Chapter 114: The Key to Grace’s Room

The filming of The Traveler, produced by Setflix, was just around the corner.

Kim Seung-pyo and the rest of the staff were already pulling all-nighters to ensure everything was perfectly prepared. Seo Sun-ae and God Media were also working frantically to scout locations and gather the necessary materials for the shoot. Because they had to fit the filming into the gaps of the lead actress Grace Kim’s busy schedule, the timeline had been moved up much earlier than expected.

While everyone else was busy, I dressed myself in expensive luxury clothes that looked like something a nouveau riche person would wear, smoothing out the wrinkles.

"I’m heading out now. Good work, everyone."

"Have a safe trip, Writer. Good luck today!"

"Fighting!"

To an outsider, it might have looked like a family seeing off the breadwinner of the house. However, the reason I was hurrying was to make it to my date with Grace on time.

Was there a saying about how the servants are the busiest on a feast day at a prestigious house? It felt quite strange that the writer and the lead actress of the project were off enjoying a private date while everyone else slaved away. But since the schedule explicitly stated [Lee Junghyuk — Grace Kim / Date], everyone treated our date like official business.

Today was my fourth official date with Grace.

A moment later, the vehicle I had called through a taxi app arrived in front of the studio.

"Hello, where can I take you?"

"Gimpo Airport, please."

Sitting in the taxi, I looked out at the Han River across the Olympic Expressway and recalled my previous dates with Grace.

During our first date, we went shopping, and she gifted me expensive luxury clothes. On the second date, she suggested we go for a drive, which turned into a lavish experience in a limousine driven by her manager, Kevin. On the third date, I stopped by the hotel where Grace was staying and ate 50,000 won hot chicken ramen from room service.

She told me she ordered it because Korean hot chicken ramen was trendy in the United States. Eating a bowl of ramen that usually cost less than 1,000 won for dozens of times its price was a surreal experience that made me lose my sense of reality.

In this way, my dates with Grace were dates in name only. We would see each other for a bit, move somewhere together, grab a quick meal, or go shopping, and that was it. Since the dates rarely lasted even one hour, it felt like I was being paid an astronomical hourly wage under the guise of dating.

I had heard that in neighboring Japan, there were hosts who earned hundreds of millions of won in a single night just by drinking and hanging out with people. I almost felt like one of those famous, popular hosts.

'I need to get it together. My head is spinning. If this keeps up, I won't be able to live a normal life again.'

The place I reached after taking a flight was a luxury pool villa on Jeju Island. It was a secluded spot with no tourist attractions or pensions nearby, but its facilities were second to none, rivaling any five-star hotel.

It was smaller than a hotel, but entering the gates made me feel as if I had rented the entire neighborhood. From inside, the sound of music was already drifting out.

"What is your business here?"

A burly Black bodyguard in a suit blocked my path and asked. As usual, Grace was accompanied by a large security detail for her external schedules.

"I am Lee Junghyuk. I was invited by Grace. Here is the invitation."

After finding my name on the guest list, the bodyguard performed an ID check and a brief search of my belongings, much like a police officer, before letting me inside.

"I hope you have a pleasant time, Writer."

"Thank you."

For our fourth date, we were supposed to meet at Grace’s private party held at this Jeju pool villa. Grace, who usually split her time into minutes, had somehow managed to take a day off to host a secret party for VIP guests in Korea.

'Wait, isn't that the model who became the first Asian ambassador for Louis Vuitton?'

As I was guided inside, most of the people I encountered were celebrities, models, and sports stars I had seen at least once before.

'I’ve heard that foreign celebrities often throw parties like this, but...'

It was amazing to see so many famous figures in one place without a single reporter or industry official in sight. Even the atmosphere was different. If they had been at an award ceremony or a film set, these celebrities would have been busy greeting each other with formal politeness. Here, they simply gave casual nods and enjoyed the party freely, which was a quite unusual sight.

In a way, being in a place like this and receiving the same guest treatment as them made me feel awkward yet excited.

I was standing in front of the large pool located in the center of the party venue, taking in my surroundings, when a voice called out.

"Junghyuk! Over here."

I saw Grace in the pool, waving at me with a bright smile. She swam smoothly through the water like a dolphin and then climbed out using the pool ladder. Water droplets dripped from her hair, which was soaked through.

Since she was wearing a vibrant bikini appropriate for a pool party, I found myself blushing and instinctively turning my gaze away.

"You’re wearing the clothes I bought you?"

"I received such expensive gifts; I should make an effort to wear them."

"They really suit you. Should we go get something to drink?"

Perhaps because it was a rare day off in the middle of a breathless schedule, Grace seemed even more high-spirited than usual.

After picking up cocktails from the bar set up inside, Grace sat on a sunbed near the pool and dried herself with a towel. Because she was wearing an outfit that revealed her figure so clearly, I still couldn't bring myself to look in her direction. To be precise, I didn't have the confidence to look anywhere below her face.

