To You Who Found Me (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14

The following shoot went smoother than expected. Though it was all new to Hye Yoon, Ji Ho was right beside her, looking out for everything.

“Standing at this distance would be best. You two are still a bit awkward with each other.”

“Okay.”

His fingers gently grasped then released her wrist, as carefully as cradling a sleeping newborn’s head. His voice, low enough that only one person nearby could hear. This was Ji Ho throughout the entire shoot.

‘Do you know what the crew’s been saying? They say Jang Hye Yoon’s doing way better than expected—her blocking, her eye lines, everything.’

Min Joo’s words from lunchtime drifted through Hye Yoon’s mind again. It was only natural nobody noticed Ji Ho’s quiet consideration. She looked up at him quietly.

Just how vast must the ocean be that this man carries in his chest, overflowing with such tenderness?

“I’ll probably stand here hesitating, so it’s fine if you speak in a casual tone.”

“Okay. I’ll try.”

Since it was a house full of men, Hee Soo, as a woman, must have noticed all sorts of careless details here and there.

It was a scene where they talked while looking at the messy pile of laundry in front of the washing machine. For Hee Soo, it was the first time scolding someone like this; for Jong Soo, it was unfamiliar care he’d never received before—perhaps even something he’d secretly wanted to hear.

“Come to think of it… it’s all right here. From now on, remember to add fabric softener. And always give your laundry a good shake before hanging it out.”

“…Okay.”

Hye Yoon glanced back sharply at him from the detergent containers in the utility room set, giving a small reply with slightly annoyed eyes.

“You’re not just good at giving quick answers, right? I trust you?”

“Heh heh. Yeah.”

“…Huh? Isn’t it a little strange for Jong Soo to laugh here?”

Ji Ho, who’d been perfectly in sync with her, suddenly let out an unexpected chuckle. Hye Yoon relaxed her slightly annoyed expression and gave him a puzzled look. Ji Ho bit his lip to suppress his laughter.

“Sorry. I just suddenly felt like laughing.”

“Why?”

Hye Yoon tilted her head and looked up at him. Even as he cleared his throat, the corners of his eyes remained warmly curved.

“Do you really think Jong Soo would understand if you spoke that cutely?”

Suddenly, Hye Yoon remembered Min Woo’s words before the shoot began. Now, looking at Ji Ho, she fully understood why people said his eyes dripped honey. In an instant, a soft blush bloomed across her cheeks.

After spending the whole day together, shyness only now washed over her. When she was with him, even the order of her emotions felt jumbled. Worried an untimely hiccup might escape, she answered with extra effort instead.

“Hey, I was totally going for a firm older-sister vibe just now!”

“Did the meaning of ‘firm’ change without me noticing?”

At his awkward tone, Ji Ho looked at her with even more warmth. If that was Hee Soo’s idea of being firm, Jong Soo would probably mess up housework for the rest of his life—just to keep getting scolded.

“Once this scene wraps, Writer Jang will be heading home, right?”

Ji Ho lightly rolled up his closed script. He glanced around. Everyone had scattered to their own positions, focused solely on their tasks, making the space outside the camera frame look calm yet chaotic.

“Yeah. Will you be finishing really late, Ji Ho?”

“Not too late.”

It was just doing his part—why did he have to look at her so apologetically? Ji Ho gave a light shake of his head.

“You won’t always be finishing late from now on… right?”

“Well, pretty much. But everyone’s working hard to accommodate my schedule, so I’m grateful. I should make every take count.”

Ji Ho’s unexpected appearance in had tangled his schedule for the next two months until year-end.

Thankfully, the network was honored just by his participation and had done their best to adjust dates. In exchange for fewer shooting days, they’d increased the workload per day.

“You must be busy with the movie promotion.”

“For now, yeah. It premieres at the end of the month, so it’s time to start getting ready.”

Ji Ho tapped her shoulder lightly with his rolled-up script and stepped half a pace closer to Hye Yoon. At that almost-touching distance, he caught her scent. He took a deep breath, preparing for the moment he’d be left alone soon after.

It felt as if warmth flooded his heart.

“I’ll definitely go see your movie when it opens.”

“…Don’t you want to watch it together?”

At his playful, offhand remark, Hye Yoon looked up at him with wide eyes. She quickly lowered her gaze, but he’d already seen enough to perfectly capture her lovely expression.

“…Okay.”

She might get shy, but her honesty always won out—making her even more adorable, though she herself probably didn’t realize it.

“Alright. If our schedules match up then.”

As preparations finished and more eyes turned toward them, Ji Ho gently ended their conversation.

“Alright, let’s get back to filming!”

He naturally stepped back at the staff member’s voice—slightly more subdued than in the morning. He hadn’t noticed it while approaching, but now stepping away, his feet felt as heavy as iron.

“I can’t even believe how fast today went. Good job, Hye Yoon.”

“You had it harder waiting around all this time.”

Outside the window, the view resembled that of early dawn today. The sky, shifting from evening to night, grew even darker.

“Hard work? I feel like I should’ve at least driven to really help out. It feels like I just chatted the whole way here.”

“Was it okay waiting around like that?”

“Totally! More than okay—it was fun.”

Even at this late hour, Min Joo’s excited voice lifted Hye Yoon’s spirits. Watching Min Joo drive with the corners of her mouth twitching as if hiding a smile made Hye Yoon want to smile too.

