part 31

"Bo~ring!"

Hayeon, who had been staring at her phone for a while, suddenly threw it onto the sofa. 

She probably didn't get the reaction she wanted from her father. 

She quickly scurried back to manager Cha, then started fiddling with his hair again.

Just like she had been doing moments before.

"H-Hayeon, are you sure about this?" 

I asked, glancing worriedly between Hayeon and manager Cha.

Just a moment ago, manager Cha had come by to deliver the weekly supply of organic ingredients, as he did every week. 

But he ended up being caught by Hayeon and turned into a practice dummy. 

It was me who had initially sparked Hayeon's interest. 

Determined to properly style Seung-rok's hair, I had split my salary to buy a mannequin and a wig to start practicing. 

Seeing this, Hayeon had begged manager Cha to help me.

Without much thought, he had offered himself up for practice. 

That was his mistake.

"I want to do it too!"

Who would have thought Hayeon would join in?

However, manager Cha reassured her, stopping me from pulling Hayeon away. 

And so, manager Cha became Hayeon's plaything. 

For the past hour, Hayeon had been messing with his hair. 

Growing increasingly worried, I decided to use dinner as an excuse to pry Hayeon away.

But at that very moment.

"Ta-da!"

Hayeon, who had been waiting for a message, changed her attitude completely. 

She focused all her attention on the hair in front of her.

In no time, she finished styling manager Cha's hair. 

From brushing to blow-drying, even applying wax, her skills were so proficient that I didn't have a chance to intervene.

"Look, manazer!"

Hayeon handed a small mirror to manager Cha, who had been worried about how messy his hair might look. 

"What?"

His eyes widened in surprise. 

The slicked-back hairstyle was so perfectly done.

It was hard to believe. 

Usually, he was too busy to care about his hair. 

But now, with his hair neatly slicked back, his handsome features were fully revealed. 

It suited him so well. 

Normally, manager Cha's strong build gave him the impression of a tough guy, but now he looked like an idol.

"Did you do this, teacher?"

I shook my head.

"N-No."

Not at all. 

It was Hayeon who had done it in an instant, without giving me a chance to help. 

It took her barely ten seconds. 

The styling was as perfect as the ones KROCK usually had. 

What was even more surprising was her creativity. 

There were many styles a man could have, but she chose the slicked-back look, and it was the best choice. 

It perfectly complemented manager Cha's appearance. 

I had learned a bit about hair design.

So I could quickly assess Hayeon's skills. 

Her skill was far beyond what one would expect from a child.

"Hayeon, where did you learn to do this?"

Hayeon yawned and answered my question as if it was nothing.

"I watched a YouTube video of Dad doing his hair and copied it. Why?"

She copied it after watching it just once? 

I found it hard to believe. 

I had taken so many lessons and practiced a lot, yet Seung-rok criticized my work. 

The fact that Hayeon could surpass her after watching just once made me think about how people have different talents.

While I was lost in thought, Hayeon sidled up to manager Cha.

"But manager, what are you going to give me for Children's Day? Buy me a doll!"

She clung to his leg, her voice dripping with sweetness. 

In moments like these, she was just like her father. 

Initially, I thought Hayeon didn't resemble Seung-rok much, but now I could see it. 

There was a hint of the K-pop idol KROCK, who flirted with his fans.

"Ah… um, well…"

Seeing manager Cha's face, I intervened.

"No, Hayeon. Let the manager go."

"Ugh!"

"Go wash your hands. It's time for dinner."

As Hayeon headed to the bathroom, I gestured quickly to manager Cha.

"You should go, manager."

"Thank you, teacher."

His unexpected words made me pause.

"Why are you thanking me?"

"You've made me bond with Hayeon. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't. Thanks to you, Hayeon has become much brighter. This is the first time she's approached me like this. It's all thanks to you. So, thank you."

The large man bowed deeply. 

Not knowing how to respond, I remained silent. 

Manager Cha continued.

"Before I go, I'd like to wash my hair. May I use the shower?"

"Oh, yes, of course! Go ahead."

I stepped aside to let him pass to the shower. 

With him gone, the living room fell into silence. 

But just then, Hayeon came rushing back to me, breaking the tranquility in an instant. 

There was never a moment of peace.

"TTEEAACHER!"

I was startled. "What, what?"

This kid. 

Usually, her energy was boundless. 

But when it came to golf, she would tire out quickly.

"Make me some ramen!"

That again. 

I sighed softly. 

Hayeon always begged for ramen. 

It was forbidden by Seung-rok. 

Athletes should never eat instant food, he said. 

So I always had to refuse Hayeon's pleas. 

I couldn't go against the guardian's words. 

But it was also hard to constantly deny the persistent child. 

I tried to ignore Hayeon's requests as much as possible.

But today was different.

I had prepared a plan in advance.

"Wait a moment."

I headed straight to the kitchen.

***

After a while.

"Yummy~!"

Hayeon beamed as she started slurping the ramen I had made. 

Strictly speaking, it wasn't instant ramen she was asking, but tonkotsu ramen.

This was the conclusion I had reached after much deliberation. 

