A Bittersweet Misunderstanding
After Cain was rescued, the impromptu fan meeting proceeded normally. Cain looked half-dazed. Seeing this, Tae-hyun muttered quietly, "Would it be okay to slap him to wake him up?"
"There are too many cameras," Lee Da-bi replied.
"If we create a blind spot..."
"Impossible."
"Tsk."
Cain, who had almost been split equally among his fans like King Solomon's judgment! While Cain's mind was in a complete haze, the fans were absolutely thrilled. Now that was life-risking fan service!
Other players would say, "Ah, I'm busy right now, so I'll sign for you later," or "I'll do it at the next official signing event," or they would just walk right past without a word...
But Cain was the complete opposite. He was a man famous for his explosive fan service! Rumor had it that even if someone wasn't his fan, he would track them down and force an autograph on them.
"I'll give you an autograph!"
"Ah, no, I'm actually a fan of Kim Tae-hyun..."
"I'll sign your shirt!"
"W-Wait, if you sign there..."
"No need to thank me!"
"Are you crazy?!"
And his handwriting was terrible! It looked like chicken scratch!
"Hahaha! It's fine. It is my pleasure!"
No wonder his nickname was the Serial Autographer!
There was another anecdote:
"I got one last time."
"I'll give you another anyway."
"But I already have three..."
"Still... if I give you one..."
Tears would well up in his eyes! Seeing him look like he was genuinely about to cry, the flustered fan would nod.
"Fine, sign it!"
"Hehehe. You should have said so earlier."
Laughing like a villain, Cain would sign. He was a man who literally risked his life for fan service. Though he sometimes made mistakes because he went too far, his fans were incredibly happy. It was a hundred times better to have a favorite player who did too much fan service than one who did none at all!
Perhaps that was why the eyes of the fans standing in front of Cain shone exceptionally bright.
"Cain! Here's a doll made in your likeness!"
"Whoa. Thank you... Wait. Why is it hugging a bomb?"
I should learn from him, Tae-hyun thought as he watched Cain. If nothing else, that fan service spirit was something he needed to adopt.
"Hyung! I'm a fan!"
"Yeah. Thanks for coming all this way." Tae-hyun flashed a wide grin, just like Cain.
At that, the male student paled with terror. "D-Did I do something wrong?"
"...No..." Tae-hyun stopped smiling. Only then did the student look relieved.
Once the fan left, Tae-hyun turned to Lee Da-bi. "Is my smile really that scary?"
"No? I think it's handsome."
"R-Really? I don't think it's that much."
"It's handsome."
"Is it...?"
Is she wearing rose-colored glasses...?
If I say anything, I'll get beaten up, so I'd better stay quiet.
Senior... please read the room!
The rest of the party had plenty to say, but everyone kept their mouths shut. The cameras were far, but his fists were close.
"Good work, everyone. Let's head straight to the lodging and start the quest..."
Cain looked at Tae-hyun with teary eyes. Tae-hyun sighed and asked, "...What now? Why?"
"I have plans!"
"What? You??"
"Really???"
"Is that true?"
"......"
Cain was offended. What did these guys take him for?
"I have friends too, and social relationships..."
"Cain. Think carefully. If a friend suddenly asked to meet up, it might be a pyramid scheme."
"Or they might want you to co-sign a loan. You're doing well lately, so you have to be careful."
"Cain, you should also watch out for cults."
"Do I look like someone who'd fall for a cult?! What do you take me for..." Cain stopped. Come to think of it, the Archisus Church...
"...I was fooled once, but I won't be fooled twice!"
"Didn't you just change your story?"
"What kind of plans? You really need to be careful. It was like this in America too," Tae-hyun said seriously. Unlike the others, Tae-hyun was genuinely worried.
Seeing that, Cain couldn't help but reflect on himself. Just how untrustworthy am I...?
"...I'm meeting my family for dinner, and then some old school friends, okay?"
"Ah..."
"Oh, is that all."
"Phew. I believed in you."
The group was relieved.
"Well, I need to go see my parents briefly anyway," Tae-hyun said.
"I should go too."
The party dispersed. Only Lee Da-bi and her younger sisters were left.
"...Want to come with me?" Tae-hyun asked casually, seeing Da-bi looking lonely.
Da-bi was startled: "What?! W-What do you mean by that?"
"No, I just meant if you're bored going back to the lodging alone, we could go together."
"I-It's fine. I'm not bored! I'll go back to the lodging and organize the junk items."
"Really? Then get back safely." Tae-hyun said and left to catch up with the others.
Once Tae-hyun's figure disappeared, her sisters pinched Da-bi's sides hard.
"...!!!"
"Well, it wasn't that big of a deal, was it? Just a tiny bit decent? If I had to rate it out of five stars, maybe three and a half?"
"..."
"..."
Tae-hyun and Jeong Yun-hee stared at him lukewarmly. Kim Tae-san finally raised his hands in surrender.
"Fine! You did incredibly well! Happy now?!"
"You were the one screaming your lungs out while watching Tae-hyun's match," Jeong Yun-hee remarked.
Kim Tae-san muttered: "My voice shouldn't have carried that far down the street..."
"It normally wouldn't, but they heard it anyway. Just how loudly were you shouting..."
When Tae-hyun was playing the finals, people passing by the house were saying, "What does the owner of this house do to scream like that?" and "Ah, this is Kim Tae-hyun's house. They say he screams like that every match day."
The rumor had already spread throughout the neighborhood!
"You've been well, right?"
"I've been fine. If only some crazy reporter hadn't written a weird article."
"?"
"?"
"N-Nothing." Kim Tae-san waved his hands hurriedly. No need to tell them about some bizarre article headline.
