Lee Seon-hwa met Seo Jung-woo at a quiet café a bit away from the police station. She had purposely avoided the café directly in front of the station, as reporters often showed up there.

After taking a very elegant sip of her coffee, Lee Seon-hwa pulled up a photo on her smartphone.

“This photo. It’s you, isn’t it, Jung-woo?”

“How could you tell just from the back?”

“I knew right away just by looking.”

Seo Jung-woo was slightly puzzled.

‘Seon-hwa hasn’t awakened any skills, but her eye for detail is surprisingly sharp?’

Lee Seon-hwa said,

“Right now I’m the only one who recognizes you, but soon more people will. That video we took also shows a similar view from behind. Then things will get complicated. A scandal between a minor singer and a star detective? It’ll be absolute chaos.”

“Is that so?”

“Definitely. That’s why I brought a way to resolve this scandal in one shot.”

Seo Jung-woo became interested.

“Impressive. What is it?”

She smiled brightly.

“If a scandal breaks out between you and me, that rookie singer will be wrapped up in no time.”

“Excuse me?”

“We make a scandal between you and me. Who would bother with 4cats after that? It’ll naturally get buried. It’s not just a countermeasure—it’s dropping a bomb.”

Seo Jung-woo was momentarily flustered, then let out a small laugh.

“I can’t lie like that. And I can’t burden you like that either, Ms. Lee.”

“Oh my, are you worried about me? It’s fine. Scandals pop up whenever I get bored anyway. Of course, they’re all fake news. Even if I just have a drink with a male actor, they say we’re dating.”

“Then from now on, I shouldn’t even have coffee with you.”

Lee Seon-hwa quickly corrected herself.

“Actually, there’s only been one time when I got caught drinking and a scandal happened. After I made sure to stomp on the outlet that published that fake news, no one ever did it again. So coffee is fine.”

Her eyes sparkled as she asked,

“You’ll do it with me, right?”

“I refuse. That kind of lie… I just can’t.”

Lee Seon-hwa was disappointed inwardly.

‘Tch. That plan failed.’

She asked,

“But seriously, what’s going on with this photo?”

“Ah, this.”

Seo Jung-woo hadn’t revealed that Seo Sora was his younger sister until now.

But if he continued to hide it, there would be no way to resolve this situation.

“Seo Sora is my younger sister. My real sister. I went to the agency to see her, and then went out to buy snacks with Da-yeon. The drink in the photo was given as a service by the chicken shop owner, who recognized Da-yeon.”

Lee Seon-hwa covered her mouth with both hands.

“Oh my. With Sora? I had no idea. I’m close with Sora too.”

She’s a top star praised for both beauty and acting skills. Her act of pretending not to know was remarkably natural.

‘Sharing a secret like this… we’ll naturally get closer…’

Seo Jung-woo said,

“Ms. Lee Seon-hwa.”

“Yes?”

“Save the acting for in front of the camera.”

“Pardon?”

She was caught off guard. Her act had been exposed.

“H-How?”

Seo Jung-woo had seen this kind of casual acting from Lee Seon-hwa countless times in the other world. Even when she was cursed and barely survived, she acted like this in front of him.

Seo Jung-woo answered,

“It’s obvious.”

Lee Seon-hwa widened her eyes and clapped her hands.

“Ah! You’re Detective Seo Jung-woo. The star detective who catches any criminal quickly. I thought you only caught criminals, but you even saw through my perfect acting.”

She bowed her head slightly.

“I’m sorry. While filming a variety show with Sora before, I noticed something. She knew I had drunk the night before. Only a few people knew that, and you were one of them…”

Seo Jung-woo understood immediately.

That day, he had muttered near Seo Sora that “Seon-hwa in the other world” had said she drank too much the previous night. But that night, the Seon-hwa of this world had also sent him a text saying she drank.

‘Sora must have heard that and thought I was talking about this Seon-hwa, not the one from the other world.’

“It’s nothing to apologize for. No need to bow over it.”

Lee Seon-hwa looked up and smiled brightly.

“Right? You’re not offended, are you?”

