Heavenly Yuah, who had coolly allowed the market expedition, quietly called me over.
“Do you know why I’ve called you?”
“Are you not following us?”
“Indeed, you…”
“It’s just too obvious.”
“Then disguise me immediately.”
“Ugh.”
She then naturally requested to be disguised.
Yeah, I should’ve known she’d let us go too easily.
Would Heavenly Yuah or even Heavenly Demon mode send just me and Moon Suyeon alone?
It’s only natural to expect at least this much.
“I hear there are still stalkers targeting Yeon-i. It’s only right to follow for protection.”
“Does it have to be Senior Yoo-a? The guards wouldn’t be too thrilled about it either.”
“Hmph, If I want to go, what can you do? If you don’t like it, start your own company.”
“…You’re awfully moody.”
“Doesn’t seem like something you should be saying?”
“…What did I do?”
“Think about it with a clear conscience. Remember how you acted when you first brought Yeon-i along?”
“…That’s a different situation, isn’t it?”
Augh, empathizing with the guards is really bringing back the PTSD.
Heavenly Yuah was already tough, but Heavenly Yuah + Heavenly Demon mode is truly hell-level difficulty.
If I were a guard, I’d probably want a revolution.
But what can you do?
Heavenly Demon Lady performing the “If you don’t like it, you know what to do” isn’t something anyone can handle.
“At least the Demon Queen could’ve stopped her, but she’s not here.”
Anyway, since there’s no point in arguing, I decided to quietly disguise her.
At least she’s willing to be disguised, so it’s better than her following without any disguise, which would’ve caused an even bigger disaster.
“I have my own plans. After boarding the Black Whale, I’ll just deploy some drones.”
“Black Whale… Ah, you mean the Black Whale?”
Regardless of whether it’s fortunate or not, the giant black trailer known as the Black Whale owned by Flame will follow our movements without coming out directly by just deploying drones.
Apparently, with cutting-edge drones, they can surveil us from a long distance.
At least it seems like she plans to tail us with the guards and some conscience.
Still, the sudden mention of drones is a bit surprising.
Everyone knows that the S&M side has advanced technology compared to South Korea, but I didn’t realize they brought surveillance drones.
So, when S&M guards were dispatched to the country, they came equipped with this kind of gear?
What exactly did these S&M guards plan to do?
Of course, Heavenly Yuah, who was also determined to unleash such expensive equipment just to monitor me and Moon Suyeon, was no joke either.
“Still, you have to understand to some extent. This is merely at the level of thousand years of Heavenly Demon.”
Yeah, as long as it doesn’t cause issues, it’s fine, it’s fine.
*
Under the strict surveillance (?) of Heavenly Yuah, the market date began.
The market that Moon Suyeon visited when she was younger is located somewhere in the southern part of Gyeonggi Province. It wasn’t the same as other areas in Gyeonggi where places like Ilsan or Bundang are more bustling; this market was much quieter.
Therefore, just wearing a mask was enough to conceal our identities somewhat.
To begin with, the market isn’t a place that gathers Moon Suyeon’s fan base.
Although recently, her recognition among housewife fans has risen significantly, so revealing her face would change the situation a bit.
Since I don’t want to create a chaotic scene from the start, I’m paying significant attention to this aspect.
“…Isn’t that too close?”
“You’ll seem more suspicious if you just stand there gawking. What business would young men and women have coming to such a market unless they’re newlyweds?”
“So, are we playing newlyweds today?”
“Naturally.”
With remarkable confidence, Moon Suyeon linked her arms with mine and stated illogically that playing newlyweds would raise less suspicion.
Well, to begin with, this place isn’t a city where newlyweds commonly reside.
I accepted her insistence just because arguing with her wouldn’t lead anywhere, and making a commotion would only draw more attention.
My focus is on achieving our goal, not on trivial issues.
The warm softness rising from her arm isn’t a contributing factor at all. No, seriously, it’s not.
“It’s not the same as before. It seems like the shops have decreased.”
“Not really. It hasn’t been decades, just a little over ten years.”
“C’mon, what are you saying? The landscape changes in ten years.”
“Is this really some remote mountain village? Besides, the market was always lively back then too.”
“Is that so?”
“You were young back then, so this place might have seemed bigger.”
We strolled through the market, sharing old stories.
It was a normal market street, neither bustling nor overly quiet.
Since it was cold, we also bought some fish cakes and hotteoks to snack on.
When you’re at a market, it’s a national rule to buy this kind of food.
While browsing the market, Moon Suyeon mentioned something strange.
It was a peculiar story that left me no choice but to flinch.
“That’s odd.”
“…What is?”
“There’s something… familiar? I feel like this happened before…”
“Before? That doesn’t seem possible.”
“That’s what I thought. It’s strange… Oh.”
“…Senior Suyeon?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. I suddenly got a headache.”
“…Is it bad?”
“Ah, it’s fine. I feel better now. Oh, that’s right. Let’s go that way. That alley.”
After momentarily furrowing her brows, Moon Suyeon relaxed her face again and tugged at my hand.
But this situation didn’t feel light to me.
Occasionally, we experience déjà vu in life, but the timing felt strange this time.
