YJHT 08

Chapter 8

Department Store VIP Personal Shopper Room

Yoon Seul had no idea why Do Ian had brought her here.

“Why did you want to come here?”

“To take care of my writer.”

“Take care of me?”

“Writer Min Yoon Seul, you’re attending the Hansan Media Awards this week, right? It’s the first occasion where you’ll be introduced to the public under your own name. If you’re going to attend, wouldn’t it be better to go looking your absolute best?”

“Ah……”

Only then did Yoon Seul understand what Do Ian had really been thinking, and she nodded.

In fact, this was something she had been worrying about herself.

This awards ceremony wasn’t simply an occasion where she would receive an award.

It was where she would come face-to-face with her biological father, Chairman Jung.

It would also be the day when photographs would be taken that, years later, would likely be cited repeatedly by the media when the truth about her being Chairman Jung’s biological daughter was revealed to the world.

The story of a father and daughter who had been separated without knowing each other existed, only to have a dramatic reunion at a competition awards ceremony, contained every dramatic element the media loved.

In her previous life, Jung-hee’s manipulation had convinced her that if her existence became known, people would question the fairness of the competition and Chairman Jung might suffer because of it.

As a result, after attending the awards ceremony, Yoon Seul had given up her prize.

But this time, she had absolutely no intention of moving according to Jung-hee’s wishes.

That was why the awards ceremony mattered so much.

The problem was that she had spent all her time in her studio writing manuscripts and had no idea how to dress herself properly.

She had been worried about it when Do Ian stepped forward to solve the problem for her.

Before long, the personal shopper appeared, pushing racks filled with elegant dresses and modern suits.

Among the countless outfits, Do Ian reached out without hesitation, as though he had known the right answer from the very beginning. He decided what to eliminate and what to choose within mere moments.

“This doesn’t suit Writer Min Yoon Seul’s skin tone. This one makes you look too young, so it doesn’t have enough gravitas for a writer.”

There wasn’t even a hint of hesitation in Do Ian’s eye for fashion.

This was an era when even the concept of personal color hadn’t yet become popular, yet he seemed to know exactly which colors suited Yoon Seul best.

It was an aesthetic sense he had naturally developed from growing up surrounded by beautiful works of art.

The dressy two-piece suit Do Ian ultimately selected suited Yoon Seul as though it had been custom-made for her.

Its calm yet luxurious color wasn’t excessive or old-fashioned. Instead, it made Yoon Seul’s clear skin look even more radiant and enhanced her intellectual air.

Yoon Seul opened the fitting-room door and stopped in front of the large full-length mirror.

For a moment, she felt as though she had forgotten how to breathe.

The woman reflected in the mirror looked so unfamiliar.

It was clearly her own face, yet she seemed to shine like an entirely different person.

“How does it look? I like it.”

At Do Ian’s satisfied voice, Yoon Seul looked at herself in the mirror again.

Without realizing it, the corners of her lips curved upward.

“I like it too. I really like it.”

For a brief moment, Do Ian’s eyes wavered slightly as he watched Yoon Seul’s face light up with a bright smile.

It was as though the clear smile Yoon Seul had possessed during her freshman days had overlapped with the woman standing before him now.

After driving her all the way home, Do Ian handed her a business card before getting out of the car.

“I’ve made a reservation at the salon for three hours before the awards ceremony, so stop by. You can get your makeup done before you go.”

“Deflix’s writer management is truly the best in the world.”

Yoon Seul playfully gave him a thumbs-up, and Do Ian let out a low chuckle.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because you’re cute.”

Yoon Seul was rendered speechless by Do Ian’s sudden, casual, and embarrassingly sweet remark.

“Thank you so much for today. Goodbye, CEO.”

Yoon Seul hurriedly got out of the passenger seat, bowed politely, and disappeared inside.

“Pretending she didn’t hear me.”

The corners of Do Ian’s lips curved smoothly upward as he took hold of the steering wheel.

As the car pulled away and drove down the road, Do Ian thought about Yoon Seul.

In his mind, he could already vividly picture the beautiful Yoon Seul standing beneath the spotlight at the awards ceremony.

“…She was mine to know.”

Do Ian quietly tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

He had a feeling that the pearl hidden deep beneath the mud, a pearl only he had recognized, would soon emerge into the world and shine brilliantly.

The thought made him feel a little disappointed, yet at the same time, he was incredibly excited.

