Chapter 243: “stalker” Park Hyomin’s “blunder”
In the afternoon of 2013, the streets of Seoul were enveloped by bright sunlight, with light refracting mottled shadows on the glass outside the coffee shop.
Park Hyomin sat in the car, her brows slightly furrowed, her expression somewhat silent.
Today, she had originally just planned to visit her friend’s flower shop, order a cup of coffee, flip through a book, and take a few exquisite photos to post on social media for a perfect day.
But the figures of those two people kept circling in her mind: that was Park Ji-yeon and Ham Eun-jung.
Mainly because lately, outside of rehearsal time, she had been particularly idle, and she found herself often “isolated,” which made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.
In the past, she probably wouldn’t have cared about such trivial matters, but after last year’s events, her inner fear and sensitivity had clearly increased.
Especially after her own maknae and Ham Eun-jung suddenly joined that mysterious “Tavern Member” group, their behavior and expressions had become strangely unusual.
Always sneaky, with cautious expressions, as if hiding some kind of secret behind it.
This made Park Hyomin faintly feel a trace of worry in her heart: could these two have joined some kind of “cult”?
So, she had followed them to this coffee shop.
Through the glass, Park Hyomin saw Park Ji-yeon sitting by the window, with Sulli and Lin Xiuyuan beside her.
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling window onto the three of them, warm with a relaxed atmosphere, as they drank coffee and chatted happily.
Park Hyomin muttered softly to herself, “That tavern of Lin Xiuyuan’s… it couldn’t really be a gathering place for a cult, could it?”
After saying that, she shook her head, feeling it unlikely herself, “No, that’s not right either. That place is so small it can’t even seat a few people—where would the brainwashing site be… but still, something feels off.”
Her fingers lightly tapped on the steering wheel, her heart filled with both curiosity and some anxiety.
However, Park Hyomin didn’t plan to act rashly; she just wanted to observe first and gather information.
However, she had overestimated her own caution.
Or rather, her behavior itself carried a bit of silliness.
At that moment, Park Ji-yeon suddenly turned her head to gaze outside the window, her gaze locking onto a car on the road across the street.
The familiar model and exterior made her involuntarily mutter, “Huh, that looks like Hyo Min unnie’s car.”
“Is it the same model?” Sulli beside her heard and looked over following her gaze.
“Don’t know, can’t see the license plate.” Park Ji-yeon shook her head, her brows slightly furrowed, a hint of confusion in her gaze.
Since neither of them could see well, Lin Xiuyuan, having heard their conversation, narrowed his eyes, checked the license plate over there, and spoke up.
Then Park Ji-yeon’s eyes widened suddenly, “It really is Hyo Min unnie’s car! Why is she over here?”
Before her words finished, Lin Xiuyuan’s laughter came from inside the shop, teasing, “Take a look at the signboard photo over there—it’s a men’s massage shop… tsk tsk, Ji-yeon, is Hyo Min a bit too thirsty?”
As his voice fell, Park Ji-yeon and Sulli finally noticed the shop in front of which Park Hyomin’s car was parked.
The glaring signboard prominently displayed the word “massage,” with promotional posters beside the door featuring men as subjects and women as service providers, the scenes direct and explicit.
Sunlight shone on these signs, stinging the eyes and making the heart tighten, the atmosphere suddenly tensing slightly.
This situation made Park Ji-yeon immediately pick up her mobile phone, muttering, “No way, unnie wouldn’t be that blind… probably just a coincidence parking there. I’ll call and ask.”
Her fingers deftly opened the contacts and quickly dialed Park Hyomin’s number.
The ringing on the phone screen was especially clear in the quiet car interior.
“Hey, Hyo Min unnie, what are you doing right now?”
On the other end of the phone, Park Ji-yeon’s tone carried some concern, but her curiosity was clearly unconcealed.
Park Hyomin, who had been spacing out in the car, was startled by the call, her fingers trembling and nearly dropping the mobile phone onto her lap.
She hurriedly shook her head and spoke in a low voice, “Ah, Ji-yeon, I… I’m about to go out for a stroll, check out the scenery. What’s up?”
“Shopping??”
Park Ji-yeon’s voice carried some doubt, “You’re not… um, thinking of going to a men’s massage shop, are you? Unnie, don’t act on impulse. Places like that are dirty—don’t just go in.”
Park Hyomin froze, not understanding at first, her gaze instinctively turning toward the coffee shop, where she was instantly fixed by three pairs of staring eyes.
Lin Xiuyuan, Sulli, and Park Ji-yeon were all looking toward her through the glass.
