Chapter 965: A Gift
Writer Lee Ji-Yeon began trembling all over. "That... those are my shoes... the shoes I lost..."
What Jung In-Ji took out of the hanji wrapping was a pair of red patent leather shoes small enough for a seven-year-old child to wear. And they were the very shoes Yoon Na-Ra had given Yoon Kkot-Nim when they parted, telling her she would be able to walk someday.
However, Lee Ji-Yeon had said she lost the red patent leather shoes when she was kicked out of the second orphanage. Yet Jung In-Ji had them.
"That's right, Kkot-Nim. I came all the way to Suwon looking for you, but I couldn't find you. I only found these."
Jung In-Ji had come to Suwon searching for Yoon Kkot-Nim, but after only finding the shoes Kkot-Nim had lost, she had kept them for forty years so she could return them someday when they met again.
At that moment, tears streamed down Lee Ji-Yeon's face—Because there could be no clearer proof than this that Jung In-Ji was truly Yoon Na-Ra.
"Na-Ra... unnie... unnie..."
Lee Ji-Yeon's body trembled violently. Then Jung In-Ji began shedding tears as well and slowly started walking toward her. As Jung In-Ji approached while holding the red patent leather shoes, Lee Ji-Yeon's trembling grew even worse.
"Unnie..."
Step. Step.
Standing right in front of Lee Ji-Yeon, Jung In-Ji began speaking in a shaking voice. "Kkot-Nim. I'm sorry I came so late... I should've come sooner. I'm so sorry..."
At that moment, Lee Ji-Yeon threw herself into Jung In-Ji's arms and burst into sobs. "Unnie... unnie... why did you only come now... why're you so late! Do you know how much I missed you? Do you know how desperately I searched for youuu?!"
As Lee Ji-Yeon's grief-stricken cry, forged from forty years of waiting, burst out, Jung In-Ji broke down crying as well. "I'm sorry, Kkot-Nim. I never imagined you would be able to walk. I always told you that you'd definitely recover, that you'd get better someday... but I... I... couldn't believe in you. So I spent my whole life only searching for disability care facilities. I'm sorry... this is all my fault. It's my fault. I couldn't find you. This is all my fault."
"Waaaah... unnie..."
Lee Ji-Yeon buried herself in Jung In-Ji's arms, rubbing her head against her. She looked like a seven-year-old child waking from a nightmare and whining to her mother about how scared she had been.
And Jung In-Ji held Lee Ji-Yeon tightly, gently patting her back. "That's right, Kkot-Nim. Your unnie's here. I'm right here. Your unnie is..."
As though she never wanted to let go again, Lee Ji-Yeon clung even tighter to Jung In-Ji. "I'm sorry, unnie. I'm so, so sorry. What I said to you when we separated... I didn't mean it. I was scared. I was terrified, that's why I said it. Unnie, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
Lee Ji-Yeon kept apologizing over and over, saying the words she had thrown at her sister had become a lifelong regret.
Then Jung In-Ji gently cupped Lee Ji-Yeon's face and answered, "No, Kkot-Nim. I know you were just scared. I knew it all along."
"Unnie..."
Apology after apology followed, and the two sisters clung tightly to each other and wept as though they would never let go again. Just like that, Lee Ji-Yeon returned to being Yoon Kkot-Nim, and Jung In-Ji returned to being Yoon Na-Ra.
The two sisters, who had lost their real names, had finally found each other again after leaping across forty long years.
***
After crying for quite a while, the two finally calmed down enough to look at each other. Lee Ji-Yeon and Jung In-Ji stroked each other's cheeks as they reminisced.
"Looking closely, your childhood face is still all here, Kkot-Nim."
"But I think you used to be prettier, unnie... Maybe that's just nostalgia talking."
When Lee Ji-Yeon teased her playfully, Jung In-Ji grumbled back. "What?"
"I'm kidding. Just kidding. You were beautiful back then too, and you're even prettier now."
