episode_0003

…Thud.

ㅇ…Thud!

“Dad!!”

“Huh…? Wh-what’s up with you spacing out all of a sudden?”

Why are you like this, Taeyang?

My head is spinning.

This is on a whole different level from issues like alcohol or cigarettes.

Is this a dream..?

Even when I pinch myself and it hurts, it’s still reality.

It’s as if it’s telling me not to run away but to face it.

The blond-haired kid in front of me.

That confident expression and unwavering gaze.

His upright attitude momentarily made me feel like I had done something wrong.

“W-what… You’re not dating just one girl, but several at the same time?”

“..? Yeah, if you date only one, the rest who got rejected would feel pitiful~”

“The girls were sad too, but they liked being treated nicely at the same time.”

“It’s fun to date different types of girls each day, Dad.”

Taeyang casually talks about deciding what to eat while looking at various foods in a revolving sushi restaurant.

My mind wavered for a moment, but I gathered myself.

I need to snap out of it and turn things around too.

“Taeyang, did you learn that kind of thing from someone..?”

“Yeah? Uncle Geumtae taught me.”

Geumtae?

Ah…

The scattered puzzle pieces around me start fitting together one by one.

Why has my son changed so much?

Geumtae is my late wife’s younger brother, in other words, my brother-in-law.

When he went to inform my wife about her pregnancy, she wasn’t home.

She said he went on a trip abroad with a foreign woman.

I thought nothing of it and forgot about it.

But on a day when we visited their house together,

I could meet my brother-in-law who had just returned from his overseas trip.

The first impression was truly amazing.

Having seen my wife and father-in-law continuously,

I, who thought I had a strong immunity to Geumtaeyang’s charms(?), realized within a few seconds that he was just a vain guy.

With his bulging muscles and unnaturally white skin that didn’t suit his tanned complexion,

and his unique self-assured aura,

from his Hawaiian shirt to his sunglasses, Geumtaeyang was the epitome of coolness!!

The perfectly styled clothes and sunglasses looked so cool even to me.

Truly a man born to hunt women.

The perfect Geumtaeyang Geumtae!

“Whoa~~~ Who’s this? Isn’t this the legendary brother-in-law we’ve only heard about? lol”

“We were curious who would steal our blond gorilla, but it seems Sandi has caught him lol”

“Hey! Are you picking a fight right after coming back from overseas?”

“Hey buddy! Take care of him from now on!”

“He’s even ignoring us..!”

Contrary to his appearance, he approached me warmly, smiling, and thanks to that, we quickly became friends.

“Hey! Buddy! I’ll treat you to a full course today! Can’t just sit still when a new member joins the Geum family!”

He said he knew a good place and almost led me to be entertained by numerous ladies, which left me flustered,

and when he proudly introduced himself as my brother-in-law to some intimidating guys in a dark alley, it was almost dizzying.

But I know he didn’t do these things to mess with me.

In his world, this was a familiar daily routine he had been doing for a long time,

so his way of showing affection might be a bit (?) off, but he’s definitely not a bad person.

… Right?

Anyway, after going through various chaotic events, we finally managed to enter a normal bar.

As we drank, we opened up to each other, and I learned that he doesn’t have a specific job but sticks to wealthy women for food and shelter,

and when he runs out of money, he charms another woman for support,

revealing himself to be the pro of pros among gigolos.

Listening to this, I didn’t harbor any negative thoughts towards Taeman.

People come in all shapes and sizes, so there are bound to be eccentric individuals.

I simply thought, “Oh, so there are people like this too..”

But I never expected it to come back like this.

It’s true that Taeyang worked hard when he was younger.

There’s also my wife’s last wish, but being an age that knows the pain of losing parents better than anyone, I wanted to spare my son from such hardship.

However, at that time, those who were just starting to establish themselves in society must have saved up some money.

To earn money, one must go to work, and the only breadwinner is me.

Even if I want to be there for him, I can’t due to the difficult situation repeating itself.

And if even I am not there, it’s obvious that Taeyangi will be left alone at home.

Thinking that this could have a negative impact on Taeyangi’s emotional growth,

I reluctantly ended up leaving Taeyangi with my in-laws.

Despite feeling very sorry, the words of my father-in-law and mother-in-law were clear: “Don’t worry about it and concentrate on settling down. We will help you.”

I see Taeyangi adapting well and getting along harmoniously with my grandparents.

