Chapter 1048: In the Name of Mother (3)

After the movie ended, the cast lined up at the auditorium exit, greeting audience members as they filed out. Since Yoo-Jin wasn't part of the cast, she stood a step behind with me. Even so, people kept coming over to greet her.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Ju Yung-In. Leaving Yoo-Jin for a moment, I stepped aside to answer.

-You were right, oppa. Those women approached me with an offer.

It was a good thing I had warned Ju Yung-In beforehand to be on her guard.

"Really? What did they say?"

-They haven't gotten into the details yet. They just asked to meet somewhere private.

"Then go meet them. Let's hear what they're bold enough to suggest."

-Okay. Once we've settled on a location, I'll send it to you on Kk Talk.

"Thanks."

-Hmph. If you're really grateful, then pick me a better project next time. One that'll make me even more popular than Yoo-Jin.

"I've always recommended the best projects. Whether you can pull off the role is up to you."

-Tsk, fine. I have to get back now, so I'll hang up.

Click.

The moment the call ended, I couldn't help chuckling. Making an offer like that to Ju Yung-In—a top star who had survived every kind of intrigue and backstabbing the entertainment industry could throw at her—was practically asking to get themselves killed.

'Ladies... compared to the power struggles and dirty tricks in the entertainment industry, what you're doing is child's play.'

I slipped my phone back into my pocket and returned to Yoo-Jin's side, greeting the audience once again.

Just then, a loud rush of footsteps echoed down the hallway as LT Cinema's Managing Director Lee Eun-Joo came running toward us, waving her phone. The broad smile on her face was enough to tell us how the movie was doing.

"Mr. Ahn! Chief Jung! It's a huge hit! A huge hit! They've only finished tallying Seoul so far, but every seat for the first screening at every LT Cinema location is sold out!"

Missing – The Lost Ones was screening exclusively at LT Cinema. After President Son Hyung-Tae dropped the film, CK Cinema had decided not to show it. As a result, LT Cinema had allocated twice as many screens as usual, and every single one had sold out.

"Congratulations, Mr. Ahn!"

"Let's hit ten million!"

The actors and staff all erupted into cheers. Just like before my regression, the film that had gone on to attract eight million viewers was off to another spectacular start.

After everyone shared in the excitement of the film's success, they began leaving for their next schedules. Ju Yung-In also left the venue with President Ahn Yung-Hee.

At that moment, I left Miso in Lee Yung-Jin's care and headed to the parking lot with Yoo-Jin.

***

We arrived at the parking lot of Café MK, a four-story café in Cheonho-dong. It was the address Ju Yung-In had sent over Kk Talk.

Wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a wig as a disguise, Yoo-Jin peeked her head out from the back seat. "Oppa, when do you think Yung-In will come out?"

"Soon."

Sure enough, after about ten minutes of waiting, Ju Yung-In emerged, looking around carefully as she walked with Ahn Yung-Hee.

"There she is."

The moment the two of them got into their van, I turned to Yoo-Jin. "I'll be back."

"Okay. Have a safe trip."

I immediately got out of the driver's seat and climbed into the back of the van.

Slide. Click.

As soon as I shut the door, Ju Yung-In looked at me in disbelief. "Oppa... I think those moms have completely lost their minds."

"Why?"

"They're planning to post rumors about you and Yoo-Jin having a scandal on the Cheonho-dong moms' website. Then they're going to tip off reporters to show up at the same time. They even asked me to back up the story so it'd sound more believable."

The idea was so absurd that I couldn't help asking Ju Yung-In, "What on earth made them think they could trust you?"

"They must've heard some ridiculous rumor somewhere, because they're completely convinced that you, Yoo-Jin, and I are caught in a love triangle. I guess they thought I'd be willing to help them."

"What kind of ridiculous nonsense is that?"

"Well... it isn't entirely wrong..."

"Hey. Ju Yung-In."

