Chapter 93

Chapter 93

Raise Three Idols Well And They’ll Launch a Confession Attack.

Episode 93: You Believed That?.

When I returned to the orphanage where I had met Yeoreum after a long time, I was immediately greeted by a swarm of children as soon as I opened the door.

“It’s Team Leader Seon!”

“Really? So, you didn’t abandon us?”

“I thought we were abandoned too.”

“…When did I ever abandon you?”

Please don’t make such scary accusations, especially in an orphanage—it doesn’t sound like a joke here…

I haven’t even had kids, let alone gotten married.

“Wow! Team Leader Seon, dance for us again!”

“Dance? Wow, our Team Leader Seon sure knows how to nail those girl group dances!”

“…Where did you learn that outdated way of speaking?”

“Taeyang oppa! Trouble Chaser! Trouble Chaser!”

These kids are always overly energetic.

They are already demanding a sultry, sexy dance within a minute of my arrival.

“Hey, kids, I’m happy to see you too, and I’d love to do something for you, but I told you I’m not dancing again. You promised it would be just once last time, remember?”

“You believed that?”

I believed you, you little punk.

At that moment, Yoon Haneul walked out of the kitchen wearing an apron and greeted me.

“Team Leader Seon? It’s been a while since you last visited!”

“Good to see you, Haneul. Has anything happened at the orphanage while I was away?”

She wiped her hands on her apron and said,

“Oh, a lot has happened.”

“What kind of things?”

Yoon Haneul grinned and said,

“Since Yeoreum left here, Jinkang’s support has been pouring in, so we’re fully stocked with staff, facilities, and supplies. You won’t need to volunteer for bathroom cleaning anymore. We’ve even got bidets installed everywhere!”

“That’s a relief. Yeoreum will be really happy to hear that.”

“But it seems like the kids still miss the days when Yeoreum was always around.”

“…It’s hard to face them knowing I took Yeoreum away from them.”

As I was talking with Yoon Haneul, the kids who had been chanting for different dances were suddenly pushed aside. Surprisingly, it was the kids who were particularly fond of Gyeoul and Gaeul who managed to hold them back.

Those kids approached me and asked,

“Taeyang oppa, where’s Gyeoul unnie?”

“Didn’t Gaeul noona come? Hyung?”

I broke the bad news to them.

“Gyeoul and Gaeul couldn’t make it this time. They have things they need to do.”

“…Aw.”

“That’s a bummer.”

“It’s over.”

“Let’s all head back.”

“…That’s too bad. I wanted to hear ‘Bluebeard Whale.’”

As they began to scatter, seemingly done with their business, I called out to them.

“But Yeoreum’s here instead?”

The kids who had been looking at me indifferently suddenly had their eyes widen in surprise as the door behind me opened, and Yeoreum appeared.

“Hey, kids, it’s been a while!”

“Waaaaah!”

“Yeoreum unniiiiieeeeee!”

The children swarmed Yeoreum like a horde of zombies discovering a living being.

The momentum was overwhelming.

It felt like someone might get hurt at this rate.

I hurriedly tried to protect the kids and Yeoreum as best as I could while saying to Yoon Haneul,

“Haneul, please help me stop them. Someone might get hurt!”

“YEOREUM AAAH!”

…No, you stop getting involved and help calm them down.

The children were all huddled around Jin Yeoreum, chattering and jostling each other.

It was noisy, as if each one of them was determined to get more of Yeoreum’s attention than anyone else.

Yeoreum seemed a bit troubled by their bickering and tried to calm them down, but she couldn’t hide the small smile that crept onto her face.

Yoon Haneul, who had been watching in disbelief, turned to me and said,

“When Yeoreum was here, they used to avoid her because they thought she was scary and strict, but now that she’s gone, they cling to her like this. I guess you don’t realize how important someone is until they’re gone.”

I looked at Yeoreum with satisfaction and said,

“They must have missed her. Yeoreum is someone worth missing. I know I’d miss her a lot if she were gone.”

That’s why I ran all the way to the airport to stop her.

And I have never regretted that decision.

“Yeah, I guess so. I would miss Yeoreum too if she were gone. I didn’t show it, but it really hurt when Yeoreum suddenly decided to study abroad. When I first heard the news, I put on a brave face and told her I supported her choice, but when I got home, I regretted not getting down on my knees and begging her not to go.”

Yoon Haneul turned to me, her characteristic sky-blue hair swaying, and said,

“That’s why I’m so grateful that you stopped her, Team Leader Seon. Even though we don’t see each other as often as we did when we used to volunteer together, at least I can see her whenever I want, unlike if she had gone to the U.S. Like now.”

