Having money is really nice, isn’t it?

Jo Mi-Hye thought that to herself as her eyes widened at the in-flight meal in front of her.

Since this was her first time on a plane, she obviously didn’t have any experience in traveling to another country. As such, she didn’t know what kind of food the passengers were served with during the flight.

However, there was this incredibly useful skill called “googling” in this world. Jo Mi-Hye googled diligently and found several recounts of first-class passengers online before going on this trip. However, none of those recounts spoke of in-flight meals of this caliber.

As for why such foods were being served, well...

“Of course, they are specially ordered!”

Even before curiosity could infect everyone on the plane, Lee Hyeon-Su went around advertising his hard work.

“Yes, I’ve given them special instructions ahead of time to ensure the quality of our meals! Fufufu~! Now, enjoy!”

“Oh...”

If it weren’t for Lee Hyeon-Su’s habit of glazing himself, he could have come across a cool guy, but... After all, his face wasn’t bad at all, so...

Then again, anyone daring to stand next to Kang Jin-Ho all transformed into squids, anyway.

Sure enough, another certified squid sitting next to Jo Mi-Hye raised his voice in surprise. “Holy sh*t! This thing tastes so damn good!”

“...”

At least Jo Mi-Hye could count her lucky stars, since the flight attendants had already finished distributing the in-flight meals and had temporarily retreated from the passenger cabin.

I hope we reach America as soon as possible!

At least the Americans wouldn’t understand all the dumb things leaving Han Jin-Seong’s mouth!

Just as Jo Mi-Hye sighed deeply, Choi Yeon-Ha peeked her head around the seat up front. “Mm? What’s the matter, Mi-Hye? No appetite?”

“No, that’s not it, unnie! This tastes great!”

“Yeah, I kn...”

“I know, right? It’s good, right?”

Lee Hyeon-Su suddenly butted in even before Choi Yeon-Ha could say something.

“Of course it’s good! This steak is cut from the finest Korean beef straight from Hoengseong County, you see? Also, did you know how strict the inspection for in-flight meals could get? Let me tell you, meeting all the restrictions on time was seriously tough!”

“...”

“...”

Choi Yeon-Ha facepalmed in silence. That man wasn’t like this when they first met, so why was he progressively turning into a dummy?

Lee Hyeon-Su continued to boast about his hard work.

“That’s not all! The vegetables you see before you? I was...”

“Chief Lee,” Kang Jin-Ho called out while still in his seat.

“Yes, Assembly Master!”

“I’d like to eat in peace, okay?”

“...Of course, sir.”

“Go and enjoy your food, too.”

“...Yes, sir.”

Kang Jin-Ho watched the dejected Lee Hyeon-Su trudge toward his seat and reminded himself never to mention competence and abilities in front of that dude ever again.

Choi Yeon-Ha tilted her head. “What’s gotten into him?”

Kang Jin-Ho grimaced a little. “I recently told him he was being a bit incompetent, and that triggered him somewhat...”

“So it was your fault?”

“Yes, it was.”

Every person had a reverse scale that must never be touched. To Kang Jin-Ho, that was his family and acquaintances. But for Lee Hyeon-Su, it was skepticism regarding his abilities!

Since his reverse scale was touched, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see him behave this way.

Choi Yeon-Ha gave Kang Jin-Ho a meaningful side-eye. “You gotta go over there and make him feel better.”

“Why? He’s a grown-up man, isn’t he?”

“What are you on about? Don’t you know grown-up men have no one to help them with such stuff? And that they feel helpless and lonely because of that? But they can’t talk about it because of their pride.”

Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded. Although he didn’t understand, he also knew his knowledge of mental well-being and human relationships was perhaps the worst in history. At the very least, listening to other people’s advice shouldn’t put him in disadvantage.

Choi Yeon-Ha sighed. “When you think about it, Mister Lee Hyeon-Su is pretty pitiful, isn’t he?”

“I’m sorry? What?”

Kang Jin-Ho reflexively spun his head to look at Choi Yeon-Ha.

Pitiful? Lee Hyeon-Su was what now?

Choi Yeon-Ha nodded. “Yes, he sure is. Think about it, okay? He’s not married and isn’t even dating, right? But he’s getting older every day. A man who lives alone but gets bullied by his workplace superiors and you, Mister Jin-Ho. That’s who Chief Lee is.”

“Sounds like you’re mistaken about several things, but... First of all, I don’t bully Lee Hyeon-Su.”

That was a story from the past, wasn’t it?

“Didn’t Chief Lee run around like a headless chicken while trying to deal with this monumental task you had dumped on his lap?”

“...”

Well, that was true. However...!

“But you actually called someone like that incompetent to his face?”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho’s head tilted to the side. Huh? This doesn’t sound right, though?

Why did it feel like he was being painted as the bad guy here?

“N-no, hold on. I was only joking with him.”

“Argh, how detestable. A workplace senior who jokingly says stuff that makes you feel like crap... Now that’s the absolute worst!”

“...”

How would she know that when she had never worked in an office before?

