Chapter 34: Why Are You Here, Hyung?
“Why is Hong Seul-gi coming here?”
It was a reasonable question.
It wasn’t common for a top star like her to participate in such a shoot.
“I didn’t know this, but apparently, Hong Seul-gi has always had a special love for animals. I heard she’s been secretly doing volunteer work for a long time.”
“Wow. I thought she was just a goddess in appearance, but it turns out she’s a goddess at heart too.”
“Then what about me?”
“You? Maybe a demon?”
“Do you want to die?”
“Sorry.”
At Ga-haeng’s quick apology, Yoo-jin made a resentful expression.
‘Hong Seul-gi, huh…’
It was a strangely fateful connection.
I had thought I might run into her someday, but I never imagined it would be in a place like this.
‘Well, even if we do meet, it’s not like we’re going to have a conversation.’
I figured she’d just film her scenes quota and disappear quickly.
How much effort would a celebrity known as a top star put into something in such a remote location?
Thinking it would just be a fleeting encounter, I didn’t pay much attention to it.
A little while later.
While continuing with the remaining work, I heard a buzz of excitement from the people around me.
“Unbelievable! She’s actually come here.”
Woof Woof Woof Woof Woof
As soon as the sound of a car approaching filled the air, the previously quiet dogs started barking again.
A few moments later, a group of people who seemed to be part of the filming crew entered the shelter.
The elderly woman in charge of the shelter greeted them warmly.
“Welcome! It must have been hard to find your way here.”
“Hello, ma’am. I’m PD Park Jin-woo, who greeted you last time.”
The man who introduced himself as the PD bowed politely to the director.
“But are you sure about this? Our shelter doesn’t have anything special…”
The director scratched her white hair tied into a bun and gave an embarrassed smile.
Park Jin-woo gently held the director’s wrinkled hand with a kind smile.
“It doesn’t need to be special. We want to capture things as they are. And, of course, there’s no need to worry about any information leaking from here.”
Reassured by Park Jin-woo’s words, the director hesitantly asked.
“Then, what exactly are you planning to do?”
“Just treat them the same as any other volunteers. A professional trainer who will be arriving shortly will work on correcting the behavior of some problematic dogs. It’s a kind of volunteer work.”
“Is that really okay? I heard a famous celebrity is coming. The work here is pretty tough.”
“It’s fine, ma’am.”
A woman suddenly stepped out from behind a sturdy man who seemed to be her manager.
“It’s Hong Seul-gi!”
“This is crazy. Even with a mask on… how can she look so…”
As soon as Hong Seul-gi appeared, the murmurings reached their peak.
It was clear that a celebrity is still a celebrity—the moment she arrived, everyone’s attention was instantly focused on her.
Even with her mask on, her distinctive, sharp eyes without double eyelids captivated everyone’s gaze at once.
‘She’s more down-to-earth than I thought.’
Sometimes, when I occasionally saw her in bus ads or other advertisements, she always appeared so glamorous, but it seemed the rumors about her volunteering regularly weren’t just talk, as she showed up in surprisingly modest training clothes.
Even so, she undeniably exuded that unique aura that only an actress could have.
“I’m definitely not here just to put on a show for the cameras. Please assign me any task.”
“Hmm… Then, how about helping this young man with his work?”
Following the director’s wrinkled finger, everyone’s eyes turned toward one spot.
“Me?”
I was utterly bewildered by the sudden call-out.
I had deliberately chosen a quiet corner to remain unnoticed, so why on earth was I being singled out now?
“This young man here is a real hard worker. He single-handedly completed a task that would usually take five strong men. Dear, you can follow him around and lend a hand.”
At the director’s words, Hong Seul-gi nodded without hesitation.
“Alright, I’ll do that.”
As soon as Hong Seul-gi agreed, the place erupted in excitement.
“What on earth did you do in your past life to get this lucky?”
“Ah! I should have shown a more hardworking side of myself to get noticed!”
“Woah, working alongside Hong Seul-gi? This is like a once-in-a-lifetime honor!”
Despite the commotion around me, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of reluctance.
Honestly, it felt like a hassle.
And then there was the persistent presence of the TV crew and their cameras…
‘Ugh. She’ll probably just do a little and quit.’
I figured she’d only pretend to work and then head out since she’s such a top star.
