Episode 28. Studying (3)
Upon hearing his daughters’ requests, Kang Dae-oh revealed his perplexity at the unexpected item.
“Why suddenly Duk-gun?”
Just as Kang Yebin had suspected Kang Yeyoung, Kang Dae-oh also found it strange that his two daughters suddenly brought up Duk-gun first.
This was because there had been no sign of it until yesterday.
Kang Yeyoung explained the situation on behalf of her unnie.
“Because we want to be close with the kids. If we know what’s popular these days, conversations flow well. Isn’t that right?”
“Well, indeed······.”
Generational gaps inevitably occur.
That’s understandable, given that they grew up in different eras and backgrounds. A gap is bound to arise from that.
The same applied to Kang Yebin and Kang Yeyoung.
After becoming adults and living a fierce life in the entertainment industry, it would naturally be difficult for them to adapt if they were suddenly told to socialize with elementary school students.
Ultimately, there were only two options.
To become a lonely wolf.
Or to work hard to get along well with friends.
Kang Yebin and Kang Yeyoung both chose the latter.
Kang Dae-oh had no intention of unilaterally forcing his daughters to make an effort.
Dad was also determined to help actively.
“Alright. But this Duk-gun Encyclopedia, can’t you just order it online? If that’s difficult, you could probably buy it at a local bookstore.”
“Do you see the book title, Dad?”
Kang Yeyoung asked, pointing to the left side of her smartphone.
Kang Dae-oh nodded and replied that he saw it very clearly.
“Look next to it.”
“Next to it······ huh?”
Only then did Kang Dae-oh understand why his two daughters couldn’t choose the option of ordering online or buying the book at a bookstore.
[Duk-gun Encyclopedia (Sold Out)]
“Looks like this is out of stock.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Other retailers were the same.
Of course, if they went around various offline bookstores, they might be able to find one copy.
But that would be too much of a waste of time.
Even after learning the reason, Kang Dae-oh’s doubts remained unresolved.
“If it’s sold out, it’ll be hard for me to get it too. Unless I have a connection with the publisher that released this······.”
“But you have a connection, don’t you?”
“Huh? Me?”
Both daughters nodded simultaneously.
Perhaps because his daughters knew of a connection he wasn’t aware of, he was initially dumbfounded.
“Look at the publisher.”
The moment he checked the publisher that released the Duk-gun Encyclopedia.
All the puzzle pieces in Kang Dae-oh’s mind clicked into place.
Librik.
A while ago, Kang Dae-oh had received a request to feature his interview in a magazine they published, with the theme of a successful young CEO.
The place that sent that request was Librik.
The business card of the Librik PD, exchanged during the interview, was still carefully kept in Kang Dae-oh’s wallet.
This was because only a few days had passed since the filming ended.
Kang Yeyoung voiced her thoughts.
“I thought Librik might have some stock left. Publishers always have extra stock, don’t they? Couldn’t we ask them to quietly give us one copy?”
“Certainly······ that is a way.”
Kang Dae-oh expressed deep empathy for his daughters’ idea.
Rather than going around trying to find a sold-out book, contacting the Librik PD and asking if he could get one copy was the most certain and fastest shortcut.
That, and also.
His two daughters were looking at him with sparkling eyes.
How could he refuse?
“Alright. Dad will do his best.”
“Really?”
“Thank you, Dad!”
Seeing his two happy daughters.
Kang Dae-oh was also happy as if it were his own achievement.
‘I should contact the PD after a long time. No, wait. The filming ended two days ago. It’s not really after a long time.’
Just the fact that he could do something for his daughters made Kang Dae-oh excited already.
Na Cheol-hyun PD, working at Librik, visited the Amares Dongdaemun branch where Kang Dae-oh was.
“Representative! I’m here. Here’s the item you requested.”
In the PD’s hand was a brand new, unopened Duk-gun Encyclopedia.
Seeing this, Kang Dae-oh once again expressed his gratitude to Na Cheol-hyun PD.
“Thank you, PD-nim. Thanks to you, I can puff out my chest in front of my kids.”
“Haha! It’s a parent’s heart to want to grant their children whatever they desire. As someone who is also raising children, I fully understand.”
Perhaps feeling a sense of camaraderie as a fellow father, Na Cheol-hyun PD immediately contacted the editorial department as soon as he received Kang Dae-oh’s request about obtaining the Duk-gun Encyclopedia.
“Fortunately, there were exactly 3 copies left in the warehouse.”
“3 copies······ that doesn’t seem like many. Is it really okay to give one to me?”
“Yes, it’s fine. The first print run sold so well that we’re planning to print a second run right away. The editorial department probably didn’t expect it to sell this well either.”
Na Cheol-hyun PD drank the coffee Kang Dae-oh offered.
The fragrant acidity of the coffee beans deepened his smile.
“It’s truly fascinating. These days, people often look for e-books. But seeing how well physical books can still sell, it seems everyone still enjoys the feeling of turning each page.”
“Personally, I’m also a fan of physical books.”
“Actually, me too. You never know when the physical book market might disappear. So, if there’s a book I like, I tend to buy many copies, even just for my collection.”