"What do you mean pretty? I'm an old lady now."
"Then you're the prettiest grandmother there is. But... did you get married? Do you have children?"
"I did. My husband passed away years ago. My son works for a company in Suwon."
"Ah..."
"It's okay. Even if we didn't have a very long life together, we loved each other with everything we had. He helped me look for you too, so it's a shame he never got to see you. Still, if he knows we reunited like this, I'm sure he'd be happy watching from heaven."
Lee Ji-Yeon gently patted Jung In-Ji's hand as she spoke. "When you visit brother-in-law's grave, I'm coming with you."
"Okay. I placed Mom and Dad together with my husband in the columbarium, so let's definitely go together."
"Mom and Dad are there too? The old columbarium was in ruins when I saw it."
"I moved them first. The place we originally used wasn't licensed, so I felt uneasy."
"That's good. That's really good."
Apparently, Jung In-Ji had moved their parents' remains as quickly as possible.
"And I also placed the ballet shoes you threw away in Mom and Dad's columbarium."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Thank you, unnie. Those were the last gifts Mom and Dad gave me..."
Lee Ji-Yeon had believed her parents died because of those ballet shoes, so she couldn't even bear to look at them. However, Jung In-Ji had picked them up as well and placed them inside the columbarium because they had been their parents' final gift.
After finding her beloved family again, along with the patent leather shoes and even the ballet shoes, Lee Ji-Yeon looked happier than ever.
At that moment, a loud sound came from Miso's stomach.
Grrrrowl.
Startled, Miso quickly covered her mouth. Jung In-Ji looked at her with a smile.
"I'm okay, Grandma," said Miso.
Grrrrowl.
"R-Really. I'm seriously okay, but my stomach's lying to you."
Grrrrrowl.
Miso rubbed her stomach with a miserable expression. "Oh come on. Stop that. Don't do this to meee."
At that, Jung In-Ji let out a small laugh. "Kkot-Nim. No, Ji-Yeon. We should feed Miso..."
"Huh? Unnie, you guys didn't eat yet?"
"Nope. We were about to eat the wheat noodles Chief Jung bought, but then we found out you were Kkot-Nim and ran straight over."
Lee Ji-Yeon looked fondly at Miso and spoke. "Okay. We can't have Miso going hungry. Let's hurry inside. I have some semi-dried persimmons that both Miso and unnie like. Then let's order jajangmyeon since you love it, unnie."
Whenever we visited, Lee Ji-Yeon would always serve semi-dried persimmons as a snack. Partly because Miso liked them, but apparently she had also prepared them for the day she might someday meet her sister again.
And the reason she had become a regular customer at Hwa-Ryong, an upscale Chinese restaurant that didn't even offer delivery, until they finally started delivering to her place, had been because she wanted to eat jajangmyeon with her sister whenever they reunited.
Lee Ji-Yeon's life had truly been filled with longing for her older sister.
"Yes, let's head in."
I also urged everyone to go inside quickly, but Jung In-Ji suddenly shouted, "Wait a moment!"
Then she stared at me quietly before slowly bowing her head. "Thank you, Chief Jung. Thanks to you, I found our youngest again. I'll never forget this kindness."
Startled, I hurriedly waved my hands. "No, ma'am. Please, raise your head."
Then, Lee Ji-Yeon bowed her head as well, just like her sister. "Yoon-Ho. Thanks to you, I found the older sister I'd been searching for my entire life. I'll never forget this kindness for as long as I live."
Lee Ji-Yeon never bowed her head to anyone. I didn't know how I should respond, but seeing the two of them holding hands and bowing their heads together, the right words finally came to me.
"I hope the two of you never get separated again and live happily from now on."
"Hahaha. We will."
"Yeah, we will."
Hearing the laughter of the happiest people in the world made even me smile.
