Thanks to the twins cutting in at the right moment, the topic shifted from "Who is Dimension?" to the daily lives of the 4cats members.

Yoon Nana, trying to smooth over the situation, threw out various stories. In the process, the reason she and Seo Sora became close friends came up.

The comedian hosting the show asked,

“So, you two neighborhood friends ended up in the same agency?”

“No. I first met Sora at the agency. But when we were going home, I saw her getting off at the same subway station as me. Turns out we lived in the same neighborhood, so we became close.”

“Then do you still live in the same neighborhood as Seo Sora?”

“Of course. Our houses are close to each other.”

The cable variety show that 4cats filmed aired two days later.

Kim Seong-jun, the president of AKX Pictures, usually didn’t bother watching cable variety shows. He occasionally watched high-rating programs, but this one wasn’t that popular.

However, these days, he was keeping up with cable variety shows as well.

Because of Lee Yoon-mi.

Ever since she was stabbed and injured, she had mostly stopped traveling, shopping, or attending performances. She consciously avoided crowded places.

As a result, Kim Seong-jun naturally spent more time at home, watching TV with her.

While watching the show featuring 4cats, Lee Yoon-mi commented,

“Yoon Nana is so bright and pretty.”

She knew that Seo Jung-woo had saved Yoon Nana as well.

ES Entertainment had pushed a lot of articles about 4cats’ first song, thanks to Hong Yi’s favor. Because of that, there was plenty of reading material about her online.

Kim Seong-jun knew that simply agreeing with her statement wouldn’t end well.

In moments like these, the best move was to steer the conversation in a different direction—but it had to be done naturally.

“That girl, Seo Sora… She looks oddly familiar. Where have I seen her before?”

In truth, while watching Seo Sora, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.

Lee Yoon-mi asked,

“Is she a singer who used to be an actress?”

“Maybe? Her name doesn’t ring a bell, but did she play a minor role in one of our productions?”

On the screen, the conversation about Yoon Nana’s residence was unfolding.

— Then do you still live in the same neighborhood as Seo Sora?

— Of course. Our houses are close to each other.

Kim Seong-jun paused.

“Huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

Leaning forward, he stared intently at the screen—not at Yoon Nana, but at Seo Sora.

“Seo Sora…”

“Did you remember where you saw her?”

“I’ve met Detective Seo Jung-woo a few times in person.”

“That’s right. I’d love to meet him too.”

“Watching Seo Sora, I kept feeling like she looked familiar. Now I know why. She looks like Detective Seo Jung-woo. In person, he looks a bit different from that interview video, but his actual appearance resembles Seo Sora.”

There were no recent public photos of Seo Jung-woo. The only available footage was a short interview where he gave brief answers.

However, the most-watched video of him wasn’t that interview—it was the footage of him taking down Lee Seon-hwa’s stalker. That video didn’t show his face.

“Really? When I met him, everything was so chaotic that I barely remember his face. So that’s what he looks like?”

Still watching the TV, Kim Seong-jun muttered,

“Seo Jung-woo. Seo Sora. They both have the last name Seo.”

“What? Are you thinking they might be related? Come on. There are tons of people with the last name Seo in Korea.”

“They live in the same neighborhood too.”

“Huh?”

“Detective Seo Jung-woo once mentioned that his commute time is short. That means he lives close to the police station. Yoon Nana also lives in that precinct’s jurisdiction. That’s why, when the serial killer kidnapped Yoon Nana, Detective Seo Jung-woo was able to respond immediately. And now, on this show, Seo Sora just said she lives in the same neighborhood.”

Lee Yoon-mi started to entertain the possibility.

“Then what’s their relationship supposed to be?”

“Relatives? Maybe siblings?”

Watching the screen with him, Lee Yoon-mi asked,

“Are you going to look into it? Like… checking their addresses to compare or something?”

Kim Seong-jun immediately shook his head.

“I’m suspicious, but investigating them is a bad idea. Detective Seo Jung-woo would find out right away if someone was looking into him.”

“That’s true. With his investigative skills, he’d catch on instantly.”

“And who wants to be friends with someone who’s snooping around their personal life? The moment he finds out, any relationship we could have would be over. I can’t repay kindness with betrayal.”

“Then what will you do?”

Kim Seong-jun grinned.

