Waking Up in the Same Bed
I woke up to find myself sharing a bed with Gaeul.
...What the hell was this situation?
I looked around. This wasn’t my familiar sister’s house—it looked like a private hospital room. They must have admitted me after I collapsed. The injuries hadn’t seemed serious enough to require hospitalization, though.
I roughly pieced things together. But that didn’t mean I fully understood the current scene.
How could I? Gaeul was lying right beside me on the narrow hospital bed, arms wrapped around me in a tight embrace.
Why are you sleeping here, Gaeul?
Just then, she began to stir, as if waking up. I flinched and quickly shut my eyes again. I didn’t want her to know I was aware of this incredibly awkward situation.
Well… staying up all night nursing someone could make you sleepy, and the bed did look soft. In the middle of tossing and turning, it wasn’t impossible to end up hugging the person next to you like a body pillow.
If she just got up and moved to the caregiver’s chair, we could both pretend none of this had happened.
But even though it was clear she had woken up, Gaeul didn’t leave the bed. She simply stared at my face, unblinking.
...Gaeul?
She didn’t stop there. As if some playful impulse had struck her, she began gently stroking my face.
“...Hehehe.”
What is wrong with this girl?
Her touch grew bolder by the second, yet I couldn’t bring myself to open my eyes. I had missed my chance. If I’d known this would happen, I should have announced I was awake right away… Now it felt like I had crossed a river with no way back.
How mortifying would it be for both of us if I opened my eyes now?
I lay there like a stone, hoping she would simply lose interest.
Before long, she had draped one leg over my body and slid an arm across my chest. Her face drew closer and closer. I could feel the faint warmth of her breath against my cheek.
...I couldn’t take it anymore. I decided to give up and let her know I was awake.
At that exact moment, the hospital room door swung open.
“Team Leader Sun! We’re here!”
Crash!
“...Why is Miss Gaeul on the floor like that?”
Through the tiniest slit of my eyes, I saw Gaeul sprawled on the ground. She had fallen off the bed, knocked over the caregiver’s chair, and was rolling across the floor in a tangle of limbs.
“Ah… um… I was asleep and got startled, so I rolled right off.”
Cheon Aram spoke with clear concern in her voice.
“Oh no… I must have frightened her. Miss Gaeul must be exhausted too. I’m sorry. We’ll watch over Team Leader Sun for a while, so why don’t you go rest?”
“No! No, I’m fine! I’ve already rested plenty and fully recharged!”
“Recharged?”
“...I mean, ah! My smartphone! It’s fully charged!”
Seo Suyeon, who had followed Cheon Aram in, murmured almost too quietly to hear.
“CEO, it seems Miss Gaeul is…”
“Suyeon, stay quiet right now. There are truths in this world that should never be brought to light.”
Cheon Aram and Seo Suyeon whispered to each other in grave tones, but they were too far away for me to catch the words.
“...I see. In any case, Miss Gaeul appears to have worked very hard. While you were watching him, did Team Leader Sun wake up at all?”
“...No. He hasn’t woken up yet.”
Cheon Aram rested her chin lightly on her hand and murmured.
“Hmm… Then let’s talk about it now.”
Her voice dropped, becoming low and serious, as though she had come to a decision.
“The lawyer we hired at Toobear updated us on the situation. It looks like Gaeul’s father will be serving prison time. The charges—illegal gambling, child abuse, attempted murder, and fraud—have piled up.”
“....”
“That’s troubling enough, but an even larger problem stems from it.”
“...What do you mean?”
“It concerns the future arrangements for Miss Gaeul and her younger brother, Gahyun.”
“...Ah.”
“Miss Gaeul will be fine for now. We have dormitories at Toobear Entertainment. The problem is Gahyun.”
If her father disappeared and Gaeul moved into the dorms, Gahyun—a third-year middle school student—would be left completely alone. That was the point Cheon Aram was making.
“In typical cases of child abuse where immediate separation from the parents is required, the child is first sent to temporary protective facilities such as emergency shelters or youth centers.”
Cheon Aram’s tone was utterly businesslike. She spoke as if simply stating necessary facts. This was probably her version of respect. Sometimes sympathy could wound more deeply than indifference.
“...However, the situation is slightly different this time. Since it is all but confirmed that Gaeul’s father will serve time, the child’s separation from the parent for a set period is also confirmed.”
She continued as neutrally as possible.
“At that point, for the child’s long-term welfare, we must consider options such as foster care or institutional care. Of the two, I believe foster care would be ideal.”
Gaeul wouldn’t want to send Gahyun to an orphanage. Understanding that, it seemed Cheon Aram preferred to steer things toward foster care.
“So I’d like to ask. Are there any relatives who could take Gahyun in? …His mother, for instance.”
“There are no relatives who would agree to it. …And with his mother, we’ve already severed ties, so that would be difficult.”
Cheon Aram let out a heavy sigh.
“Ha… This has become complicated.”
Given Gaeul’s family circumstances, the outcome had been predictable. That didn’t make preparing concrete solutions any easier.
“In that case, Miss Gaeul has two remaining choices.”
“....”
Facing the silent girl, Cheon Aram continued.
“First, send Gahyun to an orphanage.”
She softened her voice, as if trying to ease the heavy atmosphere.
