Chapter 616: Jiri Mountain Premier (1)

At Seongsu-dong Playground, I leaned in and whispered a deadly secret into the ear of Lee Seok-Hyung.

"Hey. Should I go ahead and publish a story today about your affair with one of your academy trainees?"

I still remembered an article about him from before the regression. Not long after a tax evasion article about Lee Seok-Hyung came out, another one dropped claiming he was having an affair with his trainee. And because of that, he ended up divorcing Ahn Mi-Hyun.

I told him that fact in a quiet voice, making sure his daughter Lee Jin-Sil and Ahn Mi-Hyun behind him couldn't hear.

Lee Seok-Hyung's face turned pale and he collapsed into his seat. "How... how do you know that...?"

I knelt down and whispered softly. "So transfer your daughter's school within this month, and never show your face to Na-Ra again. If you break even one of those conditions, I'll leak that article immediately. Understood?"

To protect Sung Na-Ra, I used every threat I could. That's when Lee Jin-Sil and Ahn Mi-Hyun approached, asking what was going on.

"Dad!"

"Honey! What's wrong? What happened?"

Lee Seok-Hyung started rubbing his hands together while still sitting, as if he couldn't even hear them.

"C-Chief Jung. Please. Don't tell them that."

Lee Seok-Hyung's sudden change left Lee Jin-Sil and Ahn Mi-Hyun puzzled.

"Dad! What is it? What's going on?"

"Honey, tell me. What did this guy say to you?"

Lee Seok-Hyung turned and suddenly yelled. "Can't you all shut up? If we don't do as he say, it's all over!"

Then Lee Seok-Hyung turned back to me.

I looked him straight in the eye and said, "Just do what I said. Then I won't have any reason to let that story slip."

The trainees were only with him for his money anyway, so I had no intention of tipping off the press first.

Lee Seok-Hyung nodded repeatedly. "O-Okay, fine. I'll go. I'll leave right now."

He suddenly stood up and grabbed his wife and daughter by the hand.

"L-let's go home and fix this. We need to meet with the lawyer..."

Then the visibly shocked Ahn Mi-Hyun asked me, "Chief Jung, what the hell did you say to my husband?"

Lee Seok-Hyung tugged at Lee Jin-Sil and Ahn Mi-Hyun's hands. "Just drop it. Let's go!"

"Honey, tell me what's going on!"

"Just shut up and follow me! I'll explain everything later."

"Our Jin-Sil got kicked out of FIVE Angels, and we're just going to let it end like this?"

"That's the best outcome! Or do you want Jin-Sil's life to crash completely?"

Lee Seok-Hyung was desperate to get away. He was probably planning to tweak the story I told him and feed it to them later.

As her husband panicked, Ahn Mi-Hyun reluctantly turned away and fumed. "Let's go, Jin-Sil!"

"M-mom? We're leaving just like that?"

"Just listen to your dad."

"But mom, what about me? Is this really the end for me?"

"Didn't you hear your dad? This is the best we can hope for. And your dad and I have our own problems to deal with. We'll talk about you later."

"Mom!"

"Enough. Just come with us!"

Ahn Mi-Hyun turned around and dragged Lee Jin-Sil with her.

As the parents she trusted fled, Lee Jin-Sil finally realized something was wrong. The confidence she regained when her parents arrived quickly vanished. Still clutching her tailbone, she waddled away like a penguin while pulled along by her mother's hand as they left the playground.

"Mom, my tailbone hurts. Walk slower."

"Hurry up!"

"

Ah, ow

... I said it hurts!"

The moment I saw Lee Jin-Sil's family all leave together, I checked the planner.

[Everyday V12.2]

[Date: December 12, 2022]

-05:00 p.m.:

(Deleted Schedule Entry: Sung Na-Ra deceased, Funeral Room No. 2, Gangbuk Chilseong Hospital. (Note: Presumed suicide due to bullying by Leader Lee Jin-Sil and other members of FIVE Angels.))

At last, the schedule entry of Sung Na-Ra's death disappeared.

At that moment, my heart swelled. I had saved Sung Na-Ra's life, who had suddenly lost her will to live in my previous life.

"Mr. Jung."

Kim Chan-Sung had approached with Sung Na-Ra. There were faint tears in her eyes. Although she had been some distance away, it seemed she had heard what Lee Jin-Sil's parents said.

Worried, I quickly said to her, "Na-Ra, what those people said earlier..."

At that moment, Sung Na-Ra shook her head right away. "No, I didn't hear anything."

There's no way she hadn't heard them call her an orphan. However, she smiled brightly, saying she hadn't.

Still, knowing just how hurtful that word is from my own childhood, I looked straight into Sung Na-Ra's eyes and said, "Na-Ra. I may not be able to be your parent, but I can be your uncle. So don't ever lose confidence, no matter where or when. And if something like today happens again, tell me, okay? Don't just keep it bottled up inside."

Kim Chan-Sung added, "That's right, Na-Ra. I'll be your lawyer uncle. And let's make sure we succeed and live so happily that those people will be sick with jealousy. Okay?"

Tears welled up in Sung Na-Ra's eyes and rolled down her cheeks, as if they were washing away the pain she had carried.

