-We’re coming to you live from this scene of horror.

Crunch, munch…

Kang Eun-Yeong was lying on the living room couch and hoovering up potato chips when her eyes suddenly went wide at the scene on TV.

“Mom! Mooom!”

“What is it?” Baek Hyeon-Jeong urgently stepped out of the kitchen, only for her eyes to burn fiercely in disapproval. “Stop stuffing your face like that, you dummy! Or you'll end up in a scandal!”

Kang Eun-Yeong blinked her eyes. “Scandal? What scandal?”

“People will say you’re pregnant!”

Kang Eun-Yeong sneakily stared at her tummy. Seeing how it subtly bulged outwardly… She couldn’t help but agree that her mother had a point! Kang Eun-Yeong’s expression swiftly grew depressed. “...But mom. You gotta look up at the stars first if you wanna pluck them, you know? I don't even have a boyfriend, so what scandal are you even talking about?”

Obviously, no one said idols were forbidden from dating someone. There were certainly a lot of scrutinizing eyes watching every move made by popular idols… But it was still possible for flowers to bloom on a battlefield.

Despite their talent agencies' constant monitoring and the so-called reporters creepily stalking them, many idols still managed to somehow sneak in some private moments to enjoy their youth.

Unfortunately, Kang Eun-Yeong was not permitted to enjoy such a luxury.

Even though the agencies did monitor their talents, the intensity of their monitoring wasn't as vigorous as many people would think. That was because these agencies couldn't afford to piss their top talents off.

If the talent in question was a trainee or a rookie, such close monitoring of their private life could be done, but not when the talent had already reached a certain level of status and fame. Controlling what they did in private would become progressively harder and harder.

Contracts didn't last forever, after all. If the talent was pissed off by the intensity of monitoring, they could move to another agency the moment the contract expired. As a matter of fact, such events happened quite often.

What would happen if a top-tier talent that an agency had poured a lot of resources into raising bailed on them just before the investment could be recouped? Obviously, the agency would get shafted by this move. That was why the agency had no choice but to swallow their tears and negotiate with their talents.

A talent agency’s attitude when dealing with a star boasting a certain level of prestige would be…

‘We’ll loosen the reins by this much right now, so please re-sign with us when the time comes. Pretty please?’

However, that story did not apply to Kang Eun-Yeong.

Was it because she wasn't famous enough? Of course not. She was more than famous enough to meet that criteria.

One could say Kang Eun-Yeong's popularity and name recognition were peerless among solo female singers in South Korea. Sure, her family treated her like an oft-put-down and nagged-to-death little girl at home, but she commanded quite a bit of respect within the corridors of her talent agency.

In that case, why did that story not apply to Kang Eun-Yeong? Simple. She was not "discovered" by her current talent agency.

More correctly, she "belonged" to Jaegyeong, and her current agency was merely a manager hired to manage her professional affairs. In other words, she was a rather unique case among Korean idols.

In such a situation, it'd be only natural for the current agency to not monitor her as strictly as their other talents, but…

‘Orabi, you… Seriously, now!’

The one hiding in the shadows and issuing commands to Jaegyeong was none other than Kang Jin-Ho. And he was less than keen about his little sister having rendezvous with a man during her work hours. One of Kang Jin-Ho's beliefs was that a person should know how to separate work from personal affairs.

With things in this weird state, Kang Eun-Yeong’s agency didn’t have to worry about her refusing to re-sign with them and could manage her private life as much as they wanted. The agency probably had deployed a manager or two riiight outside her home to prevent any unnecessary scandals from breaking out.

Kang Eun-Yeong wasn't too perturbed by this arrangement, however. Actually, she couldn't really care less about it at the moment. That was because…

All these were practically a waste of their time, and they didn't seem to understand it!

“Mom?”

“What is it, Eun-Yeong?”

“I don’t think my oppa knows that I’m a hikikomori.”[1]

Baek Hyeon-Jeong stared at her daughter in confusion. “Hikikomori? As in, shut-ins who hide away from the world? That thing?”

