Episode 47. Scandal (2)
The scandal article about their second daughter, Kang Yebin, was being covered as a major special feature not only on the internet but everywhere else.
Kang Dae-oh, on his way home from work, listened intently to the radio playing in the car.
—Big news has emerged from the entertainment industry. Actress Kang Yebin. And Choi Young-woo. A scandal article about the two of them suddenly appeared this afternoon, didn’t it?
—Yes. The two have been working together in the movie ‘Hellov, Bin’. There had been some talk from some circles that a strange atmosphere was flowing between the two of them for a while. But today, crucial evidence appeared for the first time.
—What kind of evidence is it?
—It’s a scene where the two actors are seen leaving after having a meal together, just the two of them. If you look at the photo, you will see a scene where the two of them are holding hands.
—Oh…? It’s real. Usually, even if they’re close, especially in a male-female relationship, they don’t hold hands, do they?
—That’s why it’s being mentioned as crucial evidence of the scandal.
Kang Dae-oh had also seen the photo of them holding hands through the article before leaving work.
Perhaps because it was taken from a great distance, the photo was very blurry, but at least from the silhouettes, it did look that way.
However, there were also questionable parts.
What worried him most was Kang Yebin’s personality.
If. If Kang Yebin was truly dating Choi Young-woo.
‘She would have definitely told mom and dad.’
She would have revealed it to some extent not only to her mom and dad but also to her unnie and younger sister.
Because it was not in line with Kang Yebin’s personality to let her family learn about such an important matter through the news first, without informing them beforehand.
If so.
‘I can’t rule out the possibility that it’s a false rumor.’
He would know if it was true or false by asking her directly.
However, he expected.
‘It’s highly likely to be false.’
Kang Dae-oh was convinced of that.
Because he believed that Kang Yebin, as he knew her, would be like that.
Min Seung-yeon approached Kang Dae-oh, who had arrived home, with quick steps.
“Honey! Did you see the article?”
“You’re talking about Yebin’s scandal article, right?”
“Yes, that one!”
“Of course, I saw it.”
“Did you contact Yebin?”
“I was going to, but I didn’t. She’ll be home in the evening anyway. I’ll ask her then.”
“That’s better, right? I also agonized over whether to call or not.”
Kang Dae-oh put his hand on Min Seung-yeon’s shoulder and said.
“Don’t. She’s probably already overwhelmed because of the scandal article. We shouldn’t bother her too.”
As family, trusting and waiting was the best option for now.
Meanwhile, Kang Yera, who had returned home, spoke with an excited expression.
“They say a quiet cat climbs onto the stove first. I didn’t know it would be true!”
“Did you try calling Yebin?”
At her dad’s question, Kang Yera shook her head.
“No. I tried, but she didn’t answer.”
Unlike her mom and dad, Kang Yera first called her younger sister.
This was because Kang Yera was the type of person who had to ask immediately and get confirmation if she was curious about something.
But she couldn’t get the answer she wanted.
No, she couldn’t hear it.
Because she couldn’t even get through to her in the first place.
Following Kang Yera, Kang Yeyoung also returned safely.
Naturally, the topic of the second daughter’s scandal article inevitably came up.
However, Kang Yeyoung quickly went into her room, saying she had something to check.
Kang Yera tilted her head at her youngest sister’s unexpected reaction.
“Why is she acting like that?”
“Could it be that she’s shocked because her unnie got a boyfriend?”
Min Seung-yeon cautiously speculated about Kang Yeyoung’s current state of mind.
However, from Kang Dae-oh’s perspective, it wasn’t that.
“Well. She didn’t seem like that.”
She looked like someone who had something urgent come up.
Although he was curious about what could be more urgent than Kang Yebin’s scandal.
But Kang Dae-oh also had no reason to stop Kang Yeyoung.
Thus, all the family members, except Kang Yebin, gathered in one place.
While Kang Yeyoung was in her room, Kang Dae-oh, Min Seung-yeon, and Kang Yera, the three of them, entered a family meeting.
“Is it true that Yebin is dating Young-woo ssi?”
Min Seung-yeon seemed to find it still amazing that her daughter might have a boyfriend, reacting with disbelief.
Kang Yera asked Min Seung-yeon.
“Mom, do you oppose us dating?”
“No. No matter how much I’m your mom, why would I oppose that? If you want to do it, do it. If you’re not interested, then you’re not interested.”
Min Seung-yeon tended to grant her daughters considerable freedom in the area of dating.
There was only a very basic request that they bring home a man who had no social issues. She didn’t seem to intend to demand anything more than that.
“What about dad?”
The direction of the conversation turned to Kang Dae-oh.
“Well, I… Basically, I have the same thoughts as your mom, but my stance is that you should still be careful.”
As a fellow man, Kang Dae-oh knew.
The fact that there were some men in the world with absurd ways of thinking.
It was a father’s wish that his daughters would meet good men and live happily.
No matter how successful one is in the entertainment industry, if their home life is not peaceful, that success would also be meaningless.
Choosing a partner to spend a lifetime with by your side is that important and requires careful consideration.
So, if the scandal article turned out to be true.
Kang Dae-oh intended to make an appointment to meet Choi Young-woo separately the very next day.