Na Cheol-hyun PD, who had decided to work for a publishing company because he loved books, recalled that memory after a long time.
He pointed to the Duk-gun Encyclopedia he had handed to Kang Dae-oh and said.
“I also put a few pieces of merchandise in the paper bag, so your daughters will surely like them as gifts. They’re only included in the first limited edition, so they’ll be hard to find anywhere else.”
“Thank you. I should do something in return. I’m sorry for only receiving.”
“If you just promise to give another interview later, that will be enough for me.”
“I just did one a few days ago, and again?”
“From my perspective, in just 2 or 3 years, Amares will likely unify all coffee brands in South Korea and then some. So, I want to reserve Representative Kang’s interview in advance. Later on, you’ll be too busy to even meet with me like this.”
These weren’t empty words meant to flatter Kang Dae-oh.
Na Cheol-hyun PD truly thought so.
At his confident words, Kang Dae-oh replied with a faint smile.
“I guess I’ll have to work even harder to live up to PD Na’s expectations.”
One more reason to succeed had been added.
Kang Yeyoung and Kang Yebin, who had even gotten their hands on the limited edition merchandise included with the Duk-gun Encyclopedia, looked as if they owned the whole world.
“Thank you, Dad!”
“I thought you’d easily get the book, but I didn’t know you’d also bring the enclosed merchandise.”
That was something Kang Dae-oh hadn’t known either.
Kang Dae-oh inwardly thanked Na Cheol-hyun PD once again for his thoughtfulness.
“With just that, will you completely master Duk-gun?”
Kang Yeyoung shook her head.
“I’m not sure about that. There’s a big difference between just reading text and experiencing it directly with our eyes and ears.”
They were trying to keep up with everything about Duk-gun, but…
What should I say?
“It might be even better if there was someone next to us explaining things······.”
Kang Yebin mumbled to herself.
Lectures don’t exist for no reason.
People take classes to deepen their understanding of a subject.
He thought, wouldn’t it be good if his two daughters also had such an opportunity?
But a Duk-gun lecture? There’s no way such a thing would exist, right?
After much thought, Kang Dae-oh made a suggestion.
“I have an acquaintance who’s really into Duk-gun. Would you like to meet him and talk?”
“Who is it?”
“Someone you both know well. Come to Dad’s main cafe branch after school tomorrow. I’ll introduce you.”
At their dad’s meaningful words, the two daughters nodded.
The identity of the Duk-gun teacher Kang Dae-oh introduced was none other than.
“Hello, kids. Long time no see.”
Lee Seo-jun waved lightly towards Kang Yebin and Kang Yeyoung with a refreshing smile.
They never imagined that the oppa who had worked at Dad’s cafe for a long time would be the Duk-gun teacher Dad invited.
“Seo-jun oppa, do you know a lot about Duk-gun?”
“Of course! I’ve converted so many of my acquaintances. More importantly, you two wanted to know about Duk-gun, right? You’ve come to the right place. I’ll teach you everything from A to Z today, so everyone get out your notebooks and pens.”
Lee Seo-jun’s eyes were already sparkling.
Perhaps because he genuinely loved Duk-gun, Lee Seo-jun began to quickly explain the hottest Duk-gun points and more to the children, just like a star instructor.
At first, Kang Dae-oh had wondered if there was really a need to study something like this.
But now it was different.
‘It’s because the kids are trying so hard to get close to their friends.’
Whatever his daughters’ efforts were, whatever form they took.
As their dad, he wanted to keep supporting them.
The Duk-gun studying was no different.
For the three people passionately burning with the topic of Duk-gun.
He quietly prepared drinks and desserts.
This was one form of support Kang Dae-oh could offer his daughters.
One week later.
Kang Yebin, who went to school on a day without a schedule, quietly watched Yang Ji-yoon and her friends gathered around, watching YouTube.
It was the popular Duk-gun animation.
Among them, one child expressed curiosity.
“But there was that episode where Duk-gun wore a police uniform and went around catching criminals, right? What episode was that? He was so cute, but I can’t quite remember.”
In the case of Duk-gun animation, it boasted a short running time of 5 minutes but had a large number of episodes.
25 episodes per season. A total of seven seasons and three theatrical films had been released.
Remembering all 100-plus episodes of the Duk-gun series was difficult, even for a dedicated fan.
At this moment.
Kang Yebin quietly opened her mouth.
“Episode 47. It appears in the latter half of Season 2.”
“Huh?”
“Just now······ Yebin, did you say that?”
Kang Yebin slowly nodded, looking at her surprised friends.
“That scene is very popular overseas, especially in the US. They say the police version of Duk-gun sold incredibly well in America because of it.”
“How do you know all that?”
“Just. I learned it from an oppa I know. I also heard many other interesting stories. Should I tell you?”
The friends’ eyes changed.
Before they knew it, the children gathered around Kang Yebin, listening intently to the stories she told.
Yang Ji-yoon, watching Kang Yebin and her classmates united by Duk-gun, smiled wryly.
“She does so well when she puts her mind to it. And she was so shy.”
And so, for a while, the children blossomed with conversations about Duk-gun.