Ju Yung-In let out a quiet laugh. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Anyway, what are you going to do now?"

"What else? To those moms, it may just be juicy gossip. But to us, it's not. They should pay a price that fits what they've done."

Ju Yung-In shook her head at my blunt reply. "Go easy on them. Whenever you step in, everything gets completely destroyed."

Ignoring the comment, I asked, "By the way, did you bring what I asked for?"

"Yep."

Ju Yung-In nodded and tapped on her phone.

Ding.

A file from her arrived.

[Ju Yung-In_Recording_01]

The favor I had asked of Ju Yung-In was to record her conversation with Ham Hye-Mi's mother and the others.

"Thanks. I appreciate you helping me with something like this."

"There's no need to thank me. Consider it payment for recommending my next project. Besides, if I hadn't gone, it could've turned into a real mess. I might've gotten dragged into it too."

"If you hadn't gone, you probably would've."

"Exactly."

"Anyway, I'll wrap everything up before tonight's over, so don't worry."

"I'm not worried. I know who's handling it. Now hurry up and go."

After saying goodbye to Ju Yung-In, who trusted me just as completely as Yoo-Jin did, I opened the rear door and got out. By the time I made it back to my car, Ju Yung-In's van had already pulled away.

A few moments later, the front doors of Café MK opened. Ham Hye-Mi's mother and the class representatives emerged from the café, chatting and smiling.

"Then I'll see everyone on Saturday."

"Of course, Hye-Mi's mom. I'll make sure to talk to all the mothers in my class. Don't worry. The first-grade parent association president's position is practically yours already."

Looking thoroughly pleased with herself, Ham Hye-Mi's mother climbed into her car with Ham Hye-Mi and drove away.

Pressed against the rear window, Yoo-Jin watched them leave. "Those moms are really going all in."

"They sure are."

Pulling her cap down low again, Yoo-Jin lay back across the rear seat and covered herself with the pile of clothes we'd stashed there as camouflage. "I'll stay hidden, so have a safe trip."

Somehow, she seemed to be enjoying the situation.

After watching Yoo-Jin disappear beneath the pile of clothes again, I got out through the driver's door.

'I'll finish all of this before the day's over.'

***

Ham Hye-Mi's mother, Kwak Ji-Hyun, returned home and checked the clock hanging on the wall. The current time was 10:30 p.m. Ham Hye-Mi followed her through the front door, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

Seeing that, Kwak Ji-Hyun barked sharply, "Ham Hye-Mi. Go wash up, then get to your room and study until midnight."

"Mom... I'm sleepy..."

"What? Your mother is running herself ragged for your sake, and you're telling me you're sleepy? If you're not as smart as your sister, then at least work harder!"

Ham Hye-Mi flinched. "I... I'm sorry."

"Then hurry up, wash up, and get to your room!"

Ham Hye-Mi hurried into the bathroom, quickly washed up, and rushed into her room. Compared to her older sister, she simply wasn't good enough. That was why Kwak Ji-Hyun believed she had no choice but to push her harder with strict discipline.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Kwak Ji-Hyun set down her bag and took a shower. Thirty minutes later, she stepped out of the bathroom. Dressed in a loose T-shirt and shorts, she sat down in front of her laptop. It was time to write the post she planned to upload to the Cheonho-dong moms' website.

Just then, she got a notification on her phone.

Buzz.

[Caller ID: Husband]

It was her husband, who routinely worked past midnight at KJ Law Firm's Cheonho-dong office. As she reached for the phone, she noticed something. He had apparently been calling while she was in the shower. There were twelve missed calls.

A chill ran down her spine as she answered. The instant the call connected, her husband's furious voice exploded through the speaker.

-Hey! Kwak Ji-Hyun!

"Jeez! Why are you yelling all of a sudden?"

-Forget that! Get over to my office right now! If you don't, we're getting divorced!

"What? What's going on?"

-Our family's about to be ruined, so get over here now!!

