Capítulo 220: I am (Not) a Child of This Family
The next day.
It was finally the day of the promised lunch.
Yeo Ri hadn't invited her brother along and went alone. It was probably a bad idea, but she didn't want to make Gun worry unnecessarily. There was already so much on his plate, after all. Rather, knowing Gun, he would probably try to convince her to give these people a chance once he found out how 'philanthropic they were'—given their background in the medical industry—and how 'they would be able to provide for her'.
Wearing a black face mask and a cap, Yeo Ri bounced on her heels as she walked to the bus stop. The thought that she would finally be free from those stifling adults made her giddy.
"Miss, the car is this way," a familiar voice called out.
Yeo Ri stilled once she heard that voice. Raising her head to look at the person talking to her, she pouted.
It was Secretary Kwon, again.
He was still around?
She had thought that after her conversation with Heo Woo Seung, he would have pulled out Secretary Kwon from his duties of shadowing her every move.
"It's my job to look out for you, miss," the man said upon noticing her disgruntled look. His tone seemed more perfunctory and distant compared to usual.
Yeo Ri observed the man's concealed displeasure with a slight frown. He probably found out about her fight with Heo Woo Seung, and thus did not think well of her, she supposed. Not that it mattered to her—it was Heo Woo Seung who selfishly made his employee act like her servant and follow her around all the time.
Yeo Ri's lips parted, thinking to chase him away, but an idea suddenly sparked in her head.
That's right, she thought, if she could use him...
Smiling sardonically, she nodded, "Alright. Lead the way, then."
Secretary Kwon watched the minute changes in her expression with apprehension. What was with that look...? The fact that Yeo Ri was following him so obediently without a fight somewhat unnerved him. He knew that his employer had a huge quarrel with his daughter, and she even wanted to cut off their relations. Being this good-tempered must have meant that she needed something from him.
He silently led her to the car, opening the door for her as usual.
"Where will you be going, miss?"
"Here," Yeo Ri replied succinctly. Within seconds, his phone vibrated. She had sent him the location of her destination to him via text.
He quickly connected his phone to the car's navigation system and found out that she was on her way to a hotel. He did not question her reason; he knew she was working as a model and even had done an acting job recently—she was probably meeting with someone from the industry or something.
Due to traffic, it took them over an hour to reach the place.
"Follow me," Yeo Ri said as she stepped out of the car, beckoning the older man with a tilt of her head.
Without saying another word, he left the car to the valet and tailed behind her closely.
Yeo Ri stopped by the reception desk to ask for directions. The staff manning the reception desk readily gave her the detailed explanation on how to get to the restaurant, then sent her off with a smile.
They rode the elevator in silence.
Ding!
Yeo Ri was greeted by a waiter, who asked her if she had a reservation.
Yeo Ri took off her mask and cap out of politeness, then smiled at the waiter, "Yes, it should be under Han Myung Soo."
"Ah!" The waiter nodded, "Right this way, miss. They have been waiting for you."
"Thank you," Yeo Ri flashed another polite smile at the waiter before following him to a table.
The restaurant took up the whole top floor of the hotel. It had a classy interior, and the distantly arranged tables were sparsely populated. It was a nice place to relax and unwind, it seemed. It was quiet and peaceful save for a few clinks of utensils and the soft murmurings of the customers.
Since there were so little people, it was easy to find the elderly couple. The two immediately rose from their seats to greet the girl, smiling excitedly.
The waiter pulled out a chair for her, and once she sat down, the Han couple followed suit.
"How have you been, Yeo Ri-ah?" Mrs. Han asked, a smile tinged with affection hanging on her face. It made her seem more approachable and motherly, which was the effect she hoped to portray to make the young girl lower her guards.
"We've been meaning to meet you again. It's good that we can finally see each other," Mr. Han added.
"Is it okay for you to be here at this hour? What about school?" Mrs. Han softened her voice, asking the girl with concern. She felt that it was strange how Yeo Ri came so early even though it was a weekday; she had expected her to come much, much later due to the general school hours ending at around 3 or 4 p.m. Did she not have school today, the old woman wondered.
