episode_0034

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Swoosh. The loud sound of water coming from the bathroom quietly resonates and spreads through the quiet room.

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With a bewildered, flushed face, I looked down at my disconnected phone and slowly recalled my recent conversation with Hanyewon.

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– Hanyewon, it’s me, Yoochan. I’m very late, aren’t I…?

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Clearly, as soon as she answered the phone, I greeted her and revealed my identity.

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– Ah….

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She also showed a response as if she had recognized me.

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– I’m sorry….

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But suddenly, she apologized and hung up the phone.

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It was as if she was avoiding me.

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“…Let’s try again.”

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After calming my startled heart, I tried calling Hanyewon again.

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Ring ring ring. After hearing the dial tone.

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[ The customer you are trying to reach is currently not available…. ]

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Soon after, the call was abruptly cut off.

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She had rejected the call.

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“…Maybe she pressed the wrong button. Yeah, she must have been very surprised….”

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Unable to accept the fact that she was avoiding my calls, I tried to call her again.

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However.

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[ The power is off, please leave a message…. ]

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This time, she turned off her phone completely.

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“…Is she really…?”

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It was obvious to anyone that she was avoiding me.

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“Why…. Why…?”

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In considerable shock, I blankly stared at my phone.

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Various speculations flooded my mind.

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Among them, there were not just one or two corners that could be pointed out as reasons to avoid contact.

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Unfortunately, most of the reasons were my fault.

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The sight before me was dizzying.

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“Is it over?”

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Eventually, Ma Yeon-seo, who emerged from the bathroom, wrapped herself in a gown and took a seat on the opposite sofa.

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As she did, she noticed that my reaction was strange and cautiously started a conversation.

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“Why? What’s wrong? What happened?”

“……”

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Reflexively shifting my gaze, I met her eyes in silence….

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“I need to go find her right away.”

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Realizing that this was not the time to be like this, I quickly got up.

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“I. I think I need to go out for a moment.”

“What…?”

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I prepared to leave the hotel without any plan.

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“Why are you suddenly doing this?”

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Then, realizing that I had no money, I earnestly asked Ma Yeon-seo, who followed me.

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“I’m sorry, but can you lend me some taxi fare?”

“…What?”

“The situation is a bit urgent right now, so for the time being….”

At that moment.

“What are you going to do there?”

“….What?”

The piercingly cold tone of Ma Yeon-seo’s words made me instantly alert.

“You’re going to see Han Rye-won right now.”

“……”

“Either she suggested breaking up, or she hasn’t been in touch.”

It seemed like she had even eavesdropped secretly and knew the situation accurately.

“Then. It’s over, isn’t it?”

I felt a slight chill.

“Well, we should at least meet and talk!”

“Why?”

“Why? Because we haven’t been in touch all this time…!”

“If you go, will she meet you?”

“That, that’s…”

With no confidence, I couldn’t hide my hesitation and rolled my eyes here and there.

Then, Ma Yeon-seo let out a short sigh and gently spoke to me as if coaxing me onto the bed.

“Yoo-chan, she’s already interested in you.”

It was truly no comfort at all.

“During your absence, she might have found another man.”

“…Yeah.”

“Can you guarantee that’s not the case?”

“…She’s not that kind of person.”

“So, is that why things are like this now?”

“……”

Unable to counter her words, I just glanced at her for no reason.

The words “It’s all because of you” rose up to my throat, but I desperately suppressed them.

“Her feelings were just that much. To be swayed by such a trivial matter. Pathetic.”

But Ma Yeon-seo didn’t stop blaming.

“…Calm down.”

“I did calm down, didn’t I? Because you think you’ve been sullied by that trashy woman, you feel terrible, don’t you?”

She poured out fierce blame with a very cold expression.

There was a quiet anger in her indifferent tone and cold gaze.

For a moment, her madness, which hadn’t been seen for a while, seemed to pass by fleetingly.

“…There’s no point in arguing here.”

In any case, since the incident had occurred, I had to face the situation and have a conversation first.

Whatever conclusion is reached, that’s the right thing to do.

Making that judgment, I prepared myself to meet Han Rye-won again.

“…Still, I have to go.”

If Ma Yeon-seo doesn’t help, I’ll find my way there even if I have to walk.

