In any case, since the request target was like this, Rowoon also ended up living what people called a productive, model life.
Starting with Miracle Morning, then meals eaten on time.
Even walks after meals.
‘This is a routine that can’t help but make someone healthy, isn’t it?’
They said plants were not the only things that needed sunlight. People were the same.
‘I guess requests really are opportunities, not obligations.’
If not for this forced productive routine disguised as a request, he clearly would never have experienced this kind of regular, relaxed lifestyle.
Of course, there was a slight ambush.
Namely, his manager.
“Rowoon, you… These days, where have you been going so early in the morning? You even took vacation from the company. You aren’t secretly getting into something without telling me, are you?”
When Rowoon thought about it, it was suspicious.
His project had done well, and he had gained a decent amount of recognition, but good scripts showed no sign of coming in.
In the middle of that, he took vacation and suddenly disappeared for the entire day.
‘Even if you saw this while passing by on the KTX, I’d look like someone depressed after wearing an outfit that ruined my pride.’
For his manager, who was already praying that Rowoon would not go crooked after regaining his memories, it was definitely something to be nervous about.
Rowoon felt the need to quickly soothe his manager.
“No, it’s not like anything special is going on, hyung. I’ve been meeting Re.D lately.”
The response came back immediately.
“Red? Are you talking about producer Re.D?”
Since he was a celebrity who came out collecting royalties whenever the season came around, of course his manager knew Iho.
“Why would Re.D meet you…? No, I’m not saying you’re lacking or anything, but your fields are so different. Did you two know each other?”
“I’m interested in composing, so I happened to get to know him.”
“Composing…?”
The manager’s guarded air softened in an instant.
“Why would you compose… No, wait. Before you hurt your ear, you were worrying a lot. Was that what it was?”
“Pardon?”
When Rowoon tried to think of a reason that would explain why he was meeting Iho the producer, he reflexively remembered how, in his previous life, he had made his own songs and choreography, so he had only used that as an excuse.
But somehow, that excuse seemed to have landed properly.
“Were you even thinking of quitting acting completely and changing paths? Haa… And I call myself your manager, but I didn’t even know that.”
“No, hyung. It isn’t like that, so please don’t cry.”
“Why would I cry? Hk.”
“Right. You’re not crying, hyung, so take this tissue.”
“Sniff. Is there anything I can help you with?”
“No. It’s not as serious as you’re thinking, hyung. It’s just a hobby.”
“Okay. I’m searching hard for projects for you right now, so don’t get too discouraged! Since you’re already going there to learn, learn properly and come back. These days, it’s a plus if you can do a variety of things besides acting too!”
Unfortunately, the manager’s encouragement would not come true.
Because even after that, Rowoon had no choice but to continue watching Lee Jeonghye’s routine with Iho.
In any case, it was a very peaceful daily life.
At least, that was how it looked to Rowoon.
Though it did not seem that way to Iho.
“Iho.”
One day, when things were flowing along as usual.
Rowoon finally opened his mouth.
“Why are you so anxious?”
“…Me? I’m not.”
Iho played dumb, asking what he was talking about.
‘If you’re going to do that, shouldn’t you do something about that trembling leg first?’
Rowoon thought that, but he did not say it out loud.
He only stared.
“…This is just a habit.”
Iho quietly stopped bouncing his leg and cleared his throat.
Instead of pointing it out, Rowoon pointed somewhere else.
“You know your nails are ragged, right?”
“…You have quite a sharp eye, don’t you?”
After stopping his leg, Iho quietly hid his hands too.
‘Rather than that, isn’t it more strange not to notice when you’re being so openly anxious……?’
Unlike their peaceful daily life continuing on.
Lee Jeonghye’s condition did not look very good even to Rowoon.
Each time they went for a walk, the number of times she stopped to rest increased, and the time she spent sitting on benches grew longer and longer.
He did not know what kinds they were, but the number of medications Lee Jeonghye took had also increased.
Given Lee Jeonghye’s condition, he understood why Iho was worried, but.
‘She has a guardian who takes such careful care of her. Is there a reason to go this far?’
Moreover, unlike Rowoon, who was an unwillingly unemployed person, Iho was a capable producer whom countless people were still searching for here and there at this very moment.
Stories that people made reservations years in advance to receive his songs were one of those true stories that came down like legends.
Aside from Iho growing more and more anxious as the days passed, life flowed on as usual.
“Pardon? By myself?”
The change in that daily life came one day, a few days before the second week.
His image had been completely shattered over the past week or so, but Iho was still a famous, successful producer.
In fact, it was closer to a miracle that he had stayed attached to Lee Jeonghye’s side all this time as if he had no schedule at all.
For some reason, he asked Rowoon to protect Lee Jeonghye alone.
“Will you be all right?”
Iho, the incarnation of overprotection, was going to leave only Rowoon attached to Lee Jeonghye and go?
When Rowoon asked, Iho rubbed his forehead as if his head hurt.
“Something came up in my schedule that I can’t get out of. Of all things, it’s a live broadcast.”
“Ah. If it’s live, then there’s no helping it.”
“…Should I just drop out?”
What nonsense was this man talking about?
Iho let out another sigh.
“I think I can just quit…”
“Iho? You’re one of the judges there, aren’t you?”
Rowoon calmly stopped Iho, who was about to hit the gas.
“Would the program fail just because I’m not there?”