“It’s not like you did a background check. You just found out naturally.”

“And honestly, it’s not just because she’s your sister. Sora and I just get along well.”

Seo Jung-woo expected that. In the other world, the two were very close.

With a refreshed expression, Lee Seon-hwa said,

“And about how to resolve this issue. Let’s just reveal it.”

“Reveal what?”

“That Sora is your sister. Just explain it exactly like you told me.”

Seo Jung-woo also thought that was the best way to handle it before things got worse.

“That’s what I’m planning. That’s why I told you just now. But the problem is how. I can’t hold a press conference over this. And even if I do, it might sound like an excuse.”

“If you—no, if star detective Seo Jung-woo—said you’d hold a press conference, gathering reporters wouldn’t be hard. But you hate interviews, so there’s no way you’d do a press conference. That’s why!”

She smiled playfully and made a suggestion.

“Should I reveal it for you?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m Lee Seon-hwa. The top star Lee Seon-hwa. I’ll handle it smoothly so that no one even dares call it an excuse.”

Seo Jung-woo showed interest.

“What do you plan to do?”

“I have a live broadcast scheduled for this evening. It’s on cable TV, but the ratings are usually pretty good. And they promoted my appearance a lot, so more people than usual will be watching. I’ll reveal it there.”

That evening, Lee Seon-hwa deliberately brought up the 4cats scandal during a live cable TV broadcast.

“I’m close with 4cats. Not one article mentioned which of the twins was in the photo, right? That’s because even the reporter didn’t know which one it was.”

“Then Ms. Lee, do you know who the person in the photo is?”

“Of course. That’s Da-yeon. She’s really hurt by that absurd news. She’s only a senior in high school.”

The host had expected Lee Seon-hwa to talk about her own scandals on this lighthearted live talk show. That’s because she had specifically requested beforehand that the host bring up her scandals first.

However, what she brought up in response to the host’s question was today’s article about the 4cats twins’ dating scandal.

The host thought:

‘We’ve already explained multiple times that it’s not a scandal between Lee Seon-hwa and Seo Jung-woo, so that’s a bit stale. This one’s hotter, so let’s push this instead.’

“So, you’re saying the two people in the photo are not dating?”

“Of course not. Absolutely not.”

“And you know who this man is?”

“Of course. The person with her is…”

Lee Seon-hwa deliberately paused mid-sentence and smiled.

The quick-witted PD immediately cut to a 60-second commercial.

Messages flooded the chat window of the cable TV’s internet streaming broadcast.

- Aaaagh! How can you cut off right there!

- I believed in the twins!

- Go Da-yeon!

- So who is that man!

After 60 seconds, the broadcast resumed.

Lee Seon-hwa spoke.

“The man in that photo is Detective Seo Jung-woo.”

The host was flustered.

“Huh? What did you just say…?”

“Detective Seo Jung-woo.”

The chat exploded again.

- Seo Jung-woo?!

- Why is hyung showing up there!

- Ah! Seo Jung-woo saved Yoon Nana, right! Then he should be dating Nana, why Da-yeon?

- No way! Not Nana!

The host asked again.

“Is it really Detective Seo Jung-woo?”

Lee Seon-hwa flashed a mischievous smile.

“Oh my. You didn’t know?”

“Huh? Of course I didn’t. The photo only shows their backs.”

“Not that.”

“Then what?”

“Detective Seo Jung-woo’s younger sister is Seo Sora. Seo Sora of 4cats. You really didn’t know?”

The host’s mouth dropped open.

“What?”

The chat window was flooded with messages.

- Gasp! Seo Sora?!

- What the hell is this all of a sudden!

- It makes sense! They’re both Seo!

- Who would’ve thought Seo Sora is Seo Jung-woo’s sister!

- I’m doomed! I once replied to a comment saying Seo Sora was sexy that I disagreed! What if she asks her brother Seo Jung-woo to track me down?

Lee Seon-hwa switched from her playful expression to a graceful demeanor and explained.

