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Chapter 166: Hitting Two Birds With One Stone

-Singers really need to focus on singing over dancing. In the end, it’s the talented vocalists who survive. Yup.

-Acting skills! In this age where CG ironically does everything, it\'s still a shining talent!

-What are you talking about!? For celebrities, it\'s all about charisma.

However, this was only the external perspective. Lacking looks could be fixed with surgical procedures and poor singing could somewhat be covered with Auto-Tune.

There were also plenty of strategies to avoid acting controversies, such as only choosing roles that were easy to act out.

Historical dramas typically allowed actors to be easily pitted against acting masters and as such were absolutely forbidden. On the other hand, sitcoms allowed actors to compete against rookie actors and were highly welcomed.

Beyond all else, the initial challenge confronting the actors was mustering the courage to face the public. Though it may appear trivial, this seemingly simple task proved profoundly daunting and required significant adjustment.

Expressing emotions and acting in a scene where dozens were bustling and hundreds of onlookers were watching was no easy task.

For that reason, established entertainment companies ran adaptation programs to help their hard-found rookie actors get comfortable and be confident.

Some companies called it a Confidence Enhancement Program, where they sent rookie actors to subways to sing or to places like Hongdae to do busking, to develop what people might call guts.

This was the reason why I brought Haru to the Cheonho-dong Healthy Senior Center—to develop his guts.

This Healthy Senior Center, where Jung In-Ji usually volunteered at, was another name for the Cheonho-dong Senior Green Hall.

And it was also where Yoo-Jin was observing the elderly for her role of Manshin Wol-Ah under Kim Soo-Hee advice.

"Hyung...do I really have to do this?" Haru asked anxiously.

"Absolutely," I replied.

Haru looked at me with an anxious expression when I told him to sing in the living room of the Healthy Senior Center.

I explained the purpose of doing so. "It\'s not about doing it well. It\'s about getting used to being in front of people."

"But I\'m bad at singing..." Haru added in a soft voice.

"It\'s okay. Just think of it as easing the elders\' loneliness."

In the spacious living room of about 30 pyeong, the elders had already gathered around in a circle. They were waiting for Haru to start singing with the karaoke machine powered on.

To help the hesitant Haru, I deployed a secret weapon I had prepared in advance.

"Miso, can you help out?"

"Of course!" Miso exclaimed as she rushed forward and grabbed Haru\'s hand.

"Haru oppa! Let\'s sing together!" Miso said with a huge grin.

Just like her mother, Yoo-Jin, Miso had no aversion to the camera whatsoever.

\'Well, there are occasionally kids like this,\' I thought to myself as I looked at the excited Miso.

The idea of stage fright and needing to adapt to the public eye were alien concepts to the rare few children who were naturally stage-inclined, like Miso. Thanks to Miso, Haru unknowingly overcame his most difficult first hurdle without realizing it. Normally, just standing on stage itself would require a tremendous amount of courage.

"Haru oppa. Find a song by the Cherry Blossom unnies!" Miso hollered.

"Huh? Oh, okay."

Haru picked up the karaoke book and pressed the numbers for Cherry Blossom\'s \'Hurry Up!.\' Soon, the instrumental for \'Hurry Up!\' began to flow from the machine.

Miso pulled out two microphones and handed one to Haru with an excited expression, then she joyfully started singing first.

『Hands up~ Hurry Up!』

"Miso\'s pure and innocent smile began to permeate the room like dye spreading through paint.

The elderly clapped their hands continuously at Miso\'s dance.

"Oh, look how sweet her voice is."

"How can someone be so cute?"

Encouraged by the lively atmosphere, Haru began to gather courage. With the microphone in his hand, Haru started to sing with a clear voice.

But I was soon startled by the unexpected surprise.

『Hands~ up~ high~』

\'Did I hear that wrong? What the heck is up with his pitch and rhythm...?\' I wondered in shock.

I had assumed that he could sing well because he had a good voice, but it seemed I was mistaken.

Then, a sudden realization hit me. \'So that\'s why he didn\'t sing before the regression.\'

In my past life, Haru was known as an actor with great acting skills and excellent delivery of lines. However, he had never sung on variety shows.

I finally knew the reason.

\'He\'s definitely tone-deaf and lacks a sense of rhythm,\' I thought to myself.

But that didn\'t mean I could just tell him to come down the stage. Developing the mental strength to endure such unexpected situations was the main purpose of this program.

\'Hang in there, Haru.\' I cheered Haru on silently.

Contrary to my concerns, the reaction from the seniors at the center was warm.

"Ha ha ha. How can they all be so lovely?"

"I wish he could be my grandson-in-law."

"He\'s doing well~ really well."

I was confused by the reaction of the elderly. \'Huh?\'

The fact that they could forget their loneliness for a moment was enough for the elders to start clapping and enjoying themselves.

\'Thank goodness.\'

I let out a sigh of relief without realizing it.