Hong Seul-gi, with a cat-like graceful stride, walked up to me.
“What should I start with?”
“First, you might want to change your mask.”
“Huh?”
“We need to finish up the remaining electrical work, but that surgical mask you’re wearing won’t protect you from the asbestos dust. Here, take this.”
I handed Hong Seul-gi a round industrial mask that I had brought as a spare.
She blinked in surprise but took the mask, somewhat bewildered.
“You’ll need to wear this to block the dust properly. Come on, there’s no time to waste, follow me quickly. We’ve got a mountain of work to do.”
I decided to work her harder.
That way, she might leave a little sooner.
Despite being a neighbor, there was no special treatment.
“Hey, hold that ladder properly! If you fall, you’re looking at 12 weeks in recovery.”
“Is that how you’re going to screw it in? You need to apply more pressure! Is this your first time using a power drill?”
It was just like a real construction site, with me acting as the supervisor and her as the assistant.
I treated her no differently than I would any junior crew member.
As we worked, I occasionally glanced at Hong Seul-gi’s face.
She seemed flustered by the situation, fumbling at first, but as I kept pushing her, a determined look appeared in her eyes.
‘Oh, not bad.’
She seemed to have a knack for it. Once I showed her how to do something, she could follow up with two or three other tasks.
“The nipper. No, not that one, the one next to it.”
There wasn’t a shred of small talk between us.
Thanks to that, I managed to pick up the pace, finishing the electrical work faster than I had expected.
Click
When I flipped the switch, the once-dead bulbs and fluorescent lights flickered to life, casting a bright light.
“Okay, the electrical work is done. Good job. Let’s take a short break.”
“You worked hard too.”
Hey, I can see it all, Agassi 1“아가씨“ (agassi) is a term used to refer to a young woman or lady, often in a slightly formal or respectful manner. . Judging by the twitching of her cheeks, she was definitely smiling behind that mask.
“Take off your mask and shake out your hair.”
There was so much debris clinging to her hair and around her eyes that it was visible to the naked eye.
At my suggestion, Hong Seul-gi removed her mask and shook her head to clear the dust.
A fragrant shampoo scent wafted past my nose.
Her cheeks still bore the round imprints of the mask from how tightly she had worn it.
“Wow. She’s even beautiful in person.”
“She really is an actress after all. Her beauty is on another level.”
I overheard the murmurs from people who had been sneaking glances in our direction.
‘Is she really that beautiful?’
Slightly upturned eyes without double eyelids.
A soft, rounded chin and skin so clear it was almost transparent.
Peach-colored lips and a sharp, elegant nose.
‘Yeah, she’s definitely beautiful.’
Her beauty was undeniable, the kind that made you nod in agreement.
But could this woman really be someone who shared a good connection with me?
Kim Jeong-nam had mentioned that when the golden light was shining, he was watching this woman’s interview.
But since I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I couldn’t be sure what kind of variables might arise.
Still, that was something time would resolve and for now, finishing the work was the priority.
Just then.
Meeeow
I heard a pitiful meow that made me instinctively turn my head.
“Oh my, how adorable.”
For the first time, Hong Seul-gi, who had never really shown her emotions before, clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling.
“A cat?”
A sleek, black-furred cat with emerald-green eyes was staring at us—or rather, at me.
I, too, met the cat’s gaze, holding its eyes with mine.
“Do all cats’ eyes look like that?”
Its large, doll-like eyes with an emerald hue that seemed to compress the entire universe gave off an incredibly mysterious vibe.
“Come here.”
When Hong Seul-gi reached out her hand, the black cat immediately prepared to flee.
Disappointment pulled down the corners of Hong Seul-gi’s eyes.
Suddenly, I remembered the sausage I had stuffed into my pocket as a snack.
I held the sausage in my hand and slowly approached the cat.
“Oh…”
Hong Seul-gi let out a soft exclamation.
Though the cat’s eyes were still full of wariness, for some reason, it didn’t run away as I got closer.
I gently stroked the cat’s round head as I reached it, then tore the sausage into small pieces and placed them on my palm.
Chomp chomp chomp
“What a little eater.”
Taking advantage of the cat’s distraction with the food, I carefully stroked its back.
The soft, smooth texture was palpable across my entire hand.