"Junghyuk?"

"Ye—Yes? I wasn't looking."

"Looking at what? Oh, this?"

Grace pointed to her own body as if it were a piece of art and let out her signature hearty laugh — ha-ha. She looked at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes, seemingly amused by my rigid, mechanical reaction.

"You're surprisingly weak to this kind of thing? I wore it for you to see, so don't let it bother you."

"Uh... Well... Yes."

"Let's eat first. The barbecue should be ready by now."

Led by the hand Grace reached out to me, I followed her to the garden behind the pool, where the thick scent of meat wafted through the air. A massive outdoor grill, the kind you would only see in places like Texas, was set up in the middle of the garden. A burly White chef in a simple tank top was grilling meat directly over a hot wood fire.

'I heard everything is bigger in America. I guess it was true.'

Everything, from the person grilling the meat to the meat itself, boasted a scale beyond anything I had seen in Korea. The chef lifted a large T-bone steak from the grill, sliced it into bite-sized pieces, and brought it directly to the table where Grace and I were sitting.

"This is the medium-rare T-bone that Grace likes best."

"Thank you, Andrei."

Grace took a bite of a large piece of meat and made an ecstatic expression, gesturing for me to try some as well.

"Eat up. Andrei is a talented chef who used to cook at the White House."

At those words, I quickly put a piece of steak into my mouth. The moment I bit down, the juices exploded. It was the best steak I had ever tasted.

As I ate and looked around, I realized that not everyone was dressed in swimwear. Only one or two out of ten were wearing bikinis or swimsuits; most were in refreshing resort wear, standing near the bar or the grill, enjoying the party atmosphere.

"You must host parties like this often. This kind of atmosphere is a first for me."

"Hahaha, I suppose it could be that way in Korea. Whenever I get a vacation, I throw a party anywhere, anytime, and invite my acquaintances to enjoy it."

Since she didn't ask for any entry fees or financial compensation from the guests, Grace was likely footing the entire bill. Just by glancing around and doing the math, it seemed like the costs would be staggering.

'As expected, Hollywood stars are on a different level when it comes to partying.'

Having finished her steak, Grace seemed full. She leaned back in her chair and gently stroked her stomach while looking at me.

"Wow, I haven't had a proper meal like that in a long time. Look at my belly sticking out."

"..."

Finding it embarrassing to look, I kept my eyes fixed on hers and gave an awkward smile. Noticing why I was acting so stiff today, Grace shifted her body on the sunbed and took a provocatively bold pose.

"This is already our fourth date. How is it? Dating me?"

"Yes, well. It’s been enjoyable."

"Oh, really?"

I spoke while keeping my eyes strictly on hers.

"I’ve been able to have many experiences I never would have had if it wasn't for you. I truly mean it when I say I've enjoyed it."

"I’m glad to hear that. Actually, my goal in life is to try every single experience I can possibly have."

"That’s a very Grace-like philosophy."

When the topic of values came up, Grace dropped her playful attitude for a moment and returned to her usual serious voice.

"To me, Junghyuk, you were a new experience."

"Me? In what way?"

"My world is filled with people driven by all sorts of greed and desires. Most of them show me kindness because they want me or something I have."

Grace stared at me for a moment with her uniquely colored eyes before continuing.

"That's why it's been a long time since I've seen someone as pure as you. And it's my first time meeting someone who is so talented at their job while maintaining that purity."

Since my talent for my job wasn't exactly innate, my conscience pricked me slightly.

"I’m not as clean of a person as you think, Grace."

"Hmm, is that so?"

Suddenly, my vision went dark. Grace had reached out and covered my eyes with her palm.

"What are you doing?"

"What color are my eyes?"

With my sight blocked, my sense of smell became more acute; I could smell a strong floral scent coming from her palm. She told me she wouldn't let go until I answered the quiz, so I replied immediately.

"Uh... They're a very light brown, but today you're wearing lenses, so they're a bit of a grayish brown."

"Exactly. Correct."

Only then did the darkness vanish, and Grace’s face, wearing a gentle smile, came back into view.

"Long before I became an actress, the men I met were always too busy looking at my flashy appearance or my body. None of them looked me in the eye and shared a real conversation like you do, Junghyuk."

Watching Grace express such sincere interest in me so suddenly, I was at a loss for words and could only stare blankly. Meanwhile, having said what she wanted to say, Grace sat up on the sunbed. She leaned her face close to mine, her mischievous expression returning.

"Still, my pride is a bit hurt that you're only looking at my eyes when I went through the trouble of wearing a bikini."

Then, she pressed something cold and hard into my hand. When I opened my palm, I was holding a small key.

"It’s the key to my bedroom."

"Why are you giving this to me?"

"Are you just good at acting innocent? Or are you really this naive?"

Actually, I knew. I knew what Grace wanted.

"Stay in my room tonight."