MHD - 60

Chapter 60: Once Again

“Ah, we’re already here.”

Han-young brought the car to a stop in front of Hee-soo’s house and let out a sigh of regret.

They had spent the entire ride engaged in such an animated conversation that both their faces were still flushed with excitement. They had exchanged heated debates multiple times, and as the adrenaline began to subside, Hee-soo felt a sense of accomplishment—a rare feeling she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

“Right? I didn’t even notice how quickly the time passed.”

“Ah, it was so much fun. It’s the first time I’ve had such an in-depth discussion about a role with a co-star.”

“Same here.”

Still buzzing from their exchange, Hee-soo turned to look at Han-young, only to find him already gazing at her.

“…Um.”

Just as Han-young seemed about to say something, Hee-soo quickly blurted out her farewell.

“Well, I’ll be going now. I’ll contact you later through my manager about the studio for lessons.”

“Don’t do that.”

His gaze was meaningful, his tone decisive.

“Contact me directly. Anytime.”

Hee-soo felt a chill run down her spine. The moment she let her guard down, even slightly, he seized the opportunity without hesitation. The lingering excitement from their earlier conversation hadn’t fully dissipated yet, but now she felt as though cold water had been poured over her.

Up until now, her manager had always been present during their interactions. Today, Han-young had insisted on driving her himself, leaving her no choice but to accept the ride. If they started arranging private meetings, any potential scandal later on would leave her manager unable to protect her. Hee-soo knew this all too well.

So, she firmly drew the line one last time. Letting her guard down was out of the question.

“I’ll contact you through my manager. Goodbye.”

“Sigh. Fine.”

But as soon as she saw Han-young’s disappointed expression, a fleeting pang of guilt struck her.

When had she become so distrustful of others? She couldn’t help but feel disillusioned with herself.

“I’m sorry. Please understand. This is for the best in the long run.”

Hee-soo spoke gently, almost like she was reasoning with him, then stepped out of the car. As soon as she closed the door, Han-young rolled down the passenger-side window, leaned over, and called out.

“Got it. Just make sure to contact me. Don’t forget.”

“Okay.”

Even with her curt reply, Han-young smiled contentedly, closed the window, and drove off. Hee-soo watched his car disappear around the corner of the alley.

“Phew.”

Turning away from the alley, Hee-soo headed toward her front door when suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed behind her.

Instinctively, she whipped her head around to see someone standing under the shadow of a tree.

The tailored suit hugging his long legs created a familiar silhouette. Slowly emerging from the shadows, the man’s expression was twisted with something unreadable.

It was Jae-hyuk.

“…You two seem close.”

Hee-soo’s face, which had been relaxed with a faint smile just moments ago, froze instantly. Her heart began racing, and her entire body tensed up at the sight of him.

“I need to talk to you. Get in the car.”

Jae-hyuk gestured toward the shadows. A black car was parked under the tree, presumably his. Instead of complying, Hee-soo took a small step back and replied.

“We can talk here.”

“Aren’t you being too careless for a celebrity? You should be more cautious.”

Jae-hyuk pulled out his phone, tapped on it, and nodded toward Hee-soo. At that moment, a notification chimed on her phone.

Pulling it out to check, Hee-soo’s face stiffened in an instant.

The screen displayed photos of her and Han-young having dinner together at a restaurant in Seoul several days ago.

At the time, both their managers had been present, but the photo was cleverly framed to make it appear as though only the two of them were dining together.

Who took this? Why? The instinctive question slipped out before she could stop it.

“What is this…?”

“…Seems like there are people desperate to stir up a scandal.”

Jae-hyuk’s tone was sharp and biting. He held up his phone, tapping on it rhythmically. Each tap triggered a vibration on Hee-soo’s phone as new messages arrived.

Vibrate, vibrate.

Her phone buzzed incessantly as over a dozen photos streamed in one after another.

All of them were pictures of her and Han-young.

Taken from different angles, in different outfits and locations, the photos clearly spanned multiple days.

Hee-soo had never met Han-young alone. Even their dinners had been carefully arranged at secure venues, with Han-young handling the reservations. And those occasions had only happened two or three times while meeting with the lawyer.

“If you want to hear more, get in the car.”

Jae-hyuk didn’t wait for Hee-soo’s response. He walked back to his car, opened the passenger-side door, and looked at her expectantly. After a brief hesitation, Hee-soo sighed, met his gaze, and grabbed the door handle.

“Let’s talk for a moment in front of my house.”

As she climbed into the car, she spoke softly. Jae-hyuk smirked faintly.

“You’re cold.”

His self-deprecating mutter carried a trace of bitterness. The slight twist of his lips made him look oddly sorrowful.

“As you wish.”

With a subtle nod, Jae-hyuk slid into the driver’s seat as soon as Hee-soo settled in.

After exhaling deeply, Jae-hyuk turned to her and asked bluntly:

“What’s going on between you and Choi Han-young?”

