Chapter 133: The Night She Came Looking for Me

“Did you… cause some trouble?”

At the mention of a woman, Jiwon paused for a moment before speaking cautiously.

“You wanna die?”

What kind of nonsense is that.

“Or… are you still in the flirting stage?”

“Flirting?”

At the word “flirting” coming from Jiwon’s mouth, Kyungho flinched in surprise and looked at me with eyes that said, No way?

“No! Flirting? What flirting. I’ve never even ridden a rhythm?”

“Wow… that was really lame.”

It was my killer joke, but the two in front of me made faces of disgust.

“Where’d that dad joke come from. It wasn’t the old man who taught you, right?”

“What do you take me for? I don’t do jokes like that.”

“Ugh… Is it really someone looking for me?”

No matter how much I thought about it, there was no one who’d come looking for me.

“You think I couldn’t even hear your name right?”

“Then maybe it’s one of your sasaeng fans?”

“Sasaeng? My fans are all nice…”

They always follow the rules and speak politely—only good kids, so no way.

“She didn’t seem like that. How should I put it… The kid’s pretty.”

“Pretty? Then you’re in danger, so stay here. I’ll go down…”

“Sit down.”

At Kyungho’s mention of pretty, Jiwon subtly tried to stand up and go, so I pressed his shoulder to make him sit.

“Hey, if it’s a sasaeng, it could be dangerous. So I’ll specially go in your place?”

“Shut up.”

“She didn’t look like someone who’d have low standards enough to like that guy? It’s a waste for the friend downstairs.”

“Uncle!”

Saying she’s more of a waste than me—who the hell came looking for me to make him say that?

“I’ll go.”

Kyungho’s intuition is spot-on, so if she came calling for me, she’s definitely not someone weird.

“Come with me!”

“You stay here.”

For some reason, it felt better to go down alone, so I told Jiwon to stay.

“Why! I’m curious!”

“Don’t lie. You just want to check her out because uncle said she’s pretty.”

“Hehe, busted?”

“Don’t make her wait too long; hurry down.”

Wondering who it could be, I headed down to the clinic with curiosity.

Huh? Who is it?

I saw her back while going down the stairs, but with the black long padded coat and hood pulled deep, I couldn’t tell who it was at all.

“You came looking for me…”

I spoke cautiously, and she, who had been looking outside, turned her body to face me.

“Who are you?”

With the padded hood pulled low, black mask, and eyes barely visible, I couldn’t tell who it was at all.

“I’m sorry.”

But as soon as she spoke, I immediately recognized who it was.

It’s Aina!

Shocked and flustered that she, who paused activities due to health issues, was here, I just blinked my eyes.

“Uh? Why are you here…”

“I’m sorry…”

She bowed her head again and apologized.

“No. You don’t need to apologize… Ah, did you come to visit our neighborhood by any chance?”

Three Meals in the Countryside had gained some fame, and though not now, right after filming ended, I’d heard there were occasional sightseers.

“No.”

“Then what brings you? Ah, sit down first anyway. Want something to drink?”

Still, since she came looking for me, it felt like I was pressuring her too much with why she came, so I suggested she sit, but she didn’t respond at all.

This was the first time meeting Aina privately outside of work, and it was 180 degrees different from the image I saw during work.

Is she normally this quiet?

Many celebrities have different personalities on air versus real life, but seeing it firsthand made me cautious too.

“Are you uncomfortable? There’s one cafe in the neighborhood; should we go there instead?”

“No. It’s more comfortable here.”

“Then I’ll get you some warm yuzu tea. Come this way.”

She didn’t seem like she came just out of boredom, so I guided her to the kitchen. On the way, I spotted Jiwon peeking his head out from the second floor.

Who is it? Girlfriend? Flirt buddy?

Our eyes met, and he mouthed asking who, but I gestured to be quiet and ignored him.

If he finds out it’s Aina, it’ll be chaos.

Not knowing was medicine for Jiwon.

“Here.”

I went to the kitchen, made a cup of yuzu tea, and placed it on the table, and only then did she take off her hood and mask, showing her face.

“Thank you.”

“No problem. It’s homemade, so it’ll taste good. Go ahead and drink.”

“It’s warm…”

Aina wrapped her hands around the cup and just stared quietly at the floor.

“But can I ask what brings you here?”

Coming to this countryside by coincidence or passing by didn’t make sense, so she definitely came for me.

“I ran away from home.”

“Ah, ran away… What? What?”

Suddenly declaring to me that she ran away?

“The article said a one-week activity pause, but ran away?”

“That was them hurriedly putting out an activity pause because I ran away.”

“Ah…”

Woodeuk said that agency never pauses activities, and he was right. They only did it because of this unavoidable situation.

“That agency is a bit too much. Even when you collapsed that time, they made you work the next day.”

These days, agencies mind fan opinions and pour care into artists, but sadly, Aina’s agency didn’t seem to.

“The schedule being tough is fine. But I… I’m scared of the public.”

“What?”

Since we MC together, I knew the descriptors for Aina better than anyone.

Heavenly celebrity, genius idol, star engraved by heaven to be an idol from birth.