“It’s fine as long as we find out naturally, right?”

“Naturally?”

On TV, 4cats were singing their third song, Little Baby Kittens.

Listening to the song, Kim Seong-jun spoke.

“That song, I thought it was good before, but now I’m certain. The new commercial our company is about to produce has exactly this concept. It’d be great to use it. I should ask Director Yoon for his opinion.”

“If you say you want to use it, Director Yoon won’t oppose it.”

“I should set up a dinner meeting with Director Yoon’s team tomorrow evening to discuss production. But if we’re using that song in the commercial, we should invite those four to the dinner as well, don’t you think? That’s quite natural, right?”

Lee Yoon-mi burst into laughter after hearing Kim Seong-jun’s plan.

“Hahaha! So you’re going to approach Seo Sora that way to find out? Oh, my stomach! Are you some kind of spy? I laughed so hard, my stomach hurts.”

“Don’t laugh too hard. Your wound might reopen.”

“It’s just too funny.”

After barely managing to stop laughing, she said,

“Then should I go to that dinner too?”

Kim Seong-jun’s eyes widened.

“Huh? Really?”

“I want to meet Yoon Nana and talk to her. Besides, if I go, it’ll seem even more natural.”

Kim Seong-jun’s expression brightened instantly.

‘I was worried because Yoon-mi has been wary of people since that incident.’

He completely understood why. She had been kidnapped by someone she trusted and nearly stabbed to death.

And yet, now she was saying she wanted to meet someone she didn’t know.

‘Since Yoon Nana has been through a similar situation and remains so bright, maybe she wants to talk to her and work through her trauma. Yeah, even the doctors said having this kind of mindset is important.’

“I’ll set it up right away.”

The next morning, ES Entertainment’s president, Oh Dong-cheol, received a call from AKX Pictures.

“Huh? AKX Pictures? A commercial? You want our girls for a commercial?”

Oh Dong-cheol shot up from his seat, then sat back down.

“Ah, no, just the song? Oh, of course. As long as the conditions are right, that’s no problem at all. Dimension? Our company handles all of Dimension’s music-related work, so you don’t have to worry about that. Absolutely.”

As soon as he hung up, Seo Sora excitedly asked,

“President? What was that about? Are we shooting a commercial?”

Oh Dong-cheol shook his finger left and right.

“You guys aren’t at that level yet.”

“But you just said commercial!”

“They just want to use Little Baby Kittens in a commercial.”

Seo Sora looked slightly disappointed.

“Oh, I got excited for nothing.”

“They don’t just want to use the melody; they want to use your recording. They want you to re-record it specifically for the commercial. And what happens then? Your song will be on TV every day. Plus, you’ll get royalties, and you’ll get a cut for performing the song.”

Seo Sora clenched her fist tightly.

“Wow, really? Awesome! As soon as the money comes in, I’ll pay my brother back for the new… I’ll completely repay him for the laptop so he can’t boss me around with it anymore!”

“Boss you around?”

“He keeps making me run errands. He knocks off ten thousand won each time.”

Yoon Nana asked,

“President, does that mean Dimension will earn something too?”

“Of course. Dimension will earn the most. They own all the copyrights.”

Oh Dong-cheol let out a small sigh.

“That’s why we should’ve sold the song along with you appearing in the commercial. That way, our company would have made more money. This time, we’ll only get a little.”

Yoon Nana pressed her hands against her chest.

“That’s a relief.”

“Huh? Nana! Whose side are you on?”

“Whose side do you think?”

“The rent for your practice room is barely covered! You need to make money fast!”

Seo Sora asked,

“So when do we record the song?”

“They want to decide that over dinner tonight.”

“Wow, President, you’re going out for a fancy meal.”

“No, I don’t have to go. But you guys must. The president of AKX Pictures is personally attending. It’s a great chance to build connections.”

Manager Kim Hyeong-jin tilted his head.

“They’re just using the song for a commercial, and they’re hosting a dinner for that?”

“Yes, and the president himself is arranging it. He even apologized for the sudden invitation but said he really hopes you’ll attend.”

“If I heard this somewhere else, I’d think they’re setting up our girls to pour drinks for some executives.”

Suddenly, the twins jumped to their feet.

“The president is selling us off!”

“Contact Detective D and have him arrest the president!”

