Chick 201
by CristaeChick Class Hunter is Showing Filial Piety! Episode 201
Chapter: The Ghost of Gokseong
[Breaking News] Amakusa Re-Enters Korea
…No comment on whether he returned per the Korean government’s request…
While Korea was abuzz with Amakusa Kazuki’s interview stating, “I will await approval of my naturalization,” after his re-entry,
In front of the Orchestra headquarters building.
Groo, having just stepped out of the car, shook her head at the sitter who was about to take down her bicycle.
“I don’t need to ride it at the office anymore.”
Groo’s face as she said this was sulky and pouty.
The sitter stifled a laugh as she cupped the child’s cheeks gently.
“Groo, were you stopped again?”
Nod, nod.
“Oh, my poor baby. Is that why you’ve gone off riding your bike?”
As the sitter listened kindly, Groo grumbled with a face full of frustration.
“Twenty kilometers is way too slow… Dani oppa and Ser oppa both said they didn’t want to go with me because I’m too slow. Only Dad keeps insisting it’s enough.”
“Those brothers are mean, aren’t they? They should stay with you, Groo.”
Groo’s eyes widened with indignation as she declared,
“Dad’s the mean one. Twenty kilometers is bad. He doesn’t go that slow, either.”
“You’re right. Dad’s being mean.”
“Yes.”
Groo began humming in satisfaction, and the patient sitter patted her bottom, urging her along.
“Didn’t you say you’re meeting your sabu today? He might already be waiting, so let’s hurry inside.”
“Oh, that’s right!”
After heading back to Japan over naturalization issues, it had been a long time since she’d seen her sabu.
Groo smiled brightly, relieved that, now that her sabu was naturalizing, she wouldn’t have to cruelly abandon him anymore.
‘I narrowly escaped turning into Evil Groo.’
As Groo trotted through the revolving door of the Orchestra building, welcoming voices greeted her at the desk.
“Groo, Groo!”
“Did you finish kindergarten early today?”
“Hello! Yes, I didn’t do ballet today.”
“Oh, so you do ballet at kindergarten too?”
“You’ll show us next time, right?”
“Yep!”
Groo nodded proudly.
She was basking in the affectionate pats from the older girls who found her adorable—
Suddenly.
Her gaze drifted down the hallway toward the elevators.
One wall was a floor-to-ceiling glass window, affording a full view of the manicured gardens encircling the building…
“A person?”
Next to the shrubbery, a pitch-black head poked out.
Someone crouched on the ground, rubbing their eyes as they stood up—clearly a homeless person.
Groo tilted her head, eyeing the figure beyond the glass.
There were sometimes homeless people begging at the front entrance, but this one’s hair looked far too clean, not a trace of grease or dandruff.
‘A new homeless person?’
As the sitter bade farewell and departed, Groo tiptoed after her, sneaking outside in pursuit of the new homeless person.
She slipped around the building, avoiding the attention of others, seeking out the newcomer.
“…?”
But what she found there was someone entirely unexpected.
At that moment, Joorim was engrossed in a chapter from a parenting book: “Why Does My Child Pick Up These Things?”
The point was that such behavior is natural in childhood development and learning—satisfying a child’s curiosity and exploratory spirit, and understanding their interests and thoughts.
His daughter, as if she somehow knew, had barely let him finish the chapter before bringing home yet another strange thing.
To start practical training the moment you learn—the pace was problematic.
“Still, isn’t this a bit much?”
Joorim turned his lazy gaze.
The person whom Groo had “collected” today sucked in a breath in shock.
“On Groo.”
“Yes?”
“I understand curiosity and the spirit of discovery, but can you avoid bringing home homeless people? Guys who live on the street are hard for Dad to accept.”
“He’s not homeless!”
“I—I’m PD Hwang Uncheol!”
Groo and Director Hwang replied at exactly the same time.
“PD?”
“Y-Yes.”
Did he mean formerly a PD?
What would a perfectly respectable, middle-aged man with a proper job be doing loitering in such a disheveled state behind someone else’s company building?
Earlier that morning he had been camping out in front of the building, but on seeing Joorim’s face had bolted around the back. The reaction had seemed very odd.
Hmm. When Joorim met Hwang Uncheol’s eyes, Hwang darted his head from side to side in avoidance.
He seemed to have a lot weighing on his conscience.
“He definitely looks homeless.”
Joorim was about to kindly explain to Groo that a man living on the street was called “homeless” when—
Bang!
