The World Star Who Seduced Me (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 4

Yeo Woong apologized first. It’s always better to apologize quickly.

“I-I’m so sorry!! Um… Did you get it washed?”

“They said it can’t be cleaned. I held back the nausea and took it to the dry cleaner, but apparently the fabric is so unusual that it can’t be washed with water or dry cleaned.”

“What?!”

Yeo Woong let out an involuntary shout. Her pupils dilated in genuine, startled shock.

No way—what kind of clothes in the world can’t be cleaned? If it really can’t be washed… could it be that he…?

“I threw it away.”

For a moment, Yeo Woong felt as if the sky was collapsing around her.

It was the first time she’d ever faced something like this, and her mental calculator froze. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how much that outfit had cost.

Even if she sold everything she owned, would it be enough to cover the cost? And on top of that, the paparazzi photo handling fee too…?

Yeo Woong felt dizzy. One drunken mistake was about to wipe out her entire savings.

“S-so… h-how much… would that be?”

She tried to sound calm, but her trembling lips betrayed her. Seol Ji Oh stared at her stuttering form for a beat, then quietly chuckled. Yeo Woong’s eyes wavered as she watched him.

Why’s he smiling like that, making people nervous?

Yeo Woong held her breath, terrified of what figure would come out of Seol Ji Oh’s mouth. Her palms were already soaked with sweat.

After a silence so tense it made her shiver, Seol Ji Oh’s words surprised her.

“You seem different today?”

“Huh?”

“Compared to that day.”

Seol Ji Oh furrowed his brow, seemingly recalling that day’s Yeo Woong, prompting her to answer defensively.

“I went straight from filming that day. Normally, I’m not… I don’t act like that.”

Seol Ji Oh lifted just one corner of his lips as he looked at her. Indeed, today’s Yeo Woong appeared strikingly different, just as she’d said.

With clear skin, subtle makeup, and her chestnut bob styled in a half-updo, she looked incredibly young.

“Didn’t you ask me back then why I pretended not to know you?”

“Oh…”

Yeo Woong remembered how, drunk, she’d yelled at him. Her face began to flush as memories of that day rushed back.

“Why did you look at me with that kind of expression?”

“What kind of expression?”

“Disappointment. Resentment. Something like that.”

Seol Ji Oh locked eyes with her as he asked. Yeo Woong blinked in confusion. Of course her eyes had shown disappointment and resentment—he’d deliberately pretended not to recognize her.

But seeing him today, she was certain now: he hadn’t been pretending. He genuinely hadn’t recognized her.

Yeo Woong hesitated.

Should she tell him she was the struggling, unknown actress who’d once been his closest childhood friend—or not?

What if he disliked her?

Yet part of her was also curious—what had happened that erased all memory of her? And she felt worried, too.

Cautiously, she opened her mouth.

“Have you… ever heard my name before?”

“No.”

“We lived in Seongbuk-dong when we were kids.”

Instead of answering, Seol Ji Oh narrowed his eyes slightly as he studied her.

“You lived in that three-story house, right? With tons of pine trees in the yard, and that fragrant Osmanthus tree! And under the pines, there was a wooden bench and table.”

At that, Seol Ji Oh’s expression darkened slightly. Worried she’d gotten it wrong, Yeo Woong tried to recall more details—but he cut in coldly.

“Is this my backstory? Are you some kind of obsessive fan?”

“What?! No!”

Yeo Woong was so startled she raised both hands and shook them vigorously in denial.

“I lived next door! Right next to your house!”

“Next door?”

“Yes. We were friends… for six years.”

“Who was?”

“You, Seol Ji Oh.”

Seol Ji Oh’s brows knotted deeply. Yeo Woong stared at him, taken aback by his expression.

Is it really that unpleasant to hear you were my friend?

“You really don’t remember at all?”

“Not even a bit.”

“Why don’t you remember?”

Seol Ji Oh stayed silent for a moment after Yeo Woong’s question. He stared at her intently, as if trying to pierce through her, before finally speaking after a long pause.

“I had an accident. A pretty serious one.”

“An accident…?”

“My childhood memories vanished after that. I think it was around second year of middle school.”

Yeo Woong’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at him.

Actual amnesia? So he has no memories before age fifteen?

“Were we really close?”

“…Yes.”

“But I remember different people living next door.”

