Chapter 176: The Genius Shut-In Writer (Epilogue)
[Epilogue. Kim Ji-hyun.]
Two years ago, on that day, I chose Kim Ji-hyun.
My first actress—the one who always looked only at me—kept lingering in my mind.
After clearly conveying my rejection to the others, I met with Kim Ji-hyun. Inside the car, I cautiously began.
“Ji-hyun-ah.”
“Yes?”
The moment Kim Si-woo, who usually spoke formally, dropped the honorifics, Kim Ji-hyun became visibly tense.
And because she already sensed what kind of atmosphere this was, her tension only grew.
“Thank you for waiting for me.”
“Writer-nim…”
“Will you date me? Not as a writer and an actress—but as a man and a woman.”
“Yes… I’d like that…”
Receiving the confession along with a ring, Kim Ji-hyun accepted. Tears welled up at the corners of her eyes.
“I’ll do better from now on… I won’t get irritated anymore. I’m sorry.”
Kim Ji-hyun, who never imagined she would be the one confessed to, burst into sobs as she brought up things from the past.
“Do you know how scared I was back then? I thought I’d never see you again… But I held it in, kept waiting and waiting…”
Kim Si-woo hugged the crying Kim Ji-hyun and comforted her.
“Yeah, I was wrong.”
“You’re really… mean…”
“I’m sorry.”
“I love you, Oppa.”
“I love you too.”
After confirming each other’s feelings, Kim Si-woo and Kim Ji-hyun gazed at one another and soon shared a kiss.
Time passed, and the two began a secret relationship.
Of course, everyone in the industry already knew…
They walked the red carpet together at award ceremonies, and she even transferred her agency to Siwoo Film.
Then, on the day Kim Si-woo turned 31, Kim Ji-hyun wore a wedding dress.
The news of their relationship sent all of Korea into an uproar, but the couple themselves paid no mind and focused entirely on preparing for the wedding.
“Oppa, how do I look?”
“Pretty.”
“…”
“No, seriously. Everything looks pretty on you—what am I supposed to do?”
Kim Si-woo thought to himself while preparing for the wedding that writing scripts was honestly easier than this.
“Really? Anyway, I like this one. And… how’s my body? Do I look like I gained weight?”
“Isn’t your height 171 cm?”
“Actually, it’s 172.”
“And your weight?”
“51 kg.”
“Body fat percentage?”
“14%.”
“That’s right around the average for fitness models. You could even eat a little more.”
“Really?”
“You trust me, right?”
“Yeah.”
As the wedding day drew closer, Kim Ji-hyun grew increasingly anxious and kept voicing her worries.
After successfully completing the wedding ceremony, Kim Si-woo and Kim Ji-hyun left for their honeymoon. On the plane, as she gazed at him, he quietly spoke.
“Do you remember the day we first met?”
“Ah… the day of my audition?”
“Yeah. Looks like we were destined to end up like this from back then.”
“Guess so. Writer Kim… please take care of me from now on too.”
“Yes, Actress Kim.”
“And tonight as well…”
“I’m a little tired today…”
<Epilogue. Kim Ji-hyun. End.>
***
[Epilogue. Lee Yoo-jin.]
Kim Si-woo arrived at the Siwoo Film office as usual and called Lee Yoo-jin into his office.
“Director Lee Yoo-jin.”
“Yes, Writer-nim.”
Seeing Kim Si-woo speaking so seriously, Lee Yoo-jin assumed it was about work and started to sit down in the chair—only for Kim Si-woo to drop to one knee before she could.
“Will you continue directing my scripts from now on?”
“Huh?”
“For the rest of our lives. Will you be the director of my scripts forever?”
Lee Yoo-jin, startled by the sudden proposal and the ring being offered while he knelt, instinctively stepped back.
“Uh… is that a rejection…?”
Panicking because he hadn’t expected her to retreat, Kim Si-woo started to close the ring case—only for Lee Yoo-jin to hurriedly shout and grab his hand.