‘See you tomorrow.’

But she couldn’t quite smile yet. Ji Ho’s final words kept echoing in her ears like a lingering melody. Was “see you tomorrow” really this thrilling? But then again—if it was Ji Ho, maybe it really was.

Someone she could see again tomorrow, someone she had to see again tomorrow. No matter how much she told herself it was just work, inside her heart a child who’d just received a giant lollipop kept hopping around happily.

“…Are you even listening to me?”

“Huh? What did you say?”

Hye Yoon finally reined in the bouncing child inside and turned to Min Joo.

“What are you smiling about so dreamily? Who is it? Ahn Ji Ho?”

“Aww… why’d Ji Ho suddenly come up?”

As she tried to hide the truth, her words came out in strange, unnatural tones. Her flustered eyes awkwardly turned toward the window. A ridiculous thought struck her—maybe her head was transparent too, just like her reflection in the glass, and her thoughts were showing through.

“You’re so obviously trying to lie.”

“No, it’s just… he’s my co-actor. So he popped into my head for a second.”

Denying it firmly wouldn’t help—she probably looked caught anyway. She awkwardly twirled a strand of hair around her finger.

“Well, yeah. Spending the whole day next to someone that gorgeous—you’d be weird if there wasn’t any lingering feeling, right?”

Asking the question but not really waiting for agreement, Min Joo nodded to herself.

“But seriously, Ahn Ji Ho… it’s not just that he’s handsome—he’s insane. His face, his figure…”

“…Right?”

“It’s like, when I get home, I’m going to brag that I saw Ahn Ji Ho today. But I can’t explain it! This feeling I got! I’m a total humanities soul through and through, you know? But I can’t put it into words. Sigh…”

“Heh heh. You’re making a huge fuss.”

“There really is such a thing as beauty that can’t be captured in words.”

Hye Yoon gave a soft laugh at Min Joo’s dramatic hand slapping the steering wheel. It was such a funny way to put it, yet she found herself nodding in agreement.

“Tell me, Hye Yoon.”

“What?”

“This strategic dating setup of yours—every woman in the world must be jealous. It’d be nice to have an experience like that… even if it’s bound to end eventually.”

“…Yeah.”

Just like Min Joo’s energetic voice suddenly deflated, Hye Yoon’s reply also grew very quiet. Telling herself that anything tied to the word “end” naturally brought this feeling, she fiddled with her phone.

[Ji Ho, it’s Jang Hye Yoon. Thank you for the ride. See you on our first shoot day. (8:12 PM)] [Yes. See you then. (11:48 PM)]

Hye Yoon stared at the only messages exchanged between her and Ji Ho with a slightly yearning gaze. They’d been sent ten days ago, the night they met at the costume fitting and had dinner together.

‘Don’t you think we should at least have each other’s contact info?’

‘Ah…’

‘If it’s uncomfortable, you don’t have to.’

‘No, it’s not uncomfortable at all.’

Sitting in his car parked in front of her house, Hye Yoon had hesitated for a moment. She’d remembered Bong Gi’s message. But her feelings toward Ji Ho outweighed her guilt toward Bong Gi, making refusal impossible.

In the end, she exchanged numbers as her heart urged—but never considered how Ji Ho might have interpreted that brief hesitation.

“What are you doing? Texting?”

“…Yeah. He helped me out so much today.”

“A phone with Ahn Ji Ho’s contact saved… it’s practically a good-luck charm. Just having it makes you feel secure.”

Hye Yoon erased and rewrote a few sentences several times. She was so focused she didn’t even manage a small smile at Min Joo’s teasing.

[You’re probably still filming. Thank you so much for all your help today. See you tomorrow. (7:25 PM)]

She pressed send firmly, as if delivering her feelings directly. Beneath their two existing messages, a new yellow speech bubble appeared—eagerly awaiting a reply, just like a forsythia flower waiting for spring.

“Ji Ho, you must be tired—just close your eyes. Traffic’s bad, but we’ll get there soon.”

“Okay.”

His filming didn’t wrap until past midnight. Only once he got into the car did Ji Ho finally let his body slump. Feeling tired almost seemed arrogant when his crew had stayed late because of him.

Whether physical or mental, enduring had become second nature—so it wasn’t difficult at all.

As he was about to close his eyes, his phone on the passenger seat caught his attention. Normally, he wouldn’t have cared.

[You’re probably still filming. Thank you so much for all your help today. See you tomorrow. (7:25 PM)]

‘Right. Normally, enduring would be second nature…’

It seemed, however, that the list of things he couldn’t endure was growing—because of one person.

His weary eyes wouldn’t shut, fixed instead on her message for a long while.

‘If it’s uncomfortable, you don’t have to.’

‘No, it’s not uncomfortable at all.’

And between those lines flickered Hye Yoon’s brief, anxious gaze as she handed over her number—a look that cut through like a sharp winter wind.

Hye Yoon had sent her message like someone waiting for spring, but Ji Ho had no way of knowing her feelings. All he could recall was her unease as he read the words. The only thing he could do was reply—to soothe that anxiety.

A short, restrained message that implied he wouldn’t bother her unnecessarily—that was how he did it.

[Yes. Sleep well. (12:31 AM)]