Chapter 08 …
Haru tightened her gloved hand around Kang Tae-jun’s pinky even more. Kang Tae-jun glanced down at her.
Was she nervous?
Kang Tae-jun had made time in his busy schedule to support Haru on her first day of kindergarten. With an displeased expression, he looked at the obstacle standing in front of him.
Lee Hyun-woo and Gong Dae-in had chased after them since early morning, insisting that they couldn’t miss Haru’s first day of kindergarten. Kang Tae-jun’s gaze swept over Lee Hyun-woo’s face.
With bright yellow hair and piercings dangling all over his ears, the man intended to pretend he was Haru’s father?
“Are you planning to ruin Haru’s kindergarten life?”
“What?”
Lee Hyun-woo folded his arms and lifted his chin.
“Why would I ruin Haru’s future? You should worry about yourself. I saw an article saying your stock price was falling. Do you even have any assets left to pass down to Haru?”
“I still have more money than you.”
Kang Tae-jun casually ignored Lee Hyun-woo’s glare and spoke.
“They said they’d come out to greet us, but they’re late.”
Gong Dae-in checked his wristwatch.
“It has been two minutes, but since a kindergarten is a place where various unexpected circumstances can arise, let’s wait a little longer.”
Regardless of what the father candidates were saying, Haru gazed at the Lara Kindergarten building with a pounding heart.
Someone came rushing out through the main gate. After spotting Haru and the three men, the person slowed down.
“I’m sorry I’m late. Haru’s fathe—”
At that moment, a notebook suddenly flipped open before Haru’s eyes.
[Haru’s Case Notebook]
Ding!
Suddenly, the letters began flashing red.
Warning! Something’s Suspicious!
A Villain Candidate Has Appeared!
☞ Investigate the Teacher
☞ Just Walk Away
★ Nurungji Candy ★
Using Your Ability Won’t Hurt You
Time Remaining: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
Quantity Remaining: 6/7
Haru’s eyes widened.
This was the first time she had encountered a villain candidate!
Smart Haru knew that a villain was a bad person. Then was that person really a villain?
Haru looked back and forth between Kang Tae-jun and the kindergarten teacher. Perhaps this was where she needed to use the Nurungji Candy!
Haru’s gaze sharpened as she observed the kindergarten teacher.
What would Dodo do?
While Haru pondered the matter, the kindergarten teacher looked back and forth between the three men with a bewildered expression.
“Which one of you is…?”
All three men spoke at the same time.
“I’m Haru’s father.”
“Pardon?”
The teacher’s eyes widened.
“A-all three of you?”
“Yes. There are complicated circumstances.”
Kang Tae-jun answered with an expressionless face.
The teacher hesitated at his curt response, but then raised her head resolutely and spoke clearly.
“Fathers… From now on, I ask that only one of you bring Haru to kindergarten and pick her up each day. It will be better for Haru as she adjusts to kindergarten.”
Lee Hyun-woo had been about to protest, but the kindergarten teacher looked so firm and professional that he immediately shut his mouth.
“Yes, understood, Teacher. I’m Gong Dae-in, CEO of A-Tech. Please contact me regarding Haru’s consultations. Even if Haru gets sick or something happens to her today, make sure to contact me. I can get here faster than anyone else.”
That bastard! He’s going first?
Lee Hyun-woo hurriedly tried to take out his own business card, but Kang Tae-jun was quicker.
“I’m Kang Tae-jun of Daehan Group. I’d appreciate it if you contacted me first.”
“I’m Lee Hyun-woo from E-Entertainment. Contact me first, please. And if you ever need autographs from our company’s idols, just let me know.”
“If you need to upgrade the kindergarten’s security system, please contact me.”
“I’ll replace your TVs and computers.”
“……”
The teacher accepted all three business cards and blinked blankly.
“Ah, yes. I’ll contact all of you for now. But Haru’s surname is Oh…”
“She took her mother’s surname.”
“Oh, then Haru’s mother is…”
The atmosphere suddenly turned icy.
“She’s traveling.”
Kang Tae-jun gave a brief answer.
Just then, two women passing by glanced at them and lowered their voices.
“Her mother’s traveling, and she has three fathers? What a strange family.”
“Shh, they can hear you.”
Haru’s little hand clenched tightly.
Kang Tae-jun turned his head. The women stopped talking when they saw his face.
He said nothing. He merely stared at them with the same intimidating gaze he used on board members who voted against him during a company meeting. One of the women recognized his face and swallowed nervously.
“…Daehan Group?”
Lee Hyun-woo pushed his sunglasses up onto his head and smiled brightly.
“Why the sudden silence? You were talking so freely just a moment ago.”
“Lee Hyun-woo from E-Entertainment…?”
One of the women came to her senses and immediately apologized to Haru.
“I’m sorry! I’m really sorry! I apologize! Hey, let’s go. Hurry!”