Yeo Ri merely smiled in response, brushing off the subject, "It's fine." She did not feel like explaining to them on why she was not attending school. She didn't think that they were important enough to know that much about her.
"...I see," Mrs. Han smiled awkwardly. She wanted the girl to elaborate, but clearly she was not willing. Na Hee Young turned her gaze towards the stranger who had arrived with her granddaughter. The girl made no moves to introduce him, and the man did not seem like he minded it nor took the initiative to do it himself—he merely stood behind the young girl, looking around with a straight face.
"And who is this?" She carefully brought up.
Yeo Ri casually glanced at the man behind her with a faint smile. Nonchalantly, she said, "Ah, him? He's my guardian."
It was not only the Han couple who were surprised; even Secretary Kwon, Kwon Tae Yang, himself was surprised by the girl's proclamation, though he immediately schooled his expression soon after. He made no move to refute or agree to her words, merely fulfilling his duty of accompanying her silently.
"Ah... I see..." Mr. Han muttered, trying to keep up a smile. When they had contacted Yeo Ri the other day, she did not mention anything about her guardian, so they simply assumed that the meeting today was a casual one, with the intention of getting to know one another and deepening their familial bond. "Hello there," he greeted.
The secretary acknowledged the two elderlies with a nod before resuming his surveillance. He had no idea why Yeo Ri introduced him as such, and he also did not know who the two were. Although he kept his eyes trained on anywhere else but the table, his ears were in full attention. He was interested in the conversation.
"Why don't you take a seat, Mr...?" Mrs. Han smiled politely, inviting him to join them at the table.
"Kwon," the man answered. "No. I'm fine."
"...I see."
"..."
"..."
The elderly couple had no idea what to do with the awkwardness that they felt. Although Yeo Ri was smiling, there was something about her that made it hard for them to talk to her. As for her guardian, he seemed so rigid and taciturn, appearing as if he was unwilling to partake in the meeting with them.
"S-shall we order some food?"
"No, thank you. I already ate at home."
"Is that so..." Mrs. Han dejectedly closed the menu. After thinking for a brief moment, she suddenly straightened her back, "But still, it's rare that you get to eat at such a fancy place, right? Why don't you order something? It's okay, we can afford it so you don't have to mind the prices," she insisted.
Yeo Ri's smile deepened as she shook her head, her thoughts unknown. "That's alright. My brother promised to take me to eat at a place like this once he gets a full-time job. I have plenty more chances in the future."
"I-I see," Mrs. Han's smile faltered. Even an eavesdropping stranger could tell that she was purposely evading them. Yeo Ri's walls were too high. It's okay, she comforted herself, she'll warm up to them sooner or later.
"Then... ah!" Mrs. Han seemed to have recalled about the things she had brought with her. She peered into her handbag and pulled out a nondescript USB stick. It was plain white, with only the maker's logo to differentiate itself.
The older lady had a bright smile, eyes twinkling, as she slid the thumb drive towards the girl. "Here, Yeo Ri-ah."
Yeo Ri made no move to pick it up. She stared at it curiously, "What is it?"
Na Hee Young's smile turned wistful. "After you left last time, I took a trip down memory lane and found some old CDs of Yeoreum. After she left home, I ended up secretly recording the shows she was on and had kept them in the storage. I had someone I know help me make some digital copies of the files. I thought you'd want it."
Her eyes became teary as she recalled how much she grumbled and criticised her daughter back then, not knowing that she was never going to see her ever again. Suddenly, she broke into a chuckle, "Be warned though; your mother's acting was atrocious!"
Yeo Ri smiled, nodding. Reaching with her right hand, Yeo Ri took the tiny piece of technology from the table and studied it with an interested look. She was actually quite curious about her mother's acting; she had tried searching her up on the web, but all that came up was the news article regarding her murder. It was only after scouring for a long time did she find a forum thread for an actress named Yeo Reum, though she was unsure if it was her mother since there was no pictures on it. They had mostly conversed about how terrible the actress' acting was despite her gorgeous face and nice body, and that she should've just become an AV actress instead.
"Thank you," she finally said, this time offering a genuine smile to the two elders. She pocketed the USB stick inside her bag, careful not to nick her hand on the pointy thing she had placed inside.