“Only people of equal standing can crack jokes with each other, Mister Jin-Ho. A boss’s prank might seem harmless in the boss’s eyes, but that’s not necessarily true with their subordinates. That’s why you gotta be extra careful. You’re far too uncaring about such stuff, Mister Jin-Ho.”

Kang Jin-Ho might have started this chain of events half jokingly, but it still made him ponder several things.

He sighed softly. “Hmm...”

However, it seemed not everyone was like that.

“Ohhhh~? So you knew all that, ehhhh~?”

Choi Yeon-Ha slowly turned her head toward the source of that snarky voice with an unimpressed look on her face. Han Eun-Sol, who was sitting some rows behind hers, was staring right back at her with a probing gaze.

“...?”

“Noona, a person with morals should act what they preach, no?! Who are you to lecture Mister Jin-Ho about stuff like that!”

Kang Jin-Ho found himself cheering Han Eun-Sol on. In his mind, of course!

Choi Yeon-Ha calmly muttered, “Eun-Sol?”

“Yes, noona? If you have something to say, you...”

“If you don’t want to turn this trip to America into a trip to hell instead, you better pipe down.”

“...Yes, ma’am.”

Sometimes, logic had no place in a woman’s heart!

Once Han Eun-Sol obediently lowered his head, Choi Yeon-Ha settled comfortably in her seat again, then glanced strangely at Kang Jin-Ho.

“What is it?”

Kang Jin-Ho hurriedly replied, “I-it’s nothing. Nothing at all.”

I know nothing! And I also don’t know nothing, okay?

“Hmm...?”

As if she wanted to change the topic, Choi Yeon-Ha casually scanned her surroundings before saying something.

“By the way? Chief Lee really did a great job this time, didn’t he?”

“Yes, I agree.”

Lee Hyeon-Su must’ve considered the age of the passengers, who were mostly made up of high schoolers, since most of the wine and other alcoholic beverages had been taken off the wine list, replaced by regular soft drinks and juice instead. Such a thing would have been easy to miss without paying close attention to details.

It wasn’t just the booze, however; even the snacks had been swapped out from those more suited to accompanying alcohol to crisps and biscuits, which meant the kids would always have something to munch on during the flight.

Thanks to all these thoughtful touches, the Seongsim kids got to enjoy a wonderfully relaxing time where they could either watch movies or snack away when feeling bored, or even snooze away if they got sleepy.

Choi Yeon-Ha muttered. “It’d be nice if our agency’s talents could get on a rented private plane like this and travel to America one day.”

“To America? Why?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head in confusion.

Choi Yeon-Ha frowned at him. “Please be more attentive toward the fortunes of your own company, Chairman Kang. Please! The current ‘in’ thing in the Korean entertainment sector is breaking into the American scene, you know?”

Han Eun-Sol piped up again. “That’s the story for idols, noona.”

“You keep quiet.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

When Han Eun-Sol lowered his head again, Choi Yeon-Ha shot him a sharp side-eyed glare, then glanced back at Kang Jin-Ho.

“Well, Eun-Sol isn’t wrong. But actors are also heading to the States. It’s no longer a rarity to see Korean actors getting hired for roles in American TV and film productions these days. Hence, we gotta seriously think about taking our talents overseas, too.”

Kang Jin-Ho contemplatively nodded.

Choi Yeon-Ha used to be rather selfish when it came to her career. But her new responsibilities must’ve changed her mindset lately, as she hadn’t forgotten to look after the careers of the talents signed to her talent agency, too.

“Aaand that’s why I gotta pave the way for them by breaking into Hollywood first.”

“...”

It seemed Kang Jin-Ho was a wee bit wrong about that one!

While the two of them chatted away, a flight attendant walked around the cabin and asked the passengers if they needed assistance. Eventually, she reached where Kang Jin-Ho and Choi Yeon-Ha were.

“How is the flight so far? Anything we can help you with?”

Kang Jin-Ho shook his head. “No, I’m fine.”

Choi Yeon-Ha glanced behind her. “I think it’s getting a bit hot inside the cabin for the kids. Can you turn the temperature down a bit, please?”

The flight attendant politely bowed. “Of course. We’ll get on it right away.”

“Thank you.”

The flight attendant noted the passengers’ complaints, then alerted the cabin manager about them before joining the rest of her colleagues in the crew rest compartment. That was when her professional exterior finally slipped, and she began excitedly chatting up a storm.

“I was talking to Choi Yeon-Ha just now! The real Choi Yeon-Ha!”

“Isn’t this so amazing? None of us knew Choi Yeon-Ha would be on this flight, after all!”

“Yeah, that’s true. When I saw the passenger manifest, I thought it was someone with the same name, you know? But to think it’s the actual Choi Yeon-Ha! Don’t you think she’s seriously pretty up close?”

“Yeah! And look how dainty her face is.”[1]

The flight attendants sneakily glanced into the interior of the plane. Although Choi Yeon-Ha was obscured from their view, they still felt proud of having someone as famous as her riding on their plane.

