LS Ch 81

This time, Jewoo didn’t say anything. The difference between his father and mother was that at least his father stayed put. His father was strict about separating work and personal life, but he neither ignored Jewoo nor placed excessive expectations on him, only observing.

The fact that small acting jobs kept coming in might have been the company’s consideration. But Jewoo thought it was also because, unlike his mother, he had at least some talent for acting. If he had no talent at all, his father wouldn’t have supported him, just like he hadn’t supported his mother.

“Make sure you keep an eye out so she doesn’t barge onto the set.”

Jiho replied that he understood, as Jewoo warned him in advance in case his mother tried to use his name to get onto the set and act familiar with the staff or other actors.

Jewoo looked back through the cafe window at his mother, who remained inside. Perhaps because Jewoo had ignored her, she was fuming and huffing. Her beautiful, ageless face was completely contorted, not looking pretty in the slightest.

Hopefully, she’ll get over it in a few days… Somehow, he had a bad feeling.

🎞️✮⋆˙

“I’ve just arrived at the hotel.”

Yiwon said, holding his phone to his ear, as he parked in front of the hotel and got out of the driver’s seat.

—Filming ran a little long, so I just left. It’ll probably take me about 30 minutes to get there. What should I do?

“It’s okay. I’ll just wait around outside and enjoy the breeze.”

—The sun’s already set. Where are you going to enjoy the breeze? Especially you, with your recognizable face. I should have left the key card at the front desk.

Jewoo sounded apologetic, even though the extended filming wasn’t his fault.

“Is it alright if I go pick up the key card you left?”

At his words, implying whether it was okay for the recognizable Kang Yiwon to confidently ask for Han Jewoo’s room key, a groan could be heard. Yiwon chuckled and adjusted his grip on the phone.

“I came here on my own accord anyway. Don’t worry about it and come slowly. Don’t rush and cause an accident.”

—Jiho hyung is driving, anyway.

Today, Jewoo’s voice sounded particularly tired. It was unusual, as he rarely showed fatigue from work.

“Did something happen on set?”

—No. Nothing happened. Why?

“Just…”

—Your voice sounds strange.

He swallowed the rest of his sentence. If he said it, Jewoo would definitely hide his exhaustion from him, even when they were together. Most people thought Han Jewoo was simply easygoing and good-natured. Yiwon had initially thought so too, but after spending time close to him, he realized that Jewoo was surprisingly sensitive and delicate. He was simply quick to recognize and conceal his own state, even to himself.

“Anyway, I’ll wait patiently, so don’t worry and come. Call me when you arrive.”

He ended the call and thought for a moment. He had told Jewoo he would enjoy the breeze, but now that the sun had set, there wouldn’t be much to see even if he went down to the beach. After an hour’s drive from the airport, he just wanted to rest.

Giving up on wandering around, he decided to sit in the lobby and play games on his phone, and went inside the hotel. He worried that he might look suspicious with his mask and cap pulled low, but people seemed less interested in others than he expected. The lobby staff glanced at him briefly, but their gazes moved away as he sat on the sofa and took out his phone.

Time flew by as he became engrossed in the mobile game he had recently started playing with Jewoo. While immersed in the game, he felt a presence in front of him. Glancing up, he saw a woman sitting on the opposite sofa.

The lobby had a U-shaped sofa arrangement, and it was a space where anyone could sit and rest, so he didn’t pay much attention and was about to return to his game when the woman spoke, 

“Excuse me.”

Could she have recognized him? Even if she had, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but he wanted to avoid any unnecessary commotion…

While wondering if he should respond, thinking she might just be asking something, the woman narrowed her eyes and stared intently at him.

“You’re Kang Yiwon, aren’t you?”

He flinched as she clearly stated his name.

“Do I look like him?”

He asked back with a forced smile.

“It’s not that you look like him, you are him. That’s why you’re covering your face like that.”

Her last words made him realize his mistake. As she said, it was ridiculous to pretend to be someone else when only his eyes were visible.

“You’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

Still, he tried denying it once. Whether it would work or not, he didn’t know.

“You’re waiting for our Jewoo, right?”