He would meet him and Kang Dae-oh would personally verify if this man could truly make his daughter happy.
Kang Yera nudged Kang Dae-oh and said.
“Dad. Relax your expression.”
“Huh? What’s wrong with my expression?”
“Do you know you have a very stern look on your face right now?”
“Oh…? Really? Sorry.”
Min Seung-yeon chuckled, watching her apologizing husband.
“Yera, you’ll have to be careful when you get a boyfriend. Look at Dad.”
“I know, right. What if my boyfriend runs away later because he’s scared of Dad?”
Kang Dae-oh desperately shook his head and made his self-defense.
That Dad wasn’t that kind of person.
Nevertheless, it sounded like unreliable words to Min Seung-yeon and Kang Yera.
While the remaining family members were exchanging various stories.
The sound of the front door lock being disengaged was heard.
The family’s attention turned towards the front door.
There was only one person who would come home at this hour.
“Yebin, is that you?”
“Yes, Mom. I’m home.”
Kang Yebin appeared in the living room with a tired expression.
As soon as she saw her, Kang Yera gave a meaningful smile.
“What? For someone involved in a boyfriend scandal, aren’t you too calm?”
“Oh, that?”
She seemed too calm and collected to be the person involved in a scandal article.
There was a reason for that.
“That, the reporter just published the article as they pleased. It’s completely different from the truth.”
“Different?”
“Yeah.”
Min Seung-yeon directly asked Kang Yebin, who was denying the scandal article.
“Weren’t you dating Young-woo ssi?”
“No. We just had a meal together.”
“But in the photo, you were even holding hands……”
“About that.”
It was just as Kang Yebin was about to explain the full story.
Just then, Kang Yeyoung poked her head out from the top of the second-floor stairs and confirmed Kang Yebin’s appearance.
“Unnie, you’re here? I’ve already checked everything you asked me to do when you called earlier.”
“That’s good. Then can you bring it down? First, I’ll clear up Mom and Dad’s, and unnie’s misunderstanding.”
“Okay.”
Kang Yebin and Kang Yeyoung seemed to have discussed something beforehand, as they exchanged an incomprehensible conversation.
A moment later. Kang Yeyoung came down to the living room, where the family was waiting with bewildered expressions, holding a tablet PC.
“Everyone saw the scandal article, right?”
At Kang Yeyoung’s question, the family members nodded simultaneously as if they had practiced.
“We saw it.”
“Including all the photos published there.”
“That photo, it’s false.”
“……Huh?”
The family’s pupils widened greatly.
“False?”
“No way. Did the reporter intentionally composite it to attract attention?”
Kang Dae-oh asked, just in case.
However, Kang Yeyoung shook her head, refuting Kang Dae-oh’s guess.
“No. They didn’t composite it. It’s a real photo that was taken.”
“But they’re not holding hands?”
“Yes. Look at this.”
Kang Yeyoung displayed the photo from the article on the tablet PC screen.
It was more detailed and precise than the photo published in the full article.
“Take a closer look. Does it look like they’re holding hands?”
“Ah…… no.”
Rather than holding hands.
It was more accurate to say that due to the difference in angle, their hands accidentally appeared to overlap.
If viewed in low resolution, or if one just glanced over the photo, it could appear as if Kang Yebin and Choi Young-woo were holding hands.
Kang Dae-oh, who had now confirmed the truth, clicked his tongue.
“It’s understandable that people would misunderstand.”
“Right?”
And even without this evidence, when Kang Yebin and Choi Young-woo, the people involved, say it’s not true, who could come and claim, ‘You two are indeed dating’?
In dating, the feelings of the individuals involved are extremely important.
Forcing a relationship and even marriage based on the will of others is merely a story from old times.
In modern times, their own intentions must take precedence.
Kang Yera, having confirmed the facts belatedly, reacted with a deflated expression.
“No fun.”
Kang Yebin glared at her unnie and warned her.
“Don’t treat your dongsaeng’s scandal article as your unnie’s entertainment.”
“Why? I was so excited because something dopamine-inducing happened after a long time.”
“That’s just unnie’s perspective.”
Meanwhile, Kang Dae-oh was greatly relieved after the scandal news was revealed to be a misunderstanding.
Min Seung-yeon wouldn’t miss Kang Dae-oh’s reaction.
“Was it that much against your will that your daughter got a boyfriend?”
“It’s not that I hated it. It’s just… honestly, I did think it was a bit too early.”
“Goodness. What a daughter-fool.”
He had nothing to say even if his wife called him that today.
A day after the scandal article was published, a correction report article was uploaded.
With Kang Yebin’s and Choi Young-woo’s agencies directly refuting the claims, the scandal involving the two top actors that had stirred up 대한민국 overnight was resolved in just one day.
Reading the article covering the scandal happening, Kang Dae-oh leaned back into his office chair.
As he did so, he recalled Min Seung-yeon’s words from yesterday.
Daughter-fool.
At those words, Kang Dae-oh spontaneously chuckled.
At the same time, he felt sorry for himself in the original world where his daughters were.
‘I love my daughters… my family so much like this.’
What would his other self, who had spent a lifetime scattered, have felt?
He was curious, but.
He didn’t want to know either.
Kang Dae-oh reaffirmed his resolve to live each day with gratitude today as well.