"Ahem."
"?"
Tae-hyun tensed up. When his mother acts like this, she's about to say something important. What is it? Kim Tae-san also noticed and looked tense.
You, what did you do?
I didn't even have time to do anything. Didn't you do something, Father?
Hey. I only played the game!
Same here. Wait, is it because you only played games and ignored Mother?
Who are you calling a gaming addict... I properly managed my time.
"So, who is that young lady?" Jeong Yun-hee asked.
"Huh?"
"What?"
"It doesn't seem like an ordinary relationship."
"????"
"The one you had a scandal with...?" Kim Tae-san stared at Tae-hyun with wide eyes. This kid, he denied it so hard when the article came out, but as expected...! There's no smoke without fire!
"What kind of nonsense is that? It's been ages since I last saw Lee Se-yeon. And I told you, we're not in that kind of relationship."
"But you must have met in the game! It's basically the same thing!"
"You have to separate reality from the game!"
"Both of you, quiet."
"Yes."
"Y-Yes."
"I heard from Martin Kim. He said you had a custom outfit made as a gift for a young lady."
Kim Tae-san stared at Tae-hyun with a face full of shock and betrayal.
"You... having such a bittersweet romance without even telling me..."
Even though they bickered, Kim Tae-san believed in their strong father-son bond. If his son was dating, surely he'd consult his father! But to date in secret... This was a grudge that would last ten years.
"She's just a teammate."
"What?! Don't tell me it's that Cain guy?!" Kim Tae-san gasped. What if it wasn't the Lee Se-yeon article...
"Why would I buy him a gift? I'm talking about Lee Da-bi."
"Ah... her? That's nothing." Kim Tae-san was relieved. He had met Lee Da-bi a few times before.
"You knew about this?" Jeong Yun-hee asked.
"Of course. They aren't in that kind of relationship." Kim Tae-san smiled.
Jeong Yun-hee felt her mind going blank. Teammates who share life and death usually grow closer, so how did he reach that conclusion?
"What kind of... young lady is she?"
"She's a kind, diligent girl who helps Tae-hyun a lot. But really, they aren't like that. She's way too good for him anyway."
"...??" Jeong Yun-hee couldn't understand how he could say all that and still conclude they weren't dating. But since Kim Tae-san was so firm, was it really just a teammate thing?
"I got it for her because it was her birthday. She's helped me out so much."
"Ah. I see."
"..."
The father and son nodded, perfectly understanding each other. Of course, Jeong Yun-hee was not convinced at all.
"By the way, what is she doing now?"
"Probably resting at home."
"You should have brought her over. We could have had dinner together."
"I was going to, but she said she was fine. If she hasn't eaten yet, I can just cook for her when I go back."
"...?????"
Jeong Yun-hee's head started to spin. What on earth are they talking about...?
"You... you said you'd cook for her... What does that mean? I thought you didn't live in the same lodging?"
"Ah. Yes. She lives in the unit right above me."
"...?!?!?"
That's basically the same lodging! It wasn't just sharing life and death—it was practically living together!
"Yun-hee?! Yun-hee?!" Jeong Yun-hee staggered, and Kim Tae-san cried out in shock.
"You rascal!"
"What did I do?!"
"Go to your room and reflect on what you've done!"
Hmm. What did I do wrong?
No matter how much he thought, he did nothing wrong! Tae-hyun was practically kicked out of the house and headed back to the lodging. His mother would get an explanation from his father once she calmed down, but...
Wait. Is this a mistake?
Leaving Kim Tae-san to explain things never ended well. The man was a master at inflating misunderstandings!
Well... Father knows all about Lee Da-bi's family situation, so he'll explain it well.
His mother seemed to misunderstand something, but once she heard the details, she'd understand. There was absolutely no room for misunderstanding!
"???"
"......"
Would you like to block this number?
Tae-hyun stopped before blocking.
Sigh. Fine. I should let this slide.
Cain worked hard. He played the tournament and did all the post-event activities, so he deserved to drink with his friends!
"To think I've become this amazing...!"
"Sniff... When you bought that capsule on installment and locked yourself in your room, I didn't know what would become of you... And that's not all. When you said you were making money by beating people up in a game, my heart was burning up..."
"A-Ah, no. Let's forget about the past..."
Why did they have to bring up that past! Let's forget it!
Cain desperately tried to change the subject. But his parents were just crying tears of emotion.
I shouldn't have come so early!
If he had come an hour later, the past talk would be over and he'd only hear praise. But he arrived right when his parents were tearfully reminiscing about his dark past!
Cain felt like he was sitting on a bed of needles. He won the tournament, but he felt like he got eliminated in the qualifiers!
"S-Sister. Help me."
"How...?"
"You're smarter than me! Anything! Change the subject!"
He clung to his younger sister, Kim Ye-ri. He couldn't stand listening to his embarrassing past anymore.
"By the way, did Kim Tae-hyun not come with you?"
"Ah. Y-Yeah! I was going to invite him!"
If Tae-hyun comes, the topic will definitely change!
"What? Really?"
"Oh my, we owe him so much, we must thank him..."
"No...! He's not the type of guy who likes that kind of thing! It'll be a burden, so absolutely don't do that!"
Cain panicked and sent a text.
Wait. If I just ask him, he won't come.
Kim Tae-hyun's intuition was out of this world. If he sensed anything, he'd never come.
Right! I'll pretend I'm drunk and need a ride!
It was a miracle. For the first time, Cain successfully tricked Tae-hyun!
Cain's sister, Kim Ye-ri, watched this and tilted her head.
But how is he going to deal with the consequences later?