A few days later.

Song Min Woo, the representative of A&J Management who said he was in discussion with the artist, was standing in front of Yoo Ra with a bright smile. His lips, curved in a soft arc, somehow looked mischievous.

“Was it too sudden?”

Yoo Ra had just come down after receiving a call that there was a guest looking for her in the lobby. She had no idea that the guest would be Song Min Woo. In response to his clever question, Yoo Ra put on a polite smile and bowed her head.

“I didn’t expect you to come all the way to Korea. Thank you for coming.”

“No, I just dropped by while I was here for other matters.”

“First, let’s go in…”

Yoo Ra turned her body to guide Song Min Woo towards the office with a smile on her face. However, at his words “Just a moment,” she looked back with a puzzled expression.

Raising his hand to look at his wrist watch, Song Min Woo carefully asked.

“It’s lunchtime right now, how about a meal?”

“Yes, that sounds good.”

“There’s a dish I’m curious about, would that be okay?”

“Please feel free to tell me.”

“I’m curious about the dish called home-style baekban.”

The expression that he was curious about the food was strange enough, but at the sudden mention of home-style baekban, Yoo Ra showed an awkward smile. Out of so many dishes, why home-style baekban? She thought he was a very unique person.

Yoo Ra often met with many artists and the management companies they belonged to. They invariably followed formalities and aimed for sophistication.

So when Song Min Woo suggested a meal, she thought of the restaurants and luxury Korean cuisine she frequently visited. But home-style baekban was unexpected.

“Home-style baekban?”

“Yes, an acquaintance mentioned that dish to me, but I’ve lived abroad for a long time so I’m not quite sure what it is.”

Yoo Ra pondered for a moment. Although the luxury Korean cuisine she visits with guests is also home-style baekban, it didn’t seem like the type of food Song Min Woo was hoping for.

Moreover, since he said he doesn’t even know what home-style baekban is due to his long time living abroad, she hesitated a little on where to take him.

Thinking of several restaurants in her head, Yoo Ra finally decided on one place.

“Well, it’s a bit old and shabby, but there’s a restaurant that does home-style baekban well. Would you like to go there?”

Yoo Ra looked at Song Min Woo with a confident expression.

Lee Hyun, who was staring at the numbers densely filling the paper, frowned at the calm voice coming over the receiver.

“Meeting who?”

– It’s Song Min Woo, the representative of A&J Management.

“That person came to Korea?”

– Yes, his only official schedule is meeting the lady, and the rest of the time he’s visiting unofficially.

“I see. Keep watching him.”

Lee Hyun carelessly put down the blinking cell phone and frowned.

The reason Lee Hyun knew about Song Min Woo was because he was from the management company that Yoo Ra had tried to contact.

Lee Hyun, who needed to know everything about her to feel at ease, regularly expanded the scope of his investigations based on the information he had obtained in advance.

Song Min Woo was one of those included. If not for that, he would have no interest or need to know about his existence.

So Song Min Woo’s existence wasn’t particularly threatening. No matter how handsome and impressive his position was, he wasn’t really a target for Lee Hyun’s vigilance.

If anyone was an eyesore, it was Oh Se Jin who was far more troublesome. Nevertheless, there was only one reason why Song Min Woo made Lee Hyun uncomfortable. The fact that he had made Yoo Ra smile brightly that day bothered Lee Hyun.

Lee Hyun called Secretary Ahn from the secretarial office through the intercom. Secretary Ahn, who entered with a calm face, bowed her head.

“Did you call for me?”

“Do we have any information on Song Min Woo from A&J Management?”

Since they had data on not only political and financial circles but also various arts and sports associations, the information should be somewhere. If not, they could just investigate.

“Yes, there is a brief report on him as someone who was mentioned during the investigation of Joo Hye Rim.”

“Ah, Joo Hye Rim.”

Lee Hyun let out a low chuckle at the unexpected person’s appearance. Of all people, Joo Hye Rim… It felt strangely intertwined in an unpleasant way. Since Yoo Ra’s side had first proposed the performance, it could have been a simple coincidence.

