Part 9

A week later.

I was driving to the hospital where my mother was hospitalized. 

The beautiful scenery of Jeju Island passed by in a blur before my eyes, but it didn't register. 

The resentful look Seung-rok had given me a week ago kept haunting me.

[Are you rejecting my suggestion?]

The expression on the man's face was as if he had never seen anyone refuse his suggestion before. 

Well, who would dare defy a world-famous superstar? 

To be precise, I hadn't outright rejected his offer. 

I proposed a "hold" instead. 

The child was a delicate presence, and that was my reason to hold.

I suggested getting to know the child slowly and then discussing the matter further. 

It wasn't a skillful way to reject his offer.

I sincerely thought that was for the best.

Back in my childhood, my mother had hired private tutors for me from an early age.

She disdained teachers in the countryside. 

The tutors she brought home all had impressive credentials. 

Looking back, they were probably people my mother had borrowed money from my biological father to hire. 

Each tutor was undoubtedly accomplished, but I found them difficult to deal with. 

They consistently imposed arbitrary rules on me. 

They made me study by myself. 

They would walk around my mother's house, admiring the expensive furniture, paintings, and my mother's bags within the room.

Now that I think about it, one of the reasons I became so obsessed with golf was because I didn't like private tutors. 

At least when I played golf, I could be alone without the tutors.

So I was fully immersed in the game.

As memories of my school days flooded back, I began to worry. 

Could I be doing something wrong to the child, too?

Just like my mother? 

I even wondered, 

Is it right to teach golf to such a little child?

According to Seung-rok, the child's interest in golf wasn't unwavering. 

Although they took photos every time they went to the golf course, he mentioned that sometimes the kid found practicing golf monotonous and skipped it. 

That's why Seung-rok was looking for a golf coach. 

Honestly, hearing this made me concerned about the child's future. 

Even someone like me, who had once loved golf wholeheartedly, occasionally became cynical as I continued my professional career. 

Was it ethically right to force a child who already seemed to find golf tiresome to take daily lessons? 

I doubted it. 

Perhaps Seung-rok wasn't pressuring the child like my mother did to me.

Or maybe, that was what I wanted to believe. 

In practice, I was earning money only because of Seung-rok. 

Still, there was a reason for me to think like this,

During the entire week of coaching, the child obediently followed my instructions. 

Was it shyness, reluctance, or a desire to keep distance? 

I couldn't tell. 

Lost in my thoughts, I bit my lip. 

At that point, I was shocked by the navigation.

"Oh goodness!"

The navigation app screen flickered wildly. 

Suddenly, it started rerouting. 

I had taken the wrong exit. 

To get to the hospital, I should have exited just a moment ago. 

But I had missed it by mistake. 

I stared at the navigation closely. 

It was a highway,

Making a u-turn was pretty much impossible.

In the end, I followed the convoluted route through the highway rest area and barely arrived at the hospital after the long trip. 

It was my fault, so there was no one else to blame. 

It was a day when curses welled up inside me. 

***

In front of the hospital room, Jisun Sunbae was waiting for me. 

I thanked Unni, who had rearranged her busy schedule to accompany me. 

She furrowed her brow and playfully tapped my shoulder, trying to cheer me up.

"Can't you do this much for the unluckiest kid and her mother in the world?" she said. 

My mother, who had single-handedly raised me with unwavering determination, now laid unconscious, her life hanging by a thread. 

Could I truly call someone as unlucky as me and my mother? 

That was what she meant.

But I couldn't help but suppress a wry smile.

I had a mixture of emotions.

I couldn't simply like my mother. 

She was both endearing and burdensome. 

I reached out and gently touched her cheek, feeling the warmth that confirmed her fragile existence.

Even though her daughter stood before her, she remained oblivious,

She was lost in a sleep that resembled death. 

I sighed quietly, watching her. 

She was still my mother, but she was also a weight on my shoulders. 

With her absence now, I could finally pursue my coaching dreams without restraint.

"Did the child I was teaching even like golfing?"

I was not sure.

Yet, despite the guilt, I continued teaching, finding joy in teaching.

The absence of my only anchor brought an odd sense of liberation, mingled with sorrow.

In the midst of experiencing various emotions, my visitation time came to an end. 

As I left the room, I pondered. 

Even to a mother and daughter who lived together for an entire life,living together was tiresome.

Is it right for me, a golf coach, to live with a six year old?

Honestly, I wasn't sure. 

A coach shouldn't become too comfortable with a child. 

Sometimes, discipline was necessary. 

Coaching Jisun sunbae was different. 

She had more experience than me, so coaching her wasn't difficult. 

But now, I was teaching golf to a six-year-old. 

Nothing seemed to go smoothly in my life lately. 

Living with Hayeon seemed like a risky proposition. 

Why did Seong-rok suggest it to me? 

Was it just a rude joke?

Or was he just showing off?

Honestly, his house was impressive. 

