Episode 419
“More interesting works will come out in Part 2.”
“….”
“There are probably many more interesting writers.”
Song In-myeong believed that Lee Jae-heon would come according to his intentions.
Even though there is no separate connection, Lee Jae-heon is a person who imitates an unsuitable customer in order to catch Song In-myeong. I guess it’s because they’re worried that Song In-myeong will commit more crimes, but Sung Dae-young must be upset. If we lose Seong Dae-young, high school students will be in danger.
‘The younger the person this guy is, the more harmful he becomes.’
In this situation, there was no way Lee Jae-heon could have rejected Song In-myeong’s offer to meet Seong Dae-young.
Even though he knew that if he participated in the second part of the unofficial event, he would fall even further into the abyss of the industry, Lee Jae-heon, who had no interest in his own well-being, would have done so.
“Would you like Gumi?”
“…What….”
Lee Jae-heon continued, looking dryly at Song In-myeong’s face.
“great.”
When I returned to reality, Lee Jae-heon was still Lee Jae-heon.
‘…I was worried that Lee Jae-heon in real life would be a little different from the behind-the-scenes world, but this is enough to embarrass me. This is my natural monument.’
Even Song In-myeong, who prided himself on not being greatly affected by the pressure of the secret world, suddenly felt a sense of discomfort when he returned to reality. Should I say it was empty or should I say it felt realistic? I felt like I had just come out of the movie theater after being immersed in a deeply moving movie and struggling to keep myself awake.
That strange feeling of loss. There was bound to be a difference in personality between survivors in the other world and survivors in reality. Therefore, I was briefly worried that Lee Jae-heon’s sacrificial spirit might not be as good in the underworld… but I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of him accepting Song In-myeong’s offer without the slightest hesitation.
“…It was a cheeky offer, but I’m glad Director Lee Jae-heon wasn’t offended.”
“There’s nothing to feel bad about.”
“is that so.”
Since there were eyes watching, Song In-myeong’s hands were held tightly to prevent his lips from rising frivolously, even though he was being uncharacteristically polite and polite.
‘This… is so fucking fun. The thrill was crazy…’
Lee Jae-heon’s fingernail was a wound that could not be healed, meaning it was an injury sustained in reality. He was wearing gloves now, so he couldn’t see inside, but his fingers were probably still bare and without nails. In reality, the only one who can harass him that much is the Idang Group.
So, even if we don’t know exactly what kind of things Lee Jae-heon suffered in this party, at least the truth was that he was ‘loved’. Otherwise, it would be difficult to obtain such private information. Even Lee Jae-heon is treated as a gray area by Lee Dang Group.
Lee Jae-heon was a member of two different parties. No matter how severe the sibling fights are, they usually end up taking a place in the affiliate. It wasn’t common for someone like Lee Jae-heon to join a stranger’s company and only end up as a manager.
In other words, it was as if the chairman and directors of this party had declared that they would not involve Lee Jae-heon in the succession battle. He was a kind of extra-family member. Lee Jae-heon was an exception to all the conflicts and problems that this party and Royal had to experience, and the people of this party implicitly acknowledged it. It is safe to view it as affection pretending to be a bystander.
‘Even though they are openly targeting Lee Jae-heon in front of the chairman of this party and the directors of affiliates, no one knows. We’re the only ones who know the meaning of our conversation, and really no one among the scary people at the gala noticed it. This is improvisation and modern art… fuck.’
There was something else that was more enjoyable than anything else.
“We will contact you later.”
“…thank you.”
Lee Jae-heon seemed genuinely happy. The corners of the mouth that rose and fell for a moment or the eyes that narrowed slightly were evidence of this.
‘right? ‘I’m the only one who understands you?’
Song In-myeong was able to catch a glimpse of comfort in the faint look that passed through Lee Jae-heon’s eyes. Of course, he was uncomfortable with the murderer Song In-myeong, but that was different. Unlike other guys who ignored him because they were worried about how rough Lee Jae-heon would treat his body, Song In-myeong completely understood Lee Jae-heon and respected him. Only Song In-myeong, who experienced the hidden world together, was able to do that.
