Page 24 of Public Image, Private Heart (K-Drama Love Story #1)

??

Yumi

T he weekend arrived , and with it, the daunting task of figuring out what to wear to Ji-yong’s mysterious birthday party invitation.

I had no idea what to expect, so I opted for something casual yet stylish: a knee-length red satin dress with a flattering scoop neckline, long sleeves and a cinched waist.

Armed with a small gift—a sleek notebook—I arrived at the address Ji-yong had given me. It was a posh high-rise apartment in the suburbs of Seoul, about an hour's drive from my place.

Stepping inside the unit, I was immediately struck by the lively atmosphere: the room was decked out with colorful balloons and dinosaur decorations.

It took me a solid five seconds to realize that I had stumbled into a child’s birthday party at his parents’ place.

My heart skipped a beat as I realized Ji-yong had invited me to his nephew’s second birthday party and to meet his parents—an obvious milestone in a relationship that implied things were getting serious.

But we weren’t even officially together... Were we?

Ji-yong greeted me warmly and introduced me to his parents, saying, “Mom, Dad... this is Yumi.” He didn’t add any title or status to my name. Bewildered, I managed only a deep bow in return.

He then introduced me to his brother, Ji-sung, his sister-in-law, Eun-bi, and the birthday boy, the adorable two-year-old Ji-ho. They all greeted me warmly, though I sensed a hint of aloofness from his dad, which made me feel slightly out of place.

If they were questioning why Ji-yong had brought me as his plus-one, they were either hiding their curiosity out of politeness or I assumed Ji-yong had briefed them beforehand.

His nephew, Ji-ho, was brimming with excitement, darting around the room in his small, pointy birthday hat and delighting in the colorful candies, cake, and gifts.

Suddenly, my gift felt completely inadequate.

I gave Ji-yong a frustrated look, and he nodded in understanding.

“Oh, right. Yumi, thank you for the gift for Ji-ho,” he said, pulling out another present—a musical book with animal sounds—and adding it to the growing pile of gifts. He gave me a reassuring wink.

After a bit of small talk, I did my best to fit in by helping Ji-yong’s mom and sister-in-law in the kitchen with the dinner preparations, despite their insistence that I should relax as a guest. I felt compelled to help out rather than just sit idly.

We eventually enjoyed a simple yet hearty homemade meal.

The table was spread with over ten types of banchan, including fresh cucumber kimchi, potato salad, chive pancakes, japchae, and a variety of other delicious appetizers.

The seaweed soup, a traditional must for birthdays, was added just before we dove into the main course: grilled beef ribs, or sogalbi.

Friendly exchanges took place around the dinner table, and I learned that Ji-yong came from a distinguished military family.

His father, recently retired, had served as the Chief of Naval Operations.

His brother is currently working in the Air Force, while his mother, still active, is a university professor at Korea Military Academy.

His sister-in-law is a retired Olympic gymnast. I felt small and insignificant in their company.

“Yumi, you were recently in a drama with Ji-yong, weren’t you?” his mom asked with a warm smile, clearly trying to include me in the conversation.

“We all loved Princess of Cosmos , didn’t we, dear?” she added, glancing at his dad, who responded with a subdued grunt of agreement.

Ji-yong nodded enthusiastically and added, “Yes, and Yumi has also had numerous roles in theater. She won the Best Actress award at the Performing Arts Awards two years ago, didn’t you, Yumi?”

I nodded in surprise; I hadn’t realized Ji-yong had noticed that award. We continued discussing various topics related to acting until the cake was finally brought in. Ji-ho blew out the candles with great excitement and then began opening the presents one by one.

After opening “my gift”, Ji-ho eagerly activated the cat and cow sounds and immediately began mimicking them, which made everyone at the table burst into laughter.

Soon after, it was bedtime for the birthday boy. He even gave me a hug before settling down to sleep, leaving the adults with a peaceful moment to themselves.

Ji-yong led me to his parents’ patio and closed the door behind us while the others continued chatting and enjoying dessert inside. I immediately playfully punched him in the arm. “Why didn’t you tell me you were inviting me to your nephew’s birthday party with your family?”

He rubbed his arm with a dramatic flair but looked genuinely amused. “Well, I’m sorry. But would you have come if I had told you in advance?”

“Hmm... maybe not,” I admitted. “But I would have been much more prepared!” I added with a touch of frustration.

Ji-yong laughed softly, and after a brief silence, I said, “It’s nice getting to know your family; they’re all so kind. But I feel really insignificant compared to them... and... I have the impression your dad doesn’t like me very much.”

“You’re not insignificant,” he said, then scoffed and added, “And don’t worry about my dad; it’s me he’s disappointed with.”

My eyes widened in surprise. “Disappointed in you?? Why?” I asked urgently, unable to hide my disbelief.

Didn’t he notice Ji-yong’s long list of accolades? Not long ago, he even won another award as Most Popular Actor. What kind of father would be disappointed with such achievements from his son?

Ji-yong sighed, as if I had opened a Pandora’s box of discussion. “Well, it all started when I was born premature and was a frail child. I was a small boy, and he was determined to make me grow stronger and follow his path in the military.”

