Chapter 5: He’s My New Daddy

“What happens if you get mad? Hehe.”  

The moment I heard Eunha’s words, I yanked the steering wheel hard.  

Two days.  

It had only been two days since I reunited with Joo Eunha. 

Yet she clung to me like a lover of years, inseparable as a burr.  

Screech—

I parked the car at a rest stop.  

Being outside the city, the facilities were sparse—a concrete restroom building and a few vending machines stood alone. 

A couple of freight trucks that were here moments ago had just left.  

The rest stop was now ours alone.  

Creak.

I rolled down the window to let out the lingering scent in the car.  

Checking the time, a quick break shouldn’t be an issue. 

I glanced between Eunha and the vending machines outside.  

This was awkward, no doubt.  

I’d run away, and I’d own that.  

“Let’s take a break.”  

“Sure.”  

“I’ll grab something from the vending machine. Wait here.”  

“Wait.”  

Eunha grabbed my arm tightly.  

“I want to go with you, ahjussi.”  

“Go together? It’s just grabbing a can of soda or water.”  

“Exactly. I’m not some helpless girl who can’t do something that simple. Is it a problem if I buy my own with my own money?”  

Eunha clung to my arm, refusing to let go. 

Her delicate hand was hard to shake off—charming in a way I couldn’t hurt. 

I gripped the steering wheel with one hand, squinting.  

“Joo Eunha.”  

“Yes?”  

“Did you put on perfume?”  

What was this intoxicating, mind-dazing scent?  

“Who knows? Did I? Didn’t I? Hehe.”  

I subtly rolled my eyes, trying not to let her notice.  

‘If it’s Eunha, she’s planned something.’

About thirty seconds later, I spotted it—her handbag, with a perfume bottle slightly ajar. 

That must be the source of the strange scent in the car. 

I pressed my forehead, groaning inwardly.  

‘I’m losing it.’  

It was a sharp, chemical stench, like a mental thresher. 

Unbearable. 

An artificial fragrance, almost.  

My head spun, and cold sweat dripped down my forehead, clouding my vision.  

I may be in my thirties, but I’m still in my prime.  

Why was I so exhausted?  

Leaning my forehead against the steering wheel, I looked up at Eunha.  

She flashed a vibrant smile, her beauty almost overwhelming.  

“Ahjussi, you already figured it out, didn’t you? This perfume—it’s the same scent as that pill from the other night.”  

“Perfume? You don’t mean…”  

“Of course. No effects, just the scent. It’s everlasting flower. What’s wrong? Something off?”  

“It smells like bubblegum. You know I chew a lot of gum.”  

Eunha released my hand at my response.  

“Should I switch to vanilla? Haha, I had it specially made because I thought you’d like it. Go ahead if you’re going. I’ll wait.”  

She stared at me with deep, ocean-blue eyes, then lowered the passenger-side sun visor.  

As she applied lipstick in the small mirror, I stumbled out of the car, staggering to the vending machine. 

With every step, memories of the other night replayed relentlessly.  

My head and limbs throbbed.  

In a daze, I stood before the vending machine, scanned the options, and swiped my card.  

Clunk, clunk. 

“Oh.”  

I lifted the plastic flap at the bottom.  

A can of coffee and a fruit drink rolled out side by side.  

The coffee was for me, obviously.  

The fruit drink… its familiar grip hit me as I grabbed it.  

‘Eunha loved this when she was a kid.’  

Blueberry flavor. An eco-friendly brand with that cute Taniping character she adored. 

Ugh, I’d picked it without thinking. 

I wiped my forehead.  

No refunds at a vending machine. 

I’d have to give it to her or buy another. 

But I hadn’t seen her drink this as an adult.  

No choice.  

I stuffed the character-themed bottle into my pocket. Its boxy shape made my suit pocket bulge like a water bottle.  

I grabbed a milk tea and returned to the car.  

Eunha had finished her makeup and sat with her legs crossed, waiting like a refined lady from a noble house.  

I handed her the milk tea.  

“What’s that?”  

“Oh, this? Got it by mistake.”  

“Taniping, huh? Brings back memories.”  

She snatched the bottle with a quick flick of her fingers. 

Swift as ever. Instead of the milk tea, she chugged the fruit drink—glug, glug.  

“Ahjussi, we’re in a secret relationship now, aren’t we?”  

She made cute pop sounds with her lips. 

I knew it. 

I never expected to be the target of a secret romance.  

Spilled water can’t be gathered back.  

You either wipe it up with a rag or wait for it to dry.  

I wondered if I’d said too much, but honestly, I’d made the best choice. 

I didn’t want Eunha to crash and burn.  

“…Yeah, something like that.”  

I stammered, careful not to provoke her with the wrong words.  

It was awkward.  

This moment. 

My heart tightened, dreading what Eunha might say next as she gazed at me.  

The little sister I’d raised like my own since elementary school loved me. 

She’d gone so far as to break the law, feeding me things and crossing physical boundaries.  

The memory of being defenselessly caught in that made my bones ache.  

But this… abnormal relationship couldn’t be shared with anyone.  

‘It could hurt Eunha.’ 

She was a public figure.  

A celebrity with millions of fans.  

My fingers gripping the stick shift twitched like worms.  

“This drink’s good.”  

“Yeah?”  

“Yup. Tastes better because you bought it. By the way, how do I look? It’s a big variety show, so I dolled up a bit. My brand’s got a reputation to keep, you know.”  

Eunha clasped her hands, smiling softly.  

Just raising her tone seemed to elevate her beauty a few notches.  

In casual activewear, she was a far cry from the decadent image of before.  

Not that either was bad, of course.  

“Why’re you staring so hard?”  

“…Because you’re beautiful.”  

“Is the scent that good? Wanna smell?”  