“The guy next to her, though. That’s her boyfriend, right? The one who was on TV recently.”

“Yeah, I think so. He was that guy who got wrongfully accused, wasn’t he?”

“Geez, he’s incredibly good looking, too.”

“I’ll be honest. It’s not Choi Yeon-Ha but him that I can’t stop looking at. It’s just that staring for too long would be unprofessional...”

“Isn’t he handsome enough to put most celebs to shame? I don’t remember seeing any male celebs who can hold their own next to Choi Yeon-Ha.”

“Actually, it’s Choi Yeon-Ha who looks out of her depth, no?”

The flight attendants all tilted their heads in confusion.

“By the way, they are renting this plane, right? So... What’s their relationship with these kids?”

“I overheard the kids talking, and it sounded like they all came from an orphanage. Does that mean Choi Yeon-Ha is taking these orphans to America on a field trip?”

“...Really? But Choi Yeon-Ha we all know shouldn’t be like that, though?”

The flight attendants reflexively recalled the information they had on the celebrity named Choi Yeon-Ha.

That woman was known for being haughty, difficult to work with, beautiful, and her rotten personality, but also for being exceptionally nice to her fans.

Recalling that information only worsened their confusion, however!

Depending on who was looking at her, Choi Yeon-Ha could be described as one of the nicest celebrities around or the absolute worst example of humanity.

“N-no, hang on. We gotta judge a person through their actions, right? Let’s be real here. If she’s really taking all those orphans to America, isn’t that, like, an act of generosity of historical proportions?”

“Yeah, you’re right. But...?”

“If it was some other actor or an idol, they would’ve summoned a huge crowd of reporters and whatnot before the departure, though. But there was no fanfare whatsoever when she climbed aboard, right?”

“Maybe she wanted people to notice on their own?”

“On a rented private plane? How?”

“Ah...!”

Renting a plane meant you’d be traveling privately. It was a service where one’s privacy was guaranteed, in other words. The public would never know about the shenanigans taking place inside the plane or the identities of the passengers.

The passengers might blab about their experience on their own, but the airlines would always keep their mouths zipped.

“If it were me, I would have booked lots of tickets on a plane filled with tourists heading to America and told everybody about it. All the while saying, Goodness me~! I was trying to hide it, you know? But what can I do if you post what you saw in your socials~.”

“Wow, your acting was top-notch!”

“That’s... not important right now.”

One of the flight attendants peeked outside the crew compartment and at where Choi Yeon-Ha was.

“Did you notice how she talked to these kids? Wasn’t that almost on the level of siblings and cousins talking to each other?”

“Yeah! They must be close.”

“The more I think about it, the more weird this is. That Choi Yeon-Ha acting like a big sister to a group of orphans? Doesn’t that mean she’s been hanging out with them for a long time?”

“Yeah, you’re right! It didn’t sound like they were mere acquaintances, either. Kids were talking to her first. They were obviously looking after her and stuff. That means they really care about her, right?”

“Geez, what’s going on here, I wonder...?”

When the flight attendants finally finished organizing the situation in their minds, they couldn’t help but view Choi Yeon-Ha under a new light.

“Choi Yeon-Ha didn’t say a single thing about this until now? Even as haters were hating on her? Wow.”

“Yeah! Imagine if she had come out and said, I’ve been sponsoring an orphanage in secret until now. Half of her haters would be eating their own words by now.”

“Seriously... She’s like a different person, no?”

The flight attendants were thoroughly impressed. However, something about this situation began irritating them a bit, as well.

Weren’t humans supposed to be born equal? Shouldn’t beautiful people be rotten to the core in order to protect the natural balance? So, if someone as beautiful as Choi Yeon-Ha was kind-hearted to boot, then...

That was when their hearing caught Choi Yeon-Ha’s loud yell.

“Hey, you! I told you to pack my indoor slippers, didn’t I!”

Han Eun-Sol sourly shot back. “But, why! The airline is supposed to provide those, noona!”

“And I told you I prefer wearing them! You’re supposed to be my manager, yet you can’t even do something so simple?!”

“Sorry, but I’m off the clock right now, noona! Besides, I’m your manager, not a blooming slave! Do you expect me to be your manager during my vacation, too?”

“How dare you talk back to me!”

“Haaah? What do you mean, how dare I? Mister Jin-Ho, say something! Mister Jin-Ho? Wait, don’t look away! Help me out here, please!”

The flight attendants all smiled contentedly at the commotion coming from the passenger cabin.

Aha. So she’s not kind-hearted, then.

That’s great to know.

Kind, but not kind at the same time. Now that’s a weird combination.

Choi Yeon-Ha inadvertently helped these hard-working flight attendants feel better about themselves, which in turn, would make the flight to America that much more comfortable for everyone onboard.

Of course, she had no idea what she had done.

1. In South Korea, Japan, China, and other Asian countries, having a face or head that’s slightly small in proportion to one’s body size is seen as beautiful. Of course, there are exceptions, but it’s certainly one of the recognized beauty standards in Asia. ☜