Epilogue Chapter 21 - Open Class for Parents (2)

Cha Yeon-Joo slowly regained herself from depression.

“That aside, you mentioned an open class?”

“Yes,” Oh Kang-Hyun answered.

“Hmm,” Oh Kang-Woo groaned as he read the notice Kang-Hyun handed him.

‘Open class for students, huh?’

Kang-Woo had never experienced such a thing since he had no parents.

“Umm... C-Could you come this time, Father?” asked Kang-Hyun hesitantly.

‘Come to think of it, only Yeon-Joo went last time.’

Kang-Woo had planned on going with her last year but missed the chance to see his son in class because a Rift had opened that day.

“I want to go too, honey!”

“Hmm. We can attend this year as well, right?”

Han Seol-Ah and Lilith also couldn’t attend last year. They had planned on going with Yeon-Joo last year but ended up not going because of Kang-Hyun’s vehement refusal. He likely did not want anyone to find out he had three mothers. The eyes of the other two mothers were sparkling as if they had waited for this day to come.

“Then Yeon-Joo can go to Kang-Hyun’s class, and Lilith and Seol-Ah can go to Kang-Hee and Lia’s class,” Kang-Woo expressed.

“What about you, Kang-Woo?”

“I...” Kang-Woo thought about which one to go to.

“Of course, you’ll come to my class, won’t you, beloved Father?” Lia jumped and hugged Kang-Woo from behind as she rubbed her cheek on his. “Please watch me do my best in class!”

Kang-Hee also grabbed Kang-Woo’s clothes and remarked shyly, “I-It’s embarrassing, but... I would be happy if you could attend our class.”

“Hmm.”

Kang-Woo grabbed Lia’s flailing legs to help her stay on his back and thought deeply. He imagined the chatty Lia and the shy Kang-Hee giving their all in class. He wanted to see it so badly— just imagining his cute and lovely daughters in class made him smile. However...

“Ah...” Kang-Hyun expressed slight disappointment and stepped backward with a faint smile. “Please go to Lia and Kang-Hee’s class, Father. I’ll be fine.”

“...” Kang-Woo stared at his generously yielding son and said, “I’ll go see Kang-Hyun this year.”

He had failed to go despite promising last year, hence he couldn’t afford to not go two years in a row. Kang-Hyun seemed mature but Kang-Woo knew better than anyone how soft-hearted he was.

“Urgh... No fair, beloved Father!”

“I’m fine with it as long as it’s for oppa.”

Lia complained a little but accepted it soon after. Rather, Kang-Hyun opposed his decision strongly.

“N-No! I’m fine with you not coming! It’s just me in my class but Lia and Kang-Hee are in the same class! It would be more cost-efficient of your time to go to the Grade 1 class—”

“Son.” Kang-Woo smiled and playfully disheveled Kang-Hyun’s hair. “The number isn’t important.”

“Th-That’s true, but...”

“No buts. Don’t question your dad’s decision.”

“Ngh... U-Understood.”

Kang-Hyun reluctantly nodded.

Kang-Woo took his hand off Kang-Hyun’s head and turned to Seol-Ah to ask, “That aside, what should I wear? A suit?”

“Wouldn’t that be too formal?”

“Oh, what did you wear last year, Yeon-Joo?”

“Me? A tracksuit and a baseball cap.”

“...”

‘Isn’t that a bit much when surrounded by the other kids’ parents?’

Yeon-Joo noticed Kang-Woo’s disappointed eyes and quickly shook her head.

“I didn’t dress like that because I wanted to!”

“Then why did you?”

“To hide my identity as much as possible, of course.”

“Oh.”

Kang-Woo had forgotten his wife was a global superstar. It did not come to mind because he had only seen her sprawled on the couch, scratching her ass.

‘Yeon-Joo was the one who suggested they hide that she’s Kang-Hyun’s mom.’

It was to avoid any flies from roaming around Kang-Hyun, trying to take advantage of his prestige. At first, Kang-Woo found it hard to believe that children less than ten would do such a thing.

‘But I hear kids know all this shit nowadays.’

He remembered seeing on the news that kids nowadays decided ranks among themselves based on how well-off their household was.

“But does wearing a tracksuit and a baseball cap hide your identity?” Kang-Woo asked.

“I wore a mask too, of course. Besides, no one would think the master of one of the top guilds in the world would show up to an open class in a tracksuit.”

“Makes sense.”

Attire influenced how others view them more than one would think.

“Si-Hun tried to hide that Si-Ah was his daughter at first too, but...”

“That guy’s way too famous for that,” Yeon-Joo remarked.

Even if Yeon-Joo was globally famous, she wasn’t as famous as the

Martial God

Kim Si-Hun who was worshiped as the world’s savior.

“Anyway, it’s nice that I don’t have to hide my face,” Kang-Woo said.

This was why he had concealed himself from the past decade of history. He did not want to deal with such bothersome situations. However, it caused Si-Hun’s fame to skyrocket beyond control.

‘Considering what Si-Hun does, it’s good to be that famous.’

From what Kang-Woo had heard, he could ask a country run by a dictatorship for their full cooperation in catching a criminal and they would give him full authority without question.

“Come to think of it, did Si-Hun attend the open class last year?” he asked.

