Chapter 13: A Good Dad to her Daughter

“Oh? Money? How much? How?”

Min Jungyun’s questions were simple and clear, revealing exactly what he was curious about.

Hayoon carefully chose her words and began to answer.

“Well, I’m basically making money by posting illustrations on an illustration site. I provide illustrations exclusively for sponsors.”

“Sponsors-only… So it’s a kind of monthly subscription? When I was in college, I used to play those kinds of games…”

Min Jungyun empathized with Hayoon in his own way.

“The monthly subscription system is really a money trap… How many sponsors do you have?”

“The number fluctuates a lot, but I’m comfortably maintaining around 100.”

“100… What’s the price plan?”

“About 10,000 won per person? It’s a foreign site, so the sponsorship money comes in dollars, and it fluctuates with the exchange rate.”

“Dollars… Dollars are good. In the long run, it’s always better to have more dollar assets…”

He didn’t forget to praise Hayoon’s good judgment.

When Hayoon was a man, he was able to get into US stocks at an early age, thanks to Min Jungyun’s broad perspective on this. To summarize…

“Not bad.”

“Right?”

“Meister high schools are for getting jobs, but you’re already making money as a member of the industry… In a way, you’re building your career three years faster than your classmates.”

Min Jungyun was quite favorable to Hayoon’s path.

Whether Hayoon was a man or now, Min Jungyun seemed to think that the right time for a child’s independence is when they can support themselves financially.

“It’s your major, and you seem to be making good money, so I have no reason to oppose it. I don’t know what your mom will think, though.”

Of course, what Yoon Suhee would think was unknown.

Still, Hayoon’s expression was quite bright, as if she had overcome a big hurdle, and she immediately moved on to the next topic.

In fact, she brought up the real reason she came to see Min Jungyun today.

“Actually, I have to go to Ilsan this time.”

“Ilsan? The place you went to last week?”

“Yes, I’m planning to sell game merchandise based on my illustrations there.”

“Is it like a flea market? A market where collectors gather to sell things?”

“Yes, well… it’s similar in that it sells products specialized for a specific target group.”

“Hmm…”

Min Jungyun tried to understand from his daughter’s perspective as they talked.

Min Jungyun is forty-two this year.

Compared to other parents, the age gap is smaller, but there’s bound to be a difference in perspective between a 40-year-old and a teenager. Knowing this, Min Jungyun was asking various questions to make a judgment from a perspective similar to his daughter’s.

“Is it already decided that you’re going to sell there?”

“Yes, I already applied for a booth on Saturday.”

“You said there’s a week left, are those merchandise all made?”

“I finished ordering them, and they’re piled up in boxes in my room.”

“You’re thorough. So, you’re coming to me because…”

“Because of Mom…”

“Ah…”

Maybe, his judgment might not be very important.

His daughter was already planning to go to Ilsan, even if she had to carry all those boxes by herself, and she came to him now purely to reassure her mom.

If this is how it’s going to be…

“Hmm…”

No matter how broad-minded and sweet a father Min Jungyun is, respecting his daughter’s wishes…

“I’m upset.”

“Yes?”

He can’t help but feel hurt.

This wasn’t an opinion adjustment through conversation, it was a kind of notification.

Of course, he had no intention of arguing with Hayoon, who wants to participate in SeFes.

Making merchandise means there were production costs, and not asking for her parents’ help means she made them with the sponsorship money she earned.

Taking away the opportunity to sell products made with his daughter’s own money didn’t seem like something a good father should do. So.

“Those merchandise, you said you finished ordering them?”

“Yes, they’re in my room.”

“Then let’s do this.”

Min Jungyun suggested an alternative.

An alternative that wouldn’t worsen his relationship with his daughter while also soothing his hurt feelings.

“Mom doesn’t know what merchandise you made yet, right?”

“Yes, well… I had no intention of telling her.”

“Then make a secret with Dad. Don’t show the merchandise to Mom, show them only to me. How about that? If you do this, I’ll carry the merchandise to Ilsan and even buy you a meal.”