“…Really? If you want to go that badly, then go somewhere.”

Ma Yeon-seo willingly took out a black card from her bag and handed it to me.

And looking straight into my eyes, she spoke as if taunting.

“Go. Boast about being my summon.”

“…!”

Reaching out towards the card, I paused at her words.

“He would really like it. Right?”

I couldn’t bring myself to move.

Betraying Hanyul was indeed a fact.

There were various circumstances in between, but her understanding of my situation was a separate matter.

…In the first place, expecting understanding is not something people do.

“Not taking it? This is quite a useful black card. Buy some flowers on your way. …I don’t know if he’ll like them.”

As Ma Yeon-seo sneered, I raised my hand and suddenly gave her a piercing look.

“You… Is this why you haven’t been in touch all this time?”

Come to think of it, it was strange.

Every situation was flowing for Ma Yeon-seo’s sake.

As if everything was arranged around her.

It was hard not to suspect her, even if it was just a coincidence or two by now.

It was even more so because it was Ma Yeon-seo.

“…If that’s the case, you wouldn’t have come to Korea.”

But Ma Yeon-seo, without a hint of wavering, opened her eyes wide and confidently dismissed the suspicion.

“Who would want to bring you here? Even if I came, I would have killed her first and then come. Do you think I’d let her live knowing she might secretly do something?”

“……!”

Her eyes flashed as she exuded a menacing aura, expressing her resentment towards Hanyul.

She looked so fierce that I involuntarily took a step back.

“…Yuchan.”

After taking a deep breath, Ma Yeon-seo, who had calmed down her anger, expressed her disappointment to me.

“I understand that you’re confused right now. But I hope you won’t doubt me.”

From the way she spoke, it didn’t seem like a real action planned by Ma Yeon-seo.

…For now, that is.

“…Sigh…”

Enveloped in an indescribable sense of suffocation, I sighed heavily and slumped back onto the bed.

I couldn’t make a rational judgment about what to do with this.

“Don’t be too disheartened.”

Ma Yeon-seo, who had approached, comforted me with a gentle touch on my back.

“Now I’m here.”

She really had no talent for comforting.

*

*

The next day.

I fell asleep as if I had fainted and woke up early in the morning. I used Mayeonseo’s phone to find out what had happened while I was gone.

And.

“What is all this…?”

Finally, I checked my spreading reputation on the internet.

[“National Husband” Kang Yoo-chan, actually a modern Cinderella?]

[Korea’s top salesperson, Kang Yoo-chan brings about an economic butterfly effect.]

[PD Lee Hyun-seok, reveals intention to produce drama ‘Kang Yoo-chan ♥ Mayeonseo’….]

Before I knew it, I was being treated as a patriotic romanticist who brought in the American heroine Mayeonseo and a strange nickname “National Husband.”

In just a few days, I had become a tremendous celebrity.

“Crazy.”

Shocked by the scene unfolding beyond the small screen, I trembled and investigated the situation with my shaking hands.

I directly confirmed the history of the crazy buildup that started from a simple gossip.

Even for the person involved, it was a movie-like story.

“Mayeonseo!!”

This was definitely her doing.

“…Are you awake?”

“Yeah. What’s this?”

I pushed the phone toward the just-awakened Mayeonseo, demanding an explanation for the deliberate buildup.

“Oh… that.”

Contrary to my expectations, she simply admitted to the crime.

“We did it on our end.”

Her nonchalant tone left me speechless.

“You said you didn’t do anything yesterday!”

“…That’s about Hanryu-won. Do you think we came to Korea without any strategy?”

Mayeonseo said rumors about me had already spread from the United States.

Since there were servants in the house, even if we tightened security, we couldn’t control the mouths of those who leaked information.

“We just took advantage of it. My value has also increased. You’ll be safer as you become more famous.”

It was truly killing two birds with one stone. A win-win situation.

With that kind of reasoning, I had nothing to say.

Complaining about free riding from start to finish, how much would it change?

“But, still, calling me ‘National Husband’ was too much! I haven’t even gotten married yet!”

“You will soon, right?”

“…What?”

Nonchalantly throwing a bombshell, Ma Yeon-seo stretched her arms upward.

“What did you just say? That I’m getting married soon? With you?”

Then, glancing at me urgently, she calmly replied, “The engagement has already been arranged. He’s quite a prominent figure.”

