Life Is Damn Easy
Life was damn easy. Episode 14. The short-term training ended after just one week. In that brief span, Gyeoul had proven her diligence and talent, and received a contract offer. A week later, after hearing the contract proposal from SS's representative, Gyeoul came to me with her grandfather in tow. They wanted me to review the contract for them.
I advised that hiring a lawyer to check the contract would be more reliable. With my regression experience, reviewing contracts wasn't particularly difficult, but I knew my current unemployed body carried no credibility. Still, Gyeoul and her grandfather insisted I look it over. They believed I would review it from Gyeoul's perspective more than anyone else. Thinking they were truly kind people, I eventually accepted the request.
"You can sign this contract without issue. In fact, it seems the terms were written quite favorably even within SS. They must hold Gyeoul in very high regard."
"Whew, that's a relief."
"Taeyang-nim… *sob*."
The born loser Gyeoul didn't miss the moment and started crying again. I pulled out the Gyeoul-exclusive tissue pack and handed it to her.
"Don't cry, Gyeoul. This is good news, so you should smile. You'll have plenty of reasons to cry once you start as a trainee."
Gyeoul made a strange face, unable to decide whether to laugh from the joy of passing or cry over the dark road ahead. In the end, joy won out. She grinned and said,
"It's all thanks to you, Taeyang-nim. You really are a genius!"
"Nah, how is this all my doing? Seventy percent of it is because you followed instructions so well."
It wasn't like I contributed nothing.
"And the real genius is you. Erasing deeply ingrained habits in just five days isn't something anyone can do. Don't get complacent—keep working hard."
We celebrated the successful contract, warmly painting each other's faces with gold.
"Thanks for coming despite how busy you must be. I wired some gas money to your account. Go ahead and check."
At her grandfather's words, I checked my account on my phone. Contrary to his modest phrasing, the amount was far from mere "gas money." It was comparable to what one would pay a lawyer to review a contract. For someone like me who had been doing part-time jobs to save seed money before joining SS, it was an incredibly sweet sum.
"Thank you. I'll put it to good use."
Her grandfather nodded in satisfaction and asked,
"How long until debut?"
"I can't give you a definite answer. Depending on whether there are ongoing projects and what kind of vision the project leader has, the timeline can vary wildly. Debuting at the right time isn't something effort alone can achieve."
SS wasn't some fledgling company run by gut feeling. It was one of the premier agencies that had built a systematic framework over many years. Fitting that reputation, countless talents with star-like potential were burning through their youth as trainees at SS. To debut, one had to surpass all of them and prove they were the brightest star. It was a miraculous feat requiring the perfect alignment of luck, timing, talent, and effort.
Well, setting aside those difficulties, since Gyeoul had been chosen by Cheon Jonghun, her debut with Alcest was practically guaranteed.
"Can that soft-hearted child endure and survive there?"
"She can. She has the talent for it. If her manager has eyes, they won't fail to recognize it."
I smiled playfully.
"Besides, Gyeoul is pretty, isn't she? Very much so."
"Well, my granddaughter is indeed pretty."
"I… I keep getting a runny nose, so I'm going to wash my face!"
Whatever embarrassed her, Gyeoul's cheeks flushed bright red as she fled. The compliment about being pretty must have flustered her. It was amusing that someone with her looks had no immunity to being called pretty. I worried whether this too was Yeji's influence—the devil of Jeonnam and master of gaslighting.
"Could we talk for a moment?"
"Of course. If you'll allow it, I'll take on the role of listener."
He watched Gyeoul dash toward the bathroom and said,
"You already know that child is mixed-race, don't you?"
"Yes, Gyeoul told me."
"Her mother—my daughter—said she hated our rigid household and didn't want to inherit the family business, so she wanted to study abroad. Naturally, I refused."
Gyeoul's grandfather spoke openly.
"When there's barely enough time to learn the family trade as an apprentice, she wants to run away under the guise of studying abroad? I told her I wouldn't support such childish nonsense, and if she really wanted to go, she should earn the money herself. Then she disappeared to Australia on something called a working holiday without giving me a chance to stop her."
He gazed at the clouds in the sky with quiet eyes.