“You might have a negative impression of orphanages, Miss Gaeul. But there’s no need to worry too much.”
Her warm, persuasive tone felt genuinely caring.
“We at Toobear will do everything possible to place Gahyun in the best facility with the strongest systems. He may even receive better care than when the three of you—Miss Gaeul, your father, and Gahyun—lived together before.”
“...What’s the second option?”
“You give up becoming a trainee at Toobear Entertainment and protect Gahyun yourself.”
Cheon Aram looked reluctant to say the next words. Nevertheless, refusing to look away, she spoke to Gaeul without sugarcoating anything.
“...And if you choose that path, you will need to repay the 46 million won your father used for gambling.”
From Gaeul’s perspective, it would be unbearably unfair. But from Toobear’s standpoint, they had already paid the contract fee only for her to abandon the agreement, so recovering that money was only natural. Cheon Aram wasn’t being cruel. She was simply doing what had to be done.
Even so, it didn’t seem easy for her to keep pressing Gaeul like this.
“Neither as a fellow human being nor as the CEO of the agency hoping to recruit her do I want to recommend this option.”
When Cheon Aram seemed to struggle to continue, Seo Suyeon stepped in to play the villain and delivered the necessary words.
“You might feel resistance at the thought of reduced meeting time with Gahyun if he goes to an orphanage. However, that perspective is slightly mistaken.”
Seo Suyeon spoke with clinical precision.
“We currently allow commuting because debut isn’t confirmed yet and there is some flexibility. But once the debut team is finalized, dormitory living becomes mandatory. This is something you already agreed to, Miss Gaeul.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Exactly. Therefore, a decrease in meetings with Gahyun was an expected outcome regardless of this incident.”
It was the truth, but I doubted it sounded comforting to Gaeul.
“We are not revoking your right to see Gahyun simply because the situation has changed. On the contrary, considering the special circumstances, we plan to grant more flexible visiting times.”
Having finished her explanation of the situation, Seo Suyeon laid out the company policy and offered an incentive.
“This is a privilege we have no intention of extending to other trainees. Even if it feels insufficient, I hope you understand that Toobear is sincere about maintaining our relationship with you.”
“I understand what you’re saying. …Perhaps sending him to the orphanage really would be better for Gahyun too.”
Gaeul spoke clearly and deliberately, showing she wasn’t dismissing their words lightly.
“I have to work to protect him and often come home late at night. The professionals at the orphanage would probably take better care of him than I can.”
“It naturally wouldn’t surpass what you could do personally in quality, but in terms of time invested, that assessment is reasonable.”
“That’s true. And from what you’ve said, the facilities, food, and welfare all seem better than what I could provide.”
At Gaeul’s unexpectedly positive response, a hint of relief appeared on Seo Suyeon’s face.
“Then…”
Gaeul cut her off firmly.
“...Even so, I don’t want to send Gahyun to an orphanage.”
““....””
It was unfortunate. If that was how Gaeul felt, there was nothing more Toobear could do.
Cheon Aram exhaled softly.
“If that is your wish, Miss Gaeul, then it can’t be helped. …I’ll arrange for the interest on the debt to be frozen for two years.”
She smiled bitterly, as if accepting the inevitable.
“I’ll support your decision.”
Gaeul spoke urgently to her.
“...Wait!”
Cheon Aram, who had been turning to leave, looked back.
“Is there something more you’d like to say?”
In a trembling voice, Gaeul continued.
“...I know this is shameless. Even I can tell it’s an unreasonable demand, but still… still, I…”
Her voice grew thick with unshed tears.
“I want to be an idol too!”
Cheon Aram ran a hand through her hair, looking troubled.
“Am I correct in interpreting that as not wanting to send Gahyun to an orphanage, but also wanting to remain at Toobear?”
“...Yes, that’s right.”
It seemed Gaeul couldn’t bear to give up either option. The way she held back tears, unable to choose, made her look like a child. But I found the sight heartwarming. The fact that a girl who had been forced to act like an adult could now express such childish desires meant she trusted me.
If this was her true heart, then I had room to step in and help.
Seo Suyeon glanced down at the documents she had been noting on.
“I have one question. You clearly stated earlier that there are no relatives available for foster care. Yet you know of an alternative that doesn’t involve sending Gahyun to an orphanage?”
“...I don’t know what to do either. But I don’t want to send Gahyun to an orphanage, and I don’t want to give up on becoming an idol.”
To that, Seo Suyeon spoke coldly, drawing a clear line.
“Miss Gaeul. This may sound harsh, but we treat you as a mutual contractual partner. We regard you as a proper adult capable of expressing your will, not a minor who struggles to do so. Therefore, you must choose one path.”
“....”
Gaeul couldn’t respond.
Instead of the silent girl, I answered naturally in her place.
“Does she really have to choose just one?”
The room flipped upside down.
Cheon Aram’s mouth fell open. Seo Suyeon threw her document folder in shock. And Gaeul made another crashing sound as she tumbled to the floor again.
...I thought I had joined the conversation naturally, but apparently that was just my delusion.
At least Cheon Aram managed to keep her composure. After taking a deep breath, she spoke.
“Team Leader Sun. If you were awake, wouldn’t it have been polite to give us some kind of signal?”
...I’m sorry.