I Became An Idol To Pay Off My Debt

Kang Hyung-man paused in front of Ha Ye-rin’s house on his way back from a work-related errand.

He hadn’t seen Ye-rin in a while and was hoping to talk to her, and it just so happened that she would be returning with Sang-gu soon.

However, he couldn’t just wait aimlessly, so he called Sang-gu, who was supposed to bring Ye-rin back.

Drrrrr.

[…Yes, Hyung?]

“Hey, Sang-gu, I’m at Ye-rin’s house to see her.”

[…Oh, is that so?]

“How far are you?”

[Well, you see…]

“…?”

Kang Hyung-man tilted his head as Sang-gu took his sweet time to respond.

It was unusual for Sang-gu, his most loyal subordinate, to hesitate.

[Actually, I dropped Ye-rin off alone in the neighborhood about five minutes ago….]

“…What do you mean? Explain it clearly.”

[I just got a call from Cheol-hee. He said something urgent came up regarding the Seocho District shop. So…]

“…So you dropped the kid off alone and are now heading to Seocho District?”

[…I’m sorry.]

“Hoo….”

Kang Hyung-man sighed, trying to quell his overflowing anger.

He understood Sang-gu’s position.

The work at Seocho District was essentially Sang-gu’s primary job and one of the most important matters at hand.

He probably thought it would be fine to drop Ye-rin off since they were almost home and then rush off to handle the tasks in Seocho.

But….

“…Sang-gu, I don’t think you understand why I entrusted Ye-rin’s safety to you.”

To protect someone, all efforts must be focused without any compromise.

He believed his steadfast Sang-gu would faithfully carry out that mission but… he failed.

That’s why Kang Hyung-man couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.

“Sang-gu, do you have a problem with being in charge of Ye-rin’s safety?”

[Not at all!]

“If that’s the case, come back right now. I’ll assign the Seocho matters to someone else.”

[…Yes.]

“Also, split up the tasks you have right now and delegate some to others. While Ye-rin is out… you focus solely on her protection.”

[…Understood.]

“Okay, I’ll hang up now.”

Dding.

“Haa….”

After ending the call, Kang Hyung-man sighed and looked around.

‘I’m worried….’

While Sang-gu and Ye-rin seemed to think nothing could happen within a few minutes’ distance, that was far from the truth.

The dim alley where Ye-rin’s house was located was narrow and dark, with many corners, making it an ideal spot for someone with malicious intent.

With that worry in mind, Kang Hyung-man decided to head out to meet her.

And….

“……!”

Not long after, he found her.

Ye-rin was lying down, and a man was ominously looming over her, breathing heavily.

Thud.

In that moment, Kang Hyung-man’s reason snapped, and he…

BAM-!!

With the speed reminiscent of his prime, he charged at the man and knocked him down.

At that moment, Kang Hyung-man truly intended to kill the guy in front of him.

BAM-!!

Regaining his senses, the first thing I had to do was calm Kang Hyung-man down.

“S-Sajang-nim….”

BAM-!!

Kang Hyung-man, with a wild look in his eyes, continuously struck the guy’s solar plexus.

He really looked like he was going to kill him.

“Sajang-nim… calm down….”

BAM-!!

The guy was already in no state to respond, shivering uncontrollably, as Kang Hyung-man’s punches kept raining down.

…This was dangerous.

While the guy deserved it, he couldn’t actually kill him.

So I…

Swish.

“Sajang-nim…!! Please stop…!!”

As Kang Hyung-man raised his fist again, I grabbed his wrist and held on tight.

“…….”

Only then did Kang Hyung-man finally loosen his grip and say to me.

His eyes, still wild, were fierce.

“Ye-rin, get away; you’ll get hurt.”

“Sajang-nim, if you keep this up, you’ll really kill him…!!”

“It’s my intention to kill him. It’s an ugly sight, so stay inside.”

“…What do you mean?”

“It’s fine. There are no security cameras around, and if worse comes to worst, I can cut the power in the neighborhood. After I kill this guy, I’ll bury him in the woods, and nobody will ever find out.”

His tone was far too serious for it to be a joke.

And it wasn’t just me who felt that way…

“Ugh… ugh….”

The guy, who I thought had fainted, now trembled and patted the ground with his hands, mumbling in desperation.

Witnessing this, Kang Hyung-man…

Swish.

“Let go of him, Ye-rin. We’re almost done.”

He raised his fist high as if he was set on finishing it.

In response, I tightened my grip on his arm even more.

