part 20

"Thank you, teacher!" 

Hayeon beamed and waved her hand.

I had just taken Hayeon from the airport to kindergarten. 

It wasn't a difficult task. 

Early in the morning, I picked up the child from Jeju Airport. 

After sending her home with her grandfather, I waited a bit and then took her to kindergarten in time for lunch.

That was it.

Easy-peasy.

Fortunately, Seung-rok had woken up by then and wasn't in the house. 

I wanted to avoid meeting him one by one for whatever reason.

His grandfather also went inside without saying a word. 

Even the traffic lights were all green on the way. 

There were no particular problems.

Basically it was a lucky day.

Still, one thing bothered me a little.

Hayeon kept staring at me while I was driving. 

It was as if she had something she wanted to say. 

But in the end, the child didn't say much. 

Was it just my imagination that Hayeon kept muttering this?

"Mom…."

I was curious about Hayeon's mother. 

Who on earth was she? 

Mina was almost certain now.

Hayeon was Seung-rok's child. 

But if that was true, the child couldn't have been born alone. 

Somewhere, Hayeon's mother existed. 

Who was the woman who gave birth to the global K-pop star Seung-rok's child? 

And why was she nowhere to be seen now? 

Did Seung-rok love her?

With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Mina headed home.

It was time to meet Jisun Sunbae, who had been sleeping like a log until lunchtime. 

I wondered how much she had slept yesterday. 

It wasn't until after I had taken the child to kindergarten that she contacted me. 

Feeling terribly sorry, she apologized profusely. 

I told her it was fine.

I suggested we have brunch together since I was heading home anyway.

Maybe it was because Jisun Sunbae had done so much for me in the past, but I didn't feel angry at all. 

Thanks to her, I could become the tutor of a rich girl.

Plus, I got to have brunch with Sunbae because she overslept.

From tomorrow, I won't have such leisure time, as I'd be teaching the child every afternoon.

Everything went smoothly for me.

Of course, there was still one person who was getting on my nerves. 

I glared at my phone with irritation. 

Why hadn't he contacted me yet? 

I had cleaned the living room, washed all the dishes, and even driven the child while he was asleep. 

I had taken care of everything for him last night. 

The least he could do was call to say thank you. 

What could be keeping him so busy?

At that moment, the phone screen suddenly went black. 

But the caller was not someone I was waiting for.

It wasn't Seung-rok. 

Eui-jin Lee called me.

-Hello. I hope I'm not disturbing you during work hours. Right?

I was a bit taken aback, but I continued speaking as if nothing was wrong. 

"No, it's fine. Is Seung-rok nearby as well?"

I recalled what Seung-rok had told me yesterday. 

It wasn't his promotion period, so he didn't go out much.

Yet, he mentioned that all the members were staying at Eui-jin's house to work on their songs. 

Eui-jin's cheerful voice suggested that Seung-rok's absence hadn't caused any serious issues.

After a brief pause, Eui-jin continued.

-I want to ask you a favor. I thought it would be better to ask you before mentioning it to Seung-rok.

"Go ahead."

-Well, I've recently taken an interest in golf. Would you like to play a round?

"With me? I'd love to."

-Um… You know Jisun, the golfer, right?

Ah.

As soon as I heard "Jisun, the golfer," I understood the situation. 

There were always people like this around me. 

Because Jisun Sunbae was a big star, many people wanted to play gol with her through me. 

It was quite common.

Normally, I might have felt annoyed, but not with Eui-jin. 

There were several reasons for this, but mainly because it was Eui-jin who made the suggestion. 

Among THE ZERO's fans, many loved KROCK's voice.

Honestly, I was one of them. 

However, most of THE ZERO's songs, especially the ballads that showcased KROCK's voice, were composed by Eui-jin. 

Jisun Sunbae particularly liked those songs.

Jisun Sunbae had almost stopped meeting people after her divorce. 

But somehow, I had a feeling that she might want to have a conversation with Eui-jin.

"How about this? You, me, Jisun Sunbae, and Seung-rok. The four of us can play a round together. What do you think?"

-Is that… okay?

"Sunbae doesn't play golf much these days, but she'll play with me."

-Thank you. I'll ask Seung-rok.

After hanging up, I thought about Jisun Sunbae for a moment.

When Sunbae first announced she was marrying into a chaebol family I thought, "She can be a perfect princess!"

She seemed to live on a different scale compared to me. 

But once she started living there, she found that her in-laws tried to control her every second. 

Her third-generation chaebol ex-husband was indecisive and didn't protect her.

I remember the day Jisun Sunbae confessed to me that she had decided to get a divorce. 

The strong woman I always knew cried in my arms like a kindergartner. 

After that, she moved to Jeju Island to seek a quiet life, just to live simply and peacefully. 

Naturally, she spent most of her time alone, except for me, who had a family home in Jeju.

What comforted her were the songs of THE ZERO. 

Playing golf with Eui-jin, who created those companion-like songs, felt like picking out a perfect gift for Sunbae.

***

When I returned home, the firmly closed gate greeted me.

