Chapter 39: JEALOUSY?
TO BE honest, Wonyoung didn’t know how to feel after meeting An Baekya’s teacher and the principal of the kindergarten school.
Everyone looked relieved.
Not because An Baekya had a foster parent now, but only because the child was out of their hands now.
Yeah, I get it.
An Baekya’s guardians were really troublesome. The school probably got tired of dealing with him. And the teachers’ fear was understandable.
Even so...
They should have at least pretended to be sad that An Baekya is leaving.
Wonyoung was bummed, so he cut the meeting short.
And once they were out of the principal’s office.
"Baekya, do you want to say goodbye to your classmates?"
"Nah, I’m good. I didn’t make any friends."
"Because they avoided you?"
"Why the fuck would I be friends with babies?"
Pfft.
It was still strange to hear a ’child’ curse like a sailor, but Wonyoung was getting used to it.
An Baekya is careful anyway— he only curses when he knows no one can hear him.
"And I didn’t have a fight with anyone," An Baekya said. "So, even if I debut as a child actor later, there won’t be controversy. My classmates here and their parents would just see me as a pitiful child abused by his guardians. If they brag about knowing me before my debut, then it will work to my advantage."
Wonyoung blinked slowly. "You’re going to sell your life story to gain the public’s sympathy?"
"Yeah. I have to use it now while I’m still a ’child.’ If I reveal it later, then some twisted fuckers will accuse me of using my sob story to gain pity. But a normal person wouldn’t accuse a child of being manipulative. Well, even if a few people see right through me, the majority would still scold them for twisting an abused child’s words to fit their narrative."
"You have it all figured out, huh?"
"I have to debut as a child actor soon to earn 100 billion won before I turn adult."
Right.
"I’ll help you, Baekya," Wonyoung said determinedly. "I’ll do everything in my power to help you debut as a child actor, and then nurture you to become this country’s next top actor."
Even if it means staying married to Dujun Sunbae-nim for a little while.
"I know you’ll help me, Appa," An Baekya said casually. "You have no choice anyway."
Huh?
Wonyoung wondered what An Baekya meant by that, but for some reason, he didn’t get the courage to ask.
My avoidant personality is starting to piss me off for real.
***
"THAT was quick."
"Yes, Sunbae-nim," Wonyoung answered politely when he sat next to Yun Dujun after An Baekya settled in the backseat. Still next to Yun Yuhyun, yes. "The teachers and the principal of that school aren’t good people."
Yun Dujun just stared at Wonyoung’s face, even after the car started moving to their next destination.
Now I’m starting to get conscious.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Sunbae-nim?"
"You’re pouting," Yun Dujun said bluntly. "Cute."
Wonyoung covered his mouth with his hands. "I’m not pouting."
"Sure," Yun Dujun said, smiling a little before his face turned stoic again. "Let’s have lunch first. I already reserved a restaurant."
Wonyoung immediately recognized the name of the restaurant that Yun Dujun mentioned.
It’s one of the most famous traditional Korean restaurants here in Busan.
Yun Dujun then looked over his shoulder. "An Baekya, have you said goodbye to your friends properly?"
"No, Abeoji," An Baekya said while shaking his head. "I don’t have friends there."
Yun Yuhyun smirked. "Who would want to be friends with you when you’re mean?"
"It’s my choice not to have friends," An Baekya said, giving Yun Yuhyun a side-eye. "I’m not a people-pleaser, unlike a certain someone."
That was obviously a dig at Yun Yuhyun, but...
My son obviously doesn’t know what ’people-pleaser’ means.
Wonyoung almost laughed because of how cute Yun Yuhyun’s clueless face looked, but he held back because he didn’t want to embarrass the child.
He was curious about An Baekya’s claim, though.
Is my son a people-pleaser?
"Well, it’s not important to have friends just for the sake of having one," Yun Dujun said casually, then he looked at Wonyoung again. "Is that why you’re upset? Because the people in that school were horrible to An Baekya?"
"Yes, but at least, the principal gave a useful parting ’gift’ for An Baekya," Wonyoung said, his mood improving when he remembered his conversation with the principal. "An Baekya won’t be considered a ’dropout,’ so he doesn’t have to repeat kindergarten. Since it’s already February, and their graduation is just next month, the principal has made it so that he only graduated earlier than his classmates instead of dropping out. Which means An Baekya can move up a grade without a problem."
"I see. Then we can enroll An Baekya in the same elementary school that Yun Yuhyun will be attending later."
Huh?
"Daddy, he’s going to my school?" Yun Yuhyun complained. "But why?"
"Why not?" Yun Dujun asked back. "You and An Baekya should stick together from now on, Yuhyun-ah."
Aigoo.
Yun Yuhyun glared at An Baekya, but thankfully didn’t say anything.
An Baekya also didn’t complain.
So, Wonyoung just kept his mouth shut.
If An Baekya is fine with going to the same elementary school as Yun Yuhyun, then I should just allow it to happen.
***
SAN NAKJI— live webfoot octopus.
Wonyoung knew it was wrong to "yuck on someone’s yum," but he couldn’t help but make a face while watching Yun Dujun and Yun Yuhyun enjoy eating raw octopus.
Human beings discovered fire a long time ago, you know?
Thankfully, he wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
An Baekya was also judging Yun Dujun and Yun Yuhyun with his eyes.
Fortunately, the restaurant didn’t only serve raw food.
Wonyoung ordered grilled sea eel, seafood stew, abalone porridge, haemul pajeon (seafood pancake), grilled scallops with cheese, eomuk (fish cakes), and prawn tempura (for An Baekya).
Of course, everything came with side dishes.
Anyway, the traditional Korean restaurant consisted of detached houses (which were called private rooms), and Yun Dujun reserved one for their privacy.
Hence, they didn’t have to worry about prying eyes.
"Are you not going to eat?" Yun Dujun asked. "Hoobae-nim? An Baekya?"
Both Wonyoung and An Baekya immediately grabbed their chopsticks and started eating.
"Sunbae-nim?"
"Yeah?"
"Is it safe for Yuhyun to eat raw octopus?" Wonyoung asked worriedly. "He’s only five."
"Yeah, his doctor assured us that it should be fine as long as we can trust where the seafood has come from. And I trust this restaurant since they only serve fresh seafood," Yun Dujun assured Wonyoung. "Lee Heeju made sure of that before we introduced Yun Yuhyun to raw seafood."
Of course, Lee Heeju would be involved since that ahjussi practically raised Yun Yuhyun.
But he didn’t have to know that, did he?
"Ah, I just lost my appetite."
Wonyoung only realized that he ’whined’ out loud when Yun Dujun suddenly asked a question in the bluntest tone ever.
"Hoobae-nim, are you jealous of Lee Heeju?"
Excuse me???
***
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