Chapter 185

Hwang Yi-Young was excited about Woo-Jin getting invited to an American high-society party, but it was highly likely that Woo-Jin would be nothing more than a wallflower there. Hence, Woo-Jin had to calm her down and explain how he ended up getting invited to the party, as well as his reason for going.

Despite the growing interest in Woo-Jin in the United States these days, along with interview requests and the occasional paparazzi stalking, Woo-Jin was still akin to a mere soldier standing right before a huge castle.

"Nevertheless, you're the most good-looking one!" Hwang Yi-Young gave Woo-Jin a thumbs up when she saw him all dressed up. From Woo-Jin's point of view, Dustin was evidently much more handsome than him in the eyes of Americans, but he kept his mouth shut because he didn't think there was a need to disappoint Hwang Yi-Young any further by being too much of a realist. Woo-Jin had a clear reason to attend the party, so everything else didn't matter to him. But....

{Why are you escorting me?}

{I invited you, so naturally, I have to take you to the party.}

Because Dustin acted like it was the most natural thing, Woo-Jin was momentarily confused and mistakenly got into his car.

{I'll get you home safely after the party as well. You worry too much.}

As soon as Kang Ho-Soo followed behind in another car, Dustin felt sad and grumbled. While he was at it, he became unnecessarily fired up and was determined to escort Woo-Jin perfectly from start to finish.

{Save the kindness and courtesy for her.}

{....}

Dustin thought Woo-Jin would have liked that, so his face fell when he received such a response from him instead. As soon as Woo-Jin sensed something amiss and raised his eyebrows, Dustin mumbled under his breath and felt self-conscious.

{Stop hesitating and spit it out.}

By now, Woo-Jin already understood Dustin to a certain extent; as soon as Woo-Jin gave him a little nudge, Dustin started telling him the story about a past incident.

{Well, I was going to confess to Selena a few years ago, but I became very thirsty because I was so nervous...so I kept drinking wine.}

What happened next was simple — Dustin became drunk, and Selena safely escorted him home.

{She was really reliable and cool.}

That was Dustin's anecdote of being perfectly escorted home. Woo-Jin wondered why he was so earnest about escorting him, and for some reason, it seemed like he wanted to try it himself this time around. To be precise, it felt like he was rehearsing what he wanted to do for Selena.

Woo-Jin didn't know how to react, so he simply turned his head away and looked out the car's window. He was barely controlling his lips that kept twitching and even covered his mouth. In any case, it seemed like the prince wasn't here — he was waiting for the princess in the castle. And right now, the person sitting next to Woo-Jin wasn't a prince or a servant but a princess riding a pumpkin carriage.

***

The politicians and businessmen gathering today with Southern California's development in mind was ultimately a luxurious excuse to collect political donations. After discussing local businesses, if the businessmen and politicians wanted to help each other develop the region, they would need money after all.

The businessmen had a good reason to sponsor these politicians — for the sake of developing the region, and the primary purpose of the party was to raise awareness for the cause and collect donations for specific politicians.

Thus, Dustin and quite a number of other stars in the entertainment industry attended the party today. Nothing was as effective as having famous celebrities ease the tense ambience that gatherings like that usually had. It was also a natural way of attracting public attention. Needless to say, there were also people that actively participated because of their political beliefs. Unlike Dustin, they were enjoying the party very much.

{Where is she?}

{The star of the party always arrives late.}

Both of them arrived at the party on time, but on the other hand, Selena said she was planning to come late and only meet with Dustin before heading back.

{Your brother's glare is getting more intense by the second. Don't worry about me, I'm fine. You should go over and talk to him.}

Dustin's older brother had been glaring at them, so Woo-Jin pushed Dustin and told him to go over to his older brother. However, Dustin hesitated and continued hovering around Woo-Jin out of the sense of responsibility he had towards him and his reluctance to go over to his brother.

{I'm tired of being glared at because of you.}

In any case, Dustin's role at the party had already been decided. When they first arrived at the party, Dustin had introduced Woo-Jin to his older brother. However, he simply turned around and walked away after glancing at Woo-Jin without greeting him. It was uncertain if it was because of his prejudice against Dustin's friends in general or that he was racist towards Asians, but Woo-Jin wasn't particularly happy about his behavior either.