His face was expressionless, devoid of any visible emotion, but Hee-soo’s cheeks flushed instantly. She hadn’t expected such an interrogation from him.

“We’re not involved.”

“Really?”

Jae-hyuk chuckled lightly, but there was something undeniably angry about it.

“There’s going to be a scandal breaking tomorrow.”

“A scandal…?”

“Paparazzi have been following the two of you. I just happened to get wind of it before they could negotiate with your agency.”

As soon as Jae-hyuk finished speaking, Hee-soo let out a deep sigh.

Here we go again—receiving help from him.

She had been struggling so hard to push him out of her life, yet every time, he appeared just when she needed help the most, rendering her efforts futile.

How does he always manage to show up at the exact moments of crisis?

Hee-soo tried to steady her swirling emotions as she looked at him, careful not to betray her inner turmoil.

“…Thank you for letting me know. I’ll discuss how to handle it with my agency.”

After barely managing to string together those few words of gratitude, Hee-soo reached for the door handle, intending to leave.

“About your parents…”

Before she could open the door, Jae-hyuk’s voice cut through the silence behind her. She paused, waiting silently for him to continue. Slowly, he spoke:

“…If you want, I can take care of it for you.”

Hee-soo remained frozen, staring intently at the door handle.

Does he want me to remain tethered to him? Is he deliberately piling on debts I can never repay so I won’t be able to escape?

She knew better than anyone that Jae-hyuk was the type who wouldn’t rest until favors were returned. No one understood her better than him.

Is that it?

Hee-soo shook her head slightly.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll handle it myself…”

“Then why are you even seeing someone like Choi Han-young?”

The moment she began to speak, Jae-hyuk countered sharply, his tone laced with accusation.

Finally turning her head, Hee-soo met his gaze. There he was, staring at her intently.

All traces of humor had vanished from his face, replaced by fiercely glowing eyes that demanded an answer.

It was clear he was furious.

“I can’t keep relying on your help like this. And besides, it’s none of your business who I see anymore.”

“Why.”

That single syllable, muttered almost under his breath, carried a weight of accusation. Jae-hyuk glared at her, his usually impassive face now painfully contorted.

“Why do you reject my help, yet associate with someone so reckless?”

“…Because…”

Because if I accept your help, I’ll remain tied to you forever. I’ll never be able to break free. I’ll mistake this assistance for affection.

And then, even if you embrace another woman, I’ll convince myself it doesn’t matter. That’s why I’m drawing the line now.

…Because, it seems you don’t realize. Whether this is affection, lingering attachment, or meaningless obsession.

A torrent of thoughts swirled in her mind, but unable to articulate them, Hee-soo only moved her lips silently. While she hesitated, Jae-hyuk, who had been waiting for her response, let out a derisive snort.

“Do you even know why Choi Han-young approached you?”

“…What do you mean?”

“He has a drug issue. Stay away from him.”

Her mind struggled to process his words. Stammering, Hee-soo asked:

“What… what are you talking about? I don’t quite understand.”

“It hasn’t surfaced yet, but it will soon. I’m warning you to be careful—you don’t want to get dragged into it.”

“But we’re co-stars working on the same project. How am I supposed to distance myself?”

“Be careful. If you’re not, you might end up in the news as a ‘drug couple.’”

Hee-soo pressed her hand to her forehead. Her head throbbed painfully. Jae-hyuk continued, his tone sharp with frustration.

“…It’s not a coincidence that you keep receiving hard-to-get tickets or unnecessary help. You should know by now what kinds of intentions drive the people who approach you. How long are you going to stay so defenseless…?”

“What intentions?”

“Choi Han-young probably approached you to cover up his own issues or create an alibi. He’s evaded police investigations like this before…”

Hee-soo stopped listening after that. She was overwhelmed with confusion.

She had suspected Choi Han-young’s approach was somewhat calculated, but she had assumed it was because they were co-stars and he simply wanted to get closer. 

As she recalled his smiling face, a shiver ran down her spine. At the same time, a wave of despair crashed over her. Why did everything have to go wrong? Her heart sank.

In front of Jae-hyuk, she still felt like the fragile Seo Hee-soo who couldn’t take care of herself.

“Thank you for letting me know.”

Hee-soo replied weakly and turned to leave the car.

“…I’ll handle it.”

“No, just… leave me alone.”

Hee-soo cut him off, laughing hollowly.

“If you can’t do that…”

“I don’t want to get tangled up with Lee Jae-hyuk anymore. I don’t want your help.”

It was getting too dangerous.

Shaking her head, Hee-soo muttered in a resigned tone:

“…Whenever I get involved with Lee Jae-hyuk, bad things always happen—to me. So, I want to stop now.”

At her words, Jae-hyuk’s expression shifted.

“What do you mean?”

It was the moment his eyes gleamed, as if he had just uncovered a clue.