Part 2

"Oh! Shoot!"

I sat on a park bench, my high heels grazing the stone. 

I stepped on a dog poop.

Yuck.

Bad luck seemed to follow me; there was always something going wrong.

If finding it before getting into my car was any consolation, then so be it.

Who knows, perhaps my horoscope was destined to have bad luck today.

After all, this car was practically my only possession.

It could have been a bigger disaster if I did not recognize the dog poop and just got in a car.

I wiped the substance off as best I could, but the lingering feeling of unease remained.

The smell, too, seemed to stay, refusing to dissipate completely.

With a sigh, I slipped my shoes back on and stood up, feeling unsteady.

There was one thought stuck in my mind, like this bloody dog poop clinging to my shoe.

What the heck just happened?

This child, who referred to a K-pop idol as 'Dad,' was old enough for taking golf lessons. 

It was very suspicious.

KROCK was perhaps an 'ae-appa' (daddy of a baby in Korean) with a six-year-old kid.

I checked KROCK's Wiki page again on my phone after arriving at my car.

[KROCK is known for his exemplary behavior. During his vacation, 'X-Patch' followed him with cameras for a week, but they found nothing. Rumor has it that KROCK's guitar playing echoes through TYB Entertainment's corridors until dawn, making him a practice maniac.]

TYB is the world's largest K-pop label.

KROCK, leader and producer of the idol group "THE Zero," was the biggest star in that label.

Even though I wasn't a fan of idol music, I liked KROCK's songwriting in his biggest hit song 'Bloody Snow.'

Unlike typical aggressive idol songs, it had a comfortable, antique feel.

The lyrics connected fleeting love to cherry blossoms that bloom and vanish within a week.

As an idol, he pretended not to date.

But could a sensitive lyricist like him really have never experienced love?

And now, he was an 'ae-appa'? 

Everything didn't quite add up.

Wasn't he the workaholic who attended a fan meeting right after his parents' funeral due to a car accident?

An idol so dedicated wouldn't make such basic mistakes.

I recalled our recent encounter—the intense gaze, the coldness.

He was intimidating, but not someone who'd fall for a woman easily.

How could he be a 'ae-appa,' for crying out loud!

Something didn't fit.

But there was more.

Just as I finished the interview and was about to say goodbye to KROCK and his sibling—was it his daughter or sister? Whatever—the child looked at me and said:

"See you tomorrow, Mom!"

Mom?

I tried to maintain a poker face, but it wasn't easy.

What maiden could stay composed after hearing that?

KROCK seemed equally stunned, his expression bewildered, as he closed the door without saying a word.

But the real shock was on my end.

Being called "Mom" was unexpected.

Well, I had once dreamed of a normal life, raising kids after an early marriage.

If only my cowardly ex-boyfriend hadn't dumped me right after revealing my mother's medical bills from a brain hemorrhage.

It wasn't about repaying the debt.

But unexpectedly, he'd married a rich girl he'd just met.

Materialistic jerk.

Honestly, I couldn't blame him.

Money mattered to me too.

"...See you tomorrow."

Whether the child called me mom or Grandma, it didn't matter.

Right now, I desperately need that money.

At least this tutoring gig could help me earn some.

This money would help me escape the suffocating trap.

If this job could fill my empty bank account, wasn't that enough?

The interview I'd imagined wasn't like this.

I'd planned to discuss teaching methods, vision for the child's development, even nutrition and mental care.

I'd prepared answers for every question, rehearsed tough interview defenses.

All in vain.

Maybe I was too naive.

I knew.

I was hired just because he 'liked' me.

Conversely, if he hadn't liked me, I'd have been rejected for no reason.

It was all by luck.

I chuckled bitterly.

As I started the car, a vibration from the back startled me.

It was Jisun, my Sunbae's call.

"Unni, I am about to drive. Let's catch up later..."

-I'm in Jeju now. Let's meet.

I almost dropped my phone.

"What? Why?"

***

Right away, I drove to the café district. 

When I arrived at the café whose address I'd just been given, Jisun Sunbae was sitting by the window, a stack of donuts piled up next to her. 

She waved at me as I approached.

"Did you come all the way to Jeju just because of me?" I asked.

"Well, it's not like that. I happened to have business in Jeju, so I thought I'd meet you in advance. Some newspaper's chairman invited me."

"I see." 

I sat down across from Jisun Sunbae, who had a warm smile.

She handed me a cup of chamomile tea and a plate of donuts, then asked about the interview.

"So, how did the interview go?"

"Well, it's hard to say." 

I closed my eyes briefly, recalling the unusual events that had unfolded during the interview. 

Yeah, I passed.

But everything felt suspicious. 

There were no job-related questions, and the applicant—an idol—claimed to be an 'ae-appa'. 

Moreover, a six-year-old girl had called me 'Mom.' 

It was all too strange.

"Still uncertain, huh? Did they say you didn't pass?"

"…I don't really know."

"What do you mean you don't really know? You do not know the result yet?"

"…Unni, do you want me to start lessons soon? You seemed so disappointed when I said I was retiring from golf."

I asked, biting into a donut and glancing at Sunbae. 

Born and raised in Jeju, I mostly practiced at the island's golf courses. 