But just then, something astonishing happened. Growing in confidence and getting carried away by the fun, Haru began to dance along with Miso.

\'Haru, no!\' I screamed silently.

I tried to stop him, but it was already too late. Haru started to move like a deflated air dancer and swayed unsteadily.

\'Tone-deaf, rhythmically challenged, and no dancer either.\' I thought to myself as I shook my head.

I suppose God is fair after all by giving him good looks and acting skills but taking away his musical talent.

However, there were ways to compensate for all these weaknesses. Being tone-deaf and rhythmically challenged could be addressed with vocal training and singing the same song thousands of times.

I continued mulling over my thoughts. \'And as for his lack of dance skills...Haru could take dance lessons with me and choreographer Park Seon-Nyeo.\'

With the roar of applause, Haru\'s dancing could certainly improve if Choreographer Park Seon-Nyeo was to forcibly instill a sense of rhythm in him.

\'Though we\'d have to wear those tight aerobics outfits...\' I frowned as that thought crossed my mind.

***

After finishing the makeshift stage at the Healthy Senior Center, Haru came down with a flushed face. His bangs were wet and dangling, creating a strangely appealing atmosphere.

"Did I do well?" Haru asked.

I couldn\'t even pretend to say he did well.

"G-good job. The seniors really enjoyed it," I replied.

Miso smiled and gave a thumbs up. "Haru oppa, you\'re the best! Your voice is really nice. You sing really well."

"Ah, not at all, Miso. I wasn\'t that great..." Haru said shyly.

Overwhelmed by Miso\'s indiscriminate praise, Haru scratched his head as if embarrassed.

It seemed like I would need to keep them together for a while. Miso boosting Haru\'s confidence and even providing mental therapy was truly hitting two birds with one stone.

Yoo-Jin smiled pleasantly and then asked Haru for help. "Haru, we\'re about to prepare lunch for the seniors. Could you help set the spoons?"

"Okay, noona."

Miso immediately raised her hand. "Uncle Yoon-Ho, me too! Me too!"

"Alright, Miso can help as well."

Miso scampered to the table and busily set the spoons and chopsticks with her tiny hands. Haru, as if not to be outdone by Miso, also moved quickly with a bright expression as well.

I held the tray and took bowls of rice that Yoo-Jin was dishing out. "Yoo-Jin, how\'s the assignment Mrs. Kim Soo-Hee gave you? Are you making good progress?"

Yoo-Jin\'s assignment was to observe the elderly to prepare for her role of Manshin Wol-Ah, but she had been constantly busy working ever since she arrived at the senior center.

"I\'ve been glancing around and learning in between work."

"Is that enough?"

"Yes. I think I\'m starting to get a sense of what Mrs. Kim Soo-Hee was talking about."

At that moment, Yoo-Jin\'s phone in my pocket began to ring.

\'Who could it be?\'

I was about to reject the call because the call was from an unknown number, but it disconnected on its own.

"Hm. Did they get the wrong number?"

But then, a text message arrived.

[This is Oh Min-Jung, the family court investigator from Seoul Family Court. I see you\'re not at home. If you do not respond to the investigation within 30 minutes, we will consider it a missed visit...]

\'What? What\'s this?\'

Yoo-Jin was currently in a custody battle over Miso with her uncle Jung Hak-Jae.

Before Miso’s biological father, Jung Sung-Han, passed away, he had left a will asking for his children to be taken care of in case something happened to him. Having had no other close relatives, Jung Sung-Han had placed his in-laws at the top of the will.

However, the problem was that he had listed Jung Hak-Jae\'s name as the first.

I wondered why Jung Sung-Han would leave a will to someone like Jung Hak-Jae, but the answer was surprisingly simple. Until the accident occurred, the two were very close.

But Jung Hak-Jae turned his back as soon as the tragic event happened.

Enticed by the inheritance left by Jung Sung-Han, Jung Hak-Jae even thought about hiding the will from Yoo-Jin and sending Miso to an orphanage.

But unaware of these circumstances, Yoo-Jin adopted Miso who was then two years old. This was only possible due to a special law that relaxed the adoption conditions for single people if they were relatives.

For that reason, Jung Hak-Jae with the will in his hand and Yoo-Jin who officially adopted Miso were at odds.

According to the call, the family court investigator scheduled for a visit next week was standing in front of Yoo-Jin\'s house.

Legal schedules were not often expedited like this, especially when an official document had been received. It was clear then: someone was playing tricks.

At that moment, I immediately called Kwak Moo-Hyuk.

-Is that so? I\'m currently in Guro, but I\'ll head over there immediately. But we can\'t let her just return without checking in. If it\'s recorded as a missed visit, it will complicate things later.

"Understood. I\'m currently in Cheonho-dong, so I\'ll head straight home," I replied.

Since the Healthy Senior Center was just five minutes away from Yoo-Jin\'s house, I quickly entrusted the ladies who had come to volunteer with the remaining tasks and hurried home while making sure to turn on the recording function on my phone.