“Detective Seo said he visited the company that day to see his younger sister, Seo Sora. That photo was taken while they were stepping out to grab a snack, with Da-yeon guiding him. What’s in the cup in the photo isn’t alcohol but a soft drink, given to Da-yeon as a freebie at the chicken place. She’s a regular there.”

After the broadcast aired, articles flooded in stating that 4cats member Seo Sora is Detective Seo Jung-woo’s biological sister.

The two names shot up on portal site search rankings, along with Lee Seon-hwa’s name tagging along.

The 4cats scandal vanished in an instant.

Seo Sora, watching the broadcast, was flustered.

“Why is Seon-hwa unnie clearing up our scandal?”

She asked Park Da-yeon,

“Did you… maybe tell her?”

Park Da-yeon shook her head vigorously.

“Nope.”

“Then how does she know the situation in that photo so well?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t, but Detective D would know, right?”

Yoon Nana slapped the table with her palm.

“Lee Seon-hwa must have asked Detective D! He told her everything!”

Seo Sora tilted her head in confusion.

“Why would oppa? He told me not to go around saying he’s my brother, but now Seon-hwa unnie just says it on a broadcast?”

Yoon Nana pressed her urgently.

“Sora! Hurry up and call Detective D and tell him what’s going on! Say that Seon-hwa betrayed us!”

Seo Sora called Seo Jung-woo. Yoon Nana urged her again.

“Put it on speaker so we can all hear!”

“Okay, calm down. Ah, it’s connected.”

- Yeah, what is it?

“It’s serious! Seon-hwa unnie said on the broadcast that you’re my brother!”

- I know.

“You saw it too? What do we do now?”

- That was the best option, so I told her to go public.

Seo Sora was stunned.

“Huh? What are you talking about? You told me not to let anyone know. I thought I was Hong Gil-dong or something!”

- Do you have a better way to keep Da-yeon out of a scandal?

“Huh? That’s…”

- If you want to clean this up before it gets worse, this is the best way.

Park Da-yeon quickly bowed toward the phone.

“Detective D! Thank you!”

- Ah. It’s on speakerphone again.

“And I’m sorry! Because of me…”

- Why are you apologizing? You just went to get snacks. The one who wrote the fake article and the one who schemed this in the background should be sorry.

“Hehe. Right!”

Seo Jung-woo added in a low voice:

- Those guys will pay for this soon.

Yoon Nana asked quickly:

“Detective D, did you tell Seon-hwa who Sora is?”

- No. She already knew.

“Huh? How…?”

- She figured it out during that previous broadcast we did together. Alright, if you all get the gist now, I’m busy so I’m hanging up.

The call ended abruptly.

Park Da-yeon jumped up.

“As expected of Detective D! He deserves worship!”

Park Ha-yeon chimed in.

“He revealed that he has an embarrassing sister like Sora unnie just for us! Guardian of the twins, D!”

“No, I think he only protected me this time.”

“Hey!”

“From now on, I’ll bow to Detective D’s photo every morning when I wake up!”

“Let’s do it three times!”

“I can do it alone though.”

“Hey!”

Seo Sora snapped at them.

“Quiet! Why am I an embarrassing sister!”

Yoon Nana frowned.

“I thought Seon-hwa was acting weird around you during that broadcast, and now it makes sense—she already knew. No wonder she was treating you to meals and everything! She had a motive!”

“Really? Is that why she kept calling me so often?”

“She was totally coming on strong!”

Wind Planning’s president Choi Sun-myung was shocked after hearing the report.

“Seo Jung-woo? That detective who caught the serial killer and the terrorist? Why is that detective’s name coming up here!”

Director Jo Ki-hyuk was also flustered.

“I-I know. I also don’t understand why that detective is Seo Sora’s brother.”

“You bastard. You didn’t even find that out?”

“I was focusing on checking if the 4cats girls were seeing anyone…”

“You should’ve checked Seo Sora’s family background!”

“I did. But I never imagined that Seo Jung-woo would be her brother. We had no personal info on him, so I just thought it was a common name, never guessed they were siblings… Gasp!”

“What? What now!”