Chapter 77: The Ultimate Idol Who Came to End the War (4)
These days, Hong Soo-yeon couldn’t stop thinking about Kim Si-woo.
To be more precise—about the women around him.
Even just today, she had clearly seen the pink, affectionate look in Jung Se-yeon’s eyes whenever she glanced at Si-woo.
That wasn’t the look you gave a colleague or a friend.
It was the look of a woman staring at a man she liked.
And because of that, Soo-yeon found herself feeling, even if only for a moment, resentful toward Jung Se-yeon.
Of all the men in the world… why Kim Si-woo?
Soo-yeon couldn’t understand.
A top star like Jung Se-yeon could easily meet someone way taller, more handsome, someone with a better public image than Si-woo… so why him?
And the worst part—
Jung Se-yeon wasn’t the only one.
That tormented Soo-yeon even more.
“Haa….”
When Soo-yeon sighed while thinking of Si-woo, her grandmother, sitting beside her, spoke up.
“Soo-yeon, is something wrong?”
“No, nothing….”
“Then why are you sighing?”
“It’s just… I’m a little frustrated.”
Just watching Se-yeon sing to Si-woo during the busking scene had been nothing more than mildly annoying.
But the moment she saw the unfamiliar expression on Si-woo’s face—
That’s when actual anxiety and unease hit her.
“Oh dear… my poor baby. This grandmother is so sorry.”
“Why are you saying that again! I like things the way they are right now.”
“You couldn’t even go to college because of this grandma…”
Her grandmother had always felt guilty that Soo-yeon had to work during her youth instead of enjoying life because they had no money.
“That’s not it at all… Actually…”
When her grandmother continued misunderstanding and blaming herself, Soo-yeon finally confessed everything.
That she had, without realizing it, begun to like Kim Si-woo.
And that there were other women around him who seemed to like him too.
But the problem was—
Those women were successful, beautiful celebrities.
Hearing this, her grandmother raised her voice—not in anger at her granddaughter, but to defend her.
“What’s wrong with my granddaughter! You’re perfect! Your face! Your personality! Your figure! There’s nothing lacking anywhere!”
“Grandma… they’re celebrities. I don’t know about personality, but face and figure? They’ve got that too.”
Her factual counterpunch left her grandmother stammering.
“Th–then! O-our Soo-yeon… she’s… she’s smart!”
“It’s okay, Grandma. You don’t have to console me.”
“I’m sorry. This old grandma is holding you back. If only we came from a better family—”
“I mean… would he even care about something like family background?”
Her grandmother’s eyes widened in surprise.
Soo-yeon blinked.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You… don’t tell me you’re still calling the writer ‘Ajusshi’?”
“Huh? Oh… yeah. It just kind of stuck. It’s a habit…”
Her grandmother pressed a hand to her forehead.
“Aigoo… I raised my granddaughter wrong… Even an old wrinkly grandma like me knows this much…”
“What? Knows what?”
“What kind of man would like being called ‘Ajusshi’? No way. We are having a serious talk today, my girl.”
And so, Hong Soo-yeon spent the evening hearing her grandmother’s old romance stories—
Including various “methods” on how to steal a man’s heart.
***
Meanwhile, at that same moment—
There was another person feeling anxious.
Shim Ji-young.
She was supposed to make a cameo—but lately she kept wondering whether Si-woo was avoiding her because she had once worked with Choi Do-hyun.
“No… If that were really the case, he wouldn’t have asked me to cameo. But then why do I keep worrying?”
Ji-young didn’t truly think Si-woo would cut ties with her over something so trivial.
But for some reason, her uneasiness just wouldn’t go away.
Partly because of his unpredictable behavior.
Partly because his thoughts were impossible to read.
“Should I just ask him directly? No… that makes me look too desperate. Ugh! Kim Si-woo, that jerk always only contacts me when he needs something…”
The man who used to skip script readings because it was “annoying” was now coming to the set every single day.
It was obvious something had changed.
“Haa…”
—Bzzzzz.
Her phone vibrated.
Just as Shim Ji-young’s worries were reaching their peak, a call came in.
“Huh? Unknown number?”
She checked her phone and hesitated for about ten seconds before finally answering.
“Hello?”
— Ah, hello. I’m the team leader of the planning department at Triple Actors.
“Yes, so… what is this regarding?”
— We wanted to ask if you might be able to make a cameo appearance. It’s for the new film starring Choi Do-hyun—
Before he could finish, Ji-young hung up mentally and answered immediately.
“I’m sorry, no.”
— Ah… I understand. Then please rest well.
As soon as the call ended, she angrily tossed her phone onto the side of the bed.
“Seriously? I’m already stressed out because of someone… and now a cameo? What a joke… Ugh! I’m sending a coffee truck soon and dropping by the set myself.”
***
The Next Day
Before heading to the set, Kim Si-woo picked up Hong Soo-yeon as usual.
But the moment she got in, he felt something was… different.
Normally, she’d chatter nonstop.
But today, she kept mumbling to herself the whole drive.
“Soo-yeon, is something wrong?”
“Ah! N-No. Nothing.”
She practically jumped in surprise when he spoke.
Which only made Si-woo more convinced that something was wrong.
Something’s definitely going on…
By the time they arrived on set, Si-woo began trying to ask in a roundabout way.
“Soo-yeon, is your grandmother doing okay?”
“Yes, she’s fine.”
Relieved that it wasn’t a health issue, Si-woo asked the next thing.
“What about your little brother?”
“He’s fine too.”
So it wasn’t family.
Which only made him more confused.
Then what is it? Something at home? Something emotional? Or… acting?
