Chapter 156: Does It Sound Like I’m Lying?

“Why so quiet?”

“Grandfather…”

“It’s a path where no one can be trusted. But you can’t do it all alone. You need to cherish the people you can rely on.”

I had no choice but to respond as if nothing was wrong.

“Alright.”

“So, you’re doing well in school?”

“Yes.”

“That time won’t come back. Don’t just cling to learning. Remember to try everything you can.”

The conversation came to an abrupt halt.

I sat silently, gazing at my grandfather’s face.

He seemed to be lost in thought but suddenly looked at me and smiled.

“Huh? When did Mu-hyeok arrive? Did I accidentally doze off?”

I forced a smile without betraying my true feelings.

“I just got here. It’s been a while since I had a free day.”

“Right, it’s busy, but make sure to take breaks.”

Grandfather’s cheerful demeanor was no different than usual.

“You seem a bit all over the place lately. I hear you’re getting involved in politics? Getting too entwined in politics brings no good. You’ll be careful, but…”

I firmly grasped his hand. It was slightly cool and wrinkled.

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Right, you’ll manage well without me saying anything.”

It was just a small thing, yet a warm smile spread across Grandfather’s face.

“You look tired. You should go now. I need some rest.”

“Are you very tired?”

“It’s just age catching up. I’ve been dozing off a lot lately.”

“Take care of your health.”

Stepping outside the study, Chief Ha stood before me with a worried expression.

“Chief!”

“Yes, Boss?”

“No one should know about this, including the housekeeper. It’s not a problem that you bring the meals, but we can’t predict what might happen if this leaks out.”

“What about Ji-young?”

“I’ll meet with Ji-young separately and inform her in advance.”

“Understood.”

“Don’t worry too much. You’re strong. Just keep an eye on things for me.”

“Yes, Boss.”

As I ascended the stairs, I glanced back at the tightly closed door of the study.

“Manager, you’ve been keeping tabs on Cheon Su-man, right?”

“Yes.”

“We may need to call him back to Korea soon. Make sure you’re tracking his movements properly.”

“Yes.”

“You can leave now. I’d like to be alone for a bit.”

I heard the door click shut.

Finally, I slumped onto the bed, feeling utterly drained.

“Grandfather…“

If he learned this, it was clear how Cheon Su-man would react.

Using the fact that I’m the eldest grandson to apply for guardianship was a likely scenario.

Grandfather’s fortune didn’t matter to me as much as the stocks I had already inherited, which could become problematic.

How could I be worrying about these things when I should be focused on Grandfather’s health?

I decided to call Ji-young.

— “Oh, Oppa!”

Cheon Ji-young had become much brighter since her debut as a singer.

I tried hard to keep my voice steady.

“Are you busy today?”

— “Why, what’s up?”

“I’ve got something going on… If your schedule is tight, I can come to you.”

— “Hold on a second.”

I faintly heard her talking to her manager about something.

— “I’ve got a lot on my plate today, so I don’t think I’ll be able to come over. What is it? If it’s urgent, I can cancel it.”

“No, just tell me where you’re filming. I’ll come to you. Just send me a text.”

— “Okay, got it.”

I left Pyeongchang-dong with Manager Ma.

The car weaved through the bustling streets of Seoul and reached the filming location in Gyeonggi Province.

After parking a bit away, Manager Ma got off first to find Cheon Ji-young.

A moment later, he returned with a man beside him.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ji-young’s manager.”

“Please take good care of Ji-young.”

“Of course, Boss.”

“You’ve been busy lately, haven’t you?”

“She gets a lot of requests for variety shows.”

“Can we talk for a moment?”

“We’ll have a break soon. I’ll bring her over.”

“I’ll wait.”

The slightly nervous manager greeted me before dashing back to the filming set.

Soon enough, Ji-young approached with her manager in tow.

“Oppa!”

“Let’s get in first. Manager, don’t let anyone get close. You keep a good distance too.”

“Yes.”

Even the staff member driving the car stepped out and kept his distance.

“What’s going on?”

Cheon Ji-young asked with a worried expression as soon as she got into the car.

I hesitated briefly, but I decided to share everything with Ji-young.

“Grandfather’s health is quite poor.”

“Huh? I just saw him last weekend… What happened suddenly?”

“…It seems his memory is fading. He suddenly starts reminiscing about the old days.”

Ji-young’s eyes widened in shock.

“It’s like he doesn’t remember recent events at all. He keeps asking for his son, his grandsons…”

“How did this start? Since when?”

Cheon Ji-young’s voice trembled noticeably.

“I just found out today when Chief Ha called me. It could have been happening for a while, maybe since Chief Ha was away. When I talked to him earlier, it sounded like he was frequently losing track of his thoughts, saying he dozes off without realizing it.”

“…”

Cheon Ji-young remained silent, only crying.

I patiently waited as her tears blurred her makeup, unaware that it was running down her face.

I lowered the window slightly and spoke to Manager Ma.

“Can you ask for something to wipe off her makeup since it’s running?”

“Understood. But they say they’ll restart filming soon. What should we do?”

I glanced at Ji-young.

