part 30

"Do you know how to do hair?"

The words came from Seung-rok, cold and sharp, contrasting with the warmth of his smile that felt like sunlight. 

It was typical Seung-rok.

"Well, I have some experiences…."

I had suggested it boldly at first. 

But hearing his words, I suddenly felt unsure. 

After all, Seung-rok was the world's top idol. 

It dawned on me then. 

Who would usually style KROCK's hair? 

Probably the world's best hairstylists. 

Compared to them, I was just an amateur. 

I usually just used a curling iron or a hairdryer to set my own hair. 

That was it. 

I had never styled a man's hair before, not even my ex-boyfriend's. 

In fact, I had rarely touched anyone else's hair at all.

Feeling my confidence wane, I reached out to put down the hair wax. 

Giving up seemed like the answer. 

But then Seung-rok spoke again.

"Well, there's no mirror, so there's no other way. Go ahead."

He casually handed me the comb he had and sat down on the camping chair with a slight smile on his lips. 

Encouraged, I stepped forward.

"I'll give it a try."

First, I looked at Seung-rok's face to start working on his hair. 

Sitting there with his eyes closed, relaxed, he looked like a man in a portrait. 

At times, he seemed like a prince from a European painting. 

Other times, he looked like the handsome protagonist from a Japanese romance manga. 

How should I put it? 

He was…

"What are you doing?"

Seung-rok suddenly opened his eyes and asked. 

His gaze was deep like the ocean and cold like ice. 

I snapped back to reality. 

I had been mesmerized by his handsome features without realizing it. 

His eyes still sparkled brilliantly. 

Hastily, I reached out and started touching his hair.

"I'll start now."

Honestly, I didn't really know how to style his hair. 

It wasn't that I lacked confidence in makeup or hair setting. 

In fact, I was quite confident. 

During my days as a golfer, I had to groom myself every day. 

My mother had arranged for me to take lessons from top experts, saying that good looking is a necessity for female golfers. 

Thanks to that, I learned everything from makeup to hair care from professionals.

Although I had some reservations about golf for business purposes, I didn't oppose doing advertisements.

So I followed my mother's advice. 

Wearing pretty clothes and looking nice wasn't something I particularly disliked.

"Ouch, that's hot!"

Oops.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

I bowed my head deeply. 

My hands kept slipping. 

It was a movement I had done every day of my life.

Still I made mistakes.

Maybe it was because Seung-rok's eyes were watching me intently.

It took twice as long as it usually did when I did my own hair. 

But after much struggle, I finally managed to finish Seung-rok's styling.

As soon as I finished his hair, Seung-rok stared at his reflection on his phone screen for a long time. 

Really, the more I looked at him, the more I realized he had an onion-like charm, with layers upon layers. 

My styling was undoubtedly rougher than the professional touch he was used to.

I had even made a few mistakes along the way. 

Yet, Seung-rok didn't complain or show any signs of displeasure. 

He didn't even furrowed his brows in annoyance. 

Thanks to that, I gradually relaxed.

That was why I managed to finish styling his hair somehow.

Despite his strange first impression, he was a kind person in his own way. 

As I was lost in these thoughts, watching him, Seung-rok finally spoke after checking his hair on his phone for a while.

"You're not very good at this. Heh."

He ended his sentence with a laugh that had a hint of mockery. 

The slight wrinkle at the tip of his nose made him look like a lion sneering.

"What?"

I asked, and Seung-rok delivered the final blow.

"You should probably stick to coaching golf."

"…"

I nodded without saying anything. 

Watching Seung-rok trying to stifle his laughter like a devil, I screamed internally. 

I take back what I thought about him being kind. 

He's like a prickly demon king. 

So annoying.

***

Soon, Seung-rok left the tent, heading somewhere, probably to start his live broadcast. 

Hayeon, tired, still fell asleep, whether her father was there or not. 

Once Seung-rok was gone, the tent was filled with the sound of her soft breathing. 

I stepped outside, closed the tent flap, and sat down on the camping chair Seung-rok had been using. 

I turned on my phone.

Suddenly, I was curious about KROCK's live streaming. 

Although I liked The ZERO's songs, I had never bothered to watch their live streams. 

But today, curiosity overcame my usual reluctance. 

Maybe it was because I had just seen Seung-rok preparing for the broadcast. 

I was intensely curious about what his live stream would be like.

[You have entered the room.]

I opened the app and entered the live streaming channel of Seung-rok's.

The Seung-rok I had just seen filled the phone screen. 

To be precise, he was a completely different person from the one I had just seen.

"Hello, THE One! Today, I'm camping with my family. Can you hear the birds? It's so nice. I wish you could all be here with me. But we'll see each other soon in Singapore, right? Are you waiting for me?"

Ugh. 

Goosebumps rose on my arms. 

The way Seung-rok winked and looked at the camera with a sly smile was so unfamiliar. 

How could he be so different from his usual self?

Normally, he was always sharp and sarcastic. 

I had thought he was always like that, but I was wrong. 

Now, he was smiling so gently. 

It wasn't unpleasant to watch.

But honestly, it gave me chills.

I had occasionally seen idol KROCK by chance before. 

At the time, his behavior didn't bother me because I didn't know his usual self. 

Now, watching his sly performance was terrifying. 

Of course, his fans, who didn't know his usual self, were thrilled by his cuteness.

-Seung-rok oppa, why do you look so handsome today?

-You seem different from usual.