I snorted unintentionally. There’s nothing about him that is small .

Ji-yong continued, seemingly unaware of my reaction.

“When I was a teenager, my father tried to bond with me and my brother by watching a lot of historic and military films together. Saving Soldier Brian was our favorite. But that film didn’t inspire me to become a soldier; I wanted to be an actor. ”

“So imagine his disappointment when, after completing my mandatory military service at 21, I enrolled in drama school instead of a military academy like him and my brother Ji-sung.” He said with a thoughtful smile.

“We kept it a secret from him until he eventually found out. He didn’t speak to me for almost two years.

To him, pursuing acting seemed like a surefire way to end up with a difficult, unstable, and jobless future.

I understand he acted out of concern... But now, even when I proved him wrong, he still won’t take me seriously. ”

I listened intently as Ji-yong shared this surprisingly vulnerable side of himself, his face etched with melancholy. The image of a young Ji-yong clashing with his father over career choices was oddly endearing.

If Ji-yong had followed his father’s wishes, there might never have been any romantic dramas starring him, and we wouldn’t have met on set.

“Wow, so you’re basically the Korean version of Rocky, but with less punching and more acting?” I couldn’t resist teasing him, but quickly switched to more serious tone under his playful glare.

“It takes courage to pursue your dreams, especially when it goes against your family’s wishes. You’ve proven them wrong,” I said, trying to sound supportive. “And it’s often hard for a dad to say what he feels... But I can see it in his eyes; I think he is very proud of you.”

We heard a tap from inside, calling us back for dessert. Before we went in, he stopped me and asked, “Yumi, for Chuseok next week, would you like to go somewhere, just the two of us?”

I beamed and nodded happily. It would be great to finally have a few days off after the intense, back-to-back drama shooting that started last year, especially with Chuseok marking the end of my Hospital Emergency shoot.

Inside, the table was once again piled with sliced melon and strawberries.

Ji-yong’s brother, Ji-sung, was almost as reserved as their father, a stark contrast to Ji-yong’s outgoing personality.

Despite this, the brothers seemed close.

I didn’t get much chance to talk with his sister-in-law, Eun-bi, who went to check on Ji-ho.

Seeing their dad heading to the kitchen to put away the plates, I decided to join him for a chat.

“Hello, Mr. Ryu,” I said, gathering my courage. “Thank you for the invitation. I really enjoyed the dinner.”

He seemed slightly taken aback by my approach. “Oh, it’s nothing,” he replied, preparing to head back out. I gently stopped him and added, “It must be tough to see Ji-yong often with his busy schedule.”

He gave a slight grunt of acknowledgment, still looking a bit puzzled.

“He recently won the Most Popular Actor award. Did he tell you?” I continued.

“Oh,” Mr. Ryu replied, “I saw that on TV.”

I nodded. “Yes... and last year, he won the Best Actor award.”

Mr. Ryu raised his eyebrows, curious about where I was going with this.

“But that’s not even the most amazing thing about him.

I spent six months on set with him, day and night, and he was the most caring person ever.

He’s humble, kindhearted and never hesitates to help others.

I feel incredibly lucky to have met him. ”

I continued, “He never said it directly, but I know he’s made many donations to various causes. He’s truly a generous person.”

Mr. Ryu nodded quietly, seemingly unsure of how to respond. “I’m not just saying this because I’m his... best friend. But you’ve raised Ji-yong to be a wonderful man. Thank you for that.” I concluded with a respectful bow.

There was a brief moment of silence, and I felt a tinge of awkwardness before I added, “I’m not as busy as Ji-yong, so if you’d like, I could keep you and Mrs. Ryu updated on his awards and other news from time to time,” I offered, slightly hesitant, worried I might be overstepping.

Mr. Ryu’s face softened into a small smile, and I felt a wave of relief. “That would be great,” he said before heading out for real this time.

I followed him outside and ran into Ji-yong in the hallway. He was carrying a stack of plates and looked at me with curiosity. “What did you two talk about?”

“It’s a secret,” I replied with a cheeky grin, sticking my tongue out as I made my way back to the dining room to join the others.

A few more days passed, and I finally wrapped up shooting for Hospital Emergency . I’d never felt such immense relief in my life—I was on the verge of tears from sheer joy. Da-eun hugged me tightly, clearly just as relieved that the show was finally over.

Not having to deal with Ryan every day was a huge relief, and I was proud to have stuck it out until the end. Although there would still be some promotional interviews and the chance of running into him at awards, at least we wouldn't be seeing each other for over 12 hours a day anymore.

I decided against pursuing legal action. After Ji-yong and his bodyguard visited Ryan, he backed off, and I realized I didn’t have enough evidence for legal action.

During the PD’s thank-you speech, the atmosphere felt awkward and insincere, with Ryan Kim nowhere in sight. I decided to make a quick exit, apologizing to everyone and explaining that I had other plans and would have to skip the celebratory party.

As I stepped outside, I saw Ji-yong waiting by his car with a big smile and a bouquet of flowers.

I ran up to him and gave him the biggest hug, not caring at all about who might be watching.

He lifted me off the ground, and I giggled as he spun me around, blissfully unaware of the dozens of film crew members observing us.