Chapter 49

Chapter 49

After finishing cleaning the boys’ restroom with Jin Yeoreum, I stepped outside to see Gyeoul teaching something to the kids.

What could this high school dropout be teaching?

“Gyeoul?”

“Ah! Teacher Taeyang!”

The moment Gyeoul saw me, she jumped up from her seat. Some kids tugged at her, asking, “Nuna, where are you going?” but she brushed them off and rushed over to me.

“Are you done now?”

One of the 7-8-year-old boys she had pushed away looked at me with a resentful expression, as if I had stolen his girlfriend. Poor kid seemed heartbroken.

…Not like that, buddy.

“Yeah, thanks to this volunteer, it was easy.”

“Ah, then, Teacher Taeyang, I have something to show you!”

With that, Gyeoul grabbed my hand and dragged me somewhere. I was a bit curious about what this nerd wanted to show me.

We arrived in front of the girls’ restroom. Gyeoul held my hand tightly and confidently pulled me inside.

I panicked and braced against her pulling force.

“No, Gyeoul, what are you doing?!”

“I cleaned this place! It’s super clean! I can see my face in the toilet! I’m so proud I could do this!”

The pride on Gyeoul’s face was something she didn’t even show when dancing. It was nice to see this kid, usually with self-esteem as low as the ground, looking so proud.

…But why feel that pride from cleaning a restroom?

“That’s impressive, but this is the girls’ restroom! How can I go in there?”

A team leader of an agency about to step into the orphanage girls’ restroom. Even I thought that was a position I’d never want to be in.

“There’s no one inside; can’t I go in?”

“Do you think that’s okay?”

“…Hmph.”

Jin Yeoreum, who was watching the scene from a little distance, spoke up.

“Today’s volunteer schedule is over. In fact, you probably got held longer than you thought.”

Then, she nodded her head respectfully and said,

“Thank you for your dedication, volunteers. I hope your days ahead are filled with good things.”

“Why are you saying goodbye like we won’t see each other again?”

“…Huh?”

Thinking about how Bubble Shower had backtracked for an hour, I figured I had to stick around for at least three more years.

“We’ll come again.”

“…There are many facilities that are better than this one and treat the volunteers well. If you come back here, you’ll probably end up doing volunteer work like cleaning restrooms again.”

“Well, that sounds fine. As you saw today, I’m confident when it comes to cleaning.”

“I’m confident too!”

Gyeoul raised her hand high.

Jin Yeoreum looked at us and then turned her gaze aside, quietly saying,

“I will always be here. …But I won’t expect anything.”
“I’ll always be here… But I won’t get my hopes up.”

“I don’t expect much, anyway.”

“Well, they’re not the kind of people I’d get my hopes up for. But I’ll make another reservation soon. See you again. Gyeoul, let’s go.”

“Ah, Teacher Taeyang, wait a moment.”

Gyeoul rushed over to Jin Yeoreum and whispered.

“What do you think? Teacher Taeyang is a good person, right?”

“…Yeah, seems like a good person. I’m actually worried if someone like that is okay in today’s world.”

“Hehe, that’s Teacher Taeyang’s charm.”

It felt like they had become close while cleaning the girls’ restroom, leaving me in the men’s restroom.

They even whispered to each other so I couldn’t hear.

It was surprising how quickly Gyeoul became friendly, given her poor social skills.

“Then, I’ll come again next time!”

After finishing their chat, Gyeoul came back to me, waved at Jin Yeoreum, and spoke.

Jin Yeoreum awkwardly waved back at Gyeoul. She glanced at me and continued to wave.

We left the orphanage, leaving Jin Yeoreum behind.

As we passed through the front gate of the orphanage, I asked Gyeoul,

“So, what did you teach those kids?”

“What I taught?”

Gyeoul, seeming shy, wriggled her body.

“…Japanese.”

“Japanese? How do you know that?”

“Well… it’s a bit embarrassing to say, but I kept watching anime, and eventually, I was able to understand Japanese without subtitles. I thought it would be good to use it, so I studied for the JLPT. So I could teach basic conversations.”

“Oh….”

That was a talent I hadn’t expected at all. Considering Japan is one of the main markets for K-pop, that ability would definitely come in handy someday.

“Very good. You studied something really useful. If I ever need to break into Japan, I could leave the interviews to you.”

“Ah, I’m not that good.”

“Then, give it a try. I’ll listen to see if it’s awkward.”

Since I had some basic knowledge of English and Japanese from earlier sessions, I could check.

Gyeoul hesitated and then spoke.

“…Please don’t expect too much.”

For someone hesitant, Gyeoul’s Japanese was surprisingly fluent. Well, aside from her habit of referring to herself in the third person and a tone that sounded like something out of a shonen manga.

Still, it was definitely at a practical level.

“You’re doing better than I expected.”

“Hontou desu ka!”

As I complimented her, Gyeoul excitedly babbled in Japanese.

