Chapter 663: Japan Business Trip (1)

The twins kept kicking from inside the womb, making Lee Yeon-Sil frown. At that moment, Miso gently placed her hand on Lee Yeon-Sil's belly and spoke in a solemn tone.

"Babies! You shouldn't kick! Auntie said it hurts!"

When Miso tried to discipline the babies in the womb, everyone burst into laughter. They joked about how babies in the womb wouldn't understand a thing.

At that moment, Miso quietly nodded and said, "They stopped!"

Lee Yeon-Sil looked surprised. "Huh? They really did."

Miso looked up at Lee Yeon-Sil with a proud expression. "Auntie, the babies won't hurt you anymore. They said they won't kick!"

Miso spoke as if she had just had a conversation with the babies in Lee Yeon-Sil's womb, making everyone laugh again.

"The babies really listen to Miso~"

"Maybe Miso should take care of them when they're born, huh?"

The family's faces, which had been a bit gloomy due to the canceled visit from Kang Eun-Gi, began to light up with smiles.

Lee Yeon-Sil also smiled warmly and cupped Miso's cheeks with both hands. "Miso. When the babies are born, you'll take care of them just like today, right?"

"Really? I can do that?"

"Of course you can~"

"Yay!" Overjoyed, Miso pressed her lips to Lee Yeon-Sil's belly and whispered softly. "When you're born, I'll play with you and make it super fun. So listen to Mommy and stay nice inside until then, okay~?"

When Miso dropped her disciplinarian tone and spoke gently, Lee Yeon-Sil pulled her into a tight hug. "I hope the twins turn out just as sweet as you, Miso."

Miso smiled with her eyes as she looked at Lee Yeon-Sil. "If they listen this well, they'll be sweet. I just know it!"

As Miso answered confidently, my mom chimed in, saying that Lee Yeon-Sil had been sweet since she was little. When everyone congratulated Lee Yeon-Sil, saying the babies would take after her, tears quietly welled up in her eyes.

'

You're happy now, right, Yeon-Sil?

'

Before the regression, the Lee Yeon-Sil I had known had always seemed lonely. She used to follow me and Kang Eun-Gi around, always wanting our attention. However, that child no longer existed in this world. Now, only the happy mom remained—the one who looked like she had the whole world, loved by Mom, me, Lee Soo-Chan, Yoo-Jin, Miso, and even Jung In-Ji.

Seeing Lee Yeon-Sil like that made my heart swell unexpectedly. Wanting to capture this moment in the second life after the regression, I spoke to everyone.

"How about we take a photo to remember this?"

Miso raised her hand high. "Uncle Yoon-Ho, I'm in~~!"

Yoo-Jin quickly followed, raising her hand too. "Yoon-Ho oppa, me too!"

Thanks to Yoo-Jin and Miso stepping up, everyone gathered in the living room and raised their hands.

"Alright, let's all sit on the sofa~"

Everyone adjusted their positions on the sofa with Lee Yeon-Sil at the center. Yoo-Jin picked up Lucky and Mimi in her arms, while Miso hugged Baekseolgi and Injeolmi in both arms and nestled between the others.

I set up the tripod, mounted my phone, set the timer, and ran over to sit beside Lee Yeon-Sil and Mom.

Flop.

As I sat down on the sofa, Lee Yeon-Sil and Mom each linked arms with me. My little sister and mom leaned on me, smiling in a way that would forever capture this happy moment. I also smiled as widely as I could.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Alright, cheese~~"

Everyone echoed after me. "Cheese!"

Click.

As the camera flash went off, our family photo was complete.

***

As soon as I opened my eyes the next morning, I had to dive into work. Since I had a business trip to Japan in two days, I needed to finish as much as I could beforehand.

First, I checked the schedules for the actors and singers and noted down the important things to be aware of for each one. I filled the page with notes about the PDs, on-site situations, and potential issues within each project. These were instructions for the talent agents under Division Jung, to make sure the celebrities had no issues while I was away from Korea.

After jotting down notes for about thirty minutes, I took a short break and clicked on the entertainment news for the day. As usual, the entertainment section of the portal was filled with articles related to our Hoop Entertainment.

[SBC's

Hwaranjeon

Opens a New Horizon for Fusion Historical Dramas!]

-Starring Jung Yoo-Jin, SBC's

Hwaranjeon

recorded viewership ratings of 26.4% for episode 11 and 26.7% for episode 12, continuing its unprecedented viewership ratings streak.

-However, its rival KBC's

Queen Jeong-Hee

is also showing the strength of traditional historical dramas, maintaining viewership ratings of 21.3% for episode 11 and 21.5% for episode 12.

-With the fierce competition between these two dramas, a golden era for Wednesday-Thursday dramas is dawning. ...