“Yeah, and it took ages to get into the school because there was a sea of reporters in front of the school gate.”

“Urgh, then I guess it’ll be just as busy this year too.”

After all, there was no way that idiot who loved his daughter to death would ever miss an event involving her.

“M-My class will be peaceful since Si-Ah and I are in different classes!” shouted Kang-Hyun anxiously.

He seemed to have been worried Kang-Woo couldn’t come to his class because it would be crowded.

Kang-Woo smirked. “I would go even if it was as busy as a bustling market street, so don’t worry.”

“A-Ahem. I wasn’t particularly worried.”

“Anyway, is there anything I need to prepare?”

“No, you just have to attend.”

“Alright. I guess I’ll take this chance to see how seriously my son takes his studies.”

“I’m confident when it comes to studying.”

Kang-Woo recalled Kang-Hyun saying he won a gold medal in the school’s math competition. He smiled as he rustled Kang-Hyun’s hair and sighed in relief.

“I’m so glad you didn’t take after your mom.”

“Oi, what’s that supposed to mean, hubby?”

“Just imagine if he took after you. Would he have gotten gold in a math contest?”

“You make it sound like you were good at studying when you were little.”

“Heh. My homeroom teacher told me I could get really good grades if I studied hard since I was smart.”

“Everyone heard something like that from their teacher in elementary school, man.”

“What?”

‘Are you saying I wasn’t special?’

“Our son’s a genius because he takes after me. Right, son?”Yeon-Joo asked Kang-Hyun.

“No, I don’t think so,” Kang-Hyun answered.

“S-Son?” Yeon-Joo stumbled backward in shock.

“I’m joking. Of course, I’m smart because I take after you.”

“R-Right? You take after me, right?”

“Of course. My hair is also red, just like yours, isn’t it?”

“Hehe. Yeah, that’s right. I’m so proud of you, my son.”

Kang-Woo could see how intelligent Kang-Hyun was from how happy Yeon-Joo was as she hugged Kang-Hyun.

“More importantly, I guess I’ll get to see the other parents there,” he remarked.

“Well, yeah.”

Open classes were partly for the parents to check their children’s progress in their studies but also for the parents to get to know each other.

‘Only then would you know if your children are hanging out with kids from households not worth their time.’

Kang-Woo had no intention of participating in such pointless politics, he couldn’t help but wonder what kind of people the other parents were.

‘I’m sure there aren’t any lunatics among them, right?’

Kang-Woo shook his head. Kang-Hyun’s school wasn’t a super-elite private school but it was in a good neighborhood. He didn’t expect trouble between him and the other parents.

“Right, shall we buy some clothes for the open class, then?” he suggested.

“My, what a great idea, my love,” said Lilith.

“There’s a new department store in Yeouido,” Seol-Ah added.

“Oh, there? I’ve heard the food court there is quite nice. Why don’t we grab lunch there as well?” Yeon-Joo posed.

“Sounds good,” Kang-Woo answered.

He got ready to go out shopping with his wives.

“Beloved Father! I want to go too!” Lia shouted.

“Of course, you can.”

“Th-Then I’ll be watching over the house with oppa,” Kang-Hee stuttered.

“What’s there to watch over? Come with us too, Kang-Hee.”

“Urgh...”

Kang-Hee glanced at Kang-Hyun in disappointment and grabbed Kang-Woo’s hand as they headed to the department store.

***

“I see... an open class, huh?”

A deep voice echoed throughout the house. A man wearing a luxurious suit was reading a newspaper.

“Yeah. Can you come, Dad?”

“Of course, I can.”

The man with a neatly groomed beard nodded and patted his son’s head. He couldn’t help but smile whenever he looked at his son who had grown up as manly as him.

“Dad, can I ask you for a favor?”

“What favor?”

“Umm... there’s a kid who’s been bullying me at school.”

“Bullying you?”

Not many could bully the man’s son, one of the few elementary school Players in the country.

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

“Don’t tell me... is it the Martial God’s daughter in the class next to you...?”

“N-No!”

“Huuu. That’s a relief.” The man sighed in relief.

“He’s not physically bullying me. To be more exact, he’s saying bad stuff about me to others behind my back.”

“Hmm. What kind of stuff?”

“I chased away an abandoned mutt that sneaked its way into school grounds but he’s been spreading twisted rumors that I hurt an innocent dog and that I’m an animal abuser.”

“Hah...” The man couldn’t believe the other child would drag his son’s name through the mud over a mere dog. “What’s his name?”

“It’s Oh Kang-Hyun.”

The man had never heard the name.

“Anyway, could you scold his parents if they come to the open class?” asked his son as he pulled on his clothes.

‘A boy who’s spreading bad rumors about my son, huh...?’

He did not know who the child was but it was only right for his parents to be punished for not educating their son well enough.

“Okay, I will handle it.”

“Hehe. You’re the best, Dad!”

“You know it. Who do you think I am? I’ll give them a huge scolding, so don’t you worry.”

The man was Jeon Tae-Hun, the seventh-ranking Player in Korea, an executive member of the Korean Player Association as well as a former member of Guardians, albeit only for a moment. He smiled widely as he patted his son’s head.