The feeling of being assured that my thoughts were not wrong was truly amazing.
“Is the author of that work also appearing in Part 2?”
“Umm no. “He is not a writer whose achievements are outstanding enough to post his work in Part 2… He probably doesn’t even know that Part 2 exists.”
“It was a work I quite liked, but it turned out to be disappointing.”
“If it’s a work with a similar style, can I introduce you to another author? “I know a few people.”
“If you attend Part 2, we’ll get to see each other.”
“That’s true too.”
Both of them had their eyes on the piece being auctioned, but both knew that their attention was elsewhere. Song In-myeong was excited as he imagined the second part he would participate in with Lee Jae-heon.
‘I hope Lee Jae-heon will also be interested in my work…’
Lee Jae-heon, who is kinder than any other saint in history, cannot help but hate Song In-myeong, but I am confident that I will be able to overcome that as I face Lee Jae-heon in person in real life. This spring welled up.
Song In-myeong knew how lonely it was to not be understood. In fact, I was more angry at the foolish people who did not recognize the value of my work, but it was true that it was unpleasant if I did not sublimate my negative feelings about being isolated among people into my work. Perhaps Jaeheon Lee was like that too.
‘Because it is both an unfinished work and a completed work, my own identity is wavering here and there. In the meantime, we have to save people. I want to die, but I can’t. Even if I try my best, other people will think I’m crazy and be horrified. Scolding and mistreating me… I feel sad just thinking about this.’
Song In-myeong was able to pursue his dream early on by finding a job that suited me well. Compared to Lee Jae-heon, he was very lucky, so he felt that this man’s situation was truly terrible.
And the more these types of interests are formed, the more affection people develop. The reason he was able to become friends with Vivian and Seo Jang-hwa was because they understood and cared for each other. Even if the relationship started as dry as a transaction, the relationship is not easily broken if you take the time.
‘Just like Vivian still considers me a friend.’
Song In-myeong glanced at Lee Jae-heon.
“I’m starting to lose my mind.”
“Sorry, I’m just too excited to meet a new customer.”
“Huh…”
Lee Jae-heon let out a heartfelt sigh, as if he was disgusted by Song In-myeong, who behaved politely unlike in the other world.
Song In-myeong became cheerful once again, but Lee Jae-heon’s face was still dry. His expression was expressionless, showing some fatigue.
Jaeheon Lee spoke with his eyes still on the auction that was slowly coming to an end.
“Wake up first.”
“Please enter carefully, Manager.”
“….”
A look of silent positivity passed over Song In-myeong, and he quietly left the event venue. The chairman and directors of this party only glanced at him and did not sanction him. As expected, Jaeheon Lee was loved by them.
After looking around the venue once, Song In-myeong scratched the back of his neck and smiled slightly.
“…Hmm.”
Song In-myeong, who had no reason to be among the two parties anymore, returned to his seat and sat down. I was quick to notice his gaze briefly reaching for him and then disappearing, but he didn’t show it either.
He thought calmly.
‘What is that woman?’
A woman with jet black short hair and a black evening dress. Seeing that she was with an older man next to her, it seemed like she was a boss somewhere and his daughter. I realized it too late, but Song In-myeong was the owner of Lee Jae-heon’s gaze since she took the seat next to him.
I didn’t look closely, but his age is roughly 20s to early 30s? Aren’t you a bit young to be interested in Lee Jae-heon, who is over 40… Well, I wonder what the age difference has to do with it these days.
‘Still, it wasn’t the way to look at an older person when we first met, that’s it.’
Actually, Jaeheon Lee was single and was definitely a member of this party. I stopped paying attention because I thought I might have coveted the seat next to him.
At that time, something caught Song In-myeong’s eyes.
“…huh?”
It was a child with an unfamiliar face at a table at the event venue. She was a girl of about kindergarten age, and she had a neat and cute appearance, like a child model from an advertisement or magazine.
I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
“….”
“What do you see?”
One of the fellow writers who was sitting at the same table as Song In-myeong asked Song In-myeong.