***

Upon returning home, our group met with a stern-faced middle-aged woman.

"I\'m a family court investigator, Oh Min-Jung."

Her twinkling small eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses and the deep wrinkles on her forehead indicated she was not someone to be taken lightly.

"If you are not present at home during the next scheduled investigation period, I will record it as non-compliance," Oh Min-Jung stated coldly.

"I\'m sorry, I was not aware of your visit today," Yoo-Jin apologized.

"You could have checked on the court’s website," Oh Min-Jung retorted.

"I checked yesterday, and it clearly stated that it was scheduled for a week later. The registered document I received last week said the same," Yoo-Jin replied in defense.

Oh Min-Jung smirked and replied. "It seems there was a mistake by the computer team. And a change in the registered document was sent, so please check it. It seems you didn\'t receive it because there was no one to receive it."

Yoo-Jin shook her head. "I haven’t received any new registered mail."

"Well, I don\'t know about that. Anyway, the records I have show it was already sent. And since I\'m here now, the investigation will proceed. Lead the way, guardian," demanded Oh Min-Jung.

Oh Min-Jung maintained a brisk attitude as she moved with Yoo-Jin and Miso to the second floor.

Watching this, the landlord asked anxiously.

"Assistant Manager Jung, what should we do?"

"Don\'t worry too much. I’m here," I assured her.

The landlord sighed with relief. "Right. What is there to worry about with Assistant Manager Jung here? Alright then. I\'ll stay downstairs with Haru and prepare some snacks. Maybe if we feed her something tasty, that lady\'s mood might improve."

"Ha ha. I feel like having some japchae today," I said jokingly.

"Joking around in this situation, huh?"

Jung In-Ji headed into the kitchen on the first floor with a slightly more relaxed face.

In the meantime, I rushed upstairs, taking three steps at a time.

***

Family court investigators dispatched for custody disputes typically visited once or twice a month and conducted around four to five visits in total to complete their investigation. Their main focus was to assess the living conditions of the child involved in the custody battle.

However, Oh Min-Jung\'s actions were different from what I knew.

Click.

Oh Min-Jung was taking pictures around the house, specifically targeting areas that were messy.

\'Just as I thought...\'

Only then did I realize there was a reason she rushed to change her schedule and visit. This investigation seemed intent on finding faults by any means.

After she finished taking photos, Oh Min-Jung asked an unexpected question.

"How many hours does the child watch TV on average per day?"

"Um, I\'m...I\'m not sure exactly. But I make sure it\'s not more than two hours a day."

"So you don\'t know precisely?" Oh Min-Jung questioned.

"Well, it’s..." Yoo-Jin stuttered, shocked by the question.

Oh Min-Jung noted something in the file she brought. "Signs of neglect..."

At that moment, Miso quickly responded. "I don’t watch TV for more than two hours! Mom says it’s bad for my eyes!"

Oh Min-Jung frowned. "Miss Miso, it\'s rude to interrupt adults when they are talking. It seems you haven\'t been taught proper home manners. Where did you learn such rudeness? Tsk. That’s a deduction!"

Miso shrank back and Yoo-Jin immediately apologized on her behalf.

"I\'m sorry, Ms. Oh."

"There\'s nothing to be sorry about. I am just going to report what I see to the judge. More than that, can I see the child\'s bag?"

\'Did she seriously just accuse Miso of rudeness?\' I thought to myself.

The absurdity of the situation brought an involuntary laugh out of me. It seemed watching was no longer an option. If the investigation was going to be conducted illegally and unethically, there was no reason to continue tolerating it. And clearly, this must be the work of Jin So-Mi, manipulating things within the legal system.

\'Jin So-Mi. You really dared to ignore my warning not to mess with Miso and Yoo-Jin, huh?\' I seethed with anger.

I was determined to make her pay for interfering. But right now, dealing with the current situation was the priority.

I composed myself and stepped in front of Oh Min-Jung and questioned her, "What exactly are you doing right now?"

Oh Min-Jung glared at me. "What does it look like? I\'m conducting a family investigation."

"Rummaging through a child’s bag and deliberately searching for the worst parts of the house to photograph is part of a family investigation? Are you joking?"

Oh Min-Jung frowned deeply and started scribbling something on her clipboard. "Non-cooperative during the investigation."

"This is ridiculous."

At that moment, She stopped writing and raised her voice at me. "What did you say? You seem to think little of an investigator. I am following the judge\'s instructions and directly reporting back!"

"Oh, is that so? Then I guess I\'ll need to file a motion to recuse the judge. A proper judge would never have allowed such an investigation."

That\'s when Oh Min-Jung began to fume. Clearly, she had not expected such a strong response from me. But I had prepared for all eventualities ever since the lawsuit with Jung Hak-Jae began.

Thanks to that, I was ready to stand my ground and press on.

"So please. Leave this house immediately, Ms. Oh Min-Jung."