Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 296

The drama began with a lively tune. The title “My Eternal Nemesis” appeared on the screen, followed by the faces of a man and a woman.

Aired every Wednesday at 8 PM, this was the one “trashy” drama Yong-Yong never missed. He had already prepared popcorn and soda, settling comfortably on the couch in front of the TV.

⌜My Eternal Nemesis, Episode 5⌟

Despite being on cable TV, it had achieved an astounding fifteen percent viewership rating, thanks to its explosive popularity. It was so widely talked about that the day after each episode aired, offices buzzed with conversations about it.

“Ugh. No logic in the plot. No logic at all.” Munching on popcorn, Yong-Yong muttered his complaints. Yet, he couldn’t take his eyes off the screen.

Do-Jun chuckled.

The story was nothing new. It was about a poor college girl from the countryside and a chaebol heir entangled in a dramatic love affair[1]. A cliché through and through.

But what sent the ratings through the roof was the cast. The cable network had spent an exorbitant amount to assemble an all-star lineup, featuring top-tier actors at the height of their fame. Even the supporting roles were played by well-known names.

The scene showed the destitute heroine working part-time at a supermarket food court, where she just so happened to cross paths with the chaebol heir. She was selling kimchi with an older employee when the male lead, walking by, accidentally bumped into a container, causing kimchi to spill onto the floor.

A splash of kimchi juice stained the vice-chairman’s pristine leather shoes. Instantly, the supermarket manager, who had been accompanying him, panicked. He grabbed a tissue, frantically wiping the shoes while scolding the employees.

⌜How could you leave a kimchi container lying around like this? Sir, I sincerely apologize. It won’t happen again. Please, let’s move on.⌟

Just as the male lead was about to leave under the manager’s guidance, the female lead spoke up.

⌜Hold on a second. You’re just going to walk away after making this mess?⌟

⌜What?! D-do you even know who this man is?!⌟

⌜Doesn’t matter. That kimchi’s ruined now, so you need to pay for it. If not, I’ll report you to the police.⌟

An hour later, as the episode ended, Yong-Yong stuffed the last few popcorn crumbs into his mouth and shook his head.

He liked Korean dramas, especially the outrageous and trashy ones. However, recently, they had become too extreme. There was no logic, and they seemed disconnected from reality. While dramas were supposed to be fictional, the plot should still make sense. Without that, how was anyone supposed to get emotionally involved? This was simply too much.

Then, the doorbell rang.

Do-Jun got up and walked to the entrance, opening the door.

A young woman in her early twenties stood there. Her name was Lee Joo-Young. After scoring poorly on the college entrance exam, she spent the past year preparing for a retest. She then got accepted into Sookmyung Women’s University and moved to Bangbae-dong just this past March for school.

“Hello. The japchae[2] you gave me last time was amazing! I just wanted to say thank you.”

“Ah.”

Sometimes, when Yoon-Hee made too much food, she shared it with their neighbors.

Joo-Young rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a 50,000-won gift card to O-Mart Traders, handing it to Do-Jun. It was her part-time workplace, which had opened near Yangjae Station about a month ago.

“It’s not much, but consider it a small thank-you gift,” she said.

“Right, I remember you mentioned working at O-Mart,” Do-Jun commented.

“Yes! You should visit sometime. The building’s huge, and the prices are very reasonable.” 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

“Thank you. I’ll stop by tomorrow.”

It just so happened that tomorrow, Thursday, was his day off.

***

The Gangnam Branch of O-Mart Traders was a large warehouse-style store near Yangjae Station, busy with shoppers.

After grabbing a shopping cart at the entrance, Do-Jun headed straight to the underground food section. True to its warehouse style, every product was sold in bulk, making the prices significantly cheaper.

“Grab whatever you want to eat,” Do-Jun said to Yong-Yong.

“Lesgoooo!”

Yong-Yong, who had been sitting in the cart, immediately hopped out. His tail swayed as he leisurely strolled through the food aisles. Whenever he found something he wanted, he grabbed it with his mouth and tossed it into the cart. However, if something seemed too expensive, he would subtly glance at Do-Jun before making a decision.

Just like now, he was eyeing a bundle of premium sausages worth around 20,000 won.

He started reasoning with Do-Jun. “Master, these aren’t just any sausages. If you look closely—”

“Just get them.”

“Yes, sir.” Yong-Yong swiftly dropped the sausages into the cart.

Soon, the cart was packed with food that suited his taste—spicy, salty, and sweet. Despite that, the total didn’t go over 150,000 won.

This should be enough, Do-Jun thought, but it didn’t last long.

“Master, can I add just one more thing?” Yong-Yong asked.

“Go ahead.”

A few moments later, Yong-Yong declared, “Okay, this is really the last one.”

And then, a little while after that, he promised, “For real, this is absolutely the last one. I swear.”

Do-Jun just watched on silently.

The cart was now piled high like a mountain.

Do-Jun sighed and then let out a small chuckle, thinking, As long as he’s happy.

***

“Wow... You bought a lot.” Joo-Young gaped at the towering pile of groceries in the cart.

It had to be at least two meters high, tall enough that she had to crane her neck to look up.

She had gifted him a 50,000-won gift card, but she didn’t expect him to buy this much stuff.

“It’s all thanks to you, Joo-Young,” Do-Jun said.

“Oh, no, no. Compared to all the help I’ve received, this is nothing. Moving to Seoul alone with no connections was really tough, and I can’t even begin to explain how much your family has helped me. I’m genuinely thankful.”

“I’m glad we could help.”

“Yes, really... Ah, would you like to try some kimchi? It’s really good.”

