Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Yu-na's Squid Dance
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I know a thing or two about live broadcasts. I'd seen my juniors doing them often to connect with fans.
This guy was a rookie actor too.
He must have started the stream to get his name out there to the public.
"But... this guy..."
Was he always like this?
The curiosity and seriousness were gone, replaced by this bubbly energy that felt totally unfamiliar.
I flinched!
As Shin Dong-hyun whipped his head around mid-chat with viewers and our eyes met, I shuddered and put some distance between us.
"You only do Starlight stuff. I thought you weren't into this. But like you said last time, after trying all sorts of experiences, now I get what you meant."
I tilted my head.
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"At the shoot, you told me to rack up experiences."
Then it hit me what he was referring to. I'd just tossed that out to shake him off...
"...And that makes sense to you now?"
He nodded slightly.
"No matter how much you think it through, if you don't crash into it headfirst, you can't capture those deep emotions. Right?"
He'd nailed it perfectly.
Even if I'd said it offhand.
Spelled out, that's exactly what it boiled down to.
"Right. Take someone born rich—could they ever understand begging for coins and scraping by? And..."
That was when Kang Su-ho suddenly wedged himself between us.
"We can talk about that later. Hey, rookie, you checking all the Starlight comments these days?"
Kang Su-ho stared blankly at me, then scratched the back of his head and looked away.
I'd been putting off managing Starlight lately.
"Been too busy memorizing lines."
Kang Su-ho and Yoo Seol-hwa let out quiet sighs at my words.
"You haven't even posted Yu-na pics lately. Fans have been hounding us for updates on you. Right, Seol-hwa?"
"Yeah... haa..."
Yoo Seol-hwa sighed deeply, then turned to Yu-na, who was hopping around asking what they were doing.
"Yu-na, what's up?"
"Sis, what's that? What're they doin'?"
"They're filming a greeting for fans who miss Daddy and Yu-na."
"Fans?"
That's when Shin Dong-hyun burst out laughing and started blabbing.
"Ah, Manjjitnam-nim. Tell the squid and the old man to buzz off? Where the heck are Squid and Old Man anyway?"
Shin Dong-hyun pretended he was definitely not the squid, looking around innocently.
I couldn't help but laugh.
Neither of them was ugly, by any means.
"Squid? Yu-na knows what that is!"
All eyes, including mine, turned to Yu-na. Shin Dong-hyun flipped the phone screen to show her.
What wild thing would Yu-na do this time? I watched closely, secretly excited.
"Oh? She's moving now."
Yu-na wriggled her body, raised her hands high, and clapped them over her head.
Wriggle wriggle.
"Like this! Learned it today!"
"Pfft!"
"Puhahaha!"
Laughter erupted everywhere.
Yu-na's little performance had me clutching my stomach.
"Ahaha! Our girl learned something fun at kindergarten, huh?"
"Hehehe. Teacher praised me too."
"Really? That's great!"
"Hey... hey!"
Shin Dong-hyun calling me with a stiff face killed the cheerful vibe.
"What's up?"
"Check this first."
I schooled my expression and looked at the phone he shoved my way.
The chat was flying up the screen.
Nonstop praise for Yu-na's cuteness.
And the viewer count...
'This many people watching?'
Over a thousand viewers. My jaw dropped, body frozen.
- Ah, I want a cute daughter like that...
- We need a Yu-na in every home, stat.
- But Dad's face is legendary.
- Yeah, that face as a dad? Where's my dad then...
- He's my dad! My dad! Daaaad! My name's So-ah too! Say "Did So-ah sleep well?"
- If she were as cute as Yu-na, even I'd be a total girl dad.
- So-ah! Sis'll buy you candy!
- Was squid always that cute? Asking as a fellow squid.
- Hold up! Not Kim So-ah! Call her by her real name, guys! Yu-na!!
The reactions were just like the usual goofy Starlight comments.
I burst out laughing without thinking.
"Ahaha!"
- Whoa! Dad laughed again!
- He's so cool! Starlight needs Dad pics, not just Yu-na's!!
- Laugh like that again!
I glanced at Shin Dong-hyun.
"Hey, what's my pay?"
Teasing, he shrugged grandly.
"Ahaha. Gotta pay up, obviously."
"Kukuku, kidding. What pay between friends?"
Shin Dong-hyun's eyes went wide in surprise. He murmured "friends" softly, lips curving up.
"Alright! Time to ask my friend some questions?
-Open donations quick! Wanna buy our Yu-na treats!
-Our Yu-na belongs to everyone!
