Chapter 157: There's More Than Just Apples in the Apple Orchard (3)

Lee Hyung-Moon couldn't fight back even though he was being whipped by Kim Pan-Seok because he had been taken care of by Kim Pan-Seok, a respected elder in the village.

I knew that Lee Hyung-Moon worked in Sae-Ri's orchard and lived off his daily wages, but it turned out that his house was also provided by Sae-Ri's grandfather.

"You are worse than a beast! I regret giving you this house," reprimanded Kim Pan-Seok.

The furious Kim Pan-Seok quickly regained his strength and lifted his cane again.

I quickly approached Kim Pan-Seok's side and grabbed the cane. At this moment, whipping and reprimanding Lee Hyung-Moon was less important than recruiting Lee Haru.

"Hey! What is this nonsense!" Kim Pan-Seok exclaimed.

"Mr. Kim, please calm down for a moment," I replied.

"Don't you interfere! I'll take care of Haru and this man will be driven out of the village!" yelled Kim Pan-Seok.

'

No. I can't let that happen,

' I remarked inwardly.

If Kim Pan-Seok drove Lee Hyung-Moon out of the village as he intended, it could mess up the signing of the contract. Lee Hyung-Moon could claim the contract was void because it was signed by force.

For this reason, leaving Lee Hyung-Moon under Kim Pan-Seok's control was a smoother solution rather than kicking him out forever.

After dissuading him again, Kim Pan-Seok finally put down the cane and grumbled, "

Ke hem!

I would have broken his legs if you hadn't stopped me!"

Kim Pan-Seok caught his breath. At the same time, Lee Hyung-Moon bowed deeply with haste.

"Mr. Kim, I won't lay a hand on Haru ever again. Please trust me one more time."

Lee Hyung-Moon begged with both hands, but I didn't believe him. Lying to avoid trouble was too common among addicts like him. But since his spirit was broken, I decided to rely a bit more on Kim Pan-Seok's strength.

"Mr, Kim, I have a favor to ask."

"I'll do anything if it's something I can help with. Speak freely."

As Kim Pan-Seok stepped in, Lee Hyung-Moon's face contorted as if he had bitten into a rotten persimmon.

"What is it? Got a problem with that?" Kim Pan-Seok barked.

Lee Hyung-Moon, who had been sneaking glances at me, suddenly lowered his head at the speed of light.

"No, not at all, Mr. Kim!" Lee Hyung-Moon replied quickly.

With Kim Pan-Seok's strong backing, I started the real negotiation.

"Please be a witness of this contract."

Kim Pan-Seok's eyes widened. "A witness?"

"Yes, sir. We need someone to testify that the contract for Haru's management between me and Mr. Lee Hyung-Moon was made in good standing."

"Are you saying you'll manage Haru from now on?"

"Yes. I plan to take him to Seoul and make him a celebrity."

Kim Pan-Seok scrutinized me closely.

"Does the boy have potential? If it's for a futile hope because of that jerk Lee Hyung-Moon, leave it to me. I'll take care of Haru myself."

"That's not it at all. I believe Haru is more than capable."

Kim Pan-Seok intently stared into my eyes but soon nodded.

"Well, you're the one who made Sae-Ri successful, after all. I understand."

Kim Pan-Seok nodded and then asked Haru a question this time.

"Haru, do you really want to follow this guy?"

Haru nodded vigorously. "Yes, Grandpa. I don't know if I have talent, but I want the chance to find out."

Kim Pan-Seok looked at Haru with pity and spoke in a soft voice.

"Alright. If that's what you want, there's nothing I can do. Go ahead and give it a try."

Kim Pan-Seok looked at Haru with warm eyes and then agreed to my request. "I'll do as you asked."

At that moment, Sae-Ri's grandmother Lee Yung-Sook, also rolled up her sleeves and stepped in.

𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"I'll also give that testimony."

"Sure. My wife will probably live 20 years longer than me, so let it be."

"What a dull old man," Lee Yung Sook commented as she glared at Kim Pan-Seok who nonchalantly cleared his throat.

"Thank you so much."

With this, Lee Hyung-Moon could no longer make the absurd claim that he signed the contract while drunk and couldn't remember.

That's when Kim Pan-Seok called for Haru.

"Haru."

"Yes, Grandpa?"

"Why don't you go pack your clothes and books and move up to Seoul?"

"Right now...?"

As Haru tilted his head, Kim Pan-Seok said with a warm expression. "There's an old saying, 'Send horses to Jeju and people to Seoul.' It's better to go as soon as possible. I'll take care of the school transfer paperwork."

