Chapter 686. Exploring (1)
“Please! Pleeeeese! PLEASE!”
How or where should Han Eun-Sol vent this volcanic emotion of frustration!
“Please get a hold of yourself, okay! Please, I beg of you!”
He was oh-so tempted to open the floodgates of insults, but where would he get another job after getting fired? Especially in this era ripe with youth unemployment?
Besides, Choi Yeon-Ha would probably never fire him, anyway! No, she'd make sure to keep Han Eun-Sol around just to mentally torture him every single freaking day!
As such, Han Eun-Sol exercised his utmost patience to stop any and all swearing from leaping out of his mouth.
“How could you even think about pouncing on Mister Jin-Ho! And why did your mind head in that direction in the first place! Do you think you're playing some kinda eroge?! AH?!”
“N-no, hang on...? I'm just trying to think of a realistic solution, so...”
That was when Han Eun-Sol finally realized something.
'I've been wrong all this time!'
Until this moment, Han Eun-Sol believed the lack of romantic action in Choi Yeon-Ha's life was all because of her incredibly-high standards. Which seemed logical when one thought about it.
Even after reaching her mid-20s, Choi Yeon-Ha's grip on the top spot as South Korea's most beautiful woman remained firm. Of course, there had been many challengers to her throne over the years. Several actresses competed against her for brief periods, but none managed to hold on to their crown for as long as Choi Yeon-Ha did.
Koreans would automatically think of Choi Yeon-Ha as the country's 'Top Representative Beauty' just from hearing her name alone. That was who Choi Yeon-Ha was!
Obviously, someone like that would have high standards. So much so that even if she blurted out, 'I will consider marriage if the candidate is a prince from a kingdom somewhere!' during an interview, people would think that was only natural for her. After an outpouring of criticism had died down, of course!
After all, she had the qualifications to hold sky-high standards, now didn't she? And Han Eun-Sol firmly believed that. He believed that Choi Yeon-Ha's unrealistically-high standards naturally made her disinterested in men loitering around her. So, she'd never get into a romantic relationship unless the man was truly, gobsmackingly top-tier husband material. That's what Han Eun-Sol had believed until now.
But now...!
'What the hell? Isn't she just a... naive idiot?!'
When Han Eun-Sol thought about it some more, he realized something new. What if Choi Yeon-Ha hadn't been blessed with such devastating looks? What if she was more plain? Would she still be able to date someone?
As in, find a suitable man and enjoy a lovey-dovey...
Han Eun-Sol reflexively blurted out, “Lovey-dovey, my ass!”
“Eh? Say what?”
“N-no, it's nothing.” Han Eun-Sol panicked and hurriedly waved his hands when his intrusive thoughts almost broke free.
He had to admit it. He simply couldn't picture Choi Yeon-Ha finding a good man and dating him like a normal couple. Imagining a fish walking on land using its fins was a far easier task for Han Eun-Sol's brain!
“...Let's behave like normal people, okay! Please, noona!”
Han Eun-Sol was being crushed under the weight of grave responsibility!
'I need to do whatever it takes!'
If Choi Yeon-Ha's thing with Kang Jin-Ho failed to work out, the odds of her never dating another man for the rest of her life were too damn high! As a manager, seeing his talent remaining as the avatar of the God of Acting representing South Korea should be something to celebrate. However, as Choi Yeon-Ha's little 'brother'... Han Eun-Sol would never be okay with her single status.
Especially when considering it'd be his job to deal with her increasingly-severe spinster hysteria!
“Fuu-wooop!” Han Eun-Sol sucked in a deep, deep breath to blow away the weighty responsibility, then directly addressed Choi Yeon-Ha. “Let's try to keep it simple, noona.”
“What do you mean, keep it simple? When I've never done anything like this before?” Choi Yeon-Ha sourly shot back.
“Noona, no one is born as a romance expert. Everyone has to experience it for the first time, okay? Still, no one would behave like you during their first time!”
“Really now? How can I know anything without practice?”
“Wow, auntie. You're a total riot, you know that? What practice are you even talking about when you've filmed how many romantic dramas until now? Those were your practice sessions, noona!”
“...Urgh. Aren't they all, you know, too cringe and stuff?”
“That's what other people do, you know!”
“Really? People live like they are in TV shows? I don't think so.”
“Well, sure. They might not, but it's not too far off. Noona, think of yourself as a director or a writer, then think about the best way to leave an impression on Mister Jin-Ho.”
“An impression, you say?”
“Yes! Think about how to totally get your hooks in him. It doesn't matter whether it's a direct approach or a more subtle seduction.”
"Y-you think so?"
When Choi Yeon-Ha fell into the pool of her deep thoughts, Han Eun-Sol followed his own advice and approached her directly. “Noona, listen.”