She bowed her head and grabbed the other woman by the arm, pulling her away.
Gong Dae-in pushed up his glasses and spoke.
“If you post anything about the child’s personal information or family online, we will take legal action.”
“We absolutely won’t say anything! We’re sorry!”
After the women hurried away, Gong Dae-in began patting the top of Haru’s head with stiff, awkward movements.
“There’s nothing strange about it. They’re just jealous because you have three fathers.”
Haru nodded slightly.
The kindergarten teacher glanced briefly in the direction the women had disappeared before crouching down to Haru’s eye level.
“Hello, Haru!”
“Helwo.”
Haru greeted her cautiously.
“Oh, Haru knows how to greet people so well! Come on, let’s go to the Sprout Class together!”
When the teacher reached out to take Haru’s hand, Haru slipped behind Kang Tae-jun’s leg.
I can’t hold a villain’s hand!
With Haru clinging to his leg, Kang Tae-jun spoke with an oddly proud expression.
“Our child is shy around strangers.”
He leisurely enjoyed the jealous gazes of Lee Hyun-woo and Gong Dae-in.
“And she has a severe allergy, so please don’t remove her gloves without permission.”
Haru, who had been hiding behind his leg like a little puppy, peeked out and looked up at Kang Tae-jun.
Her mother had told her that if people asked, she should say she couldn’t take off her gloves because of her allergy.
“Oh, I see. What kind of allergy does she have?”
“What kind of allergy is it?”
“An allergy to villains! It’s dangerous if my bare hands touch a villain.”
“Then why did you hold our hands?”
“It was a test! Nothing happened, so you passed!”
Kang Tae-jun answered calmly.
“…The cause hasn’t been clearly identified.”
Lee Hyun-woo cleared his throat. Gong Dae-in nodded seriously.
An allergy to villains, huh?
Haru had definitely become deeply absorbed in detective comics. Still, that was fine. All they had to do was respect the child’s wishes.
“I see. I’ll be careful, too. Haru, shall we go say hello to your friends now?”
The kindergarten teacher extended her hand again with a kind smile.
The words were still floating above her head.
Warning! Something’s Suspicious!
A Villain Candidate Has Appeared!
Haru looked at the three father candidates surrounding her, one after another.
Somehow, she felt reassured!
Haru grew braver. She took a deep breath.
If she wanted to find out whether someone was a villain, she would have to hold their hand eventually!
Haru is a great detective. I can do this.
Haru squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them and reached out her gloved hand toward the Sprout Class teacher.
“Pwease hold Haru’s hand.”
The Sprout Class teacher smiled and took Haru’s hand.
“Good. Shall we go, then?”
As Haru walked away with the teacher, she turned around and waved enthusiastically.
The three men awkwardly waved back at her.
After watching until Haru had completely disappeared inside the building, Kang Tae-jun unfolded his arms and sighed.
“Why am I so anxious? I’ve never felt this anxious in my entire life.”
“Me neither. I wonder if Haru will be able to handle it.”
“It’s a process every parent must go through. We can’t keep our children by our sides forever.”
“I’ve never kept Haru by my side like that!”
“Neither have I.”
“What if Haru cries? What if her friends bully her? What if she suddenly gets sick?”
“Did you pack a thermometer? What about emergency medicine? A change of clothes?”
Gong Dae-in answered expressionlessly.
“Overprotecting a child isn’t good for her.”
Nevertheless, the three men found it difficult to leave the kindergarten entrance.
“If sending her to kindergarten makes us this anxious, how did Jangmi manage to leave her child behind and…”
At that moment, Kang Tae-jun’s phone rang.
“CEO! Where are you? The board meeting starts in thirty minutes!”
Kang Tae-jun checked his watch. It was already well past nine.
“I’ll be there soon.”
Lee Hyun-woo’s phone began ringing, too.
“CEO, why haven’t you been answering my calls? When are you coming to the office?”
At the sound of his secretary’s cold voice, Lee Hyun-woo flinched.
“Since everyone seems busy, I’ll take care of picking Haru up from kindergarten today.”
Just as Gong Dae-in broke into a victorious smile, his phone began ringing as well.
“CEO, where are you? You have a meeting with investors in an hour.”
“…I’ll be there soon.”
Even after ending their calls, the three men remained rooted to the spot like stone statues.
Lee Hyun-woo turned to Gong Dae-in.
“You seem pretty busy yourself.”
“I can finish everything before pickup time.”
“I’ll finish everything before you do.”
“I’m supposed to be in charge for a month, so stop talking nonsense and get lost.”
Unable to bear watching them any longer, the security guard approached and spoke up.
“What are you doing here? Kids adjust faster when their parents leave. Go on, hurry up!”
The three men glared at one another before reluctantly beginning to walk away, moving slowly and unwillingly.
And they kept turning back to look at the kindergarten…