Her face was filled with pure relief.

“How did you and Yeoreum become so close?”

“What kind of relationship?”

“A relationship where you can support, cheer for, and miss each other.”

“We’re friends, right?”

“Very good friends.”

“…Good friends.”

In the previous round, I had assumed that Jin Yeoreum and Yoon Haneul didn’t get along because Yeoreum had been caught up in the Chaebol Third Generation scandal and had to give up volunteering, while Yoon Haneul successfully used her as a stepping stone to rise. But seeing them now, I realized that assumption was a huge misunderstanding.

However, I still wondered how two people with such different images had become close.

“Did I ever tell you that I used to do rhythmic gymnastics when I was younger?”

That was news to me.

I shook my head slightly.

“I didn’t have the incredible talent that Yeoreum did. Back then, I was too proud to admit it, but I was pretty average. Still, I didn’t want to lose to the genius that was Jin Yeoreum. Even though she probably had no idea, I considered her my rival… I had too much pride to give up just because our talents were different.”

Ever since she was young, all the media praised Jin Yeoreum as a once-in-a-century genius, focusing all their attention on her. Meanwhile, Yoon Haneul, as her peer, could only watch from the shadows where the spotlight didn’t reach. Overcoming that and choosing to challenge herself couldn’t be reduced to just pride; it was a value far greater than that.

“That’s an impressive competitive spirit.”

“Competitive spirit? You’re right. I wanted to reach the same level as Yeoreum. I wanted to show her that I could rise to where she was, that I could be a real rival to her. But in the end, it all came crashing down, as you know, Team Leader Seon.”

“…”

For a moment, we both fell silent, watching Yeoreum as she laughed among the children.

“Yeoreum’s story isn’t over yet, and it hasn’t ended in disaster. And I won’t let it.”

“…I’ll hold you to that.”

Yoon Haneul flashed a refreshing smile at me before continuing.

“Anyway, when Yeoreum was forced to retire, I felt like I’d lost my purpose. It was like the finish line of the race I was aiming for had suddenly been bombed and destroyed. With no more motivation to keep trying, I quit rhythmic gymnastics, too. Instead, I decided to pursue being an idol. Rhythmic gymnastics was something my parents had encouraged, but being an idol was what I really wanted to do.”

The Director of the orphanage came out and began to greet Yeoreum. She, too, seemed happy to see her and warmly embraced her.

It was a heartwarming sight, like that of a grandmother and her granddaughter.

Yoon Haneul, watching them happily, said,

“While I was learning to sing and dance, I met Yeoreum here while volunteering. When I encountered that miraculous coincidence, I thought, ‘I have to become friends with her.’ So I kept at it, believing that even the hardest tree will fall if you strike it enough times.”

“So that’s how you became close.”

“No, she found me annoying.”

…What happened to friendship?

“But as we bickered and went through things together, we ended up talking a lot about our deepest feelings, things we’d never shared with anyone else. One of the secrets we shared was that we were both interested in becoming idols.”

Yoon Haneul’s cheeks flushed as she said,

“Do you know how happy I was then? The discipline had changed from rhythmic gymnastics to being an idol, but the idea that I could once again be Yeoreum’s rival made me incredibly excited.”

I chuckled softly at her childlike excitement and said,

“That expectation has become a reality.”

“Yeah, I hoped it would, but both Yeoreum and I thought it was a dream that would never come true.”

“Yeoreum is kinder and more sensitive than anyone, to the point that it’s frustrating to watch sometimes.”

“She’s a rare kind of person in today’s world.”

Yoon Haneul’s words echoed the impression I had of Jin Yeoreum.

She was a good person, almost to a frustrating degree.

That’s why I wanted to protect her.

“A child-like Yeoreum is too pure to survive in a world like this. And people in the world treated her like an easy target, using her as if it were the most natural thing. She would have surely become unhappy… if it weren’t for you, Team Leader Seon.”

“I didn’t do anything that amazing.”

“Hehe, no need for modesty. I’m looking forward to seeing more of the amazing Team Leader Seon.”

That was a rather daunting expectation.

“Thank you. Please continue to take care of Yeoreum so that we can both keep dreaming the same dream.”

Watching her, I quietly made a resolution and responded,

“I’ll do my utmost to make sure your expectations don’t turn into disappointment. I’ve started to look forward to seeing the rivalry between the two of you.”

We looked at each other and smiled.

At that moment, I heard the sound of clapping behind me.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

“What a truly touching story.”

It was Oh James, wearing his trademark gold-rimmed glasses with gold chains.

…What are you doing here?