Chapter 929: Original Head
Chapter 929: Original Head
Chapter 929: Original Head
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Flashback.
"Dad! When are you going to buy me the doll that I wanted?" Little Lena Park asked as she looked up at her dad.
Her dad, with a bald head despite being young, smiled at her. He was a janitor in a nearby theater in their neighborhood. He didn't make much, so it pained him to see his daughter ask for something he couldn't afford.
He had always wanted to be a performer-an idol of some sort. However, life just didn't turn out that way for him. He was blessed with his own family at a young age, so he had to let go of his dream.
With that, he opted to work in a theater so he could get close to his dream-even if it was only a little bit.
He smiled and patted Lena's head. "Don't worry, honey," he said. "Dad is working hard. I'm currently making some new cleaning products, and a lot of people are interested in buying them. Once I get back my capital, then I will buy you the doll that you want."
"Ah, capital?" Lena asked. "So, you've invested some money, and you need to get it back, right? Profit?"
He was surprised by his daughter's intelligence. "How do you know these things? Are you interested in running a business, my dear?"
"Yup!" Lena exclaimed. "When I grow up, I will make a music studio and hire you to be an artist! That's always been your dream, right, Dad?"
He chuckled. "My precious daughter. Let's reach our dreams together, alright?"
"Hmm!" Lena nodded in agreement, her pigtails bouncing with her nod.
Back to the present.
"You alright?" June asked as Lena appeared absent-minded.
Lena snapped back to reality, biting her lip to hold back her emotions. It had been a while since she had thought about him-her dad. However, June brought it all back.
Then, before June could talk once again, she held onto his collar, stronger than before. June was startled, but she let him be, knowing that this was also a lot to take in.
"How do you know that name?" she spat.
Klin Ing.
That was something that Lena and Grandma only knew. Her father's real name was Kwangsoo Park. Klin Ing was the stage name he wanted for himself, so he had never shared it with anyone else.
It has never been written anywhere-not even in his biography.
So, the fact that June knew about it sent Lena into a frenzy.
"Calm down," June said, holding onto her hands and gently removing them from his collar.
"I know it's hard to believe, but I met him," he started off.
Lena's frown deepened further, and then she chuckled. "You...met him?" she exclaimed in disbelief. "My dad died 13 years ago-before Minjun could even be born. You're telling me that you met him when you were a kid, too?"
June shook his head. "I met him recently-about a year ago."
Lena scoffed. "You expect me to believe that shit? Are you saying that he reincarnated or something?"
June sighed. "I don't know," he muttered.
"Liar," Lena spat. "I already knew you were low, considering you know about my identity, but
I didn't think you would go this low. Why would you even say something like this about my dead father?"
"I'm not lying," June said. "I also can't explain it. However, I did."
"Mr. Klin-he was one of the people who brought me to where I am today."
June sighed. Mr. Klin. Fu. The original 'head' of Phoenix.
All of them were one person-Kwangsoo Park.
"He came like a shining ray of light. He was cheerful, passionate, and he believed in justice."
"He was the one who forced me to become better and the one who kept me pushing until I reached my dreams. Heck, he was also the one who made me realize that I had this dream in the first place!"
"Now, you might think that I'm making all of this up, but I'm really not."
"Maybe it's fate that brought us to this. Being an idol has always been his dream, right?"
Lena pursed her lips. June had said it so perfectly. He also captured her dad's personality in those few statements.
"He started Phoenix by producing cleaning products from scratch. It became popular, and before he knew it, he had built an empire. Phoenix Industrial. Phoenix Electronics. Phoenix Utility. Phoenix Transportation."
"Phoenix grew into more of what he had expected. Before he knew it, he had lost the essence of his life. So, he created Phoenix Entertainment. Yet, there were a lot of people who were against it—his subordinates, his counterparts-all of it. However, he kept it. It was the black sheep of Phoenix."
"He worked hard on it, but he didn't get a lot of support. In the end, it didn't turn out the way he wanted. Then, he died before he could see it blossom."
"You, Lena Park, then turned it into something your dad will be proud of. However, aside from that, there are still a lot of things you can't control, right? You have a lot of enemies- both outside and inside your company."
"You kept your identity under the spotlight because you didn't want to put your family in jeopardy. You also don't want Minjun to go through what you went through. You don't want him to see you suffering-just like how you saw with your dad," he continued, assuming that Lena felt that way. However, judging from her reaction, it seemed like June was right. "Now, I don't know if I was chosen by the universe to do this, but I think we can do this- together. I will help you lessen your burden while you help me change the idol industry."
June stood in front of Lena, placing one hand on her shoulder. She lifted her head, and there,
June saw some unshed tears in her eyes.
"So," he started off, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"What do you say, Lena Park?"
"Do you want to work together?"