Episode 20. Respect (1)
“Thank you! Please come again!” Kang Dae-oh raised his voice today, addressing the customers who were leaving with their ordered drinks in hand.
Cafe Amare had now established itself as a local specialty cafe, recognized by all.
It had already been a regular cafe frequented by people who knew about it through word-of-mouth.
However, there were a few key turning points when the number of customers increased exponentially.
One was when the entire family appeared for a video interview during the kids’ cafe fire accident.
The other was thanks to Kang Yeyoung.
Lee Seojun clicked his tongue as he watched the tables filled with customers, even though lunchtime was long over.
“Boss. Yeyoung’s YouTube channel must be really famous. I only filmed a promotional video once before, but I didn’t expect the effect to be this good……”
Kang Yeyoung, who had briefly filmed a video with her mom two weeks ago under the pretense of promoting her dad’s cafe, and then returned home.
A few days later.
From the day the video was uploaded, the number of customers visiting the store exploded.
Lee Seojun was still bewildered by the situation.
“I don’t know how many subscribers Yeyoung’s YouTube channel has for the effect to appear so immediately like this.”
When Kang Yeyoung’s name came up, there was an indispensable person besides Kang Dae-oh.
It was Choi Sein, who claimed to be Kang Yeyoung’s fan.
“Senior! Didn’t you know? Yeyoung’s channel already has over 100,000 subscribers.”
“What? It’s already that many?”
It hadn’t been long since they uploaded the family travel video.
Lee Seojun was surprised to hear that it had surpassed 100,000.
“That’s amazing. What’s the secret to it rising so fast? Boss, please share it with us too.”
“Me?”
“Aren’t you the one editing and uploading the videos, Boss? Surely Yeyoung wouldn’t be editing and uploading them herself. Or is your wife doing it?”
“Editing, well…… I did do it……”
Kang Dae-oh had merely done as Kang Yeyoung instructed.
Meanwhile, Lee Seojun’s gaze towards Kang Dae-oh changed.
“Running a cafe and also being an editor for a 100,000-subscriber YouTuber…… Boss. You’re incredibly versatile.”
“It’s not me who’s versatile. It’s my daughters.”
Thanks to his talented daughters, Kang Dae-oh received excessive praise again today.
Kang Dae-oh, who briefly stopped by home for lunch, opened the front door wide without much thought, as usual.
Then, Kang Yeyoung and Min Seung-yeon, who were in the living room, simultaneously turned their heads towards Kang Dae-oh and warned, ‘Shhh!’
Kang Dae-oh immediately understood that they meant for him to be quiet and slowly closed the front door in an awkward posture.
“Why? Is something wrong?”
A short sigh escaped Kang Yeyoung’s lips.
“We have to record again.”
“It was an NG because of Dad.”
“I know, right.”
Kang Dae-oh was the only one in the room who couldn’t follow the flow of their conversation.
At first, Kang Dae-oh wondered why both of them were reacting like this.
But then he discovered the camera set up nearby and finally understood the reason.
“You were filming a video to upload on YouTube.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Kang Yeyoung was consistently uploading content: two videos per week, and three short-form videos edited mainly from highlight scenes.
Since there was nothing else to do at home anyway.
It might be much more productive to diligently film her cute baby self and grow the channel.
So, lately, she had been diligently working with her mom to continue filming.
It was the same now.
“Ahem! Mom. Let’s just re-record the latter part.”
“Alright.”
Kang Dae-oh quietly stood and watched them film.
Kang Yeyoung, who gave herself a cue sign, completely erased the expression she had just shown and transformed into a young child.
“Mommy, I’m gonna eat my food~!”
“Can you eat by yourself?”
“Yes, of course!”
Kang Yeyoung picked up a spoon and scooped mashed potatoes.
At that sight, Min Seung-yeon clapped like a seal.
“Good job, my baby! You eat so well by yourself. You’re already all grown up, aren’t you?”
“Hehehe!”
Kang Yeyoung’s bright and innocent smile quickly reverted to its original state.
“Yes, good. We’ll stop filming here for today.”
“Phew…… You worked hard, daughter.”
“You too, Mom.”
Kang Dae-oh secretly clicked his tongue at her acting skills, which rivaled Kang Yebin’s.
Would the viewers know?
That the innocent and cute appearances of Kang Yeyoung they were seeing were all calculated.
‘I understand why they say ignorance is bliss.’
Of course, even knowing Kang Yeyoung’s true self when the camera was off, Kang Dae-oh still loved and cherished his youngest daughter.
Still, sometimes he thought it was amazing, even if she was his daughter.
Kang Yeyoung called her dad, saying it was perfect timing.
“I have a video to edit. Will you help me?”
“Shall I?”
Homework is like debt.
If you postpone it, it grows uncontrollably.
So, Kang Dae-oh decided to help Kang Yeyoung with video editing whenever time allowed.
This was because he knew well that doing so would make his future self suffer less.
He only needed to help until Kang Yeyoung was old enough to handle a computer herself. From Kang Dae-oh’s perspective, it wasn’t a difficult task.
And thanks to Kang Yeyoung, the cafe was definitely promoted, so this much cooperation was only natural.
Even between parents and children, it’s better to give back when you’ve received something.
However, Min Seung-yeon shook her head, making Kang Dae-oh step back.
