Sujin and Sungjin's First Real Conversation (part-3)

"That car's been tailing us since we left the studio."

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

Sungjun smirked. "Test it yourself. Change lanes and speed up."

Sujin blinked. "What?"

"Trust me. Just do it."

Biting her lip, Sujin did as he said. She flicked her turn signal, smoothly switching to the next lane before pressing down on the accelerator.

A second later, the car behind them did the same.

Sujin's grip tightened on the steering wheel. "Shit."

"Faster," Sungjun instructed calmly, his eyes locked on the rearview mirror.

Sujin hesitated for a second before pressing down on the accelerator. The engine growled as the car surged forward. The vehicle behind them matched their speed, refusing to lose sight of them.

"Still there," Sujin muttered, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

Sungjun remained unbothered. "Good. Now, keep going. Don't slow down."

The road ahead was clear. No traffic, no obstacles. Just open highway.

Sujin's heart pounded in her chest as the speedometer climbed higher and higher. "Okay, now what?"

The moment they reached the edge of Exit 4, Sungjun suddenly reached over and grabbed the wheel.

"What the—?!" Sujin barely had time to react before the car lurched sideways.

With expert precision, Sungjun yanked the wheel, sending the vehicle into a sudden drift. The tires screeched against the asphalt, the car sliding into the exit lane at a sharp angle. Sujin instinctively slammed on the brakes, gripping the wheel for dear life.

The paparazzi car shot forward, unable to turn in time.

Sujin gasped as she watched them zoom past, missing the exit completely. The road ahead of them was empty. They were free.

Sungjun leaned back with a small, satisfied smirk. "See? Told you."

Sujin sat frozen in her seat, her mouth slightly agape. "That… That was insane."

Sungjun chuckled. "It's not that hard. You see these kinds of maneuvers in dramas all the time."

"Yeah, but I didn't think they actually worked in real life!"

"They do," Sungjun said with a shrug. "Especially when you've had experience."

Sujin turned to him, eyes narrowing. "Experience? Are you saying you've been in car chases before?"

Sungjun nodded, his expression unreadable. "A few."

Sujin blinked. "Wait—what?"

Sungjun exhaled as if reminiscing. "Organized crime is pretty common in Russia. If you know how to drive like this, people think twice before chasing you. They don't know if you're a criminal yourself or just someone they shouldn't mess with."

Sujin stared at him. "…That's actually kind of badass."

Sungjun gave a small smirk but said nothing.

As they drove forward, Sujin glanced at the rearview mirror. "Well, looks like we really lost them. No U-turns for at least three miles. They're stuck going forward."

Sungjun nodded. "And we'll have to drive at least ten miles before we can find another exit."

Sujin sighed. "That's a huge detour."

Sungjun chuckled. "Neither of us had urgent plans, did we?"

Sujin thought about it and realized he was right. They had time.

Sungjun continued, "Besides, after all that running around at the photoshoot, you looked exhausted. Now, you seem pretty awake."

Sujin smiled at that. "You're right. I guess that little adrenaline rush woke me up."

For a moment, the tension eased, replaced by a quiet sense of amusement.

Sujin studied him from the corner of her eye. Sungjun was definitely different from the usual road managers. Most people in his position were either nervous or overly respectful around celebrities, afraid of saying the wrong thing. But Sungjun? He acted as if he belonged in this world. As if none of it fazed him.

Maybe it was because he had been around someone like Sae-ri.

Or maybe it was because he had lived in Russia.

Whatever the reason, there was a confidence in him that felt… intriguing.

And, to her own surprise, Sujin found that confidence a little bit charming.

They finally found a quiet restaurant on the outskirts of the city—one of those cozy, family-run places where the late afternoon hours left most tables empty. It was the perfect place to avoid prying eyes.

Sujin sat across from Sungjun, stretching her arms. "I didn't realize how hungry I was until now," she admitted with a small laugh.

Sungjun smiled slightly as he picked up the menu. "Stress does that to you."

As they waited for their food, their conversation flowed naturally.

Sungjun shared pieces of his life in Russia—the challenges of working as a legal consultant for Egmor Group, the complex cases he had handled, the supposed high-stakes deals he had mediated.

Of course, none of it was true.

These were just carefully crafted stories designed to protect his real past. But Sujin listened with genuine interest, her eyes widening at certain points.

"That sounds intense," she remarked. "Did you ever get into trouble because of work?"

Sungjun smirked slightly. "A few times. But nothing I couldn't handle."

Sujin leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "You really have an interesting life, Sungjun-ssi. It's like something out of a drama."

"Maybe. But dramas exaggerate things," he replied.

"Not always," she countered. "Speaking of dramas, my web series finished filming recently. I'm waiting for the release."

That piqued Sungjun's interest. "Really? What's it about?"

Sujin brightened at the chance to talk about her work. "It's a romance thriller. I play a prosecutor who gets tangled up with a mysterious man from her past. I'm not exactly playing a lead role. I was an assistant in the prosecutor's office, but I appear in every episode for atleast a good few minutes."