What a caring father he is.

Min Jungyun, with a smug look, tilted his head as if asking a question.

But Hayoon’s expression was not bright at all.

Show them to him…?

She was extremely troubled.

Hayoon calls herself an otaku, but she’s still quite aware.

She had no intention of showing her parents illustrations of naked characters or telling them about her Pixiv account where she uploads illustrations with explicit situations.

She didn’t…

“Ah, my head…”

But if Min Jungyun comes out like this, she has to show him something.

He said he’d let this go if she made a secret with him that Yoon Soohee doesn’t know about, and judging by his expression, his words about being upset seemed genuine…

Rather, this is a cheap price to pay, and to appease her upset father, Hayoon had to endure a little shame.

Fortunately, Hayoon has the option to choose which illustration to show Min Jungyun.

“This is the only option.”

It’s an acrylic stand of HK-M4 dressed in a beautiful crimson hanbok.

First of all, the other merchandise has illustrations with quite high levels of nudity, and if she had to choose between a kimono and a hanbok, the older generation would obviously prefer the hanbok illustration.

Still, she feels a bit uncomfortable showing it clearly…

She didn’t take off the wrapping, intending to use the excuse that it’s a pre-order item and bring it back after showing him a little…

“Oh, is this it?”

Min Jungyun looked at the hanbok M4 acrylic stand with a curious look and nodded repeatedly.

“So, this is what kids like these days…”

As if he learned something new.

With a satisfied look, Min Jungyun handed the acrylic stand back to Hayoon…

At this point, Hayoon was the one who was taken aback.

“Um… Aren’t you going to look more?”

“I don’t know much about these anyway. I was just curious what you were selling. This is called an acrylic stand, right?”

“It’s like selling interior decoration, so it might be good to get a job at an interior design company later. You’re doing well.”

“Is, is that so…?”

“Anyway, I’m in favor.”

“Th, thank you.”

When Hayoon was a man, Min Jungyun was vehemently opposed, to a degree incomparable to now.

No, it wasn’t so much opposition as…

Should she say he was trying to understand more actively?

Hayoon was nervous because she remembered Min Jungyun’s temperament of wanting to know exactly what his son was trying to do, but it seems he’s not the type to pry so persistently into his daughter’s affairs.

“Then, can I put this back now? It’s a pre-order item.”

“Ah, yes, yes. If I touch it and it gets dirty, and there’s a complaint, it’ll only make things more difficult for you. Anyway, I’ll take you to Ilsan next week, so don’t worry.”

“Yes, thank you.”

In the end, Min Jungyun’s persuasion ended more easily than expected.

There was a moment when she thought she might be subjected to a shameful experience, but it seems that even that will somehow work out…

‘It’s really soon now.’

A week.

It may be short or long…

But to Hayoon, it felt too short.

Going to a middle school she doesn’t even want to go to, drawing illustrations for Pixiv in her spare time, completing them at home, and checking the increase in sponsors.

The days were so busy that it was already December 28th.

Compared to when she participated in AGC, Hayoon woke up much later at around 5 AM and had an early breakfast.

Then she took a shower, dried herself, put the cosmetic set she bought online in a pouch, and stuffed it into her bag.

Today, she’s going with Min Jungyun.

She planned to cosplay at the venue.

She had practiced, so she believed she could recreate her AGC appearance without much difficulty, even if it wasn’t at home.

“ahh, did you sleep well?”

“Yes, I just woke up.”

“Okay, let’s go as soon as I’m ready.”

“6:30… We should arrive by 8. The booth event starts at 10, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll just move the luggage, come back home to rest, and then go to Ilsan again in the evening.”

“Yes, do as you please!”

With this, the preparations to go to Ilsan are complete.

The merchandise for pre-order and on-site buyers was already moved to Min Jungyun’s car, and Hayoon, who hid her cosplay equipment in a large backpack.

She left the house with a determined look.

Today, she will sell out tens of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise and become a legend in the doujin world.