***
In the living room of Lee Ji-Yeon's house, Lee Ji-Yeon and Jung In-Ji sat tightly holding hands as they finished a video call reunion with their family in America. Once again, tears and sniffles broke out everywhere, and they promised that the family in America would all come to Korea soon so they could finally meet in person.
Then the meal began with the finest dishes delivered from Hwa-Ryong. Along with jajangmyeon, there was seafood stir-fry[1], cream shrimp[2], chili shrimp[3], fried chicken in spicy sauce[4], stir-fried peppers and shredded pork[5], and more.
Lee Ji-Yeon had ordered practically every dish on the menu at once. And the two sisters fed each other the food themselves.
"Unnie, try this."
"Kkot-Nim, eat this. It's delicious."
The two were eating while smiling happily at each other when a news report suddenly appeared on TV.
-Today at H Orphanage in Busan, the director, who was known as a respected local figure, was caught illegally arranging overseas adoptions of children in exchange for money.
Regarding this case, which appears to have continued for decades, police and prosecutors have promised a full-scale investigation...
Jung In-Ji's eyes widened as she watched the television. "Chief Jung... that..."
I nodded. "Yes. That's right. Director Han probably won't ever leave prison again."
Since she had seen me go down to Busan to obtain the photographs, Jung In-Ji already knew I had been involved in this matter. She looked at me with grateful eyes.
At that moment, something suddenly came to mind. "Oh, and ma'am. The owner of Busan Wangcho Grandma Noodles asked if you could give her a call."
Jung In-Ji flinched in surprise. "The owner... wants to call me?"
"Yes. Apparently it was all a misunderstanding. Her husband filed the police report but canceled it right away afterward, and they've been worried about you the whole time."
"Is that so...?"
"Yes. Please give her a call."
"Okay. Can you call her for me right now?"
"Of course."
I immediately dialed the number on speakerphone. The owner of Wangcho Grandma Noodles, Lee Ok-Ja, answered in a Busan dialect.
-Hello?
"Ma'am, this is Chief Jung. I visited earlier today."
-Oh my. Chief Jung. Did you make it back safely?
"Yes. And we found Mrs. Yoon Na-Ra."
-What'd you say? Really?
"Yes. One moment, please."
Jung In-Ji called out toward the speakerphone. "It's me, Na-Ra. The girl you gave dumplings with wheat noodles to forty years ago."
-Oh my goodness. Yeah... hearing your voice now, I remember. But did you really find your younger sister? Ah, no, we're not at an age where I should speak casually anymore. Ma'am, did you find your sister?
"You can speak casually. I like that better, ma'am. Yes. I found my younger sister. My little sister turned out to be the famous drama writer Lee Ji-Yeon."
-Oh goodness gracious. Heaven really isn't heartless after all. How could something this wonderful happen? Ah, right. And I'm sorry about reporting you. My husband misunderstood things back then. He told me to make sure I apologized to you too.
"It's okay. Thanks to that, I didn't end up going to America."
-Well, thank you for thinking of it that way. Anyway, come visit sometime. I'll personally make you wheat noodles again.
"I will. And since Chief Jung and I live together, I can eat the packaged wheat noodles you sent tomorrow. I'll come visit again later to eat there in person."
-You live with Chief Jung? How can connections like this even happen? Hah... the world really is amazing.
"I was really shocked too."
-Well, that's fate for you. If people are destined to meet somehow, that's what you call fate. Anyway, congratulations. Truly.
It really was true that people connected by fate would somehow find each other in the end. Even before the regression, Jung In-Ji had met Lee Ji-Yeon once before. But back then, they met just before a funeral, only to suffer a heartbreaking farewell the moment they reunited.
That schedule entry still remained in my planner even now. Which meant it was finally time to erase it so that the bond they had fought so hard to find could continue on.
Meanwhile, Jung In-Ji ended the call with a smile. "Chief Jung. Thank you. I've always felt sorry toward the owner of Wangcho Grandma Noodles, but I think today might really be the day all the regrets I've carried my whole life are finally being resolved."
