Why am I the Princess?

“What were you talking about? Was it about All Blue?” I teased.
“…..”

Both of them fell silent, clearly understanding what I meant.

It was the year 2020, and the pandemic had arrived in Korea. With international travel restricted, our much-anticipated trip to Australia was canceled.

“Dad, do you like fishing too?” I asked.
“Of course~ Your grandpa loves it even more than I do!”

I nodded, learning something new about Dad.

“The Great Barrier Reef… I really wanted to go.”
“We could go someday, but… being a public figure, it’s tough. Such a shame, though.”

Dad’s wistful expression mirrored Jin-seok’s. Both had eagerly anticipated the trip, and now they were disappointed, unable to use the fishing gear they had already purchased. Dad, in particular, gazed at the unused equipment with a sense of melancholy.

“Ha… The problem always seems to start in China.”
“This time, our investments in China have been hit hard…”

Dad glanced at the visibly disappointed Lee Jin-seok.

“Ah, I see why…”

Though Dad was a high school graduate and mostly focused on music, he was surprisingly engaged in the conversation with Jin-seok.

While they continued talking, I dove underwater and swam toward Kim Sun-hwa, who was lounging on a plush chair, likely trying to relax.

Spotting her rounded belly, I asked,
“What’s the baby’s name?”
“We haven’t decided yet. Jung-yeon’s grandpa is going to name the baby next week~”

I stared at her belly, where the baby was still growing, and said,
“I guess I’ll have to help take care of them.”
“Jung-yeon will do that,” Sun-hwa replied with a smile.

Suddenly, Dayeon appeared beside me, her hair tied up and wearing a floatie. She looked absolutely adorable.

“You have to call him oppa. He’ll be older than you and Si-yoon!”
“I’ll call him oppa when I start elementary school,” I replied casually.

From behind, Jung-yeon clenched her hands into small fists, clearly flustered. Meanwhile, Sun-hwa waited for me to respond, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.

“Well… only if he’s as sweet as Dayeon,” I said teasingly.
“Oh, so you’re setting conditions?” she laughed.

Smiling awkwardly, I leaned backward into the water like a diver and floated away. Drifting toward the edge of the pool, I gazed out the window. Swimming at this dizzying height, overlooking the Han River, made me laugh quietly.

This building is mine…

Even now, the realization that I was born with a platinum spoon in my mouth filled me with amazement.

By February 2020, the C-19 pandemic had arrived in Korea. With preschools temporarily closing at the mothers’ collective decision, I found myself visiting JSM headquarters with Dad.

“Why do I have to wear a mask?” I asked.
“It’s dangerous if you don’t,” Dad replied as he held me close, guiding me past a temperature check on our way to his studio.

As we walked down the hallway, a girl group approached us from the opposite direction.

Whoa… They’re stunning.

Even by my standards, three of the five members were noticeably more beautiful than Aunt Ji-eun—almost as breathtaking as seeing Mom for the first time.

“Hello, sunbae-nim!” they greeted Dad with bright smiles.

He nodded casually, accepting their greetings.

“Si-yoon! You’re so cute!”

It was hard to ignore the attention from such beautiful women, but I held my composure, lazily waving a hand to dismiss their enthusiasm. Any stronger reaction would only encourage them further.

Seeing my nonchalant response, Dad chuckled softly.

Among the striking members, Dad turned to the one who seemed the most beautiful.

“Jisoo, how’s practice going?”
“Great! The song you gave us is amazing—it’s a hit,” she said enthusiastically.

The other members nodded in agreement. Even a year after its release, the song Dad and I recorded was still in the top 10 on the Watermelon charts, and its YouTube views had surpassed 900 million.

Suddenly, one of the women rummaged through her bag and pulled something out.

“Can I give this to Si-yoon?”

Before Dad could answer, I extended my small hand and nodded.

“Give it to me.”

She laughed at my boldness but looked to Dad for approval.

“Go ahead,” he said, smiling.

She handed me a candy I’d never seen before.

“Huh…”

I handed it to Dad, who unwrapped it with his teeth before giving it back. I popped the candy into my mouth, and immediately, eight pairs of eyes lit up, watching me intently.

“…Why are you staring?” I asked, confused.

The woman who gave me the candy explained,
“You’re just so cute when you eat it!”
“Don’t watch me. It’s uncomfortable.”

“…..”

Dad laughed.
“‘It’s uncomfortable’ was the second phrase Si-yoon ever learned after simple words.”
“Wow… How much attention does she get to say that so naturally?”
“Well, with a face like hers, I’m not surprised it’s overwhelming.”

Despite my protests, their gazes only intensified.

“I said it’s uncomfortable,” I repeated firmly.

“…..”
“Wow… She speaks so well for her age,” one of them murmured, impressed.

It soon became clear that our meeting wasn’t coincidental. They followed us into Dad’s studio, and I ended up sitting on Jisoo’s lap.

“Is it good?” she asked, referring to the candy.

“Yeah.”

Leaning against Jisoo’s warm body, I felt her gentle warmth radiating through me.

Wow…

Though I tried to maintain a neutral expression, the faint scent of her perfume, shampoo, or maybe her natural scent was intoxicating. My resolve cracked slightly, and a small smile crept onto my face.

“Sunbae-nim, does Si-yoon not smile often?” one of the members asked Dad.
“Si-yoon? She usually doesn’t smile when she’s around pretty people.”
“…Excuse me?”

As the group members began taking turns recording in the studio, I turned to Jisoo.

“Aunt Jisoo, what are their names?”
“Hm? Oh, my friends?”
“Yeah.”
“Lisa, Chaeyoung, Yua, and Eun-jung.”

At that moment, the youngest-looking member, Yua, who had been stealing glances at me, finally spoke up.

“Si-yoon, who do you think is the prettiest here?”
“Me.”
“Oh… that’s true,” Yua said, nodding seriously, as if she’d just come to an obvious realization.

What does she mean, ‘that’s true’?

“Chaeyoung Auntie,” I added.

“Hmm?”
“What’s your last name?”

“It’s Jeon.”

“Jeon? That’s not great…”

“…What?”

“It sounds like you’re introducing yourself,” I explained with a smirk.

“…?”

“‘Jeon Chaeyoung-imnida!’ Like that!” I mimicked dramatically, bursting into laughter.

“…..?”

The room fell silent in confusion, except for Dad, who sighed and buried his face in his hands, shaking his head. He was the only one who understood my peculiar sense of humor.

From behind me, Jisoo stifled a giggle and decided to join in.

“Si-yoon, do you know what a sword is called when it’s tasty in Japanese?”
“It’s not tasty,” I replied flatly, recalling the one time I had tried a sword-shaped dish. My serious expression didn’t last long as Jisoo delivered her punchline.

“Waa~karimashita!” she quipped, twisting the Japanese phrase for ‘I understand!’

“Pfft—ugh?”

I couldn’t stop myself from laughing at the ridiculous joke, though I hated that it cracked my composure.

Embarrassed but unable to hold back, I covered my face as Jisoo’s puns snowballed into a string of even sillier ones. Soon, the entire studio was filled with the sound of my uncontrollable laughter.