“I moved away right after second year of middle school… It was sudden.”

Seol Ji Oh rested his elbows on the table and cupped his chin with both hands. Then he just stared wordlessly at Yeo Woong’s face.

Unable to meet his intense gaze, Yeo Woong turned her head slightly and looked off into empty space.

He did the same thing at the convenience store last time—why does he keep staring so intently like that?

Just then, Seol Ji Oh suddenly raised his palm. He held it up in front of Yeo Woong’s lower face, as if measuring something, and tilted his head slightly to study her.

Yeo Woong stared back at him, eyes wide with confusion.

What’s he doing?

It was a while before Seol Ji Oh finally spoke.

“Then let’s do it this way.”

His voice was lighter than she’d expected. Yeo Woong focused every nerve on his lips—after all, her entire savings depended on his next words.

“You’ll repay what you owe me… with your body.”

“What?!”

Yeo Woong gasped in shock and instinctively leaned back, shielding herself with her arms.

Repay… with my body? What on earth does that mean all of a sudden?!

Her mind was flooded with alarm.

Seeing her reaction, Seol Ji Oh let out a soft chuckle, clearly realizing she’d misunderstood.

“Ah, not like that—calm down.”

“If it’s not like that, then what do you mean by ‘repay with my body’?!”

“Help me recover my memories.”

“Huh?”

“I’m trying to get my memories back. It’s very important to me. And since you know my past—and you also owe me money—you’ll repay it by helping me.”

Yeo Woong blinked in confusion as she looked at him, still not quite grasping it.

“You don’t want to? Then pay me back in cash.”

“Oh—no! Wait!”

Yeo Woong needed a moment to process. She owed him a huge sum, and now he was suggesting she pay it off by helping him recover his memories?

Really?

From her perspective, it sounded like an incredibly generous offer. But doubt crept in.

“But why…?”

“I already told you—it’s important to me.”

“Oh…”

He didn’t seem inclined to explain further. Yeo Woong moistened her lips with her tongue.

Whatever the reason, he needed his memories back, and since she could help, he wanted her to repay him that way?

“But… what if I help you and you still can’t recover your memories? What then?”

“Are you worried I’ll demand the money again?”

She nodded rapidly. Seol Ji Oh chuckled softly.

“I won’t, so don’t worry. Or should we draw up a contract to be sure?”

Thinking it best to have something concrete, Yeo Woong nodded. Seol Ji Oh raised his eyebrows slightly, then agreed.

Seol Ji Oh checked his wristwatch, then stood up to leave.

“Then it’s settled. I’ll contact you again about the contract details. I need to go—my schedule’s tight.”

“You’re leaving?”

“Yes. You finish your meal.”

With that—and a final note that he’d already paid—he grabbed his coat and left the room. Yeo Woong was left stunned, barely having time to say goodbye before he vanished.

She couldn’t quite grasp what had just happened to her.

Every time she met Seol Ji Oh, reality seemed to slip away.

As soon as Seol Ji Oh got into the car, Choi Hyun started the engine.

“We’re heading straight to the airport, right?”

“Yes.”

Choi Hyun glanced at Seol Ji Oh through the rearview mirror as he turned the wheel. Seol Ji Oh seemed to be in a surprisingly good mood.

Having managed Seol Ji Oh for six years now, Choi Hyun could gauge his mood just by his expression.

But today’s situation was unprecedented even for him, so he asked gently,

“You really flew all the way back to Korea just for that one promise? Who on earth is that woman?”

Seol Ji Oh didn’t answer—just tugged the corner of his lips slightly and put on his wireless earbuds. It was his silent way of saying, “Don’t talk.”

Choi Hyun let out a dry chuckle, annoyed by Seol Ji Oh, who’d already closed his eyes and settled in for sleep.

“You always do this only to me. People really should know how you act, you know?”

It was a rainy evening. Because of the heavy downpour, fewer people than usual were stopping by the convenience store.

Yeo Woong straightened her back after finishing restocking and looked out the window. As she stretched, twisting her stiff lower back this way and that, her phone rang.

She pulled it from her pocket—it was a call from an unknown number. After a moment’s hesitation—what if it was a casting call?—she answered.

“Hello?”

[It’s Seol Ji Oh.]

Yeo Woong jerked the phone away from her ear in surprise at the voice on the other end.

