Chapter 91

Hamhyun is a genius.

To practice shooting personal content, as suggested by Green hyung before, I visited the company. It was a kind of rehearsal.

"The company has recruited people to help us shoot Theora's personal content."

The Theora members gathered to listen to the manager hyung's announcement.

Each member had tentatively decided on the topic they would run their channel with, and it seemed that helpers were called in accordingly.

Green hyung said he wanted to deal with beauty, specifically makeup, and Ji-on said he would film himself cooking. It seemed Ji-on was planning to relieve stress as a hobby.

Seohun hyung said he would teach exercise tips to the Helin, and O-ram said she would show herself drawing or taking on something new.

Looking at it, O-ram seemed to be putting a lot of effort into self-improvement. She had the potential to become a great person in any field, even if she didn't succeed as an idol.

I decided to go with a music channel that crosses genres, and I was recommended by Park-ha to do a vlog of working on a song with a cat.

And Park-ha...

"Are you really going to do that? What if all the Helin fall asleep?"

"Looking at my face won't make them fall asleep! They say that if you have a handsome teacher, your grades go up!"

Park-ha declared that he would film himself studying for the high school equivalency exam.

He had been making a sad face because he couldn't keep his promise to pass the exam this year due to a busy schedule, but he came up with this solution.

"Respect. The will to study even while shooting personal content."

Ji-on, who managed to graduate thanks to the school's understanding of idol activities, half-heartedly cheered Park-ha on. It was something, at least, that he responded even though it wasn't his own business.

Park-ha was clinging to O-ram, who mainly studied with him. O-ram, who said that studying should be done alone, tried to pull Park-ha away, but she looked clearly annoyed. In the end, she gave up and let Park-ha do as he pleased.

"Will you torment the Helin from now on instead of us? Then I'm in favor."

"Are you going to abandon me? No way!"

O-ram's cold agreement made Ji-seon's voice tremble.

"Are you going to torment the Helin? How can you say such a bad thing? O-ram..."

Although he was scolding O-ram, it felt like he was scolding Park-ha. With everyone except Seohun hyung agreeing, Park-ha's plan proceeded smoothly.

"Don't go too far, okay, Park-ha?"

"You know how scary a teacher I'll be? You really are Seohun hyung!"

Park-ha even asked the manager hyung to prepare glasses and a pointer. He also asked for a red hat, but gave up with a sigh after we talked him out of it.

It seemed like a mix of information he had seen and heard.

Entering the company with Park-ha, who wanted to be a tiger teacher, we went into the meeting room we usually use. In the meeting room, there were two employees we had met before and two women we had never seen.

"These are the people recruited by the PR team. This is SNS influencer Miling, who works in beauty, and this is Ujoo-hyun, a high school equivalency exam specialist who will give advice to Park-ha."

Influencer Miling had long wavy brown hair and was tall, while Ujoo-hyun had a short cut and a sophisticated image.

Since Park-ha was also a student, there was a possibility that he might pass on incorrect knowledge to the Helin. Therefore, an expert was needed to give advice and review the videos.

"Hello."

"Hello! Infinite potential, Theora... "

Had the idol greeting stuck to my mouth? I realized I was the only one giving a strong greeting and mumbled the end.

Just saying "Hello" would have been enough.

If I already do this, will I use the idol greeting at school too?

Unlike the other members, who were gleaming with a new reason to tease, Influencer Miling gave a small laugh to ease the awkwardness, and I gave her a grateful nod.

Her eyes seemed to waver, but there was no reason for it, so I finished the nod with a smile.

"Blackout..."

Miling swayed. Does she have anemia?

Fortunately, she regained her balance by holding the table, but I was worried.

"Are you okay?"

"...Yes, I'm fine."

Miling seemed to be a weak person. Yet, she came to help us.

"Let's learn the basic shooting methods and then move separately to talk in detail."

Following the manager hyung's lead, we learned and practiced the essential camera usage and then dispersed.

Time seemed to float, and Ji-on, O-ram, and Seohun hyung said they would return to the dorm.

I called ahead to bring the cat, Hyun, and when I returned to the dorm, my father said he would bring me back. So, I decided to take a taxi home alone.

"Be careful. If anything happens, contact us immediately."

The Theora members and the manager hyung treated me like a troublemaker. I'm not a five-year-old.

After answering that I would keep it in mind, I took a taxi home.

For some reason, both of them were at home in the middle of the day.

"I'm here. But Mom, aren't you going to work?"

"Come in. It's Sunday today, so I didn't go."

"Oh. I didn't know."

Idols don't have a sense of the days of the week. I had been to the company today, so I had forgotten that it was Sunday.

"Yeon seems to be very busy lately. Are you taking care of your health?"

"Yes, don't worry. The members and the manager hyung take care of me like a child."

"That's good. They're taking care of our son. I was so worried when I sent you away."

