Chapter 288: Chapter 288

“Lee Ha-eun. Do-yoon, I want you to meet with her.”

The old man’s suggestion came without warning—and at the most unexpected time.

It was a particularly warm day in February, and they were seated on a bench along the walking path outside a large hospital.

“It’s time you started getting some hands-on experience.”

“But... wasn’t Aunt already handling Ms. Lee Ha-eun’s case?”

“She didn’t even know what the issue with Lee Ha-eun actually was.”

The old man clicked his tongue in irritation and continued.

Anyone who can’t even identify a risk that’s already developing with a ‘partner’ can’t be trusted.

On the other hand, Jeong Do-yoon had come seeking answers early the very next morning—and that reliability held weight.

“Someone your age will communicate better than an old lady anyway.”

‘Same age, huh... I guess, technically.’

In short: instead of his aunt, Director Jeong Hee-seo, Jeong Do-yoon himself was to take charge of the meeting with Ha-eun.

The old man felt it was time for Do-yoon to start building real-world instincts.

“Do you not want to?”

“Ah, no, it’s not that... It’s just, kind of sudden...”

Building a connection with Lee Ha-eun wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

Take her latest hit God and the Goblin—a global sensation.

It had shattered the so-called “40% rating wall” despite being a cable drama.

She was a guaranteed success: someone whose very presence translated into performance and numbers.

To entrust the meeting with someone like that to Jeong Do-yoon—not his aunt—was as good as granting him direct authority.

All profit Ha-eun brought to SL Group would now fall under his record.

“You still owe me for that favor I did you a few weeks ago.”

The old man’s quiet reminder about the request Do-yoon had made not long ago left him with no room to refuse.

It was clear he intended this to be the first step in expanding Do-yoon’s influence within the group.

Sensing a deeper motive behind it, Do-yoon cautiously brought it up.

And just as he feared...

“You won’t get close to someone if you don’t meet them. Whether it works or not, you need to try.”

“Wait, no... that’s not what I...”

“This is the most I can do for you. The rest is up to you.”

“I already told you, I don’t have those kinds of feelings—”

“What kind of guy shows up before dawn grabbing his grandfather’s pants leg for someone he doesn’t care about? Get real, boy.”

And honestly, a little embarrassing.

The old man clearly believed Do-yoon had romantic feelings for Ha-eun.

There was little doubt he was using this meeting under the guise of business to try and nudge their relationship forward.

“I’ve already arranged to have a suit tailored for you this afternoon.”

Once again, all Do-yoon could do was bow in response.

It wasn’t until he returned to the hospital room that he let out a dry sigh and rubbed his face with both hands.

Yes, he did like Ha-eun.

But more as a fan—and honestly, more of a fan of Diah than Lee Ha-eun herself.

‘What exactly does he expect me to do...?’

The thought of meeting his “oshi” in person had his mind spiraling.

He was supposed to keep things professional, but she was anything but easy to separate from emotion.

And then, the day of the meeting arrived.

“Good afternoon. I’m Jeong Do-yoon, manager of the Media Division.”

Dressed in an expensive suit, Do-yoon finally stood face-to-face with Lee Ha-eun.

Her long hair flowed gracefully past her shoulders.

Her tightly pressed lips sat beneath thick lashes.

Everything about her appearance exuded elegance and beauty.

Just standing across from her, he could feel her presence pulling at his focus.

She looked a little stiff—likely caught off guard by seeing someone new instead of his aunt.

“As you may have heard during our previous meeting...our SL Group would love to form a lasting partnership with you, Ms. Ha-eun.”

He went straight to the point.

To secure her as their commercial model.

To ensure her influence translated to gains for SL Group.

He suppressed his personal emotions, letting only the necessary expressions appear on his face.

Above all, he needed to leave the impression of being a reliable business partner.

“If there’s ever anything you need from our side... please don’t hesitate to ask.”

It was still hard to meet her eyes.

But he pushed through, throwing in a personal aside to lower her guard.

“Personally, I’m a fan. If there’s something I can help with... I’d like to.”

There was no sign of deepening a personal relationship.

He stayed professional.

Though she did flinch a little at the word fan... he chose to ignore it.

Then, once the topic of SL’s advertisement campaign wrapped up smoothly—

“I received the drama script a few days ago, and...there were parts that seemed different from what I was expecting.”

“Could you clarify what you mean?”

She wasn’t accusing or confrontational—just expressing her own confusion.

Her voice calm, her expression composed.

“There are many parts that differ from what I’d understood previously. I know some adaptation is expected, but...”

She’d read the original novel long ago. It was the original story that drew her into accepting the casting offer.

But the script she’d received this time?

It felt like an entirely different show.

“The story... felt unfamiliar.”

She didn’t say she regretted accepting the offer. She just gave the impression of being quietly puzzled.

Still, her true meaning was clear: the script felt off. And she even mentioned she might need to speak with the original author.

“Understood. We’ll review it on our end as well.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

This was a project the chairman of SL Group himself had taken a personal interest in. If there was even a hint of trouble brewing, it had to be addressed.

And especially because it was Ha-eun raising the concern—someone with proven instincts for successful projects—he couldn’t ignore it.