Sparkling visuals, clean broadcast attitude, irresistible charm, overflowing fan love—she was called nearly perfect with nothing lacking.

But scared of the public?

Even up to last week’s broadcast together, I hadn’t noticed any such sign.

“I had no idea…”

“Of course not. How do you think I endured.”

“Ah…”

I knew she was still a minor, but starting social life too early made her thoughts and actions not seem like it at all.

“But if you ran away… don’t the other members know where you are? They’ll worry.”

“I’m ostracized in the team.”

“Ah…”

How many times have I said Ah…? Her confessions that’d top real-time searches if reported were endless, making my head spin.

“Companies force groups together, so it’s possible not to be close.”

Actually, Taewoon isn’t close with his members either, so I understood that situation.

“I couldn’t endure anymore, so I ran away, but had nowhere to go, so I came knowing it’s a bother. I saw this place on TV, and it looked really nice.”

“Ah, yeah. You can heal in the countryside and go back. A little deviation is needed sometimes.”

In her tough situation, she said this place looked nice, so I couldn’t coldly turn her away.

Just think of it as a coworker coming over to hang out.

With the agency, members, and no one on her side, my kindness probably hit her harder.

“I can help with healing as much as you want… But still, wouldn’t it be good to contact your parents?”

I didn’t care if the agency worried or not, but parents were different.

“My parents are abroad…”

“Ah, right.”

True, many idols are from overseas.

“Um… If it’s not too rude, could you let me stay a few days?”

“Huh?”

I thought half a day of village sightseeing and good food—like a rural experience—not this at all.

“Um, sorry, but that might be difficult. As you can see, it’s a house of only men…”

“It’s fine. I can just sleep on the sofa there.”

“No! I’m not fine with that.”

Plus, if I let her stay here, by tomorrow, rumors of me being married would spread all over the village.

How sharp are the neighborhood grannies’ eyes and ears?

People think countryside rumors are slow, but regarding gossip, it’s faster than Seoul.

“I really have nowhere to go…”

It was definitely absurd, but seeing her empty eyes made my heart ache for no reason.

“Oppa, you’re the only one who’s said nice things to me.”

“You’re not the only one. Everyone likes you so much, Aina-ssi.”

“No. They all just pretend.”

Aina firmly refuted my words. It was sad that the top idol in our country, the member receiving the most love, ended up thinking this way.

“Hyunjae~”

“Yes? Hold on.”

I heard Kyungho calling me, excused myself to Aina, and went to him.

“You called?”

“Yeah, gotta pick up Jayden.”

“Jayden? Ah, right, where’d he go?”

With Aina suddenly showing up, I’d completely forgotten about Jayden.

“He went to play at Chaechae’s. Gotta bring him back soon.”

“Ah~ Chaechae’s. Chaechae’s?”

The mention of Chaechae sparked a brilliant idea.

That place is trustworthy!

Chaechae’s family wouldn’t spread rumors anywhere.

“Uncle, about my friend…”

“You wanna send her to Chaechae’s?”

Kyungho spoke as if reading my mind before I even said it.

“Huh? How’d you know?”

“The soundproofing here’s not great. And it’s obvious from your face.”

“I just can’t pretend I don’t know.”

If by any chance she gets caught at our place, it’d be big trouble, and outsiders in the countryside are big news, so keeping it secret would be hard.

“I’ll ask first, so wait a bit.”

“Yeah.”

Kyungho called and then gave an OK sign.

“It’s done. I’ll tell you a place where I can stay.”

“Huh?”

“You don’t have to worry about rumors at all. Trustworthy people. Probably better environment than here too.”

A nice house incomparable to the old animal clinic, so it’d be more comfortable to stay.

“Ah… Okay.”

After thinking briefly, Aina accepted my suggestion, and so we headed to Chaechae’s with Kyungho.

Woof! Woof!

Arf! Arf!

Jayden, who amazingly recognized Kyungho’s car sound, came to the gate wagging his tail and barking, and Chaechae followed, barking too.

“Jayden, shh! Chaechae, quiet!”

The couple quieted the two dogs barking enthusiastically and welcomed us with bright smiles.

“He was waiting so eagerly for you. Hyunjae-ssi~ Long time no see!”

The wife greeted us first, and though she saw Aina following behind us, she didn’t make a fuss acting like she knew her.

“Nice to meet you. He’s big but gentle, so no need to worry.”

“Ah… Yes.”

“This is the person?”

“Yes, sorry to impose so suddenly.”

“Aw~ It’s Hyunjae-ssi’s request; we can do that much.”

The couple laughed as if it was nothing and guided us inside.

Woof! Woof woof!

Jayden showed interest in Aina who came in with us.

“You pet her a lot.”

Woof?

Me?

“Yeah, tell her she’s pretty, pretty a lot.”

Jayden nodded as if understanding my words and waddled toward Aina on his short legs. Then he extended his front paw, gesturing.

“Huh?”

Aina crouched down to meet Jayden’s eyes, and Jayden quietly leaned his body against her leg.

“Ah.”

And she, as if entranced, stroked Jayden’s back.