“…Did Mirinae’s boss have a daughter that young?”
I knew the woman with the child well because she was one of Song In-myeong’s clients. She was married and had two children, but the youngest had long since entered elementary school. There wouldn’t be a child who looks like a kindergartener.
In response to Song In-myeong’s question, a fellow writer pretended to know.
“Oh, that one.”
“Seeing you react like that, I guess there is something, but what is it really?”
“I don’t know much about artist Song In-myeong because he is still young and majoring in Western painting. “That’s a doll.”
“doll?”
“An adopted child living with you for a while? “Well, people around me will say that I am the nephew of a distant relative.”
“…Is there a demand for something like that?”
“She’s as pretty as a real doll and listens really well. “It satisfies the fantasy of good sons and daughters like those seen in movies and dramas, and the response has been quite positive.”
“Wow, you look like a pervert.”
“Hey, it’s just like a temporary foster child. It’s like a doll, but most people who take kids like that treat them well. The kids show off their cuteness for a bit and then buy something delicious. “It’s a win-win, right?”
“Iyaa….”
If nothing else, it was a story that Jaeheon Lee would really dislike.
‘I’m glad I majored in Western painting.’
How would Lee Jae-heon, who was so upset with the babies, react if he found out?
Even if they were members of the same industry, they would never meet if their fields were different. This is especially true for artists who are called ‘writers’ because they are confined to their own space and rarely come out. Where do majors do something like that in the first place? Parenting education department? is not it? Isn’t there something that can just be called a major?
For a moment, I thought, ‘Isn’t this also a kind of living work of art?’ and realized the identity of the deja vu that Song In-myeong felt at that moment.
“….”
Jang Seo-ah.
That little boy looked quite like a doll, didn’t he?
* * *
Back at the hotel, Lee Jae-heon was talking on the phone with Hong Gyeong-jun.
“…Yes, I kept saying it, but I didn’t suffer any harm. I don’t know exactly who supported Song In-myeong, but I remember the people who came with him and exchanged glances with him. “If we dig into these people, I think we’ll find the tail.”
―Jaeheon Lee, that’s not what’s important right now.
“I did this, but isn’t it important?”
―No, it’s because I want to hear a more detailed answer to the question of whether something happened to Song In-myeong. Of course, since it was a seat, he may not have caused any direct harm, but he has a greasy tongue that can fool even bright people like Vivian and Seo Jang-hwa. I am worried that I may have suffered psychological damage.
“Well, aside from worrying about it.”
Jaeheon Lee clicked his tongue.
“Nothing really happened. After learning that I had approached him first as if he were a customer, he seemed interested and ended up talking to me a few times. It’s only natural that you won’t be able to talk about it openly because there will be eyes watching you. “I came out first even before the gala ended, and since Song In-myeong had a position, he didn’t really follow me.”
―….
“I heard you were okay? Hey Detective Hong Gyeongjun, why don’t you believe me?”
―Jaeheon Lee is not trustworthy. Maybe there was a problem and they didn’t talk about it because they thought they could hide it.
At the same time, I was appalled by the sound of people muttering, ‘I should have hired someone…’ Lee Jae-heon thought this was crazy and immediately scolded him.
“Who should you label? Is it because you don’t know what it means politically to pay attention to this party? The person who caught it may not only be cut off verbally on the spot, but could also be cut off physically. “I’m not sure where and how it will be cut.”
-I guess so.
“Why does your voice sound sad?”
―Thanks to Jae-heon Lee, I can easily find out good information, which will make my future work easier. Of course, the investigation will be conducted blindfolded so that Jae-heon Lee does not get into trouble.
“These people are really getting better at ignoring what I say as the days go by.”
―But Jaeheon Lee, please promise me.
Hong Gyeong-jun’s unique, calm voice was heard, but his true intentions were anything but.
-I will never deal with Song In-myeong alone.
“….”
Lee Jae-heon answered.
“I will.”
-That’s a lie.
“Was it a little obvious?”
But how can I do it better than you all?
(Continued in the next part)