-Is it because of the camping? You look so relaxed. Your eyes seem softer than usual. So sexy! Eek!

-Thanks to our Seung-rok, my morning is off to a great start. Thank you~.

The comments were dripping with sweetness. 

Still, these people had sharp eyes. 

They quickly noticed that something was different about his demeanor.

-But oppa, your hair looks weird today.

-Who did your hair? LOL, fire them, whoever it is.

Fire them? 

Such a heartbreaking word. 

That must not happen. 

'Fire' might be the saddest word in the world, I thought.

Seung-rok must have read the same comments I did because he quickly responded.

"Does it look weird? I did it myself, roughly. There's no mirror here."

-Hahaha, so cute~.

-You sing so well, but you can't do hair.

-Probably because you've never tried to look stylish. You Are NATURAL!!!

The fans quickly changed their stance. 

They couldn't criticize Seung-rok. 

His eyes curved into crescent moons as if he had been waiting for this.

"That's right, that's right. I haven't done my hair much. Hehe."

My expression hardened as I watched the screen. 

What was that? 

That mischievous look with a 'hehe' laugh. 

The coquettish eye smile was one thing.

But that red-pink thing that briefly appeared from his mouth—was that his tongue? 

Goodness. 

A twenty-seven-year-old man making such a seductive expression. 

What in the world are you doing?

But it was strange. 

Why did a smile keep creeping onto my face as I watched this childish display? 

It was ridiculous.

***

"What's up with your hair?"

That was the first thing Eui-jin said when he met Seung-rok at Singapore Airport.

"Don't worry about it, hyung."

Seung-rok furrowed his brow slightly and slipped into the company car. 

He immediately pulled out an eye mask and earplugs from his bag. 

Just as he was about to catch up on some sleep, Eui-jin plopped down next to him and asked,

"Did you see the internet? It's going crazy with stories about your family."

So, it was that story. 

Seung-rok blinked irritably. 

It was harder than usual to maintain a polite demeanor when he was this tired.

"Yeah."

"The buzz is insane. The other members must be pissed. Some of them can't even get that kind of attention even if they dance in swimsuits and show their everything, while you just have to open your mouth."

"Whatever."

Eui-jin didn't say it outright.

But it was obvious he was referring to Boseong. 

Whether that guy was angry or not, Seung-rok didn't care. 

But what Eui-jin said next piqued his interest a bit.

"…The Amy Pratt Show reached out. They want to do an interview."

Amy Pratt was currently the top talk show host in America. 

Her show, 'The Amy Pratt Show,' was a breeding ground for superstars. 

In this age of YouTube and podcasts, there were so many programs that it didn't have the same prestige as before. 

But still, it was a place where the world's top singers, from Beyoncé to Justin Bieber, were invited. 

Naturally, as someone who liked foreign music, he had watched the show often.

"Really?"

Maybe that's why, for the first time in a while, a faint smile appeared on Seung-rok's lips.

But what he said next was a problem.

"They're interested in doing a family interview. Guess they want to know more about your family history."

Seung-rok's lips tightened. 

Why were people so interested in his family? 

He knew the reason. 

He had become famous because of the accident that took his parents just before his debut. 

The boy idol who lost his parents on the day of his debut. 

That story had garnered worldwide attention in the beginning. 

Of course, it was Seung-rok's talent that sustained that interest.

but still, he had also been the target of jealous curses, accused of using his family's tragedy to succeed. 

It wasn't entirely untrue.

While he was lost in these thoughts, Eui-jin gave a brief rundown of the current situation. 

It was the usual story. 

They would have to talk to the production team, but if the family agreed to appear, it would be confirmed. 

It was a subtle suggestion to exploit his family. 

You give as much as you get. 

That was the principle of show business, but there were limits.

He knew all too well how terrifying public attention could be. 

Even he, who had been in the spotlight since his twenties, was tired of people watching him. 

What if a six-year-old had to deal with that kind of attention?

An unstable child's mind couldn't possibly bear that weight.

Having made up his mind, he asked casually, "It's a live show, right?"

"Of course, man. Where in America do they have pre-recorded talk shows?"

"Then it's a no-go."

"What?"

Seung-rok removed his eye mask and opened his eyes wide. 

"Do you think it's okay, hyung? What if the kid says something unexpected? What if he says I have a secret wife hidden somewhere?"

"Do you have a secret wife?"

Of course not. 

Or did he? 

Seung-rok shook his head vigorously. 

"That's not the point. The point is, the kid could make up things that aren't true. There's no way to control him. Didn't the chairman always teach us that not failing is more important than getting famous?"

In fact, the kid had already made a big slip-up once. 

He had called Mina "mom" and referred to himself as "dad." 

If something like that happened on a live talk show, it would be unmanageable.

"That's true."

Eui-jin accepted it without arguing. 

Seung-rok immediately put in his earplugs, trying to get some sleep. 

He felt even more exhausted than before. 

Protecting his family's privacy while being an idol was not as easy as it sounded. 

He felt overwhelmed by the thought of how long he would have to keep walking this tightrope.

Just then, his phone buzzed. 

"Pfft!"

He laughed out loud at the screen. 

The irritation that had been plastered all over his face just moments ago vanished. 

The message from Hayeon showed her and Mina practicing hair styling on manager Cha's head. 

Thanks to them, manager Cha's hair was slicked back like Elvis.

Was she just naturally funny?

Or did he just laugh whenever he saw her? 

He didn't know.