Pen and Paper Translations

After the meal.

As if to make up for conversations that had piled up, the talking went on for a while.

They listened very carefully to whatever Rowoon said. So carefully that…

“Oh-ho. So that happened. Do you happen to remember the name of that news outlet?”

Every time Rowoon recounted some twist or turn, there was a little episode where they doggedly pressed him for the counterpart’s identity.

“I’ll tell you that a bit later, Father.”

What was curious was his brother, right beside the one who supposedly didn’t remember, would chime in as if nothing were strange.

“…?”

Rowoon alone was puzzled.

How does hyung even know that? He wondered.

“Alright. If you know, I’m sure you handled it properly.”

“If the second son stepped in, there’s nothing to worry about.”

But weren’t the other three nodding along as if it were the most natural thing?

‘Well… Every family has its own ways.’

Just as his family in the previous life and his family now were 180 degrees apart…

This, too, was an atmosphere Rowoon would have to get used to.

---

“From now on, don’t forget to answer promptly.”

Behind his brother, who was issuing a warning…

Smack!

Mother’s hand came down mercilessly with a slap.

“Ah, why, Mother. You can’t just spoil him because he’s the youngest, you know?”

“If Siwoon had heard what you just said, he would’ve laughed.”

“Why are we talking about noona here?”

“Anyway, when you were that age, you were worse than the youngest.”

“Yes. Your mother is right. Don’t you remember? The time you stormed out of the house asking if we were ashamed of you because we introduced the other kids to matches but not you.”

From behind, Father added, dignified as ever.

“Why bring up something from over ten years ago, Father?”

“Your mother and I had a love marriage. For reference, so did your grandfather. So we had no intention of forcing you to marry… That time truly was absurd. By the way, when are you going to bring someone over? Do you even have someone you’re dating?”

“Send noona first, Father. Even a glass of cold water has an order.”

“Siwoon says she’s marrying her work.”

Two people who, by looks alone, seemed nothing but icy furrowed their brows with blank expressions.

Just from that, you’d think they were discussing international affairs and an economic crisis with grave seriousness.

‘And yet what they’re actually batting back and forth is whether to dredge up old cringe.’

They were a family with very distinct characters.

An older brother who seemed like cold, precise ice but turned to mush where Rowoon was concerned.

A mother who looked endlessly delicate but was the real power in the house.

And a father who seemed the ultimate in brusque but around Mother put soft tofu to shame.

‘I wonder what the eldest sister is like.’

Judging from what his brother Lee Haewoon said, she sounded like a general who’d put a tiger to shame.

Just from the talk, he couldn’t begin to picture what kind of person she might be.

‘What an amusing family. Truly fortunate for the original to have been such a fool.’

They say those who have don’t know the value.

It was a thousand blessings that the guy threw this away.

Thanks to that, Rowoon could pick it up without guilt.

If the guy had gotten along with the family, he wouldn’t even have thought to wedge himself into the space between them.

“It’d be nice if you stayed the night.”

Leaving father and son bickering, Mother voiced her regret.

“It’d be nice if you saw your sister, too. Of all days, why is she late today.”

“I’ll come again soon to see her. I’ll stay over then.”

At the word Rowoon managed to get out, Mother smiled.

“Good. Next time.”

A warmth he had never once received.

He felt like he might cry.

She stepped right up, spread her arms, and pulled Rowoon into a hug.

“My child. It’s alright. Getting all the way here must have been very hard, wasn’t it? It’s alright now.”

As she said so, the patting hand felt like it was stroking his heart.

It was surely a past she couldn’t possibly know.

And yet somehow, it felt like even the previous life was being comforted.

---

“Back already? Looks like the talk went well?”

No sooner had he returned than the manager, as if he’d been waiting, welcomed Rowoon.

Apparently the original had made it obvious enough that things weren’t good with his family that the manager had worried along with him.

“Is it that obvious?”

When Rowoon rubbed his cheek and asked, the manager nodded.

“Your expression’s great. It went well, right?”

“Yeah. I think it worked out.”

On the way back, it had occurred to him that he still knew nothing about his brother’s company or family affairs.

‘I did feel like I’d left something out. But it doesn’t concern me anyway, so it’s fine.’

What mattered wasn’t their wealth or their company.

Only the fact that they were family.

In truth, it wouldn’t have mattered if they were penniless.

“Phew. Thank goodness. I was really worried.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, yeah. Now that it’s gone well, I can say this… there were times you looked really anxious.”

Rowoon’s grin froze for a moment.

This was the first he’d heard of it.

“I looked anxious…?”