The Hansan Media Competition Awards Ceremony was held in grand fashion at the banquet hall of a famous hotel in Seoul.

As soon as she arrived at the entrance, a staff member in charge of welcoming guests approached her and asked for her name.

“Writer Min Yoon Seul. Please come this way.”

The staff member escorted her to a round table, where name cards written in elegant handwriting had been placed on each seat.

As the Grand Prize winner, Yoon Seul’s seat was at the main table closest to the stage.

She saw winners from the other categories who had arrived earlier awkwardly greeting one another.

“Hello. I’m Min Yoon Seul.”

Yoon Seul greeted them with a calm smile before taking her seat.

Not long afterward, dazzling lights illuminated the hall, and the awards ceremony officially began with the host’s polished introduction.

Announcements related to the competition followed one after another, and then a course meal was served.

The food placed before her looked incredibly appetizing, but Yoon Seul couldn’t bring herself to eat.

Her nervousness had risen until it felt as though her throat were tightly constricted.

She could see Chairman Jung Yoon-jun sitting at the head table.

Dad……

An overwhelming desire to run to him and throw herself into his arms surged within her.

Yoon Seul tightly gripped the hem of her skirt beneath the table and desperately suppressed her turbulent emotions.

Fortunately, she discreetly turned her gaze toward her father and stole a glance at him.

Seeing that he looked healthy and well, a relieved sigh escaped her.

He would die of pancreatic cancer four years from now.

This time, I’ll definitely save you, Dad.

Just as Yoon Seul made that vow while desperately holding back her rising tears, she noticed a familiar face sitting directly beside Chairman Jung.

It was Do Ian.

He was naturally engaged in conversation with Chairman Jung.

Feeling happy to see him, Yoon Seul found herself staring at him without realizing it.

Sensing her gaze, Do Ian turned his head and looked at Yoon Seul.

It was already too late to look away, so Yoon Seul lowered her head slightly in greeting.

Do Ian gazed at her quietly.

Then the corners of his dark lips curved gently upward.

At that moment, it seemed as though the entire area around him suddenly became brighter.

Apparently, it wasn’t merely her imagination, because the gazes of countless people throughout the banquet hall simultaneously turned toward Do Ian as though they had planned it together.

Yoon Seul quickly turned her gaze forward.

After the meal ended, the highlight of the evening—the awards ceremony—began.

The awards proceeded in order, beginning with the Encouragement Award, followed by the Excellence Award and the Grand Excellence Award.

Finally, only the last and most prestigious award remained.

“Now, we will proceed with the Grand Prize presentation for the Hansan Media Competition. Writer Min Yoon Seul, author of Insomnia, please come up to the stage!”

Thunderous applause erupted throughout the banquet hall.

At the host’s announcement, Yoon Seul stepped onto the stage and received a substantial trophy along with a large panel clearly displaying the prize money of 50 million won.

Click. Click. Click.

The reporters seated in the press section all fired their camera shutters at once.

That was when it happened.

A brief commotion broke out near the head table.

Chairman Jung had been staring blankly at Yoon Seul on the stage when he accidentally dropped the wineglass he had been holding.

Red wine spilled across the pristine white tablecloth.

Yoon Seul’s eyes trembled violently.

It was exactly the same as in her previous life, without the slightest difference.

But this time, she could clearly see the look in her father’s eyes that she had failed to notice before.

Yoon Seul lowered her gaze toward the floor, desperately holding back the tears threatening to spill.

Dad recognized me the moment he saw me.

The emotions surging through Chairman Jung’s eyes told Yoon Seul so much.

Why hadn’t she realized it back then?

He had been looking at her with eyes filled with such deep affection that it seemed as though tears might fall at any moment.

“It was a lie that your father abandoned you and your mother. He didn’t even know you had been born at the time. So when you go to the other world, don’t hate him. Make sure you embrace him.”

She had been deceived by Jung-hee and had coldly let her father, who had desperately tried to approach her, leave her life.

If only she had looked more closely into her father’s eyes back then, she might have recognized the heartbreaking sincerity contained within them.

The thought of how she had ignored her father’s true feelings and only resented him in her previous life made her heart ache with guilt and regret.

But fortunately, she had been given a chance to set everything right.

Beneath the shower of spotlights, Yoon Seul sent Chairman Jung a desperate, silent message.

Dad, please wait just a little longer…… This time, I’ll hold you in my arms.

Yoon Seul tightened her grip around the trophy in her hands.