Dual Persona

The sharp chime of the doorbell echoed through the quiet morning. Kang Sae-ri, still wrapped in a thick robe, shuffled toward the entrance, rubbing sleep from her eyes. When she pulled open the door, she stopped short.

Han Sungjun stood there. Hands were in his pockets, shoulders slightly tense, like he wasn't sure if he should be here. He gave a small, hesitant smile. "Sorry for not calling ahead, Noona. I was out to jog around Han River but stopped by, realizing your house is nearby."

A beat passed before she stepped aside, letting him in. "Not a problem. Come in."

The living room was warm, the scent of freshly brewed coffee lingering in the air. Soon, Kang Sae-ri sat across from him, her husband, Park Mingsu, slouched beside her, still groggy from being woken up.

Birth name: Han Sae-ri

Current name: Kang Sae-ri

Age: 41

Relation: Elder sister of Sungjun.

Profession: Actress

Status: Married

Kids: 1 (daughter)

Networth: 42 billion KRW (29.1 million USD)

*

Name: Park Mingsu

Age: 45.

Profession: Retired Baseball player.

Current profession: A variety show celebrity

Status: Married (twice)

Kids: 2 daughters (1 from previous marriage)

Networth: 15 billion KRW (10.4 million USD)

*

After a while;

Sungjun shifted awkwardly on the couch, fingers wrapped around a cup of coffee. "So, I, uhh... heard that you disappeared 15 years ago in Russia," Mingsu finally said, breaking the silence. "What happened?"

Sungjun exhaled and, in a slow movement, reached up, removing the contact lens from his left eye. In its place, a bionic eye gleamed faintly in the dim light. "I was in an accident just before the finals," he admitted. "I should've died, but a girl saved me. During my recovery period, we fell in love and stayed there ever since." After a brief pause, he glanced at his sister and added. "Mingsu-ssi is aware of our terrible relationship with our father. So, I, uhh... just took the opportunity. And I was too afraid to return because of him."

Before Park Mingsu reacted to his explanation, Sungjun pulled out his smartphone and showed them a picture—a teenage girl with striking green eyes, a mix of Korean and European features. "This is my daughter, Veronika. Her Korean name is Han Jiyeon. She recently turned 14."

Mingsu blinked, staring at the screen. "She's... around the same age as my daughter, Soojin."

Sungjun gave a small, rueful smile. "Yeah. It was a drunken mistake, but... my wife wanted to keep her. It was tough to raise a child when I wasn't even twenty, but I tried my best to make sure our culture was deeply ingrained in her bones."

He continued, explaining how he had abandoned archery because of a bionic eye that disqualifies him from participating in official archery events, finished high school in Moscow, and attended law school instead. "Now, I'm a legal consultant, although I just recently resigned as I planned on moving permanently to my home country."

Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "Jiyeon's here too, by the way. But she's at the hotel, though. Still hasn't woken up, I guess.

Mingsu leaned back on the couch, arms crossed, still processing Sungjun's words. "So, you're planning to stay here permanently," he mused. "That's a big change."

Sungjun nodded, swirling the remnants of his coffee in his cup. "Yeah. Moscow is home, but here... we have family. Moreover, she was obsessed with Korean dramas and Korean idol groups, always saying that she wanted to move to Korea to become a star. So I thought I might as well move back."

Sae-ri observed her younger brother carefully. There was a quiet conviction in his voice, a stark contrast to the reckless, headstrong teenager he once was. Time had changed him, sculpted him into someone more composed, more deliberate. Perhaps, it is the result of being a parent.

"I still think getting into the idol industry is tough," she said, setting her cup down. "If Jiyeon is serious about it, she'll need guidance."

"I know," Sungjun admitted, "but I want her to find her own way. If she has talent and determination, she'll make it. If not, she'll learn from..."

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from down the hallway. A moment later, a girl's voice rang out. "Mom! Where's my hairbrush?!"

Sae-ri sighed, already pushing herself off the couch. "Soojin, it's in the bathroom drawer! How many times do I have to tell you?"

A few seconds later, a teenage girl appeared in the doorway, her hair half-brushed, her school uniform slightly wrinkled. Her eyes darted to Sungjun, and she froze.

"Who...?"

Sungjun smiled gently. "Hello. You must be Park Soojin."

