Mee Yoon's heart could fall out of her chest while being seated in Youngsoo's car towards the press conference. She gripped the tip of her skirt as she stared through the window with nothing in her mind but the bustling crowd she was about to face. Youngsoo glimpsed at the rearview mirror.
"Hey, I can still cancel the event and tell them the breaks aren't working, so we crash into a tree," he said.
"What?"
His ludicrous idea made her laugh.
"I don't know why I'm laughing when you're putting us in an accident. That's an absurd way out."
"So you got to choose between having an accident or appear brave and strong there."
She gazed her despondent eyes at him.
"You'll stay with me, right?" she asked.
"Of course."
He flashed a reassuring smile.
"By the way, I haven't seen Jin Ae."
Mee Yoon shifted her attention on the road.
"She went back to the province to marry a man from a wealthy family. It was a fixed marriage."
"What? Is that a trend until now?"
"Why? Do you want to go to their wedding and save her?"
"Now that you bring it up, I'm about to."
She rolled her eyes.
"Just kidding. I already let her free some ages ago."
They arrived outside of the hall with the reporters waiting outside to greet them. Youngsoo opened the car door and lent his left arm to her. The cameras followed them inside. They went to their seats when she went up on stage. The press conference was for the completion of her webcomic as an adaptation of Daewon's novel.
Daewon came and sat beside her. She faked a smile to show politeness as everyone was eyeing them. The reporters began asking some questions.
"Ms. Seo, why did you decline Mr. Do's offer at first and what made you change your mind?"
Mee Yoon didn't flinch.
"I guess it pressured me since he is a prominent person in the industry. I wasn't sure if I deserve this job and if my skills were enough to please the audience because they are also expecting a lot from me."
She inhaled some air before continuing her answer.
"And I accepted his offer because he's been following me around like a stalker to convince me," she said like a joke.
Another reporter raised his hand.
"Mr. Do, how do you feel about working with Ms. Seo?"
"My expectations didn't fail me. I believed she could turn my novel into a marvelous piece of art, and she did."
"What can you say about the pictures with the two of you together like a couple circulating around social media?"
Daewon smirked.
"All I can say is they did a good job of pairing me with such a wonderful lady. My fans have good eyesight. I owe them one."
They let out a little laughter.
"What about you, Ms. Seo? What can you say about the rumors? Is there something going on between the two of you?"
"That's a good question to end this conference. What can I say? But the truth. Daewon and I had been in a relationship for quite a long time. So to clear up your mind, he is my ex-boyfriend. But we are on good terms right now and we are never going back together. Please excuse me."
Daewon gazed at her with a stunned expression. Youngsoo assisted her to the exit.
"Great job," Youngsoo whispered while caressing her back.
It relieved her when they got inside the car.
"You didn't run away this time. You even revealed the truth. I am so proud of you I will put up your statue in front of my house."
She shook her head while fidgeting with her fingers. Youngsoo's phone rang, and it was from Detective Dan.
"Mee Yoon, I have to see the detective."
"Oh, then drop me at the convenience store."
They stopped at the store.
"Take care always. I love you, sis," Youngsoo said and showed her a finger heart with his puppy eyes.
"Geez. So cringe," she blabbered.
Mee Yoon bought five cups of ramyeon, but when she was about to get out, the heavy rain poured.
"Gosh. What should I do?"
She looked around and found a blue umbrella standing against the wall.
"This isn't stealing. There's no name on it. Finders keepers," she said and grabbed the umbrella.
She waited alone at the bus stop while observing the raindrops. Loud splashes caught her attention. It was the footsteps of a man running in her direction. The rain soaked his clothes and his hair was wet. The man combed his fingers through his hair and lifted his face. Her eyes widened when she recognized him.
The man was hiding something under his shirt like a pregnant woman.
"Hey," he said as he looked at her.
"What is that?" she pointed to his stomach.
"Oh, this?"
Dong-sun removed the thing he was hiding.
"Meow."
It was a white kitten.
"I found her on the street. She looks so lost and alone. So I decided to take her home. She's the only one I like that I can take home," he said while patting the kitten's head.
"It's so stupid of you to not bring an umbrella when the weather forecast said it's going to rain."
Dong-sun smiled.
"That's right. Why didn't I bring an umbrella?"
Dong-sun left his umbrella on purpose at the store when he saw her.
"You don't even look like an actor. You don't shine like a star right now."
"Esse quam videri. It's Latin which means to be, rather than to seem. I don't seem like a star, but I am. Don't appear okay when you're not. Instead, be okay."
She dropped her gaze on the ground.
"Stop lecturing me. Your words don't mean anything to me. So please..."
She locked her eyes with his.
"Act like you don't know me. You are a stranger to me like you were before."
The bus arrived. She left Dong-sun fettered with affliction.