Meanwhile, hearing the chatters, Secretary Kwon could not help but do a double-take inwardly. Yeoreum? Han... Yeoreum? Were these people Han Yeoreum's parents? This was big news! His fists tightened as he felt the urge to pull out his phone and immediately inform his boss about this matter.
"But, Yeo Ri-ah, what kind of relationship do you have with Mr. Kwon? He's not surnamed 'Lee', so he can't be your brother..." Mr. Han steeled himself to address the elephant in the room. He couldn't help but narrow his eyes; the way this Mr. Kwon acted was as if he was not close with his granddaughter, but he could be considered courteous as well.
"Hm..." Yeo Ri tilted her head, exchanging glances with the man in question. "Something like a Daddy Long Legs?" Yeo Ri replied half-heartedly. Actually, she also did not know what kind of relationship they had. Employer-employee? But she wasn't the one paying his salary. Babysitter? Bodyguard? Stalker? She had no idea.
"Do you two, perhaps, live together?" Mrs. Han interjected, gripping her handbag fearfully.
Yeo Ri let out a bell-like laugh at the older woman's absurd question, responding, "Of course not! He just takes care of various things for me." What living together? They weren't even close enough to greet each other outside of his work hours.
Mrs. Han relaxed her shoulders.
"Well, I was honestly surprised that your guardian came as well, but with him here, it's actually more convenient. Shall we discuss about when Yeo Ri will be moving in with us? And the guardianship as well. We should handle that part as soon as possible," Mr. Han rambled, "Of course, it's not like I personally don't like you or anything, Mr. Kwon, but for a young man such as you to take care of our granddaughter is a bit..." He grimaced, thinking of how not-innocent it sounded. To let a young man, who was not a relative, take care of their one and only grandchild... he was worried. In his mind, he doubted Mr. Kwon's intentions—to take in a random young girl, he must've had bad thoughts! Silently, he sent a pointed look at the man.
"..." Secretary Kwon was speechless. What did he even do to deserve this injustice?
"He was my lawyer for that case," Yeo Ri blatantly lied, ignoring the falsely accused man.
"Oh," Mr. and Mrs. Han trembled slightly. After Yeo Ri had left and did not contact them for a long time, they had looked up the articles regarding the case and studied it from beginning to end. The whole case was full of drama and impossibly tragic. Although the articles did not mention Yeo Ri frequently, it was clear that she had been the biggest victim. This Mr. Kwon must've seen—firsthand—that she was helpless and alone, thus he took pity on the girl and took her in! What a big heart!
With just one sentence, Yeo Ri had completely reversed their impression on Secretary Kwon.
Mr. Han sighed, "I was too rash. Mr. Kwon, please accept my apology."
"How could we ever thank you for taking care of our granddaughter? Really, you are a good person!" Mrs. Han choked on a sob, her mouth ceaselessly thanking the man.
"..." Secretary Kwon kept his silence, speechless for the second time. Seriously, what did he do? Was this why the girl brought him along? To make him a part of the play she was staging?
"This won't do; we can't have Yeo Ri impose on you any longer. Mr. Kwon, thank you for taking care of Yeo Ri all this time. I'll contact my lawyer and get the guardian-changing process started. We really owe you a great favour. Just say the word, and we'll compensate you however you want," Mrs. Han said, her tone full of sincerity and gratefulness. She thought very highly of this man who was humble though he was young, successful, and charitable.
Secretary Kwon sent a look at Yeo Ri, but the girl continued to pretend as if his troubles had nothing to do with her.
"...No need." Secretary Kwon looked away after saying those two words, withdrawing himself from the conversation. 'Do whatever you want,' his body language seemed to say.
Mr. and Mrs. Han thought that the man was someone who treasured his words more than gold, and so decided to leave him be. They turned to the young girl to continue the conversation.
"Yeo Ri-ah, we've already cleaned up a room for you to use. It used to be Yeoreum's room, but we can redecorate it if you want." Mrs. Han eagerly commented, "Yeoreum really liked the wallpaper, so I hope you'll like it too. There's even a canopy bed! Back then, it took five people to put it together for that spoiled little princess."
