Chapter 145
Chapter 145
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: Yu-na's Cold
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A strange voice came from right in front of me. It was Yu-na speaking, her still-chubby cheeks pinched in my grasp.
"Eup! Sun's tho wawm..."
"Ah...!"
I quickly let go and asked,
"Were you hurting because I held on too long? Sorry."
Yu-na shook her head vigorously from side to side. The floppy rabbit ears on her beanie hat swayed with the motion.
"It didn't hurt at all. Hehehe. Daddy's hands are really warm, so it felt good."
Good, then I'm relieved.
I let out a small sigh and fiddled with the swaying rabbit ears.
The soft texture felt nice.
Anyway.
I looked over at Ahn Jeong-su and Su-jin, who were still bickering.
'What? When did they go over there?'
Ahn Jeong-su, who had been caught by the safety officer who was worried about me, was being dragged out.
"Ahahaha! Son, having fun?"
"What's fun about it? Now I can't ride anymore because of you, Dad!"
"You've ridden enough already. It's time to stop."
"I've got a long way to go!"
Thud. Thud.
Ahn Jeong-su approached us, scratching the back of his neck.
"Jun-seo, I've been banned from the area now. So, how about we head somewhere else?"
I knew it. I knew that was coming.
It was weird that they hadn't kicked out someone trying dangerous stunts over and over.
They must have been letting it slide from the start...
I narrowed my eyes and glared at Ahn Jeong-su. He didn't look remorseful at all—just grinning—and it made him seem all the more infuriating.
"Haa."
I let out a deep sigh.
I grabbed my gloves, stood up, and gently brushed the snow off my butt.
"Then let's go ride the ice slides."
"Daddy! What's an ice slide?"
"What's an ice slide, you ask..."
Pat pat.
Unlike snow sledding, I explained simply that it was done on hard ice.
"Ohhh, that sounds super fun!"
"Right? Shall we go?"
Ahn Jeong-su had already returned after handing back the tube we'd used for sledding.
He raised his voice.
"Kids! Let's go quick!"
"Let's gooo!"
"If you do anything weird there, I'll tell Mom. Got it?"
Su-jin's cute warning.
I shook my head slightly.
'But I doubt that'll stop him...'
Smirk.
Sure enough.
Seeing Ahn Jeong-su's mischievous smile filled me with certainty. He was plotting something again.
"Daddy! Daddy! Let's hurry too."
"Yeah, we should."
On the way home after a fun day of playing, the kids were fast asleep, oblivious to the world. The car was filled only with their soft breathing.
Snore. Snore.
I quietly watched over sleeping Yu-na before turning my gaze out the window.
Winter meant the sun set early, turning everything ahead pitch black like the night sky.
The only things visible were tiny specks of light.
As I stared blankly at those lights,
A train sped past alongside us.
Seeing that train suddenly reminded me of the little incident at the ice slide park.
"...Pfft!"
Ahn Jeong-su, driving steadily, glanced at me through the rearview mirror and asked,
"What? Why are you suddenly laughing?"
"Because I remembered how we played train with the kids at the ice slide park earlier."
"Oh, that? I really thought I was gonna die."
Yeah.
At the ice slide park, Ahn Jeong-su had nearly killed himself. He'd pulled seven sleds linked together like a train for a full hour without a break.
'Well, self-inflicted, though...'
Is he okay like this?
I glanced at Ahn Jeong-su gripping the wheel. Driving long distances alone must be tiring...
Out of concern, I quietly asked,
"You used up a lot of energy today. You sure I can't drive?"
"I'm fine. I'm still full of energy."
"If you're tired, just say so. I can take over."
"Heh heh, just sleep. I'll wake you when we get there."
Silence returned.
I turned my gaze back out the window.
How much time passed like that?
It was only after entering Seoul's city center from the highway that Ahn Jeong-su spoke up.
"Right. Jun-seo. You have cold medicine at home, yeah?"
"We do, but... why?"
Stopped at a signal, Ahn Jeong-su turned his head and grinned.
"You're gonna need it tomorrow morning."
He said it like he was absolutely sure Yu-na would catch a cold tomorrow.
What makes him think that?
I couldn't understand at all.
"...How do you know?"
Turning back to focus on driving, Ahn Jeong-su replied,
"You can tell just from watching how Yu-na played today. She didn't stop for a second at the sled park, right? She was having too much fun to take breaks."
"Oh..."
"Our son did the same last year. Played all day at the ice slide park and burned up with fever the next day. It was rough."
Will it really turn out like Ahn Jeong-su says?
"Cough! Cough!"
A small coughing sound woke me with a start early in the morning.
The gum-like sticker clinging to my chest was shaking as she coughed.
Half-asleep, I groggily placed my hand on Yu-na's forehead.
It was hot, unlike usual.
"What? Hyung was right..."
As I muttered softly, Yu-na, who had been tossing, rubbed her eyes and sat up.
"Ugh... Daddy?"
"You're awake?"
"Yeah... Cough!"
Her voice had no strength at all.
I naturally lowered my hand from her forehead and gently rubbed her cheek.
"You caught a cold, huh? Let's have breakfast first and then head to the doctor, okay?"
Yu-na flinched and shook her head side to side.
"Yu-na didn't catch a cold... Cough!"
"Liar."
"I really didn't... Cough! Cough!"
That's when it happened.