However, unable to shake off the strange feeling, Lee Hyun asked Secretary Ahn.

“Shall I find the information for you?”

“No, Secretary Ahn, please briefly familiarize yourself with it.”

“Yes, I understand.”

After Secretary Ahn left, alone in the office, Lee Hyun tapped the desk rhythmically.

“Joo Hye Rim and Oh Se Jin.”

If handled well, it seemed like they could be used appropriately.

Since Song Min Woo was said to be well-known in the industry, Joo Hye Rim would have also known about his marriage. Perhaps Joo Hye Rim was already thinking of being helpful, Lee Hyun thought.

Joo Hye Rim was Lee Hyun’s college alumni and was practically a celebrity at the school back then.

Lee Hyun simply hadn’t been interested in her because he disliked the way she conspicuously poked around here and there. They met again at an overseas charity event during their study abroad days.

The victim of the vile sexual harassment that took place in a remote corner of the event venue was none other than Joo Hye Rim.

It was a situation that Lee Hyun felt a bit reluctant to intervene in. He didn’t have a particularly strong sense of justice, and the perpetrator seemed to be a rather high-ranking figure, so he couldn’t easily step forward.

Lee Hyun first called the police stationed at the event venue, and the situation was quickly resolved for the time being. But the problem unfolded after that.

The news extensively reported on the issue, and in an instant, the perpetrator and victim were reversed. Joo Hye Rim’s side was urgently searching for the informant at the time. Only that informant was the key to resolving her false accusation.

Lee Hyun had been indifferently turning a blind eye to the incident, but he changed his mind at a remark from Yoo Ra, who had come to see Yoo Gun.

‘Whose words are the truth?’

‘The woman’s.’

‘How can you be so sure?’

‘Because I saw it.’

Yoo Ra couldn’t hide her surprise and reproached Lee Hyun, rolling her big eyes.

‘And you’re just going to stay still?’

‘It has nothing to do with me.’

‘Let’s not live life that way. I’m not asking for righteousness, but at least live morally.’

Lee Hyun had been indifferent to the lives of others. Since someone else’s unfair treatment wouldn’t harm or benefit him, he paid no attention. However, his heart was moved by Yoo Ra’s measure of ‘morality’.

He contacted Joo Hye Rim’s side through the bodyguard who always accompanied him, and handed over a video of the situation at the time, completely reversing the incident.

Freed from the frame of the wrongful perpetrator, Joo Hye Rim had said she would definitely succeed and repay this debt.

Lee Hyun decided to take advantage of Joo Hye Rim’s sense of indebtedness to him.

Yoo Ra took Song Min Woo to a restaurant she had frequented since college. It was an ordinary baekban meal with nothing special, but she could confidently say the taste was better than anywhere else.

As expected, Song Min Woo’s joy was evident on his face throughout the meal. Yoo Ra was proud that her choice had not been wrong.

After finishing the meal and even drinking vending machine coffee placed in front of the restaurant, Song Min Woo thanked her profusely, saying it was a unique experience.

Walking slowly from the parking lot to Songrim Art Center to aid their digestion, Song Min Woo gave a definitive answer to the proposal.

Violinist Yoon Ga Eun also wanted to perform in Korea on this occasion, so he promised to arrange a meeting with the artist soon.

Arriving in front of the art center building, Song Min Woo held out his hand.

“Then, I hope you put on a great performance.”

“I should be the one asking for your favor.”

A warm energy was felt from the gentle grip of the joined hands. It was a different feeling of warmth from Lee Hyun, and Yoo Ra thought he was a good person.

On the other hand, she thought she preferred the warmth of Lee Hyun’s strong grip over this warmth, and smiled faintly.

“Are you enjoying your newlywed life?”

“Well, it’s the same as everyone else.”

At the sudden question, Yoo Ra laughed awkwardly. There was nothing to judge whether it was enjoyable or not. They each did what they had to do in their respective positions, and the small commotions that occurred in between were all.

Ah, maybe it wasn’t so small. Recalling the last encounter with Oh Se Jin and Baek Lee Hyun, Yoo Ra was raising the corners of her mouth awkwardly when-

“Yoo Ra.”

