Chapter 154
Chapter 154
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 154
Chapter Title: Filial Piety Filming Day
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“There…”
Even though it was just making a counseling reservation…
For some reason, the words wouldn’t come out.
-Yes, feel free to speak.
Hearing the counselor’s voice over the phone calmed my mind a bit.
I swallowed hard and took a deep breath to steady my trembling heart.
Right, this is for my wife.
Kang Min-ju, who had been left at a daycare since infancy… It was just my guess, but it seemed she had gone looking for her family.
‘Yeah, I need to muster up some courage.’
I had to meet the daycare director in person and ask who had dropped her off back then…
And if there were any photos left.
-Hello?
I clenched my fist tightly.
Then I opened my mouth.
“I’d like to make a counseling reservation.”
-Is that so? One moment please.
They made me wait quite a while, but the kind voice didn’t change at all.
-You’re really lucky. Someone just canceled for next week. Shall I book you for next Saturday?
“Yes, please do.”
-Alright, then may I have your name…
Before my resolve could waver, I hurriedly finished the reservation and pressed the end call button.
“Whew, that should do it…”
After booking the counseling session for next week.
Two days had flown by in the blink of an eye.
Today was the day to film the variety show Dad, I Love You! with Ahn Jung-soo. I had no time to think about the upcoming counseling.
The concept for this shoot was the kids doing acts of filial piety for their dads in honor of the approaching Christmas.
So right now.
I was lounging comfortably on the sofa, waiting for Ahn Jung-soo to arrive.
“Daddy, when’s Uncle Jeong-su coming?”
“He said he’s almost here. Today you have to do cleaning, laundry, cooking, and even massages with Su-jin… Think you can handle it?”
“Yesss! Yu-na can do it.”
“Then can Daddy relax today and trust Yu-na completely?”
“Relax away.”
Smiling, I pulled out my phone for a moment and scrolled through the endless stream of articles about me.
[Monster Rookie Lee Jun-seo! After Rookie of the Year, now nominated for Acting Grand Prize!] [‘Devil’s Errand Center’ tops ratings in Japan and China with just the first episode!] [Luna Agency states actor Lee Jun-seo has no upcoming projects scheduled…] [Lee Jun-seo’s daughter finishes filming for Yu-sia’s music video…] [Yu-sia to release music video teaser at 1 PM today! Teasing something surprising at the end…] [Child actress Lee Yu-na! Starting activities?]
Among the flood of articles, I clicked on the last link.
[Two days ago, singer Yu-sia wrapped up filming for her new music video. Lee Jun-seo’s daughter Yu-na appears as Yu-sia’s past self… (excerpt)]
-Is Yu-na finally starting her activities? Does that mean her guardian dad is pausing his for a bit?
└Probably. She’s not even in elementary school yet. Makes no sense without a guardian around.
└Then what’s the mom doing?
└Dude above has zero tact. Haven’t you heard she’s got zero tact usually?
-What does Yu-na’s mom even do?
└Use some tact, man.
Most of the top comments speculated about whether Yu-na’s mom even existed. The amusement faded, and a gloom settled in.
Well, it was only natural.
We’d gotten famous, drawing attention.
And I’d always ignored the occasional mentions of Yu-na’s mom.
“Daddy? Are you hurting somewhere?”
Yu-na’s call snapped me back, and I lifted the corners of my mouth again.
“Nope. Not hurting at all.”
“Hmm… Hehehe. Yu-na’s gonna help Daddy a lot today.”
“Yeah, Daddy’s counting only on Yu-na.”
Ding-dong!
Right on cue, the doorbell rang.
I jumped up and checked the intercom. Ahn Jung-soo’s face filled the small screen.
-Jun-seo, open up quick. It’s cold.
The concept for this shoot had finally begun.
‘Filial piety for Dad.’
Ahn Jung-soo and I had a strict rule: no matter what the kids did, we absolutely couldn’t step in. Even if they struggled, we had to just watch.
“This is just punishment… My son really can’t clean…”
“…Ah, that’s not how you do it.”
My hands itched.
…No, my nose itched.
They were cleaning without opening the balcony window, so dust floated visibly around the living room.
Yet the tiny kids were diligently cleaning together.
“How long do we have to sweep? Yu-na’s hands hurt now… It keeps coming back…”
“Then take a break. It’ll end soon.”
“…No. Yu-na will help too.”
We both let out quiet sighs at the same time. Frustrated, I whispered to Ahn Jung-soo.
“Couldn’t we just open the door ourselves? Say we were hot…”
“Ah! Good idea.”
He naturally sprang up from the sofa, stretching. He sauntered to the balcony and flung the door wide open.
Slide!
“Ah, so hot. Why’s it so stuffy? You feel it too, right? Jun-seo?”
Hilariously, the guy who’d opened the balcony door shivered like he was cold.
Well, thanks to that, cool air came in, and the floating dust started drifting outside.
“I was feeling hot too. Opening the window helps.”
“Right? Why’d you crank the heat so high?”
That’s when it happened.
Slide! Su-jin slammed the balcony door shut again.
“Daddy’s an idiot? Opening the door makes it cold. Shivering and saying it’s hot?”
“Yeah. Uncle, it’s cold, so close it.”
“……”
“……”
We were speechless.
The kids resumed cleaning.