"Your mother's alma mater is just a few minutes from home too, so it'll be convenient once you move in. It's one of the top ten best high schools in the country, so you don't have to worry about not getting into university," Mr. Han added with equal enthusiasm. "Ah, I forgot that you were modelling. What will you do now? I personally believe it's better to focus on your studies since you've entered high school, but if you still want to pursue that area, there's a good performing arts school nearby. I can give them a call and have you transferred in right away if you want," he smiled confidently, thinking that he had covered all the bases to assure the girl. With his arrangements, she would definitely be able to live comfortably.
After failing to support Yeoreum, causing her to run away, the two elders had learned their lesson. What happened to their daughter caused the two so much grief and regret. This time, they would give their full support to Yeo Ri and make sure that her future was smooth. It didn't matter how much time and money it would take; they would definitely help her out.
"That's right!" Mrs. Han nodded immediately. "Are you interested in acting, like Yeoreum? If I'm not mistaken, Hope Entertainment mainly deals with actors. It's not a big company, though, so I think it's not good enough for you, Yeo Ri-ah. I have a friend who works for PG Entertainment. They're a really famous company, right? Do you want me to contact them for you?"
Yeo Ri shook her head with a subtle frostiness in her tone, "No need."
She wasn't planning on continuing down the path, but it irked her that the old woman criticised Park Soo Yeon's company. How could it not be good enough? Yeo Ri was just a temporary talent but Mrs. Choi had poured so much resources and gave so many opportunities to her to the point where it was starting to make her feel bad.
"Why? Is it because you can't get out of the contract? It's okay, we'll pay the penalty fee for you, no matter how much it is. You won't make it far with such a small company, so it's better to get out while you can," Mrs. Han advised, thinking of how Yeoreum had ended up with the roles in those terrible third-rate movies and dramas because her company was too small to get her better roles.
Yeo Ri's smile tightened. So what if it was a small company? Park Soo Yeon had a lot of connections and the offers she had presented to her seemed endless. Even if the woman was not actively seeking out work for her talents, the money and job offers would still come rolling in.
She stared at the two elders and found that there was no malicious intent on their faces as they spoke. It was clear that they were ignorant on the matter. Yeo Ri's smile grew as she inhaled inaudibly. 'Calm down,' she told herself. She fought the urge to make snide remarks about their 'good intentions'.
"I know you probably have an attachment to that company, but Yeoreum was also signed with a small company, and look how it turned out!" Mrs. Han sighed forlornly. She could not help but remember her beloved daughter's tragic end.
"Aah." Yeo Ri let out a small knowing sound, barely a whisper, feeling that something had clicked in her mind.
She finally understood why she didn't feel like mingling with them since the first time she saw them—
—They were trying to dictate her life.
It seemed as if they harboured some regrets regarding Han Yeoreum, and was trying to use her as her mother's replacement. She felt that in their eyes, she was nothing but a tool to 'right' their 'wrongs'.
Yeo Ri hid her distaste with another smile. Brushing her hair out of her face, Yeo Ri glanced at the clock. It had only been a little over fifteen minutes since she stepped into the restaurant.
"I'm sorry, but a contract is a promise. I've already made a promise with Aunt Soo Yeon, so I'm afraid I will have to decline your offer, madam."
Yeo Ri stood up, glancing at the clock again. Lowering her gaze to look down at the two still-sitting couple, she smiled dazzlingly, "Besides, I'm not so talentless that I would need to buy my way into the industry."
At that point, the Han couple finally realised that something they said had rubbed the girl the wrong way.
"T-that's not what we mea—" They paled, rapidly thinking of ways they could offset the young girl's sudden change in mood.
"—Well then, I'll be going. It was nice to see you again, Mr. Han, Mrs. Han." Without a pause in her movements, she continued, "As for the things we talked about... don't bother. I'm happy with where I am. I only came here today to tell you this. Please don't try to take the last bits of the happiness that I have from me."
Yeo Ri's farewell left no room for them to redeem themselves. Swaddled in confusion, they could only watch as the girl retreated, the reticent man trailing behind her.
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