Chapter 02
“…….”
“…….”
Hmm. This is bad.
I had rushed in without thinking, worried that I might be dragged back by the fake uncle.
But now… what am I supposed to do about this awkward silence?!
Yewon wiped the sweat dripping from her forehead and looked up at the man she called “Uncle Doha.”
His face was hidden beneath a deeply pulled baseball cap and a black mask, but his delicate features couldn’t be concealed.
Lee Doha, the leader of the 7-year-old boy idol group Gleat.
Is there anyone in Korea who doesn’t know him?
In his first year, he won the Rookie of the Year award, in his second year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year, and in his third year, the Grand Prize.
Not only in Korea, but also internationally, Gleat swept every major award—truly a group that had reached the pinnacle of a generation.
And among all Gleat members, the most famous is undoubtedly Lee Doha.
Why?
Because the reason Gleat rose to the top so quickly was said to be 80% thanks to their amazing songs.
And all of Gleat’s songs… were made by Lee Doha.
Every song he created was a hit—no, a massive hit—so calling him a genius wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
“…and he even debuted at 19…”
But is he just good at composing?
Not at all. He’s also a lead-vocal-level singer in almost any group and can handle the dancing workload alone—
“…the visual center of the group.”
He was a walking contradiction of perfection.
But… he’s my uncle? My real uncle?
I had jumped in just to survive, but I still couldn’t believe it.
And look at him. He’s giving me a serious look right now.
If he were truly my uncle, shouldn’t he hug me instead of scolding me—
“…Alright.”
“!”
Huh?
“Let’s go.”
Huh? Huh?
He’s just going to take me with him like that?
Startled, Yewon buried her face in Doha’s shoulder, yet obediently allowed herself to be held.
“Wait!!”
At that moment.
It wasn’t only Yewon who was panicking; someone stepped in front of Doha.
“This… what are you doing? That’s not what we agreed on!”
It was the fake uncle.
His face was pale as if he were afraid Doha would take Yewon away from him.
…It’s understandable—he was about to lose not one but two easy marks for money.
“……”
Yewon rolled her eyes slightly and examined Doha’s face.
Even someone as skilled at reading expressions as Yewon couldn’t decipher what Doha was thinking right now.
What could he be thinking…?
‘…Come to think of it, there must be a reason he didn’t raise me himself and left me with someone else.’
Ignoring that reason, now asking him to raise me directly must be confusing for him.
‘…Maybe he’s thinking it’d be better to leave me with the fake uncle?!’
That can’t happen…!
I have to do something.
“Three seconds… I’m scared… I don’t want to go with that man…”
Yewon buried her face in Doha’s shoulder.
“!”
“!”
Though her face was hidden, they could both hear the two men sharply inhale at the same time.
Could he really abandon me now?
I’m so pitiful like this…
“Mr. Lee Doha. This isn’t what we… contracted, or promised!”
The fake uncle clung to Doha from behind again.
The more he clung, the more Yewon gripped Doha’s clothes tightly.
“……”
Sometimes actions speak louder than a hundred words.
“…The child is scared. Let’s discuss this later.”
“!”
“What? No, that’s not how it works. You promised—”
“Calm down.”
“No, I’m trying to calm down…!”
The fake uncle shouted at Doha again.
“It’s too late to change your mind. Give me the child!”
He desperately tried to grab Yewon from Doha.
“Stop right there.”
Then a small but firm voice came from behind.
“And you are?”
“We’ve met before, right? I’m Lee Doha’s manager, Park Young-oh. And judging by the current situation…”
Young-oh skillfully shifted the fake uncle’s attention from Doha to himself.
“The child is rejecting you. Forcibly taking her could cause legal issues. If you touch her, it could be reported as assault and suspected child abuse. In this case, both physical and emotional abuse would apply.”
“W-What? Child abuse?”
The words “child abuse” drained the color from the fake uncle’s face.
‘…Makes sense.’
From Yewon’s memory, the fake uncle had always been unusually afraid of the police.
He must be shaking, terrified of a real report being filed.
“So, let’s talk with me first. Doha, take the child to the car.”
“No, but—”
“Our company lawyer is here too, so talk with the lawyer first.”
“Lawyer? But I…”
Hearing the word lawyer, the fake uncle’s voice, already trembling, became even smaller.
Young-oh’s experienced intimidation made him immediately shut his mouth.
He huffed and glared at Doha and Yewon but ultimately muttered a curse and stepped back.
‘Even my shameless uncle… can be completely powerless like that.’
Yewon tasted the bitterness in her mouth.
She realized the reason her uncle had tormented her all this time was simply that she was easy to bully.
“Good choice. For now, come this way…”
“No, I—”
“Yes, yes, I know, I know…”
The voices of the manager and fake uncle faded away.
And…
The scent of perfume, the smell of pity, everything disappeared.
‘…We’re outside.’
Yewon instinctively clutched Doha’s clothes tighter in the cold air filling her lungs.
“…Let’s go.”
“!”
Before Yewon could ask where they were going,
“Home… for now, let’s go home,” Doha whispered.
‘…Home…’
Even though it was an unfamiliar word, she didn’t feel anxious.
The relief of escaping the fake uncle made her eyes close repeatedly.
The hellish memories of her past life were fading along with the sight of the fake uncle’s back.
‘We did it…’
Yewon gently tightened her tiny hands on Doha’s sleeve.
It’s just the beginning.
This life, I will never be pushed around by anyone…
Yewon’s resolve melted softly in the warmth of Doha’s large hand.
[News that shocked the music industry today]
I had a dream.
It was a memory from long ago, I don’t even remember when.
[…The leader of Korea’s top idol group, Gleat, Lee Doha, has suddenly passed away. The agency has announced that they will not disclose the cause of death. Fans and colleagues mourn the loss with great sorrow…]
I still remember the shock and sadness when I first heard that news.
I couldn’t believe it was real and just stared blankly at the screen.
‘…Why are you so good to me?’
At a CF shoot, I had asked Doha, my co-star.
‘…It’s just… a whim.’
I couldn’t help laughing at such a hollow answer.
Doha asked why I was laughing, and we both ended up laughing together foolishly.
The Doha I remember was truly kind and warm.
When my uncle ruined my reputation and everyone on set turned their back on me, he was the only one who protected me.
I couldn’t believe that such a Doha had passed away.
Watching the news, I thought the already cold, unremarkable world had become even worse.
And when I opened my eyes again.
“…Won-ah.”
It was a strange feeling.
“Yewon, we’ve arrived. Let’s get off.”
Not a fake family.
A real family was looking down at her.
[Tip of the day! Lee Doha was the leader and main vocalist of the 5-member boy idol group Gleat!]
[Tip of the day! But now, Gleat has become a 4-member group.]