"I was furious. But as her father, I also worried about my daughter. I wondered if she'd meet strange people or face racial discrimination."
The clouds drifted peacefully across the sky.
"But when I checked her SNS, she seemed to be living happily. I thought, 'That's enough.' That was until she suddenly returned to Korea, announced she was pregnant, gave birth, and then ran away."
He let out a bitter laugh.
"Every time I see that child's face, I think of the father whose face I don't even know and my ungrateful daughter. That unpleasant feeling kept stirring inside me."
His expression was filled with intense self-loathing.
"…This is a narrow-minded feeling. It's not how an adult my age should behave. But the human heart isn't so easily sorted out."
Knowing the problem and fixing it were two different things. It wasn't because Gyeoul's grandfather was a particularly flawed person. That was simply how people were.
"I managed somehow until she started school, but afterward I made excuses about needing to focus on work to live up to the title of head of the household, and I neglected her. I didn't care at all about what she saw or thought."
He muttered self-deprecatingly, "I was a truly irresponsible guardian."
"Then one day, a sudden question occurred to me. 'When was the last time I had a conversation with that child?' …How long do you think it was?"
"Well, from what you've said, it couldn't have been a short time. Maybe three months?"
Even that was me stretching it as much as possible.
"Three years."
That was why Gyeoul's grandfather couldn't hide his embarrassment in his voice.
"…Three years?"
"Yes, three years. I'm not in my right mind."
I couldn't find any words to reply.
"I heard about the girl named Yeji. I knew that little wench was cunning, but I didn't expect her to pull something like that. There were also financial entanglements besides the incident you know about—under the pretext of borrowing money between friends."
…Did she extort money?
"I thought I was sending plenty of money, but now I understand why Gyeoul was walking around looking like that."
"That crazy bitch really… Ah, my apologies. I spoke rudely in front of you, Grandfather."
Despite my slip of the tongue, he smiled kindly.
"What rudeness? That damn girl deserves far worse curses. Anyway, we're preparing a lawsuit that ties up every possible loose end, so don't worry too much about that trash. For an old man with money, sending some brat's life into the gutter is nothing."
I applauded inwardly. Gyeoul's grandfather's fiery revenge made me feel refreshed.
"But all of this is just fixing the barn after the horse has bolted. It's far too late now."
"No, it's not late at all."
At my words, he shook his head.
"I don't think I have the qualifications to protect that child. But you seem to have them."
He looked at me with serious eyes.
"Would it be all right to ask you to continue supporting her like this? Money isn't an issue, so I'll compensate you generously. I won't ask you to spend too much time either. Think of it as just another part-time job—it wouldn't be bad."
Just then, Gyeoul, who had returned from the bathroom, came running back. She must have fixed her makeup in that short time—her face looked fresh and radiant.
"…Take your time to think about it."
Gyeoul's grandfather stepped back as if to give me time to consider. I thanked him for his consideration and thought seriously.
Actually, hesitating over this proposal was foolish. Once I joined SS and became Alcest's dedicated road manager, supporting and caring for Gyeoul would be part of my job. It was exactly what her grandfather wanted. Accepting this would mean getting paid twice for the same work. Considering his spending habits—giving 300 just for lodging—the salary he mentioned wouldn't be small either. If I used all that money to buy SS stock…
SS, which would begin its high-altitude flight with a regressor in its ranks.
"Gyeoul."
"Yes?"
"Let's stay together for a long time."
"Okay!"
I smiled contentedly as I looked at my client—no, at Gyeoul. The path to success was paved wide and clear. Now all that remained was for the hiring manager Cheon Jonghun had introduced to contact me. That would be the start of the royal road.
Quest Complete! As a reward, Future Fragment 'Medium' (no monetary gain restrictions) has been granted.
Just like that, the quest notified me of the reward being granted. It was incredibly sweet.
Kiya, life was damn easy.
I burst into laughter at the absurdly low difficulty of success and indulged in happy fantasies.
***
A month passed.
There was still no contact from SS's hiring manager.
"Why the hell not!"
I liked the low difficulty. You damn bastard, Cheon Jonghun.