“It probably would…?”
Iho was currently appearing as both a judge and mentor on a program called Revival Singer.
Revival Singer was a high-profile audition survival program that had already continued for several seasons, and it was a broadcast that became a hot topic every season for all kinds of issues and fame.
It boasted tremendous recognition, to the point that the number of applicants trying to participate each season exceeded several thousand.
“Iho. Please don’t say something ridiculous. You have to go where you’re supposed to go. If that program fails because you don’t show up, how many people do you think would be disappointed and upset?”
For Rowoon, who had once been unable to obtain even the smallest opportunity, a program falling through was something that absolutely must not happen.
“I thought you were soft, but when I see you at times like this, maybe you’re not.”
[Do you think the child is irresponsible like you? How can a man who has lived as long as you have be so immature? Tsk, tsk.]
“Ah, I don’t want to hear that from a fool who can’t even maintain their main body.”
[Y-you insolent thing!]
Before he could really say he would quit, Rowoon decided to soothe Iho.
“It’s fine, so go for now. You can just finish quickly and come back.”
“I can’t finish quickly. It’s the final, so it’s a live broadcast that runs until midnight. Of all times, why did this schedule have to be now?”
“I’ll keep a careful watch. Nothing happened over the past week.”
“…That nothing happened is what’s strange. That’s because it wouldn’t be strange even if something had already happened by now!”
Iho had already been growing more anxious as the days passed, but today, his condition was even more serious.
“Iho, you’re not hoping something happens, are you?”
“Hey, what do you take me for? Of course I hope nothing happens!”
“Then why are you acting like this? I need to know the reason so I can prepare too.”
“That’s…”
There was clearly something, but he seemed cautious about saying it.
“By my prediction, something should have already come up by now, but there’s still no news at all, so I’m going insane with frustration. Not knowing anything makes me even more anxious. Do you understand what I mean?”
“But nothing happened for over a week. Would something really happen just because you’re gone for one day?”
For now, Rowoon decided to calm down the anxious fox.
‘If he really quits the program, what did the participants or production staff do to deserve that?’
As a former failed idol who remembered a program being canceled and the segment he was about to appear on collapsing, he could not help but empathize.
“Do you know this feeling? It’s like the silence before a typhoon hits.”
“I’ll keep a careful watch, and if there’s a problem, I’ll contact you.”
“Make sure you contact me. I’ll come running right away.”
If Iho, who had foresight, said this much, it did seem like there was definitely something.
‘Come on. Still, he’s only gone for one day. Surely nothing will happen.’
Even then, Rowoon did not know.
As always, “surely” was the word that caught people.
And this time too, that “surely” would catch him.
The first time Rowoon sensed something unusual was when Lee Jeonghye woke up.
“She’s waking up a little late today?”
For over a week, Lee Jeonghye had woken up at exactly the same time every single day without fail.
But today was a little different.
[She is coughing rather badly, is she not?]
She was breathing with difficulty too, and somehow looked more exhausted than usual.
[Grnn. It would be nice if I could go and ease it for her. Tsk.]
But excessive interference could bring punishment from heaven.
There was something even stranger.
Lee Jeonghye always started her day with one cup of weak coffee, but today, she even skipped that.
‘…Should I contact him?’
For now, he decided to watch.
There could be days when someone did not crave coffee.
But soon, the second abnormality occurred.
“You really want me to go?”
Lee Jeonghye was supposed to eat with her grandniece Lee Yunseo, who came around lunchtime, and then enjoy a walk.
But today was different.
She even skipped the usual after-meal walk, then sent her grandniece away.
“What’s going on, Grandma?”
“You must be bored always staying with this old grandmother. Go play with your friends today.”
“You’re suddenly giving me allowance like this? I mean, thank you, but still. Grandma, I’m telling you, being with you is the most fun. It’d be even more fun if you just hurried up and wrote the next volume.”
“Oh dear. I raised an editorial department spy in my own house. A spy. Anyway, hurry up and go. Grandma has something to take care of too.”
“Hmm. There’s definitely something going on, isn’t there?”
At Lee Yunseo’s meaningful words, Lee Jeonghye gave a secretive smile.
“Our Yunseo, I wonder who you take after to have such good intuition. Eunhye was a child who knew nothing.”
“Mom said I resemble Grandma. She said it skipped over her and came to me. Anyway, fine. You have to tell me what happened next time, okay?”
“Yes, yes.”
Rowoon thought about it.
‘…Could it be that she wanted a day to herself?’
Though he did not know why that day had to be today, when Iho was not here.
The place Lee Jeonghye headed next was not the park she always went to, but the coffee shop she usually visited only after her walk.
That meant two parts of her routine had already been broken.
There, Lee Jeonghye showed another odd behavior.
She bought a total of two drinks: one iced Americano, which she always drank, and another drink as well.
‘Is this really okay…?’
Today’s Lee Jeonghye was an object of complete mystery.
Since all this happened on the very day Iho was not there, Rowoon was extremely flustered.
‘If it’s like this, it becomes impossible to prepare for what comes next.’
Since Iho, who could predict the future, was absent, if any problem occurred, their response would inevitably be slow.
‘Should I contact him?’
But his former failed-idol self kept trying to pop out.
While Rowoon was agonizing.
“If you stay there, you’ll be uncomfortable. Don’t do that. Come sit over here.”
A gentle voice called to him.
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