Thanks to Lee Seon-hwa actively creating content, the variety show filming ended earlier than scheduled.

The producer couldn’t stop smiling because there were so many great scenes.

Beaming, he said,

“Thanks to you, Seon-hwa, this episode is going to get an amazing response. You were incredible today.”

Lee Seon-hwa smirked slightly.

“Heh. It’s just that I haven’t been on variety shows much lately. If I put my mind to it, I can do well in them too.”

“I completely agree. Once this airs, other shows will be scrambling to cast you.”

“Casting offers always come in anyway.”

“Oh, of course! You’ve always been able to pick and choose. Hahaha.”

4cats was in high spirits too.

The twins puffed up proudly.

“From now on, call us the Variety Twins.”

“We did twice as well!”

“If we both do twice as well?”

“Four times as good!”

Seo Sora played along just enough.

“Yay, yay. We have some amazing variety show geniuses here.”

Yoon Nana didn’t get much screen time, but she wasn’t discouraged. Instead, she became more determined.

“I feel like Seon-hwa was only trying to keep me in check. That means she sees me as a real competitor.”

The ES Entertainment car was parked in the underground lot. The four of them, along with their manager, Kim Hyeong-jin, took the elevator down.

Lee Seon-hwa, who had gone down a little earlier, was waiting for them in front of the elevator.

She made a suggestion.

“Since we wrapped up early today, how about we grab dinner together? My treat.”

The male lead of My Princess’s Rehabilitation, Kang Seo-jun, grinned widely.

“If you’re treating, it must be somewhere really good. Of course, I’m in!”

His co-star, Kwon Kyung-chul, flexed his muscles and said,

“I’m gonna eat a lot. That okay?”

“We’re going to a place where the chef serves whatever they decide.”

“Sounds great. Just looking at me, they’ll know to give me extra.”

Lee Seon-hwa turned to Seo Sora.

“Are you coming?”

Seo Sora was so surprised she blurted out,

“Huh? Us too?”

Lee Seon-hwa smiled.

“You made that soup so delicious earlier, remember? I said I’d treat you next time. Since we finished early today, I figured why not today?”

The twins, realizing from Kang Seo-jun’s reaction that they were heading somewhere fancy, quickly responded.

“Thank you!”

“We’ll eat a lot and grow big and strong!”

Lee Seon-hwa only needed Seo Sora there, but she wasn’t naïve enough to make that obvious.

‘Bringing all four of them makes it look natural.’

Since it was a private gathering, the managers from each company excused themselves for the evening.

Lee Seon-hwa brought her own car and drove it herself.

None of the 4cats members could drive a van, so Kang Seo-jun volunteered to drive the ES Entertainment vehicle.

As he opened the car door, he remarked,

“Man, it must’ve cost a bit to customize—oh, wait, this isn’t modified?”

Seo Sora replied,

“The president said he’d modify it once we start making more money.”

“This car? Wouldn’t it be better to just buy a new one instead…? Oh, never mind.”

As he started the engine, Kang Seo-jun bragged,

“I’ve seen plenty of variety shows where they drive these kinds of vans. I’m actually a great driver.”

Seo Sora, sitting in the passenger seat, turned to him excitedly.

“I’m a fan of yours, Seo-jun oppa! I couldn’t say it earlier because we were filming!”

Kang Seo-jun glanced at the rearview mirror and laughed.

“Is there anyone who isn’t my fan? Hahaha.”

Yoon Nana simply stared blankly, while the twins were too busy scrolling through online forums to care.

“Oh, so not Nana? And not Ha-yeon or Da-yeon either? That means only Sora is my fan.”

Kang Seo-jun quickly changed the subject.

“The reason I offered to drive this time is that there’s something I really wanted to ask you. Mind if I do?”

“Oh my, really? What is it? Ask me anything, I’ll answer!”

Seo Sora was hoping he’d ask for her phone number, but his question completely caught her off guard.

“Who exactly is Dimension?”

“Huh? Why do you…”

“It’s not that I have any hidden motives. Honestly, my dream is to be a singer.”

“But you’re an actor.”

“That’s a dream I’ve already achieved. I originally had two dreams.”

“Oh, I see.”

Seo Sora couldn’t understand why he hadn’t achieved his second dream yet.

“Then why not release an album? Plenty of actors and comedians do that.”

Kang Seo-jun smiled awkwardly.

“There’s just one tiny problem.”

“What is it?”

“I can’t sing.”

“What?”

“I’m tone-deaf.”

Seo Sora blinked.

‘What kind of nonsense is this?’

“But you said being a singer is your dream?”

Kang Seo-jun had a wistful expression.

“That’s why it’s a dream. An unattainable dream.”

Seo Sora glanced at Kang Seo-jun’s handsome profile, filled with doubt.

‘Could it be that Seo-jun oppa’s true identity is…?’