The next second, she glanced at the signboard of the shop next door, the prominent “massage” and those posters making her head feel like it was burning, her entire face flushing red as if blood would drip out.
“Ah… no, it’s not! Really not!”
Park Hyomin hurriedly explained, subconsciously rubbing her face, “I just got here, parked the car, and was about to come buy a cup of coffee…”
On the other end of the phone, Park Ji-yeon couldn’t help laughing, “Okay, unnie, I saw your car. You parked in such a coincidental spot.”
“Ji-yeon… shut up.”
Park Hyomin was both embarrassed and annoyed, but secretly relieved in her heart.
Fortunately, the misunderstanding was quickly exposed, without letting too much misconception spread.
Then, under Park Ji-yeon’s enthusiastic invitation, Park Hyomin agreed to come to the coffee shop and sit.
Moments later, after getting out of the car, she straightened her clothes and hair, then quickly walked into the coffee shop.
Park Ji-yeon and Sulli had already stood up, smiling and gesturing for her to come over.
“Come, sit here.”
Park Ji-yeon waved, pointing to the seat beside her.
Park Hyomin nodded slightly and sat between Park Ji-yeon and Lin Xiuyuan.
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling window onto her, the warmth mixed with slight tension making her whole body mildly feverish.
After all, being misunderstood as visiting a ‘duck’ shop and seen by Lin Xiuyuan gave her an impulse to crawl into a hole in the ground—she even felt like dying.
Fortunately, Lin Xiuyuan just gave a faint smile and didn’t say anything to embarrass her.
Instead, it was her own maknae whose words nearly caused her social death on the spot, “It’s okay, unnie, just a little misunderstanding—don’t be nervous. And even if you did go, it’s normal, just daily needs. But I think next time you’d be better off finding a more discreet place.”
“Yah~ Park Ji-yeon, I said it was a misunderstanding!” Park Hyomin glared at Park Ji-yeon in embarrassed anger.
Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan quickly took the opportunity to pull Sulli along, heading out to the cake shop next door to buy bread, giving the two space for their confrontation.
Sure enough, the next second, Park Ji-yeon pulled out Park Hyomin’s backup phone, smiling slyly: “Unnie, you didn’t follow me here, did you?”
After learning about the “Time-Space Door” situation, Park Ji-yeon had crammed a lot of knowledge on tracking and counter-tracking.
At least earlier, when she pulled out her mobile phone from her bag and saw a backup phone that didn’t belong to her, combined with Park Hyomin’s car… so many coincidences made her involuntarily suspicious.
Park Hyomin took back the mobile phone, her brows slightly furrowed, her gaze carrying some reproach mixed with curiosity.
She gripped the mobile phone tightly, her knuckles slightly exerting force, her voice carrying some helplessness and honesty, “Yeah, you and Eun-jung disappeared from the dormitory early in the morning. So I wanted to see what you two were hiding from me. I didn’t expect you were here to meet Lin Xiuyuan and Sulli—you should’ve said so earlier.”
Park Ji-yeon was stunned at first upon hearing this, then couldn’t help laughing, crossing her arms and tilting her head slightly, “Ah, unnie, you’re so boring.”
Her smile carried helplessness and a bit of teasing, the corners of her eyes slightly upturned.
“Who made you all act like this?”
Park Hyomin placed the mobile phone on her knee, her fingers lightly tapping the phone case, her voice carrying some petty anger, “Yesterday you said ‘sisters of one heart,’ but the next day you left me alone. Is that one heart?”
Park Ji-yeon hurriedly waved her hands, a flash of apology and discomfort in her gaze, “Unnie, we didn’t… we didn’t mean to hide it from you, it’s just that…”
Park Hyomin impatiently waved her hand, interrupting her, her eyes wide with half-joking reproach.
“Membership, I know. You’ve said it many times. But Ji-yeon, let me ask seriously once: does this membership thing really can’t be talked about at all?
Others have joined special clubs too, but they can at least say a little. Why does it feel like a cult with you guys? If that’s really the case, you need to get out early.”
Hearing the word “cult,” Park Ji-yeon nearly burst out laughing, her fingers lightly stroking her forehead, a curved smile at her mouth, a hint of headache in her gaze.
“Cult? No, unnie, hahaha, it’s not a cult. It’s just some things that are hard to say, and most importantly… it needs oppa’s permission to talk about.”
Park Hyomin raised an eyebrow, mimicking Park Ji-yeon by crossing her arms, leaning forward slightly, half-narrowing her eyes, “Signed a confidentiality agreement?”
Park Ji-yeon shrugged, gesturing in the air with her hand, “Unnie, just think of it that way.”