Then….

“…Sajang-nim, please stop.”

“I told you, Ye-rin. There’s nothing illegal about this….”

“That’s not it… I don’t want you to stain your hands with blood because of me….”

I pressed my face against his fist and pleaded desperately.

“If you don’t stop, every time I see your face, I’ll feel guilty and uncomfortable… I really don’t want that… okay?”

“…….”

As my words came to an end, Kang Hyung-man hesitated for a moment.

“Hoo….”

He sighed, stood up, and spoke to me.

“…I’m sorry, Ye-rin. You must have been really scared; I scared you even more.”

Then he glanced at my body.

“…Are you hurt? Do you have any injuries?”

I sighed in relief when I saw his gaze return to normal.

As I tried to express that I was fine and got up…

“I think I might have scraped my thigh when I fell on a rock, so there’s a little blood, but other than that, I’m fine… ugh….”

“…Ye-rin.”

I almost fell over, but Kang Hyung-man caught me just in time.

“…I forgot I twisted my ankle.”

“…Oh no. Seeing the red indicates it’s seriously swollen. Ye-rin, we need to go to the hospital right now….”

“Oh, no! It’s not serious enough to go to the hospital! It hurts a bit, but I can walk. Besides….”

Swish.

I pointed to the man twitching on the ground.

“…What should we do about him?”

If we left him like that, he might really die.

“Oh, right. We need to take care of him.”

I meant to imply that we should take him to the hospital, but Kang Hyung-man misunderstood.

Patter, swish.

He approached the man, fished out his ID from his wallet, and…

Click!

Took a picture with his phone and whispered to the guy.

“Namgung Soo-ho… What a unique name. I’ll find you no matter where you hide.”

Kang Hyung-man’s tone was chilling.

“If word about today gets out and if Ye-rin hears bad rumors because of you… I’ll make sure to finish what I started today. Got it?”

“……!”

Under Kang Hyung-man’s threat, Namgung Soo-ho nodded furiously, mumbling something.

“Ugh… ugh…!”

His mouth was stained with blood and vomit.

It seemed like he couldn’t voice any words, but he was definitely conscious.

Just then, as Kang Hyung-man finished his intimidating warning…

“…Hyung, …Ye-rin.”

“Sang-gu oppa?”

“What in the world… could it be….”

A large, familiar figure was rushing over from afar. It was Sang-gu.

Sang-gu quickly assessed the situation with me, Kang Hyung-man, and the unconscious Namgung Soo-ho and frowned.

His expression was one that was hard to believe from someone who was usually aloof.

Kang Hyung-man looked at Sang-gu slightly agitated.

“Sang-gu.”

“…I’m sorry, Hyung. It’s my fault….”

“Forget it. Just get this guy to the hospital before he dies.”

Kang Hyung-man hoisted Namgung Soo-ho onto Sang-gu’s shoulder and issued a grim command.

“And while taking him to the hospital, gather detailed information about this guy. Find out where he lives, what he does for a living, how his family is structured, and check if all his organs are in good shape.”

“Ugh… ugh…!”

At the last command, Namgung Soo-ho mumbled again in distress.

However, Sang-gu nodded calmly, as if he was used to it.

“First, pay for the medical expenses. And if a ransom is ever needed, just give me a call. I’ll take care of it personally.”

“Yes, understood.”

Just before Sang-gu turned around…

“Ye-rin.”

“Sang-gu oppa….”

“…I’m sorry. It was because of me.”

“No, you did nothing wrong….”

With a genuinely sorry expression, he bowed his head.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow….”

He left, carrying Namgung Soo-ho away.

I watched as Sang-gu and Namgung Soo-ho disappeared, and then…

Stagger.

“…Ugh.”

As soon as the two men left, I felt my tension unravel, and I sat down.

Kang Hyung-man’s eyes were filled with deep concern as he looked at me, so I forced a smile and replied.

“…I’m sorry. I relaxed a bit.”

“…….”

“But I’m fine. Really.”

“…There’s no way you’re fine.”

“…Huh?”

In response to my question, Kang Hyung-man shifted his gaze downward.

And there…

Tremble.

“…Ah.”

Was my hand, shaking like a leaf.

“There’s no way you’re alright after experiencing something like this. We need to get inside and rest. I’ll help you.”

“…Yes.”

I thought I was fine, but apparently not.

I was being supported by Kang Hyung-man as we entered the house, and I recalled what had just happened.

‘Namgung Soo-ho….’

