# Chapter 53
To deny that question, the memories left in Seowoo’s mind were literally nothing more than fragments.
But immediately affirming it made Seowoo’s instincts sound alarm bells. He couldn’t find a clear reason or evidence, but something just felt off. He sensed that Dohyun’s question wasn’t simply a one-dimensional inquiry about whether he remembered or not.
However, he couldn’t give any other answer. No matter how hard he tried, the traces of conversation in his memory were cut off at some point. Seowoo hesitated before responding.
“…Yes. My memory is, blank.”
— Aah…
An ambiguous exclamation burst out, impossible to tell whether it was a sigh, a gasp, or a hollow laugh.
An unpleasant silence followed. By the time Seowoo began to feel suffocated, Dohyun gave a light snort.
— Yes, somehow that figures.
The self-deprecating, sinking voice sounded unfamiliar. Seo Dohyun wasn’t the type to reveal his emotions so easily. Seowoo felt something strange but couldn’t understand why.
While Seowoo’s lips were moving wordlessly, Dohyun’s voice suddenly brightened. It was the same neutral tone that matched the Dohyun in Seowoo’s memory without any difference.
— You drank too much, so I let you sleep in my room.
“Ah…”
Though he let out a sound as if agreeing, it was by no means an affirmation.
Certainly, as Dohyun said, Seowoo had drunk a lot. Enough for his memory to be cut off. But their homes weren’t separate, and Seowoo’s room was right next door. Why had he fallen asleep in Dohyun’s room of all places?
Even if Seowoo had entered Dohyun’s room and fallen asleep, someone with Seo Dohyun’s strength would have been more than capable of moving him.
Such questions rose up to just above his throat, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask them.
— Next time, if possible…
Dohyun started to speak slowly but closed his mouth before getting to the point and let out a short sigh.
— No, Seowoo-ssi should just quit drinking altogether. That would be much better for you.
Seowoo was speechless. It wasn’t the first time he’d had trouble because he couldn’t handle alcohol well, but it was truly the first time someone had so directly advised him to quit drinking.
“Did I make some mistake?”
— Well. If it was a mistake, then it was, and if not, then it wasn’t.
It was an extremely ambiguous answer. If it was a mistake, it was, and if not, then it wasn’t. What was this lukewarm response supposed to mean?
Though he couldn’t remember, Seowoo definitely felt that something had ‘happened.’ It just wasn’t coming back to him easily.
If there was some hint, maybe all the cut and blurred memories would reconnect and return to normal… It was incredibly frustrating. Seowoo glanced around cautiously before carefully opening his mouth.
“…By any chance,”
— Ah, right. I contacted you because there was something I wanted to ask.
Seowoo’s brow furrowed. Though he’d thrown out the topic cheerfully as if he didn’t know, it was obvious to anyone that he’d deliberately cut Seowoo off mid-sentence.
Was he in a bad mood? Or was he telling Seowoo not to ask? Why?
About to question him once more but deciding against it, Seowoo picked up on Dohyun’s inquiry.
“What is it?”
— It’s been a while since you appeared on a variety show, right?
“…Variety show?”
Suddenly? No matter how much he was changing the subject, it was somewhat out of the blue. As Seowoo asked back, bewildered, Dohyun sucked in a breath with a “tsk” sound.
— Your last variety show was “Forest Camp,” right?
“Forest Camp” had a format where two MCs and one guest appeared against a forest backdrop, camping and conversing. It was a healing-focused talk show that didn’t require much speaking skill.
Seowoo had been cast as a guest after the drama he was starring in became a big hit. Recalling that rather distant memory, Seowoo nodded.
“Yes. That was two years ago.”
Two years ago. After saying it out loud, it seemed like quite a long time. Since then, variety show offers had repeatedly fallen through because of scheduling conflicts, concept mismatches, or simply because there was no real need to appear.
It wasn’t that Seowoo disliked or avoided variety shows. But he wasn’t humorous, nor did he have confidence in standing out among numerous broadcasters with his entertainment skills. Both President Hwang and Seowoo concluded that maintaining a mysterious image would be more beneficial for him.
— Do you monitor them at all?
“Variety shows? I don’t watch them that diligently. But I know most of the famous ones.”
— Do you know “Ten Days, One Meal”?
“I’d have to be a spy not to know that. Isn’t it WBS’s cash cow?”
Wasn’t it the variety program currently on the hottest streak? It had swept the WBS Entertainment Awards’ Best Program title for two consecutive years, and its cast members had taken home all sorts of awards.
— They contacted us saying they want to cast Seowoo-ssi as a member for their next season.
“…Me?”
When his entire variety show experience consisted of one-time appearances, and even those could barely be counted on all his fingers. They specifically wanted me? For such a major show?
At Seowoo’s bewildered response, Dohyun laughed with a hissing sound as if he’d expected it.
— “Ten Days, One Meal” originally puts more emphasis on vicarious satisfaction through cooking and healing rather than comedy. Looking at the previous season’s cast, they mainly recruited actors and singers.
“…But even if comedy isn’t the focus, wouldn’t they want members who’ve proven themselves in entertainment? At least people who are good talkers?”