With the conversation wrapped up, Do-yoon rose from his seat and extended a hand.

“We’d be honored to have you represent SL Group’s brand, Ms. Ha-eun. I look forward to working together.”

Was it his imagination, or did her eyes tremble slightly as they met his?

And when he asked if they could take a photo together—the way her pupils widened... held a storm of unreadable emotion.

“...Thank you for your time.”

He listened to the sound of her footsteps as she walked away toward the elevators.

And only once those footsteps completely faded into silence did he let out a shallow breath.

“She’s... really different from her streams.”

“...What’s up with Ha-eun?”

“No idea. She’s been like that ever since she got home...”

Roughly five or six hours had passed since the meeting with SL Group.

Ha-eun had returned home slightly earlier than usual—only to start kicking her blanket like a madwoman on the bed.

Na-yeon and Seong-yoon were completely lost. Face flushed, groaning dramatically, she kicked  and twisted as if she'd just gotten confessed to by her crush. Even when they gently asked what happened, she stayed hidden under the covers, saying nothing. Not even Baekseol could console her—Ha-eun just hugged her in silence.

“Did Mr. Jeong Yoon say anything?”

“Nope. Everything seemed normal at the Parasite Family set, too...”

With no answers in sight, the two quietly closed her door and stepped out.

Left alone, Ha-eun finally pulled out her phone.

Her fingers trembling, she searched a username from memory.

Not long after, the result popped up—a viewer who, just like Diah, subscribed to her stream.

Their most-watched broadcasts? Cream’s, of course.

But right behind that, nearly on par... was Diah.

“...What do I even do...”

A horrifying realization:

Her past self had become a fan of her current self.

Calling it a “past life” felt off—after all, both her past and present selves existed in the same world now.

The only difference was that “Lee Ha-eun” was a new name in this world.

Everything else... followed the timeline she remembered.

Of course, after her appearance, things had changed.

Even in small, subtle ways beyond what she’d consciously noticed.

‘Why me... What about me did he even like...’

Ha-eun could understand the world changing around her.

But being chosen as an oshi... by herself?

That part never even crossed her mind.

“Sora... unnie, what do I do...”

The embarrassment was overwhelming. Being called a fan by her past self was just too much.

Or maybe Diah, born from her past self’s wishes and regrets, was destined to be loved by that same self.

Was it only natural, then, for interest to form?

“...It’s not like I can just ask him outright...”

She sighed again, rubbing her face. At least he seemed a little healthier than she remembered—if only slightly.

Jeong Do-yoon, Media Division Manager at SL Group.

A name so painfully familiar, and yet...right now, he felt like a complete stranger.

Me... no, YOU... was that really your type?

A mischievous, giggling little girl type?

Unable to bear the heat rushing to her face, she buried herself in her pillow. It wasn’t even that serious, and yet she couldn’t stop cringing every time the memory popped up.

And what made it worse?

She’d already spilled her personal concerns about The Chairman’s Youngest Son to him.

‘It just slipped out before I knew it.’

She hadn’t intended to lean on her past self as a backup—but if this led to script improvements... well...

She still wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

If SL Group’s involvement helped turn it into a good drama, maybe it was worth it.

“Sora, unnie... I didn’t mess up... right?”

Her mind wouldn’t quiet down.

She’d never handled anything quite in either lifetime.

Now it just felt like she’d used connections to push her way through like some sleazy adult.

[ Da-yeon-ah... what do I doooo... ]

A slurred, groggy voice came from the other end of the call.

Something about it felt off, and Da-yeon instinctively asked if Ha-eun had been drinking.

The answer was... unfortunately, yes.

[ My stomach feels weird, and my mood’s all over the place... I passed by a place that sells the same cocktails from Maldives, so I... kinda stopped in... ]

Da-yeon, now pulling clothes from her closet to go out, immediately threatened to tell Na-yeon everything if she didn’t drop the address.

“You snuck out behind your mom’s back, didn’t you? Spill the location or I swear I’ll snitch.”

[ ...Mmh... It’s... ]

Once Ha-eun gave her the name of the cocktail bar, Da-yeon headed out with her phone still pressed to her ear, calling a cab.

But while pressing Ha-eun for details—

[ Da-yeon-ah... I think I messed up... ]

Da-yeon’s brain short-circuited.

Da-yeon-ah. I. Messed. Up.

Those three syllables were more than enough to make her heart drop.

Especially when Ha-eun said her stomach felt off.

Someone who ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) never got sick saying something like that? It could only mean one thing...

“...Who the hell is he.”

The misunderstanding was instant. And enormous.

And that’s how Da-yeon started spitting out every curse word in the book.

[ Ugh... Why are you yelling about Seong-jae all of a sudden...? It hurts my ears... ]

“Wouldn’t you curse too in my shoes?!”

But more than anything—the fact that Ha-eun was drinking after whatever this “incident” was?

It drove Da-yeon mad.

“Ha-eun-ah...! There you are...!”

“Throw up. Now. I said, throw it all up! What were you thinking drinking alone?!”

The moment Da-yeon arrived, she marched Ha-eun straight to the bathroom.

It took another full hour before the massive misunderstanding was finally cleared up.