Sujin and Sungjun's First Real Conversation (part-2)

Sujin let out a soft chuckle, her fingers tightening briefly on the wheel. "Because she believed in my potential, when my own company management didn't, despite the fact that they raked billions of won from our group. Well, atleast that was the reason she gave me."

She took a slow breath before continuing.

"She told me, 'You're more than just an idol, Sujin-ah. You have talent. You can make it as an actress.' And she stayed. Even when I wasn't booking lead roles, even when I was barely getting cast for second leads, she stayed."

Her smile turned bittersweet. "I owe her a lot. So now that she finally has time to focus on her own life, I want her to take it easy. I don't want to rely on someone else when the person I trust the most isn't here."

Sungjun nodded, understanding the sentiment.

Loyalty.

It was something rare in this industry.

After another moment of quiet, he finally spoke. "She sounds like a good person."

Sujin smiled, glancing at him again. "She is."

The car continued its steady pace down the road, the conversation fading into another comfortable silence. But this time, it wasn't heavy.

It was simply… understood.

This time, it was Sujin who took the initiative to continue the conversation.

"Sae-ri-noona told me you're from Russia." She glanced at him briefly before returning her focus to the road. "How are you adjusting here?"

Sungjun let out a small chuckle and shook his head. "I'm not exactly from Russia."

"Oh?"

"I moved there when I was eighteen and lived there for about fifteen years," he clarified. "So, technically, I spent a good part of my life there, but I wasn't born there."

Sujin nodded as if processing the information, then continued. "She also mentioned that you're a single father and came back because of your daughter."

Sungjun's grip on his phone tightened slightly. He hadn't expected Sae-ri to mention that to Sujin. His eyes flickered toward her as he asked cautiously, "What else did Sae-ri-noona tell you about me?"

Sujin smiled a little, sensing his curiosity. "Not much. Just that you worked in a legal team but left because of the recession caused by the war."

That answer gave him a clear understanding of how much Sae-ri had revealed about him. He quickly took note of what he should confirm and what he should withhold.

Keeping his expression casual, he pulled out his phone and scrolled through his gallery before handing it to Sujin.

On the screen was a picture of a teenage girl—his daughter. She had bright eyes, a soft smile, and a hint of mischief in her expression.

Sujin's eyes widened slightly as she glanced between the screen and Sungjun. "Wow… I didn't expect your daughter to be this big already."

Sungjun leaned back against his seat and nodded. "Yeah. She's fourteen now."

Sujin's gaze softened. "She's really cute and a bit exotic."

"I guess she got the best of our looks combined," Sungjun replied with a small smirk, taking back his phone.

Then, without much thought, he added, "I married when I was in high school."

Sujin turned to look at him in mild surprise. "In high school?" She calculated his age and thought. "So, he is like 33 or 34? Hmm… so, he is older than me. I thought he is like 27 or 28 at most. But then again, he has a 14-year-old daughter. It wouldn't make sense if he is in his mid-20s. Anyways, it is a good thing that I didn't start talking down to him."

Sungjun, meanwhile, hummed in confirmation. "My wife passed away during childbirth, so it's just been me and my daughter since then."

There was a brief pause before Sujin quietly said, "I'm sorry."

Sungjun shook his head, offering a reassuring smile. "It's alright. It's been a long time."

The air between them felt a little heavier for a moment, but Sungjun smoothly shifted the topic. "Anyway, Sae-ri-noona told me you used to be an idol."

Sujin blinked at the sudden change but nodded. "Yeah."

"I was wondering… how is it to be an idol?"

Before she could respond, Sungjun added with a small chuckle, "My daughter actually wants to become one."

At that, Sujin's brows lifted in amusement. "Really?"

Sungjun exhaled, half-laughing. "Yeah. She's been talking about it nonstop. Wants to join an agency as a trainee and everything."

Sujin grinned. "That's cute. But if she really wants to become an idol… well, she's got a long road ahead of her." She turned the wheel smoothly as the traffic light turned green. "Idol life isn't as glamorous as people think."

Sungjun tilted his head slightly, intrigued. "Go on."

Sujin smirked. "You sure? Once I start talking, I might not stop and you might regret asking me."

Sungjun chuckled. "I don't mind. I need to know what I'm dealing with if my daughter insists on this. I wish to know how an Idol's life will be like."

Sujin smiled softly before letting out a short sigh. "Well, if I had to put briefly…" She tapped her fingers lightly against the steering wheel as if gathering her thoughts.

"It's… brutal."

Sungjun raised an eyebrow. "Brutal?"

"Yeah," she chuckled dryly. "People only see the glitz and glamour, but the early years are hell."