Woo-JIn also wasn't feeling comfortable with Dustin feeling anxious and apologetic about his brother's rude attitude. Seeing how his brother's arrogance was showing that he didn't care whether he was giving Dustin or his friends a hard time, it was better if Dustin went over to his brother instead of being glared at by such a person.

Nonetheless, despite his constant resistance, Dustin ultimately had no choice but to approach them after his father beckoned him.

{See you!}

Woo-Jin happily sent Dustin away and scanned the surroundings with ease. He found an empty table, so he brought some food over and sat there to have his dinner. The bartender recommended some light wine to Woo-Jin, and he enjoyed the party by himself, unaffected by the surroundings.

Woo-Jin carried himself so confidently and naturally that it was hard to believe it was his first time attending such an event. Hence, the people around him didn't find it strange to see him sitting by himself. Far from becoming a wallflower at the party like he had initially expected, people occasionally recognized him and spoke to him, so Woo-Jin didn't have time to feel bored.

Knock knock.

Just as Woo-Jin was about to drink his wine after saying goodbye to a fan, someone knocked on the table he was sitting at. When he looked up, he saw a tall and unique lady with long black hair and violet eyes looking down at him. As soon as Woo-Jin saw her, he could tell she was Selena.

{Chae. Woo. Jin?}

She was the first American here to call Woo-Jin by his actual name instead of 'Genie.' He glanced at Dustin and saw him standing next to his father with a glum look. It seemed as though he hadn't known about her arrival. It seemed like a sticky situation that was hard to get out of.

{Nice to meet you, I'm Chae Woo-Jin.}

As soon as Woo-Jin got up from his seat and took the initiative to reach out his hand for a handshake, she shook his hand and introduced herself.

{You seem to know who I am somehow.}

{For the same reason that you know who I am.}

Selena smiled calmly after hearing Woo-Jin's response. She didn't seem to care what Dustin told his friend about her.

{Since you're a friend of a friend, I'll call you Woo-Jin from now on. Feel free to call me Selena too.}

Selena was friendly, but Woo-Jin found it rather suspicious that she allowed him to call her by her first name instead of her last name, even though they had just met each other for the first time today.

{A friend of my friend isn't my friend, though.}

{Ultimately, it's all for the sake of our friend.}

Selena sat gracefully across from Woo-Jin while hinting that she wouldn't be talking to him right now if not for Dustin. She gathered her long black hair to the back and tied it; her hairstyle was very simple. She wore a white blouse with laces on the sleeves and a long black skirt. She looked very neat and elegant, as though she had come to the party directly from work. Even though she wasn't wearing a fancy dress or jewelry, she stood out more than any other woman here at this party.

Woo-Jin seemed to have a rough idea of what Dustin meant when he habitually pointed out how cool she was. Strangely enough, the way she took a glass of mineral water from a waiter that was passing by and drank it in a dignified manner and her arrogance that disregarded other people's gazes didn't get on his nerves. Even though she was just as arrogant as Dustin's older brother, she had a different type of elegance while Dustin's older brother just made him feel uncomfortable.

She was born with that arrogance and didn't fundamentally look down on others — she was simply very well-aware that she was superior. Woo-Jin could sense she was not an ordinary lady from the way she firmly waved off the people who recognized and tried to approach her.

{Do you like drinking alcohol?}

As she drank the glass of water, she looked at the wine glass in front of Woo-Jin before asking him that question.

{I don't like it, but I'm better at holding my liquor as compared to Dustin.}

{I don't know if that's a good or bad thing.}

{Dustin says it's a good thing because he would have someone who can take care of him.}

{Dustin's other friends take care of him too, though.}

Woo-Jin only knew Dustin drank with his friends — he didn't know they sold his photos or used them to get what they wanted. Thus, he didn't understand Selena's cynical reaction for a moment. Even though it was very brief, she noticed the baffled look on his face.