At the abrupt voice, Yoo Ra turned her head with a displeased expression.

“How have you been?”

“My…”

“Pianist Oh Se Jin, hello? I’m Song Min Woo from A&J Management.”

“Ah, hello. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

The moment Se Jin tried to say something, Song Min Woo suddenly intervened. The potentially awkward situation was momentarily paused by Song Min Woo’s wit. Seeing Se Jin quickly change his expression, Yoo Ra’s indifferent gaze turned to the void.

“I’ve also heard a lot. How is your hand these days?”

“Pardon? What do you mean…”

Yoo Ra slightly narrowed her eyes at Song Min Woo’s somewhat discourteous words. She also didn’t forget to discreetly glance at Se Jin’s expression.

There was nothing about Oh Se Jin’s health in the information she had. As a performer, there was a possibility he was hiding something about his hand. Depending on the condition, it could be fatal.

However, it was unsettling that Song Min Woo abruptly mentioned it at their first meeting.

Until now, they had met twice, but he had never acted in a manner that lacked courtesy. Rather, he was excessively polite, so this behavior was all the more strange.

“Ah, I was rude. I apologize.”

Seeing Se Jin’s face instantly freeze coldly, Song Min Woo belatedly apologized as if minding his manners. However, the apology didn’t feel very sincere. Yoo Ra closely observed Song Min Woo’s reaction to Oh Se Jin.

His expression, which appeared respectful but clearly looked down on Se Jin, surprised her a little. Then, as if nothing had happened, Song Min Woo put on a bright expression and reached out his hand towards her.

“I will contact you again soon.”

“Yes, Representative Song.”

“Please give my regards to your husband as well.”

Although mentioning Lee Hyun seemed to deliberately provoke Oh Se Jin, Yoo Ra smiled brightly, pretending not to notice, and bowed her head.

As Song Min Woo took a taxi from the nearby stop, Se Jin grabbed Yoo Ra’s arm as if he had been waiting.

“Let’s talk for a moment.”

Looking around, Yoo Ra removed Se Jin’s hand and politely expressed her refusal.

“I’m sorry. If you have something to say, to the representative…”

“Stop with the damn representative talk.”

When Se Jin raised his voice angrily, Yoo Ra felt the gazes of people passing by following them. Clicking her tongue quietly, Yoo Ra whispered cynically as if to calm him down.

“There are many eyes watching. Mind your manners.”

Clearing his throat, Se Jin once again insisted on a conversation under the guise of politeness.

“I’d like to have a quiet talk. Team Leader Jin.”

From his resolute voice, Yoo Ra roughly guessed what he wanted to say.

Whether Lee Hyun had informed Jin Ho about the incident that day, an order suddenly came down that she no longer needed to observe the practices. She thought it was probably the best patience Lee Hyun could show from his position.

Of course, as Lee Hyun said, she had planned to ask Jin Ho for help out of concern that the media, which likes exaggeration and sensationalism, might publish a strange article. Lee Hyun’s swift action eliminated the cumbersome procedure, leaving her feeling somewhat relieved.

It was obvious that Se Jin would want to take issue with that part. She wondered how to handle this, but as Se Jin didn’t seem like he would back down like this, Yoo Ra clicked her tongue and reached out her hand towards the office.

“Let’s go to my office.”

Yoo Ra escorted him with her usual demeanor and entered the lobby.

Exchanging greetings with passing employees, she lightly bowed her head when she saw Kwon, Jin Ho’s secretary, approaching the elevator. Then, Kwon bowed politely to Se Jin.

“Pianist Oh Se Jin, the representative would like to see you.”

With a face full of displeasure, Se Jin glared at Yoo Ra. However, as Yoo Ra was also unaware of the situation, she decided to follow the order of priority.

“I think it would be best for you to meet the representative first.”

Clicking his tongue quietly, Se Jin reluctantly followed Kwon.

Relieved by the unexpected situation, Yoo Ra thought of a way to avoid the situation for now. Sighing that she couldn’t go out due to a scheduled meeting in the afternoon, she moved her steps.