Unconsciously, I felt a slight tension in my lips.

It was the first time I was entering the house without any family member's help.

So I was a bit nervous. 

I dialed the four numbers, and the door opened. 

Knowing the code to an idol's family home, especially one where a child was secretly hidden, made me feel like I was part of some clandestine crime.

In reality, I had to do it. 

I live here, so sharing the password was necessary. 

Still, I couldn't shake off the feeling of being a conspirator. 

As I walked inside, I glanced at the main living room, but Seung-rok wasn't there. 

I felt a mix of slight anger and considerable relief. 

With these mixed emotions, I turned and entered my own house in the annex. 

The sound of a hairdryer greeted me.

I spotted Jisun Sunbae drying her hair with a large towel and called out playfully, "That's my favorite towel. You are using it."

"Girl! …What did I do yesterday?"

"Don't you remember?"

Jisun Sunbae shook her head vigorously. 

I sighed softly and recounted the events of the previous day. 

When I mentioned that she had forced KROCK to drink until he was completely wasted, Jisun Sunbae let out a sharp cry.

"What should I do! Is he okay?"

"He was passed out cold yesterday, but he got up and left this morning."

Jisun Sunbae nodded in relief. 

I quickly changed the subject.

"…Do you know Eui-jin Lee, the main producer for The ZERO?"

"…Of course. His songs are great!"

Jisun Sunbae was a fan of The ZERO, loving their music so much that she could recite the lyrics by heart.

Well, she insisted that she didn't know the members' faces well, but who knows? 

The person behind most of their songs was Eui-jin Lee, the main producer and chief. 

The fact that she knew the name of the producer, showed that Jisun was already a dedicated fan.

"How about it? Want to play golf with him sometime?"

"…If you say so."

Jisun Sunbae turned her head with a slight smirk. 

It felt like the corners of her mouth lifted just a bit. 

There was a strange atmosphere in the room. 

It was a pleasantly awkward feeling.

Filling with relaxed emotion, I enjoyed brunch at a nearby café. 

After finishing their meal and seeing Jisun Sunbae off, I returned to the annex to prepare for the lessons starting tomorrow. 

There was a lot to get ready for the first lesson, and I planned to start teaching every day from then on.

While I was working, it was about time for the child to come home. 

Grandfather had already informed manager Cha to take care of the return. 

Just as I was thinking about getting ready to greet them, I heard the front gate open suddenly. 

Looking out the window, I saw Seung-rok entering the house. 

Unconsciously, I found myself watching him. 

As he walked, he suddenly looked up.

Our eyes met.

Dang it.

His gaze was sharp and deep, quite different from the usual crescent-eyed smile of the K-POP star KROCK. 

It felt as if he was staring right through me.

Instinctively, I turned my head and hid inside the room.

I wanted to avoid his gaze. 

But it was no use. 

Determined, Seung-rok even called me.

-Let's talk for a moment.

Seung-rok ended the call abruptly after stating his purpose. 

With no other choice, I went down and knocked on the main building's door.

Seung-rok opened the door and asked bluntly, "You said you didn't like playing golf for business."

"What do you mean?"

"You suggested playing golf with Eui-jin and me, didn't you? Isn't that for business?"

So that's what he meant. 

I tilted my head slightly.

"I thought it might be helpful for you."

A slight frown appeared on Seung-rok's forehead.

"I never asked for that."

"…What?"

"I never asked you to do business for me. You're not my wife. You're just a tutor. Just teach the kid golf. What are you to me?"

I stared at him blankly for a moment, then barely suppressed a smile. 

He tried to act tough, but I could sense that he cared for me in his own way.

"…Why are you smiling?"

Seung-rok scratched his cheek awkwardly. 

It seemed my reaction wasn't what he expected.

"It's nothing. Thank you."

"For what?"

"Never mind."

I decided to keep it simple. 

I would accept Seung-rok's gratitude and introduce Jisun Sunbae and the producer Eui-jin Lee through another route. 

While I was thinking that, Seung-rok continued the conversation.

"…Oh, and you cleaned the room. It was a mess."

"A mess?"

Unconsciously, my eyes narrowed slightly. 

I had done it with good intentions. 

A mess, he said. 

It hurted my feelings. 

I had prepared breakfast, cleaned, and tidied up in the morning. 

I hadn't received any thanks for that. 

Emotions welled up from my spine, and I was about to speak when Seung-rok hurriedly added,

"Thanks. Because of you, I wasn't late. I'll take care of the cleaning from now on."

An awkward silence followed. 

I didn't know what to say. 

I hadn't expected a thank you from someone who had been so rude from the start. 

It was surprising. 

The man who had been so difficult from day one sometimes stood by my side.

He even expressed gratitude when he felt it. 

I was at a loss for words, fumbling, when Seung-rok suddenly spoke again.

"But the coffee was terrible. Don't make it anymore. I'll handle it myself."

With that, Seung-rok abruptly entered the main building, a slight mocking smile on his lips. 

So much for his unexpected side. 

He was just rude.