He was definitely a stranger, and that was the first time I’d heard that name.

But why…

“…Sajang-nim, about that Namgung Soo-ho earlier….”

“What? Were they someone who was stalking you from way back? Should I make them disappear completely?”

“No, it’s not that….”

…Could it be that I felt déjà vu from that guy’s face?

It was an incomprehensible matter, and to be honest, I didn’t want to understand it either.

‘…Forget it. I’m tired; I’ll focus on resting.’

With that thought, I shook my head and leaned more against Kang Hyung-man’s shoulder.

He carried me almost effortlessly back home.

My ankle throbbed, and my hands shook.

“I’ll bandage it myself… with my hands.”

Every time I closed my eyes, that bastard’s face would pop into my mind, making my heart race.

I was in the worst physical state possible.

Exhausted and dizzy, I felt like I was on the verge of collapse.

Meanwhile, at that moment…

Swish-swish-.

Whoosh-.

Ye-rin’s parents were dividing household chores, doing the bathroom cleaning and washing dishes.

Soon….

“Ugh…! I don’t want to…!!”

…A voice of discontent came from Ye-rin’s mom.

She tossed her rubber gloves aside while complaining to Ye-rin’s dad.

“Dear…! How long do we have to live like this…! Look at my beautiful hands going all rough…!!”

It wasn’t easy for someone who had lived their life without getting a drop of water on their hands to wash dishes at home while working in a restaurant outside.

The same went for Ye-rin’s dad, but….

“Phew… It’s tough, but we have no choice. We just need to hold on until ‘that time’ we talked about.”

“Oh… until Ye-rin calms down?”

The two nodded in agreement.

After their daughter Ye-rin had declared she was running away from home,

They had engaged in a long discussion about why their once obedient daughter had changed.

Finally, they concluded that Ye-rin was going through a serious ‘teenage phase.’

They couldn’t explain any other reason their lovely daughter was rebelling.

So the two devised a strategy to counter Ye-rin’s ‘teenage phase.’

They called it the Sunshine Operation.

It wasn’t the wind but the warm sunshine that had unbuttoned the traveler’s coat.

The Sunshine Operation went like this:

The couple would completely take over the household chores Ye-rin had been responsible for and manage their own living expenses to show their changed selves to Ye-rin.

Of course, for two people who had lived their entire lives delicately, this Sunshine Operation required a pretty high level of difficulty, but… they persevered, imagining a happy future.

Their daughter, Ye-rin, was bound to become a top idol in the country someday.

Once that happened, they would be rolling in the dough, and how could their dutiful daughter allow them to suffer?

“So right now, we need to pretend to work hard and win Ye-rin’s heart back.”

“It’s so tiring working in the restaurant… Waking up early is exhausting… Haa, I wonder when Ye-rin’s teenage phase will end. I wish she would help out with the housework like before….”

“I’m really curious about Ye-rin’s first settlement money. But, she hasn’t debuted yet, so we’ll probably have to wait at least a year for the first payment, right?”

“Phew… Ye-rin needs to realize how much we’re struggling….”

“Ha ha, what would a child know about a parent’s hardships? Ye-rin is in a sensitive period now; we must understand her!”

“Dear, you’re so kind it’s a liability….”

“That’s exactly how your heart is, like silk.”

“Dear….”

“You….”

Just then, as Ye-rin’s parents were trying to overcome their current hardship with the power of love,

Bang.

“Uh, it seems Ye-rin is back.”

“Ye-rin’s back… wait? …Sajang-nim?”

The door swung open, and in walked Kang Hyung-man alongside Ye-rin.

“Y-Ye-rin…! Why are you trembling…! Did something happen…?”

“W-What’s with your leg…! Are you hurt?! Oh my goodness…! Blood, blood…!”

Her expression was dark, her hands were trembling, her clothes were a mess, there was a bit of blood flowing from her thigh, and her ankle was injured…

Their daughter, Ye-rin, looked like a drenched kitten in a pitiful state.

Panicking, both parents rushed forward, worried, while Kang Hyung-man spoke up for her.

“…Ye-rin had a rough day today, so let her rest. She twisted her ankle, so put some ice on it and apply ointment to the scraped areas.”

“Uh, ice pack… ointment… yes…!”

Once Kang Hyung-man finished speaking, Ye-rin took off her shoes with a fatigued face.

“…I’ll just go wash up first. …Sajang-nim, thank you so much for today.”

“…Sure, Ye-rin. Rest well.”