“What are you doing!”
“…No… I thought you were rejecting me…”
“You still haven’t heard my answer! Why are guys always in such a hurry? You were the one dragging your feet when you were supposed to confess!”
Suddenly scolded by Lee Yoo-jin, Kim Si-woo froze with a dazed expression.
Seeing how frustrating he looked, Lee Yoo-jin stretched out her hand and scolded him once more.
“What are you doing! Aren’t you going to put the ring on me…?”
“Ah, right.”
Kim Si-woo stood up and gently slid the ring onto the hand Lee Yoo-jin held out.
“Congratulations!”
“You two know what’ll happen if you ever break up, right?”
The Siwoo Film team members, who had been waiting outside the door, burst in with cheers and congratulations.
“Thank you.”
“So… shall we have a company dinner tonight?”
“Let’s do it.”
“Yesss!”
The team members went wild at the mention of a company dinner. Lee Yoo-jin quietly pulled Kim Si-woo closer and whispered.
“Oppa.”
“Hm?”
“I can call you Oppa now, right?”
“You’re already doing it.”
“So you don’t like it?”
“No. I like it. More importantly—let’s go somewhere else tonight, just the two of us.”
Kim Si-woo took Lee Yoo-jin to a restaurant on the top floor of a high-rise building in Songpa-gu.
While eating together, Lee Yoo-jin suddenly looked at Kim Si-woo—who seemed no different from usual—and spoke.
“So… we’re officially a couple now?”
“Yeah…”
“It still doesn’t feel real…”
“Same here.”
“Nothing’s really changed, has it?”
“You’re right… Then let’s talk about what’s ahead of us.”
“Oppa, how many kids do you want?”
“Hmm… two?”
“I want three. Looks like you’ll have to work harder.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Should we start a couple vlog too?”
“If you want to, then sure.”
And so, they began sketching out their future together.
<Epilogue. Lee Yoo-jin. End.>
***
[Epilogue. Hong Soo-yeon.]
Kim Si-woo contacted Hong Soo-yeon to convey his feelings and went on a date with her.
“Soo-yeon-ah.”
“W-wait a second. Let’s eat first.”
“Uh… sure.”
Whenever Kim Si-woo tried to confess, Hong Soo-yeon desperately avoided hearing it.
It felt like a showdown between spear and shield.
The battle continued throughout the entire date, and by the time it ended, Kim Si-woo still hadn’t managed to confess.
Night had fallen. When they arrived in front of Hong Soo-yeon’s house, Kim Si-woo couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Soo-yeon-ah. You’re really not going to hear my answer?”
“No, it’s just… I’m too nervous…”
Whether his answer would be good or bad, both possibilities made Hong Soo-yeon tremble.
“Will you go out with me?”
That was why he chose to confess suddenly, catching her off guard.
“Huh? What did you just say…?”
“I know I’m a bit older, but—mmph.”
Before Kim Si-woo could finish, Hong Soo-yeon answered with a kiss instead.
After a long kiss, the two pulled apart with flushed faces and continued talking.
“No… so suddenly…”
“I just… wanted to. More importantly—is this a dream?”
“It’s not, right? I could tell you weren’t used to kissing.”
“What… what did you say!”
Thwack.
Hong Soo-yeon flared up at his teasing and lightly hit his chest.
“Now that’s more like you.”
“Is this really not a dream?”
“No.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Hong Soo-yeon soon started sniffling and hugged Kim Si-woo tightly again.
“You’re not allowed to cheat on me.”
“Yeah.”
“And you’re not allowed to get sick either.”
“I’ll try my best.”
Kim Si-woo spent a long time listening patiently to every condition Hong Soo-yeon laid out.
“Oppa.”
“Yeah?”
“Just because. I’m happy.”
“You’re so silly… Your grandma’s going to worry. Go inside now.”
“Okay. See you tomorrow, Oppa.”
“See you.”