Meeeow
The cat, having finished off the sausage, started rubbing its head against my leg, purring affectionately.
It must have really liked the taste of the sausage.
Suddenly, the cat was startled and quickly ran away.
Confused, I turned my head to see Hong Seul-gi standing there awkwardly.
Her pupils were trembling as if an earthquake had hit them.
“I-I’m sorry. I just wanted to see it up close…”
“There’s nothing to apologize for. If you’re done resting, let’s head over to clean the kennels.”
Hong Seul-gi, who was still gazing longingly at where the cat had disappeared, nodded in agreement.
“Okay.”
When the topic of cleaning came up, a knowing smile spread across her face.
It seemed that she was confident in her cleaning abilities, given her regular volunteer work.
But she didn’t know who she was up against.
‘You want to talk about cleaning with someone who was in charge of cleaning down a 1,200-ton fishing ship?’
Cleaning the engine room, the kitchen, removing rust from the deck, and scraping off old paint and sea creatures stuck to the hull was on a whole different level than most hard labor.
Not to brag, but I was so good at it that I even earned extra pay as a cleaning supervisor of the ship.
I fetched a long hose connected to the faucet and began the real work of cleaning the kennels.
Woof woof woof
A large retriever wagged its tail excitedly as it ran toward me.
Having experience handling German Shepherds on the ship, I quickly placed it in an empty kennel for a moment before starting the main cleaning.
“You little rascal… You’ve made quite the mess, haven’t you?”
First, I swept up the scattered droppings with a broom.
Beside me, Hong Seul-gi was sweeping at a quick pace, as if trying to compete with me.
‘Heh, how cute.’
Unfortunately for her, the key to cleaning isn’t speed—it’s attention to detail.
“Can’t you see that big stain over there? Let’s not do this twice. We’re a team here.”
At my remark, Hong Seul-gi’s eyebrows twitched in frustration.
But the real challenge was just beginning.
“That stain won’t come off just by wiping it with a rag like that.”
“Then how am I supposed to clean it?”
She protested, her voice laced with irritation.
For some reason, her reaction reminded me of a junior crew member who used to rebelliously talk back, which brought a smile to my face.
“Ma’am! Do you have any leftover soju?”
“Huh? Yes, why? Planning to have a drink while you work?”
“No way. I just need to borrow some for a moment.”
After retrieving a half-finished bottle of soju, I looked around and picked up a discarded piece of sponge.
“Stubborn stains like these come off easily when you soak a sponge in soju and scrub it hard like this.”
When the stain that had resisted all attempts at cleaning suddenly disappeared as if by magic, Hong Seul-gi’s eyes widened in astonishment.
My valuable tips didn’t end there.
“You should use soapy water to clean door frames like these. And even after cleaning, if there’s still a lingering smell, mix neutral detergent with water for a final wipe—works like a charm.”
By now, Hong Seul-gi had become an eager student, nodding firmly and diligently following every instruction I gave.
When our knees began to ache and our bent backs started to protest, we finally reached the end.
“Phew… It’s done.”
Hong Seul-gi, who had been working silently, slowly approached and extended her pale hand.
Clap
Without needing to say a word, we high-fived and then quietly began to put away the cleaning tools.
Meanwhile, PD Park Jin-woo, who had been filming the entire scene, watched us with eyes gleaming with excitement.
Other teams had also mostly finished their tasks and began to gather one by one in the open area.
“Everyone, thank you all for your hard work. We’ll conclude today’s volunteering here. Feel free to leave if you need to, but if you’d like to stick around and watch the remaining filming, you’re welcome to do so.”
Most people chose to stay after hearing the announcement from the club president, Yoo Hye-in.
“Of course, we should stay and watch. They say the ‘Dog President’ is coming today.”
“Dog President?”
“Don’t you know? He’s really hot right now.”
As if not understanding what was going on, a middle-aged man in casual clothes abruptly entered through the gate.
“Hahaha, hello everyone!”
“Wait, what?”
My eyes widened in surprise when I recognized the man.
“Hyung, why are you here?”
He, too, was unable to hide his surprise upon seeing me.
“Dae-won-ie? Is that really you, Dae-woon-ie?”
It was Joo-seok Hyung, a fellow crew member from the same ship and the very person who had first brought golden light into my life, staring at me with his mouth wide open.
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