Chapter 221: Imaginary Couple (4)
The only preference that Kang Ra-Eun had in a newlywed house was that it should be comfortable to live in. Along with Je-Woon’s opinion that it should be within central Seoul, the conversation ended with the production team saying that they would do their best to find one that best fit their preferences.
“The shoot will last three days and two nights. The studio shoot will be done with all three couples gathered together, and it will be in the form of you all talking amongst each other while watching the clips. I don’t have to explain how it will go in detail, do I?”
Ra-Eun and Je-Woon both nodded. They were not beginners in variety program shoots, so they did not need every single detail to be explained to them; they had already experienced programs similar to this.
“Then let’s wrap up the meeting here. Thank you, everyone,” Director Joo Seong-Won remarked.
Everyone else got up from their seats and said their goodbyes to each other. They did not have much time on their schedule, so the shoot would begin as soon as everything was ready, and there was only one thing left for Ra-Eun to do until then.
‘I can take a break, right?’
She could not think of anything in particular to do on her agenda. However, that was only in her imagination.
“Oh, right. I’d forgotten about something important,” Director Joo said while looking back and forth between Ra-Eun and Je-Woon. “Please let me know if there’s a certain schedule that you’d like to follow during those three days of shooting. We will also adhere to that.”
They needed to think of content to do during the shoot. Ra-Eun held in her bitter smile.
‘What a goddamn chore. He really knows how to annoy someone.’
Ra-Eun had felt this ever since she had appeared on the female soldier special of On Duty, All Clear!. As expected from Kim Han-Gyo’s nephew; they were quite similar in that aspect.
***
On Ra-Eun’s third day of her break, she went to a golf course with the like-minded family members that she had gathered. Chairman Ji, Ji Han-Seok, Congresswoman Hong Oh-Yeon, and a few other political figures had gathered in one place.
“Is Vice President Park not coming today?” Chairman Ji asked.
Ra-Eun answered, “Yes. She’s been very busy lately, so she won’t be able to attend.”
“Is that so? What a shame. I wanted to have a golf match against her.”
Ra-Eun could feel the disappointment from him. Park Seol-Hun, who had accompanied Ra-Eun to the golf course, raised a golf club in anxiety.
“A-Allow me to take the opening tee shot.”
He had been put on the same team as Ra-Eun this time as well. He got into position with a 7 iron. He had unwittingly trolled the entire time during the first time that he and Ra-Eun had a golf match against the Chairman Ji and Han-Seok pair, so he had practiced golf whenever he had the time so that it wouldn’t happen again.
Thunk!
However, the golf ball flew to the right and straight toward the hazard. Chairman Ji laughed.
“It looks like your shoes are gonna get wet today as well.”
Seol-Hun had to get in the water with his shoes and socks off last time as well because he had hit the golf ball into the hazard. Seeing that, Chairman Ji had gotten into a fit of laughter as he had been reminded of a specific famous female golfer’s match[1].
Seol-Hun tilted his head in confusion while scratching his head.
“That’s weird. After all that practice...”
Ra-Eun softly sighed as she stared at the disappointed Seol-Hun. She at least felt less pressure than last time thanks to Congresswoman Hong’s efforts as she was also on the same team. The congresswoman had safely scored a birdie this time as well. It was Ra-Eun’s turn this time.
Whack—!
As if to prove herself as the team’s ace, her ball flew straight forward. The power of her swing rivaled most men. The ball flew far and then landed right on the green. Just a bit more power and Ra-Eun might have been able to get a hole in one.
Chairman Ji was impressed by Ra-Eun’s tee shot.
“I get unconsciously tense whenever it’s Ra-Eun’s turn,” he remarked.
The same went for the other political figures on his team. Right after Ra-Eun was Han-Seok. He had grasped the chance for a birdie with a single shot despite having little golf experience.
“Your grandson must take after you, Chairman. His golf skills are to be feared.”
Chairman Ji blossomed into a smile as his grandson was praised.
“He’s strong since he’s still young. Geezers like us can’t compare.”
“Right you are.”
Kang Ra-Eun versus Ji Han-Seok; although this was a team match, it was by no means an over exaggeration to call it a battle between two aces.
Everyone began to get on the golf carts to move to their balls. Just then, Han-Seok gestured at Ra-Eun toward the seat next to his.
“Wanna get on this seat? It’s empty.”
There were quite a large number of people participating today, and it was not easy to separate the teams by different carts; they couldn’t help but be mixed to get to their balls. Ra-Eun sat next to Han-Seok.
Han-Seok brought up during the drive, “I heard the news. You guys are going on Director Joo’s program together, right?”
He had heard the gist of You’re My Other Half. Ra-Eun nodded to affirm.
“Did Je-Woon sunbae tell you?”