She playfully leaned closer, crossing the console from the passenger seat to the driver’s side, her body brushing close.  

Our noses were tantalizingly near.  

I leaned back, but—click—she reached out and locked the door. 

A sharp, lingering scent filled the air.  

“It’s a long-lasting fragrance, so you’ll feel it all day.”  

I squeezed my eyes shut.  

It was floral.  

Thick enough to chase away sleep.  

“Ahjussi, you must be tired from driving.”  

“I know. I’m making it tough on purpose. I want you to keep paying attention to me. You never understood my heart before.”

“This time, I’m making sure it sticks. You’re… mine. I don’t care if the schedule falls apart. I like these moments alone with you.”  

I turned my head, eyes closed, but Eunha clearly had no intention of letting me go.  

“What? You seduced me with a love confession, and now you’re tired of me?”  

“Tch, this…”  

“If it’s about our first time… I’d say yes.”  

The other night—when she pounced on me. 

I tried to suppress the emotions, but just thinking about that catastrophe made my breath catch.  

I could lose it. 

She tugged my tie toward her.  

“You said you don’t hate me and you’d see me as an equal partner, right?”  

“Y-Yeah.”  

“Then why aren’t you touching me?”  

“What?”  

“I might be old-fashioned, but I think the man should take the lead in a relationship. You’re okay, I’m okay, and the windows are tinted.”

“Hardly any sunlight gets in. Even entertainment reporters wouldn’t know.”  

I was overwhelmed by Eunha.  

“So… I’m not touching you right now.”  

She raised both arms, striking a harmless pose, then let me go with an innocent smile. 

I suppressed the heart-pounding sensation. 

For some reason, I felt I understood the face of the Eunha sitting beside me.  

***

Ten minutes after arriving at the filming location, far from Seoul, Eunha was with the waiting PDs, leaving me alone.  

My one-day assistant duties were getting hectic.  

Having occasionally handled both security and managerial tasks for Eunha, it wasn’t too challenging.  

As I met with staff and sorted paperwork, time flew by.  

“Three, two, one. Action!”  

The bespectacled director signaled the cast.  

I sat in the staff section, quietly opening a can of coffee. 

Waking up early was as tough now as ever.  

The cast stood in a line, seven in total, a mix of men and women.  

Eunha, today’s special guest, waited on a bench.  

In the past, she focused on beauty content.  

Now, she dabbled in various fields, mainly online gaming and music.  

“Let’s get started!”  

The lead cast member stepped forward—a middle-aged man with horn-rimmed glasses.  

He reminded me of someone, but it was probably my imagination.  

“Hello, everyone! Welcome to South Korea’s biggest reality variety show, We Can! I’m your host, Yoo Jaesan! We Can!!”  

Clap, clap, clap! 

The female cast led a cheer, and the group erupted in excitement.  

I glanced between the set and Eunha.  

She clapped like a seal, clearly new to this kind of scene.  

Yoo Jaesan adjusted his glasses with his index finger and launched into his spiel.  

Stand-up comedy.  

Or, as some called it, “scripted WWE.”  

“Phew, no one caught a cold, right? Last time’s Great Escape scenario ended with everyone failing, disappointing our viewers. Huh? I can still smell salt on some of you. I’m talking to you, Kwanghoon!”  

Oh, he had that national MC charm—captivating.  

“Salt? No way! You ran off that time, hyung!”  

“When did I?”  

“You said you didn’t want to be shark food! Do you know how many coins I lost? Thirty! I lost thirty right in front of my eyes!”  

A towering man, nearly two meters tall, spoke up—an actor with back-to-back hits.  

A big-nosed cast member pointed at Kwanghoon.  

“Kwanghoon… if you hadn’t pressed that big, red button, Jungkook, Gahyo, and Jaesan would’ve survived!”  

“Sunjin-hyung’s right. You betrayed us and bolted for just ten coins!”  

“Those ten coins were for a special guest pass! Do you know who I brought today?!”  

The big-nosed cast member puffed out his chest. 

As I scanned the set, Eunha rose from her folding chair.  

Is this how variety shows are these days? 

I grumbled to my team.  

“Ooh, here she comes!”  

Eunha’s entrance lit up the atmosphere, like a soft spring breeze.  

“Hello, I’m Joo Eunha, Seong NP’s art creator!”  

Her voice tickled my ears, like a hot breath whispering close.  

“Wow, Kwanghoon, you planned this! Ms. Joo Eunha, I’m a huge fan of your new song. Can I get an autograph? Right here, on my back!”  

Kwanghoon blocked the man approaching Eunha.  

“Sunjin-hyung, wait your turn.”  

After some icebreaking, a fox-like PD with half-closed eyes stepped in front of the camera.  

“Now, let’s introduce today’s scenario! It’s the ‘Bond’ series!”  

“Bond?”  

Kim Jungkook, muscles taut, echoed.  

“Yes, Bond. Today, participants must complete missions with someone you can contact and meet here right now. The mission varies based on your relationship, so choose wisely. Let’s decide!”  

The cast swallowed hard at the PD’s explanation.  

It was morning.  

Even if a contact was awake, they’d likely be at work, and getting to this remote location would take ages.  

People are like that.  

‘Heh, that’s why we prepared viewer participation.’  

The PD’s real aim was audience engagement, but ‘We Can!’ was live.  

Eunha raised her arm high.  

“Um, I have someone who can come now.”  

“What?! Eunha-ssi, already?!”  

“No way, that’s a lie. You don’t even know this address. You came blindfolded, remember?”  

Song Gahyo and Huh Ha chimed in, as stunned as the PDs.  

“Who is it?”  

Eunha glanced at me with a smile. No way, she wanted me by her side all day…  

“My bodyguard. Or, um… should I say my uncle?”  

That’s why she’d done it.