Having finally achieved her first love, Hong Soo-yeon was, at this moment, the happiest girl in the world.
The moment she stepped inside the house, she called out to her grandmother.
“Grandma! I’m dating Si-woo Oppa now! When should we have the wedding? Should we do the family meeting first? How many kids should we have? Five? I hope they look like Oppa…”
The dreams of the girl who had come up from Busan were all fulfilled in the years that followed.
Together with Kim Si-woo…
<Epilogue. Hong Soo-yeon. End.>
***
[Epilogue. Arimura Noa.]
While still nursing the sniffly Arimura Noa, Kim Si-woo served her food and spoke.
“Noa-ssi.”
“Yes?”
“Would it be okay if I became a full-time househusband?”
“Hmm… probably? It feels a little too late to turn back now anyway. Honestly, Writer-nim looks cooler when you’re writing, but… you look cool when you cook too.”
“Really? Then would you like me to keep cooking for you from now on?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, keep living in my house from now on.”
“…Is that a confession?”
“Yes.”
Arimura Noa was stunned by Kim Si-woo’s straightforward confession.
“I… I think my fever’s getting worse. What do I do? I don’t think I can go to work…”
Now that she fully understood the situation, her heart raced even faster, and the heat rising to her face made her dizzy.
“That’s cheating. How am I supposed to reject you when you’re being so nice to me while I’m sick?”
“Were you planning to reject me?”
“No… hehe… I just wanted you to know how much it hurt back then too.”
“I’m sorry.”
Having once rejected Arimura Noa’s confession in the past, Kim Si-woo offered another apology.
“Instead of sorry… can you do something else for me?”
“Huh?”
Arimura Noa closed her eyes and pursed her lips.
“What are you doing while you’re sick…”
“Hurry.”
At her urging, Kim Si-woo gently held her face and gave her a deep kiss.
The next day, Arimura Noa’s cold was completely gone.
Instead, Kim Si-woo came down with a terrible fever and body aches and was bedridden.
“…Was it because of that kiss yesterday?”
“Can’t be helped. Starting today, I’ll take care of you. Shall we go to the hospital first?”
Just as she had been cared for when she was sick, now it was Kim Si-woo’s turn to be looked after.
“I’ll personally nurse you.”
“But you have work… I’m fine, really…”
“Protecting our home is important too. And the staff will understand.”
“…Okay.”
At the firm look in Arimura Noa’s eyes, Kim Si-woo obediently ate the porridge she fed him.
“By the way… are we having two wedding ceremonies?”
“Hmm… isn’t it a bit early to be talking about marriage already?”
“Come on. You’re thirty now—it’s about time to get married. Don’t worry. You’ll never regret it.”
“Still… maybe we should date for a while first…”
“If you count just the days we’ve already lived together, it’s probably more than most couples, right?”
“…That’s true. Though it wasn’t that kind of living together.”
“I’m good at cleaning, I make good money, I’m pretty, and cooking… well, you’re good at that, so… aren’t we perfect together?”
“Yeah… we are.”
After that, Kim Si-woo frequently traveled between Japan and Korea to meet Arimura Noa’s family, while she often visited his parents and spent time with them.
Time passed, and on their wedding day, Kim Si-woo looked back on the day he first met Arimura Noa.
If he hadn’t gone on that trip to Japan, if he hadn’t become a writer—he never would have met her.
Seeing her in her pure white dress, Kim Si-woo thought to himself:
‘I did really well choosing to write.’
<Epilogue. Arimura Noa. End.>
***
[Epilogue. Shim Ji-young & Kim Da-on.]
On the very day Kim Si-woo had finally resolved to confess to Shim Ji-young, his mother unexpectedly called him. Puzzled, he answered.
“Hello?”
– Si-woo-ya. Come home for a bit.
“Huh?”
– There’s something important. Stop by the house today.
“Okay… I’ll head over now.”
Instead of going to see Shim Ji-young, Kim Si-woo first went home. When he arrived, his parents were sitting in the living room with grave expressions.