Seowoo didn’t fit either category. He wasn’t a good talker, and he’d rarely appeared on variety shows, so he could hardly claim to be proven.
Though Seowoo was confident in his work and abilities, that was limited to acting. Once he set aside the title of actor, Seowoo found it difficult to view himself completely objectively.
“…Isn’t it a gamble? Most of my variety appearances were one-offs, and even those didn’t get particularly good reactions entertainment-wise.”
— It’s not a gamble; they’re trying to secure a sure bet. You’re already newsworthy just by existing. A popular actor at the peak of his career appearing on his first regular variety show—wouldn’t people be curious?
Indeed, there was little private information about Seowoo to satisfy curiosity. At most, there were only interviews before and after filming. He hadn’t even turned on a live broadcast for fans in the past few years.
— In a way, it’s a win-win. You gain more public appeal by appearing on a variety show, your work gets promoted, and the production company benefits from your reputation.
Though he didn’t explicitly add it, Seo Dohyun would definitely benefit too. The more successful Seowoo became, the more it would return as profit to Seo Dohyun.
Someone like Seo Dohyun, who calculated gains and losses in every situation, wouldn’t need to persuade Seowoo without reason.
It meant that neither Seowoo, Dohyun, nor the production company would lose much from this proposal. But Seowoo still had lingering concerns. When a clear answer wasn’t forthcoming, Dohyun continued in a gentle tone.
— But there must be reasons why the star Han Seowoo has rejected variety show offers until now. And the show will have certain expectations of how you’ll appear, so you’ll need to consider how your image might be consumed.
Sure enough, he had pinpointed exactly what Seowoo was worried about. Seowoo let out a groan.
“…I don’t want to give an immediate answer.”
— That’s the response I expected.
Despite the ambiguous answer that was neither a rejection nor an acceptance, Dohyun simply laughed it off.
— As long as it’s not an outright rejection, I’ll let Manager Gu know. Let’s have a meeting.
“You need to make it clear that it’s not confirmed.”
— When have I ever handled business improperly?
He wasn’t wrong. Though his personality was peculiar, it was understandable why he proudly presented his business card as the CEO of T&C. He was a person with excellent business acumen.
A variety show. This new concern, which Seowoo had never even considered before, wormed its way into his already complicated mind. Just as he was about to get lost in thought, Dohyun said goodbye in a quite cheerful tone.
— That’s all then. See you later.
“Ah, wait. Earlier, I…”
What was that about making a mistake… Before he could finish his sentence, there was only the call-end tone in his ear.
It felt like the words Seowoo himself couldn’t organize, the ones he couldn’t fully speak, were stuck in the back of his throat.
❖ ❖ ❖
“He says he’s a fan of Han Seowoo-ssi.”
At Manager Gu’s words, Seowoo’s eyes widened. He looked at him through the rearview mirror, but Manager Gu was still looking at the windshield, so their eyes didn’t meet.
“Who is?”
“I’m talking about the PD of ‘Ten Days, One Meal.’ The PD changed with this new season.”
Seowoo let out a short exclamation. Now the puzzle pieces were fitting together. Somehow, it had seemed strange that they would cast him just for his image. He had never even appeared as a guest on a variety show before.
“They wouldn’t cast me just because they’re a fan… right?”
“I’ve heard that PD Park Gyeongsu is considered a star PD at WBS. If he cast people without any planning skills, all his programs would have failed by now.”
Though his tone was calm, Manager Gu’s characteristic way of speaking—pinpointing exactly what mattered—was more helpful for consultation than comfort. Seowoo nodded.
Indeed, being a fan might be one of the reasons, but it couldn’t be the most fundamental one. After all, he wouldn’t have taken over this program for nothing.
We’ll find out more details when we get there. Seowoo crossed his arms and tilted his head slightly.
Even after a night had passed, his mind was still complicated. Though he was going to work, he couldn’t concentrate at all.
“Manager Gu.”
“Yes?”
“Do you know where CEO Seo Dohyun was last night?”
The question must have been completely unexpected, as Manager Gu’s gaze, which hadn’t moved at all, slightly shifted to the rearview mirror.
“May I ask why you’re asking?”
Being questioned in return caught him off guard. Well, he had something to ask Seo Dohyun, but Dohyun hadn’t come home at all, so they couldn’t talk…
But it would be strange to ask this over the phone, and if Dohyun deliberately cut him off and hung up like yesterday, it would be pointless.
If asked why he wanted to know so persistently, honestly, it would be hard to answer clearly. Even Seowoo himself couldn’t definitely represent his own feelings.
“When someone doesn’t come home… I can ask, can’t I?”
After giving a vague excuse, Manager Gu stared at Seowoo silently through the rearview mirror.
“The CEO often stays out.”
His tone was nonchalant, as if it were natural. Seowoo’s brow furrowed reflexively. It was a nonsensical answer.
What did he mean by “often”? If that were true, Seowoo wouldn’t be asking like this.
“That never happened before.”
“No. It’s always been like that. It’s just that he briefly wasn’t doing it for a while.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