He definitely just said “Seol Ji Oh,” right?

[Hello?]

“Oh—yes! Hello.”

[Let’s sign the contract. Are you free today by any chance?]

“Oh, I finish work at midnight, so today might be difficult.”

[I’m only free tomorrow morning. Would that work?]

“Yes, that’s fine.”

[Then I’ll see you tomorrow.]

The call ended quickly. Right after, a text arrived with the meeting location. Yeo Woong stared blankly at Seol Ji Oh’s number before saving it into her phone. Seeing “Seol Ji Oh” labeled in her contacts felt strangely surreal.

Back then, they’d texted and called each other without a second thought—but now those memories felt as distant as a past life. It was clearly the same Seol Ji Oh, yet he now felt like a completely different person.

His grown-up height, transformed appearance, and changed aura—

The boy frozen in her memories no longer existed.

Yeo Woong, suddenly aware of her pounding heart, tucked her phone into her pocket. Meeting Seol Ji Oh tomorrow… somehow, she knew sleep wouldn’t come easily tonight.

The next day, as she stood at the agreed location, a large van pulled up right in front of her. Yeo Woong stepped back to avoid it—when suddenly the van door swung open.

“Get in.”

Seol Ji Oh was inside. Before Yeo Woong could react, the car behind them blared its horn impatiently, prompting her to hurry into the van.

Awkwardly, she greeted Seol Ji Oh once inside. He simply gave a slight nod in return.

“There’s a drink for you up front. Help yourself.”

The manager driving the front seat glanced briefly back at her as he spoke. Though young-looking, his glasses gave him an intellectual air.

“Thank you.”

Yeo Woong picked up the iced Americano. She rarely drank cold beverages, but hoped sipping it might ease the tension. She put the straw to her lips.

Soon, the van stopped in a quiet spot, and the manager turned off the engine and stepped out. Suddenly alone together, Yeo Woong looked nervously at Seol Ji Oh.

“Read this.”

Seol Ji Oh handed her a document envelope. Yeo Woong set her drink in the cupholder and opened it. Inside were two identical copies of the contract.

She slowly read through the document. When she reached the section stating the total amount she owed, she involuntarily gasped, catching her breath.

The figure was even larger than she’d imagined—her hands trembled slightly. Swallowing hard, she carefully reviewed the terms.

The main clause stated that “Party B” must diligently assist “Party A” in recovering his memories, though no specific number of sessions or duration was listed.

As previously mentioned, there was also a clause stating that even if Seol Ji Oh failed to recover his memories, he couldn’t demand repayment from Yeo Woong.

No matter how she looked at it, the terms seemed overwhelmingly favorable to her…

Except for one issue: the undefined number of sessions and duration. Glancing cautiously at Seol Ji Oh, she asked hesitantly,

“Um… Is this… a lifetime contract?”

A dry chuckle came from beside her. Seol Ji Oh, who’d been staring straight ahead, turned his head to look at her.

He was smiling—though it was more of an incredulous smirk.

“My schedule’s too irregular to set exact sessions or timeframes. A lifetime contract… I hadn’t actually considered that.”

He stroked his chin as he spoke, making it seem as if he really might consider a lifetime deal—and Yeo Woong’s heart sank.

Of course—nothing in life comes free. There was no way he’d just forgive such a huge debt so easily.

She imagined herself being summoned by Seol Ji Oh for the rest of her life—when he spoke again.

“Let’s start with two years.”

“Huh?”

Yeo Woong couldn’t believe her ears.

Did he really say two years? Not a lifetime—but two years?

“I won’t be in Korea that often anyway, so it should be fine. But I’d like you to come immediately whenever I need you.”

“Oh! Yes—as long as I’m not working, I’m available anytime.”

Seol Ji Oh’s lips curved slightly upward. He flipped to the last page of the contract, pulled out a pen, and signed his name. After signing both copies, he handed the pen to Yeo Woong.

“The most important clause is confidentiality. You must never tell anyone that I’ve lost my memories. Understood?”

“Yes. I’ll keep it absolutely secret.”

“Then I’m counting on you.”

Seol Ji Oh extended his hand as if to shake hers. Yeo Woong looked at the large hand offered before her, then shyly took it. His touch was unexpectedly warm and soft.

And so it began—

A secret contract with Seol Ji Oh, one she couldn’t reveal to anyone.