Kang Seo-jun explained,

“I was wondering if Dimension could create a song that even I could sing.”

“Have you asked other composers to make a song like that?”

“They said it wouldn’t work because I have severe tone-deafness.”

“But these days, recording technology is so advanced that even notes you can’t hit can be adjusted, and everything else can be fine-tuned.”

“I want to sing live. Jumping around the stage, singing together with my fans—that kind of real, living performance.”

“Ah. I see.”

‘Yup. A handsome lunatic.’

Lee Seon-hwa planned to take everyone to a restaurant run by a famous chef who frequently appeared on television.

Ever since that chef gained popularity on TV, it had become nearly impossible to get a table at the restaurant. Walking in without a reservation meant a very high chance of being turned away.

But Lee Seon-hwa knew that a team she was familiar with had made a reservation there today.

While in her car, she made a phone call.

“Yeah, that place. If you give up that table, I’ll book you another one—at a restaurant twice as expensive. How much is the limit? Why would there be a limit? Order whatever you want. I’ll cover everything. So, we have a deal? Just let Chef Woo know.”

As soon as she hung up, Kwon Kyung-chul, sitting beside her, asked,

“I mean, Chef Woo is famous, but if there’s a place that’s twice as expensive, wouldn’t it be better for us to just go there? Why insist on eating at Chef Woo’s restaurant?”

“I just feel like eating there today. If you don’t, you can get out of the car.”

“No, no. I’ve always wanted to try Chef Woo’s food. It looked amazing on TV.”

Even after entering the restaurant and sitting down, Seo Sora had no idea what kind of place it was. But then, Chef Woo himself came to their table.

“Seon-hwa, I’ve been seeing you a lot lately.”

“Seems like it.”

Seo Sora was so surprised that she stood up from her seat.

“Hello!”

“Ah, yes. Hello… Oh! You’re Seo Sora from 4cats?”

“Oh my! You know us?”

“Of course! Your songs are great. Hahaha. We have some esteemed guests today.”

“Thank you! I’m a fan of yours too, Chef!”

Beside her, Kang Seo-jun muttered under his breath,

“So Sora’s not just my fan—she’s a fan of anyone who’s famous.”

Seo Sora turned to him.

“Huh?”

“Nothing, nothing.”

He quickly changed the subject by looking at Lee Seon-hwa.

“This place must’ve been fully booked. How did you get a table?”

Lee Seon-hwa was pleased by both Seo Sora’s reaction and Kang Seo-jun’s question.

‘This is it. When people recognize without being told just how good a place I’ve brought them to. What’s the point of taking them somewhere even better if they don’t appreciate it? Seeing Chef Woo in person makes it obvious. Plus, with someone like Seo-jun asking about it, it makes the effort even more worthwhile.’

She smiled.

“I wanted to get something delicious for Sora, so I put in a little extra effort.”

“That’s top-star power for you.”

“Of course. I am Lee Seon-hwa, after all.”

Seo Sora’s eyes sparkled.

“Unnie, you’re so cool!”

Lee Seon-hwa beamed.

‘Don’t just say that here—go home and tell Jung-woo I’m amazing! With those exact eyes! I’ll buy you all the delicious food you want, so go earn your meal!’

During the meal, they each had a drink.

Seo Sora sipped her wine and marveled.

“Wow. This must be expensive wine. The deep aroma just rises up—it’s incredible.”

Yoon Nana grumbled quietly.

“Even some good ones from the supermarket taste similar to this.”

Lee Seon-hwa didn’t drink.

“I barely drank anything yesterday, but somehow, I still have a hangover. Feels like I had two extra bottles of soju.”

Kang Seo-jun commented,

“That’s just age—”

“You wanna die?”

Kang Seo-jun quickly turned his head to the side and took a drink. After downing the entire glass in one go, he cautiously looked at Lee Seon-hwa and said,

“Save me.”

Lee Seon-hwa said,

“I have to drive anyway, so I’m not drinking.”

Kang Seo-jun hesitated.

“Oh. I was supposed to drive for these guys, but I already drank… Ah, whatever. Since I already started, I might as well go all in.”

Seo Sora shouted,

“It’s fine! We’ll call a driver for our car, so our handsome… Seo-jun oppa can drink as much as he wants. Here, have another!”

“Sora, you drink too! Drink up!”

After a leisurely meal with drinks, they went down to the parking lot.

The twins were the first to step out of the elevator, and they gasped in surprise.

“Ah! It's Lemon Flower!”

“It really is! Wow!”

Lemon Flower was a female duo consisting of Yoon Mi-so and Choi Soo-ah.

“Huh? Those men look like they're about to hit them!”

“Aren’t those sisters in danger?”

In one corner of the underground parking lot, Yoon Mi-so and Choi Soo-ah stood. In front of them, a man in a suit was angrily scolding them. Behind him, three large men stood intimidatingly.