"Yes... uncles. And thank you so much for your help today."

I handed her a handkerchief as she cried. "Alright then. To celebrate becoming your uncle, today's on me. I'll treat fried chicken to everyone! One whole chicken per person! For your grandpa, grandma, your siblings—everyone!"

Kim Chan-Sung chimed in, "Don't forget the cheese balls."

'

Of course, cheese balls go with chicken.

'

"You know your fried chicken, Mr. Kim."

"I do have some experience."

As Kim Chan-Sung joked, Sung Na-Ra wiped her tears and smiled. "Then should we get zero cola? Seems like too many calories otherwise..."

"What are you talking about!? Today, let's forget about calories. Just have regular cola!"

When I said we should forget dieting just for today, Sung Na-Ra grinned. "Okay~"

We ordered fried chicken at the playground and headed to Sung Na-Ra's house. Later, she signed the contract termination and became a free agent.

Now, she had to prepare for the I.O.A auditions. Although she had to start over from the beginning, her shoulders looked much lighter.

Another tragedy that had been recorded in Everyday disappeared just like that.

'

Thank you, Everyday. Thanks to you, happiness is gradually increasing in my life.

'

***

Before leaving Sung Na-Ra's house last night, I called Lee Soo-Chan and asked him to connect her with a choreographer and vocal trainer from Reverse Entertainment.

Since Park Seon-Nyeo and Bang Seon-Woo were going to be judges for

Project I.O.A

, they couldn't meet Sung Na-Ra before the audition.

Later that night, I heard that Ahn Mi-Hyun from SBC had been put on standby. Also, just before we parted, Kim Chan-Sung promised to make sure that all the perpetrators of the violence, including Lee Jin-Sil, would transfer schools.

Thanks to that, Sung Na-Ra no longer had to be wary at school.

The next morning, I woke up early feeling a bit bloated, maybe because I ate fried chicken and cheese balls so late.

It was six in the morning, and I didn't think I would fall back asleep. So I headed down to the first floor, thinking I would help Jung In-Ji with breakfast.

As I opened the front door on the first floor, Lucky and Mimi, who were lying in the living room, lifted their heads. The two animals, mothers of Baekseolgi and Injeolmi, had flower-shaped recovery collars around their necks.

They recognized me and made noise.

"

Woof woof!

"

"

Meow~

"

Because of dermatitis treatment, the two had been hospitalized and only returned last night. And right in front of them, Yoo-Jin was crouched in her pajamas to check on their condition.

"Oh? Yoo-Jin, you're up early."

Yoo-Jin turned her head. "Yeah. But what happened to Na-Ra yesterday?"

I had told her what happened with Sung Na-Ra, and she seemed worried.

"It worked out well. And I gave the bullies a good scolding too."

"Really? That's such a relief~"

Yoo-Jin let out a sigh of relief and asked.

"Oppa, why do people treat someone without parents even worse instead of being kinder to them?"

"I don't know."

"That's just too much... seriously..."

After saying that, she pet Lucky and Mimi's heads before she suddenly asked a random question.

"But, oppa. Am I... doing okay?"

"

Hm

? With what?"

"I'm talking about raising Miso. I feel like if my sister and brother-in-law were alive, they'd do a much better job than me."

Seeing her old pets again reminded her of when her whole family was alive. And hearing about Sung Na-Ra being bullied for not having parents must've made her even more anxious.

Recently, Yoo-Jin had spent less time with Miso because of location shoots for

Hwaranjeon

and it had been weighing on her. She said it felt like she had started acting to take better care of Miso, but the priorities had flipped.

However, I gave her a clear answer. "Yoo-Jin, there's no one in this world who loves and cherishes Miso more than you. So don't focus on what you lack. Just live with gratitude for what you have. Okay?"

I didn't have parents either, but I had Sister Michaela who loved and cared for me like a mother. Still, before the regression, I tortured myself yearning for parents who weren't there.

That was why I let go of that longing after the regression. The moment one started craving what they didn't have, the hole in their heart only grew bigger.

"And why wouldn't Miso have parents? You're both her mom and dad!"

Only then did Yoo-Jin's face brighten. "Thanks for saying that... oppa."

"Don't thank me. I'm just telling the truth."

Yoo-Jin smiled at me with her eyes. Seeing her face light up made me smile too.

Just then, the front door opened and Miso called out from the entrance.

Thud.

"Mom! Lucky and Mimi need food! The vet said they need to eat well so their fur can grow back!"

Yoo-Jin smiled and replied, "I already fed them."

"Really? Oh! Uncle Yoon-Ho, you're here too? Good morning!"

Miso gave a deep bow, then kicked off her shoes and ran over. She wedged herself between us, beaming like morning sunlight.

"

Hehe!

Mom, Uncle Yoon-Ho! Lucky and Mimi's family and our family are all together. It makes me so happy!"

I exchanged a glance with Yoo-Jin as if to say,

'See?'

"Look? Miso doesn't feel like anything's missing."

Yoo-Jin nodded. "You're right, oppa. And thank you. For being by my side... and for being my talent agent."

I answered with a big smile.