Ahn Jung-soo glanced around cautiously, then flung the balcony door open again.
“Ah! Come on! Daddyyy! It’s cold!”
“Uncle! If you’re hot, go out on the balcony.”
In the end, Ahn Jung-soo was dragged out to the balcony by Yu-na’s hand. She locked it so he couldn’t come back in.
What a ridiculous situation.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
His pleading gestures at the door.
Holding back laughter, I snapped photos of Ahn Jung-soo exiled by Yu-na.
Click! Click!
How much time passed like that.
Only after the kids finished cleaning and headed to the kitchen did I let the shivering Ahn Jung-soo back inside.
“Haa… Seriously. Isn’t that too much?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Never mind. No allies for me… So, what’s for our lunch?”
“They said they’re making those onigiri we learned last time… They prepared the ingredients sometime when I wasn’t looking and put them in the fridge.”
“Probably snuck them in while setting up the cameras.”
I shrugged at his words.
They’d seemed busy installing cameras in the morning, and I’d heard rustling from the kitchen.
“Seems like it.”
“Sigh. Anyway… Onigiri again? I wish they’d tried something new this time.”
Ahn Jung-soo peeked worriedly at the kitchen where the kids had gone.
“Why? Sick of it?”
“……”
“Really sick of it?”
“Have you tried eating nothing but onigiri for a whole week?”
I shook my head.
“…No.”
“After losing to Yu-na last time, Su-jin’s been practicing onigiri for a week straight… Don’t even wanna think about it.”
He shuddered and shut his mouth, memories of that onigiri-only week flooding back.
Lunchtime arrived before we knew it.
Seated at the table, we stared at the onigiri Yu-na and Su-jin had made.
The onigiri on the plates varied in shape and looked pretty, unlike before.
“Hmm, did my son learn shaping from Yu-na?”
Ahn Jung-soo narrowed his eyes with a meaningful smile, and Su-jin shot up, indignant.
“W-what! He just told me it looks nice like this.”
Whatever.
Yu-na, who’d only been looking at me, picked up an onigiri and held it out.
It was star-shaped.
“Hehehe. Daddy! Eat up quick.”
I checked around Yu-na’s lips as she urged me—there were tiny rice grains stuck there. She must’ve snuck tastes while making them.
“…Alright, let’s try it.”
I took the onigiri from Yu-na and brought it to my mouth. The savory umami of the seaweed spread inside.
It seemed way tastier than before.
“Hmm, this is really good? Yu-na made these all by herself?”
“Yesss. Yu-na made them alone.”
“Our girl’s the best?”
“Hehehe.”
“Yu-na, you eat too.”
Only then did Yu-na start eating. Though she could take her time, she grabbed two onigiri at once and stuffed them in.
Watching her, Ahn Jung-soo clicked his tongue.
“Yu-na, if you eat like that, you’ll turn into a pig?”
“Gasp! Daddy! Will Yu-na become a pig?”
Yu-na’s eyes went wide like she’d been shocked. Honestly, she had gained a fair bit of weight…
Her cheeks were much fuller now.
“…No. You’ve just put on a little weight.”
“Daddy! Yu-na wants to exercise too!”
Her sudden declaration about exercising made me chuckle. Worrying about a bit of weight gain felt like she was a celebrity or something.
Ah, but Yu-na is a celebrity.
Felt dumb for a second.
“Yu-na wants to exercise like Daddy.”
I poked her cheek.
“Didn’t Daddy say it before? No matter what you look like, Daddy loves Yu-na.”
“…Hehehe. Then Yu-na doesn’t have to exercise? Even if she gets fat and turns into a bear this big?”
“Of course.”
That’s when.
Ahn Jung-soo, who’d been watching us, grumbled discontentedly. Even Su-jin, who’d been bickering with him, agreed.
“Sigh, lost in their own world again. Totally ignoring us?”
“Uncle… So cringey.”
“Whatever. Su-jin, let’s watch this. It’s past 1 already.”
“Already 1? Daddy, let’s watch quick.”
Ahn Jung-soo suddenly pulled out his phone. No idea what he was on about.
“…Hyung. What’s at 1?”
“You don’t know? It’s when Yu-na’s music video teaser drops.”
Then I remembered the article I’d seen today. Yeah… Music video teaser at 1 PM.
I jumped up, grabbed a chair, and sat next to Ahn Jung-soo.
“Wow… Already over 100k views? Impressive.”
“Daddy, play it quick.”
“Don’t rush me. Wait a sec.”
Ahn Jung-soo hit play right away.
A short 30-second video.
It started with gentle music box notes, showing a quaint antique shop.
Yu-sia strode through, browsing, when suddenly an old analog TV flickered on with static.
Yu-sia’s song played from the TV.
“Kyaa… The song’s so good. Kinda has that nostalgic vibe?”
“…Yeah. Lyrics are nice too.”
“Daddy, when does Yu-na come out?”
Yu-na, who’d paused eating her onigiri to climb onto my lap, asked.
“It’s a teaser, so maybe not. Let’s wait and see.”
“Chii…”
I stared at Ahn Jung-soo’s phone screen. With the text ‘Releasing December 24th!’, a single photo popped up.
The one I’d seen on Yu-sia’s phone when I picked it up last time.
“Huh? Daddy, was that Yu-na just now?”
“……”