TGCBGA 07
But Acting Is a No-Go.
“How are you going to live from now on?”
Yoo Yeon-seo looked at Yoo Eun-ho at his words.
“How am I going to live? I’ll just live the way I’ve always lived.”
He was nervous at first, but now he had a feel for how to treat Yoo Eun-ho. He just needed to keep a reasonable boundary and be suitably snarky.
“But why are you asking that? Because of Grandfather?”
“Yes.”
“Right. You wouldn’t just meet to have a meal. What do you think Grandfather is going to say?”
Yoo Eun-ho didn’t answer, staring intently at his brother with an expression as if he were looking at a complete stranger.
“What is it?”
“I’m wondering why you’re being so cooperative for once.”
The fact that Yoo Yeon-seo was even worried about what to say meant he intended to resolve things with his grandfather through dialogue, somehow.
Yoo Yeon-seo flinched slightly, but in times like this, he had his invincible shield.
“You try crossing the threshold of death. Your perspective will change.”
“…Is that so?”
The Death Shield—that was precisely why the people around him weren’t suspicious of the fact that Yoo Yeon-seo had changed during his hospitalization.
Seriously, who would suspect that his soul had been switched? That’s the stuff of science fiction. However, he was unconsciously thinking of the scientific level of 2207 and was desperately worried about getting caught alone.
“And I just thought that constantly arguing with Grandfather would be counterproductive.”
“How is your body?”
“I was discharged because I’m fine. So, what do you think Grandfather is going to say?”
Yoo Eun-ho looked out the window and spoke.
“He’ll tell you to quit what you’re doing now and help with the company work.”
“Ah, seriously…”
“You should have kept things low-key.”
Yoo Yeon-seo vaguely understood the meaning of those words.
The portfolio related to Yoo Yeon-seo’s assets, which he had received through Im Seung-hyun, was something anyone would drool over. Unbelievably, he hadn’t suffered a single loss. True to his nickname, the ‘Money Demon,’ he had a brilliant nose for money.
‘It’s tempting, alright.’
Furthermore, according to a past interview, Yoo Yeon-seo scored a perfect mark on the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), which he only took to get a photo opportunity, back before he flew the coop from ‘One Seven.’ He then entered Korea University, considered the nation’s best.
This helped further spread the name of ‘One Seven,’ which was already attracting attention because a chaebol heir was becoming an idol. Of course, the person involved flew away like a pigeon, failing to capitalize on their momentum.
He had a brief trainee period, and he was a rookie who should have been busy building recognition, yet he got a perfect CSAT score. It must infuriate his family that such an intelligent person ignores the company and works as a mediocre actor, constantly inviting criticism.
“What do you think, Hyung? Should I work for the company?”
“I don’t care what you do. Do what you want.”
Yoo Yeon-seo narrowed his eyes. Really?
From his research, he knew the Joosung Group was a huge company. Wouldn’t that make it even more alluring? Succession battles and rivalries in large corporations weren’t just in dramas. Sometimes, reality was even more intense.
“I’m doing you a favor, you know.”
“You are?”
“If I join the company, your position as the successor might be at risk, right?”
“Go ahead and try.”
Yoo Eun-ho smiled faintly, overflowing with confidence.
‘Are they just unusually close brothers?’
After looking at his asset management status, Yoo Yeon-seo thought the original Yoo Yeon-seo had a secret strategy.
He thought the ‘bad actor’ image was fake, and the original owner was simply hiding his strength for a succession battle. But since he didn’t seem to have a bad relationship with Yoo Eun-ho, maybe… maybe he was just a lunatic obsessed with money.
“Son!”
As they got out of the car, a middle-aged man standing at the gate rushed over, flustered.
“Dad, why are you out here?”
“I couldn’t even meet you at the hospital for your discharge. Eun-ho, you worked hard.”