Haru looked at me for approval.

"Sure, let's do that. We're going up tomorrow, so pack your things in advance," I smiled and replied.

"Okay."

Haru took a glance at his father and then darted to his room.

Lee Hyung-Moon looked sour but didn't voice any complaints under Kim Pan-Seok's watchful eye.

At that moment, the wooden front door creaked and a man in his mid-30s wearing a suit with a 2:8 parting in his hair cautiously entered.

"Is there someone from Seoul's Hoop Entertainment here?"

It was a local lawyer called by the company.

"Yes, right over here."

After greeting me, the lawyer bowed to Kim Pan-Seok and said, "Mr. Kim, long time no see."

"It's been a while, Woo-Jun. How's your father doing?" Kim Pan-Seok asked.

Sae-Ri's words about her grandfather being in charge of the whole village suddenly felt very real. After the greetings, the lawyer, named Hyung Woo-Jun, handed the contract to Lee Hyung-Moon.

"Please read this through carefully, Mr. Lee Hyung-Moon."

But Lee Hyung-Moon signed without even looking at the contract.

"Th-there's no need. Just give me the money and take the kid away. That's all you need to do!"

"Sir, please don't rush through this and..."

"I said it's fine."

Despite the lawyer's warning, Lee Hyung-Moon insisted he had no intention of reading it. The chances of Lee Hyung-Moon being able to terminate the contract in the future were now zero since this situation was being recorded as well.

Additionally, Sae-Ri's grandfather and grandmother had completed the documentation stating that the contract was signed without any issues. Taking such meticulous steps was necessary due to the uncertainty of contracts involving minors.

As soon as the contract was signed, I sent a copy to the company and requested a deposit.

"The deposit has been made. Please check."

Wary of Kim Pan-Seok, Lee Hyung-Moon checked his bank account on an old smartphone. A smile spread across his face seeing the deposit of 30 million won.

In the meantime, Haru came out of his room with his luggage.

"Haru, let's go now," I said.

"Okay."

Haru hesitated, then bowed to his father.

"I'm really going, Dad."

"Whatever. It's none of my business."

Haru's shoulders trembled slightly at Lee Hyung-Moon's indifferent response. He appeared confused, caught in a blend of resentment toward his father and fear of embarking on a new life.

I gently wrapped my arm around Haru's slender shoulders, much like Sae-Ri's. He was my actor to take care of from now on.

"It's okay, Haru. Let's do this together."

"Okay."

As the warmth from my hand transferred to him, the trembling in Haru's shoulders gradually subsided.

***

After sending Sae-Ri and her grandmother home first, we went to a nearby hospital to check Haru's physical condition.

But the state of Haru, who came out after changing his clothes, was concerning.

'

Damn, he's nothing but bones.

'

Haru in the loose medical gown looked so malnourished that he looked as if he were in a state of famine.

I decided in my head, '

I need to fatten him up first.

'

I took Haru into the examination room. As he sat on the bed and took off his top, I couldn't help but sigh again.

His entire body was covered in bruises.

Seeing Haru's condition, the doctor's face contorted.

"Did Hyung-Moon do this?"

Doctor Kim Yung-Hoon knew of Lee Hyung-Moon as well.

"Keep this to yourself, Yung-Hoo," said Kim Pan-Seok.

"That's not acceptable, sir. This is a crime. We should report it to the police now..."

Kim Pan-Seok let out a deep sigh and explained the situation on my behalf. Understanding the circumstances, Kim Yung-Hoon nodded solemnly.

"I understand. So you need a medical report, right?"

"Yes."

"One moment, please."

Kim Yung-Hoon started explaining Haru's condition while looking at the X-rays. Fortunately, there were no damaged bones and the prognosis was a recovery period of four weeks. Although Kim Yung-Hoon explained it was difficult to issue a more detailed medical report since there were no fractures, this was enough to be of significant help later.

As we were about to leave after checking Haru's condition, Kim Yung-Hoon spoke to Kim Pan-Seok.

"Mr. Kim, why don't you take Haru and get him changed?"

"

Hmm

. Will do." Kim Pan-Seok replied, as he quickly caught on to Kim Yung-Hoon's intention and stepped outside.

Left alone in the examination room, Kim Yung-Hoon looked straight at me and said, "You're quite thorough for someone young. Asking for a medical report as soon as you sign someone, huh?"

"It's not uncommon to end up in legal disputes with parents in our industry," I replied.

"I've seen enough on TV to know these incidents aren't rare. If you ever need a testimony, please call me. I stayed behind to tell you that."