Click.

As her husband hung up immediately after saying his piece, a surge of irritation welled up inside her.

"What on earth is his problem? This had better be something serious. Otherwise, I'm going to..."

Changing into a light tracksuit, Kwak Ji-Hyun put on a large pair of sunglasses and a cap before shouting toward the front door.

"Ham Hye-Mi! I'm going out. Keep studying until I get back!"

"Okay."

After venting her frustration on her daughter, she headed outside. She quickly drove to her husband's office. As soon as she opened the office door, his male secretary jumped to his feet.

"Where's my husband?" asked Kwak Ji-Hyun.

"He's in the meeting room, ma'am."

Unlike usual, the curtains covering the meeting room had been completely drawn shut, making it impossible to see inside.

"All right."

Still grumbling about why she had been summoned so late at night, Kwak Ji-Hyun grabbed the handle and pushed the meeting room door open. However, the instant she stepped inside, her body froze.

Seated at the head of the conference table were Jung Yoon-Ho and Jung Yoo-Jin. Beside them sat her husband, Attorney Ham Byung-Moon, bowing his head as though he had committed an unforgivable crime.

It wasn't just him. Yoo Dong-Sik's mother, Park Hee-Cheol's mother, and Lee Joo-Sun's mother were all there as well, each accompanied by their husbands, all wearing expressions of utter despair. Even the principal of Cheonho Best Elementary School was present.

"W-What's going on? Honey... Why is everyone... here?"

At that moment, Ham Byung-Moon glared at her with blazing eyes. "Have you lost your mind? Do you even realize what you've done today?"

"W-What did I do?"

That was when Jung Yoon-Ho expressionlessly took out his phone and played an audio recording. Kwak Ji-Hyun's own voice echoed through the room.

-So listen carefully, everyone. Once I anonymously post on the moms' website that Jung Yoon-Ho and Jung Yoo-Jin are dating, I want all of you to back it up in the comments and spread it around. Understood?

Click.

The moment Jung Yoon-Ho stopped the recording, Ham Byung-Moon roared so loudly the office seemed to shake. "Because of you, we're about to get hit with a ten-billion-won lawsuit!"

Instantly, Kwak Ji-Hyun's vision spun. The strength drained from her legs, and she collapsed onto the floor.

***

'Idiots.'

Thanks to Ham Hye-Mi's mother foolishly trusting Ju Yung-In, I got exactly the recording I needed. I went straight into the café and met Park Hee-Cheol's mother. The moment I played the recording for her, she clasped her hands together, begged for forgiveness, and handed over the café's security camera footage.

After that, Yoo-Jin, Park Hee-Cheol's parents, and I went to Ham Byung-Moon's office and presented the evidence. Then I told him that unless we received a sincere apology, we would immediately file a ten-billion-won lawsuit.

Startled out of his wits, Ham Byung-Moon summoned the four couples who had orchestrated everything. And just now, Ham Hye-Mi's mother had been the last one to arrive.

Looking at Ham Hye-Mi's mother, whose legs had completely given out beneath her, I spoke. "If we don't receive a sincere apology, I'll immediately proceed with a ten-billion-won lawsuit. At the same time, I'll contact reporters and have today's events made public."

At that moment, Ham Byung-Moon, Ham Hye-Mi's father, who had been apologizing nonstop, pleaded once again. "Mr. Jung... My wife acted foolishly. We'll do whatever you ask. Please, just forgive us this once."

"Whatever I ask?"

"Yes!" After answering without hesitation, Ham Byung-Moon turned toward the others. "You all feel the same way, don't you?"

Everyone hurriedly nodded. "Yes. We'll do whatever you ask as well!"

The four terrified couples, their faces drained of all color, surrendered without condition.

I nodded. "In that case, I never want to see any of your faces at Cheonho Best Elementary School again."

In other words, I was demanding that all four of their children transfer to another school.

