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#There are no secrets in this world
“Ah…”
Sometimes it was hard to understand what artists were thinking. This man, Choi Seon-gyeom, was quite an eccentric person too. He showed no signs of nervousness even when meeting with the president alone and freely said whatever he wanted to say.
To have caught the eye of such a person, what on earth did you do, Jeong Dawoon?
But thinking about it, Jeong Dawoon was also slightly removed from normalcy. Even setting aside his family circumstances, Dawoon was different from other people. It was as if he lived in a different world. In that aspect, he might have had something in common with artist Choi Seon-gyeom.
“If it’s alright, could you give me that friend’s contact information? Ah, no. Could you pass on my contact information to that friend? Tell him he can contact me anytime he feels like it.”
Choi Seon-gyeom took out his business card and handed it to Choi Yu-na, seemingly genuinely wanting to talk with Dawoon once more. Choi Yu-na looked at his business card and accepted it.
“It’s impossible for Dawoon to give you his contact information anyway. Although he’s my junior, we haven’t been in touch for a long time, so I’m not even sure if his contact information is still the same.”
She answered with a bitter expression, and Choi Seon-gyeom tilted his head as if he didn’t understand what she meant.
“There are various circumstances. I’ll pass on your business card, but I can’t guarantee that Dawoon will contact you. That guy has quite high walls.”
Yu-na added, not wanting Choi Seon-gyeom to have unnecessary expectations. Choi Seon-gyeom smiled and said it was fine. Although he was asking for Dawoon to contact him first, he didn’t seem to insist on meeting again. It was more of a ‘it would be nice if we meet, if not, that’s fine too’ kind of attitude.
“Do you know anything about Dawoon?”
Yu-na asked, wondering if he might know that Dawoon was a member of the Haedo Group. If that was the case, she didn’t want to get involved by passing on contact information and potentially cause unnecessary misunderstandings later.
“Is he famous enough for something to be known about him?”
Choi Seon-gyeom asked back with an expression that showed he didn’t know anything. It seemed he didn’t know about the Haedo Group.
“No. Nothing.”
Feeling there was no need to add unnecessary information, Yu-na cut the conversation short. Just then, the exhibition hall manager came looking for Choi Seon-gyeom, bringing their conversation to an end.
***
Standing at the entrance of the exhibition hall and waiting for a moment, Dawoon soon saw Choi Yu-na coming out. Although it had been a long time, Dawoon was wondering if he should have dinner with her, but then shook his head to clear his thoughts, feeling he might be acting too sensitively.
“Did you wait long?”
Choi Yu-na asked as she approached.
“I just came out.”
“Let’s go. There’s a good restaurant nearby. You don’t have any particular preferences, right?”
She said, taking the lead. Was she always this type to take the initiative? She had certainly changed quite a bit from three years ago.
“Don’t stare like that. My personality just changed a bit due to working life. Besides, I was a bit pretentious in college.”
Feeling Dawoon’s gaze, she made an excuse. When Dawoon stared at her blankly at the word ‘pretentious’, she smiled faintly, as if reluctantly.
“I had to be a good girl.”
At the phrase ‘good girl’, Dawoon turned his eyes away from her. He still felt uncomfortable hearing about her family circumstances. Even though he didn’t want to, he found himself unconsciously overlaying his own situation onto hers.
“Have you given up on being that good girl now?”
He now understood what was different from college. Choi Yu-na seemed much more carefree than before. That’s why her words and expressions had become more unfiltered.
“Well… people don’t change that easily. I’ve just let go a bit more than before.”
It was an ambiguous answer, but that made it more understandable. How nice would it be if everything in life had a clear-cut answer? Because he himself wasn’t living a straightforward life either, he had nothing more to say.
“Ah, this.”
Choi Yu-na took out a small business card from her bag and handed it to him.
“Artist Choi Seon-gyeom asked me to give this to you.”
Taking it, Dawoon saw Choi Seon-gyeom’s name and contact information printed on it.
“Why this…?”
Although he had met and talked with him by chance, that was all. There was no connection between them, and no reason for him to seek out Dawoon. When he asked out of curiosity, Choi Yu-na shrugged her shoulders as if she had similar thoughts.
“I guess he felt some kind of connection.”
She mentioned what Choi Seon-gyeom had said earlier. Although he had said something about a connection, Dawoon had taken it as a joke and couldn’t understand.
