Episode 51. Constant Romance (1)
Kang Dae-oh, who went to work at the office today, welcomed a special guest from the morning.
The main character was Lee Seojun, who had successfully finished his wedding recently and gone on a honeymoon after taking a two-week vacation.
“Loyalty! CEO, I’m back!”
“Why the sudden salute?”
“You supported all my flight and accommodation expenses. I should be loyal to you for life, CEO.”
“You rascal. You seem to have become even more sly after getting married.”
The two chuckled as they looked at each other.
Despite his words, Kang Dae-oh found Lee Seojun, who had safely returned from his honeymoon, even more admirable.
“Now you’re truly an adult.”
“Then, was I a fake adult until now?”
“Sometimes?”
“Oh, come on. How old do you think I am? CEO. I’m not the Lee Seojun you knew before.”
“I know, I know.”
Just as Lee Seojun had aged, Kang Dae-oh was also growing older with the passage of time.
Nevertheless, Kang Dae-oh cherished each day and found it happy.
It was thanks to his daughters and his wife.
Thanks to his three daughters, Kang Dae-oh had been walking on a smooth path.
He was also able to expand the coffee business he wanted.
However, there was one regrettable thing recently.
‘I don’t think I’ve spent much time with my wife.’
It was especially true this year.
As for his daughters, they had many things they did together these days. So surprisingly, he seemed to have seen them more often than when they were students.
Min Seung-yeon was different.
Since her field didn’t overlap with Kang Dae-oh’s, they hardly had any opportunities to see each other’s faces unless they were at home.
Neither of them came home early, either.
Seeing Lee Seojun, who was still exuding a newlywed vibe, Kang Dae-oh couldn’t help but think of his wife especially today.
Meanwhile. Lee Seojun, who noticed Kang Dae-oh’s expression change during their conversation, tilted his head.
“Did something bad happen while I was away?”
“No, nothing like that. I’m just worried about my wife.”
“Your wife? Why?”
Kang Dae-oh briefly hesitated whether to tell Lee Seojun the thought that had just crossed his mind.
Then Lee Seojun shook his head and suddenly said to Kang Dae-oh.
“CEO. That’s cheating.”
“Cheating?”
“Yes. Didn’t I tell you without hiding my worries about marriage? It was because I believed I could absolutely trust you, CEO. If you try to hide things from me, I’ll be disappointed.”
Listening to him, Lee Seojun was right.
“Sorry. You’re right.”
“Right?”
Even as he aged, Lee Seojun was still the same energetic and meddlesome Lee Seojun in his 20s that Kang Dae-oh knew.
Kang Dae-oh felt particularly proud today that he had met Lee Seojun and worked with him for a long time.
“Watching your newlywed life, I suddenly wondered if I’ve spent time alone with my wife recently.”
“Wasn’t your wedding anniversary recently?”
“It was.”
“What about then?”
“We just had dinner once and that was it. My wife and I had to go out early the next day for work.”
“Hmm, really?”
Lee Seojun fell into thought for a moment.
Of course, he wasn’t expecting Kang Dae-oh and Min Seung-yeon to have the same passionate, newlywed-like relationship as Lee Seojun and his wife.
Still, if it was the Kang Dae-oh and Min Seung-yeon couple that Lee Seojun had watched for over ten years, they would have tried to spend some intimate time together on their wedding anniversary.
If that didn’t work out, then at least the next day.
This was the tendency of the Kang Dae-oh and Min Seung-yeon couple that Lee Seojun remembered.
Even if they weren’t maintaining as passionate a relationship as before.
“It’s understandable that you’re worried, CEO.”
“Right?”
He couldn’t help but be worried.
“How about you two take some time off later and go on a trip?”
“That doesn’t sound bad. But I don’t know about the timing.”
“Your time, CEO?”
“No, my wife’s schedule.”
Kang Dae-oh could make time anytime.
Because it was for his beloved wife.
But he wasn’t sure how Min Seung-yeon would feel.
There was the most certain way to check.
“I’ll have to ask her when I get home.”
No need to overthink; if you don’t know, just ask comfortably.
When Kang Dae-oh returned home.
An unexpected sight unfolded.
“What is all this?”
Kang Dae-oh examined the various camping tools spread all over the living room with an incredulous expression.
Just then, Kang Yebin, who was witnessing this catastrophe(?) up close, told Kang Dae-oh he came at the right time and requested his SOS.
“Dad. Please say something to Yeyoung.”
“Why Yeyoung? Don’t tell me Yeyoung did all this?”
“Yes.”
“Why on earth?”
If Kang Yeyoung had originally had a hobby in camping, it wouldn’t be incomprehensible.
But that wasn’t the case at all.
He had never even heard the word ‘camping’ from her, so he couldn’t understand why Kang Yeyoung was suddenly doing this.
Kang Yeyoung, who was checking the tools one by one starting from the mess kit, directly began to explain the ‘why?’ that Kang Dae-oh had just mentioned.
“I’m planning to film a ‘24-hour Survival on a Deserted Island’ content this time.”
“Suddenly?”
“It’s perfect for clickbait, isn’t it? And deserted island challenges are trending these days.”
“All sorts of challenges are trending.”
From Kang Dae-oh’s perspective, having grown up receiving many benefits of civilization since childhood, it wasn’t a challenge that particularly appealed to him.