“Yeah, that one.”

“There’s no way you’re a hikikomori, you dummy!”

“Mom, it’s about time you face reality.”

Kang Eun-Yeong coolly shrugged her shoulders before pouting a little. “Think about it for a sec, okay? Whenever I get a break from my crazy schedule… Have you ever seen me go somewhere to blow steam?”

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

“Huh?” Baek Hyeon-Jeong's expression grew somber when a new realization dawned on her. She couldn't remember seeing her daughter go out and hang out with her friends. Not even once!

Kang Eun-Yeong's packed schedule meant such a thing was not readily noticeable until now. However, listening to her daughter helped Baek Hyeon-Jeong realize the truth. The only time Kang Eun-Yeong was absent from home was when she was out working!

Baek Hyeon-Jeong stuttered in shock. “W-why aren't you meeting up with your friends and…”

“Mom, I don’t have any friends.”

“W-why don’t you have friends?”

“Come on, Mom,” Kang Eun-Yeong smiled oh-so brightly. “I've been an idol trainee since middle school, so it's always been either school or the practice halls for me, you know? When would I have the time to make friends in that case?”

“I see. You do have a point there.”

Finding someone you vibed with was a crucial factor in making friends. However, how long and often you talk to one another also mattered a lot in the quest to become friends with someone.

Kang Eun-Yeong never got to have a proper school life, so it didn't take a genius to figure out that she wouldn't have any friends who still stayed in touch after all this time.

Baek Hyeon-Jeong hurriedly thought of something and asked her daughter. “I-in that case! What about other trainees? I mean, didn’t you have friends besides those girls who were supposed to form the girl group with you?”

“Eii~, Mom. Come on, now. We've not been in touch since our old agency imploded, you know? You're bringing up ancient history.”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong’s eyes powerfully quaked just then.

What kind of nonsense was this! To think her daughter was a… A loner!

Even though she sang on big stages and danced like an angel…! Anyone would unhesitantly see her as

THE

popular kid, so how was this possible?!

Kang Eun-Yeong absentmindedly massaged her somewhat bulging tummy and chuckled wryly. “I don't get why the agency is so hell-bent on monitoring me, Mom. It's not that I hate the monitoring, though. I mean, isn't that a terrible waste of valuable manpower? I don't have a reason to leave home unless it's a quick trip to the local convenience store, so I don't get why they are overworking themselves like this.”

“…!”

“No, hang on. Since they know I never go outside, maybe they think watching over me is like going on a vacation? I guess it's so much better to park your car outside our house and enjoy a nap and still get paid for it instead of slaving away behind a desk back in the office… Keu-Euh~! This is how useful your daughter is, mom.”

“That's not something to be proud of, you dummy!”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong finished analyzing the current situation. When she broke down and dissected everything her daughter said… She realized Kang Eun-Yeong was right!

The sudden realization that her one and only daughter was a shut-in caused a wave of anxiety to wash over Baek Hyeon-Jeong.

She combed through her memories, and everything began clicking into place. In the last few years, her daughter was either busy handling her idol commitments or sagging like a wet sponge on the living room couch. The only deviation from this routine was Kang Eun-Yeong staying in bed sleeping twenty hours straight on her off days.

‘This girl… Would she even find a good man at this rate?’

What Kang Eun-Yeong said earlier was definitely true. How could she even attempt to pluck stars without looking up at the sky first? In other words, how could Kang Eun-Yeong date someone when she wasn't even talking to other people, never mind the members of the opposite sex!

Baek Hyeon-Jeong grew dead-serious. “My dear child, I want you to sit up and listen to me.”

“Mom, can’t I, like, just stay like this?”

“Wanna die?!"

“Fine, fine. I’m getting up now, your highness.” Kang Eun-Yeong grumbled while sitting up. Something about her movement seemed labored to Baek Hyeon-Jeong’s eyes.

‘Even though she's supposed to be an idol who sings and dances for a living…!’