Her voice was so pleasant that I thought she could totally be a voice actor.

While walking toward where we parked the car, enjoying Gyeoul’s Japanese skills, someone approached me.

“Excuse me. May I have a moment to talk?”
“Can I ask a favor?”

I turned around to see a man in his early thirties wearing a tailored black suit and sunglasses, looking like some kind of bodyguard or agent.

I asked cautiously, “Who are you?”

He opened his wallet and pulled out a small business card.

“I’m this kind of person.”

Then he bowed his head and handed me the card.

[Jinkang Group – Promotion Strategy Planning Department Manager Seok Hyun-woo]

Seeing the name Jinkang Group made me somewhat understand why this guy was here.

I eased up on my guard and asked, “Are you the one assisting Jin Yeoreum?”

“That’s right. I am Seok Hyun-woo, here to assist Ms. Jin Yeoreum.”

“Then what business do you have with me?”

I asked, though I had a few guesses in mind. Maybe he’d ask me not to leak info about Jin Yeoreum to the media or to not approach her too closely—somekind of threat, I figured.

I didn’t really have any plans to use Jin Yeoreum for anything, so I would’ve been okay with either request.

…Honestly, I didn’t want to get involved at all.

So, what he asked next completely caught me off guard.

“I heard you’re the head of recruitment for the agency. If possible, I would like to ask you to scout Ms. Jin Yeoreum.”

What kind of nonsense is this?

“Hold on, let me ask one thing before answering that question. How did you know I’m the team leader at the agency? I don’t recall disclosing my job while applying for volunteering.”

If he had done a background check, I’d have to change my attitude toward him.

“One of the people beside you, Han Gyeoul, mentioned it.”

Oh no, Gyeoul!

“…Was I not supposed to say that?”

Gyeoul looked like she was about to cry. If I reprimanded her, she might just sink to the floor and burst into tears.

I said as gently as I could, “It’s not that you shouldn’t say it, but let’s keep it to ourselves from now on. Revealing I’m in the entertainment industry in a setting like this won’t bring about many good things.”

As much as I was involved in this volunteer work for appearances’ sake, I would need to control that information through TwoBear to eliminate any variables.

Either way, it seemed the man before me hadn’t done any background checks.

Seok Hyun-woo, believing my confusion had cleared up, pressed for an answer.

“Now that the misunderstanding is resolved, can I hear your response?”

Scout Jin Yeoreum, huh?

“I will have to decline.”

Am I crazy? Drink from a poisoned chalice myself?

“I believe you understand the reason without me saying it. It’s probably best if we remain just fellow volunteers.”

“I understand your concerns. However, you don’t need to feel too burdened.”
“Jin Yeoreum will definitely reject the scout offer. I believe Team Leader Seon is already aware of the reason.”

It felt like my own words had bounced back at me.

Looks like we’re on the same page about Jin Yeoreum.

“They’ll be hit hard by public opinion.”

A doping scandal? An Olympic hopeful debuting as an idol?

I think that would overshadow any past school violence allegations.

“Exactly. That’s why Jin Yeoreum will reject it too. She’s not the type to chase fantasies without thinking. So, you can just consider it something mentioned in passing. There’s no pressure at all.”

I understood that the risks were minimal.

If Seok Hyun-woo was telling the truth, it was just a matter of speaking up.

But still, it felt unsettling.

I had no reason to shoulder the risk associated with Jin Yeoreum.

I solidified my resolution to decline.

“Still…”

“I forgot to mention, if you take on this task, I can offer a modest reward.”

Seok Hyun-woo explained the amount I could receive, facilitated via smartphone.

It was quite a sweet deal.

Though it was undeniably a significant amount of money, I didn’t want to take risks just for that.

This wasn’t just my affair. My choices would determine Gaeul and Gyeoul’s success.

Even a small risk was one I didn’t want to bear.

“Regrettably, let’s consider this offer unwitnessed…”

“On top of that, I can connect you with clients who seek models in the future. If there are trainees yet to debut, that advertisement could, in turn, gain them fame.”

Connecting with ad clients, huh?

“I know this sounds rude, but I have to ask: how do you plan to do that, Manager Seok? That’s not something to take lightly, is it?”

Sure, being a manager at a big company is impressive, but making such promises?

“Working with Jin Yeoreum isn’t something just anyone can handle. I’m recognized even within the company, which means I’m connected with various firms.”

Seok Hyun-woo bowed his head at a 90-degree angle as he spoke.

“There’s no guarantee those clients will pick your trainees as models. However, when meetings take place, I’ll make sure to include Team Leader’s kids as options. I can do that. This isn’t just a light opportunity. Most of the clients I deal with are big names.”

His words were urgent and carried a strong appeal.

“The exposure with the clients is entirely different from being left out. If you seize that exposure, I assure you, Team Leader Seon’s success will be guaranteed.”

“….”

This guy knows how to persuade!

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