It was truly a coincidence that Yeohui discovered Seoyeon.
After filming the music show, on her way back from the restroom.
Having Seoyeon along that route was genuinely not intentional.
'I should go somewhere else...'
With that thought, she had definitely turned her feet away discreetly.
But for some reason, when she came to her senses, she was naturally standing beside Seoyeon.
'No, what did I do wrong? It's just that I could at least say hello and stuff.'
Wasn't Seoyeon clearly a junior in the entertainment industry?
As an actor, maybe not, but at least as a singer, Yeohui was a senior by a long shot!
So approaching a junior who looked like they had some concerns wasn't particularly strange.
"Hmm."
However, after greeting, Seoyeon stared at Yeohui with somewhat suspicious eyes.
A gaze that wanted to ask something but couldn't bring herself to.
Could it be that?
Are those eyes saying, "Do you still like our dad?"
'What exactly does she take me for!'
No matter what, doing that now would be an affair.
Yeohui might have a somewhat reckless streak, but even so, she wouldn't go that far.
She never expected to receive such a gaze from a junior so much younger than her.
Anyone else might be fine, but you shouldn't do that.
I was a woman who could have become your mother... no I wasn't, but anyway.
"W-why do you ask?"
Seeing Yeohui flinching like a thief with a guilty conscience, Seoyeon belatedly came to her senses.
Of course, Seoyeon didn't know that Yeohui harbored any impure intentions.
She simply wanted to ask this pro at unrequited love how to properly experience an unrequited love.
'Even so, asking that is a bit...'
It was a question she couldn't bring herself to ask now that she understood emotions, even if her past self might have.
Honestly, she was curious about what kind of reaction she'd get if she asked, but it wasn't something to ask lightly either.
Above all, she had roughly heard about it from her mother, Sua.
Since the content was quite fascinating, she remembered most of it.
To be honest, her impression after hearing everything was:
'They were both just digging holes by themselves.'
The woman who had the most advantageous position as a childhood friend was too late in recognizing her feelings romantically.
Yeohui was too late in confessing because of her pride.
She was easily defeated by Sua, who charged in the moment she realized her feelings.
'Then again, how many people wouldn't fall for someone when a person like our mom charges in?'
It was their fault for being careless when such a formidable opponent was nearby.
Or perhaps because Yeohui appeared soft on the outside, they might not have known she could be that proactive.
'Still...'
Seoyeon looked at Yeohui.
The past was the past, and the Yeohui that Seoyeon knew was the Yeohui of today.
Yeohui's song performed on
The music that sang of memories had definitely reached Seoyeon's heart as well.
Thanks to that, she was now able to sort out her feelings and steadily move forward for her purpose.
So if the opportunity arose, she also wanted to give a little back.
"Then."
Seoyeon bowed deeply to Yeohui.
Honestly, there was a lot she wanted to ask, but Seoyeon also had tact.
If she asked that, even Yeohui would find it difficult.
There was no need to deliberately dig at old wounds.
"Joo Seoyeon!!"
At that moment, someone came running hastily toward Seoyeon.
Wondering who it was, she turned around.
"Why are you here?"
Jo Seohee, breathing heavily from running, was there.
But was she tired just from running that much?
She'd have to teach her some exercise later.
With stamina that low.
"I came because of the Gyeongseong Lady matter. You too?"
"Me, for the Dream Future matter."
"Then it's similar. It's ultimately about the Japanese broadcast, right?"
Ah, come to think of it,
It seemed they had discussed that today.
"But why at KMB?"
"Probably to coincide with the movie release, they're planning to also air a documentary on the filming. In other words, they'll film us shooting and broadcast it as a documentary. It's scheduled to be released on OTT in Japan."
"Do they do that sort of thing?"
"It's my first time too, but probably an expanded concept of a making-of film? Well, there's no harm in filming something like this. In the end, more exposure is always an advantage."
Seoyeon nodded at Jo Seohee's words.
That was definitely correct.
But did Seohee coming mean Lee Jiyeon also came?
'Why didn't she give me a heads-up?'
She was one of the three leads too, leaving her out alone.