Sungjun nodded. "Sounds like a good watch. When does it come out?"

Sujin sighed. "That's the problem. The main editor quit the company, and post-production has been delayed. No release date yet."

Sungjun raised a brow. "That must be frustrating."

"It is." Sujin twirled her straw in her drink. "But I guess all I can do is wait."

Their food arrived, and they ate while exchanging more stories. The conversation was easy, unforced. By the time they were done, the earlier tension from the paparazzi chase had completely disappeared from her mind.

After finishing their meal, Sujin drove Sungjun to the bus stop.

As the car slowed to a stop, Sungjun unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to her, "Thanks for the meal. And for the ride."

Sujin smiled. "No problem. You kind of saved my life back there, so I guess we're even."

Sungjun chuckled. "Not exactly life and death, but I'll take it."

He stepped out of the car, closing the door behind him. Before walking away, he leaned down slightly and said, "See you around, Sujin-ssi. It's nice knowing you."

Sujin watched him go to the bus stop and stood there before driving off.

It wasn't until she got home, kicked off her heels, and sank into her couch that a thought struck her. "Oh, shit… I didn't get his number."

For a second, she debated messaging Sae-ri to ask, but then she shook her head.

"That would seem too forward, wouldn't it?" she muttered to herself.

With a small sigh, she let it go. If they were meant to cross paths again, they would.

Meanwhile, Sungjun arrived home. He set his things down and went straight to Jiyeon's room. The door was closed.

Knocking twice, he called out, "Munchkin? Jiyeon-ah?"

The door cracked open, and Park Soojin peeked out. "Uncle?" she said, blinking in surprise. "You're back from work?"

Sungjun nodded. "Where's Jiyeon?"

Soojin glanced behind her before answering. "She's taking a nap."

Sungjun frowned slightly but didn't push. "Okay. Let her know I'm back when she wakes up."

Soojin nodded but didn't close the door for a while.

Once he is gone from the sight, she closed the door and turned around. Jiyeon, who was sitting on her bed, had a small bandage on her forehead.

"Is it really necessary to hide it?" Soojin asked, crossing her arms. "It's just a tiny bruise."

Jiyeon groaned, pressing her pillow over her face. "It's not just a bruise. It's how I got it. A boy tried to hit on me, and when I tried to walk away, I accidentally hit my head against the wall."

Soojin blinked before bursting into laughter. "Are you serious? That's nothing!"

Jiyeon shook her head. "You don't understand. My dad is… different."

Soojin tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Jiyeon hesitated, then lowered her voice. "A few months ago, I was dating this boy. We were riding his bicycle together—me sitting behind him. On the way, the bike got a puncture, and I fell. Just a small scrape on my elbow, nothing serious."

Soojin listened, confused. "Okay… and?"

Jiyeon gave her a look. "The next day, his bike was destroyed. And he got a package with a stack of rubles and a note that said, 'Buy a new bike, but never dare to hurt Veronika again.'"

Soojin's jaw dropped. "No. Way."

Jiyeon nodded gravely. "It was my dad." She then let out a sigh, leaning against her headboard, "In the end, the boy broke up with me. He was totally traumatized."

Soojin blinked in surprise. "Wait, you never told him it was your dad?"

Jiyeon shook her head. "Of course not. He just thought it was some random bully that had a crush on me. Well, I don't want to brag but I had a bit of following in my school. But honestly…" she exhaled deeply, "I kinda felt bad for him."

Soojin raised a brow. "Did you argue with your dad about it?"

Jiyeon hesitated before shaking her head again. "No. Because technically, it was something we agreed on."

Soojin looked even more confused. "What do you mean?"

Jiyeon sat up straighter. "We have a rule," she explained. "I get freedom of choice—whether it's school, dating, traveling, even setting him up on blind dates if I want to. I can decide my own career path, and he will always support me, no matter what. He sacrifices his time, adjusts his commitments—whatever I need."

Soojin listened carefully. "Okay… that sounds fair so far."

"But," Jiyeon continued, "if something goes wrong with my choices, I can't blame him for dealing with it his way. Even if I don't like how he handles it."

Soojin stared at her in stunned silence. "That's… kind of intense."

Jiyeon let out a dry laugh. "You have no idea how bipolar my dad is."

Soojin gaped for a second before shaking her head in amazement. "Damn… Your dad's overprotectiveness is on another level."

Jiyeon sighed. "Exactly. Which is why he can't know about this."

Soojin smirked. "I mean… If I ever date someone, maybe I should have your dad scare him first."

Jiyeon threw a pillow at her. "Not funny!"

But Soojin just kept laughing.

Meanwhile, Sungjun, who had been heading to his room, had stopped in his tracks while listening to their conversation in his ear buds. He couldn't help but sigh, "Oh, my dear munchkin, this is why I would go to extreme lengths to protect you. You just had a stupid habit of keeping your pain to yourself. Why should you think about the well being of the person that hurt you? You might forgive them but I don't. And I always give appropriate punishment only after deciding whether they deserve it or not, dear."