And that’s because the most frequent outing I ever had with Yeon-i was visiting the market.
We used to stroll around, eating snacks like candy or kebabs and exploring the places.
But this was the first time I ventured out with Moon Suyeon.
Not only was there no reason to, but there was also no time for it.
Adding the sudden headache…
Suddenly, I feel extremely uneasy.
Haven’t I experienced something similar before?
Heavenly Yuah also suffered from a sudden headache right before her fan meeting.
Demon Queen, are you watching?
This can’t be… It’s not possible, right?
Overcome with an indescribable sense of unease, I quietly followed Moon Suyeon.
I thought I should talk to Heavenly Yuah again who’s monitoring the situation via drone.
“Hello!”
“Yes, welcome. What would you like?”
The place Moon Suyeon led me to was an ordinary fruit shop.
A plump aunt greeted customers, a common sight in the market.
Even the shop name “Namdo Chongwa” suggested it was at least twenty years old since they don’t use the term “Chongwa” much anymore these days.
“Ah… Lotus!?”
Just as I was about to exclaim “Got it!” but thought it would be too embarrassing to say who, I subtly hinted at it.
To my surprise, the owner clapped her hands in agreement at the mention of the unfamiliar name “Lotus.”
“Lotus?”
“Yes. There used to be a child with that name. She was an incredibly beautiful child.”
“Why Lotus?”
“Because she was like a lotus flower. Just like how a lotus blooms gracefully and beautifully even in muddy ponds, right?”
“Ah…”
“In fact, the orphanage here wasn’t great. There were problems, and it eventually closed down, which was unfortunate for the children who were there.”
“I see.”
“I don’t know what happened to that child. She could’ve become anything.”
The fruit shop owner who always handed out cream bread and milk to Moon Suyeon still remembered her.
Not by her name but by the meaningful word “Lotus.”
Well, her name does contain the character ‘莲’ (lotus), so it’s not entirely off.
After all, she bloomed into an incredible singer despite such harsh conditions.
“…Ah? Lotus? Not only that…”
“Hello, Owner.”
“Ah, Yoon-ju! Is that right?”
“Yes, it’s me. I’m actor Moon Suyeon. I also do musical activities under the name Luna.”
“My word… It’s really you, Yoon-ju, doing music too… Incredible…”
As soon as Moon Suyeon appeared, she was recognized right away.
They remembered her by the name Yoon-ju from “Mother’s Song” rather than Luna, but what can you do?
Among aunties, Yoon-ju’s recognition far exceeds Luna’s.
After all, the elders of this age wouldn’t know Luna, which is natural.
“No, this isn’t the time. Wait a moment.”
For a brief moment, the owner just stared at her blankly, then started making a fuss and picked up the phone.
“Yeah, it’s really Lotus.”
“It’s true. Lotus is here. Come to the store now.”
“You’ll be surprised. Yes, hurry!”
In no time, people from the market gathered at Namdo Chongwa.
All the market merchants who had heard young Suyeon’s song and given her something gathered here.
“Ah! You were right. I said it looked familiar, didn’t I?”
“Whenever Nam-joo saw a pretty woman, she would always say that, didn’t she? Said she resembled Lotus.”
“Ma’am, this is real, I’ve told you a dozen times…”
“Okay, stop there. Oh dear, Lotus…”
“What a success, doing both acting and singing. I knew from the start she’d achieve big things.”
According to what I heard, one merchant already recognized Moon Suyeon during the drama broadcast.
He said the previous child who was here looked a lot like Yoon-ju.
However, since this merchant was known for telling tall tales, he was brushed off.
Regardless, far more merchants remembered her than I expected, showering her with compliments about how well she’s grown and developed.
The enthusiasm was so overwhelming that Moon Suyeon herself, even with her fame, couldn’t help but feel pumped with motivation.
“Can’t believe you actually remembered me.”
“With someone like Senior Suyeon, it’d be harder to forget, wouldn’t it? That singing talent and that look.”
“Exactly. I was a little worried.”
“Indeed.”
“…I don’t feel bad at all. I thought it was all gloomy back then, but there was a light in that period as well.”
Feeling highly elated, she ended up hosting an impromptu concert right in front of the merchants.
She included trot songs she sang in the market as a child and the songs from the drama.
As if they expected this situation, the guards waiting in the Black Whale all came out to support her performance, ensuring it went smoothly.
“Good thing we prepared.”
“Guess Lady didn’t follow for nothing.”
“That’s right. I’m a busy person too, but stories like this definitely help.”
The Flame employees who followed Heavenly Yuah were also amazed at her foresight.
Hmm, what’s she up to now?
Though clearly, she followed to monitor Moon Suyeon and me, yet here she’s spinning it as something else entirely.
However, her claim isn’t completely wrong since she prepared all kinds of audio equipment as if she anticipated such an event and even arranged manpower from the company.
If Heavenly Yuah hadn’t prepared, it wouldn’t have ended so smoothly.
Of course, it’s possible to sing without equipment like we used to, but if possible, having better arrangements is always preferable.
Thus, the memory-sharing session between Moon Suyeon and the merchants concluded warmly.