Each floor seemed to be over 100 square meters. 

Everything I saw was top-notch. 

He even offered me a separate cottage. 

Did he expect me to accept without hesitation? 

Lost in thought, I stepped into the corridor, where Jisun sunbae was waiting for me. 

Jisun and I discussed our mother's condition with the nurse. 

There hadn't been significant changes. 

While it wasn't worsening, it also meant her recovery was slow. 

How many times had our mother made offerings at the Buddihist temple? 

Despite her devotion, why was her fortune still unfavorable? 

As I pondered, the meeting with the nurse concluded.

After everything was done, I moved to a brunch cafe with Jisun sunbae. 

As we ate hotcakes and chatted, the conversation naturally turned to KROCK. 

"What's he like?" 

At first, I hesitated to answer. 

Describing recent events would be impossible. 

"I haven't seen him on weekdays; I've only been at the golf course with the child." 

That was a vague enough response. 

"Is he handsome?" 

I chuckled, caught off guard. 

"Why are you so curious? Aren't you coaching K-pop stars also?" 

Female golfers were popular in Korea. 

Men flocked to play golf with female golfers with professional licenses.

I did not like it so I resisted.

But even I, the mundane golfer, could make my living if I decided to coach middle-aged men.

Then there were elite female golfers like Jisun sunbae, who pretty much ruled Korea. 

They could easily play a round with a top executive or a celebrity. 

In a way, that explained why Korean women excelled in golf. 

Even if they failed in tournaments, they could earn big money through playing with businessmen. 

"Celebrities aren't all the same. KROCK thinks golf is beneath him. He's never attended a golf gathering." 

"Are there celebrities like that? Even Kwak Jisun, the golf champion, doesn't work for him, huh?" 

Jisun sunbae raised an eyebrow.

"Kwak Jisun, Park Se-ri, or even Annika Sörenstam don't impress him. Why wouldn't he play golf? He even owns the place. I do not get it.I've been there a few times. It was especially well-cared." 

Seung-rok himself didn't play golf, but his daughter was always on the course. 

Just as the father tidying up his own garden for daughter, he meticulously maintained his golf course. 

But that was a secret.

I couldn't say that out loud. 

Instead, I brushed off Jisun sunbae's comment with a smile.

"So I've never seen him. Anyway, I know one thing. Plenty of girls have fallen for him. From K-pop singers to actresses, models, and Instagram influencers… They've all fallen head over heels." 

"Is Seung-rok that famous?" 

Jisun sunbae's eyes sparkled. 

"Already calling him by his first name? Are you two close?" 

"I can't address a child's guardian as 'Mister,' right?" 

"Bo-ring! Anyhow. Is he really that good-looking?" 

I searched my memory. 

His dazzling smile, as cold as a devil's, came to my mind. 

To stop my daydream, I blurted out, "He looks the same as on screen." 

"The same? Wow. Hey, give it a shot, Mina." 

"What you mean by 'give it a shot'? He's a K-pop idol. We're not supposed to date them." J

isun sunbae laughed. 

"Why not? Even Olympic athletes who risk their whole career still kiss and whatever during the olympic season. Teaching a child and discussing it—anything could happen." 

"You're daydreaming again, sunbae." 

As I deflected her teasing, my phone vibrated in my bag. 

I checked my screen.

I sighed involuntarily.

After seeking permission from Sunbae, I stepped outside to take the call. 

It was from my new stepmother, or more precisely, my deceased biological father's widow. 

-Mina, you've crossed the line. Do you have any idea how crucial those individuals are? How could you possibly drive them away? Have you no sense of professionalism? It took me a while to address this. And now, you've created an utter mess!

It seemed that those guests had finally told her. 

Of course, they conveniently left out any unfavorable details. 

Was her idea of professionalism smiling at middle-aged men while they showed their thing? 

I sighed softly. 

Maintaining my composure, I continued, 

"Thank you for your assistance, but I'm fine now." 

-What? What are you saying?

"I found a job. Starting this month, I'll repay. I can pay it all off within six months." 

-Really? So now that you can repay the debt, you're instructing me not to call anymore? 

Honestly, that was my intention. 

But I held my tongue, waiting for the debt collector's response. 

-You ungrateful wretch. I took you in when you were a mere orphan, bereft of both mother and father. And now, you dare sever our ties? It's truly frightening how people can transform. And that tone—do you think that's how one addresses an adult? Where are your manners? Did you receive no proper upbringing? 

Why was she lecturing me about manners? 

I barely knew her.

This woman hadn't contacted me in thirty years, and now she wanted to play the role of a new stepmother? 

-Are you even aware of the significance of those individuals? Cease this foolishness and ensure your presence for golf tomorrow.

Before I could respond, she hung up. 

Then she sent me a message with the golf appointment details for tomorrow. 

"…Huh?"

As I checked the guest list, I was taken aback.

Aside from the two unpleasant middle-aged men, there was an unexpectedly familiar name on the list.