Then Miso looked up at me. "Me too! I'm so glad Uncle Yoon-Ho is here!"

And I felt the same. Because with these two by my side, I was filling my second life with happiness.

"Same here."

Just then, Jung In-Ji came out from the kitchen and said, "Chief Jung. Yoo-Jin. Can you start waking everyone up? We're having seolleongtang[1] for breakfast!"

With Jung In-Ji's voice as warm as a real mom's, the house in Cheonho-dong was filled with warmth once again.

***

A lot had happened over the past few days.

Noh Hyun-Hee, who had spent 3 billion won at the L.M.L Black Label fashion show, was now wearing L.M.L Black Label designs to every gathering. The designs were beautiful, but upper-class people kept asking how she must have loved them so much to buy so many.

Just as Kim Bu-Ho and I had predicted, Noh Hyun-Hee inadvertently became the ambassador for L.M.L Black Label designs.

Meanwhile, TNT Entertainment had fallen into chaos due to the cloned phone scandal. President Yoo Kang-Seok had a hyperventilation episode from stress and was taken to the ER, but he quickly recovered and returned to the company to handle the situation.

Sung Gyu-Hwan had also successfully terminated his contract with TNT Entertainment. So as soon as Mirinae finishes restructuring, production on

Haze

would begin.

Then, episode 7 of

Hwaranjeon

aired on Wednesday and broke 25.1% in viewership ratings, surpassing the 25% mark. In episode 8, the viewership ratings climbed to 25.2%, stirring up the big three networks.

Even its competitor, KBC's

Queen Jeong-Hee

, was nearing a 20% viewership ratings. People were curious how long this fierce rivalry would last.

And so the day of the

Jiri Mountain

screening arrived.

Wang Long and Lily were set to return to China tomorrow, after attending today's

Jiri Mountain

premiere. Since the premiere was at 8 p.m., I arranged for them and Ling Ling to spend the day together.

To boost

Jiri Mountain

's success, I invited the seven core members of Faithful to the VIP screening.

Time passed, and it was now 7:30 p.m.

I was in the car with writers Han Woo-Ju, Lee Ji-Yeon, and Kim Soll-Ip, who wanted to relieve their writing stress, on our way to the premiere. These three hottest writers in Korea had agreed to do a field interview at my request.

Screech.

We stopped briefly at a traffic light in an intersection.

That's when Lee Ji-Yeon made a sly remark from the back seat. "Yoon-Ho~ are you busy these days?"

"

Huh

? No, not at all, ma'am."

"No way. You seem waaaay too busy. You don't even have time to call."

I glanced at the rearview mirror and saw Lee Ji-Yeon adjusting her glasses with a feigned pout.

"I'm sorry."

Kim Soll-Ip, sitting next to her, giggled. "Mr. Jung, do you know how much she missed you? And Yoo-Jin and Miso too. She's been so lonely not seeing you three lately."

Lee Ji-Yeon shot Kim Soll-Ip a glare. "What are you saying? When did I ever say that?"

"You said it just yesterday. You even said you'd finish writing quickly just to see them sooner."

"T-That's because those two are perfect for the roles in my next project!"

"Come on. You haven't even finished planning it."

"What? I've already finished it!"

"I know you're lying. You always take a long time with your planning."

From what I know, Lee Ji-Yeon was planning a drama titled The

1950s Ladies

, about women from noble families during the Korean War. It was expected to surpass 24% in viewership ratings, but it was still only in the planning stage.

Flustered, Lee Ji-Yeon turned to Kim Soll-Ip. "What about you? Do you have anything?"

"Of course I do!"

Kim Soll-Ip's next work was

Lawyers

, a legal drama that would be aired by KBC. It would have a solid 20% viewership rating and featured a single-mother lawyer and her young daughter. She also seemed to want to cast Yoo-Jin and Miso in it.

Just then, Han Woo-Ju, looking exhausted from writing

Hwaranjeon

, quietly spoke up. "

Um

, I also have a project lined up... and I think Miss Yoo-Jin and Miso would be perfect for it..."

Immediately, both Lee Ji-Yeon and Kim Soll-Ip responded in unison. "Writer Han! You need to finish

Hwaranjeon

first!"

Drama’s grand matriarch Lee Ji-Yeon, her rival Kim Soll-Ip, and the fearsome rising star Han Woo-Ju—a fierce Three Kingdoms-style war for Yoo-Jin and Miso's next appearance was unfolding in the back seat.

I felt a thrilling shiver. Unlike before my regression, I no longer had to beg writers for roles. Now they were the ones coming to me for my actors.

But my body wouldn't stop trembling.

Brrr.

I thought the thrill had passed by now, but it felt strange.

Buzz.

'

Oh. It wasn't that.

'

It was the vibration of my phone in my pocket. Trying to hide my awkwardness, I took out the phone from my inner pocket. Everyday had pushed a new notification.

[Notification: A new schedule entry has been registered for Lee Tae-Poong on February 7, 2021.]

Curious, I checked today's schedule entry. And the moment I saw it, a cold sweat trickled down my back.

'

Of all days, why today?

'

1.

Seolleongtang

☜