“Yeah?”
“Even I think Mister Jin-Ho is a good man.”
“...Okay?”
“Sure, he's got his weird quirks, and at times, he doesn't feel like a sane man, and there are also various strange bits about him...”
“If you want to insult him, insult him. Don't start with praises, okay?”
“...In any case!” Han Eun-Sol quickly got back to the topic at hand. “Someone of his caliber not being tempted by other women is unthinkable, noona. From your perspective, you probably think he won't stray since you're none other than Choi Yeon-Ha. But who can truly predict human behavior? No one can, that's who. You've already experienced that before many times, haven't you?”
“That's right. Whenever you think, ‘No, that won't happen,’ things will always inevitably happen.”
“That's even truer with romantic relationships, noona.”
“Mm...!” Choi Yeon-Ha animatedly nodded away. She agreed that Han Eun-Sol was right. No one could predict what might happen in the affairs of the human race.
'Right! My problem all along has been my uncertainty.'
Her relationship with Kang Jin-Ho was clearly progressing positively. She got to confirm that through various events during Kang Jin-Ho's visit, didn't she?
However, despite reveling in Kang Jin-Ho's visceral presence, Choi Yeon-Ha always suffered subtle yet still-crippling anxiety. How far would he be willing to accept her? Did her antics make him feel uncomfortable? All these thoughts put her on edge.
Now, it felt like a bright light had finally been shed on the root cause of her behavior.
Neither of them said anything, but Choi Yeon-Ha still believed their relationship had progressed. However, that wasn't quite right. Without saying anything, the best anyone could do was guess. She wasn't a mind reader, so how could she feel at ease with only a guess?
What about the old adage of, 'You'd know without saying a word'? That was no longer true in this day and age. Rather than wasting time and energy on unreadable glazes or vague actions, the best way to handle her situation was to be more direct.
'...I better go now!'
Before Kang Jin-Ho entered the wilderness filled with starving beasts (?) Choi Yeon-Ha must put some armor on him and stamp her seal somewhere! Only then would her anxiety finally behave itself and go away for a bit.
“Eun-Sol?”
“Yes, noona?”
“Thanks!”
“...?”
Choi Yeon-Ha stared at Han Eun-Sol, her eyes burning like a pair of fierce flames. “You're totally right! Yes, I should be doing that instead of worrying about my pride or whatever! Let's go!”
“G-go where?”
“To Mister Jin-Ho, obviously! Even if we leave now, we might not make it in time, you know!”
“...Noona, you are supposed to shoot a scene later in the evening!”
“Tell them to reschedule it.”
“Eh?!”
Choi Yeon-Ha unleashed her anger in no uncertain terms. “Don't forget how I always filled in whenever that bastard, Liu Wei, didn't show up for days on end! So, the director shouldn't have a problem doing something nice for me for just one evening, wouldn't you say? I'm sure he's at least not that shameless.”
“H-hold on, noona! Even so, shouldn't we speak to the director first...?”
“Don't you have a phone? Besides, why aren't you running already!”
“...I'm coming.”
While running toward the white van, Han Eun-Sol was being overcome by complicated yet vague emotions.
'It's great that noona has regained her energy, but...'
He should be thankful for Choi Yeon-Ha finally returning to her usual self, but... When he realized he'd have to deal with the aftermath, this strong feeling that something had gone wrong kept rearing its ugly head!
Besides...
'Wait a minute...?'
They had to rush there, no? With the van? ...By driving over those dangerous cliffs?!
“Noona? Do I have to drive fast, too? One mistake could kill us, you know?!”
“Arriving late will kill us, too! If you're late, I'll definitely show you what death is like, got that?”
That was when a smile of pure enlightenment bloomed on Han Eun-Sol's face.
'Well, if we are all destined to die one day, it's better to avoid extra nagging, right?'
What a screwed-up life this was.
***
Vator glanced at Zhang Dajing. “Are all preparations finished?”
“Yes, sir. I'm almost done.”
Vator slowly nodded at that reply.
'Without a doubt, he's very useful.'
Zhang Dajing's original role was as an intelligence operative dispatched to South Korea. Considering how worthless information from South Korea was before Kang Jin-Ho's appearance, Zhang Dajing was rotting away in a truly dead-end job with no future prospects.
However, being stuck in that job was a catalyst for Zhang Dajing's growth. And now, there was basically nothing he couldn't do.
He could check in and out of hotels, organize the luggage, source a suitable vehicle from somewhere and supervise the process of loading said luggage. And he could do all this without a moment's delay or mistake!
Vator was suddenly overcome with this desire to express how proud and satisfied he was.
“Zhang Dajing?”
“Yes, sir?”