I was relieved watching that, but…

My brother-in-law asked Taeyangi what he had learned from his uncle and aunt.

“What did Uncle teach you…? Um…”

The words Taeyangi heard were shocking.

“Taeyang, why don’t you come to my room tonight? There are things you need to learn too.”

“…? Okay.”

“What do you want me to teach you, Taeyang?”

“Hey, Taeyang! What do you think is the most important thing as a man?”

“Suddenly? Um… I’m not sure.”

“Don’t hesitate. Just say what comes to your mind.”

“Money…?”

“Wrong, you fool!”

“Ah…”

“I don’t know where to start teaching you. I didn’t expect it to be this serious.”

“Your sister-in-law will look down on me from heaven with pity.”

“Listen well, Taeyang. Today, I will teach you step by step the mindset of being a true man that even I cannot learn from anyone else.”

“First, the basics of being a man.”

“The first is to be a strong pillar supporting my women’s hearts!”

“Women have an instinct to seek protection from a strong man.”

“The second is to never lose composure in any situation!!”

“Do you know what type of man women dislike the most? It’s an indecisive man.”

“When a man hesitates and wavers in making decisions, how repulsive do you think that is?”

“I don’t do that, right? I make decisions well?”

“Most people, while not showing it in their daily lives, are unable to make firm decisions when faced with extreme situations.”

“It’s something you need to gradually improve and work on in your everyday life.”

“Lastly, understanding my woman’s heart!”

“Even if you excel in the first two, if you can’t do this, it’s over.”

“A woman’s heart is like a reed.”

“At times, it feels like it will fly away, and at other times, it feels like it will kill you if you touch it.”

“As you clumsily navigate through the delicate relationship, even in a sweet and affectionate relationship, cracks will slowly begin to form.”

“When you realize that the other person’s feelings have cooled over time, it’s already too late, and they’ve moved on to someone else.”

“It’s too late for regrets.”

“Oh…”

Although Uncle’s words didn’t suit him at all, Taeyang nodded in agreement with the sensible advice.

“Hahaha!! I learned this from my father, but looking back now, it was a very grateful and meaningful education.”

“As a man carrying the genes of the Gold Sun, get married and pass it on to your children!!”

“Wow…!”

As the atmosphere heated up, Taeyang’s heart also grew warmer.

“Next is how to handle women and not let others steal them away!”

“Never be swayed by women. Instead, become a strong man who grabs a woman by the hair and takes charge.”

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

“Grab… the woman’s… hair… note…”

“Never cling or feel regretful when sending messages!”

“Instead, as a man who is complete in himself, if you give ambiguous answers, the other person will be the one going crazy.”

“Although you have a naturally sturdy body, train and develop it even more!”

“Become a man whom other males fear, with not even a 1% chance of giving your woman to another man!”

“Prevent any possibility of wolves sneaking in when there’s a gap, so they won’t overflow.”

How passionately he must have spoken.

Gasping for breath, Geum Taeman takes a sip of water.

“Hu… I think I’ve pretty much told you everything by now.”

“Then, one last thing.”

“Considering all that I’ve told you so far, what is the most important thing?”

“Um… I don’t know. Is there something more important?”

“Gah!!!! You fool!! What have you been hearing all this time?!”

“As a man, gather all your strengths to become a perfect being, conquering many women!”

“Be a vessel capable of handling numerous women without a single heroine’s defeat!”

“Since you resemble your father and have a fairly charming appearance, there are no issues with your face.”

“Add the skills of dealing with the opposite sex, and you will become the greatest man comparable to me and your father.”

“Even the sharp-tongued women who reject you and the strong-willed ones will become your own women who only have eyes for you.”

“Hmm… This can’t be explained just in words, right?”

“Follow me! Today, the special training begins!”

“I’ll teach you everything from speech to behavior.”

“Uncle, wait a moment…”

…

…

“…..”

Taeman… What on earth did you teach Taeyang?

It’s like hitting your foot with a believing axe, exactly that.

What’s done is done, but I should try to intervene now.

Since he understands well when spoken to.

“Taeyang, no matter how you are, such behavior…”

“No, Dad.”

“I realized that I’m still far behind in catching up with Uncle.”

What?

“To become a strong man, to reach the peak of masculinity, I am ahead of Uncle in youth!”

“I will narrow the gap with my own strengths!”

“I will grow stronger by dating various girlfriends in the future!! Just watch me!!!”

… I’m going crazy.