“We’re telling Mom too!”

“Our mom’s a lawyer!”

Seo Sora eyed him suspiciously.

“Are you seriously selling us to that company president?”

Oh Dong-cheol protested.

“Hey, just how do you guys see me? Do I look like someone who would sell you off?”

“But the manager just said so.”

Kim Hyeong-jin quickly waved both hands.

“I meant that if it were some shady guy inviting you, I’d be suspicious that he was trying to hit on you. But that’s not the case here.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s none other than President Kim Seong-jun. I’ve heard some things about him in this industry, and he’s absolutely not that kind of person.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, definitely. That’s why it’s strange.”

Kim Hyeong-jin tilted his head again.

“Why would the president of AKX Pictures invite rookies like you to a dinner he’s hosting?”

Oh Dong-cheol spoke up.

“He said it’s a dinner meeting combined with a CF production discussion. That’s why he invited you. So, of course, you should go. If you get familiar with President Kim Seong-jun now, he might think of our girls when he’s producing something in the future. And if you land even a minor role, that’s a huge win.”

The dinner that evening proceeded normally.

Kim Seong-jun had intentionally arranged the seating so that Lee Yoon-mi and Yoon Nana sat next to each other. It wasn’t to extract information.

‘If Yoon-mi talks with Yoon Nana, who went through a similar experience yet remains cheerful, it might help her mental recovery.’

Because of the seating arrangement, the two naturally started conversing. At some point, the name Seo Jung-woo came up.

Yoon Nana’s eyes sparkled as she said,

“Detective Seo really saved my life.”

‘He saved my life and helped me find my dream.’

Lee Yoon-mi smiled.

“He saved me too.”

When Yoon Nana had this conversation with Lee Seon-hwa, they had playfully argued, but this time, the mood was quite pleasant.

“Isn’t he amazing? And handsome, too.”

“Oh my, have you met him?”

“Huh? Ah, yes. A few times.”

“A few times? I’m jealous. I wanted to go and thank him too, but my situation wasn’t great.”

“No, you don’t need to visit him. He hates being exposed to the media. If you go and it ends up in the news, he wouldn’t like it.”

“I did hear that, but for someone who avoids the media, his name sure pops up in the news a lot.”

“Right? Even though he doesn’t want to be in the spotlight, he keeps making headlines.”

Hearing this, the twins sitting nearby clapped their hands in delight.

“Hehehe! As expected of D!”

Lee Yoon-mi asked,

“D?”

“Huh? Oh, Di-ri-ri-ri-ri. That D.”

Seo Sora was sitting directly across from Kim Seong-jun. She felt an itch to speak.

‘Is this how Hong Gil-dong felt? This frustrating feeling of not being able to call my brother ‘oppa.’’

Kim Seong-jun had two reasons for inviting 4cats to this dinner.

One was for Lee Yoon-mi’s sake, but the other was to naturally find out about Seo Sora and Seo Jung-woo’s relationship.

‘Seo Sora looks like she really wants to say something but can’t.’

He deliberately asked her,

“Is something wrong? Any issues?”

“No, not at all. The food is really delicious. Hohoho.”

Kim Seong-jun’s suspicions deepened.

‘She definitely looks like she’s hiding something.’

The CF director chimed in.

“A director I know really wants Detective Seo Jung-woo to appear in his drama.”

The director he was referring to was the one currently filming The Princess’s Redemption, starring Lee Seon-hwa.

Kim Seong-jun sighed with regret.

“We already made an offer to Detective Seo Jung-woo, but he turned it down outright.”

Seo Sora was startled.

“Huh? But can a police officer even appear in a drama?”

Kim Seong-jun explained,

“If it’s for police promotion purposes and the government officially grants permission, it’s possible. Of course, convincing either the government or Detective Seo Jung-woo is no easy task. In fact, convincing Detective Seo might be even harder.”

“Oh, so it’s possible.”

“If he agrees, we’d pay him well.”

Seo Sora quietly took out her smartphone and messaged Seo Jung-woo.

– They want to cast you in a drama. Take the role.

– Shut up.

– They’ll pay a lot.

– Not interested.

Watching her, Kim Seong-jun became certain.

‘She just relayed my words and got rejected. That expression… At the very least, they’re cousins. If not, then full siblings.’