Chapter 172
Chapter 172
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 172
Chapter Title: Tuxedo Prince and Tense Greetings
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After dropping off Senior Oh Ji-hwan near downtown, we headed straight to the tailoring shop to pick up our outfits.
A cramped space overflowing with fabric scraps.
The shop looked like it was on the verge of closing down for good, but according to In-cheol, it was surprisingly quite famous.
Hard to believe.
It's in such an out-of-the-way spot that's tough to find...
"Daddy! Look at this! It's shaped like a butterfly. Hehehe."
Yu-na's tiny hand held a scrap of fabric cut into a butterfly shape. She must have picked it up from the pile on the floor.
It was covered in dust with clear footprints on it, looking pretty dirty.
"Hmm, it is, huh? Put the floor scraps back where they were. Your hands will get dirty."
"Okay!"
Yu-na dropped the scrap right back on the floor with a plop and dusted off her hands.
That was when it happened.
Thud. Thud.
In-cheol approached carrying outfits and shoes wrapped in plastic.
"Jun-seo."
"Yeah, all done?"
"Yes. Now choose one of these two outfits, and we'll head to the salon."
"Shall we?"
Of the two outfits, I...
Still hadn't decided on one.
'A basic suit or a tuxedo.'
Standing blankly in front of the full-length mirror, turning this way and that, I casually asked In-cheol behind me.
"In-cheol. What do you think suits me better?"
"Hmm... Both are good? That tuxedo has this glossy sheen that feels super luxurious... And the basic suit you wore before has a nice vibe..."
I let out a deep sigh and turned my gaze to Yu-na right beside In-cheol.
"Yu-na?"
"Yes!"
"What suits Daddy best? The basic suit from earlier? Or the tuxedo I'm wearing now?"
"All of them. Hehehe. They all look cool and suit you perfectly, Daddy."
"Just pick one."
"Hmm... The one now. You look like a prince from a fairy tale."
I nodded.
Yu-na's choice decided the outfit for the awards ceremony.
"Let's go with this."
"Then, next is Yu-na's outfit..."
"Oh! Look at me."
The tailoring shop owner, who had been quietly watching from the corner while we checked the outfits, burst into laughter.
"I got so caught up watching that I forgot. I'll bring it right away."
"Now it's Yu-na's turn!"
As Yu-na jumped up and down in excitement,
Bzzz!
My body shivered.
I pulled out my phone and saw it was a call from Brother Jeong-su.
"Daddy! Is it Auntie?"
"It's Uncle Jeong-su."
"Can Yu-na answer it!"
"Heh. Sure. Here."
I placed my phone gently into Yu-na's politely outstretched little hand.
In the meantime, In-cheol neatly packed up the clothes I'd arrived in.
"I'll leave these in the car, so wait here."
"Take your time."
"Yes, sir."
While In-cheol stepped outside, Yu-na tugged at my clothes.
"Daddy, Uncle wants to talk to you. He said he has something to tell you."
"Yeah?"
I took the phone from Yu-na and held it to my ear.
"Hello?"
-Hey, Jun-seo. You doing well?
"I'm fine, hanging in there. How about you?"
-Same here. Haha!
His laughter was so loud I had to pull the phone away from my ear for a moment.
After a bit, when it quieted down, I brought it back.
"So, what's up?"
-I heard there might be an uncomfortable seat for you at the awards ceremony today. That's why I called.
An uncomfortable seat?
What did that mean?
I couldn't make sense of it.
"...Why would it be uncomfortable?"
-It's a long story. Want to hear it?
"Of course."
-I'll keep it short.
To sum up what he said:
After all the other members except Jeong-su left the show, viewers threw a fit saying it wasn't fun anymore.
The new members, who hadn't done anything wrong... got nothing but hate for being boring and told to leave.
So...
'It could be uncomfortable.'
Now it made sense.
After Yu-na and I joined.
'Daddy, I love you!' had changed a lot with Yu-na at the center.
For the better.
Yu-na's quirky side revealed on variety.
The clingy kid who only has eyes for Daddy.
Her colorful facial expressions.
Viewers hooked on those charms probably didn't welcome the sudden shift in 'Daddy, I Love You!'
Think about it like this.
You're raising a fun, charming character in a game, and suddenly it switches to another one. How would that feel?
Depends on the person, sure, but most would go, 'What?' lose interest, and hate it.
Not that it's our fault. No need to bow and scrape to them.
I shook off my thoughts and gripped the phone tighter.
"Even if it's uncomfortable, it's not my fault, right? First, I should greet them and chat a bit."
-That might be tough...
"Why?"
-Those guys... all have weird personalities. It'll be hard.
"Still, we have to try steering the conversation positively somehow."
"Daddy! Daddy! How do I look?"
While I was focused on the call, Yu-na came out wearing a pure white dress.
The hem was embroidered with flower patterns, covered top to bottom in ribbon decorations.
'Seeing her like this, she's really grown so much.'