After politely thanking Kang Hyung-man, she dragged her injured leg toward the bathroom.

“…….”

Until then, Kang Hyung-man had been looking at Ye-rin with affectionate eyes.

Seeing Kang Hyung-man’s gentleness, Ye-rin’s dad felt an inexplicable surge of jealousy.

‘Tch, who does he think he is, her dad? I’m her real dad.’

As soon as Ye-rin entered, he mustered the courage to confront Kang Hyung-man.

“…Sajang-nim, even though we’re close, it’s inappropriate to just walk into a house where two women live.”

“…….”

“Out of respect for my wife and daughter, I must kindly ask you to leave quickly.”

“……Okay.”

What Ye-rin’s dad said was indeed true, so Kang Hyung-man nodded and turned away, saying…

“…You’re not still making Ye-rin do housework, are you?”

“Of course not! Now we do all the chores ourselves!”

“It’s ridiculous to take credit for something that should be obvious. Anyway, take care of Ye-rin. And don’t open the door if any strangers knock.”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“…Right, I’ll take my leave.”

As soon as Kang Hyung-man’s figure disappeared from the view,

“Dear…! This seems like a good thing for us!”

Ye-rin’s dad said happily to Ye-rin’s mom.

“Really? What do you mean by a good thing….”

“Ye-rin looks completely drained and tired right now…!”

“Huh?”

Surprised by her husband’s sudden declaration, Ye-rin’s mom quickly reacted,

“What good does that do?”

“If you treat someone well when they’re down, it has a greater impact, right? If we do well by Ye-rin now, won’t her teenage phase end sooner?”

“Ah…!”

She nodded in agreement with his logic.

“I told you to prepare the ice pack! I need to make one right now! And the ointment too!”

“Okay, I’ll get the blanket ready in her room!”

With that, the two of them enthusiastically prepared to earn points from Ye-rin, who looked weak today.

As soon as Ye-rin came out…

“Ye-rin! Careful! Dad will help you!”

“Sit here, Ye-rin! Mom will put ice on the swollen part! I’ll apply the ointment quickly!”

They rushed in more than usual and treated Ye-rin with care.

Despite being surprised by her parents’ actions, Ye-rin was so tired that she nodded and leaned into them.

Tremble.

At that moment, the two noticed that Ye-rin’s hands were still shaking slightly.

It was strange.

In the past 19 years, Ye-rin had never behaved this way.

So they applied the medicine to her scraped thigh and placed an ice pack on her swollen ankle while hugging the trembling Ye-rin tightly.

Since forever, hugging had been one of Ye-rin’s favorite affectionate activities.

No matter how big of a mess they made, a hug would often calm her down.

“Ye-rin… you must have had a tough time…”

“Being an idol isn’t something anyone can do… It must be really hard for you…”

“…….”

As they gently stroked her and embraced her all at once, the trembling in Ye-rin began to subside.

The two sensed that the Sunshine Operation was working wonderfully, whispering sweetly to her.

“Our Ye-rin must be tired; do you want to sleep quickly? Dad already laid out some blankets.”

“Should I hold your hand until you fall asleep, Ye-rin?”

“Ah…”

At their words, Ye-rin briefly glanced at her room.

After a moment of hesitation, she finally spoke in resignation.

“Um, Dad, Mom….”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“Can I sleep with both of you like before, just for tonight?”

“……!”

Done deal.

As soon as Ye-rin said that, the two exchanged silent high-fives, celebrating their victory.

The success of the Sunshine Operation.

“Of course! It’s only natural! After all, it’s scary to sleep alone after suddenly having to.”

“Mom and Dad will keep our Ye-rin safe, hugging her tight as she sleeps.”

Saying that, they rubbed their faces against her shoulders.

“Ye-rin, the only thing in this world you can trust is family.”

“Don’t worry. Mom and Dad will be right beside you for all~~ of your life.”

“……Just don’t cling to me too much.”

Even though she complained, the already exhausted Ye-rin was fully leaning on her parents, physically and emotionally.

Seeing her in that state, they couldn’t help but smile warmly.

19 years old.

On the brink of adulthood, but to them, Ye-rin was still a baby.

And the two felt confident that they held a first-class certificate in how to handle Ha Ye-rin.

Over the past 19 years… they had perfectly learned how to take care of her.

“Ye-rin…”

“I love you…”

It was inevitable that there would be moments of wandering.

But this baby bird would never leave her parents’ embrace.

The two didn’t let go of the precious Ye-rin for a long time.

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