“I called you because there’s something important I need to tell you.”
“What is it? Did you co-sign someone’s loan or something?”
“What? No, it’s not that… Ahem… Your little sister. Come say hello.”
“Huh?”
At his father’s words, a familiar child shuffled timidly out from the small room.
“Da-on?”
“That’s right. We adopted Da-on. So from today onward, take good care of her. As her big brother.”
“For ten years I kept saying I wanted a little sister and you never listened…”
Though Kim Si-woo grumbled verbally, his hand gently stroked Kim Da-on’s head.
“Is all the paperwork done?”
“Yes. It’s all finished.”
“That’s a relief. Right, Da-on?”
“Oppa… is it really okay? Even if I become your little sister?”
“What are you saying? This oppa has always wanted a little sister. By the way—does he know?”
“Who?”
“Kim Seung-oh.”
“I called Seung-oh too. He said he’s coming down tomorrow right away.”
“Good. From now on, if Mom and Dad scold you, run away to Oppa’s house. I’ll hide you.”
Thwack.
“That’s how you talk to your little sister?!”
Kim Si-woo joked with Kim Da-on only to get smacked by his father.
Later that evening, when he told Shim Ji-young about how Kim Da-on had officially become his real little sister, she clicked her tongue with a hint of regret.
“Why?”
“Nothing… I was actually thinking of adopting her myself later.”
“Huh?”
“No, I mean—I’ve already frozen my eggs, but… age is age, you know.”
“Ah…”
Seeing Kim Si-woo look awkward, Shim Ji-young asked why he had wanted to meet today.
“So why did you want to see me today?”
In truth, ever since the day she had taken him to meet her parents, Shim Ji-young had half-given up on him.
She knew she was beautiful, but she was older—and there were plenty of younger, prettier women lining up for Kim Si-woo.
“If you’re okay with it, Noona… would you like to date me?”
“What?”
“I mean… we might have kids. If not, we can adopt someone kind and pretty like Da-on. Or we can just live as the two of us…”
“…”
Kim Si-woo spoke shyly, but no answer came from Shim Ji-young’s lips.
When she remained silent, Kim Si-woo changed tactics.
“Noona. Do you dislike me?”
“No…”
“Then why won’t you accept my confession? You confessed to me first, didn’t you? And you even dragged me to meet your parents and forced an unofficial meeting with them. So just take responsibility already.”
Seeing Kim Si-woo smile as he spoke, Shim Ji-young’s pupils trembled.
Could she really accept his confession…?
Would being with her make him happy…?
A whirlwind of thoughts coiled tightly in her mind.
Watching her, Kim Si-woo continued.
“That kind of expression doesn’t suit you, Noona. I like it best when you’re confident and bold.”
Slap!
At his words, Shim Ji-young slapped her own cheek hard.
“Thank you. No matter how old I get, love never gets any easier.”
“So… is that a yes?”
“If you’re okay with me.”
At Shim Ji-young’s answer, Kim Si-woo pulled her into a tight embrace.
“Then how about coming to my place this weekend?”
“Huh?”
At his suggestion, Shim Ji-young scratched her head and muttered.
“…This is all my karma, isn’t it…”
Two months after Kim Si-woo and Shim Ji-young started dating.
They had moved faster than most people do even after marriage.
While eating normally one day, Shim Ji-young suddenly felt morning sickness and rushed to the hospital—only to learn she was pregnant.
In the end, they filed the marriage registration first and decided to hold the wedding ceremony after the baby was born. When the news of the pregnancy spread, both families gathered for a celebration party.
Two years later.
Shim Ji-young became pregnant again, pushing the wedding ceremony back once more.
“No… what is this…”
Contrary to Shim Ji-young’s worries, her pregnancies went smoothly, and Kim Si-woo ended up completely immersed in childcare.
<Epilogue. Shim Ji-young & Kim Da-on.>
– The End –