She didn’t deny it—though no actual signature, everyone who joined the cult basically automatically agreed to it.
Park Hyomin’s mouth twitched, glaring at her, half helpless and half teasing, “Hmph, you guys… always so secretive.”
Outside.
Lin Xiuyuan and Sulli carried the freshly bought cake, lightly walking out of the cake shop, preparing to return to the coffee shop.
Unexpectedly, just as they stepped out the doorway, they saw Lee So-hee coming out of the coffee shop, holding a small trash bag, tiptoeing to throw the trash into the bin outside.
Lin Xiuyuan lightly coughed, smiling as he spoke, “Hi~ Doesn’t your shop have a trash bin?”
Lee So-hee froze, her hand shaking, nearly dropping the trash bag, hurriedly looking up with a trace of surprise and tension on her face, “Ah, ah, because it smells, we usually throw it outside the shop.”
Sulli tilted her head slightly, her gaze gentle, a shallow smile at her mouth, introducing herself, “Hello, I’m Sulli.”
“Oh, hello, I’m Lee So-hee.” Lee So-hee’s voice was a bit low, carrying some shyness.
Sulli smiled at her, her tone gentle yet with inquiring interest, “Lee So-hee~ such a nice name. Have you ever thought about entering the entertainment industry later?”
Lee So-hee was stunned, lowering her head and biting her lip, only whispering after a moment, “Yes… I have.”
Lin Xiuyuan narrowed his eyes, his smile carrying some inquiry, “Why do you want to enter?”
Lee So-hee pursed her lips, answering frankly, “To make money.”
This straightforward answer was amusing yet revealing sincerity and determination, impossible to question her intent.
So Sulli’s smile gradually faded, her expression complex, her gaze toward Lee So-hee, “But… if this circle is very deep and the waters very dirty, would you still be willing to enter?”
Lee So-hee instinctively froze, waves rising in her heart.
This popular idol in front of her actually saying this to her? It made Lee So-hee hesitate slightly, but moments later she nodded softly again.
Her gaze couldn’t conceal a trace of resolve—money was an urgent reality for her.
Lin Xiuyuan chuckled lightly beside her, rephrasing, “Then, if there are other ways to make money, would you be willing to try?”
Lee So-hee hesitated instantly, her eyes flickering slightly, as if weighing pros and cons.
Or perhaps guessing what these two wanted by pulling her aside to say this?
Seeing Lee So-hee’s hesitation, Sulli was about to speak when Lin Xiuyuan beside her smoothly pulled her back, “How about this—we add contact info? If there’s anything, you can reach out. I actually have some positions here that need a good-looking girl to help.”
He took out his mobile phone, the screen lighting up, and handed it over.
Lee So-hee looked at the mobile phone, then glanced at Sulli beside him.
Without Sulli there, she would definitely misunderstand Lin Xiuyuan having other intentions toward her.
But with Sulli, Park Ji-yeon, and Park Hyomin present, her heart settled a lot, knowing she must stay calm.
In the end, she bit her lip, her heart beating slightly faster, still excitedly tapping the phone screen to add the contact info.
Then she asked, “Excuse me, are you a talent scout?”
“Me?” Lin Xiuyuan pointed at himself, then turned to Sulli, smiling easily, “Jinjin, do I look like a talent scout?”
“No, oppa, you look more like an idol—you just don’t want to do it.” Sulli’s mouth curved up, a hint of approval in her gaze.
Lee So-hee listened to their answers and finally understood the situation.
She wanted to ask more, but her name was already being called from inside the shop—her seniors were summoning her to work.
Helplessly, she could only bow deeply to Lin Xiuyuan and Sulli in thanks, then turn and walk back into the coffee shop.
Lin Xiuyuan and Sulli remained at the doorway, gazing somewhat thoughtfully at her back.
“Oppa, where do you have other money-making jobs?”
“I don’t, but Ji-yeon does. Find her an assistant first to see her personality, then decide later.”
“Then why did you just say you needed a good-looking girl?”
“If I don’t set any requirements, wouldn’t I just be picking anyone? That way she’ll think more about it.”
“So thoughtful, oppa~”
Inside the shop.
At this moment, Park Ji-yeon, chatting happily with Park Hyomin, was completely unaware that Lin Xiuyuan had unknowingly found her a “celebrity assistant.”
And one who was a pure newbie fresh out of high school.
She had gone back home for family matters these past few days, taking a break from Ten Thousand Daily for now, and would resume Ten Thousand Daily after returning.
Seeking subscriptions!!! Seeking monthly tickets!!! Seeking everything!!!