Park Soojin

Age: 14

Current education status: 8th Grade

*

Soojin narrowed her eyes, then turned to her father. "Dad, who is he?"

Mingsu chuckled. "That, sweetie, is your uncle, your mother's youngest brother. Han Sungjun."

Soojin blinked, her lips parting in surprise. "Wait… Mom's brother? The one who disappeared? The archery prodigy from 15 years ago?"

As Sungjun smiled and gave a slight nod, Soojin glanced at her own clothes and hurriedly hid behind Sae-ri, peeking out shyly. "Uhh… I'm sorry. I'll just be in a minute. Be right back."

Soojin awkwardly bowed before dashing back to her room and shutting the door.

Sae-ri and Mingsu exchanged their glances; the latter looked at Sungjun. "Don't mind her. She is just not good with first meetings."

A few minutes later, she returned, now dressed in proper clothes, her expression carefully composed as she sat beside her father. Taking a graceful bow, she greeted Sungjun once again, "Hello, uncle. I'm Park Soojin."

Mingsu scoffed. "And now you're acting like some graceful lady?"

Soojin shot him a glare before turning to Sungjun with a polite smile. "Uncle, I didn't know you were coming. I never expected to meet you in person."

"Oh?" Sungjun raised a brow.

Soojin nodded eagerly. "You're famous at my school or atleast in our club, you know."

Mingsu blinked. "What?"

Sae-ri smiled. "Sungjun-ah, she is going to YISS, you know, (Yongsan International School of Seoul)."

Sungjun was visibly surprised. "Oh, that's my alma mater."

Soojin leaned forward excitedly. "You're really well-known in our archery club. Our instructor always talks about his favorite student. He either uses you to motivate us or scold us. You're like a legend in the club—the prodigy who never took a break and dominated every competition."

"Was Teacher Huang still there?" Sungjun asked, curiosity evident in his eyes.

Sae-ri and Mingsu then exchanged surprised glances. "Wait... since when are you in the archery club?" Sae-ri asked, interrupting them.

Soojin shrugged. "A couple of years now."

"A couple..." Park Mingsu looked betrayed but held his tongue, stealing a glance at Sungjun.

Noticing the slight tension, Sungjun pulled out his phone. "Ah, Jiyeon woke up. She wants me to accompany her to her friend's house. They only met online."

He got up, stretching. "I'll be back later."

Mingsu nodded. "Come back for lunch?"

Sungjun tilted his head. "Don't you both have work?"

Sae-ri waved him off. "It's fine. Consider it a welcome home meal."

A few hours later, Sungjun returned with his daughter. By then, Soojin had already left for school. The moment Jiyeon stepped inside, she wrinkled her nose and complained, "This place is so small… Appa, are we really going to live here for four months?"

Sungjun sighed and turned to his sister and brother-in-law, whose faces were frozen for a moment. "Sorry about that. Jiyeon is still learning."

Mingsu and Sae-ri exchanged surprised glances at her bluntness. Realizing her mistake, Jiyeon quickly bowed her head in apology before her dad spoke anything to her. "I didn't mean to insult or anything… It's just that I've never lived in an apartment before, and neither have I ever visited one. I just looked at them from outside and thought they looked big."

Understanding that Jiyeon had grown up in a foreign environment, Sae-ri gave her a reassuring smile. "It's fine. So, you lived in an independent house back in Moscow?"

Jiyeon nodded. "It was a twelve-room mansion."

"Eh?"

Before anyone could react, Sungjun interjected, "That was my wife's ancestral mansion. I might earn a lot, but I couldn't afford that 100 million dollar mansion with my pay."

"Oh!"

Lunch followed soon after. As they ate, Sae-ri turned to her brother. "Sungjun-ah, do you intend to take a break for a while, or do you want me to arrange an interview at our company? Our agency has branches in the US and Japan. Foreign legal consultants will have quite a high pay."

Mingsu nodded in agreement, but Sungjun surprised them with his response. "Actually, I've decided to open a celebrity agency. I don't want to practice law here."

Sae-ri blinked. "A celebrity agency?"

Sungjun nodded. "But before that, I need to learn management properly. So, I plan on working as an assistant to celebrity managers first—to understand the work from the ground up before moving up the levels."

Jiyeon looked at her father in surprise. "Papa, ty seryozno?"