“You did. It was less so before, but at some point you started getting really angry. Back then you got so sensitive we couldn’t even poke at you. We just had to leave you be.”

“It was that bad?”

“It was, I guess. Maybe because you were frustrated, you started going out a lot, too… But it’s not impossible to understand; sometimes entertainers’ family situations are complicated. Sometimes family is worse than strangers.”

He already knew that well.

He’d dealt with that kind of family his whole life.

‘But the original wasn’t like that, was he?’

Their child lost his memory.

They were surely heartsick.

And yet instead, they treated Rowoon as if nothing were wrong.

It was kind, thoughtful consideration, so the person concerned wouldn’t feel self-conscious.

‘So what the hell was he doing, not eating and going out drinking. It’s a wonder he didn’t cause any incidents.’

If he’d caused trouble on top of the already grueling work of repairing a wrecked reputation, they might have given up much sooner.

“Anyway, I’m just glad it worked out. In the end, family is best. When I’m in trouble, the only ones who help are family. I mean! Of course, if you’re in trouble, I’ll be the first to roll up my sleeves!”

“Family is best.”

Up to now, that phrase had had nothing to do with Rowoon.

But from now on, it might be different.

At least there was one thing to be grateful to the original for.

“No, since I’m clearing his karma, let’s call it even.”

It felt like he’d taken care of a big assignment.

There were still questions remaining.

He couldn’t know them now, so he’d just have to find out slowly going forward.

Rowoon recalled the warm hands that had soothed him, saying he was welcome anytime.

“Feels like I’ll be able to have a good dream tonight.”

With a satisfied feeling he hadn’t had in a long time, Rowoon closed his eyes.

After that day, as a bonus, the number of pointless messages flying into Rowoon’s phone increased by two.

And then time sped by, and before he knew it, the day came when Taewoon’s second ad would be released.

---

“As expected, the name isn’t for nothing.”

It felt like just yesterday he’d marveled at the first ad.

There was a reason Lee Jinmyeong was called a top-tier director.

The second ad likewise made its theme clear while expressing every beat with polish.

It still felt like watching a slick movie preview.

“Anthropomorphizing the space itself, huh.”

If the first concept had been “the space I love,” the second concept focused on “the space that represents me.”

Lee Jinmyeong boldly shifted the second concept.

—“The same format is boring, isn’t it?”

Like the first ad, they set up a workspace and arranged appliances, furniture, and devices to fit.

But the focus this time was on Rowoon.

The exposure of furniture and devices was minimized.

They only flashed symbolically for the briefest moments, intercut among various scenes of Rowoon working at the office.

Even so, that alone was enough.

“Will there be a call this time, too?”

Rowoon recalled the contact he’d received from Chairman Seo after the first ad aired.

—“The gift I forced on you to repay you ended up being my gain!”

That booming, hearty laugh had been striking.

And no wonder because thanks to the first ad, inquiries were pouring in about products that hadn’t even launched yet.

From the chairman’s perspective, it was nothing but gratifying.

—“At this rate, I feel like I’m in your debt… You’re sure you don’t want to take over the company?”

Insisting that favors and grudges must be paid back thoroughly, Chairman Seo had subtly tried to lure Rowoon.

Breaking out in a cold sweat, refusing that had been a bonus.

“The response to this ad is really good, really good. It’s only been a day since it went live, and there are over a thousand comments on the official video. Wow. At this rate, aren’t you going to get a script for an office drama?”

“Hyung… that’s counting your chickens.”

The manager was great in every way, but he saw Rowoon a little too brilliantly.

Someday that rose tint would have to be taken off…

“What chickens? The movie’s a smash, the ads have you rowing hard. At this rate your next project will be fixed in no time.”

In fact, after the first ad, buoyed by the gradually shifting public sentiment, the number of projects and contacts coming in had increased compared to before.

“What matters is quality, not quantity, though.”

Even so, the more contacts that came in, the higher the probability of catching a good project within them.

So the manager’s happiness engine revving full tilt wasn’t entirely running on empty.

“Rowoon. Even if I look like this, do you know how long I’ve been around the block in this field? Can’t you tell what’s going on at a glance? You’ll get a call soon.”

“Ehh… it’s just an ad, not even a project.”

“I’m serious, okay? Don’t you trust me?”

“I do. If I don’t trust you, who would I trust?”

“Exactly. Just trust me.”

Maybe that’s why, the day after Taewoon’s second ad aired, Rowoon was reunited with a familiar face he hadn’t seen in a while.

[Lee Rowoon. Let’s meet face to face.]