T/N: Bonus chapter 2/4 – The last 2 bonus chapters will be released tomorrow!
The stadium inside Seoul Olympic Park was bustling.
Countless on-site staff hustled in sweat to check the stage. In the makeshift green room, singers warmed up their voices and stretched.
Amid it all, Hyunseung lay alone on a sofa, fiddling with his phone.
Gu Mingi and Sarah, two people he’d invited, still hadn’t replied.
In a way, it was disappointing that the very person who inspired him to try sign-language performance and the teacher who taught it hadn’t checked in.
No.
Honestly, as long as my father came, that was enough.
Just as he set the phone down—
Kwoo-woong!
The door flew open and a small figure bounded in.
“Bookmark Man!”
The child launched straight into Hyunseung’s arms.
“Hm?”
He hugged the small body tight, tilting his head.
Did she get taller
Kids’ growth was terrifying. It felt like only months since he’d seen her, and she’d shot up.
“Kim Dohee, you shouldn’t do that. Come here.”
Kim Dojun hurried in, flustered, reaching to pull Dohee away.
“No way!”
A stubborn age is unstoppable.
“Isn’t our Dohee a good girl? If you listen well, I’ll buy you cotton candy and Mimi stickers when we’re done.”
“Whoa! Really—?”
“Of course. But only if you listen all day today.”
As Dohee started to slip from his arms, Hyunseung gently tightened his hold.
“Bookmark Man?” he whispered at her ear. “You don’t have to go.”
“No, I do! I want cotton candy and Mimi stickers… I’m sorry, Bookmark Man.”
“I can buy those too.”
“Whoa! Really?”
“Of course. Hundreds—no, thousands.”
“Wow! Then can you buy me fifty?”
“Isn’t fifty too few to ask for?”
“No way! Fifty is the most I can get!”
In Dohee’s world, fifty was the biggest number. He’d meet her there.
When Hyunseung nodded, Dohee beamed, tiny teeth flashing like she owned the world.
“So, so cute…”
People around couldn’t help but smile warmly; whatever they were whispering looked like a tender father-daughter moment.
Then—
“I’m not throwing away my Fire Mask Man! Mommy, Oppa!”
Her little declaration of war made everyone laugh.
Once again, Dojun lost to Fire Mask Man.
Hyuna, having rushed her prep, left the house with their father. They were headed to Hyunseung’s fan meeting.
“He said he’d pick us up if we stood here…”
Beep, beep!
A jet-black van eased to a stop. A man hopped from the driver’s seat, glanced at them, and smiled. “Yep, that’s right.” He slid open the rear door, gesturing for them to get in.
Who just gets in a stranger’s car? Hyuna eyed him warily. “Who… who are you?”
“Don’t worry. I’m a manager from LS Entertainment. HS asked me to pick up his family.” He handed over a business card.
“I’ll call my brother to confirm first.”
Riiing!
No answer; he was surely busy. Hyuna tapped her foot.
This’ll make us late… I checked the card. Should I just…?
No. Not with Dad here.
But… if they were late, would they miss entry?
Just as she was about to give up—
—Huh? Why?
“Brother?”
—I’m busy. Talk.
“Did you send a van?”
—Yeah. Take it.
“A black van, right?”
—I don’t know about that.
“How are you so irresponsible!”
—It’s the van Kang Hajun, the guy you like, rides every day. Just get in and come quickly.
In the background: “Bookmark Man, again! Again!”
Click. The call ended.
“Could it be… Are you Oppa Hajun’s manager?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Where should I get in?”
She hopped in like she’d never doubted him.
The moment Hyuna stepped out of the van, bodyguards flanked her and guided her toward the staff entrance behind the stadium. It felt like being both celebrity and suspect.
Probably the area was swarming with fans for the fan meeting, and they were being considerate…
This probably draws more attention… She kept her head down and followed quickly.
“Wow…”
Inside, people dashed everywhere with radios in hand. Staff-only corridor, zero gawkers—everyone too busy.
Holy crap. Pride pulsed. There were so many people working for her brother’s show.
“You can go in here,” a bun-haired security guard said, knocking as she opened the door.
The figure on the other side made Hyuna freeze.
“Huh?!”
The man inside tilted his head too, confused.
“You almost fell.” He steadied her by the forearm as her knees wobbled which only made her shake harder.
“Ah, A-Ahn Jiho…”
A familiar face appeared, widening the door.
“What are you doing?”
It was Hyunseung holding a little kid. A child actor? …Focus.
“Uh, uh, nooo…”
Faces peered from within: Choi Junghyeok, Yoon Jaeyi, Jung Arin, Seo Jini, Lee Hyoeun and of course—
Even Kang Hajun oppa!
Her bias Ahn Jiho and Kang Hajun in the same room—pure secondhand embarrassment.
To Hyuna, this felt like a sudden, impossible choice.
“Sigh…” Hyunseung set Dohee on a chair and tugged his family inside.
“Hey, Min Hyuna.” He teased, “Why do you stutter whenever you see good-looking guys?”
“What? When did I?”
“Just now: ‘Ah, An, Ji, Ho’?”
“I didn’t!”
Everyone thought the same thing: Definitely siblings. Petty bickering, matching visuals—Hyunseung’s sister had a face that could debut tomorrow.
“Say hello,” he said, palming his squirming sister’s head into a bow. “This is my younger sister, Hyuna.” He drew their father closer. “And this is my father.”
Everyone bowed deeply.
“Hello! I never imagined I’d meet the composer’s father, so I came empty-handed. I’m so sorry.”
“Wow, I was wondering who the composer takes after—so handsome—it must be his father!”
Kang Hajun and Jung Arin chattered cheerfully, but Father only smiled, watching Hyunseung, unsure how to act, afraid his deafness might make others uncomfortable.
“My father is deaf. I’ll pass on your greetings.”
Silence dropped over the room.
Kang Hajun bit his lip. He should have realized, given the sign-language stage… Too late now.
The others seemed to get it at last, nodding slightly.
Hyunseung waved it off. “Why the mood? It’s not like Dad has a terminal illness. He just can’t hear well.”
“It’s not that. We just feel we were insensitive…”
“Is everyone sorry for my dad right now?”
They glanced around, then nodded together.
“Sorry, huh…” He stroked his chin. “Right.”
Then he smiled, sly and bright. “If you want to show him something great, you all have to give it everything today, right?”
“Huh?”
“Dear my Beethoven. It’s a stage for my father.”
Another hush and then, in unison loud enough to rattle the room:
“Of course we will!”
Hyuna, watching, swelled with pride.
A knock. “Final rehearsal standby!”
“Hyuna, take the little one and wait with Dad here for a bit.”
“Uh, okay!”
“Bokkkkk—markman, fighting!”
The long-awaited HS fan meeting was finally about to begin.
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