Episode 8

We were waiting for my sister in our small, two-room apartment.

“…Um, I’m sorry to ask, but is it okay to wait here without asking for permission first?”

“They say it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Just bow and beg as soon as you see her, and it might work out.”

It was a tactic I often used in high school.

I had brought home various people: those who fought with their families, those who came up from the countryside, and those who ran away from home.

Of course, I never asked for permission.

My sister tried to kick them out, but after a few hits and some begging, she would give up and accept them.

…I wasn’t sure if it would work this time, though.

“Anyway, hide behind me. I’ll try to ease the tension first.”

I heard the sound of a woman’s heels in the hallway beyond the door.

I could tell just by the sound of the footsteps.

It was my sister.

“She’s here.”

Gyeoul quickly hid behind my back.

I heard the sound of the door lock, which was over twenty years old, being unlocked.

The door opened with a cheerful alarm sound.

“I’m home.”

“Oh, you’re home? Had a tough day at work again? I finished all the dishes and cleaned the bathroom…”

“…Stop.”

My sister looked at me with a cold gaze and spoke.

She looked like a detective who had found a suspect.

It was terrifyingly intimidating.

“Show what’s behind your back.”

I decided there was no point in hiding anymore and revealed Gyeoul.

“Ta-da!”

“…”

“Hello…. I’m Han Gyeoul, an aspiring trainee. I would like to ask for your help…”

My sister stared blankly at Gyeoul, then smirked, patted my shoulder, and said encouragingly.

“Wow, I thought I’d give you a break since you just got discharged, but now you’re using the house as a motel. You’ve really grown up.”

It was not something to say in front of a minor.

“No, sis, it’s not like that. It’s the person I mentioned on the phone yesterday…”

“Since you’re all grown up, it’s time for you to be independent. Don’t hesitate, just leave right now.”

“…Huh?”

I couldn’t comprehend the sudden development, so my sister took action.

She lifted the wooden dining table with one hand, ready to swing it.

Wow, my sister is really strong.

“Not leaving? Get out, you bastard!”

“No, sis, if that hits someone, they’ll really die! Spare me!”

My sister raised the table high like a butcher about to execute someone.

I desperately tried to prevent her from swinging the table.

Gyeoul knelt down, bowed her head, and raised her hands, begging like a fly.

It was a mess.

Thirty minutes later, the situation was somewhat resolved.

On the emergency stairs of the apartment, my sister smoked a cigarette, and I stood next to her, watching her mood.

“Aren’t you smoking?”

“Since there’s a kid here, I’m trying to quit for a bit.”

“…Ah.”

Realizing something, my sister stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray.

I hadn’t meant to hint at anything…

I felt awkward.

“Where did you pick her up this time?”

“She lost her wallet on the bridge and was in trouble.”

My sister looked at me as if she expected that.

But my answer, having returned, didn’t end there.

“But actually, that’s not important. I just saw she had talent, so I caught her.”

“…Huh?”

“I’m thinking of introducing Gyeoul to Cheon Jonghoon, the producer at SS, and if he’s satisfied, I’ll try to trade it for a job referral.”

This was my true intention.

“Gyeoul is a high-quality asset worth trading. So, there’s a good chance he’ll grant a simple request like a job referral. Cheon Jonghoon is capable of fulfilling such requests easily.”

I smiled broadly and said.

“It looks like I’m finally getting out of unemployment.”

“…So you brought her here for that? To use that young girl?”

My sister wasn’t a heartless person.

Rather, she was someone with too much affection.

She cried all day when the hamster she brought home died.

It was no different with people.

Even nowadays, she asks about the friends who stayed at our house.

Pretending not to care, subtly.

And when one of them died in a car accident, she took her saved-up vacation days and attended the funeral and burial for three days.

Even though they had only spent two days together.

After that, she firmly refused to let anyone into our house.

Fearing sorrow too much, she decided not to let anyone but me into her space.

That’s the kind of person she was.

Someone who lived a solitary life because she had too much affection.

Someone who felt angry at the thought of a child she met less than thirty minutes ago being used.

That’s the kind of person she was.

There was a way to talk nicely to her.

Saying things like, “I’m trying to help a poor child. It’s an act of pure goodwill.”

But I wanted to be honest with her.

“Yeah, I brought her here to use her because she’s useful.”

“You weren’t that kind of person.”

“What kind of person was I?”

What kind of person did my sister see me as back then?

“Someone who meddled a lot, a good-hearted fool without a plan. But someone who never expected anything in return.”

“…A frustrating guy.”

“Yeah, a frustrating guy. Someone who never listened.”

My sister smiled slightly, as if recalling memories.

“…But you weren’t a bad guy.”

“…”

“I thought you’d lecture about how taking care of that kid is the ‘right thing to do,’ not evaluating her for her usefulness.”

“I’ve graduated from that.”

“Why did you suddenly change that stubborn personality?”

“I realized what’s more important than such uncertainties.”

“And what’s that?”

“Money and success.”

To learn this simple truth, I had to lose everything I had built up.