The woman asked again. At those words, Yiwon lowered his phone and met her gaze properly. Not “Han Jewoo,” but “our Jewoo.” Only then did he become curious about the woman’s identity.

“I’m Jewoo’s mother. I used to be an actress too… Ah, you probably wouldn’t know, since you were too young back then.”

He didn’t hear the rest of her words. Han Jewoo’s mother. Those words resonated strongly in his ears. Come to think of it, he had never heard Jewoo talk about his parents. Yiwon hadn’t either. They had so little time together that they were always busy focusing on each other when they met.

He should have at least casually asked where his parents lived or about his siblings, but Jewoo had never once asked about Yiwon’s family. So Yiwon hadn’t thought to ask either.

“You came to meet our Jewoo, right?”

She asked again. If she truly was Jewoo’s mother, he shouldn’t ignore her. But on the other hand, if she wasn’t, if she was impersonating someone, he shouldn’t readily acknowledge his identity or reveal that he came to see Jewoo.

“You don’t need to be wary. I really am Jewoo’s mother.”

As if she sensed Yiwon’s suspicion, she took a photo out of her wallet and showed it to him. It was a picture of her with Jewoo, who looked about elementary school age.

“Jewoo’s been busy lately, so we haven’t had a chance to take pictures together… Is it hard to recognize him because he was so young?”

She asked, furrowing her brows. He was young in the photo, but it was definitely Han Jewoo’s face. Now that he looked, her eyes resembled Jewoo’s quite a bit.

“I recognize him.”

He put his phone completely aside and adjusted his posture. He hadn’t expected to meet Jewoo’s parent so suddenly, but he figured it wouldn’t be beneficial to make a bad impression. As Yiwon’s attitude changed, a slight smile curved her lips.

“If you were here for a schedule in Jeju Island, you would have a manager with you, but seeing as you’re alone, you must have come to see Jewoo, right?”

She asked the same question for the third time. I came to meet Han Jewoo. He felt her determination to hear that confirmation.

“I came to see Jewoo-hyung, yes.”

He didn’t bother denying it. It wasn’t that he intended to come out to Jewoo’s mother right then and there, but since she had come all the way to the hotel, it was highly likely she was also there to see Jewoo. He figured they would run into each other again even if he denied it.

“Why?”

The question was so simple that he just tilted his head, unable to answer.

“Why did you come to see our Jewoo?”

Her tone was sharp. Finally, Yiwon understood the situation. She must have heard rumors about his and Jewoo’s relationship, and she didn’t seem pleased. He thought it might be natural for a parent to feel that way, but at the same time, it was troublesome because she was Han Jewoo’s mother. He had no intention of breaking up with Jewoo just because his parents disapproved. That’s why he was even more troubled about how to deal with her.

“Shouldn’t we move somewhere else first?”

They were in the hotel lobby. He was covering his face, and although there weren’t many people coming and going, it wasn’t a place where it would be strange for someone to recognize him.

“Is there a need to move? You’re the one who should be embarrassed.”

She crossed her legs and folded her arms, looking at Yiwon. She acted as if she had nothing to hide.

“If word gets out that I’m here, it will affect Jewoo-hyung too.”

Han Jewoo was filming a drama in Jeju Island, and if Kang Yiwon were to be spotted at the same hotel, all sorts of rumors would spread online. He didn’t really care about that part. They would just be speculative rumors anyway. However, the fact that he was having a disagreement with Han Jewoo’s mother would become gossip on a whole different level.

“Our Jewoo is finally gaining popularity and doing well, you know it’s a real nuisance to do this, right?”

She taunted him again. He didn’t need to hear any more; her tone and expression already conveyed her disapproval loud and clear. He wanted to change locations if the conversation was going to continue, but she seemed to have no intention of moving, despite his suggestion.

“I understand your concern for Jewoo-hyung. I’ll listen to everything you have to say. But this doesn’t seem like the right place to have this conversation.”

“Don’t be hypocritical. If you truly cared about Jewoo, you wouldn’t be seeing him…!”

“What’s going on here?”

At the voice that interrupted them, Yiwon turned toward the source. Despite the low-pulled cap, it was Han Jewoo.