After witnessing this sight, who would believe that this girl was the one and only Kang Se-Ah the idol?!

“I want you to be honest with me, Eun-Yeong.”

“Okay.”

“I promise I won’t get angry, so please be honest with me. No lies, okay?”

“You know I don’t hide things from you, Mom. So, ask me anything you want. Hand on my heart, I swear that I’ve nothing to be ashamed about!”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong almost blurted out,

How can you be ashamed of something when you haven’t done anything, quite literally!

Of course, she was an adult, so she knew what not to say. After clearing her throat with a brief cough, Baek Hyeon-Jeong began her interrogation. “Tell me honestly, okay? You’ve never dated anyone until now?”

“Yup, never.”

“Really?”

“Yup.”

Was this revelation something to celebrate or lament about? Baek Hyeon-Jeong would've been pleased to hear this only a few years ago, but now… She couldn't just take it as the Good News anymore.

To think that her daughter had become a Solo Player! Even though she lacked nothing in life!

“T-then, you’ve never even held a guy’s hand before?”

“Eii, Mom. Come on! Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I-I see!” Baek Hyeon-Jeong felt relieved just then. It seemed she went a bit overboard with that assumption. How could her popular daughter not even hold a guy's hand until now? That didn't make any…

“How can I not hold a guy's hand when we need to dance according to our routine?” Kang Eun-Yeong shrugged her shoulders once more. “Although I've been embraced by male dancers before. Does that count?”

“No, that doesn’t count, you dummy! You were dancing on stage!”

“Really? I figured being embraced during dance routines is still being embraced, though?”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong realized the situation was even worse than she had bargained for. Her daughter turned out to be utterly hopeless!

“Go outside and meet people, you dummy! Try to find a boyfriend or something!” Baek Hyeon-Jeong started yelling at her daughter.

Kang Eun-Yeong tutted, unimpressed. “You’re so weird, Mom. I hear other moms manage their daughters’ love life pretty closely, so why are you trying to kick me out of home instead?!”

“What’s to manage about your love life when there’s nothing to manage!” Baek Hyeon-Jeong continued to yell, her voice growing progressively louder and louder. “All you do is lounge around at home stuffing your face with snacks and get fat! So what am I supposed to manage here?!”

Kang Eun-Yeong dismissively waved her hand. “It’s a jungle out there, Mom. Too much work, totally not worth it.”

“Ah?! Say that after you’ve been outside, okay!”

“Geez, mom. Take a look at that first, okay? Look at that chaos,” said Kang Eun-Yeong while pointing at the TV.

Baek Hyeon-Jeong glanced at the TV. Her plan was to check what was on the screen briefly before resuming her lecture, but that plan quickly went out the window after she noticed the news broadcast.

“What happened there?” Baek Hyeon-Jeong asked.

The screen was displaying images of an obviously ruined building and people wrapped in blankets being guided to many ambulances flashing their lights. All the shaking in the camera seemed to indicate the urgency of the situation.

Kang Eun-Yeong muttered while picking up a new piece of potato chip. “They say the main fish tank in the aquarium ruptured and spilled all the water outside.”

“The main fish tank, you say?”

“Yeah. You know, the biggest one in there.”

“Why would that rupture like that, though?”

“Ma'am, anything can happen in the fair country of the Republic of Korea. I mean, we've had perfectly normal buildings suddenly collapsing on their own, so nothing should come as a surprise now, you know? Anyways, look, mom. Look at all the chaos.”

“Did the news say how many people got hurt?”

“Doesn't look like anyone died, but plenty of people still got hurt, Mom. See what I'm saying? You think it's a great idea to spend Sunday in a place like that, but that's only gonna get you into serious trouble. I'm telling you, staying home is the safest way to spend your day.”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong's eyes rapidly grew blurry with her tears. A girl in her early twenties unhesitantly uttered an excuse that an uncle in his late forties might say to his wife after she demanded to go out for the weekend!

‘Just when did my young daughter become an old fart?’

