Episode 16. The Best Ever School Performance (2)
Before going to work at the cafe, Kang Dae-oh always had something he did.
It was accompanying Kang Yera to kindergarten.
Originally, Min Seung-yeon mostly did it, but since Kang Yebin started attending daycare, they decided to have one person dedicated to each child.
Anyway, the kindergarten Kang Yera attended overlapped with Kang Dae-oh’s commute route. Even if he stopped by for a moment, it didn’t significantly disrupt his schedule.
After getting Kang Yera into the car, just as Kang Dae-oh was about to grab the steering wheel.
“Oh, right. I forgot to ask Yeyoung about that yesterday.”
“About what?”
Kang Dae-oh told Kang Yera everything she wanted to hear, including the conversations he had with his staff yesterday about moving the store.
To summarize.
“So you’re wondering where the best place to move the store would be?”
“That’s right. It won’t be too far from where it is now. But just in case, I wanted to ask Yeyoung for some advice.”
“She’ll probably say it’s fine to do it your way, right, Dad?”
“My way?”
“Even before you regressed, Dad, you were really good at making coffee.”
“When you say ‘just one thing’…… it sounds like I don’t have any other strengths.”
“Back then, you were scammed, and you suffered from financial problems, so you were under a lot of stress. That’s why you often made regrettable decisions.”
Kang Dae-oh was not a god.
He was human.
As such, when his mental state collapsed, it became difficult to choose rational options.
This wasn’t a story that applied only to Kang Dae-oh.
Most people would be the same.
That’s why Kang Dae-oh’s daughters couldn’t help but feel even more regretful.
This was because the dad they remembered from their childhood was a diligent and capable person, just like he was now.
Kang Dae-oh was lost in thought as he listened to his eldest daughter tell him about the bleak future.
And he made a promise to himself.
“This time, no matter what happens, I will never waver.”
He didn’t want to be a dad who hindered his daughters’ futures.
This was also Kang Dae-oh’s idea of his worst self.
At her dad’s words, Kang Yera was able to smile brightly.
Perhaps.
Kang Yera might have wanted to hear these words from her dad in the past.
“Still, please ask Yeyoung first. As I told you last time, Yebin and I know absolutely nothing about real estate or things like that.”
“Alright. I’ll do that.”
With a real estate expert living at home.
What reason would there be not to ask?
Kang Yera tilted her head once, as if she noticed something strange.
“But couldn’t you have just asked Yeyoung when you got home yesterday?”
“I fell asleep sitting down while trying to give you feedback on your singing. That’s why I couldn’t ask.”
“Ah-ha……”
Kang Yera, who belatedly realized it was because of her, let out an awkward laugh.
Since the topic had shifted from the store relocation to Kang Yera’s school performance.
Kang Dae-oh decided to tell Kang Yera what he hadn’t been able to say yesterday.
“Mom and I will take Yeyoung and Yebin with us to your school performance, so just know that.”
“Then I’ll have to prepare even harder.”
“Isn’t what you’re doing now enough?”
He hadn’t seen how much other children practiced.
A school performance, after all, is more about parent satisfaction than child satisfaction, isn’t it?
When did my child grow up so much that she’s now singing on stage with other children?
Kang Dae-oh had thought that school performances were events designed to evoke such feelings.
To put it nicely, you could say it’s one of the processes for filling a family’s memory book……
Although Kang Dae-oh had told Kang Yera yesterday, he believed there was no need to overexert herself in preparation.
However, Kang Yera was serious about the school performance.
There was a reason.
“Because a school performance is also a stage for me. Isn’t it an idol’s role and mission to always do their best on stage?”
“That’s true, but……”
“That’s why I want to do my best. Even if it’s a trivial and small stage, if I don’t prepare with all my might, I feel like I’ll regret it.”
Because she didn’t want to leave even a trace of regret.
This was why Kang Yera put all her effort into preparing for even small-scale stages like the school performance.
Kang Yera’s argument wasn’t wrong.
No, it wasn’t a matter Kang Dae-oh could dictate in the first place.
Because.
The person performing on stage was Kang Yera, not Kang Dae-oh.
“Alright. But don’t overdo it. There’s a big difference between your age when you were actively promoting as an idol and your age now.”
Reminding her to always remember that she was in a child’s body was all Kang Dae-oh could do at the moment.
Because she was his daughter.
‘She’ll do well on her own.’
He decided to trust Kang Yera.
As soon as she arrived at kindergarten, Kang Yera asked the teachers.
“When do we have choir practice?”
“Hmm, I wonder. I’d have to ask the principal…… Oh, look, she’s right there.”
The principal of Sunshine Kindergarten, where Kang Yera attended, happened to return after greeting some parents who were dropping off their children.
As soon as she saw the principal, the teacher briefly stopped her.
“Principal. Around what time will you be holding choir practice?”
“Shall we do it around the same time as last week?”
“Then…… you mean 11 AM, right?”
“Yes. For 30 minutes.”
Kang Yera couldn’t help but be horrified by the 30-minute practice time.