Thanks to that, I had visited the famous cafes in Jeju so often that I got sick of them. 

Yet, eating this glazed donut always made me feel better. 

Maybe it was because of the memories with mom, who used to buy her donuts after practice.

Not all memories with my mom were bad. 

The bittersweet feeling wasn't just from the coffee and donut.

"Well, I don't know. I wonder if it's right for someone as talented as you to go into teaching lessons. But for a golfer who's not a top ranker, the only way to make a living is through lessons. So, I guess lessons are the way to go."

Jisun sunbae said this with a sad face.

Looking out at the sea, she added quietly, "…Family can be a shackle sometimes."

I quickly stuffed the remaining donut into her mouth. 

It tasted bitter. 

The real waste of talent wasn't me, but Jisun sunbae. 

She had even won an LPGA title. 

No matter how much of a slump she was in, she had the talent to become a world-dominating player like Se-ri Pak after overcoming it.

But instead, she chose to get married and become someone's wife. 

When it turned out he was a cryptocurrency scammer, the marriage ended in vain. 

She continued to play as a professional golfer, but her career never really recovered. 

Just as my mom was a shackle to her, maybe Jisun's marriage was a shackle to sunbae too. 

Sunbae said it was a good experience and that she didn't regret it. 

But who knows?

"…" 

"…" 

An awkward silence hung between us for a moment. 

It was sunbae who broke it. 

She mentioned a name I hadn't expected.

"Park. He's getting married. Did you hear?"

"…Yes."

He was my ex-boyfriend. 

Come to think of it, I had never talked about that with Park.

"I heard that he is getting married to the daughter of a Korean-Japanese businessman, right?"

"That's what I heard."

A dry laugh escaped me. 

It was so typical Park. 

The ex-boyfriend who dumped me, saying marriage was about reality, not love. 

And now, he is getting married to a rich woman. 

At least he kept his word. 

[Money is everything. You don't have any.]

What a jerk.

A random thought popped into my head.

"Sunbae, as someone who had a marriage experience, what do you think about marrying for the money?"

"Money?"

Jisun widened her eyes and stared at me blankly.

"Well, in the end, isn't it all like that? We marry for something. Good looks, good reputation, good personality… whatever. But if someone marries just for money, that's a bit much. Oh, I'm not trying to badmouth your ex. I married a businessman and got stuck with a lemon, so who am I to judge?"

She stuck out her tongue slightly as she said this. 

Sunbae had a way of being blunt without being offensive. 

Watching her, I couldn't help but chuckle.

"I see. Who's to say looking for someone's appearance is better than looking for money?"

Hearing my words, Jisun sunbae turned her head slightly.

"Looks, huh. Talking about handsomeness, the interviewer wasn't the parents but the kid's brother, right? This K-pop idol dude."

"Yes."

"What was he like? Everyone around me is going crazy over him these days. Tall for an idol, handsome, kind, smart, writes good songs, sings well. They say his royalties alone are among the highest in Korea. I like their songs too."

I smiled faintly. 

I didn't know what to say. 

What can I say?

He seemed like a daddy? 

But where was the mom, and why did the daughter call me mom? 

Of course, I couldn't say anything, so I stuck to the obvious.

"He's a celebrity."

"Not just any celebrity. An angelic face with a devilish, mischievous smile. KROCK."

"Unni, are you a fan?"

Jisun waved her hand exaggeratedly.

"No way! Someone like me, a woman in late 30s? Their live videos just keep popping up on TikTok these days. I only like their 'songs.' Just the 'songs.'"

"Ugh, I don't like them."

"Why?"

Sunbae widened her eyes.

"They say dating is a breach of contract for them, right? Why bother having a relationship with a guy who can not even have a date?"

I couldn't stand the idea of an illegal relationship, like dating a married man.

"What's wrong with them? You can always find a way around it. If people see that two of them become a good couple, they'll understand."

Hearing sunbae's almost absurd words, Icouldn't help but laugh. 

I understood why Sunbae was being so dramatic.

KROCK, whose real name was Seung-rok Kang, was certainly the best boyfriend material ever. 'If my guess is right, he got a baby, so that cancels it I guess.' I thought. 

But that was just my speculation. 

Right now, I was just a teacher to his sister or daughter.

Savoring my chamomile tea, I spoke to Sunbae Jisun in a more subdued tone.

"…I guess I have to do the lessons. Debt is something you have to pay off, no matter what."

"What do you mean? Did you get accepted?"

"Yes. I will start the lesson tomorrow. Every week-day."

"Starting tomorrow? Every day? Wow, they're really tough. It's one thing for you, but are they really going to make a six-year-old do rounds five days a week from morning?"

"Seems like it."

I smiled faintly. 

It was indeed a bit much. 

Jisun, still not convinced, continued her barrage of questions.

"What about accommodation? Does he give you housing? Even though your hometown is Jeju, your mom's house is already seized. Is he expecting you to stay in a motel during the weekdays?"

Come to think of it, she was right. 

As I tilted my head and lifted my cup to drink more chamomile tea, I felt my phone vibrate at my waist. 

Quickly pulling out my phone, I checked the screen and was startled.

[By the way, we haven't discussed accommodation. Would you be able to move into my place?]

Was he asking me to live with him? 

You are a K-pop idol!