AGIWPUC Chapter 47

Chapter 47: What a Fascinating Coincidence

 

When I arrived at the address Director Jeong Dae-yoon had sent me, the place seemed oddly familiar.  

[Udamga]  

How could I not know? 

It was my own building, after all, playing its part as my filial property.  

On the second floor of the Youngrok Plaza was a premium Korean beef restaurant, and it turned out that this was where the ‘Nemesis’ dinner party was being held.  

“I had a hunch, but it’s really here.”  

What a fascinating coincidence.  

To think that the dinner party for the movie I had invested a huge sum in was being held in a restaurant located in my own building.  

Chuckling at the irony of it all, I headed up to the second floor.  

The place was bustling.  

They must have rented out the entire restaurant, as the hall was already full of people who looked like staff.  

Judging by the empty bottles on the tables, the atmosphere was already quite lively.  

“Where’s Director Jeong Dae-yoon?”  

I scanned the hall, but I couldn’t spot Director Jeong Dae-yoon anywhere.  

Just then, a server approached me and politely asked,  

“Excuse me, sir, I’m afraid we’re fully booked with a private party today.”  

“Actually, do you know where Director Jeong Dae-yoon is?”  

“Oh, you’re with the party. Please, follow me.”  

The server led me, not to the hall, but towards one of the private rooms.  

Slide  

As the elegant sliding doors in traditional Korean Hanok style opened, about a dozen pairs of eyes turned to look at me all at once.  

Director Jeong Dae-yoon spotted me and immediately lit up, jumping to his feet and rushing out to greet me without slippers and all. 

“Oh, President Song, you’re here! You should’ve called when you arrived, I would’ve come to meet you at the entrance.”  

“Ah, no need for that. Hahaha. I hope I didn’t crash the party by showing up unexpectedly.”  

“Oh, not at all! Please, come this way.”  

Director Jeong Dae-yoon’s enthusiastic welcome caught the attention of everyone seated, their eyes now sparkling with curiosity. 

While Director Jeong Dae-yoon was known for his gentle demeanor, he also had a reputation for being firm and principled. It was rare to see him treating someone with such deference. 

After all, he had nearly scrapped a project to stick to his values.  

With a slightly tipsy smile, Director Jeong Dae-yoon introduced me to the group.  

“Everyone, attention please! We have a very special guest with us today. I’ve asked him countless times to join us, and he kept turning me down, but he’s finally here. This is Song Dae-woon, the main investor in ‘Nemesis’.”  

“So, this is the person Director Jeong always talks about…”  

“Ah! The one he calls his savior?”  

“He’s quite young… is he from a chaebol family?”  

What on earth has he been telling people about me?  

Feeling that I should greet everyone first, I bowed politely.  

“Hello, everyone. This is our first time meeting. My name is Song Dae-woon. I wasn’t sure if it was right for me to be here, but as a part of the production, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to show my face. To be honest, I came because I wanted to meet all the incredible actors here. If you don’t mind, could I ask for some autographs and photos before I leave?”  

Laughter and applause filled the room.  

Many investors tend to be arrogant, but my casual, down-to-earth attitude, especially given my young age, seemed to win over the actors. 

They looked at me with warm and friendly expressions.  

Meanwhile, Director Jeong Dae-yoon, now with misty eyes, gazed at me in a way that felt a little overwhelming.  

“We’re close to releasing the movie now, but… honestly, if it weren’t for President Song here, our project might have been scrapped. When I was at my lowest, he appeared like a beacon of hope and generously offered a huge investment. And not only that, he promised not to interfere with the project at all. Truly… without President Song… our movie wouldn’t have made it this far… Sob… Sob…” 

Director Jeong Dae-yoon’s voice choked as he wiped his teary eyes with his sleeve.

I silently patted his shoulder.  

Is he really that grateful?  

But, thinking about it from his perspective, I could see why.  

For Director Jeong Dae-yoon, this movie was everything, his life’s work. 

He must have sharpened his blade for years, preparing for this moment.  

If this masterpiece, which he’d poured his soul into, had been twisted by the whims of investors and ended in disaster, how could he have handled that devastation?  

For a film director, presenting a project with their name on it to the public holds immense significance.  

While Director Jeong Dae-yoon had made a name for himself in independent films, commercial success ultimately determines everything in the industry.  

Especially for a new director, if their debut film flops—whether commercially or critically—it becomes incredibly difficult to get backing for the next project.  

Many rookie directors who fail on their debut quietly disappear without a trace.  

In the face of such overwhelming pressure and stress, my investment must have seemed like a lifeline to him.

“Anyway, since the person we owe so much to is here, how about we make a toast? I’ll lead with ‘Nemesis,’ and you respond with ‘Hit it big!’ Okay, Nemesis!”  

“Hit it big!”  

I shouted the response just as loudly, hoping ‘Nemesis’ would truly become a success, and downed my drink in one go.  

As the lively mood filled the room, I casually observed the faces of those seated.  

Then, my eyes met with someone else’s.  

‘So, we finally met.’

I looked over at Hong Seul-gi, who was staring at me in shock, her eyes wide like a startled rabbit. I flashed her a sly grin.  

From her perspective, this must have been completely absurd.  

The man she knew as her neighbor, who she occasionally bumped into because of a cat, had suddenly appeared as a major investor.  

When I thought about it, everything started with Hong Seul-gi.  