[Lee Tae-Poong's

Jiri Mountain

Aims for Ten Million Viewers!]

-

Jiri Mountain

, starring Lee Tae-Poong, continues to sell out every day.

-With fifteen hundred screens nationwide, it's expected to surpass four million viewers this weekend.

-Supporting actor Go Jae-Soo has even secured a contract to enter Hollywood. ...

[Kim Sae-Ri Tops the Music Charts with 'Firefly Bridge.']

-Thanks to the success of

Hwaranjeon

, its original soundtrack 'Firefly Bridge' is also enjoying massive popularity.

-With Kim Sae-Ri's beautiful voice and heartfelt emotion, 'Firefly Bridge' is a key contributor to the show's re-run viewership ratings.

-Seo Yeon-Woo's 'Hwayeonga' is also fiercely competing, holding second place on the charts.

The entertainment articles were filled with news of Yoo-Jin, Lee Tae-Poong, and Sae-Ri doing well.

Realizing once again that it was my actors and singers who were leading the current Korean entertainment scene made me feel proud, and the corners of my mouth lifted. At this rate, there shouldn't be any problems if I head to Japan this weekend to wrap up the partnership with Aris Production and attend the Japanese preliminaries of

Project I.O.A.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Knock knock.

-Hyung, are you awake?

It was Haru's voice.

"Yeah~ come in."

Click.

Haru entered with a wide grin. Since he was growing taller by the day, his eye level seemed to change a little every time I saw him. On top of that, his features were becoming sharper and his eye-smile was becoming more and more devastating. Yet, there was still an innocent and childlike look on his face.

It felt like a shame that I was the only one who got to see that smile.

"Hyung, everyone's up now and getting ready to eat downstairs. You should come down too."

I chuckled and replied, "Alright. I'll wash up and come down soon.

Oh,

by the way, did you take today's selfie?"

Before the regression, Haru was known for being terrible at selfies. He had either held the camera at odd angles or intentionally distorted his face in every picture he uploaded, so much so that people would comment things like, 'If you're gonna waste that face, just give it to me.'

I had thought it was due to his shyness and encouraged him to take a daily selfie. The good ones were meant to be posted on Instargem.

But that's when I found out Haru had always been criticized by his dad for looking too much like his mom when his mom left and he was living alone with his dad. For this reason, Haru had a trauma about facing his own reflection.

Knowing that broke my heart, but following Kim Soo-Myung's advice that it would get better with familiarity, I pretended not to know and encouraged him to take more selfies. Instead, I never uploaded the selfies Haru took.

When I asked if he had taken one today, Haru hesitated.

I tilted my head and asked, "What is it? You didn't take one? It's okay. Just shoot randomly. You get better with practice."

Since I hadn't checked for about a week, I wondered if he had gone back to old habits.

At that moment, Haru blushed shyly. "I did take some, but..."

"It's okay. We'll only upload the good ones. Just show me."

Haru shyly handed me his phone. "Here..."

Contrary to my concerns, the selfies from the past week all showed Haru smiling brightly. The only catch was, in every single one, he was hugging either Baekseolgi or Injeolmi.

"

Oh

~ what's this? Maybe because you're with the pups, the photos came out great!"

"Yeah. When I take them alone, I just can't make it look natural. But Miso said I smile best when I'm playing with dogs or cats, so I tried it that way."

Thanks to Miso, Haru had learned how to smile while taking selfies. And since he tried to include Baekseolgi and Injeolmi's faces in the shots, the composition of the photos improved too.

"For a while, you should keep taking them with the dogs. Your smile looks much softer. It's really nice."

When I gave him a heartfelt thumbs-up, Haru beamed. "I think so too."

Until now, I had been the only one who got to see Haru's smile in person, but finally, we could share it properly with his fans.

"Starting next week, can I upload these selfies to Instargem?"

"Yeah. That's okay."

Haru had finally taken his first step out of his trauma. With good news coming one after another since morning, I couldn't help but smile wider.

I closed my laptop and stood up. "Alright, I'm going to wash up."

"

Oh

, and hyung. My mom and Director said to thank you again for agreeing to host the wedding."

After divorcing Haru's dad, his mom had lost her memory and ended up getting cared for at a rehabilitation hospital in Suwon. Now she was set to marry the hospital director on March 14th.

I smiled. "Come on~ I should be the one thanking them. It's an honor."

Haru grinned and handed me a crisp wedding invitation. "Here's the wedding invite."

'

March 14th at 1 p.m.

'

That was the time set on the invitation to celebrate the new beginning of Haru's mom, who would be starting a new life with Haru.

"Tell them I got it."

"Will do."

I carefully placed the invitation on my desk and went to the living room with Haru.

"Hyung, I'll go ahead and help set the table."

Haru turned and headed toward the entrance. The scrawny and timid Haru who used to suffer abuse was completely gone. Now, only a tall, confident, and always-smiling Haru existed in this world.