“Yeah. We had a drink together the day after he had come back to Korea. He said that he had told Director Joo that he would come on if you did as well, but didn’t expect you to actually agree.”
Han-Seok still did not know if Je-Woon had designated Ra-Eun because he had feelings for her, but what he did know for sure was what he was feeling right now.
“Honestly, I’m really envious of Je-Woon.”
He couldn’t help it as someone who liked Ra-Eun. Even if it was only playing pretend, Je-Woon was still able to live like a married couple with her. His envy aside, he was also anxious.
“Do you perhaps... have feelings for Je-Woon?”
This was the source of Han-Seok’s anxiety.
Ra-Eun flatly denied, “No. I only decided to go on the program because I had a lot of free time. I also have a personal relation to Director Joo.”
“R-Really?”
Han-Seok’s expression brightened albeit a little. Seeing that, Ra-Eun held in her laughter.
‘Your feelings are written all over your face.’
She found it rather cute.
“Have you guys decided on the shooting location yet?”
He purposefully did not call it a newlywed house because he felt like he would lose somehow if he did.
“I heard they’re still looking for one,” Ra-Eun replied.
The production team was unexpectedly having a hard time finding a place.
Just then, Han-Seok suggested, “Then why don’t I lend you a place?”
“Lend? How?”
“I have a villa that I received from my dad. I use it whenever I don’t have time to go down to the countryside and need a change of pace from somewhere near Seoul. I can lend it to you.”
As expected of a third-generation chaebol. Han-Seok took out his smartphone and showed Ra-Eun the villa’s exterior and interior. The place seemed very nice and clean. Not just that, Ra-Eun liked the fact that it was in the central Seoul area.
“It looks great,” she expressed.
“Right? Je-Woon is familiar with the place, so he’ll like it too. He accompanied me there to hang out once before.”
“I think it’ll be okay to use. I’ll send the photos to the production team once you send them to me.”
“Got it,” Han-Seok said. He then coughed twice and continued while sending the photos, “And next time, if it’s okay with you, why don’t we go here togeth—”
However, he was unfortunately cut off by his grandfather, who shouted his name as soon as they arrived at the next spot.
“Han-Seok! Hurry up and get ready!”
“O-Okay, Grandpa!”
Han-Seok forced his legs to move and ran toward Chairman Ji. Ra-Eun smiled dryly as she watched Han-Seok get further away.
“That was too close.”
Ra-Eun was still unaccustomed to how she should react whenever men mustered up the courage to tell her things like this.
***
Ra-Eun and Je-Woon entered the villa that Han-Seok had provided them. The production team had already done a preliminary survey of the place and had installed cameras everywhere to film their marriage life in great detail.
‘This reminds me of the observation reality show.’
Ra-Eun had been a surprise guest at the observation show Star-log that Je-Woon had appeared on in the past, and had witnessed the enormous number of cameras that had been installed in his home.
‘I have to spend three whole days in this place, huh?’
She felt uncomfortable just from the thought. The shoot had begun as soon as they had entered the villa. Je-Woon laid down his things and offered Ra-Eun the chance to select her room first.
“Which room would you like to use?”
“You can choose first, sunbae. I’m fine with whichever that’s left over.”
“These kinds of situations call for ladies first. Don’t feel pressured and choose whichever room you like.”
It would be bad to keep refusing after this. Ra-Eun decided to take a look around the first and second floors. She liked the room on the far right of the second floor best, because...
‘What a view.’
She could see a panoramic view outside the window because there weren’t any tall buildings around the area. She was fascinated to see such a sight in the middle of Seoul.
“I’ll use this room here, sunbae.”
“Then I’ll use the room across from it. Would you like me to show you the bathroom as well?”
“Sure.”
Je-Woon acted as the guide since he knew the villa very well. The production team had a conscience and did not install any cameras in the bathroom. They moved to the room next door.
“This is Han-Seok’s study. He’s gotten addicted to reading lately, so he’s ordained an entire wall with bookshelves.”
The books were uniformly displayed on each shelf. It fitted very well with Han-Seok’s intellectual image.
“And down there is the fitness room. You can exercise there if you want.”
It was good news for both of them since they both liked to exercise.
“Okay, sunbae,” Ra-Eun replied.
Je-Woon suggested as he looked at the nodding Ra-Eun, “Although it’s all pretend, we’re still a couple. You can call me ‘oppa’ instead of ‘sunbae’.”
It appeared; the first on the list of titles that Ra-Eun hated the most: oppa.
“I’ll try,” Ra-Eun answered.
Even if this was a program, Je-Woon would not be able to hear the word ‘oppa’ easily from Ra-Eun’s mouth. Knowing that, he simply smiled in disappointment and did not push it on her any further.
1. This is referring to Park Se-Ri’s shot from the hazard with her knee deep in the water at the 1998 US Open. FYI, she won the tournament. 👈
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