Lee Seon-hwa immediately strode over with a frown.

“Who the hell are you guys?”

Jo Ki-hyeok, the man in the suit, turned his head and snapped angrily.

“What kind of bitch dares to—” He froze. “Huh! Lee Seon-hwa?”

Lee Seon-hwa spoke sharply.

“If you know who I am, you’d better back off.”

Jo Ki-hyeok’s eyes wavered.

But then, one of the large men behind him shouted.

“Fuck! So what if it’s Lee Seon-hwa? If you don’t want to get hurt, just walk away like you didn’t see anything!”

From behind Lee Seon-hwa, Kang Seo-jun appeared.

“Four men picking on two women—how could I possibly ignore that?”

“Kang Seo-jun? You celebrity punk, if you stick your nose in, I’ll kill you!”

Kang Seo-jun flinched. The atmosphere was tense. He turned to Kwon Kyung-chul, who had been the last to step out of the elevator.

“Hyung, I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“A bad feeling? They’re just thugs.”

Kwon Kyung-chul flexed his muscles and stepped forward.

“What did you just say? I didn’t hear you properly. Say it again.”

“Fuck! I said I’ll kill you!”

“Oh? Oh. He really did say it again. That’s not what I was going for.”

There were seven people on Lee Seon-hwa’s side.

But Lee Seon-hwa and the members of 4cats had never been in a fistfight before, and they weren’t physically strong.

Kang Seo-jun had never even attended a Taekwondo class as a child, let alone been in a fight.

The only one who looked like he might be strong in a fight was Kwon Kyung-chul, with his muscular build.

On the other hand, the other side had four men who looked like they knew how to handle themselves.

Lee Seon-hwa quickly came up with a plan.

“Kyung-chul oppa, you hold off those four. In the meantime, we’ll get those two out.”

Kwon Kyung-chul hesitated.

“Uh… but won’t I actually die?”

“Oppa, you’re really strong.”

“Seon-hwa, no matter how strong I am, how can I take on those four thugs by myself? I’m human too, you know.”

“Ah!”

Kwon Kyung-chul flinched in surprise.

“What?”

Lee Seon-hwa’s eyes widened.

‘Why is Jung-woo here?’

Yoon Mi-so and Choi Soo-ah of Lemon Flower were holding hands tightly, terrified. Then, suddenly, a man they had never seen before appeared in front of them.

Yoon Mi-so looked at his back and asked cautiously.

“W-who are you?”

“A person.”

Seo Sora had called Seo Jung-woo earlier during dinner, not because she expected something like this, but simply because they needed a driver.

However, when Seo Jung-woo arrived, the underground parking lot was filled with hostility.

He immediately stepped between the two women and the four men.

Lee Seon-hwa and Seo Sora’s side had Kwon Kyung-chul and Kang Seo-jun, so they could at least defend themselves, but no one was protecting the two women. So he stood there.

Seo Jung-woo frowned as he looked at Jo Ki-hyeok and the three men behind him.

“What’s going on here?”

Jo Ki-hyeok hadn’t even noticed when Seo Jung-woo had arrived.

He had been keeping an eye on Kwon Kyung-chul, but when Yoon Mi-so’s startled voice drew his attention, Seo Jung-woo was already standing in front of them.

Jo Ki-hyeok was taken aback.

“Huh? Who the hell are you?”

“Just someone here to drive.”

“What?”

“They said they drank, so…”

Seo Jung-woo glanced over at Seo Sora.

“You call me only when you need a driver, huh?”

Seo Sora sheepishly raised a hand.

“Ah… sorry.”

Jo Ki-hyeok’s mind worked quickly.

‘He’s not a hired driver. He knows 4cats? So, is he their manager?’

It was the first time he had seen Seo Jung-woo’s face, but he knew what 4cats’ manager, Kim Hyeong-jin, looked like.

‘ES Entertainment must have hired a new road manager. Well, it was about time.’

He reached a conclusion.

‘Now, there are three men on their side, and unfortunately, one of them is Kwon Kyung-chul. If this drags on and Kyung-chul makes a move, things will escalate. Dealing with Lee Seon-hwa would also be a hassle. Alright. First, I’ll take out this newbie and reduce their numbers.’

Jo Ki-hyeok pulled his gloved fist back and lunged at Seo Jung-woo.

“Who the hell does a road manager think he is?!”

Jo Ki-hyeok swung his fist toward Seo Jung-woo’s face.

At the same time, Seo Jung-woo extended his leg forward. Naturally, a leg was longer than an arm.

Seo Jung-woo kicked Jo Ki-hyeok.

Jo Ki-hyeok was sent flying backward even faster than he had charged forward.

“Guehhk!”

Seo Jung-woo muttered.

“What was that? Is he an idiot?”