Suddenly, the Guildmaster’s office door burst open.
“On-chan! Groo-chan, where… Ehh?”
It was Kazuki.
He was delighted to see Groo, but then caught sight of Hwang Uncheol and his eyes widened.
“PD-san! Have you come to pick me up already? Korea really moves fast~”
“Why is Amakusa Hunter here…!”
Director Hwang, too, was startled, staring at Kazuki wide-eyed.
Joorim, his brow furrowing, looked round at Director Hwang, his daughter, and Amakusa Kazuki in turn.
A formerly homeless PD, the daughter who brought him in, and a recently returned foreigner?
He couldn’t make sense of this at all.
He pressed his dizzy forehead, then looked up and asked,
“Can someone explain what’s going on?”
With a quiet swoosh, a business card was proffered courteously with both hands.
Joorim accepted it and read the name.
[NTV PD Hwang Uncheol]
“We met once before when I came for the interview. You might recall—I produced the variety show ‘World Mart,’ and also ‘Family Life Under the Stars,’ where Wooju was recently featured and won an award…”
“Ah.”
Joorim recalled the drama Groo had watched so diligently when she learned Seo Wooju would appear.
It had cleverly presented all sorts of family stories; critically praised and with impressive viewer ratings.
“I know it. The kids told me quite a bit—you’re a highly regarded producer. I’m On Joorim of Orchestra.”
At this, a broad smile blossomed across Hwang PD’s face.
“The kids talk about me?”
“They did. But what brings a renowned producer like you to loiter, homeless, in front of our company today?”
“Oh… Ahh…”
Hwang PD’s words halted midstream. He gulped.
When the silence grew awkward, Joorim turned to Kazuki.
“And you—how do you know our company’s resident homeless man?”
“Ho—Homeless…”
The blow seemed critical; Director Hwang’s face registered deep shock.
Kazuki, however, only smiled cheerfully and answered.
“When I came to Korea last time, there were political issues, remember? To clear up any misunderstandings, we arranged a TV show with PD Hwang in advance.”
When Kazuki had first planned his visit to Korea, Japan was gearing up attempts to keep him in check.
The Japanese government had tried to keep Kazuki from visiting. If Amakusa Kazuki decided to travel to Korea in such circumstances, it could be read as sending a contradictory signal.
Yet they couldn’t completely rein him in.
So, the compromise was: “He’s coming to Korea on a fixed filming schedule for a Korean variety show.” That was the official line.
“Was the mass production of first-generation Amakusa Tsurugi also part of the agreement?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“And what will you do about it now?”
“Hm, I guess it’ll work out, one way or another.”
Kazuki threw his head back and laughed heartily.
‘Not exactly a reassuring answer…’
A Hunter of Amakusa Kazuki’s caliber always brought a host of issues wherever he went.
Now, having gone as far as naturalization, the number of matters to resolve must have multiplied.
Not that any of this was Joorim’s concern—but Kazuki seemed so much like a stray child left by the waterside that Joorim almost felt compelled to ask again.
Then, Director Hwang straightened up and spoke with deep humility.
“It was such a sudden request, and the schedule was tight, but when would I ever get a chance to feature Hunter Amakusa? I had to make it happen, even if it meant going out on a limb.”
He heaved a hefty sigh.
“But right when I finished planning and was waiting, the Hunter’s naturalization issue cropped up… I was so worried everything would fall apart, but in the end it all worked out. I’m hugely relieved.”
Having hurriedly arranged the schedule only for Kazuki to be suddenly detained in Japan—a situation that nearly ruined all their plans—he’d truly been on tenterhooks.
As a producer, he felt immense gratitude to the Doan Group for resolving the SSPED situation—not merely as a Korean, but in his professional capacity as well.
“I follow you regarding Kazuki. But what about Groo?”
“Oh.”
Asked so pointedly, Director Hwang rolled his eyes for a moment before sitting up with determination.
“Ahem, ahem. Guildmaster On!”
Then, without warning, he dropped to his knees.
Kazuki, eyes sparkling with amusement, exclaimed with delight.
“The reason I camped outside your company is because I had one request to make.”
He’d braved camping out just to ask this one thing. No matter how intimidating Joorim was, he couldn’t back out now.
“May I work with your daughter?! I promise to take perfect responsibility so that she never feels even a moment of hardship!”
“….”
What exactly was he promising to take responsibility for?
Joorim stared down at the kneeling middle-aged man as if regarding an insect.