“I’ll do Yeyoung’s work instead, so honey, please go pick up Yera and Yebin.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
“It’s still before their dismissal time.”
“They said they have a farm experience today, so they’ll finish after morning classes.”
Kang Dae-oh checked the current time, nodded, and grabbed his car keys.
Although he had to leave right after returning home.
Still, the drive to pick up the children was always pleasant.
Having arrived at the kindergarten and picked up Kang Yera and Kang Yebin, Kang Dae-oh tilted his head at the sight of the two children.
“Didn’t you say you had a farm experience today?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“But considering that, you’re incredibly clean.”
There wasn’t a single speck of dirt on their clothes.
Kang Yebin answered on behalf of Kang Yera.
“I guess it’s because we wore plastic clothes so our clothes wouldn’t get dirty during the farm experience. And both unnie and I hate getting things on our clothes.”
Indeed.
With one being an idol and the other an aspiring actress, they would naturally pay a lot of attention to their appearance.
Kang Dae-oh turned the steering wheel and asked the two children, “Was the farm experience fun?”
“Yes! So much so that I was sad when it ended.”
Kang Yera gave the answer Kang Dae-oh expected: it was fun.
So, what about Kang Yebin?
After a long moment of contemplation.
Kang Yebin finally opened her heavy lips.
“……It was alright, I guess.”
Kang Dae-oh and Kang Yera’s pupils trembled.
“Really?”
“Yes. But why are you both so surprised? I can have fun too.”
“No. Yebin, it’s just that this is the first time I’ve heard you say that a kindergarten event was fun.”
In the face of her dad’s sharp remark, Kang Yebin’s face turned completely red.
Kang Yera had always liked socializing with the kindergarten children from the beginning, but Kang Yebin was not like that.
However, a wind of change began to blow, little by little, for her.
The catalyst for that change was Yang Jiyoon, Kang Yebin’s first friend.
Their relationship grew much closer after Kang Yebin appeared in the spin-off episode of the drama ‘Memories Bookstore.’
Both of them had the goal of making friends.
Thanks to each other’s presence, they were able to achieve their goals smoothly.
On the other hand, Kang Yera couldn’t understand why Kang Yebin had difficulty making friends.
“When else will we be able to legitimately wear kindergarten uniforms and play with kids? So you should enjoy this moment. The talent show and the remaining kindergarten events are also quite fun, so try to participate actively.”
Kang Yera encouraged her younger sister to follow the same path, just as she had.
The old Kang Yebin would have immediately replied, ‘No,’ but.
“I’ll try.”
Perhaps thanks to Yang Jiyoon, the current Kang Yebin felt much softer.
Not just Kang Yebin’s change.
Kang Yera was also on the cusp of a big change.
“Yera will be entering elementary school next year. How do you feel? Will you be able to adapt well?”
“Dad. You don’t have to worry about that. I adapted well to kindergarten, so elementary school will be a piece of cake.”
Of course, Kang Dae-oh knew that well too.
Still, as a father, he couldn’t help but worry about his children.
This time, Kang Yebin asked her older sister a question.
“When are you going to start auditioning?”
“As soon as I enter elementary school.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The sooner, the better.”
“I’m not sure what the agency will think…… Won’t they say you’re too young?”
“If you look at other seniors who debuted, some debuted when they were in middle school. Don’t you remember?”
“I do remember.”
“Skill is more important than age. That’s what it means, ultimately.”
What Kang Yera said applies equally to any field.
However, just like with Kang Yebin, Kang Dae-oh’s first concern for his eldest daughter was worry.
“I heard there are many fraudsters in the entertainment industry.”
“It’s okay. Both Yebin and I have experienced all sorts of things.”
Believe it or not, they had been through all sorts of trials and tribulations.
This is what Kang Yera wanted to say.
Kang Yebin additionally asked, “You haven’t decided on an agency yet, right?”
“No.”
She had no intention of going back to the agency she had been with before.
There was a desire to feel like she was starting fresh.
And also because her previous agency hadn’t treated Kang Yera particularly well.
Kang Dae-oh briefly stopped the car for a traffic light, turned around, and said, “I’ll go with you to the auditions, so you don’t have to worry about transportation.”
“Really? Thank you, Dad. I love you!”
At his daughter’s words of love, Kang Dae-oh immediately broke into a wide smile.
Perhaps this was why fathers couldn’t help but be ‘daughter-fools’.
Kang Dae-oh thought so.
Several seasons changed again.
Kang Yera, having completed her Sunshine Kindergarten graduation ceremony, finally entered elementary school.
From the entrance ceremony, quite a few people recognized Kang Yera.
It was thanks to her frequent appearances on Kang Yeyoung’s YouTube channel.
“Oh my! She’s even cuter and prettier in person.”
“Yera definitely needs to be an entertainer. She’s so pretty. It would be such a waste.”
With the flood of compliments from parents, Kang Dae-oh and Min Seung-yeon’s lips couldn’t stop curving upwards.
They had smiled so much that their faces twitched slightly.
Kang Yera, with sparkling eyes and expression, stood on the stage, taking on the role of the first-grade representative.
Kang Dae-oh silently watched her, projecting a vision of his eldest daughter on stage in the future.
‘She’d definitely suit being an idol.’
Kang Yera, a prepared talent.
How big of a star would she grow to be in the Korean music industry?
Kang Dae-oh’s anticipation was already swelling.
