Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: The Dads' Midnight Mission
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It was the early hours of dawn when the children were fast asleep.
The dads, including me, had gathered in the living room as if by some unspoken agreement.
None of them looked ordinary.
Kim Yong-cheol's hair was a tangled mess like a bandit's, An Jeong-su was shamelessly scratching his belly and flashing his potbelly.
And Yoo Tae-hyun had come out shirtless.
There wasn't a hint of celebrity about the guys in front of me.
It felt oddly familiar, like the neighborhood uncles who sometimes acted like that.
No.
"I'm in no position to compare myself to others."
I was no different from them.
The couple pajamas matched with Yu-na had been provided by the production team. The childish design was embarrassing for a grown adult to wear in front of others.
"You're all up early."
I asked with an awkward smile.
We hadn't decided on an order for who would come out first, so I wasn't in a position to say anything. The kids could wake up at any moment, after all.
So why did my throat feel so itchy?
I casually raised my hand to my neck.
I'd felt heavy when I woke up, and now with my throat scratchy, it seemed like I'd caught a cold.
I let out a deep sigh and muttered.
"Yu-na's gonna worry about this..."
"Jun-seo, you catch a cold or something?"
Kim Yong-cheol, who hadn't called my name properly since yesterday, finally did so.
Was his voice too loud?
An Jeong-su jumped in surprise and clamped a hand over Kim Yong-cheol's mouth. Yoo Tae-hyun, still shirtless, quickly checked if the kids had woken up and came back.
"What if you wake the kids?"
"S-sorry."
"Hyung, the kids didn't wake up. We have to be careful."
"Hey, should we... quickly get the hidden gifts out?"
My throat itched inside every time I spoke, nearly making me cough, but I swallowed dryly and held it back.
"Whew, yeah. Let's do what the maknae says."
Nods. Nods.
At An Jeong-su's words, we all nodded in unison. If the kids saw us like this, it would mess up the shoot.
Even if we got caught, we were all veteran variety stars, and I was an actor.
We could band together and handle the crisis smoothly.
But I just wanted to avoid the hassle.
Especially since I wasn't feeling great.
Plus, they all seemed determined not to get caught by the kids, tiptoeing along in weird postures.
Stealthily. Stealthily.
"......"
We carefully extracted the gifts hidden on the shelves one by one, without making a sound from our footsteps.
Or our breathing.
These were Christmas presents for the kids that we'd handed over to the production team a few days ago.
It was a little event the dads had prepared purely for the kids.
They'd be so surprised when they woke up in the morning.
"Maknae, here. Last one."
"Yes. Thank you for getting it out."
"We got them all?"
"......"
At An Jeong-su's quiet words, they nodded solemnly. Yoo Tae-hyun turned and led the way, followed by An Jeong-su and Kim Yong-cheol.
Were they filming a comedy movie or something?
I clamped my mouth shut to stifle the laughter bubbling up. It was still hard to hold back, so I pinched my thigh hard.
Just looking at their backs made me want to laugh. I couldn't laugh here. It would be a pain if we got caught.
'Please...'
I squeezed my eyes shut.
But their backsides were still vivid in my mind. Tiptoeing along like that.
It didn't suit their builds at all.
"Whew. Held it together well."
I let out a quiet sigh.
"Cough! Cough!"
The cough came out, so I hurried to the kitchen and drank some water from the purifier.
Fortunately, my persistently itchy throat felt a bit better. I put the used cup in the sink and quietly entered Yu-na's room where she was sleeping.
'She's really sleeping like an angel...'
Yu-na looked like an angel who had descended to earth and fallen asleep.
She was that cute and pretty to me.
'Happy Christmas in advance.'
I placed the gift underneath, then quietly turned and went back to the living room.
I lay down on the sofa and closed my eyes.
I didn't want to risk passing my cold to Yu-na by staying too close.
How much time passed like that?
I couldn't sleep and was tossing and turning when something soft and cool touched my forehead.
I opened my eyes. It was Yu-na's hand.
She must have come looking for me since I wasn't beside her.
"Daddy... Your forehead's hot."
"Maybe it's because your hand is cool? So my forehead feels hot by comparison."
Yu-na started to sniffle.
"But still..."
"Don't worry. Daddy's fine."
I gently smiled and touched the clear imprint from the blanket on Yu-na's cheek.
My mind started to grow hazy bit by bit.
"...Yu-na, what Daddy wants is... to see you smile brightly instead of crying. So, how about you smile instead of crying?"
"Heh heh heh..."
After that.
I took the fever reducer from An Jeong-su, rested a bit, and threw myself into the shoot.
After wrapping up the special shoot, I rode in the manager's car toward home without taking off my mask even then.
I had to be extra careful not to pass the cold to Yu-na.
I'd grab some cold medicine at the convenience store, sleep it off, and I'd be fine.
"Jun-seo-ssi, good work today. No schedule after this?"
"Once I get home..."
I quickly cut myself off.
It suddenly hit me—the seniors who'd been lurking around my place. I couldn't go back like this. Time to find a new house quick.
I finished my thought and corrected myself.
"I do have one. I'm house hunting. Time to move to somewhere bigger, with tight security."
"Then I'll go with you. The CEO said to handle security duties too."
I nodded at his words.
"That would be great, thanks."
No need to worry with a reliable guy by my side. Feeling relieved, I glanced at the back seat.
Yu-na had played with the doll I'd gifted her until she got tired and fallen asleep.