I smiled brightly, then deliberately raised my voice so Lee Ji-Yeon could hear me too. "By the way, ma'am. Are you feeling okay now?"
"My body? I'm fine. Why?"
"You fainted earlier."
"Ah... I'm okay now."
Lee Ji-Yeon jerked in shock and shouted, "Unnie fainted?"
Jung In-Ji waved her hands dismissively. "No, no. It was nothing. I just collapsed for a moment because I was too shocked hearing I'd found you."
"What do you mean it was nothing? You fainted! We're going to the hospital right now! Unnie, get up!"
"I'm telling you, I'm fine."
Lee Ji-Yeon completely ignored her older sister's protests and looked at me. "Yoon-Ho. Call 911. No, would driving there ourselves be faster?"
"I'll escort her directly to a VIP room at Seven Stars Hospital." Jung In-Ji signaled desperately that she was really okay, but I simply smiled. "I'm Mrs. Lee's talent agent, after all. When she gives an order, I have to obey."
"Chief Jung..."
"And you're a talent agent at Hoop Entertainment too, ma'am. That means you have to listen to what Mrs. Lee says."
Since Jung In-Ji was taking care of Yoo-Jin and Miso, she held the title of Assistant Manager and received three million won a month from Hoop Entertainment. That meant she couldn't exactly disobey orders from one of the company's writers.
"So... I've ended up wrapped around my youngest sister's finger already, huh?"
"Fate really is amazing, isn't it?"
Jung In-Ji let out a small laugh. "It really is. So now I'm in the position of having to obey our writer?"
Lee Ji-Yeon nodded with a grin. "Of course! So, Talent Agent Yoon Na-Ra, please get up already."
"Yes, ma'am~"
In the end, we hurriedly finished our meal and all stood up together. And at that moment, the schedule entry inside Everyday disappeared.
[Everyday V13]
[Date: May 15, 2026]
-02:00 p.m.:
(Deleted Schedule Entry: Gangnam Seven Stars Hospital Funeral Hall. Obituary for Writer Lee Ji-Yeon's family.)
'Thank you. I truly mean that, Everyday.'
***
The next day, after arriving at the company, I gathered all the talent agents from Integrated Division 4.
After reuniting with her older sister, Lee Ji-Yeon had decided she wanted to revise the script even further. So all of us began notifying entertainment agencies that the audition schedule for Land of Happiness, originally set for the day after tomorrow, had been postponed by a week.
After everyone in Integrated Division 4 worked together for two straight hours, rapidly sending emails, Kk Talk messages, and making phone calls, we finally posted the notice on Hoop Entertainment's internal company board as well.
"Whew. Let's take a short break now."
The moment I said that, everyone silenced their phones and leaned back into their chairs in exhaustion.
At that moment, Lee Yung-Jin asked with a confused expression. "Mr. Jung. Why is the script revision getting this much full support? Surely what Writer Nam Jong-Ok is saying isn't true, right?"
Apparently, Writer Nam Jong-Ok had recently been spreading rumors behind the scenes about Lee Ji-Yeon's project. She was reportedly saying that Miso wouldn't be able to properly portray the role of Yoon Kkot-Nim, and that Lee Ji-Yeon would end up frustrated because of it. And since the script was being revised too, she was saying the drama would turn into a mess due to the tight production schedule of a daily drama.
Because of that, everyone looked nervous about Lee Ji-Yeon's script revisions.
I answered with a smile. "It's not like that. You'll all be shocked when you see Miso's acting later."
"Then why is the script being changed?" Everyone looked at me curiously.
"What I'm about to say is confidential until right before promotions begin, so keep your mouths shut."
"There's really something going on?"
"Yeah."
The moment everyone's attention focused on me, I explained the story behind Land of Happiness.
"Land of Happiness is based on Writer Lee Ji-Yeon's actual childhood. Yoon Kkot-Nim is Writer Lee Ji-Yeon's real name."
The meeting room instantly erupted into chatter.