Thanks to that, I felt once again that my choice after the regression had been the right one.

***

Mom, Lee Yeon-Sil, President Han Yoo-Sik and his wife, Yoo-Jin, Miso, and Haru gathered around the big table in the living room and enjoyed a hearty breakfast.

After having dessert too, Mom and Lee Yeon-Sil finished getting ready to return to the orphanage. Soon after, Lee Soo-Chan's car arrived at the house.

I helped load their luggage into the car parked in the yard and said goodbye to Mom.

"When you go to the hospital with Yeon-Sil next week, come see Eun-Gi with me too," I said.

A warm feeling filled my chest when Mom hugged me tightly.

"Okay, son. Take care."

"You just need to take care of yourself, Mom."

Just then, Mom glanced over at Yoo-Jin. "Yoo-Jin~ Please take good care of Yoon-Ho for me, okay?"

"Don't worry, ma'am. I'll look after him!"

'

Wait. Since when did Yoo-Jin get so close to my mom? It definitely wasn't last night.

'

And yet, Mom was talking to Yoo-Jin so naturally.

"Thanks. Yoo-Jin, you really have it tough. Yoon-Ho here is such a workaholic that if you don't stop him, he'll just work himself to death."

"That's true. Seriously!"

It felt good seeing the people dearest to me chatting so closely, but for a moment, I felt something strange. When even Lee Yeon-Sil clutched her belly and joined the teasing, the yard quickly grew lively. It definitely felt like a home filled with life, but now it really was time to leave.

'

And not because the three of them are nagging me. Really

.'

I waved my hand at the three who were chatting up front and said, "Alright, alright~ I've got work to do, so you all head out now. Off you go~ off you go~"

Mom chuckled and got into Lee Soo-Chan's car along with Lee Yeon-Sil. But just then, she called me over and pulled an envelope from her coat.

"Oh, and Yoon-Ho. Can you pass this reply to the old man?"

"You mean Mr. Choi of Myeongdong?"

"Yeah."

I took the envelope Mom gave me in my hand. "What did you write?"

Mom only gave a sly smile and didn't answer.

Then Yeon-Sil, placing her hand on her belly, spoke up. "Oppa, I didn't write a letter. What should I do?"

"It's alright. I'll let him know that you appreciate it."

"Promise me!! Okay?"

"Okay."

With that promise, Mom and Lee Yeon-Sil waved goodbye and left in the car driven by Lee Soo-Chan.

Although I had to take Yoo-Jin down to Gyeongju soon, I figured I should stop by Myeongdong first to deliver Mom's letter to Choi Eun-Tae.

***

Upon arriving at Choi Eun-Tae's traditional home in Myeongdong, I handed him back the lunchbox he had given, along with the envelope from Mom.

"This is a reply to the letter you sent."

"Alright."

Choi Eun-Tae took out the letter with a delighted expression. But the moment he read it, he started chuckling. Then he eventually burst into full laughter.

"

Hahahaha

. She got me, she really did."

His joy was so clear that I had to ask, "What on earth did it say to make you laugh like that?"

Choi Eun-Tae handed me the letter. "See for yourself."

As soon as I read the letter he gave me, I couldn't help but chuckle too.

I know. -From Mom from Gwangju.

Choi Eun-Tae had previously sent a short letter saying, "I'm trying." So Mom wrote a reply that mimicked it perfectly. I stifled a smile and handed the letter back. However, as soon as he took it, the clearly hesitant Choi Eun-Tae started glancing at me.

I already knew why and replied calmly. "There's no letter from Yeon-Sil."

"I see..."

"But when she received the lunchbox, she called you Father-In-Law."

Choi Eun-Tae's voice trembled. "Really...? She did?"

"Yes."

"

Hahaha.

That kid actually said that?"

Choi Eun-Tae's laughter filled the entire room. But before long, his laughter faded.

"

Ahem

... I'm being silly. My son is still in prison and here I am, smiling..."

"It's alright."

"

Sigh

... Still, thanks to you, Chief Jung, I'm managing to hang in there. And thank you for keeping me updated."

After repeatedly thanking me, Choi Eun-Tae suddenly recalled something from yesterday.

"

Oh

, and about Eun-Gi's sentence level being changed yesterday—that was my doing."

Since the day Kang Eun-Gi's sentence classification changed, I had suspected that it wasn't Seo Jae-Ill but Choi Eun-Tae who had intervened. After all, if it was something that could move the prison warden, it must have come from a place too high up for Seo Jae-Ill to meddle with.

"Mr. Chairman, your name hasn't been mentioned, has it?"

"Don't worry. I almost never reveal my name anyway."

Choi Eun-Tae reassured me, explaining that he always operated through proxies and it was rare for his name to come up.