Baek Hyeon-Jeong used to think that her daughter was mature for her age. This made sense, considering how young Kang Eun-Yeong was when she left school to join the world of adults.

But the truth was finally exposed. Rather than being mature for her age, Kang Eun-Yeong was simply… an uncle!

“I’m telling you, mom! Going out is just a pain in the neck. You’re wasting your money for what? You get tired, you get sore feet after a while… Urgh, I don’t want any of that. No thank you.”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong briefly wondered if her daughter had been pulling all-nighters at her workplace recently.

Realizing that this situation must not be allowed to go on, Baek Hyeon-Jeong got up and grabbed Kang Eun-Yeong's hand. She powerfully pulled at her daughter. “Get up! Let's go shopping, okay?”

“Shopping?”

“That's right! So, get up already! Let's go buy some stuff.”

“Mom, I don’t need to buy anything, you know?”

“What do you mean, you don't need to buy anything! Especially at your age! Other kids can't wait to buy the latest trending items, so what's the matter with you!”

“Well, I have the agency’s wardrobe department, you know? And sponsors, too. That’s why I don’t need to buy anything.”

“In that case, why were you raising all that fuss the last time we took your brother to the department store?!”

“Oh, that? Because it was fun watching oppa getting flustered, that’s why. Don’t you remember that I didn’t really buy anything back then?”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong was left speechless after realizing her daughter was right again.

“Mom, just let me be. I'm gonna do my thing and make enough money to buy a building or two when I get older. And that's how I'm gonna live out the rest of my life."

This was wrong. That should not be a statement coming out of the mouth of a young woman still in her early twenties!

Baek Hyeon-Jeong felt the desperate need for an urgent response to this situation. Before she could say something, though, she was stopped by the shocked expression on her daughter's face.

“Heol?! Mom, what the heck is that?”

“Ng?” Baek Hyeon-Jeong hurriedly followed her daughter’s gaze as Kang Eun-Yeong’s reaction was too visceral to ignore. “What is it this time… Huh? What is your brother doing over there?!”

The TV screen was now showing the back of a rather familiar-looking head. That was all it displayed, but the mother-and-daughter duo still easily identified who that back of the head belonged to. Sure, one could argue that wasn't enough to overcome all the uncertainty, but the man's familiar tracksuit was enough to seal the deal.

Baek Hyeon-Jeong blinked her eyes in disbelief. “That’s your oppa, isn’t it?”

“Yup. Seeing how handsome the back of his head is, it’s definitely oppa!” Kang Eun-Yeong cried out while shooting up to her feet. “What the heck!”

For some reason, Kang Eun-Yeong stopped being a docile, tired uncle in her forties and began roaring like a tigress.

“How dare he not take me along if he was planning a day out in the aquarium! The cheek of him! Seriously!”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong dazedly stared at Kang Eun-Yeong in silence.

Kang Eun-Yeong was still not done, however. “What are you doing, Mom! Hurry and call oppa on the phone! He might have gotten hurt, you know! No, wait. He wouldn't get hurt by stuff like this, right? If he was hurt, he should've been inside one of those ambulances, so… Seeing how he's just standing around, I guess he's fine?”

Kang Eun-Yeong frowned while jumping up and down on the spot.

“Still, shouldn’t we call him, just in case? Besides all that, how dare he leave me behind at home and get himself involved in that situation! If he had nothing better to do, he should’ve stayed home munching on snacks or something!”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong slowly and silently shook her head while observing her daughter displaying the alternating moods of concern and rage. It seemed Kang Eun-Yeong's mental condition was getting worse with every passing day!

While Kang Eun-Yeong urgently reached out to her phone to call her older brother, Baek Hyeon-Jeong shifted her attention back to the TV screen.

‘I’m sure he’s fine.’

Despite telling herself that, Baek Hyeon-Jeong’s heart still trembled in anxiety.

1. This is a Japanese slang term to denote adolescents and young adults who become recluses in their parents’ homes. ?