.
‘If you know, then send me back to America, you bastard.’
An attitude that goes back and forth between heaven and hell. Breaking into the house without permission, then suddenly offering to drive. Hurling harsh words, then tossing an ice pack. Which rhythm am I supposed to follow?
* * *
When I came out after changing clothes, Seo Hanryul had prepared warm tea and biscuits on the table. When did he prepare that?
“If you’re done changing, sit in front.”
I sat in front of him without saying anything. It seemed like he was going to seriously talk about his schedule.
“First, tomorrow there’s a magazine interview from morning, so we need to prepare quickly.”
“Yeah.”
“And this week I’ll relay schedule-related things to you, but you know that schedule management is originally a manager’s job, right? Starting from next week, you’ll receive the schedule from the agency and manage it yourself.”
“Got it. I’ll handle it well on my own, so don’t pick fights.”
When I reacted indifferently, Seo Hanryul looked at me with suspicion.
Earlier when Cha Taesan visited the house, that vast house felt like heavy shackles for the first time. I felt the terrible sensation of sinking into the endless deep sea with a huge stone tied to my ankle.
But coming out of the house, driving through the night streets, and arriving at this small, cozy place seemed to calm my heart a little.
It’s true that I got off on the wrong foot with Seo Hanryul from the start. But seeing him give me clothes and toss me an ice pack, he doesn’t seem to be as completely rotten as I thought. He probably just has such strong hatred toward Cha Jaehyun that he wants to get some revenge on him.
If it were me, I think I’d want to pour sewage on the guy who left a scar on my stomach to feel satisfied. Tonight’s events made me feel somewhat grateful to Seo Hanryul. The thought crossed my mind that spending six months might not be as difficult as I thought, given Seo Hanryul’s softened behavior.
‘Right. This much seems doable.’
“Anyway, let’s do well from now on, Seo Hanryul.”
I smiled and extended my hand toward him.
“What are you doing?”
And Seo Hanryul cleanly ignored my handshake. This guy, making a person embarrassed… I immediately lowered my stranded hand.
“Ah, right. And when I’m working as a manager, can I use an alias?”
Even if the world doesn’t know about Cha Jaehyun’s existence, I thought it would be quite dangerous to do manager activities using my real name. So when Seo Hanryul’s mood didn’t look bad, I casually threw out the question.
“Ah~ I guess there are a lot of complications to being a manager under your real name? Do whatever you want.”
He granted my request more easily than expected.
“But what name are you going to use?”
“Seo Jiwon.”
I hadn’t thought about that yet. At the sudden question, since no suitable name came to mind, I threw out my real name.
“Seo Jiwon? Where did that name come from?”
“It doesn’t mean anything special. Then from now on, call me Seo Jiwon when we’re outside. Please.”
“Look at what you’re doing.”
Why is he suddenly acting like that when things were going well? But I guess that means he’ll do it.
“Thanks. I understand tomorrow’s schedule well, so I’ll head out now. I’ll wait in front of your house tomorrow morning, so rest well.”
It seemed like all of today’s tasks were finished, so I slowly prepared to leave his house.
“Are you going to ditch tomorrow’s schedule too?”
“You know the reason I canceled today’s appointment. Tomorrow there’s absolutely no chance of that happening. If it happens again tomorrow, really do whatever you want.”
Having overcome the big mountain that is Cha Taesan, there really wouldn’t be such a thing tomorrow.
“We have to go out from early dawn tomorrow.”
“Right. Send me the time by text and I’ll come to your house and wait by that time.”
“Looking at you, your condition doesn’t look good either, so what if you oversleep?”
What does this guy see me as? He definitely saw me as a pathetic person who couldn’t keep appointments and just overslept.
“Why are you so full of worries? Even if the sky splits in two, that won’t happen, so won’t you let me go now?”
“Hey, you want me to trust your words? Fine. You’re sleeping here tonight before you go.”
This wasn’t a suggestion but an order. Persistent bastard. I decided to obediently follow his words for now.
“Right. You’re really suspicious too. Have you been deceived your whole life?”
“No, the person in front of me is creditless, so how can I trust you?”
Due to Seo Hanryul’s ridiculous logic, I had no choice but to be dragged back into his house.