During his hospitalization, Yoo Geon-min and Yoo Eun-ho had frequently visited Yoo Yeon-seo’s room. Now, he was starting to get a better sense of how to treat them.
Yoo Geon-min was the typical doting father. He favored both sons equally. His gentle face and worried demeanor even looked pitiful.
“Let’s go in. Grandfather is waiting.”
But the grandfather was different. This was his first encounter with the Chairman since their intense argument right after he entered this body. Yoo Yeon-seo hid his nervousness and followed his brother through the gate. The spacious, well-maintained yard caught his eye.
“Welcome.”
When they entered the house, the servants greeted them. Yoo Yeon-seo tried his best to appear calm amidst the luxurious interior.
“We’re here.”
“Took you long enough. Sit down. Let’s eat first.”
Chairman Yoo Chang-ho, seated at the head of the table, was the epitome of solemnity. Yoo Yeon-seo, who smartly sat next to Yoo Eun-ho, picked up his spoon, following the rest of the family.
‘The hospital food was good, but this is a whole different level.’
Such a luxurious meal was unthinkable in 2207. Yoo Yeon-seo, maintaining an outward appearance of calm, diligently ate. Perhaps due to the body’s ingrained habits, his perfect use of chopsticks and proper posture even exuded elegance.
“What about the Joosung Trading matter?”
“Father. No work talk at the dinner table, please…”
“Vice Chairman.”
“We finished negotiations with the local company. We’ll be entering a business partnership soon.”
Yoo Geon-min’s expression became quite sharp when work was mentioned. Yoo Yeon-seo glanced at his father. He wasn’t entirely weak, was he… Well, he did secure the Vice Chairman position over his two younger siblings, so he wouldn’t be easygoing in business.
“And, Eun-ho. How is work these days?”
“I’m preparing to establish a semiconductor factory overseas.”
Chairman Yoo Chang-ho, who had been discussing work with Yoo Geon-min for a while, turned his attention to Yoo Eun-ho. And they continued to talk about work for a long time.
‘There’s no such thing as bad food here.’
Yoo Yeon-seo had no opportunity to join the conversation, but he focused entirely on eating regardless.
“Grandfather, Yeon-seo is here too. Let’s save the work talk for the study.”
“Shall we?”
Yoo Chang-ho cleared his throat, looking slightly embarrassed. Since the three of them only talked about work when they met, they unintentionally excluded Yoo Yeon-seo.
Finally, the Chairman’s gaze turned to Yoo Yeon-seo. He should have just kept talking about work, Yoo Yeon-seo thought. His body, which had been enjoying the meal, stiffened with tension. However, the movement was too subtle for his family to notice.
“So, I heard you went to visit your deceased manager’s house?”
“Yes. I gave them some money.”
“Well done.”
The Chairman smiled contentedly. He was relieved that Yoo Yeon-seo’s personality seemed to have changed positively since the accident.
“But is Mom not here?”
The hands of the three people, excluding Yoo Yeon-seo, froze. Mom? Did he just say Mom?
Yoo Yeon-seo was internally nervous about their reaction, but he composed himself.
‘I have amnesia. I have amnesia.’
But if she’s his mother, what else should he call her? Surely, he didn’t even call his stepmother ‘Mom’ properly?
While Yoo Yeon-seo was inwardly horrified at the original body’s owner, his family was also shocked. Yoo Geon-min had remarried when Yoo Yeon-seo was in his volatile teenage years. Since it was an arranged marriage, Yoo Eun-ho easily adapted, but Yoo Yeon-seo still hadn’t called his stepmother properly, always vaguely referring to her as ‘that person’ or ‘um…’
“She’s away on a business trip for the film festival.”
Yoo Eun-ho answered for Yoo Geon-min, who had even dropped his spoon. With the atmosphere instantly chilling, the Chairman quickly got to the main point.
“Ahem. Now, quit being an entertainer. Graduate from school. And work for the company.”
“No.”
