There Are Four Top Idol Uncles - Chapter 189

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Part 2, Episode 15
[If you smelled the scent from the alley where I live, you’d understand. The smell of incense is nothing compared to it.]
Yewon on the screen squeezed her eyes shut before the ancestral tablet placed on the offering table of an elderly man she didn’t even know.
[So you’re praying for the repose of their souls too? That’s quite generous service.]
The woman watching Yewon spoke with a scoffing edge to her voice.
[It’s not service.]
[Then what?]
[Just. Acting like a human being. Try it yourself when you have time. It’s more worthwhile than you’d think.]
[Praying for the repose of their souls?]
[No. Acting like a human being.]
The lines were brief, and the scene itself was nothing extraordinary.
Yet Eun-o couldn’t tear his eyes away from Yewon on the screen.
*Very Another Day*.
The first time he’d watched this film wasn’t because of Yewon, the Korean actress. It certainly wasn’t because of Kuroki Ari, the debut director, nor because it had won an award at Sundance.
He’d stumbled upon it by chance—and watched it because of an interview where Yewon introduced the film.
[Reporter: This film tells the story of Eon, a thirteen-year-old girl living in 1990s San Francisco Chinatown who performs ancestor rites for elderly people with no families in exchange for money. Can you tell us about the girl named Eon that you portrayed? As the lead role, didn’t you find it burdensome?]
[Yewon: It was such a significant role that I was quite nervous. Though it was fun, of course. And… I know it might sound strange if I say this, but I don’t actually think the protagonist of this film is Eon.]
[Reporter: Why is that?]
[Yewon: I believe the person who truly drives a film forward is the one who grows the most within it. But in this film, Eon isn’t the one who grows the most. She’d already grown so much by then. Despite being the youngest.]
[Reporter: So she was a presence that caused the adults—who hadn’t grown—to grow instead?]
[Yewon: Ha ha. You’ll understand better by watching the film. You absolutely won’t regret it. It’s truly a wonderful film.]
Thinking it was quite a cocky interview, Eun-o nevertheless dashed to the cinema at 12:40 a.m. to catch the showing of *Very Another Day*.
And.
[How many times did we agree to perform the rites?]
[Just once.]
[You always contract for just one?]
[Yes.]
Eun-o watched the plain, rail-thin girl with her hair clumsily tied back and thought.
[Then what are all those tablets? Why keep them instead of throwing them away? It’s creepy.]
[It’s not really creepy.]
[Sleeping with hundreds of names of the dead—that’s completely creepy.]
[It’s far better than sleeping alone.]
Those eyes of hers.
Someday I want to capture them within my frame.
* * *
The next day.
Yewon set out for school much earlier than the others.
Not for any particular reason….
“Did you all really want to come with me this badly, Dad? Uncles…?”
To bring along these five extraordinarily conspicuous men, they had to leave before the other kids started their commute to school.
“…Yeah…. I’m sorry, shorty….”
“Of course I’m not sorry.”
“I’M not sorry either??? So we’re not supposed to walk our baby soda to school??? What kind of relationship do we have??? Huh??? What kind of relationship????”
“We might need a shovel just in case. We have to do a preliminary survey.”
“Yeah.”
Lee Doha, Eon, Weon, Yeonho, and Yusong, in that order.
A shovel???
No, Dad…. If you just say “yeah” in agreement with Uncle Yeonho like that… you can’t do this…!
“Uncle. Do you not have any schedules…?”
Yewon looked at Lee Doha intently.
“Yeah… the world tour… just wrapped…. Can’t your uncle rest for a bit…?”
“I don’t think that’s possible. I checked Twitter yesterday, and while you uncles were doing the world tour, the domestic fan sisters said their patience is running thin—they want you to hurry with the full comeback. They were saying ‘Come back complete soon’ and all that.”
“How are you even finding all this stuff…….”
“Don’t just cling to the mature concept. Your uncles’ looks are still in their prime, so they’re asking you to go for a fresh concept instead. But I think they have a point.”
I’ve been working hard on my uncles’ appearance management, you know, sisters.
I don’t let them eat anything bad, and I make sure they exercise diligently, you know.
“…….”
At Yewon’s words, all the GLEET members covered their faces with their hands.
Privately, they each resolved that the moment they got home, they would definitely wipe every single one of Yewon’s social media accounts from her phone.
“…What about me?”
“?”
At Yusong’s words, Yewon tilted her head.
What did he mean by “me”?
Could it be… that Dad had heard he still looked young and wanted…?
Yewon gasped quietly to herself.
What father would push his daughter to say something like that?
“Um… yes… Dad’s… still in his prime… looks-wise… right?”
Dad doesn’t even look like that to me… Really, he sure is proud of his own appearance.
It makes sense for the uncles—they’re idols after all—but Dad…
Dad is…
Yewon stepped back from Yusong with a slightly worn expression.