She wondered if it was okay to send her son, who had never lived in a group, away. She didn't believe it when I said I was doing well during our occasional calls.

At least, she was less anxious because she could hear news from time to time through the group chat created by Green hyung.

"Mom, is it okay if I give the members a gift?"

Gift? It wouldn't be strange for the members, who are like brothers, to receive gifts from our parents.

"Would it be okay as long as it's not excessive?"

"...Is it? I thought about giving them hotel reservation vouchers to use with their families. Is it okay? I already bought them."

She had already bought them before asking. It seemed like the answer was already decided, but I gave her the answer she wanted.

"It should be fine."

"I tried a hotel reservation voucher from a subsidiary after taking on a duty-free shop advertisement, and the facilities and service were great."

Considering the relationship with the Theora members, it was a gift that could be given. A reservation voucher for a comfortable 2-3 day stay at a hotel was a gift that could be given within Mom's means.

"The gift I first thought of was a dorm, but I haven't found a good one yet, so I'll wait."

"...A dorm?"

Is she going to suddenly ask, 'Mom found a dorm, do you want to move in?' one day?

"The dorm is a bit..."

Is she really going to buy one? I can't even guess how the members will react.

Will the members feel burdened? Can I explain it well? I don't want to recommend it because there's a high possibility they will feel burdened.

Mom must have thought about it because she wanted us to live in a wider and more comfortable dorm. I can understand that.

"I came to pick up Hyun. Hamjisu took very good care of him, so I'm relieved."

"Are you mad at Dad?"

There was always a reason when Mom called Dad by his full name instead of 'honey.' It was usually because he had upset her.

"I feel like I'm invisible because he's so obsessed with the cat. When you were little, your dad couldn't get enough of cute things."

Dad's painting style was also cute. He was known as an artist who captured cute things on canvas.

That Dad married Mom, who had a sophisticated beauty, might be because of a deep love that transcended taste.

"The cat will appear a lot in this season's paintings."

"He's already started."

As an artist, the cat I brought might stir up his creative desire. I'm worried that he might be upset and lose inspiration after I take Hyun away.

"Hamjisu said you're so into the cat that you're asking me to get one too?"

Mom also liked cats, and since the studio was in the house, Dad would take care of the cat.

"Shouldn't we go to an animal shelter first?"

The next time I come home, there might be a new cat friend for Hyun. The picky cat Hamhyun probably won't even notice a new cat.

Hearing our conversation, Dad came out of the studio, holding Hyun in one arm.

Hyun, who saw me, immediately jumped down from Dad's arm and came over.

Meow?

He rubbed against my legs with a pitiful cry, then climbed up my pants with his claws.

I picked up Hyun, who was climbing, but he kept meowing.

"Sorry. I came too late. Let's go home with hyung now."

"I took such good care of him, and he just throws me away when his owner comes. Hyun, that's too much..."

Dad looked at his empty arm, which felt light.

"Thanks for taking care of Hyun, Dad. He seems heavier now."

"Right? I made sure he ate day and night, so he must have gotten a little healthier."

We should check with a vet, but it seemed like he had gained quite a bit of weight. His fur was cleaner, and the line of his gray tuxedo was clearer.

"I'm going now. I just stopped by before starting practice, so I need to go."

"Do you want to take some cat food?"

The house was filled with cat supplies in just a few days.

"No. I've already ordered Hyun's things. Just tell me the brand of food he likes."

I noted the food brand Dad told me and received the hotel reservation vouchers from Mom on my way out. I stopped by the vet again and heard praise from the vet.

I should have taken care of him, but I felt awkward hearing the praise in front of the vet because I had left it all to Dad.

I decided to remember only that Hyun was recovering.

* * *

When I got back to the dorm, Park-ha and Green hyung were waiting.

I took Hyun out of the cat carrier and sat on the living room sofa. Hyun, instead of the cat tower or the hideout in the living room, curled up on my lap and purred.

"Hamhyun is here!"

Hyun, who ran over in excitement, growled at Park-ha once and then started grooming himself.

"I want to hold him too!"

†r!

His refusal was clear. It wasn't a round sound but a short, thick rejection.

"Hamhyun, do you understand Korean? You're better than me when I first came to Korea and just made random sounds."

Ji-on's question, filled with his experience, conveyed Hamhyun's exceptional intelligence.

"Maybe he'll appear on 'Is There Such an Animal?'"

Seohun hyung's imagination was picked up by O-ram.

"Thanks to Hamhyun, we might appear on that show? We should take good care of him?"

Meow.

The timing of the meow was perfect. As soon as O-ram finished speaking, Hamhyun answered with a 'Sure, why not.'

I'm not a cat lover. Objectively, Hamhyun is a special cat with a good chance of appearing on TV.

It seems that the 'My cat is a genius' bias will never wear off.