"You're here?"
"Welcome."
As they entered Yumi's waiting room, Park Jung-won and Jang Hyun ah greeted them.
Seeing Yumi, who had her earphones on and closed her eyes quietly, Sung-hyun lightly tapped Park Jung-won's hand.
"Touch base. See you tomorrow."
"Yes. Take care."
After greeting Park Jung-won, Sung-hyun plopped down on the sofa where Park Jung-won had been sitting just now.
"Senior, you look happy."
"Yeah?"
"Yes. You came with a bright face."
"I'm happy to see my daughter."
"Ah, right. I think it would be healing just to look at her if I had a daughter like Chaeyoon."
"It definitely is healing just to look at her."
Sung-hyun nodded his head in agreement.
He felt a warm spot in his chest and a surge of humanity just by looking at Chaeyoon.
She was so lovely, and it felt like all the stress was gone.
He smiled as he remembered Chaeyoon hiding the doll in her bag and going to school.
Then, a staff member opened the door and came in.
"Yumi, you have to stand by for the dry rehearsal."
"Okay."
Sung-hyun immediately answered and got up from his seat.
Yumi, who was wearing earphones, didn't hear anything, and Sung-hyun approached her.
He lightly touched her shoulder, and Yumi opened her eyes.
She saw Sung-hyun reflected in the mirror and took off her earphones.
"When did you come?"
"I just came. Yumi, you have to stand by for the dry rehearsal now."
"Okay."
The dry rehearsal was not a proper rehearsal, but a light check of the movement and sound.
Still, Sung-hyun thought it was a necessary process for Yumi right now.
Maybe it would be different if Yumi succeeded like Seo Yena.
Yumi went up on stage for the dry rehearsal.
While she was on stage, Sung-hyun and Jang Hyun ah watched the situation from below.
"Senior."
"Yes, Hyun ah."
Jang Hyun ah called him, and Sung-hyun answered.
His eyes were still fixed on Yumi.
"Why are you quitting, senior?"
"Because of my daughter. Her mother died, and she didn't get enough love. I was too busy with work."
"Ah...."
Jang Hyun ah's face stiffened a bit.
She knew he had a daughter, but she didn't know his wife had died.
She didn't know what to say, and Sung-hyun chuckled and continued.
"I want to focus more on my daughter now. I want to do everything she wants, and yeah. I guess, this kind of job is all like that... It's a hard job to spend time with your daughter."
"That's true. After all... There are a lot of weekend shifts."
"There are a lot of dawn shifts too. Going to work at dawn the day before and coming back at dawn the next day."
"Ah...."
"Team Leader Woo Kyungsu told you before, right? You have to build up your stamina first."
"Yes, he told me that when we had lunch together at the cafeteria."
Jang Hyun ah answered.
Woo Kyungsu had been interested in Jang Hyun ah, so he had met her separately and talked to her.
She gave Jang Hyun ah a lot of realistic tips.
And after that, Jang Hyun ah started to apply them little by little.
Things like carrying a few hair ties in her pocket, or having toiletries in her desk drawer.
"It's not for nothing that he says that. Stamina is really important."
"Are you trying to tell me everything before you leave?"
"I can't tell you everything, but... I trust that you'll do well, Hyun ah."
Jang Hyun ah was a capable person.
She would do well.
Jang Hyun ah felt embarrassed at Sung-hyun's words.
"I thought you were going to another place. Maybe get a higher salary."
"Hey, no way. I've been working at Pan Entertainment for so long. It would be a waste to quit now."
One of the places with the highest turnover rate was this entertainment industry.
But if Sung-hyun had wanted to quit, he would have done it a long time ago.
He could have been a team leader if he hadn't said he wanted to work as a composer in the future.
Pan Entertainment recognized Sung-hyun's abilities to some extent, so he had no reason to quit.
"Then, senior, do you have any plans to come back later, when Chaeyoon is old enough?"
"Hmm, I don't know."
Sung-hyun had to think a little about that question.
Would he come back here after Chaeyoon grew up enough?
Actually, he wasn't completely uninterested.
It would take at least a few years for Chaeyoon to grow up enough, and Sung-hyun would have to work again for her sake.
'Even if that's not the case, I'd like to come back if possible.'
Honestly, Sung-hyun liked this kind of work.
Music itself was fun and enjoyable.
It was also fun to work with artists.
Especially with Yumi, he got along well and had fun.
It was also because Jo Sung-hyun was not bad at his job.
But I realized that even if I work hard like this, there is nothing left.
My daughter is more precious and more lovely, that's all.
"I have a thought. When Chaeyoon no longer needs my care. Or well, when I have no money?"
Realistically, money is necessary.
Living with Chaeyoon also costs a lot of money, and even if I live like this... in a few years, the money will run out and I will have to find a job, so if the situation is okay, it's best to do this job rather than doing something else.
"I will work hard and establish a position within Pan Entertainment."
"Miss Hyun ah?"
"Don't laugh or anything. I'm really working hard to secure my position, so the senior will definitely pick me."
"What do you mean by 'pick me'?"
Jo Sung-hyun shook his head and said.
If it's Jang Hyun ah, she might be thinking about taking him with her.
She is the daughter of CEO Jang.
She already knows that she will inherit Pan Entertainment, so it's not unreasonable to think that way.
"Why? The senior's abilities are no joke. I heard that you even solved the 'Toothless Cat' incident last weekend."
"You don't know about people's affairs. You don't know what I was doing at that time."
Jo Sung-hyun said that and moved on.
Yumi finished the dry rehearsal and was coming down from the stage.
* * *
Yumi's recording session didn't end until early evening.
After giving Yumi a cup of coffee, who had been working hard from dawn to evening, Sung-hyun took her home.
Yumi didn't make it into the top 3 rankings.
However, she wasn't disappointed.
Her goal wasn't to be in the top rankings, but to have at least one exposure on stage.
If it weren't for Jo Sung-hyun and Park Jung-won running around so hard, Yumi would have had a hard time appearing on music shows.
"Take a good rest, Yumi."
"You too, oppa."
After greeting Yumi and dropping off Jang Hyeon-ah at the company,
Jo Sung-hyun headed to the kindergarten to pick up Chaeyoon.
He parked the car and got out.
He shook his head and got out of the car.
Woo woo woo.
Sung-hyun's smartphone rang.
He checked the caller and tilted his head.
It was the same number that had called him early in the morning.
"...."
Sung-hyun hesitated for a moment, then answered the phone.
As soon as he answered the phone.
-What? You answered?
He heard someone's voice.
A voice he had heard somewhere.
-Hello?
"Yes, hello?"
-You didn't answer when I called you this morning. But now you do?
"...."
Sung-hyun quietly tried to remember who the owner of the voice was.
-Hello?
"Yes, I'm listening."
-What? Don't tell me. Do I have to introduce myself or something?
The woman said over the phone.
Then, Sung-hyun was able to recall who she was.
"...Of course not. Yena."
It was Seo Yena.
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