“He said he was curious about what you were thinking while looking at his work. Remember, your conversation was interrupted earlier because of me. Maybe that’s why.”
Even as he listened to Choi Yu-na’s words, Dawoon wasn’t quite convinced. Although Choi Seon-gyeom had looked like he had more to say, the conversation between them couldn’t be considered that important.
“I didn’t say much…”
“Artists are like that sometimes. You can’t understand what they’re thinking. Maybe something you said gave him inspiration or something.”
Choi Yu-na dismissed it casually and said there was no need to contact him if Dawoon didn’t want to. She just passed it on because she was asked to, so it was up to Dawoon whether to contact him or not. Dawoon looked at the business card and then put it in his pocket for now.
“Come to think of it, you were aiming to be a PD, right? Are you still considering that for your job?”
It was embarrassing to mention his brief stint in the broadcasting club’s PD department, which lasted less than a month. But since it was still the field he was aiming for, he nodded.
“Then it might not be a bad idea to contact him. That industry is all about connections in the end. It’s better to know at least one well-known person like artist Choi Seon-gyeom than to start from nothing.”
After saying that, she glanced at Dawoon’s face.
“Though, I guess you’re a bit of an exceptional case.”
Understanding the implication of her added words, Dawoon smiled bitterly. She probably wanted to say that if he really decided to become a PD, wouldn’t Hayun buy him a broadcasting station? But Dawoon couldn’t deny it. He never even mentioned job hunting in front of Hayun, afraid that he might actually do something like that.
“I’ll think about it.”
Although he answered like that, he had no intention of contacting Choi Seon-gyeom first. He was just someone he met by chance. He didn’t know why Choi Seon-gyeom wanted to be contacted, but there was nothing more to talk about, and he certainly had no intention of seeking help for employment.
***
Dinner with Choi Yu-na was more simple and neat than expected. Throughout the meal, Yu-na barely mentioned anything about the past. She only asked how he had been doing recently, and most of the conversation was about Choi Seon-gyeom’s exhibition works. Thanks to this, the conversation wasn’t uncomfortable.
‘Announcer? I’ve thought about it, but whatever job I do that makes my face known, I’m afraid of getting entangled with my grandfather. There are no secrets in this world, you know. No matter how much I try to hide it, someone will find out that Congressman Choi Min-guk is my grandfather, and then my mother will be dragged into it too, and all sorts of things will be said, won’t they?’
When asked why she wasn’t working as an announcer after being in the university broadcasting club for four years, she answered. Her reason made Dawoon feel bitter once again. Especially the phrase ‘There are no secrets in this world’ stuck in his mind.
How long could he hide his relationship with Hayun? Wouldn’t Haram find out someday? What would happen if other people found out, if not Haram? He had been consciously trying not to think that far, but after hearing Choi Yu-na’s words, he found himself unexpectedly reflecting on his own situation.
It felt like a sharp poke at the sore spot he had been avoiding, telling himself there was no use thinking about it, that nothing would change unless Hayun let go.
Would he be able to escape after graduating and getting a job? That didn’t seem very hopeful either.
Bzzt. A vibration rang from inside his jacket pocket. He took out his phone to check, and although the name wasn’t saved, the number looked familiar. After pondering for a moment who it might be, his facial muscles suddenly tensed. If his memory was correct, it was the number of Secretary Kim, his grandfather’s secretary.
What reason would his grandfather have to look for him? In the past few years, he had never contacted Dawoon directly even once. Even when he arranged a dinner with Choi Yu-na’s family, he didn’t contact Dawoon directly but called the mansion and relayed the message through the butler.
Somehow, he had a bad feeling. There was no way his grandfather would be looking for him for a good reason.
Should he not answer? Honestly, he was conflicted. If he made the excuse that he was too busy to answer, would they leave a message with the butler?
It felt ridiculous to be agonizing so much over whether to answer a call from his grandfather. It seemed to be proof of how much distance there had been between him and his grandfather for nearly 20 years.
“Hello.”
In the end, he smiled bitterly and pressed the answer button. Although it was an uncommon occurrence, he felt there was no reason to avoid it.
[This is Secretary Kim, the Chairman’s secretary.]
The other party identified himself. As Dawoon had already guessed who it was, he just listened silently.
[The Chairman is looking for you. He says to come quietly without informing the Vice Chairman.]
Without informing Hayun. At those words, he bit his lower lip hard.
There are no secrets in this world.
His heart stung as he remembered those words Choi Yu-na had said earlier.