Sure, Dad was good-looking, but this was a bit much.
“……?”
Yusong froze for a moment, then his face went pale as he seemed to grasp the situation, and he hastily shook his head.
“That’s not it, sweetheart. I was asking if you could take some interest in Dad’s work. It’s absolutely not what you think.”
“Ah.”
Only then did Yewon break into a bright smile.
“Dad handles everything well anyway. I’m not worried.”
If anything, it seems like he’s been scheming too much behind the scenes… I wish he’d just rest a little.
But he wouldn’t listen anyway!
Yewon was quick with her judgment.
“Anyway. This is really just once. I’m not a kid anymore, you know.”
At Yewon’s words, all five men simultaneously averted their eyes and clamped their mouths shut as if on cue.
They could never tell Yewon a lie!
“What is it, all of you?! That reaction?! You think I’m a kid? No, I’m a teenager now. A proper one.”
“…….”
As they all fell silent, there was one person who dared to speak.
“Look at this.”
“!?”
It was Eon.
Yewon saw what he was holding out to her.
This was…
“A hand mirror…?”
Yewon looked at her own face in the mirror.
It’s just my face, the one I know. What’s wrong with it?
“Why the mirror, Uncle?”
“So you can see your own face. You’re just a little one, pure and simple. Look at those adorable cheeks, those round eyes, that sweet mouth. Who do you think you are, deciding to become a teenager on a whim? You’re just our house’s little one. Always will be.”
“??!?!”
Cheeks?!?! Do I… have cheeks like that…?!
Yewon reached up to touch her own cheeks in shock.
“Are you serious, Uncle? Do I really have such puffy cheeks…??!”
Yewon grabbed Lee Doha’s sleeve urgently and asked.
Then.
“…….”
Lee Doha turned away with his hand clamped over his mouth, his face nearly breaking into tears.
What? He looked like he was laughing just now? And now I’m starting to feel a little offended?
Yewon snatched the hand mirror from Eon’s hands with a sulky pout.
“Hmph. Fine. I won’t believe what the uncles say.”
The uncles only ever lie. I’ll ask my friends at school!
* * *
“Yeah. Yewon’s cheeks are so cute.”
“You didn’t know that?? How could you not know?? The whole universe has been telling you you’re cute—did you just not listen??”
This couldn’t be happening.
At Harin and Jeongyun’s words, Yewon fell into quiet despair.
Cute…? Me…?
No… The actress I want to become is sophisticated, distinctive, and has presence—an ‘adult woman’…!
“Anyway, Yewon, which club are you going to join?”
Whether or not Yewon was reeling from the shock, Jeongyun held out a piece of paper.
It was a list of clubs at Hyunbong Art Middle School.
“Ah. I want to do something unrelated to acting, at least with the club. We already have to think about acting all day anyway. Couldn’t I do something different with club?”
Jeongyun gazed at Yewon with sparkling eyes and pestered her.
“Huh? Come on, Yewon? Let’s listen to something different.”
“Mm….”
If I’m being honest, I’d really like to do that too.
Yewon laughed awkwardly, a hollow sound.
[…Quest success condition: Get Mun Hyeok’s former close friend Eun-o and Mun Hyeok to join the same club]
The Quest window behind Jeongyun was glimmering like “Look at me!” so it’d be a little tough to manage that….
My own club mattered, but first I needed to figure out what club Mun Hyeok and Eun-o were in.
“First… before deciding, why don’t we ask Hyuk about the clubs? Since he’s a third-year, he’d probably know better which clubs have good atmospheres, right?”
“That makes sense. Group activities depend on purpose and direction, sure, but the members matter most. Especially at our age, where social connections are so important.”
At Harin’s words, Jeongyun shook her head as if exasperated.
“How do you always talk like a news anchor? Seriously, that’s impressive.”
“Anyway, we’re all agreed on asking together, right?”
“Yeah. Let’s do it. It’s not like asking is hard or anything.”
Jeongyun nodded readily.
“Then we should ask after school. Ugh.”
“Why? Can’t we just ask during break?”
When Harin asked, puzzled, Jeongyun’s lips twitched slightly, looking a bit uncomfortable.
“Well… I’ve only been here a day, so I’m not totally sure, but our seniors don’t seem to like juniors very much? And I’d rather not put myself in front of them. It’s still early in the semester. I should watch how things are and be careful about it.”
Yewon nodded in agreement.
Even yesterday at lunch, it was like that. She didn’t know about the second-years, but the third-years were definitely exclusionary toward the younger students.
She didn’t mind it herself, but she didn’t want to drag Harin and Jeongyun into it.
“Jeongyun’s right. Let’s ask after school.”
The three of them came to an agreement, and just as they were turning to leave as lunch period was ending—
“Hey.”
“!”
Several students, clearly not first-years, blocked the path of the three friends.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————