At that moment, the principal of Cheonho Best Elementary School spoke up. "If that's what Miso's mother wants, I can also request the transfers under my authority as principal. You attempted to interfere in the parent association election and disrupt the school's administration. If you refuse, I'll report this directly to the Office of Education, and it will also be recorded in the students' school records."

The moment they heard it would become part of the students' permanent records and could affect future admissions, the mothers looked utterly devastated.

In the past, when my opponents had already lost the will to fight, I would sometimes show mercy. This time, however, I had no intention of doing so. Because of them, both Yoo-Jin's and Ju Yung-In's acting careers could have been destroyed. Not only that, but Miso's entire elementary school life could have been ruined as well.

Just then, Yoo-Jin grabbed my arm and spoke in a calm voice. "Oppa, wait a second."

"What is it?"

"Can you leave this to me? The more I think about it, the more I feel this isn't something for actress Jung Yoo-Jin to handle... it's something for mother Jung Yoo-Jin."

I hesitated for a moment, but the determination in her eyes was impossible to refuse. I nodded, took a step back, folded my arms, and waited.

"All right."

After quietly thanking me, Yoo-Jin looked at everyone and began speaking. "To be honest, I want to do exactly what Yoon-Ho oppa suggested!"

None of the parents could bring themselves to say a word. They simply lowered their heads.

Yoo-Jin let out a quiet sigh. "But after raising Miso, I've come to understand the weight that comes with being called a mother just as well as all of you do. So... this one time, I'll forgive you."

Kwak Ji-Hyun, asked in a trembling voice, "Y-You really mean that... Miso's mom?"

"Yes. But I have two conditions."

"I'll do anything! As long as our children don't have to transfer!"

The other parents nodded immediately.

"We will."

"Yes, Miso's mom."

Once everyone agreed, Yoo-Jin looked toward the principal. The principal gave a silent nod. Only then did Yoo-Jin continue.

"First, the four of you may not serve in any parent association position for the next six years of elementary school. Not as officers, class representatives, or even assistant class representatives. That includes this Saturday's election as well."

The four women all went pale. Yoo-Jin's condition was essentially a death sentence for their influence at the school. They would no longer have any say as parents. Their husbands, however, immediately agreed.

"We're completely on board! Absolutely!"

In the end, the mothers reluctantly agreed as well. Losing their influence as parents was still better than having their children forced to transfer schools.

Ham Hye-Mi's mother asked in a trembling voice, "A-All right... But... what's the second condition, Miso's mom?"

"If I'm elected first-grade parent association president, I'll volunteer at the school whenever I have time. Every single time I do, I want all of you to come with me. You'll help clean the school and assist with meal service. Oh, and that includes the fathers too. No exceptions."

The four couples exchanged glances before accepting that condition as well. "We'll do it. Just let us know a few days in advance."

After taking a deep breath, Yoo-Jin turned to me. "Oppa, I'd like to end it here."

It wasn't exactly what I wanted. Still, I couldn't refuse. After all, this was a request from Miso's mother.

I nodded. "All right."

At that moment, the principal smiled. "Miso's mother has made a wise decision. In that case, I'll consider today's events something I never heard. Now then, how shall we handle Saturday's election?"

Ham Hye-Mi's mother spoke up. "I'm withdrawing my candidacy."

The other mothers quickly followed. "We're resigning from the school council as well."

"Very well. Then I'll officially declare Miso's mother the sole candidate for Saturday's first-grade parent association president election."

And just like that, Yoo-Jin became the first-grade parent association president.

***

The principal, Yoo-Jin, and I left the office first. After thanking the principal for coming so late at night, we headed toward the car.

Yoo-Jin apologized in a quiet voice. "Oppa, I'm sorry."

"For what? There's nothing to apologize for. If anything, I'm grateful."

"Huh?"

"I mean it. To be honest... I wasn't too keen on filing a lawsuit either."

