Soo-jin’s story shifted from the intimate details of the marriage to the chilling, systematic transformation of Selena’s life and, by extension, her brother’s.

“After the honeymoon, the popularity she gained from all those posts wasn’t just for show anymore,” Soo-jin explained to the attentive detective. “It became real currency. A lot of new directors started coming to her, each with their own scripts, their own ideas. The same industry that once rejected her was now knocking on her door.”

There was a bitter irony in her voice as she continued. “Once she was rejected for her beauty standards—too foreign, they said. Not the right look. But now, with her fame, she had become the face of it. Her mixed heritage was suddenly an asset, not a liability.”

This new status, Soo-jin detailed, came with a complete physical and personal overhaul. “She had the beauty before, but now she became obsessed with perfection. A new, rigorous skincare routine, a strict, punishing diet… it changed her face completely. She looked… sharper. More refined, but less real.”

The diet was a particular point of contention. “She started eating exclusively vegan foods,” Soo-jin said, her gaze intensifying. “And it wasn't enough for her to do it alone. She started making Min-jun eat vegan, too. The man who once savored the richest, most traditional Korean dishes was now living on salads and plant-based imitations. He told me it was for 'health' and 'clarity,' but the words sounded like they were coming from her mouth, not his.”

She let the image hang in the air: the vibrant restaurant owner, a man whose life was built around the sensory joy of food, now denying himself his own heritage and passion at the command of his wife. It was not just a change in diet; it was the erasure of a fundamental part of who he was, sanded away to fit the pristine, controlled image Selena was building for herself. The metamorphosis was complete, and Min-jun was being reshaped in the cocoon along with her.