Seeing "our Yu-na" sparked a twinge of jealousy.
Maybe that's why.
My mouth moved on its own.
"Ahem! Yu-na's mine. Only her daddy gets to say 'our Yu-na.'"
I scooped up Yu-na, still doing her wobbly dance, for the viewers to see.
How could she be this lovable...
The urge to smooch her chubby cheeks surged.
Staring at the live phone, I went with the flow.
"You guys jealous?"
I planted a kiss on Yu-na's plump cheek for the audience.
Smooch!
"To Daddy, our Yu-na's the best."
First kiss on stream felt a bit awkward, but not bad.
The quiet chat exploded again.
- I wanna kiss her too! Come here, Yu-na! Big sis'll smooch ya!
- Dad's eyes are dripping honey...
- Total girl dad for real. Thought it was just a sitcom act.
- Look at Yu-na's face. Pure bliss. Want a cool dad to kiss me too. T_T
Yu-na beamed brighter than ever, offering her other cheek.
"Daddy! Daddy! Here too! Here too!"
"Got it."
Smooch on the other side too. Her grin stretched ear to ear.
"Ah, time's up already..."
His words turned the chat into chaos. They were yelling at me to hijack Shin Dong-hyun's stream.
"Now we gotta head into my friend's place for the housewarming party, so..."
Sweating bullets, Shin Dong-hyun eyed me. I caught on and cleared my throat.
"Viewers, sorry."
"S-sorry!"
Yu-na and I apologized together, and the "keep streaming" pleas vanished.
Quick pivot.
"Well, that's it from us..."
Then he asked if I'd do a solo live sometime.
Might as well answer and wrap.
Live streams could help spread my name too.
I glanced at Yu-na, then the phone, grinning.
"I'll try it soon. See ya."
"Bye-bye!"
Yu-na and I waved, and the live ended.
Back home, picking at cold food, we kept chatting.
"You really gonna do a solo live?"
"Yeah, told the viewers outside."
I fed rice into Yu-na's little mouth while answering Shin Dong-hyun.
Yoo Seol-hwa chimed in.
"How about this? You're starting shoots soon, right?"
"Yeah, in a week."
"Film a vlog on set. Promote [High School 2022] while you're at it."
I pondered her idea.
Good first content...
But not my call alone. Needed Director Han Mun-jin's okay.
"Why overthink? Just ask the director."
Kang Su-ho's nudge straightened me out. I nodded.
"Let's do that."
Nom nom.
Yu-na, mouth stuffed with braised short ribs, shot her hand up.
"Me too!"
"Yu-na, swallow first, then talk."
Nom nom. Gulp!
"Yu-na wanna do it too! With Daddy!"
"Daddy wants to with you, but can't bring you to set."
"Why?"
"You gotta go to kindergarten and study hard. Except days off..."
Yu-na drooped her brows, pursed her lips like a duck, and hung her head.
Pouting hard.
Even this was cute.
I sat her on my lap and stretched her chubby cheeks.
"Did our Yu-na get mad?"
"Daaaaddy. Hurts."
"We'll go to set on a kindergarten off-day and film. Okay?"
Yu-na's smile returned.
No choice anyway—couldn't leave her home alone on days off.
"...Should I get married quick too?"
Kang Su-ho's envious mutter drew a smirk from Yoo Seol-hwa.
"Senior, got anyone in mind?"
"You mocking me? I've had singers and actresses confess to me."
"Oh yeah? Then why no dating scandals at your age?"
Tired of their childish bickering, I switched topics fast.
"Ah! When did you seniors decide to become actors?"
"Probably twenty. Street-cast into an agency, trained five years or so."
"I was a singer, switched to acting lately. Mostly villains, though."
The vibe warmed up with the new topic.
Good...
But as time dragged, dealing with them wore me out.
Yu-na nodded off.
Kang Su-ho stepped out for "a sec" and returned with beer.
Drinking session at my place.
Just two cans each, but their energy spiked.
"So I smacked that cocky junior's cheek—pow!"
"Good call. Cussing out a senior? What's his name? Seol-hwa?"
"Kim Sang-woo? Or Sang-mu?"
"Rude. So rude."
"Ahaha! Dong-hyun, you're right."
I sighed quietly amid their tales.
"Haa..."
Fun day overall. Yu-na seemed thrilled reuniting with them.
Truly grateful.
But...
They wouldn't leave even after dark.
Busy people, for sure.
'Please just go home...Dad Becomes a Top Actor
Author: Ttui-gom