Yoo-Jin and I had become far too prominent. If we weren't careful, people could easily accuse us of abusing our influence to bully those mothers. Instead, Yoo-Jin had resolved everything as a fellow mother. In a way, that made things much easier.

"Really?"

"Yeah. And honestly... I didn't want to make the children pay for their parents' mistakes."

"I felt the same way. I may not want to see those mothers again, but the children... they didn't do anything wrong."

Hearing Yoo-Jin express exactly what I had been thinking brought an unconscious smile to my face. In my experience, even humble people often lost themselves after becoming stars. Once fame arrived, they became surrounded by people who did nothing but praise and flatter them. Yoo-Jin, however, hadn't changed a bit since the day we first met.

"Thank you, Yoo-Jin."

"For what?"

"For staying the same."

Yoo-Jin let out a quiet laugh. "What could possibly change? I'm still just Jung Yoo-Jin, struggling every day to act, raise Miso, and keep up with everything else."

Watching Yoo-Jin smile as if there were nothing remarkable about it, I found myself thinking she looked especially beautiful today. She probably didn't realize it herself, but remaining unchanged was one of the hardest things in the world.

***

Several days passed, and Monday came. After finishing my lunch, I checked a Kk Talk message Yoo-Jin had sent.

[Lovely?Yoo-Jin: Jung Yoo-Jin, First-Grade Parent Association President at Cheonho Best Elementary School! ❤ Congratulations! ❤]

In the photo, Yoo-Jin was beaming as she held the certificate of appointment from the principal in one hand while hugging Miso, who had both arms raised triumphantly, with the other. Her smile was even brighter than it had been when she had won the Top Excellence Award at the year-end entertainment awards. Just looking at it made me smile.

Just then, Lee Yung-Jin returned from lunch and asked, "Why do you look so happy all by yourself?"

Not wanting to be teased for doting on her, I slipped my phone away and answered, "The weekend box office numbers came in. We've already passed a total of seven hundred thousand admissions."

Contrary to everyone's expectations, Missing – The Lost Ones, which had screened exclusively at LT Cinema throughout the weekend, had taken first place at the weekend box office. The attendance figures were still lower than they could have been, though. Son Hyung-Tae of CK Entertainment, who controlled roughly half the theaters nationwide, had refused to screen the film at CK Cinema.

"So CK Cinema still isn't going to show it?"

"For now, Mr. Shin Jong-Ki said he won't hand it over until they get down on their knees. He figures we can just keep it running at LT Cinema for as long as it takes."

"Well... he's got a point."

"By the way, did you see our stock today? It just keeps climbing. I think it'll break two hundred thousand won."

At the mention of the stock price, the corners of Lee Yung-Jin's mouth curled upward. He had bought quite a lot of shares himself.

"At this rate, we might actually become the number one company in the industry this week."

"There's a real chance of that."

I was chatting with the excited Lee Yung-Jin while waiting for the others when my phone vibrated with a notification from Everyday.

Buzz.

[Everyday V13]

[Notification: Today's Fortune of the Day has been updated.]

Given how well things had been going, I expected another encouraging fortune. Instead, I found something I had never anticipated.

[Everyday V13]

[Date: June 21, 2021]

[Fortune of the Day: When everything appears to be at its most brilliant, your darkest moment will arrive. You may encounter someone who could become the greatest enemy of your life.]

'The greatest enemy of my life? Besides Kim Dong-Soo, is there really someone else who could stand against me now?'

The faces of the people I had clashed with before my regression flashed through my mind, but none of them seemed to fit.

Just then, the meeting room door swung open, and Director Kang Ji-Yung walked in with an irritated expression.

Bang.

"Chief Jung. Come upstairs with me."

"What's going on?"

"That bastard showed up."

'That bastard?'

From the way she said it, it was obviously someone Kang Ji-Yung knew.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"It's someone you know too."

'The person who could become my greatest enemy... is someone I already knew?'