While he got lost in thought, they parked and got out.
“I’ll go greet the staff and seniors first, oppa.”
“Oh, okay.”
She quickly slipped away after saying “oppa”—
And Si-woo didn’t notice at all.
Instead he just kept standing there thinking:
What could it be…? Is she worried about her acting? Is she stressed? Did something happen yesterday?
While the man she liked completely missed the point…
Hong Soo-yeon, who had just called him “oppa” for the first time, bolted away as her face turned bright tomato red.
“Ha… what if this actually works…?”
Last night, her grandmother had shared the “secret method” she used to win over Soo-yeon’s grandfather.
And it was extremely simple—
Just call him ‘oppa.’
Her grandmother confidently declared:
— “There isn’t a single man on earth who dislikes being called oppa by a pretty girl!”
And considering Soo-yeon was pretty, kind, well-figured, and young—
It should’ve been a guaranteed critical hit.
But the target of the “critical hit” was too busy overthinking and didn’t register it at all.
“Hello.”
“Oh, hello. Huh? Soo-yeon, why is your face so red?”
A staff member greeted her and immediately noticed her burning cheeks.
“Ah… today’s weather is really hot…”
Soo-yeon felt her face was warm, but she didn’t realize it was red enough for others to comment on.
“Oh… you must have a lot of body heat. Want some cold water?”
“Thank you.”
She gulped down the cold water in big mouthfuls.
“Whew…”
Feeling a little calmer, she glanced toward Si-woo, who was talking with Director Park Woong-deok.
He must’ve heard it… right? Aahhh what do I do!!!
While she screamed internally, Si-woo was asking the director something else entirely.
“Director.”
“Yeah?”
“Did Soo-yeon have any acting problems recently?”
“Hong Soo-yeon? That kid acts like a machine. She does the exact same performance no matter how many takes we do. What problem?”
“Right…?”
“Why? Something wrong?”
“No, it’s just… she feels a little different today.”
“Really?”
Park Woong-deok glanced at Hong Soo-yeon staring at Kim Si-woo from afar, then looked back at Si-woo.
“Enjoy it while it lasts.”
“…What?”
As expected, Kim Si-woo had no idea what the director meant.
Soon after, filming began, and Hong Soo-yeon delivered her usual flawless performance.
“Doesn’t seem like anything’s wrong… Actually, she’s even better than usual.”
Seeing no issues in her acting, Si-woo convinced himself he must’ve been overthinking it and decided not to dwell on it.
“Cut! Nice. Actress Hong, your condition seems better today. Your acting’s improved.”
“Thank you!”
Soo-yeon bowed politely, then immediately ran to Si-woo.
“Great job.”
“Um….”
“Hmm?”
“Do you… also think I improved today, oppa?”
“Yeah. Today you felt a bit softer? I don’t know, but your emotions felt richer than usual.”
Even after that, Hong Soo-yeon kept calling him “oppa,” yet Si-woo didn’t notice anything at all.
What he did notice, however, was the person who arrived in the afternoon.
“Hello.”
After lunch, Jung Se-yeon arrived on set and walked toward Si-woo, who was chatting with Hong Soo-yeon.
“Writer-nim!”
“Oh? You’re here, Se-yeon?”
“What were you two talking about? You didn’t even notice someone coming.”
“Ah… we were talking about my next scene with oppa.”
“…Oppa?”
Se-yeon froze for a moment.
“Didn’t you call him ‘ajusshi’ before?”
“Uh… wait.”
Si-woo stopped mid-sentence.
He thought back carefully—when was the first time Soo-yeon called him oppa?
Now that I think about it… today’s the first time, right? Is this why she was mumbling to herself this morning?
He turned to look at Soo-yeon.
She quickly avoided his gaze, flustered, her face lowered.
What is that reaction…? That’s like the reaction someone gives when they’re looking at the person they like. No way…
Before he could fully process the situation, Jung Se-yeon stepped between them.
“So you’ve decided to call him oppa starting today, Soo-yeon?”
“Yes! ‘Oppa’ suits him better than ‘ajusshi.’”
“Oh… really? Now? Of all times?”
“Well, it’s better late than never.”
A strange tension formed between the two women—
As if sparks might ignite right there.
“So… you don’t like it when I call you oppa? Oppa?”
With perfect timing, Soo-yeon looked up at him with large eyes, a cute pout, and a voice tinted with shyness.
Si-woo’s pupils trembled violently.
Her big round eyes, sharp nose, pink lips—
The pitiful little voice—
They all punched his heart mercilessly.
“N-no, I… I mean… it’s better than being called ajusshi.”
“Right?”
Everyone on set—Park Woong-deok included—quietly watched the scene unfold like an entertaining drama.
“But isn’t it weird to call you oppa at work? Don’t you think so, writer-nim?”
“Uh… yeah, maybe a little…”
Caught between the two, Si-woo answered while trying desperately to read the atmosphere.
The one who saved him was none other than Director Park.
“Alright, enough. Let’s get ready for the next scene.”
At the director’s call, the staff began moving, and the showdown between the two women ended.
“Thank you, director.”
“It’s fine. Men have to help each other survive.”
“…Sorry?”
“Aigoo… go grab some chairs or something.”
“Yes…”
The afternoon was mostly filled with Jung Se-yeon’s scenes, so Si-woo and Soo-yeon naturally stayed close to each other.
Soo-yeon giggled happily the whole time.
Meanwhile, Jung Se-yeon’s expression hardened little by little.
Ha… Soo-yeon must really be interested in the writer too, huh?
But what should I do?
This unnie is pretty greedy herself…