She glanced at him briefly before turning her eyes back to the road. "Even for a group like ours, which had a mediocre fan base, we had to push ourselves to exhaustion. Daily practice was intense—hours of singing, dancing, and even acting training. And if you weren't naturally talented? Well… too bad. You had to work twice as hard and still couldn't expect a chance to debut."

Sungjun listened quietly, his brows furrowing slightly.

"And then, there's the diet," Sujin continued with a shake of her head. "You'd think companies would be lenient, but nope. They have strict weight requirements, and we had to go on extreme diets to maintain them. Some girls barely eat, like surviving on just one single apple and a banana, and water for all day. It was all about looking good on camera."

She cast him a side glance before adding, "Of course, face jobs are also a thing. Nose adjustments, Botox injections—everyone does something to fit the industry's beauty standards."

Sungjun hummed in acknowledgment, though he couldn't help but find it unsettling. "That sounds… exhausting and quite disturbing."

Sujin nodded. "It is. And the worst part? It doesn't get easier after debut. If anything, it gets harder."

Sungjun tilted his head. "How so?"

Sujin let out a soft chuckle, but this time, there was something nostalgic in her expression. "Once you debut, you start chasing something different entirely—fame, relevance, staying on top. The competition is brutal, and the industry is always looking for the next big thing. You can't afford to slack off. Every mistake is magnified, every word you say is analyzed, and the pressure to stay perfect never really goes away. And without a strong dedicated fanbase, a group will always have a risk of disbandment. No fanbase, no income. No income, the company will lose interest. No interest, no good songs. No good songs, no views, and make a loss. When losses accumulate, the company will have no choice but to fire everyone."

Sungjun leaned back slightly, taking in her words. "Sounds like a never-ending battle." But in his head, he thought, "As long as Jiyeon is skilled and money is poured in, she doesn't have to worry about anything."

"It is." Sujin's lips curled into a small, genuine smile. "But… you know what makes it worth it?"

Sungjun glanced at her. "What?"

Her eyes softened as she spoke. "The cheers."

Sungjun blinked.

"When you're on stage, under those bright lights, and you hear the crowd screaming your name… it's indescribable." She laughed lightly. "That ten seconds, twenty seconds of applause—it makes everything worth it. That moment of pure energy, of knowing that people appreciate what you've worked so hard for… it motivates you like nothing else."

Sungjun studied her expression—the way her eyes gleamed with both fondness and longing.

"Of course," she added after a pause, "as your fame grows and that kind of applause becomes normal, you kind of… lose the excitement. It becomes a routine, and you start looking for something else to chase." She shrugged. "It's just part of the cycle, I guess."

Sungjun nodded to himself, his fingers tapping lightly against his knee. After a brief pause, he said. "You know, I was never thrilled about the idea of my daughter pursuing the idol life, but I also knew that forcing my own beliefs onto her would only push her further in that direction. It was better to let her try and, if it became too hard, let her realize on her own. That way, she wouldn't have any regrets."

Regret.

Sujin was silent for a few seconds, her fingers gripping the steering wheel before she hesitantly asked, "Do you have regrets in your life?"

Sungjun didn't answer right away. His gaze flickered to the passing scenery outside the window. "Everyone has regrets," he finally said, his voice calm but distant. "Some things you can forget. Some things… you can't."

He didn't elaborate, and Sujin didn't push further. The car was silent again, but this time, the quiet felt heavier.

For the next twenty minutes, they simply drove in silence, the gentle hum of the engine filling the space between them. Then—

Growl.

Sungjun blinked. He turned his head slightly, and Sujin immediately turned red.

"Did you just—"

"No! That wasn't me!" she blurted out, looking anywhere but at him.

Sungjun raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Lying only makes it worse."

Sujin groaned and covered her face with one hand, still keeping the other on the wheel. "Ugh. This is so embarrassing…"

Chuckling, Sungjun leaned back in his seat. "Did you skip lunch?"

Sujin sighed. "Yeah. I was too focused on the shoot and didn't realize I was hungry until now."

Sungjun nodded. "Same here."

Sujin hesitated for a moment before glancing at him. "Wanna grab something to eat?"

Sungjun considered it. "I don't have any commitments right now, but if I were you, I wouldn't eat around this area."

Sujin frowned. "Why not?"

Instead of answering, Sungjun tapped on the car's infotainment screen, switching it to the rear camera feed. The display flickered before revealing the street behind them—and one particular car that had been following them at a steady distance.

Sungjun pointed at it. "That car's been tailing us since we left the studio."

Sujin's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"