"No, Lee Jiyeon didn't come. I'm here because my dad is an investor."
"Ah."
If that was the case, it couldn't be helped.
Seoyeon nodded, then looked at Jo Seohee anew.
"But didn't Newlike usually not show interest in actor business?"
"I'm not sure either. I tried to refuse, but... they said it wasn't because of me."
Seohee said that and looked at Seoyeon.
She didn't say it out loud, but the surface reason her father cited was because of 'Seoyeon.'
"I'm not investing to watch your back. I'm doing it to help your friend."
That's what he said.
Not for Jo Seohee, but for that friend.
It was to nurture Joo Seoyeon.
"Wouldn't you also want your friend to do well?"
At her father's words, Jo Seohee had no choice but to close her mouth.
'Of course, that's not simply the only reason.'
Jo Seohee knew her father.
He wouldn't have done this out of charity like distributing hamburgers in class to get people to be nice to Seohee.
Clearly, he thought it would make money.
It was obvious he used Seoyeon as an excuse, knowing that Seohee would flatly refuse if he brought up Seohee directly.
He would know that Jo Seohee was especially soft toward Seoyeon.
"Ah."
Thinking that far, Jo Seohee belatedly noticed Yeohui standing awkwardly beside Seoyeon.
One of the representative singers of South Korea today.
Truthfully, Jo Seohee wasn't very knowledgeable about singers, but while practicing acting with Jiyeon, she frequently listened to Yeohui's songs.
Because Jiyeon was a huge fan of Yeohui.
Thanks to that, Jo Seohee also became a fan of Yeohui.
How surprised she was when she belatedly found out Yeohui had appeared on
Moreover, the opponent was Joo Seoyeon, so Jo Seohee couldn't have found the final stage more entertaining.
"You're singer Yeohui, right? I'm actress Jo Seohee. It's an honor to meet you."
"Uh, y-yes?"
Jo Seohee's attitude as she bowed in greeting was quite elegant.
Seoyeon also had her own distinctive aura, but Jo Seohee was similar in that regard.
This wasn't an inborn atmosphere but a dignity cultivated through living.
The phrase "a noble young lady" didn't exist for nothing—it gave that feeling.
'To capture the general, shoot the horse.'
Anyway, Yeohui wanted to get close to Seoyeon.
She truly had no impure intentions.
Simply because she was her friend's daughter.
Naturally, her eyes were drawn to her in many ways.
But Seoyeon clearly showed signs of avoiding Yeohui.
If so, by targeting another close friend...
"I watched Mask Singer. The song you sang there was so romantic."
"I-It was?"
"Yes. The opening of the game you all made together back in high school. And the romance that blossomed there."
"...What?"
"I read the posts online without realizing how time flew. They said there was a man in the game development club you had a crush on?"
"..."
"Together you made the game, and he stopped you from quitting music so many times. But that man had already connected with another woman..."
"..."
"But at the graduation ceremony, you sang a song that was like a confession at the very, very end!"
Jo Seohee spoke with rare sparkling eyes.
After all, Jo Seohee was also a girl of the same age.
She'd naturally get excited when romance stories came up.
"They even said you still haven't given up on those feelings and still treasure them."
Above all, Yeohui's story was quite dramatic.
Leaving for Seoul at the end, and achieving magnificent success.
Jo Seohee genuinely thought Yeohui was cool.
"Overcoming the pain of heartbreak and sublimating it into song. I learned a lot too. Surely if the man saw singer Yeohui now, he'd definitely reconsider... huh?"
While Jo Seohee was saying that, Seoyeon poked her shoulder.
"You searched through all that but missed the most important thing?"
"What?"
"That crush target was my dad."
"...Huh?"
Was it?
Jo Seohee fell into thought for a moment.
She had been so focused on Yeohui's story that she forgot who the person involved was.
To be honest, the image of Youngbin from
Then what she just said was...
"Ah."
Cold sweat formed on Jo Seohee's forehead.
For reference, Yeohui was already kneeling on the ground.
For a moment, Jo Seohee alternated looking between Yeohui and Seoyeon.
Then quietly knelt beside them.
***
Jo Seohee seemed extremely flustered, but Seoyeon didn't particularly feel bad.
