Part 3

"..."

KROCK—whose real name was Seung-rok—quietly lifted his eyes from his phone. 

There was no reply from the golf coach. 

Realizing it was pointless to wait any longer, he turned his gaze towards the yard.

He had moved to Jeju Island for his child's education. 

Yet, despite the necessity of having a car in Jeju, he didn't have a driver's license. 

Even his manager and his nearly 80-year-old grandfather could drive. 

Life on Jeju without a car was inconvenient, but he didn't even bother.

The reason Seung-rok couldn't drive was a traffic accident. 

It had happened the day his debut was confirmed during his trainee days, a day that should have been the happiest of his life. 

He and his parents had planned a celebratory overseas trip, but on their way to the airport, tragedy struck. 

The car carrying Seung-rok and his parents collided with a truck. 

He was the sole survivor. 

By the time he awoke from his coma, everything was over.

Until then, few had believed in THE ZERO's success. 

An acoustic ballad K-pop group? 

Such an odd concept was bound to fail. 

Especially KROCK. 

While he could sing a bit, he lacked many qualities typical of a K-pop idol.

He had barely trained in dancing, having originally aspired to be a soul singer. 

But KROCK gritted his teeth and worked tirelessly, releasing self-composed songs every quarter. 

His efforts were beyond imagination.

Moreover, his tragic story of losing his parents in a traffic accident just before debut garnered worldwide attention. 

The day of his parents' funeral coincided with THE ZERO's first fan meeting. 

The company and his teammates naturally wanted to cancel it, but Seung-rok insisted on proceeding. 

The scene of him appearing at the fan meeting went viral instantly.

[I came to keep my promise to the fans. My parents in heaven would want that too.]

Some criticized it as excessive, but most were deeply moved. 

Thanks to this, despite being a ballad group with limited appeal outside Korea, THE ZERO achieved significant success.

The feeling of capitalizing on his parents' deaths was unsettling, but Seung-rok didn't care. 

He desperately needed that money. 

While others sought fan popularity for themselves, he worked to support his family. 

His dedication was different. 

Except for the days he secretly visited his family in Jeju, he devoted all his time to his fans. 

He constantly communicated via social media even while traveling and sacrificed his vacations for practice, avoiding leisure with fellow idols or actors, and even cutting short gatherings with THE ZERO members. 

He spent that time writing songs and practicing. 

Some people thought he was crazy, but slowly, his efforts bore fruit.

His self-composed songs began gaining traction in Japan, and then, miraculously, they started hitting the charts.

Eventually, THE ZERO dominated the charts, and KROCK not only succeeded as the group's main vocalist but also as a renowned songwriter. 

His songs on charts earned him significant royalties, recognizing him as a top producer in Asia. 

He became a paragon for K-pop idols. 

Unlike many young men who squander their sudden wealth, KROCK remained steadfast. 

Except for his trips to Jeju to see his family, he spent every night working in the studio, earning him the nickname 'monk' from his staffs.

He needed more money. 

He invested everything he earned into his child. 

After his baby mama passed away, his sole reason for living was his daughter. 

He didn't need much for himself, but for his family, he needed a tremendous amount of money. 

His relentless drive was all for his daughter, Hayeon. 

Though he hadn't wanted the child at first, now she was his most precious being. 

A bitter smile crossed his lips.

At that moment, he heard a voice calling him.

"Daddy."

It was Hayeon. 

He slowly turned to look at her.

"Daaa-ddy!"

She looked exactly like her deceased mother. 

Seung-rok stared at her.

"...."

His expression wasn't the warm smile he usually wore.

It wasn't like him on the stage either.

He had the stern look he reserved for disciplining her. 

Detecting something off, Hayeon shifted her gaze and mumbled.

"...Grandpa's calling, Daddy."

"I've told you a million times, Hayeon, let's keep the 'Daddy' stuff private."

"......"

"Why did you do it?"

Hayeon pouted. 

"I don't know."

Seung-rok sighed. 

Yeah, mistakes happen. 

This wasn't the first time. 

Each time, he had to brush it off, saying she had confused 'oppa' with 'appa'(daddy).

But her next words were impossible to cover.

"But why did you call the teacher 'mom'? I mean, you've never called anyone else 'mom' before. What's up with that?"

"That pretty unni?"

Seung-rok tilted his head. 

Now that he thought about it, she did seem somewhat charming. 

He tried to recall the woman from the interview, but just then, Hayeon dashed outside. 

Watching her, he sighed. 

Hayeon was not in a good mood nowadays.

She hated golf practice. 

When he suggested quitting, she demanded a new teacher. 

And once he found one, she called the teacher 'mom.'

What's up with that?

He was determined to make Hayeon a professional golfer. 

Hayeon resembled her mother, which means she could also be the best. 

Maybe it was the best way to honor her mother, who had died giving birth. 

But things were off to a bad start.

Seung-rok checked his phone again. 

Still no word from the coach. 

He had suggested she stay in his residence for daily lessons, but maybe that had scared her off. 