The protagonist from her favorite cartoon.
The green goblin was pretty cute, even to my eyes. Not bad at all.
Good job picking that gift.
A smile crept onto my lips before I knew it.
'All worried about me... but then she goes crazy for the gift and forgets all about Daddy?'
Bzzz!
The sudden vibration startled me into flinching. I furrowed my brow, pulled out my phone, and saw an unknown number.
"...Who is it?"
I answered, and a raspy voice came from the other end.
-Hello. Is this Lee Seo-jun, currently residing in the goshiwon in front of Sacheon Police Station?
Hearing "police station" made my heart sink.
I'd lived quietly this life...
I swallowed dryly and asked carefully.
"Yes, that's me. What's this about?"
-This is Kim Gil-dong from the detective team at Sacheon Police Station.
A wave of dizziness hit me.
A call from the police was enough to trigger trauma from my past life.
I gripped my pounding head and listened to the end.
-Residents reported quickly, so we caught two burglars who broke into your home right on the spot. According to their statements...
Fortunately, it wasn't a big deal.
Or was it?
My mind was foggy from the cold.
But Detective Kim Gil-dong's final words snapped me alert.
-They say they were sneaking into a close junior's house to give him a scare as a prank. Haha! As if we'd believe that. With five prior convictions already...
"...What do they look like?"
I cut in and asked.
-One's big-built with lots of tattoos around his neck. The other has a neck tattoo too, but he's not as burly.
My hunch was right.
-If you're not busy, could you come in today to identify them?
"Sigh, got it. I'm on my way, so I'll be there in an hour."
-Yes, understood.
I ended the call and sighed. My head already hurt, and this news made it worse.
"What happened?"
I answered Manager Kang In-cheol's question vaguely.
"Burglars broke into my place."
"What? For real?"
"......"
I wanted to give details, but my throat hurt, so I kept it short.
Maybe from talking too much on that call.
I kept feeling like coughing.
If I coughed around Yu-na, she'd worry.
I shut my mouth and stared out the window, but the car's speed picked up.
"Isn't this dangerous?"
I glanced at the driver's seat.
"I'm keeping to the speed limit. No need to worry, Jun-seo-ssi."
"Uh, yeah... Okay."
How much time passed?
Screech! Jolt!
Even sticking to the limit, we arrived at the police station sooner than expected.
Couldn't you brake more gently?
What if you wake Yu-na?
I glared with narrowed eyes, then let out a short sigh.
And unbuckled my seatbelt.
"Can you watch Yu-na for me?"
"You're going in alone? What if something dangerous..."
Dangerous at a police station? Unimaginable.
"Just this once, please."
"...Yes. Got it."
Confirming Yu-na was out cold—deep enough she'd sleep through being carried—I got out of the passenger seat right away.
'Don't shake. Lee Jun-seo. You're not that timid kid from back then.'
I pulled myself together and walked slowly into the quiet station.
'Is that the way?'
Two familiar men.
Seeing them didn't scare or shake me at all. Last time, I'd trembled in fear.
Step. Step.
I strode confidently toward the familiar faces. The cop inside stood up abruptly.
"Ah, Jun-seo-ssi. Right here."
At Detective Kim Gil-dong's greeting, the two sitting like criminals whipped their heads around.
Our eyes met in midair.
An odd silence fell.
"...Why'd you call me here?"
"Ah! Sorry, I spaced out. Do you know these guys?"
As soon as he finished, I scanned the two men seated there.
"No clue."
Crash!
The two scrambled over, dropping to their knees and begging.
"J-Jun-seo! You know me. Really don't remember? Hwaseong High senior Park Yun-su."
"You don't know me either? I bought you bread sometimes. Let this slide just once? Yeah?"
They'd seemed so huge back in school.
Now they looked weak enough to look down on. Was I scared of guys like this?
A hollow laugh escaped me.
"Ha. No idea. Detective, no way I'm settling. How much time would they get? They might come after me later."
"If you settle, maybe, but with their record, easily over five years. And who'd try retaliating against someone as hot right now? Ahaha!"
At Detective Kim Gil-dong's words, their pleading hands dropped limp.
I nodded.
"Then handle it that way. This won't end nicely, I think."
"What? Jun-seo-ssi, what do you..."
My throat hurt so much I could barely speak. I rubbed it and nodded toward the outside.
Reporters were visible outside.
Lurking like predators with cameras ready.
How they timed it perfectly... Well, expected.
A rising celeb like me? Reporters digging into my background was natural.
They needed scoops to survive in their cutthroat world.
Of course, they knew lines, so tailing me wasn't a big deal.
"I'll tell everything... Cough! It's all out in the open. Someone sent these guys to my place."
I forced the words out, but the coughs wouldn't stop. Dizziness worsened; the room spun.
"What? Jun-seo-ssi, explain in detail..."
"Cough! Cough! Th-that's..."
I staggered, steadying myself on the table beside me. Touching my forehead, I let out a hollow laugh.
It reminded me of Yu-na, who'd endured her fever quietly.
'Is she like me in this way?'
Finding our first similarity oddly pleased me.
It made her feel truly like my daughter.
"Jun-seo-ssi! You okay?"
"Cough! Cough! I'm fine."
"I'll wrap this case quick, so head to the hospital first..."
Thud!
My legs gave out.
And as consciousness faded, I muttered a curse.
'Fucking hell, collapsing again.'