However, he did want to try it at least once.
Should I call it a ‘romantic fantasy’?
He was also curious what it would feel like to live in the wild, completely away from the city.
Considering that entertainment programs featuring ‘natural people’ (people living in nature) are consistently ranked number one in rerun viewership ratings among middle-aged and older people, everyone might have such a romantic fantasy.
For that romantic fantasy.
Kang Yeyoung decided to provide a vicarious satisfaction experience or take the lead herself.
However, from a father’s perspective, he wanted to dissuade her.
The biggest reason, of course, was.
“Won’t it be dangerous?”
It would be a big problem if his youngest daughter got hurt by participating in the deserted island challenge for no good reason.
Kang Yeyoung shook her head at the worried Kang Dae-oh and explained to reassure him.
“It’s okay. I’ll be taking survival experts with me. The emergency medical team too. And all the staff will go in together, but only I will procure food, clothes, and shelter locally on the deserted island. The staff will buy tents and food to bring in, so there probably won’t be any emergency situations.”
If push comes to shove, it would even be fun to proceed by taking food from the staff through games.
Kang Yeyoung’s mind was full of thoughts about what content to create on the deserted island and how to make it fun.
Before returning, Kang Yeyoung regretted not being able to properly produce content as a YouTuber because she was conscious of what people thought and due to her main job.
I want to do what I want, make videos out of it, and enjoy it with people.
To fulfill this desire, Kang Yeyoung was diligently working on it again this time.
Being able to do what you want.
Kang Dae-oh also knew well that the satisfaction derived from this could not be filled by anything else.
After all, this was precisely why he started his cafe business in the first place.
So he had no intention of saying anything specific about his daughters living their lives doing what they wanted.
Rather, he wanted to encourage them.
However.
“If you mess up the house like this. Later, Mom will······.”
Kang Dae-oh tried to warn Kang Yeyoung beforehand before Min Seung-yeon arrived home, but.
Beep!
The front door lock opened first, interrupting Kang Dae-oh’s words.
What Kang Dae-oh had worried about unfolded exactly as he feared.
“What is all this?!”
Min Seung-yeon, who had just arrived home, alternately looked at Kang Yebin and Kang Yeyoung with an angry expression.
Kang Yebin shook her head and silently pointed towards Kang Yeyoung next to her.
Kang Yebin was always calm, but in front of her angry mother, even the second daughter would naturally become a meek lamb.
“Kang Yeyoung. You did this?”
“W-well, you seeeee······.”
Kang Yeyoung’s words trailed off.
Sensing it wouldn’t work out, Kang Dae-oh subtly stepped forward.
“Sorry, honey. I did this.”
“You? Why would someone who’s never been camping do something like this?”
Min Seung-yeon immediately realized that Kang Dae-oh was deliberately lying to cover for Kang Yeyoung.
Nevertheless, Kang Dae-oh’s defense continued.
“Well······ I was thinking of making a new hobby.”
“Haaah.”
A deep sigh escaped Min Seung-yeon’s lips.
She glared fiercely at her husband as if to say, ‘Does that even make sense?’
However, perhaps thinking that she wouldn’t get an answer even if she pressed Kang Dae-oh further, Min Seung-yeon said she understood and gave up on finding the culprit.
Instead.
“Since you said it’s your hobby, I’ll be watching later.”
“O-okay. Alright. I’ll learn it well later and take you camping sometime. How about that?”
“Do as you please.”
Kang Dae-oh suddenly found himself in a position where he had to receive camping training with Kang Yeyoung.
Kang Yeyoung, who had barely climbed over the big mountain(?) of Min Seung-yeon, took advantage of her mother going into the room to change clothes for a moment and expressed her gratitude to Kang Dae-oh.
“Thank you, Dad. You saved me.”
“Don’t just spread equipment all over the living room like that from now on. You might get a huge scolding from Mom like just now.”
“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Meanwhile. Kang Yebin, who seemed to have no intention of letting it go easily, gave Kang Yeyoung a harsh word.
“Because of you, Dad suddenly looks like someone learning camping from Mom.”
“So what? He can really learn it. Dad. I’ve been camping a few times, and it’s a pretty good hobby, actually. Since things turned out this way, how about you also create a new hobby with me, Dad?”
“A hobby, you say.”
Thinking about it, Kang Dae-oh no longer had anything he could call a hobby.
Coffee used to be his hobby, but now it had become work. So there was nothing left he could call a hobby.
He had already thought that creating a new hobby might not be bad······ but.
“Camping is a bit much.”
Kang Dae-oh wasn’t particularly fond of active pursuits.
Moreover, camping wasn’t a simple hobby that could be enjoyed by investing just a few hours a day.
It required planning in terms of days, so it was an area not easily entered.
So when Kang Yeyoung suggested it, he felt a slight aversion rather than a desire to do it.
“Dad. You just promised Mom, didn’t you? That you’d learn camping and take her along.”
“That was just a promise I made······ Hmm?”
Suddenly, the conversation he had with Lee Seojun that morning came to Kang Dae-oh’s mind.
After various thoughts crossed his mind.
Kang Dae-oh finally firmed his resolve.
“Alright, Dad will also try to learn it diligently.”