So different from a year ago.
Back then, she looked like a baby.
Now...
Her height too.
The vibe. She feels so grown up.
Tap! Tap!
Lost in sentiment and frozen, the shop owner patted my shoulder.
"Whew, what do you think? My masterpiece."
"...She's really pretty."
"Right?"
KY Broadcasting 'Daddy, I Love You!' waiting room.
The 'Daddy, I Love You!' members, gathered before Lee Jun-seo and his daughter, huddled together for a secretive talk.
"So, we act like we've been getting a ton of hate from viewers... and show hostility to that younger guy. I'll step in and get mad in the middle..."
The one meticulously plotting every detail with a mischievous grin was An Jeong-su.
"What do you think? Solid plan, right?"
Kim Baek-hyun, having heard An Jeong-su's plan from start to finish, hugged his son and asked worriedly.
"...You're saying we're doing a hidden camera? And it's okay for me to take that key role? It'll get found out right away."
"What's there to worry about? You were an actor once. You know how to act, don't you?"
"Daddy was an actor too?"
"Seo-bin. Quiet."
"Mm! Zipping my lips!"
Kim Baek-hyun gave an awkward smile only after Seo-bin covered his mouth with his hand.
"Haha..."
His acting career was just a minor role in one project.
That's it.
And that was a whopping 30 years ago.
A black history of the past.
An embarrassing credential he'd never mentioned on any show.
Everyone thought of him as just a broadcaster, no one knew he'd been an actor.
'How did he know that?'
Impressed by the sharp intel, Kim Baek-hyun was surprised.
"So, who's showing the hostility? That's the most important role."
An Jeong-su's sharp gaze turned to the long-haired man.
"...I-I can't do it."
"......"
Kim Dae-ju, the epitome of timidity.
His timid behavior gifted frustration to many viewers.
The soda to relieve that frustration.
That was Kim Dae-ju's daughter, Kim Ra-hee.
"Dad, did you mess up? Why are you stuttering? I told you not to."
"S-Sorry, my girl."
"Stuttering again."
Clap! Clap! Clap!
An Jeong-su clapped to stop the father-daughter spat.
"Enough family fighting. If you're like that, just have Baek-hyun do it since he acted before. That'd be best."
At that, Kim Baek-hyun shot to his feet.
"Me? Get someone else."
"Someone else...? Possible?"
They both looked at Kim Dae-ju at the same time.
Kim Dae-ju, avoiding eye contact and starting to get scolded by Ra-hee again, looked utterly pitiful.
"...Looks like he's the only one."
"Right? Let's trick Jun-seo somehow and see how he reacts."
Before long, it was six-thirty p.m.
All prepped up, Yu-na and I arrived right on time at the KY Broadcasting 'Daddy, I Love You!' waiting room.
"I'm not late, right?"
"Nope. Right on time."
An Jeong-su welcomed us first, patting the seat next to him.
Greetings first, probably?
Before heading to Jeong-su's side, I glanced at the distant seats.
There sat a long-haired, brooding man and one with a slightly fierce glare, both turning away ignoring me.
'So, they are hostile toward me?'
No need for me to respond in kind. Right?
Ahem! I cleared my throat loudly enough for everyone to hear.
All eyes turned to me in an instant.
"Hello? Nice to meet you. I'm actor Lee Jun-seo. And this is my daughter, Lee Yu-na."
The two strangers scanned me up and down.
The long-haired one indifferently turned his back, while the other shot me a look full of hostility.
But something felt off.
A sense of incongruity.
I gently nudged Yu-na's back.
"Yu-na? Greet them politely like they taught you at kindergarten?"
"Hello! Everyone! I'm Lee Yu-na! Can you all hear me like this? Hehehe."
Ah, no way...
Did they not hear my greeting because my voice was soft and assume that?
Very possible.
"Uh? Uh... yeah. Hi."
"...Yeah, hi."
Only then did they respond to Yu-na's greeting.
Anyway.
I whipped my head around.
Scanning everywhere, no kids Yu-na's age in sight.
'No other kids.'
Where did they go?
I picked up Yu-na and moved toward Jeong-su.
"Jeong-su hyung, did something big happen? Why's the vibe like this?"
"...Yeah. First, drop Yu-na off in the next waiting room. They said the kids need to film something together."
Ah, that's why no kids were visible. I nodded.
"I'll be right back."
"Yeah, take your time."
As soon as Yu-na and I stepped out of the waiting room, I let out a deep sigh.
"Whew..."
Getting close to this 'Daddy, I Love You!' crew looks like it'll take time. That guy staring at me sharply... didn't seem to hate me that intensely.
Felt like he was deliberately injecting dislike?
Yeah. Similar to that vibe.
The one who turned his back...
Not sure.
We'll find out once we talk.
So far, I'd only introduced myself and Yu-na.
"Daddy, aren't we going?"
"Ah... yeah. We are."
I snapped to and turned right, stepping forward.