Now, Lee Hyung-Moon couldn't void Haru's contract no matter what Lee Hyung-Moon tried.

Kim Yung-Hoon then began to share more about Haru's family background. But the situation was more complicated than I had thought.

"...Did you just say Haru is of mixed heritage?"

"He's a quarter. Haru's mother, Natalia, is of Russian mixed descent."

'

Wow. No wonder Haru's features were distinct and his skin was so pale,

' I thought to myself.

"Hyung-Moon used to drink before, but he wasn't this bad until he was scammed, which led to the family's downfall."

"Scammed?" I asked.

Lee Hyung-Moon, who used to work on ocean-headed fishing boats, met his wife and settled down in his hometown, securing a job in Sae-Ri's grandfather's orchard. But unable to make much from the orchard work, he attempted to start a business with his savings only to be scammed and lost everything he had.

After that, he began to have fights more often with his wife, Natalia, who eventually left the house about three months later.

"She was such a nice woman, but Hyung-Moon became abusive after he turned to alcohol. No wonder she couldn't hold out anymore. She said she would earn money and come back for Haru, but..."

Kim Yung-Hoon sighed and trailed off.

"Do you know anyone who might have Haru's mother's number?" I asked.

"I don't know. Anyway, I'll have a word with Hyung-Moon. If he's diagnosed with alcoholism, I'll have to have him admitted even by force," Kim Yung-Hoon replied.

"Please do."

Kim Yung-Hoon looked at me and said, "Please take good care of Haru. Knowing you're managing Sae-Ri gives me peace of mind."

"Thank you for saying that."

After bidding Kim Yung-Hoon goodbye, I resolved to find Haru's mother.

It would be great if Kim Yung-Hoon's words were true, but if not, I might have to take some action.

***

We spent the night at Sae-Ri's house and headed back to Seoul the next morning. Sae-Ri, who was sitting in the backseat, started to give Haru a lecture about life in the entertainment industry.

"Haru, you have the kind of style girls like, so you really need to be careful. There are many bad unnies who secretly fancy men while pretending not to."

"Okay."

Sae-Ri gave a serious lecture for a while, then suddenly widened her eyes.

"Oh, and the most important thing is to stay away from the girl groups Petite More and Pink Diamond. They are your top priority to avoid."

"Why is that?" Haru asked.

Sae-Ri glared at Haru with big eyes. "Just do as I say!"

"Alright, I got it."

I shook my head and thought to myself, '

She could've at least explained why. I'll need to explain it to him in detail later.

'

Haru didn't argue with Sae-Ri but only nodded happily at her words with a delighted expression.

As Sae-Ri clenched her fist and declared her protective stance, everyone in the backseat burst into laughter.

"Sae-Ri, stop nagging."

"Seriously. It's not like Haru is your little brother."

Sae-Ri shook her head at Cherry Blossom members' scolding.

"I've been looking after Haru since he was little. So it's only natural I've got to take care of him even when we're in Seoul.

Ahem

," Sae-Ri defended herself.

"Sae-Ri, ever heard of the saying 'know thyself'?"

Yang Eun-Bi snickered, causing Sae-Ri to tilt her head in confusion.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sae-Ri asked.

"It means you should start by getting to school on time and not being late yourself."

"Un-unnie!" Sae-Ri protested.

When Sae-Ri blushed and shouted, laughter erupted from the backseat once again.

But I could understand Sae-Ri's concerns as Haru had struggled particularly with scandals involving older actresses in my past life.

"No, Sae-Ri's right this time. Haru, be careful just like Sae-Ri said, okay?" I remarked.

The cornered Sae-Ri beamed with a broad smile.

"See? Yoon-Ho oppa agrees with me!"

With Sae-Ri puffing out her chest in pride, the members giggled.

After arriving in Seoul and dropping Yoo-Jin and Cherry Blossom off at their home and dorm respectively, I headed to the company with Haru.

Then, I habitually checked my planner after parking the car.

However, while Golden Road's schedules up to November had disappeared, December's comeback schedule remained intact.

[Everyday V10]

[Date: December 12th, 2020]

-07:30 a.m. Golden Road at Forest Salon, S-grade setting.

-05:30 p.m. Golden Road's comeback stage preparation. Request sound check to the AD.

The fact that this schedule hadn't disappeared meant that Golden Road was set for a comeback this December.

Many thoughts ran through my mind.

'

Their comeback schedule is still on. What the heck is going on right now? With such significant scandals, it would be normal to take a break for over a year even if it didn't lead to disbandment, wouldn't it?

'