“You are the greatest... Mm, well... Uh... So...” Vator urgently searched for the right word to fully express his emotions before settling on what he thought was the appropriate term. “You're the world's greatest handyman!”
“...That's supposed to be a praise, yes?”
“Now that I've said it, it doesn't sound like one, does it? Mm, this is troublesome. In any case! You are always quick and efficient with your duties. Take it as a praise coming from me.”
“I've gotten good at only the most useless stuff,” Zhang Dajing sighed weakly.
The higher-ups couldn't think of an assignment they could give to Zhang Dajing, but they were also unwilling to let their agent suck on their thumb either. Like a first sergeant who couldn't stand the sight of junior soldiers lounging around doing nothing, the higher-ups came up with all sorts of nothing-burger assignments for Zhang Dajing, and as a result, he became a jack-of-all-trades capable of doing pretty much anything.
When explained that way, Zhang Dajing sounded like an amazingly-capable agent, but the truth wasn't so kind. If this was a video game, he'd be a failed character with stat points distributed to all the wrong skill trees!
'So what if I am?'
Even a crap character still had its uses. Maybe not in a video game setting, no, but this was reality. And in reality, people with various skill sets were respected for being versatile and well-rounded, weren't they!
Vator glanced at their new mode of transport. “Is it a rental?”
“No, sir. Just to be safe, I purchased it.”
“...It seems you're richer than I thought?”
“Before leaving, Mister Lee Hyeon-Su gave me a company card and some cash, sir. He told me to use the card since the cost to cover your meals would be enormous...”
“...Oh, did he now?”
That sounded like an exceedingly-logical decision, but... Why did Vator feel a bit sad after hearing about it?
Zhang Dajing turned his head and glanced at the duo of Guo Liqin and Da Bao. “By the way, sir? What should we do about these two?”
“Mm...” Vator also glanced at the duo before frowning slightly. “Master, what will you do with these two?”
Kang Jin-Ho glanced back before replying in a flat voice. “We're taking them with us.”
“Really?”
“Yes. At least, for now.”
“...I don't know what you're thinking of. If we find a secluded mountain somewhere along the way, are you planning to bury them there?”
“I'll think about it some more. For now, load them in the backseat.”
Vator glanced at Zhang Dajing, prompting the latter to get a move on. He dragged the two dazed martial artists to the backseat and shoved them inside. He didn't even bother to tie them down or anything before closing the door.
These two could have broken out of most bindings, anyway. Besides, why should Zhang Dajing bother with tying them down when two of the most effective restraints would be accompanying them, anyway?
The two restraints began talking to each other.
“Where will we go next, master?”
Kang Jin-Ho shook his head. "I'm not sure yet."
“Huh?”
“I tried to call, but no one's been answering. So, the plan is to drive to the place where I first met my contact.”
“Hah. You really are acting on your whims, master,” Vator chuckled loudly. Who was he to blame Kang Jin-Ho when all martial artists boasted the same trait of being ruled by their whims? Besides, setting up a strict, inflexible schedule also didn't suit Vator's personality, anyway. “I don't mind either way. However, do we really have to ride in that vehicle? I'm less than happy with how cramped it is. Besides, running there should be faster.”
“Vator, a modern man should behave like a modern man.”
“That's not something I want to hear from you, master.”
“That's enough of a chitchat. Let's get going.”
“Alright.”
Zhang Dajing climbed into the driver's seat while Kang Jin-Ho entered the van through the rear door.
Vator grunted unhappily. “Hmm... It's a little too narrow...!”
As this van wasn't specially modified for Vator, the big man couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. From passersby's perspective, it would've looked like a giant was folding himself inside a compact city car.
Before Vator could finish folding himself in, though, he suddenly turned his head and looked into the distance. “Master?”
“Mm?”
“Looks like someone's coming to bid you farewell.”
“...Farewell?” Kang Jin-Ho tried to peek outside, only to frown deeply. “Can't you move out of the way? I can't see anything.”
“Urgh...” Vator grunted and ungainly pulled himself out of the van.
That allowed Kang Jin-Ho to spot a white van charging toward his position at a highly-illegal speed. “Mm?”
Wasn't that Choi Yeon-Ha's van?
“Master, I think she has something to say,” said Vator with a smirk.
Indeed, through the window of that distant van was Choi Yeon-Ha, her torso halfway outside and her arm waving madly at Kang Jin-Ho. He could clearly see that she was shouting something, too.
Kang Jin-Ho was rendered speechless by sheer flabbergast. Luckily, he had Vator to speak what was on his mind.
“Master. Saying this out loud might be seen as being rude, but... In my personal view, that woman doesn't seem right in her head. How about finding a woman who's a little less insane and then attempting procreation with her instead?”
Kang Jin-Ho didn't have enough mental energy to retort to Vator.
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