Meanwhile, Yong-Yong stared at Joo-Young. Something about this situation reminded him of the drama he watched yesterday. The female lead in that drama was also selling kimchi at a supermarket. But dramas were just that: dramas. Nothing like that actually happened in real life.

“Man, if a chaebol heir appeared right now, this would be perfect,” he muttered.

“Huh?” Joo-Young looked at him, confused.

“Haven’t you watched My Eternal Nemesis?”

“Oh, um... I don’t really have time to watch TV.”

“Oh... I see.”

Just then, a group of sharply dressed men in suits approached, clearly not customers. At the center of the group was a young man, followed closely by several others, with a middle-aged man at his side chattering away.

“Compared to other locations, sales here are more than five times higher. Even considering the opening boost, we’re still seeing at least triple the expected revenue. However, with the influx of customers, the parking situation has become an issue, and we’ve received several complaints.”

It was obvious that the young man was in a position of power.

As they drew closer, Yong-Yong blinked. He glanced at the neatly stacked containers of kimchi nearby and scratched his cheek.

This scene felt oddly familiar.

Yong-Yong thought, No way. It’s not like he’s actually going to knock over the kimchi... That would be legendary—

Crash!

As the young man walked by, he accidentally bumped into a kimchi container. With a loud thud, the container toppled over, spilling bright red kimchi juice all over the floor. Pieces of cabbage scattered across the tiles.

“No way...” Yong-Yong muttered.

“S-sir, are you alright?” the middle-aged man asked in concern, then scolded the employees. “Hey! Why are these boxes stacked so dangerously in a walkway?! Seriously!”

The young man, referred to as the vice chairman, frowned slightly. “Director Jung, give me a wet wipe.”

“Y-yes! Right away, sir!”

Director Jung hurriedly grabbed a pack of wet wipes from the tasting station and handed them over.

The vice chairman aggressively pulled out several wipes, briskly wiping his pants and shoes before casually dropping the used wipes onto the floor, saying, “Let’s go. Oh, and ma’am, make sure you clean the floor properly. Don’t leave any stains.”

Joo-Young had been standing silently with her head down. At that moment, she let out a deep sigh. She bent down and crouched on the floor.

Yong-Yong frowned, spreading his tiny wings. How dare that arrogant vice chairman treat the kind woman who had given him a 50,000-won gift card this way? He needed to be put in his place.

Just as Yong-Yong was about to take off and teach him a lesson, Do-Jun gently held him back. Then, he pointed toward Joo-Young.

Yong-Yong turned to look at her.

She had picked up a bundle of kimchi from the floor. Juice dripped down from the leaf. Slowly, she stood up, wobbling slightly as she approached the vice chairman.

Yong-Yong blinked. Nah, no way. Even the drama didn’t take things that far.

Joo-Young tapped the vice chairman on the shoulder. “Hey.”

He turned around, and with a quick motion, she slapped him across the face with the piece of kimchi.

“She... did it...” Yong-Yong quickly ripped open a bag of popcorn and began munching.

“S-sir! Hey! D-do you have any idea what you’ve just done?! Do you even know who this man is?!” Director Jung yelled.

“You just said he’s the vice chairman,” Joo-Young reminded him.

“A-are you crazy, woman?! Do you want to get fired?!”

Joo-Young glared at the vice chairman.

He was staring at her, stunned, touching the spot on his cheek where he had just been slapped with kimchi.

Joo-Young told him, “If you make a mistake, you should apologize first. Didn’t your parents teach you that?”

Director Jung, witnessing the entire scene, nearly exploded in rage. “Y-y-you dare lay a hand on the vice chairman?!”

“Director Jung. It’s fine. Hold on,” the vice chairman said, silencing him. “You, what’s your name?”

“Lee Joo-Young. And I’m not a ‘ma’am.’”

Then, the vice chairman bowed at a ninety-degree angle. “You’re right. I sincerely apologize.”

Gasps erupted from the surrounding executives and onlookers. No one had expected this reaction.

Yong-Yong opened a second bag of popcorn, and somehow, he had managed to get his hands on a soda, taking a long sip through the straw.

After apologizing, the vice chairman kept staring at Joo-Young, specifically, into her eyes.

“W-why are you looking at me like that?” she asked uncomfortably.

“I’ve... fallen for you.”

“What...?”

“You’re the first woman to ever hit me. Please, marry me.”

Yong-Yong choked on his soda.

***

The supermarket incident became front-page news. Not only that, but it also dominated online rankings, becoming the most-viewed article on several news sites.

“A drama more dramatic than dramas: Real-Life My Eternal Nemesis!”

“‘You’re the first to hit me with kimchi...’ New World Vice Chairman Lee Seok-Soo proposes?”

“My Eternal Nemesis production team responds: ‘We’re speechless.’”

That was a week ago. The hype had calmed down a little, but the fact remained that Joo-Young and Lee Seok-Soo were set to marry next month.

Joo-Young was now busy preparing for the ceremony due to this rapid development.

A different kind of scene played out on TV.

⌜W-what did you just say?⌟

⌜Let’s break up. The truth is... I’ve met someone else.⌟

⌜You bastard! You said we’d be together forever... sob sob sob.⌟

“Ugh. No realism. None at all. Right, Master?” Yong-Yong complained.

Do-Jun shrugged.

The female lead collapsed to the floor, crying as tears rolled down her face. It was episode eleven of Oh, My Love, a drama Yong-Yong never missed.

“If this were real life, she would’ve slapped him with kimchi already.”

1. Chaebol refers to families with generational wealth. ☜

2. Japchae is a traditional Korean stir-fried noodle dish, often used as a side dish. ☜