Bzzzzt!
My phone blared noisily by the bedside. Checking it, it was a call from Ahn Jeong-su.
"Hello?"
-Jun-seo. If you're free today, wanna come over to our place and stay the night? My wife says hi and wants to know.
Time-wise, sure, but...
I'm worried about Yu-na with her cold.
He invited us out of kindness, but if her fever spikes there suddenly?
It'd just be a burden.
Yeah, better to decline.
"Ah, sorry. Yu-na caught a cold, so we probably can't go out."
-Exactly as I said, huh? Ahahaha!
His ear-splitting laughter made me wince and pull the phone away.
Only after the laughter died down did I bring it back to my ear.
"Sorry."
-No helping it then.
"You invited us and all... Please tell your wife we'll definitely come next time."
-Nah. Just take care of your daughter. By the way, that dummy said she didn't catch a cold... Is our son a dummy too? He didn't catch one either? Waaah!
-Dad's the bigger dummy!
-Aahaha! True, I am.
-Nooo... That's not it!
Their bickering was so familiar now.
Maybe that's why.
I could vividly picture the two of them fighting in my head.
Click!
The call suddenly cut off.
I set the phone by the bed and checked on Yu-na.
Blink. Blink.
Yu-na stared at me blankly, her coughing stopped.
"...Cough! Cough!"
Nope.
Her sudden coughing fit sprayed saliva all over my face.
"......"
"Cough!"
More spit flew into my eye.
'I need to get her to the doctor quick.'
We had bread for breakfast, and I held Yu-na's hand tightly as we walked to the nearby clinic.
More people waiting than expected.
Taking Yu-na to the reception desk, I slipped off my mask and said,
"Hi, we're here for treatment."
"Oh! Actor Lee Jun-seo, right?"
"Yeah! It is him! I'm a huge fan!"
"...Ahaha. Th-thank you."
The nurses recognizing me made the waiting room buzz.
"Right? I'm not seeing things?"
"He's so tall. And that proportion..."
"Is Yu-na the one with the cold? She's adorable. Look at that runny nose."
"I wanna wipe it for her."
I glanced back with a smile and turned forward again.
I quickly made an appointment under Yu-na's name and sat in a corner seat.
Luckily, no one asked for autographs or photos.
Probably minding manners in a hospital.
"Cough! Cough!"
This time, Yu-na coughed harshly, unlike in the morning.
"Does your throat hurt a lot right now?"
"...Yeah. Cough!"
"Aigoo... Runny nose too."
I pulled out a handkerchief, wiped her nose, and pocketed it again. Meanwhile, Yu-na's eyes were rolling around.
She alternated glances between the exam room door and the exit. Then, a child's wail echoed from inside the exam room.
"Waaah!"
Fl inch! Yu-na suddenly clung to me like a baby, gripping my clothes tight.
She's scared.
"No need to be nervous. If it's a shot, it'll just sting a tiny bit and be over."
"I don't like shots..."
"Then... do you wanna have a runny nose and cough like this forever?"
"...No."
"Right? So..."
"Lee Yu-na. The exam room's free now, so you can go in."
Yu-na's name was called.
I stood with her and headed to the exam room as the nurse said.
A middle-aged man with a calm impression.
He smiled warmly.
"Have a seat here, please."
"Ah, yes!"
I sat first in the spot he pointed to and put Yu-na on my lap.
This should make it less scary.
The exam began.
"Take a deep breath in... and out."
"Sip! Hoo...! Cough!"
After the stethoscope, he inserted and removed a silver stick into her mouth.
"Hmm. Her uvula's a bit swollen."
"...Doc, are you the docthor?"
Was her stuffy voice cute?
The doctor's smile deepened as he met Yu-na's eyes.
"Yes, did you call me?"
"...Yu-na, no shot?"
"Just one big butt shot and you'll be better right away."
"Sh-shot?"
"Yeah. A shot."
Yu-na's mouth gaped open in shock. Who does she take after with such expressive faces?
Snapping out of staring at Yu-na, I asked the doctor,
"Then the medicine..."
"I'll prescribe three days' worth."
"Is that enough?"
He nodded slightly.
Then he pointed to a side door.
"Go wait in there, and the nurse will come. Exam's done. Take care."
"Ah, got it. Thank you."
I took Yu-na, still in shock, to the injection room.
The sharp smell of disinfectant.
As I looked around briefly, the nurse entered the injection room.
"Alright, ready for your butt shot?"
Finally snapping out of it, Yu-na clung to me and wouldn't let go.
The nurse approached briskly.
She spoke to Yu-na in a gentle, soft tone.
"It really won't hurt at all."
"......"
"If you take the shot, I'll give you a super tasty candy as a reward. How's that?"
We had plenty of snacks at home, so that wouldn't work.
Then...
Yeah, that's perfect.
A good idea struck me, and I spoke to her as gently as the nurse.
"Yu-na? If you bravely take the butt shot... Remember what I banned? We can watch the drama I was in together at home."
That's right.
The 'Devil's Errand Center' I banned.
I consistently blocked it because it's not good for kids' education.
Except for the first episode we watched together.
"...R-really?"
Yu-na slowly lifted her head.
Has her mind been swayed?
"Yeah. Bravely take the shot, and we'll binge the whole thing at home today."
After much deliberation, Yu-na's eyes hardened with determination.