We spent the next thirty minutes discussing ways to protect Kang Eun-Gi, and before I knew it, it was time to go.

Just as I was about to get up, Choi Eun-Tae spoke again. "

Oh

, and the termination of the contract with Aris Production will be handled directly by President Kang Gam-Chan in Japan."

Apparently, Choi Man-Sik hadn't requested a shareholder meeting, contrary to expectations. So Kang Gam-Chan was planning to fly to Japan and deal with the issue himself.

'

No wonder the schedule with CEO Tanaka and Aris Production hadn't been cleared yet...So that's why.

'

"Then I just have to accompany Mr. Kang and sit quietly next to him?"

Choi Eun-Tae gave me a look that said, 'Are you serious?' I should have denied it, but no words came to mind.

"

Hahaha

. I'm honestly looking forward to seeing what kind of storm you stir up in Japan."

I smiled awkwardly and avoided eye contact.

Choi Eun-Tae then asked with a smile, "And your flight is on Sunday, correct?"

"Ye, sir. I'll be flying out at 7 p.m. with the judging team for

Project I.O.A

's Japan preliminaries."

Since the Japan prelims for

Project I.O.A

overlapped with the domestic schedule, Ahn Ye-Eum, Han Myung-Ho, Yoo Eun-Ah, and Kang Ha-Na were selected as judges. We were still adjusting schedules to see if Sae-Ri, Seo Yeon-Woo, and Bang Seon-Woo could also attend.

"Instead of that, I want you to take the 6 p.m. flight, one hour earlier. Go to Japan separately. There, you'll meet Suzuki Moeka, the CEO of A1 Entertainment, alone."

"Alone, sir?"

"Yes. In case of my incapacitation, you need to learn how to handle the Japanese slush fund. She'll also fill you in on some things you need to know."

'

In case of incapacitation?

'

The term referred to a condition where someone couldn't perform their duties due to a serious issue. Sometimes, it even referred to a high-ranking person's death, rendering them unable to act at all.

When I looked at him in surprise, Choi Eun-Tae spoke calmly. "My dispute with Assemblyman Park Sang-Gon won't end easily."

"You don't mean..."

"But you don't need to worry too much. It's just a precaution."

After a brief hesitation, I asked cautiously. "But how can I manage that much money? I've never handled anything so large before."

"Don't worry. Moeka, who manages the Japanese slush fund, will take care of the basics. I just need your cleverness in a crisis."

Choi Eun-Tae looked at me steadily. His gaze felt like it could see through my identity as someone who had returned from the future.

I sighed and said, "

Sigh

... Alright. If it's really just in case... just in case. But don't get any strange ideas. Understood?"

"

Hahaha.

I understand. I know your heart well."

"Then I'll handle everything in Japan properly. Please don't worry."

I showed my determination to wrap up the Aris Production issue on this trip. Before the regression, Aris Production had been the foothold Choi Man-Sik used to expand his network in Japan.

'

President Choi Man-Sik. This time, you'll pay for what you did to Eun-Gi.'

With that thought in mind, I left Choi Eun-Tae's house.

***

Before heading to Japan, I spent the next two days taking care of every domestic schedule.

Then on Sunday, after attending the stage greeting for Lee Tae-Poong's

Jiri Mountain

in Busan, I took the KTX back to Seoul. I went straight to Gimpo Airport and boarded a flight to Haneda.

The past two days had been so exhausting that I fell asleep as soon as I got on the short flight to Tokyo.

Two hours later, I arrived at Haneda Airport. Dragging my suitcase, I entered the arrival hall and began looking for Suzuki Moeka, the CEO of Hoop Entertainment's Japanese subsidiary, A1 Entertainment.

But that's when I heard an unexpected voice.

"Yo~ Chief Jung! Over here! Over here!"

At the sound of familiar Korean, I turned and saw Chief Cha Sang-Jin, holding a placard at the arrivals.

[Welcome! Hoop Entertainment Executives!]

The sign welcomed us, but the look on Cha Sang-Jin's face clearly said, 'Gotcha.'

Cha Sang-Jin used to be the chief of Singer Division 1, but after failing to manage the Golden Road scandal, he was exiled to Japan. Since that scandal had largely been caused by me, he held a grudge against me.

'

But why is it Cha Sang-Jin here instead of CEO Suzuki?

'

I had changed my flight time to meet with Suzuki and discuss Choi Eun-Tae's slush fund. I couldn't understand why she sent someone else, someone like Cha Sang-Jin, who didn't get along with me.

I asked, "Mrs. Suzuki was supposed to meet me. Why are you here instead?"

At that moment, Cha Sang-Jin smirked and began explaining why Suzuki couldn't come to the airport. However, the reason was so ridiculous that I couldn't believe it.

'

Of all times...

'