{I heard you're teaching Dustin martial arts. What was it...Tae- Taekwondo?}

{It's Taekkyeon, not Taekwondo. It's a traditional Korean martial art, but it's not a bad idea for Dustin to use this opportunity to learn it. Even though he tends to shoot a lot of action scenes, his body is rather stiff.}

After hearing Woo-Jin's criticism, Selena had a solemn look on her face, like a parent whose child had just been criticized.

{What's wrong with our dear Dustin? People have only said he was good at acting out action scenes. It's my first time hearing about his body being stiff.}

Selena used the word 'our,' a term of endearment that had been given a lot of meaning in novels and dramas, without any hesitation[1]. Woo-Jin held back his laughter and chose his next words carefully.

He wanted to tell her that it was all because of remarkable cinematography and editing work, but because it was too honest, it might seem like he was putting Dustin down, so he held his tongue.

{I can tell you worry a lot about Dustin.}

{Of course. We're friends, after all.}

She responded to Woo-Jin's remark without hesitation as her eyes instantly lit up with affection.

{Likewise, as his friend, I've been very worried about him recently.}

After hearing Woo-Jin's words, Selena knew something must have happened to Dustin recently, so her face fell. Judging from the look on her face and her reaction when he talked about Dustin, Woo-Jin could tell that the affection she had for him was beyond that of a friend.

{There's only one thing Dustin is concerned about. Since we're on this topic, do you not plan on becoming more than friends with him in the future?}

{That's a rude question.}

Woo-Jin was very direct, prompting Selena to openly express her displeasure towards him.

{I know it's a rude question, but I won't apologize for it. Frankly, I have no intention of arguing about whether you're torturing him by giving false hopes or that you're looking out for him like a little brother. It's not something I want to get involved in. Nevertheless, I'm only asking as Dustin's friend for his sake. I just hope you can take him a little more seriously.}

Even though they got to know each other through work, Dustin was evidently a good person. There was no reason for Woo-Jin to hesitate to be friends with such a person. And ever since they became actual friends, Woo-Jin didn't hesitate to be a good friend to him to the best of his abilities.

Selena looked at Woo-Jin calmly and frowned. Since she hadn't made a judgment on Woo-Jin, he could sense her scrutinizing him.

{Does asking me for a favor change anything?}

{It's better to assume it's not going to make a difference and not trying at all.}

{I don't know about that. If I'm offended, it won't do any good for Dustin.}

Selena asked Woo-Jin in a reproachful manner what he would do if she distanced herself from Dustin because of him.

{It's okay because I know you wouldn't get mad at Dustin just because of me.}

From Selena's point of view, Woo-Jin's friendship with Dustin was just a fleeting one. She clearly respected others, so there was no way she would abandon Dustin just because of Woo-Jin.

{I get where you're coming from, but I guess you didn't think about my position and how I feel, huh?}

{Why do I have to do that? Dustin is my friend, not you.}

Woo-Jin felt that Selena's vague statement about her position was the biggest issue. Of course, even though she said that she rejected Dustin every time he confessed his feelings to her, her actions afterward were vague.

A clumsy display of concern and affection could also become the power that dominates the person with stronger feelings for the other. Furthermore, it didn't make any sense for her to maintain their current relationship while making no effort to hide her blatant affection towards Dustin, that everyone could tell.

{I would never see Dustin in a different light because of you, just like how you wouldn't judge Dustin differently because of me. That's how certain I am about the people I cherish deeply. I respect my friend's friend, but I'll hate them if they give my friend a hard time.}

Woo-Jin made sure Selena knew what was important to him, and similarly, she also wanted to make sure he knew how she felt about Dustin.

{I know that as much as you cherish Dustin, you don't want to hurt him. But he's an adult. Don't trap him in the 'young dreamer' image that everyone expects of him. It's not normal for him to think of alcohol as the only solution to soothe his emotional wounds. Am I wrong?}

It should be natural for him to become 'an adult who dreams' instead of 'a young boy who dreams.' If he refused to grow because he was afraid of the pain that came with the process, who would be more harmed? Dustin himself, or the people who cherished him?

1. Koreans tend to use the word 'our' (우리) in place of 'my' in an affectionate way. For example - 우리 아빠 means my dad, but the direct translation is 'our dad.' The closest translation in English is 'our dear ____.' ☜

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