That ramen, it seemed okay to let her have it.

I understood Seung-rok's desire to feed the child only the best. 

I understood both of them. 

It was a situation where it was hard to take sides. 

So, I decided to side with both. 

The idea that came to me was Japanese ramen.

"This is real 'ramen,' Hayeon. Got it? Tell the others."

"Okay!"

The child was just curious because others were eating 'ramen.' 

It didn't matter what kind of ramen it was. 

As long as it was a special kind of ramen that she could subtly boast about to her friends, it was enough.

"It's spicy…"

Hayeon mumbled, sticking out her tongue.

"Are you okay? I didn't put any chili in it."

Worried, I brought her some milk. 

The pork bone broth seemed too rich, so I had added just a pinch of chili powder.

It seemed her sensitive taste buds had detected it. 

Hayeon usually disliked spicy food, so I was careful not to add even a hint of chili or green onions.

But ramen inevitably required certain ingredients, so I used just a little, and she noticed.

But her love for ramen couldn't be stopped. 

Even as she complained about the spiciness, she continued to gulp down the ramen. 

I smiled as I watched her.

"Anyway, Hayeon, you wouldn't have been able to eat ramen. Even mild Jin Ramen is spicier than this."

Hayeon pouted her lips.

"Ugh!"

But it didn't matter. After all, she was enjoying the ramen I had made for her.

Watching Hayeon finish her bowl with relish, I felt a thrill. 

Normally, Hayeon had a small appetite. 

It was rare for her to finish a whole bowl. 

Her grandfather's most diligent task was feeding her.

Her attention span was so short that it sometimes took an hour for her to finish a meal.

But now, she had polished off a bowl faster than I did.

She even finished down to the last drop of broth.

As I poked around Hayeon's empty bowl, I found a clove of garlic left behind.

"Not eating this?" I asked, pointing at the garlic. 

Hayeon shook her head vigorously.

"Too spicy!"

Such a picky eater. 

Maybe that's why she was so slender, almost frail. 

Unlike her grandfather, who ate the same amount of everything, or Jisun Sunbae, who always cleaned her plate when I cooked, Hayeon made me feel a sense of accomplishment when she ate my food. 

Her picky palate made it fun to cater to her tastes.

Hayeon took her bowl to the sink and continued talking.

She was a well-mannered child.

"I've never had ramen at home. I'll brag to my friends tomorrow."

Sometimes, I felt a pang of sympathy for Hayeon.

On the surface, she seemed to have nothing to be unhappy about. 

Her world-famous father spared no expense or time for her. 

But to me, Seung-rok seemed a bit overbearing. 

Every time he tried to control every aspect of his daughter's life, I couldn't help but think of my own mother. 

Especially since Seung-rok always bought organic vegetables and cooked strictly by the book. 

Maybe that's why his food always tasted bland. 

And perhaps.

That's why Hayeon preferred my cooking.

"Was it good?" 

I asked Hayeon.

"Yes! Your cooking is the best! Hug me!" she said, throwing herself into my arms.

At times like this, she was such an adorable child. 

Though, when she threw a tantrum, it was a different story.

As I was lost in thought, I heard a clattering sound. 

It was manager Cha. 

He had already finished his shower and was back in his suit.

"Manager, you're back?"

"Huh?"

Manager Cha looked incredulously between the dining table and Hayeon. 

Then he turned to me.

"Did Hayeon finish her meal already?"

"Yes."

"How?"

Before I could answer, Hayeon jumped in between us.

"Teacher made me ramen!"

At the mention of 'ramen,' manager Cha's face filled with concern.

"Ramen… really? He'll hate that."

Of course, he meant Seung-rok. 

I nodded.

"Don't worry, I made it with the ingredients you provided today."

"Only with organic vegetables? How can you make ramen with that?"

Hayeon, excited by the familiar topic, shouted out.

"It's ramen, ramen! Manager, do you want to try?"

"Ah… I…"

"Just have a taste."

I quickly brought out the pre-cooked noodles.

"You haven't had dinner yet, right?"

"No. The kids' mom probably ate earlier while feeding them, so it's fine. I'll eat it all."

With that, manager Cha resigned himself and took a seat. 

I topped the tonkotsu ramen with a boiled egg and handed it to him.

Slurp, slurp.

As soon as manager Cha started eating, Hayeon, who was watching him closely, spoke up.

"How is it, manager?"

"…It's amazing. So delicious!"

Had he forgotten he was talking to a child? 

Manager Cha's raw reaction was unexpected.

"See, I told you! Hmph!"

I gently patted Hayeon's shoulder and spoke kindly to her.

"Why are you boasting? Go brush your teeth."

"Fine!"

As Hayeon headed to the bathroom, I turned to manager Cha, who was watching her with a satisfied look.

"She's grown so much. It's impressive. Not long ago, she used to throw a fit about brushing her teeth."

I casually asked manager Cha a question.

"Why are you and her grandfather raising her?"

Manager Cha gave a faint smile, as if to say, 'Isn't it obvious?'

"Because her brother is too busy."

I shook my head.

"What about her mother?"

At that moment, manager Cha's face hardened.