His mind wandered to the inappropriate question he had asked during the interview. 

He hadn't meant to, but seeing her had made his mind go blank. 

She looked too much like Hayeon's mother. 

That day, she had faced him boldly, questioning if golf was just schmoozing and if his idol works were the same sort of strip show. 

Her confidence was also reminiscent of Hayeon's mother. 

She was the first woman to speak to him so bluntly since Hayeon's mother. 

The conversation had made him smile. 

The woman even wore a proper suit, as if to say she wasn't the type to wear tight golf outfits to flirt. 

Her awkwardness with high heels suggested she had only ever worn golf shoes for her entire life. 

That purity was endearing. 

He really wanted her to teach Hayeon.

Had he ruined it by suggesting she live in? 

He should have just let her find her own place. 

Seung-rok smacked his lips and tried to calm his anxious mind as he went to his room. 

He dimmed the lights, lit a candle, and took deep breaths. 

He was trying to meditate.

This was his routine whenever he felt uneasy. 

But today, he couldn't focus.

Hayeon's face kept popping up in his mind. 

The more he thought of her, the stronger his resolve grew. 

He had to make Hayeon the next Park In-bee. 

It was her mother's dream. 

Hayeon, who was born at the cost of her mother's life, had to become the best.

Once Hayeon's face faded from his mind, the face of the tutor from the interview appeared. 

Why did he keep thinking of her? 

Was it because he feared she'd reject the job due to the cohabitation?

Or…

Do I have a crush on her or something?

'I'm such an idiot,' he thought. 

He was an K-pop idol, and a single dad at the same time.

He had to hide his girlfriend and his own daughter.

It's like the worst dating prospect ever.

'What, am I trying to seduce a golf coach or somthing?'

He laughed bitterly, then closed his eyes again and tried to center his mind on his meditation.

***

After finishing his meditation without any breakthroughs, Seung-rok returned to the living room. 

The only one there was Hayeon. 

She was engrossed in something, her head buried in a book.

"What are you reading?" he asked, curious about what a six-year-old might find so absorbing. 

He glanced over her shoulder and saw it was an illustrated book in English—'Romeo and Juliet,' no less. 

Probably something her English kindergarten had assigned. 

Seung-rok smiled and playfully ruffled Hayeon's hair.

"Impressive."

"But I'm not playing golf. I am a bad girl," Hayeon retorted, giving him a cheeky look.

"Where's Grandpa?" Seung-rok asked, looking around.

"He went to the market."

"And left you alone?"

Hayeon pointed her finger at him. 

"I'm with you."

"Good point. And what do you do when you're with Daddy?"

Feigning a forced smile, Seung-rok pointed to the child-sized golf bag he had bought for her. 

"Golf? Again?" she asked.

When Seung-rok nodded silently, Hayeon puffed her cheeks in frustration but quickly reverted to a neutral expression. 

Lately, she had grown tired of golf, constantly protesting that she didn't want to play. 

But if he suggested quitting, she would suddenly change her tune and insist on going to the golf course. 

It was driving him crazy.

At the course, her eyes would light up, and she'd joyfully swing her clubs, begging him to take her pictures.

Though he wasn't entirely sure, she seemed to have a knack for golf, especially for a six-year-old. 

Perhaps it was just parental bias.

But for some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that she had potential. 

That's why he had decided to hire a teacher to coach her, wondering if maybe he was the problem. 

He hadn't expected the interviewee to resemble her mother so much.

Thinking back to the interview, he remembered a moment when Hayeon had made things awkward.

"Why did you call the teacher 'Mom'?" 

It was a question he had already asked but hadn't received an answer to. 

Hayeon, clearly uncomfortable, shook her head vigorously.

"I told you, I don't know."

"She's not your mom."

"I know! Mom is in heaven with God!" 

Hayeon's eyes flared with defiance, a look that reminded him of her mother when she was calm and his own when she was being defiant. 

Especially when she was defiant toward him, she looked just like himself.

"I want to play golf. With the pretty unni," Hayeon mumbled, her words confusing. 

But Seung-rok couldn't bring himself to say anything to her. 

It had been Hayeon who first expressed interest in golf, who had begged to go to the course and have her picture taken while swinging. 

He was confused whether she liked or hated golf. 

Perhaps she didn't know either. 

But it didn't matter now. 

Whether she likes it or not, from tomorrow, she will be at the golf course every day. 

He had already arranged for the teacher, who seemed excellent—experienced, confident, and proud of her work. 

He liked her straightforward attitude also.

"Daddy, so from tomorrow?"

"From tomorrow, what?"

"Golf lesson."

"We'll see."

"We'll see?" 

Hayeon raised her voice, but Seung-rok kept his eyes on his phone. 

If there was no contact from the teacher, the plan would be scrapped, and he would need to find another instructor. 

It was a trivial matter, but for some reason, he didn't want to. 

Why was that? 

Was he simply avoiding the hassle of another interview, or was there something special about this golf instructor?

"Whatever..." he mused, a bitter smile forming. 

Just then, his phone vibrated.