"That's insane."
"That script... is actually Writer Lee Ji-Yeon's own story?"
As everyone became excited, I explained the reason the script had been delayed. "What's even crazier is that just yesterday, Writer Lee Ji-Yeon found the older sister she had been separated from."
"Whoa. That's insane!"
Promotion Team Lead Kim Mi-Hye excitedly shot her hand into the air and shouted. "Mr. Jung! Then when we promote Land of Happiness, how about adding a line saying it's based on Mrs. Lee Ji-Yeon's real life story? The script's already incredibly dramatic, but if people find out it's true, the reaction will be unbelievable."
"Yes. It probably will be. Looks like you've read the script carefully."
"Of course I did. That was the condition for getting promoted to team lead."
Promotion teams at other companies usually didn't even read the script before releasing press articles. But following my instructions, Kim Mi-Hye always analyzed the project first before writing promotional material. Thanks to that, the press releases she distributed had been receiving tremendous praise from entertainment reporters.
"It must be exhausting. Thank you for following through."
"Not at all. Reporters have been speaking much more positively about me lately, and more importantly, you raised my salary to a hundred million won. How could I not work hard?"
Originally assigned to my team as an assistant manager, Kim Mi-Hye had accomplished an incredible amount. In the end, last year she earned fifty million won in salary plus another fifty million in incentives, making her a hundred-million-won salaried employee.
"It'll go even higher this year."
"Thank you, Mr. Jung. Anyway, I'll handle Mrs. Lee Ji-Yeon's promotions based around the fact that it's a true story."
"Yes. Promotions begin this weekend, so no matter what the other side says, don't get shaken."
I gave the same instructions to Lee Yung-Jin as well. No matter how much KBC's competing drama A Life Lived Twice attacked them with negative publicity, they weren't to waver.
"Yes, Mr. Jung."
After giving my instructions, I checked my phone screen to switch it from silent to vibrate. However, there was one missed call and a Kk Talk message waiting for me.
[Writer Lee Ji-Yeon: Yoon-Ho. My older sister is undergoing detailed tests right now. And since I found my big sister, it's time for you to accept my gift too, right? I sent it to the company, so it should arrive soon.]
'A gift? Sent to the company? What kind of gift could it possibly be...'
At that moment, someone urgently pounded on the meeting room door.
Bang bang bang!
"Who is it?"
"Oppa, it's me!"
"Uncle Yoon-Ho!"
It was Yoo-Jin and Miso. Yoo-Jin had come today for vocal training to record the original soundtrack for She Was Beautiful, while Miso had come for post-recording work for Missing – The Lost Ones.
"Yeah, come in."
Click.
The door opened, and Yoo-Jin and Miso walked in with bright smiles.
"Oppa, hurry and come down to the lobby!"
Right behind them, the talent agents from Actor Division 2 came flooding in as well.
"Chief Jung! Hurry up and come out here!"
And standing at the very front, Chief Gu Seong-Cheol shouted excitedly, "Mrs. Lee Ji-Yeon's gift arrived... damn, I'm seriously jealous."
"Why? What's going on?" I asked.
"Just come downstairs and you'll see."
Everyone crowded around me and pushed me forward. Apparently, some unbelievable gift was waiting on the first floor.
'No, seriously... What kind of gift could possibly have everyone acting like this?'
1. Seafood stir-fry - the premium seafood stir-fry 전가복 (全家福) is translated as "Happy Family" in English. The name literally means "whole family’s happiness", making it a popular dish to order during special gatherings. It typically features a luxurious mix of premium seafood and meats, such as abalone, sea cucumber, shrimp, scallops, and tenderloin, stir-fried with vegetables and mushrooms ☜
2. Cream shrimp (크림중새우) ☜
3. Chili shrimp (칠리새우) ☜
4. Fried chicken in spicy sauce (깐풍기) ☜
5. Stir-fried peppers and shredded pork (고추잡채) ☜