Chapter 132
Chapter 132
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: Yu-na's Tears
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After finishing the first shoot and returning to the changing room, I handed the accessories back to the pineapple-head guy.
"You used them well. Thanks."
"W-What do you mean thanks... I lent them to you because you couldn't pull off the outfit. I won't lend them next time."
He took the accessories with an embarrassed look and put them on before grabbing the next outfit.
"The next one is a fall campus look for a college student. Hurry and change out of that into this."
"Give me the clothes you're taking off."
I took off the top first and then casually asked them a personal question.
"How old are you guys?"
"We're both 26. We enlisted early, got discharged, graduated college right away, and came to work here."
"Military service, huh..."
"Did you go, Jun-seo?"
I shrugged at the bomb-head guy's question.
"I've got a daughter to raise on my own, so I can't go even if I want to."
"Ah, right... Anyway, turn around. I'll help you with the coat."
After that, they kept their mouths shut.
They seemed to understand what it meant to raise a kid alone.
Amid the heavy silence, I changed into the campus look and scanned my reflection up and down in the large mirror.
This time too, as expected.
Even with the long coat on, my long legs made the outfit look great.
"Alright, I'll head back out."
"Good. Just like that. Perfect. Can you smile a bit more?"
I was posing according to Lee Jong-min's directions, fully focused on the shoot, when...
"Delivery food's here!"
The staff bustled about.
Two of them spread newspaper in the corner of the studio, and the rest went out, came back with the delivery bags one by one, and set them on the newspaper.
"Hmm... Should we eat first?"
"Yeah, whatever's convenient for you, Jong-min."
I shrugged and started walking toward Lee Jong-min when Yu-na came running and hugged my legs tight.
"......"
"If our daughter greeted us like Yu-na does at the end of every day, how great would that be? Man... Jun-seo, I'm jealous."
"Ahaha..."
I gave an awkward smile, scooped Yu-na up, and headed to the newspaper spot with Lee Jong-min.
I had a simple basic lunchbox.
Yu-na had tteokgalbi rice bowl.
Yu-na tore open the packaging fiercely from my lap and stabbed at the rice bowl with a disposable spoon.
"......?"
Stab! Stab!
What was she doing?
She kept stabbing, so I leaned in to check the rice bowl.
The spoon bent every time she stabbed.
"Euaaa!"
No matter how much she stabbed, the tteokgalbi wouldn't cut, and she seemed frustrated.
Murderous intent filled Yu-na's eyes.
The others watched silently and smiled.
Thud!
She threw the disposable spoon and reached for it with her hand, so I quickly grabbed her wrist.
"Yu-na. Daddy will feed you. Just wait a sec."
"...Okay."
I cut the tteokgalbi into bite-sized pieces, scooped some with rice, and popped it into her tiny mouth.
Munch munch.
As she chewed thoroughly, I picked up some bean sprouts and brought them to her mouth as a side.
"You gotta eat this too."
"......"
Her cute mouth, which only liked meat, didn't open at all. I gave up on feeding her the sprouts and ate them myself.
Only then did she open her mouth wide, begging for the tteokgalbi. I sighed deeply.
"Sigh... Can't say no to you."
I kept feeding Yu-na, and my lunchbox went untouched.
The others couldn't stand it anymore and came over to talk to Yu-na on my lap.
"Yu-na? Daddy needs to eat too, so want some help from sis? Come here?"
"Bro'll help too."
Shake shake.
Yu-na shook her head no at all the staff. Then she grabbed my pants tight and leaned her back against my chest.
"She's totally glued to Daddy."
"Lunchtime's almost over... You okay, Jun-seo?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
By the way.
Why's everyone just watching?
I scanned the people smiling faintly while staring fixedly at Yu-na.
When our eyes met, they finally moved their paused hands.
"Ahaha! This is good. Should we order from here next time?"
"It's good. Maybe I'll get the tteokgalbi rice bowl tomorrow."
In the now lively atmosphere, only my manager looked unhappy.
"Daddy, eat quick too. Hehehe."
"Uh... Yeah."
Before long, only the last outfit remained, and Lee Jong-min stepped out to take an urgent call, pausing the shoot briefly.
In the meantime, I went to the changing room and carefully undid my necktie.
The two guys who'd helped me so far.
The pineapple-head one smiled sheepishly and bowed his head.
"Um... I said some harsh things earlier. I'm really sorry."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You know, when I said you couldn't pull off our Marbo outfits."
Oh, that.
But...
Is that something to apologize for?
I could tell from his passionate actions so far that he didn't mean it.
I hadn't taken it to heart anyway...
"Ah, no need to apologize. It didn't hurt my feelings or anything."
"Really?"
His friend-like colleague patted the pineapple-head guy's shoulder.
"Hey, hand over the clothes quick."
"Oh? Oh... Got it."