“Teacher! No, Principal!”
Kang Yera desperately made her presence known to the principal by raising her hand high.
Only then did the principal, realizing Kang Yera was also there, smile brightly, bend her knees slightly, and meet her eye level.
“Oh my! Yera was here too. Did you have a good weekend?”
Kang Yera now had a bigger problem than whether she had a good weekend or not.
“Isn’t 30 minutes for choir practice too short?”
“Really? I thought 30 minutes a day was already a lot.”
And if they went over that time, the children’s concentration would start to waver.
That’s why the principal intentionally decided to keep practice time short.
It was a decision the principal made after considering various factors in her own way.
Even if it was completely different from Kang Yera’s wishes.
Between the argument of a mere kindergartener and the opinion of the principal, if you were to ask which held more weight.
Most would naturally say the latter.
Of course, Kang Yera knew that too.
That’s why she was more troubled.
About how she could make the principal approach the school performance more seriously.
At this moment.
Another kindergarten teacher came looking for the principal.
“Principal! There you are. I have something to tell you……”
The principal nodded briefly, indicating for her to speak.
She took out her smartphone and showed a certain screen.
Kang Yera also caught a glimpse of that screen.
There was no doubt.
“Neotube……?”
Since Kang Yera also used that platform so often, she recognized it at once.
Meanwhile, the teacher who came to see the principal mentioned what she wanted to consult her about.
“I’m debating what to name the channel. Last time, Principal, you told me to try creating a Sunshine Kindergarten channel……”
Kang Yera’s ears perked up.
Sunshine Kindergarten originally had an existing Neotube channel.
Nevertheless, they decided to create a new channel this time.
The reason was that the original channel was practically dead.
Kang Yera had vaguely heard before why the principal was so interested in Neotube.
It was for kindergarten promotion.
The birth rate was decreasing. As the number of children decreased, kindergartens were also disappearing.
Perhaps because of this, a situation continued where people flocked to the remaining kindergartens.
A year or two ago, it was said that you could barely get into the kindergarten you wanted only if you applied for admission in advance.
Sunshine Kindergarten should have been like this too.
Then, in fact, they wouldn’t have had to put much effort into promotion.
Reality wasn’t so easy.
As there were many large and famous kindergartens nearby, the number of people seeking out Sunshine Kindergarten was actually decreasing.
What way could a small or medium-sized enterprise, being pushed around by large corporations, survive?
The principal turned her attention to promotion using Neotube.
Because it’s no exaggeration to say that this is the age of Neotube.
She believed that the solution to overcome this crisis would also be found there.
However, Neotube activities were by no means easy.
This was already the third time they were creating a new channel.
Although they continued to challenge themselves with the kindergarten teachers.
It could be said that the world of Neotube is one where things don’t go as easily as one wishes.
Suddenly, a plan formed in Kang Yera’s mind.
If she could utilize this well.
The thought of whether she could achieve her goal crossed her mind.
Her usually quiet mouth moved.
“Principal! I have a great idea!”
“An idea?”
“A way to dramatically increase the number of subscribers for the Neotube channel!”
Kang Yera’s eyes sparkled especially brightly today.
Just like yesterday, Kang Dae-oh, who had spent hours working at the cafe until late, headed home with tired steps.
‘Surely the kids aren’t awake again, are they?’
Since Min Seung-yeon had said something strong.
He opened the front door, thinking, ‘Won’t the kids be quietly asleep today?’
However, contrary to Kang Dae-oh’s thoughts, the house was brightly lit as if it were daytime.
In the living room, his daughters were gathered together, just like yesterday.
But the atmosphere was quite different.
“What do you think, Yeyoung?”
“……”
Kang Yeyoung was sitting with a bee-shaped head-protection cushion strapped to her back, having a serious conversation with her older unnie.
Kang Yebin was looking at the scene with a bewildered expression.
Seeing only his daughters, Kang Dae-oh asked Kang Yebin.
“Where’s Mom?”
“She went to the bathroom for a moment.”
“Really? I thought Mom would scold you if you stayed up late again today. That’s unusual.”
“Unnie negotiated with Mom, you see?”
“What negotiation?”
“She said if Mom let us stay up late just for today, from now on she’d brush her teeth well, go to bed early, and be a good, obedient child.”
“Haha……”
A hollow laugh escaped him at the thought that perhaps only in Kang Dae-oh’s household would a young child attending kindergarten set up a negotiation table with her mom.
Even if they were staying up late.
“What is Yera talking about with Yeyoung?”
Only then did Kang Yebin let out a deep sigh towards her dad, who was finally asking about the main issue.
“Unnie finally went and did it.”
“Did what?”
“Well, you see……”
Kang Yebin, sighing once more, called out to Kang Yera.
“Hey, you silly unnie. Why don’t you explain it to Dad yourself?”
“I’m not silly?”
Kang Yera snapped at her dongsaeng once.
But she soon smiled and said to Kang Dae-oh.
“Dad! You can really look forward to our school performance!”
“……Huh?”
Even before hearing the full story, he had a premonition of upheaval.