“Engagement…?”

“Yeah. The President of this country.”

“What.”

Around lunchtime, we got into a luxurious Korean sedan and were escorted from the hotel, heading towards none other than the Blue House.

“Why are you so tense? It’s not like it’s your dad.”

“Do I look calm right now? The President is the President…!”

Raising my voice in response to Ma Yeon-seo’s nonchalant words, I suddenly glanced at the bodyguard in the driver’s seat and quickly lowered my voice.

‘How did I end up in this situation?’

Unintentionally being used in Ma Yeon-seo’s media play, I tried my best not to follow the official schedule.

…I was definitely trying not to.

Unbeknownst to me, an image of the “Nation’s Husband” had been created, pushing me forward.

-It’s not difficult to be absent, but probably my image will suffer as much, right?

Certainly, I couldn’t help but go along with it, unable to resist even to the point of sprinkling ashes on the feast table in front of everyone.

‘I must be crazy. Everyone must be crazy. Clearly, everything has gone mad.’

Honestly, as someone with a small capacity, all of this felt burdensome.

“Ha ha. Nice to meet you!”

Finally meeting President Kim Cheol at the Blue House, he was just as imposing as the image I had seen on TV.

Meeting someone whom I had only seen on TV face-to-face was a strange feeling.

“Seeing you two together, you make a very good-looking couple. Isn’t that right, dear?”

“Yes, indeed. You suit each other very well. Ho ho.”

Kim Cheol and his wife welcomed us, expressing that they were big fans.

I was genuinely impressed by this destined love story or whatever.

Lunch proceeded naturally as planned in advance.

“Well, you must be hungry by now. Let’s have our meal. The food here is quite good.”

“We’re ready to eat.”

“…We’re ready to eat.”

Therefore, even Mayeon, who used to treat others equally without any pretense, seemed somewhat awkward.

“Did she act this well?”

It seemed like she was attempting image-making, probably because there was a camera.

While some people would just evade occasional questions that came their way.

“Oh, come to think of it. It’s not confirmed yet that Yeonseo will completely defect to our country, right?”

“We are still adjusting minor details.”

“Hmm… in that case, I can’t just sit still.”

Kim Cheol, seemingly aware of the camera set up on one side, had already made a promise as if suggesting something.

“If Mayeon decides to defect to our country, I will officiate at our wedding!”

As promised beforehand, it was a story about personally officiating.

“You haven’t officiated a wedding before, have you?”

“Oh, I’ll try it this time! If it’s not impolite, how could it be okay?”

“If you do it, it’s an honor for me. Isn’t it?”

“…I think the same way.”

Watching the three people who had already entered the realm of ‘pros’ from the side, I poured out sincere admiration inside.

Kim Cheol subtly took advantage of the defection, and Mayeon obtained the position recognized by the president.

It was a mind-boggling business.

“Save me…!”

Having finished the dinner with the president’s full support, I barely managed to escape from the Blue House, feeling dizzy.

“I want to go home.”

Ideally, I just wanted to go back to the hotel and rest, but…

“Oh. I’m scheduled to meet the head of the Korean Awakening Association in two hours.”

“The head of the Awakening Association…?”

I wasn’t planning to meet originally, but due to persistent requests, I decided to do so.

Unfortunately, Yena and Mayeon didn’t let me rest peacefully.

“Please, really save me!!”

The life of ‘the nation’s husband’ Kang Yoochan had just begun.

*

As Yoochan was adapting to the unfamiliar world and struggling hard.

“….”

In a dark room, Han Ryeowon, with a puzzled look on her face, was silently staring at the monitor.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is reviewing an increase in medical research budget at Seoul Sun Hospital.

‘The century’s couple’ President Kim Cheol and Oh Chan had dinner together…

President Im Mi-yoon of the Lim Mi-yoon Foundation said, “I will definitely recruit him,” expressing strong determination…

There, the news of her little father working at the hospital and the story of Yoo Chan and Yeon-seo, who are raising stock prices, filled the air…

“……”

Ryeowon, who had been staring blankly at the monitor with no emotion on her face, suddenly lifted the corners of her mouth and started to laugh.

Heh heh heh.

It was a face that seemed to be crazy enough to die because it was so funny.