He handed me a crisp white V-neck shirt and a black suit jacket with a blue sheen.
Plus black dress pants and shoes.
"But... what's with this outfit? I don't remember seeing it in the catalog."
"This last outfit concept is a new company employee starting their first job. Our team leader added it on his instructions."
"Ah, I see."
I dressed sharply in the final outfit and left the changing room.
In the distance.
In-cheol struggling with tiny Yu-na caught my eye right away.
'What are those two doing?'
Carefully.
Wondering what was going on, I approached In-cheol quietly without making a sound.
"Let go! Okay? Let go!"
"Be good."
"I'm going to Daddy."
"No..."
Yu-na spotted me and froze, then a single tear fell.
"Daddyyy!"
Oh no, not now...
I was in the Marbo outfit, so I couldn't hug her right now.
She flailed her hands toward me, so I stepped back a bit. Her eyes went wide.
Her pupils trembled.
"D-Daddy?"
Soon her little mouth opened, and tears plopped down.
"Waaah!"
She started bawling pitifully, drawing all eyes to us.
'Why's she like this today of all days?'
I hurried over, hugged Yu-na warmly, and patted her heaving back gently.
"Yu-na. Don't cry, stop!"
"Waaah! Euwaaah!"
Her actions and reactions were different from usual, cluttering my mind. She seemed extra clingy today for some reason.
'No, wait. Could it be...'
Is this some kind of trauma?
It felt that way.
I patted her back as gently and warmly as possible, repeating how sorry I was.
How much time passed like that?
Yu-na's sniffles stopped.
I checked the jacket, marked clearly with tears and snot, and let out a small sigh. I couldn't shoot like this, nor return it.
Flinch!
Right, Yu-na's here...
Yu-na flinched and lifted her head.
Her puffy eyes opened slightly, moist pupils turning to me.
"...All done crying?"
"Hehehe. Daddy. Our daddy."
Yu-na just kept repeating the cryptic "our daddy" with a grin.
Lee Jong-min finally appeared.
He scanned the area with Kim Sang-ho team leader and strode up to me.
"Did something happen while I was away?"
"What's with the vibe?"
The mood was as heavy and dark as they feared.
They glanced at Yu-na clinging to me like a cicada and my state, then their eyes lit up.
Smiling faintly and shrugging, they came closer and stroked Yu-na's head gently.
"Yu-na was crying, huh."
"Ahaha! Can't be helped."
"Yeah... She just burst out suddenly. Really sorry. The outfit's soaked in tears—it's a mess."
"That one wasn't in the original plan anyway, so we don't have to shoot it. Since it's fate, we'll gift it to you."
I was surprised by his generous offer.
"You're really giving me this outfit?"
"Yes. More importantly... Was the shoot tough?"
"No discomfort at all... Honestly, I'm a little worried though."
Kim Sang-ho team leader's eyes narrowed at my words.
"If it's not too much, could you tell us what you're worried about?"
It's not a big deal...
I scratched my cheek.
"Well... No matter what I do, you say it's all good, Jong-min."
Kim Sang-ho team leader and Lee Jong-min looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"Ahaha! I'm not the type to say things I don't mean. Everything we shot was genuinely good."
Starting with Lee Jong-min, Kim Sang-ho team leader nodded positively too.
"I pride myself on being good at judging people. He strongly recommended you, so I visited your agency to check with my own eyes."
He continued.
"It hit me right away. The feeling that we have to grab this guy."
As we chatted, Yu-na had fallen deeply asleep.
Her even breathing, clutching my clothes...
It melted my heart.
The shoot was over, and we were heading out in the car with the manager. I stared out the window at the streetlights flashing by.
"...Hey, In-cheol."
"Yes, go ahead."
"While you were watching Yu-na after I left her with you. Back then... How'd she seem?"
There was a pause, then a quiet, low voice.
"At first, she seemed fine."
"At first?"
In-cheol, focused on driving ahead, nodded slightly.
"...Yes. She stared fixedly at your shoot, then suddenly threw a tantrum that she wanted to go too."
Suddenly...
There must be some trigger that made Yu-na act like that all of a sudden.
What could it be?
No matter how I racked my brain, no answer came. Frustrated, I sighed softly and gently stroked the cheek of sleeping Yu-na.
"...In-cheol."
"Yes."
"Clear my schedule for the next two weeks."
The car swerved slightly.
In-cheol straightened the wheel, glanced back, and asked.
"Why clear it suddenly? Because of today...?"
"Yeah. I need to watch Yu-na for a while."
That's right.
With no clear solution now, all I could do was observe Yu-na closely and get her some child psychology counseling.
If her clinginess keeps getting worse and she only wants me, that's a big problem.
I stroked Yu-na's hair gently and stared out the window again.
My shoulders felt especially heavy today.