Yoo Yeon-seo answered without a moment’s hesitation. Management? When he came here to be an actor? That was out of the question.
However, the Chairman’s temple twitched at the answer he disliked. Seeing this, Yoo Geon-min urgently spoke.
“Yeon-seo. Don’t be stubborn and think it through properly.”
“I’m not being stubborn… I honestly have a problem with my head, Grandfather.”
The Chairman put down his spoon. A servant quietly approached him and handed him a handkerchief.
“I know that. You can’t even remember your bank account numbers properly?”
The Chairman spoke while wiping his mouth with the handkerchief. He knows? Then this will be easy.
“Actually, it’s worse than that. There are many times when I can’t properly remember things related to Dad or Hyung.”
Yoo Geon-min looked helplessly at his second son. But the Chairman was not backing down.
“That is all the more reason for you to work for the company. Stop holding onto something that isn’t working and nurture your real talent.”
“I’m still under contract with my agency…”
“I read the contract. It allows for contract termination if you desire. It was a well-written contract.”
“There are still commercials and pre-scheduled shoots…”
“That can be settled by adding several times the penalty fee, can’t it? I will pay for that.”
Isn’t that too much of a ‘Gabolgi’ (a lose-lose argument)? Yoo Yeon-seo pursed his lips. What should he do about this…
‘Beta, activate auto-action mode for 5 seconds now.’
<Understood.>
“They are offering you a decent position in a reputable company. Why waste time on such useless work in the first place…”
“Our Mom.”
“What?”
Yoo Eun-ho’s eyes widened. Yoo Geon-min and Yoo Chang-ho also gaped. He said ‘Mom.’ Not the Vice Chairwoman Choi who was away on a business trip, but…
“I wanted to know what kind of work Mom did.”
<Auto-action mode, deactivated.>
“But where did Mom go?”
The auto-action mode ended, and now it was up to him to act. Yoo Yeon-seo shook his head and frowned as if his memory was confused. He slowly raised his head. It was as if he was looking at the two legs hanging in the air from the memory he briefly saw. Yoo Yeon-seo’s eyes were filled with emptiness.
“Yeon-seo…!”
“Hey.”
At his appearance, Yoo Geon-min shot up, and Yoo Eun-ho grabbed Yoo Yeon-seo’s shoulder.
“…Stop!”
The Chairman also shouted loudly.
“What did I just say?”
Yoo Yeon-seo blinked as if snapping out of it from the loud rebuke, and he was back to normal.
“You… how could you…”
How could you remember that? Yoo Eun-ho wanted to ask, but he couldn’t finish his sentence.
The atmosphere was no longer suitable for a meal. Yoo Yeon-seo got up from his seat. The sound of the chair scraping was unusually loud.
“Anyway, I’ll graduate from school properly.”
“…”
“I can also take on work… as long as it doesn’t interfere with my acting. Give me a suitable title.”
Yoo Yeon-seo spoke normally, as if he didn’t remember what had just happened. The grandfather, father, and brother just stared at him with their mouths tightly shut.
“But acting is a no-go. I can’t give it up.”
I came here for that.
“Let’s go to my house.”
“Are you already finished?”
Yoo Yeon-seo didn’t answer and looked out the window. His head was throbbing from the aftereffects of the auto-action mode. It was like this even after only activating it for 5 seconds.
Im Seung-hyun didn’t ask again and started the car.
‘I knew Grandfather wouldn’t back down easily.’
Their first meeting was intense. He could anticipate that the accident would be used as an opportunity to put shackles on him. So he thought of a method for when persuasion completely failed.
That was to touch the dragon’s reverse scale (a vital point/sore spot).
Yoo Yeon-seo carefully looked at the family relationship section on his wiki page.
The Late Lee Hee-seo.
The birth mother of Yoo Eun-ho and Yoo Yeon-seo, and the person whose two legs he saw in the memory synchronization.
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