“Sis, I’m going to succeed. Even if I have to use people and make them fall. I’ll succeed, make a lot of money, and make your life comfortable.”

My sister looked away from the moon through the emergency staircase window and looked at me firmly.

“You don’t need to think about me. I didn’t live my life to make you feel indebted. I’ll take care of myself.”

My sister never mentioned her sacrifices.

Not even in my previous life, when I had a bit of success.

“The important thing is what you think. Is that really what you want?”

In front of my sister, I could speak with certainty.

“Yes, it’s what I want.”

“…Alright, then do your best.”

My sister looked away from me and gazed at the moon again.

“Taeyang.”

“Yeah?”

“How about going to college now? I’ll take care of the tuition.”

“If you want to throw money away, go ahead. I can guarantee I’ll flunk out.”

My sister chuckled.

Then she started descending the emergency stairs.

“Where are you going?”

“To buy a can of beer. I don’t think I can sleep with that kid around while sober.”

I immediately bowed my head and apologized.

“…I’m really sorry.”

“Hehe, as long as you know. You brat.”

She was such a soft-hearted person.

I stayed on the stairs and watched my sister leave the apartment before going back inside.

Then I called Gyeoul.

“Gyeoul, come here.”

Gyeoul ran over as if she had been waiting.

“Yes! What’s up?”

“I got permission for you to stay at our place, but there’s one more thing you need to do. To stay here, you have to meet this condition.”

“I’ll do anything if I can.”

“It’s nothing too big, so don’t make a fuss.”

“…Okay.”

I looked at Gyeoul’s dirty face and said.

“You need your grandfather’s permission.”

Getting the guardian’s permission was the minimum requirement.

If his granddaughter disappeared without contact for a week, how worried would her grandfather be?

To prevent a missing person’s report and avoid being reported to the police, this had to be handled.

“…Then, can you help persuade him a bit?”

“Of course, I should help. Your grandfather should know who he’s entrusting his granddaughter to.”

Gyeoul nodded determinedly and immediately made a call.

After about a minute of waiting, the call connected.

Gyeoul finished a brief greeting and started explaining her current situation in detail.

She talked about losing her wallet, how I helped her yesterday, how she got the audition date wrong, her situation with Yeji, and how she got another chance to audition with my help. She tried to explain her situation and emotions as coherently as possible.

At one point, I heard a loud voice saying, ‘Hey, girl. I told you to put the money in Pay, not cash,’ but Gyeoul managed to say everything she needed to, despite feeling intimidated.

Well done, our little wimp.

“…Um, my grandfather wants to see you on a video call.”

“Okay, turn it on. I’m ready.”

“But I don’t know how to turn it on.”

Without a word, I took Gyeoul’s smartphone and set up the video call.

The screen connected, revealing the face of a somewhat gentlemanly-looking old man wearing aviator sunglasses and a fedora.

He looked sophisticated enough to be a senior model.

“So, you took care of my granddaughter?”

“Hello. I’m Seon Taeyang. I didn’t do anything grand enough to say I took care of her, but I am the person Gyeoul mentioned.”

“No, it’s indeed a great thing to do for a child you don’t know. Please don’t be overly humble.”

I laughed awkwardly.

It was quite awkward to receive praise for something I did for my own benefit.

“Gyeoul, you want to stay at this friend’s house and take the audition?”

“Yes, if he helps me, I think it will go well. I want to try it. Not just being swayed by others, but doing something on my own.”

“Alright, do it.”

Gyeoul’s grandfather gave his permission generously.

As the one responsible, I wondered if it was okay to accept this so easily.

I asked with concern.

“Are you sure about this?”

“A grown child wants to do something. I don’t intend to stop her. I plan to help… So, give me your account number first.”

I explained that I didn’t do it for money, but Gyeoul’s grandfather said he’d feel more at ease if he gave money.

Understanding his sentiment, I didn’t refuse further and sent my account number.

As soon as I sent it, a large sum of money was deposited into my account.

It was too much money for a six-day stay.

“That’s too much money…”

“Refusing what an elder gives you is more disrespectful. Don’t make me feel ashamed.”

“…Alright.”

“In another sense, I feel relieved. You seem far from Gyeoul’s taste, so nothing inappropriate should happen. Hehe.”

Gyeoul’s grandfather spoke cheerfully, as if trying to lighten the tense atmosphere.

I played along with his mood.

“Oh dear, it’s really a shame that I don’t match Gyeoul’s taste. Haha.”

“Hehe, kids that age have high standards. It’s not that you’re not good enough, so don’t worry.”

“So, what’s Gyeoul’s taste?”

Then Gyeoul’s grandfather hummed and pondered for a while.

Was that really a question that required so much thought?

When I looked at Gyeoul, she was desperately shaking her head while looking at her grandfather on the screen.

What was it, exactly?

Gyeoul’s grandfather seemed to make up his mind, looked away from her eyes, and spoke.

“Scantily clad female anime characters?”

“Grandpa!”

…It was a taste from another dimension.