Given how her shoulders were shaking, she was not in any shape to film.

“Where are you filming?”

“For the Geumsung Electronics cellphone advertisement.”

“Contact the president of Geumsung Electronics and ask to postpone the shoot for a few hours. Find a decent restaurant around here and get dinner for the staff and cast here.”

“I’ll reach out right away.”

A different bodyguard sent by Manager Ma brought tissues.

While I cleaned a bit with the tissues, it seemed Ji-young would need to redo her makeup.

“Are you feeling calmer now?”

“Yeah…”

“I’ve already pushed back the filming for a bit.”

I didn’t want to interfere too much with Ji-young’s work, but she wouldn’t realistically be able to shoot an ad in her current state.

“Even if you’re busy, make time to visit Grandfather often. You never know when he might forget important memories. Don’t regret it later. Understood?”

Her eyes filled with tears again at my words.

“If he suddenly says something strange, don’t be taken aback; just accept it. Don’t let your emotions show.”

“Yeah…”

“And…”

I let out a deep sigh. What I had to say now was the most important part.

“Absolutely don’t mention Grandfather’s health issues to anyone. Not even to your mother. Got it?”

“Huh?”

I didn’t want Ji-young to get involved in this, but if she remained ignorant, others wouldn’t leave her alone.

Better to let her in on everything.

“If this gets out, it’s going to turn into a mudslinging fight. They won’t think about why Grandfather abandoned them and will probably sue for mental competency concerning his health. To them, Grandfather’s well-being isn’t what matters.”

“No way…”

The still young Cheon Ji-young had difficulty contemplating that, but she responded firmly.

“Does it sound like I’m lying? You’ll see it’s the truth soon enough. But while Grandfather is still alive, I don’t want to show him a fighting side of me anymore. Do you understand what I mean?”

“…”

“Never trust anyone.”

If even Ji-young disappoints me and betrays me, I won’t trust anyone anymore.

Just as Grandfather worried, I’d be left alone.

“Think about it. Has anyone suddenly reached out to ask about Grandfather lately?”

Ji-young spoke, sounding a bit puzzled.

“After my debut, Ji-soo and Ji-won reached out to me again.”

It seems she thought it was odd not to contact someone who suddenly appeared on television, so they naturally began to communicate again.

“Recently, Ji-won asked about Grandfather. But it was just a passing comment…”

Given his old age and the long time apart, it’s possible it was just a casual checkup on his health.

But that could just as easily have been done by calling Chief Ha.

It was clear that since his schedule had gotten busier after his debut, Chief Ha would likely be more informed about Grandfather’s health.

But Ji-young probably hadn’t thought that through and had simply conveyed it directly.

“So, what did they say?”

“They said he’s been staying in the study and that everything seems fine. Until you mentioned it, I didn’t even realize Grandfather was in such poor health.”

True, I’d just found out today.

“You cannot tell anyone about Grandfather’s memory problems. Just trust me. Don’t believe anyone else.”

“… But can they really go that far? He’s still Grandfather.”

“I wish it were true. But reality isn’t like a drama, so don’t get your hopes up.”

Cheon Ji-young stopped crying.

Though her tears had dried, her face was a mess.

“Your face looks like a wreck. Washing up and redoing your makeup will be quicker.”

“You’re saying that now?”

It’s not like I was the one filming.

Hearing that, Cheon Ji-young shot me an annoyed look.

“You don’t worry too much. I’ll handle it. I’ll visit Grandfather often.”

“Okay. On your days off, I’ll be in Pyeongchang-dong.”

“Thanks.”

“Is it worth thanking me? It’s only natural. Grandfather loves me dearly.”

Cheon Ji-young raised her chin haughtily.

Of course, her eyes were darkened like a panda’s, so it didn’t look convincing.

“Alright, they must have gone for meals with the staff. Go on and apologize to everyone.”

“Understood.”

After wrapping up my conversation with Ji-young, we both stepped out of the car.

The manager, who had kept a distance, rushed over.

“Oh no… You need to fix your makeup. It’s a good thing there’s no one around.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine. Just hurry up and fix your makeup.”

“Yeah.”

Cheon Ji-young waved at me.

“Oppa, I’ll get in touch later.”

I watched her retreating figure as she dashed away.

“Boss.”

Ji-young’s manager asked, glancing my way.

“Can you tell me what’s happening? I need to be aware of anything I should manage…”

“It’s a family matter. It’s best not to pry. You understand?”

Ji-young’s manager waved his hands, looking flustered.

“I-I won’t ask again.”

“Please look out for Ji-young. If anyone suspicious approaches, let me know.”

“Understood. Don’t worry about it.”

“You can go now.”

I gazed absently at the manager as he gradually moved away.

“Manager, look into Ji-young’s manager for me.”

“Understood.”

“Let’s head to Pyeongchang-dong. I just want to take it easy today.”

I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes.

Days went by.

“Boss.”

As I washed up and emerged from the bathroom, Manager Ma was waiting for me.

He looked as usual, but there was a subtly different air about him.

“I have something urgent to report.”

My uneasy premonition was proven right.