It was purely by chance that, during a stroll on the rooftop, I spotted her holding the script for ‘Nemesis’, practically glowing with golden light. That meeting led me to this moment.  

It really was strange how fate worked.  

After all, wasn’t it because real estate agent Kim Jeong-nam randomly stumbled upon her interview that I met Hong Seul-gi in the first place?  

And that led me to rent the very officetel she lived in.  

Was this all just one big tangled thread of connections, or simply a chain of coincidental events?  

Right now, there was no way to know.  

What I did know for certain was that, rather than forcing things, it’s best to just go with the flow, like following the current of a river. 

Sometimes, it’s easier to let things unfold naturally.

Sliiide  

The sliding door opened once more, and someone else peeked in.  

It was an older woman, draped in all sorts of gold jewelry—on her neck, wrists, and fingers—sparkling extravagantly.  

“Oh my, sorry to keep you waiting! This is fresh Korean beef, caught just this morning. Please, enjoy your meal.”  

“The meat melts right in your mouth, it’s disappearing too quickly!”  

“Hahaha, well, the beef at our place is a little special.”  

This was the owner of Udamga.  

She used to run a small charcoal-grilled meat place, but as word of mouth spread about how good the food was, more and more customers came. 

Eventually, she had to move her restaurant here to keep up with the demand.  

Every time a plate full of Korean beef ribs was placed on the table, the clinking sound of her gold jewelry echoed in my ears.

Then, the owner of the restaurant caught my eye and widened hers in surprise.  

“Oh my! Isn’t this President Song? What brings you here?”  

Everyone turned to stare at me with expressions that clearly said, ‘What kind of situation is this now?’  

I hadn’t expected her to remember me after only meeting once, so I was just as shocked.  

“Hahaha… You have a great memory, madam. How have you been?”  

“Oh, my goodness, how have I been? Ever since I moved here, business has been booming. It’s exhausting, but it makes the hard work worth it! Hohoho.”  

Director Jeong Dae-yoon’s eyes went wide as he looked between me and the owner of Udamga.  

“How do you two know each other…?”  

“Oh, didn’t you know? This building belongs to this young President here! He’s so young and already so capable. He’s not married yet, is he? If my daughter weren’t already married, I would have introduced them.”  

As the owner rattled on, Director Jeong Dae-yoon’s mouth slowly fell open in disbelief.  

“This building belongs to President Song?”  

“Haha… It just kind of happened.” 

I scratched my head, laughing awkwardly.  

It wasn’t embarrassing to be a building owner, but I hadn’t intended to reveal that fact. 

I had hoped to keep it low-key, but it had come out in such an unexpected way.  

Life really is an unpredictable drama.  

“Wow… I mean, that’s really impressive. Owning such a nice building…”  

Director Jeong Dae-yoon and everyone else seated looked at me with a mix of awe and envy.  

Feeling that too much attention was focused on me, I realized I needed to shift the topic.  

I nudged Director Jeong Dae-yoon in the ribs and said,  

“Um… could you introduce me to everyone else? I don’t really know who’s who.”  

“Oh! What a mistake I’ve made. I guess I must be a little drunk. I haven’t even introduced you to anyone yet. Right next to you is actor Nam Kyung-hwan. You’ve probably seen him on TV lately, right? Hahaha. And next to him…” 

I was introduced to each of the cast members one by one, and my first impression didn’t seem too bad—they all looked at me with warm, friendly expressions. 

And then, finally,  

“You must already know Hong Seul-gi, right? After all, you were the one who strongly recommended her for the role of Baek Ah-ri.”  

Director Jeong Dae-yoon, this guy… He talked way too much when he was drunk.  

Hong Seul-gi flinched and then looked at me with her mesmerizing eyes.  

“I didn’t expect to see you here.”  

“Right? What a small world, huh? Hahahaha.”  

Director Jeong Dae-yoon’s eyes widened as he noticed the familiar tone between us.  

“You two… already know each other?”  

“We’re neighbors. We run into each other from time to time. We even did some volunteer work together once.”  

At Hong Seul-gi’s words, Director Jeong Dae-yoon let out a low whistle of surprise.  

“Well, well. What a connection. It seems like neither of you expected to see each other here, huh? What an interesting coincidence.”  

The drinking party continued in a light-hearted atmosphere, and one by one, those who were drunk began to leave.  

I, too, didn’t plan to stay long, so after gauging the situation, I made my farewells and quietly slipped out.  

“Ugh… It’s so uncomfortable. I can’t even understand half of what they’re talking about.”  

Since most of them were actors and crew members, the main topics of conversation were either about their work or the film industry.  

I wasn’t particularly interested in any of that, so I just pretended to understand and nodded along.  

As I stepped out of the building, I glanced up at the second floor before pulling out my phone to call a taxi.  

Ding! 

My phone buzzed with a notification.  

– Hong Seul-gi: Are you heading straight home?  

– Song Dae-woon: Yeah, I should. I haven’t had a drink in a while, so I’m feeling a bit dizzy.  

– Hong Seul-gi: Did you drive?

– Song Dae-woon: No, I’m planning to take a taxi.  

– Hong Seul-gi: Come to the underground parking lot. I’ll give you a ride.  

 “Huh? She’s offering to give me a ride?”  

I looked around.  

Taxis were scarce these days, and people everywhere were frantically trying to hail one.  

After a moment of hesitation, I picked up my phone again.  

– Song Dae-woon: I’m on my way.  

 

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