Rather, thanks to Jo Seohee, an atmosphere was created where she could naturally bring up a topic with Yeohui.
"Honestly, I'm also a bit curious."
"A-about what?"
"Love stories."
This was another unexpected remark, so Yeohui was a bit flustered.
To be honest, Seoyeon didn't seem related to romance at all.
"Liking someone, and how you come to love them. I can't even grasp the basics."
"...Hmm."
There was also a feeling of "why ask me about this," but it was a concern that peers might have.
'So that's what she wanted to ask earlier.'
She felt like she understood the reason for that subtle gaze.
She could also roughly understand why she hadn't asked.
"Actually, she'd probably explain this better than me..."
"She?"
"Youngbin's childhood friend. Anyway, she's a novelist, so she'd be better at describing this kind of thing than me."
However, Yeohui also didn't feel like contacting her about this.
Yeohui had already been beaten up this way and that way, leaving her in tatters.
With Jo Seohee nervously glancing beside her also weighing on her mind, she just laughed it off breezily instead.
"Let's make plans to meet together later while we're at it. It's because of this movie, right?"
"How do you know that?"
"..."
Yeohui being oddly knowledgeable about Seoyeon's schedule was a bit concerning, but they parted after making clear plans.
Seoyeon was also curious about the high school story that Sua hadn't told her.
And she also wanted to empathize with the 'romantic' feelings that had excited Jo Seohee so much.
After parting with Yeohui, several more days passed.
"Joo Seoyeon."
The day before the next filming began, Jo Seohee came to Seoyeon's school.
Today again with a rather determined face.
Mask, and even sunglasses.
Hiding her identity like that, and wearing a school uniform on top of it actually made her stand out more.
"Did you sell the Benz? You're always on a bicycle lately."
"Hmph, you said I had no stamina."
Come to think of it, she did say something like that when they last parted.
That she seemed to lack stamina and should exercise.
Perhaps because they were in public, today's Jo Seohee had the full aura of a villainess.
Her eyes were sharp, and whenever she whipped her gaze around, the kids taking photos would startle and flee.
"...Aren't you being too defenseless?"
"At school, I try to let it be as much as possible."
"How generous of you."
Jo Seohee replied like that, then lightly patted the back seat of her bicycle.
At the gesture seemingly telling her to get on, Seoyeon shook her head.
"Why? I can at least carry someone like you."
"It's impossible."
"?"
No, she was being serious.
Besides, Seoyeon running would probably be faster than Jo Seohee riding a bicycle.
"So where are we going?"
"I came to drag you to watch a movie together."
Jo Seohee smiled and took out two tickets from her pocket.
At her action, Seoyeon looked at her blankly.
Why a movie suddenly?
"It's a romance movie. And the rating is quite high. Even 15-rated movies have high ratings these days."
"Have you already seen it by any chance?"
"Yeah. But it's fine to watch it again."
In other words, it was an apology for the previous incident.
What she said to Yeohui back then would have sounded quite rude to Seoyeon.
"I think it'll definitely be helpful for you."
Seoyeon hesitated at Jo Seohee's words.
Honestly, she didn't think Seohee needed to apologize.
It was something she could well not know, could well forget.
The people involved themselves would laugh it off.
Only Yeohui would die of embarrassment.
"...Okay."
Eventually Seoyeon nodded.
As an actor, Seoyeon also acknowledged Jo Seohee.
If she was personally recommending a movie, there must definitely be a reason.
'Well, even if the rating is high, it's still 15+.'
Seoyeon thought so.
And then.
'Huh?'
Seoyeon froze.
At the festival of skin unfolding on the screen right now.
'Wasn't this 15+?'
Of course, that wasn't the only important thing.
The emotional line was very dense and deep.
Glancing sideways, Jo Seohee was watching while munching on popcorn with a nonchalant face.
From her image, she seemed like she'd watch this kind of thing while making a fuss, but when it came to movies or dramas, she was endlessly serious.
Of course, that was the same for Seoyeon.
'This is, um...'
Seoyeon curled her toes and fidgeted with her fingers.
Because she felt a very embarrassing emotion.