Chapter 55: Things Remain, People Change

After the car arrived at Hyori's former elementary school, she walked around the spacious playground, recounting some amusing stories from back then. Coming to a large tree by the playground, Hyori said, "It's grown so tall now. When I was little, I used to climb it every day." The camera followed the tree trunk upward, showing that it had indeed become a large tree.

After a tour, they walked out of the school gate. Hyori pointed to a small alley next to the gate and said, "The road behind hasn't changed. This is where people who were cheating came... hehe... and loafers often had dates on that road..."

Hearing Hyori's words, the VJ couldn't help but laugh. Elementary school students, cheating?

Hyori continued down the road, saying, "Back then, the boys from the school would come to our family's hair salon for haircuts. I found it annoying, so I would hide... to avoid meeting them..."

When they reached the market, Hyori suddenly ran into a former male classmate. They chatted briefly, but since they were still filming, they said goodbye.

Hyori introduced to the camera, "Amazing... to run into him like this... This is a classmate from junior high. He was very handsome and kind back then... often... when I had something bothering me, he would come with me here, like a guardian angel friend."

After that, they went to a small snack shop she used to frequent in junior high and high school.

Everyone sat down, and Hyori introduced, "This is freshly made tteokbokki..." After ordering with the owner, the owner left without saying much. Hyori said, "Still the same, not very welcoming, just a casual greeting..."

The tteokbokki and ramen were quickly brought to the table, ready to eat after a short boil.

"Mmm~ Still the same taste as before..."

Because of the steam, it was hard to film, so the VJ put the camera aside and joined in the meal. The taste was indeed good.

After finishing the meal, they got back in the car and continued on. During the drive, Hyori called a friend and then got out of the car nearby, saying, "My closest friend lives in this neighborhood, so I often come this way... Back then, the S.M. Entertainment office was here. I used to go to the company entrance to see HOT. A manager asked me to audition, so I went to S.M. for a tryout, but at that time, President Lee Soo-man wasn't very satisfied with me. I auditioned in front of him, but no matter what, he didn't think I was good enough, so I left..."

"Back then, Mr. Lee Soo-man didn't choose me... Did you ever regret it after he didn't choose you?" Hyori said with a smile to the camera, "Actually, I was quite laid-back back then and wasn't very enthusiastic about the entertainment industry... but I ended up entering this world anyway..."

Walking to the entrance of a neighborhood, Hyori said to the camera, "Ah... the journey back to the past is over. Now, back to the present... Thank you for your company today, goodbye~" After saying goodbye to the VJ, she turned and walked into the neighborhood.

............................................................................................................................

May 8th, Sunny

In the morning, Lee Shin-haeng and Hyori were sitting at the dining table having breakfast.

"Are you going by yourself today, or should I wait for you to go together?" Lee Shin-haeng asked, taking a sip of milk.

"Today will be very busy, so you go ahead, Oppa. I'm sorry." Hyori said apologetically. As a daughter, she didn't have time to visit her parents, so Lee Shin-haeng usually went on her behalf, bringing plenty of health supplements each time.

"What do you have to apologize to me for? Don't worry, I'll remember to say good things about you." Lee Shin-haeng deliberately twisted her words.

Today was Korea's Parents' Day, so Lee Shin-haeng and Hyori had to go back to their hometown to have dinner with their parents.

Parents' Day is a unique legal holiday in Korea, established to specially thank parents. Unlike in other countries, Korea combines Father's Day and Mother's Day into one day, rather than celebrating them separately. The tradition of celebrating Parents' Day began in 1956, but it wasn't until 1973 that it officially became a legal holiday in Korea.

As Parents' Day approaches each year, the number of people selling flowers on Korean streets noticeably increases. Most people buy a bouquet of flowers to give to their parents on this day to show their appreciation. Among the many flowers, carnations and gladioli are the most common, as they symbolize respect and care for elders, making them the best choice to express filial piety.

As a country that values tradition and etiquette, Koreans place great importance on filial piety. Therefore, no matter how busy they are, Koreans will buy flowers and gifts to visit their parents on this day. When visiting their parents, children first perform a deep bow, the traditional Korean "kneeling bow," to express gratitude. They then present the flowers and gifts. Sometimes, they sit around their parents and receive guidance on traditional etiquette and culture.

With the changing times, the types of gifts children give to their parents have become more diverse. Cash, filial travel (children taking their parents on trips), and concert tickets have gradually become new choices. However, regardless of the form of the gift, the love and gratitude children have for their parents remain unchanged.

After breakfast, Hyori took her bag and left for the recording studio. She had been very busy recently, as the album was about to be released.

After tidying up the dining table, Lee Shin-haeng started cleaning the house. If you're not diligent with pets like cats or dogs, your home can become a mess, with fur sticking to you wherever you sit.

It was still early, so Lee Shin-haeng leisurely brushed the fur of Mimi, Prince, and the other little ones. Today was the last day of the program's filming, and someone would come to remove the cameras from the house.

Around nine o'clock, the doorbell rang.

Lee Shin-haeng went to open the door and let the staff in. Two people carried a white-wrapped frame, which looked like a painting. The program's PD said it was a painting made by a young artist for Hyori, hoping she would like it. Lee Shin-haeng thanked them on Hyori's behalf, and they began to remove the cameras from the house.

Compared to installation, removal was much faster. It took about half an hour to finish. After saying goodbye to them, Lee Shin-haeng closed the door and lay on the sofa, exclaiming, "Wow... it's over... finally over... this damned surveillance life."

After lying there for a while to relax, he went upstairs to change into simple clothes, prepared the cats' lunch and dinner, and took the gifts for his in-laws, then left.

On the way, Lee Shin-haeng stopped by the supermarket to buy some things.

He slowly parked the car by the entrance, took the items from the passenger seat, closed the car door, and walked to the door, pressing the doorbell.