Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Memories at Neverland
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After conquering every kids' ride with Yu-na and taking a breather on a bench,
"Yu-na, did you have fun?"
Yu-na, who had been sitting on my lap, hopped down excitedly.
"Hehehe. Yeah! It was so much fun!"
"Really? Dad had fun too."
Definitely.
Every ride we went on together was a blast, just like Yu-na said.
Even for an adult like me.
'Is this what innocence feels like?'
Maybe it's because this is my first time here. As Lee Jun-seo from my past life, I started working as a child actor young and never once visited an amusement park.
Did Lee Jun-seo come here before the possession? I couldn't be sure since the memories weren't surfacing.
Anyway. Putting aside the complicated thoughts.
I shook off the reverie and sat Yu-na back on my lap.
Then I gazed into the distance.
'I thought we'd been playing forever, but only two hours have passed.'
What should we do next...
We'd already ridden every kids' ride, so there wasn't much left.
'No, there are exactly two left.'
We hadn't done the carousel or the Ferris wheel, which could be called the flowers of the amusement park.
I'd vaguely heard from people around that they were only meaningful at night.
'Should we just ride the elephant again?'
Having made up my mind, I stood up.
Yu-na hopped down to the ground and turned her head.
"Dad, what are we doing now?"
"Let's ride the elephant again..."
That was when.
I spotted a family posing their kids in cool stances for photos.
'Oh, I totally forgot about pictures?'
I hadn't taken a single photo of Yu-na since arriving at Neverland.
Who knows when we'd come back.
'Yeah, it's not too late to start now.'
I immediately snuggled up with Yu-na for some cute photos and uploaded one to the group chat to brag.
Lee Jun-seo: (photo)
'It's been quiet lately.'
I'd grown a bit lonely with less interaction from my new friends.
This should get them talking instead of just lurking.
My prediction was spot on.
The sunbaes flooded the chat with messages in an instant.
And my one and only friend.
Kang Su-ho: What? Where's that? Looks like Neverland from the background... You went to play?
Yoo Seol-hwa: What?! Weren't you busy filming your next project? Is it okay to be out playing? This guy is hopeless. The sunbaes are too busy to play.
Shin Dong-hyun: Ah! It's my day off today... You should've told me! Why didn't you say anything!
Yoo Seol-hwa: This is why you can't trust hoobaes. Dong-hyun, you're filming your next project too. What do you mean playing on your day off! Go practice your acting more!
Shin Dong-hyun: I'll head over now! It's Neverland, right? Wait there.
Yoo Seol-hwa: Look at this? Dong-hyun, ignoring your sunbae? Both hoobaes disrespecting their sunbaes?
Just posting the photo livened up the quiet group chat.
'Why is the friend guy saying he's coming?'
I quickly dissuaded Shin Dong-hyun, who seemed ready to rush to Neverland any second.
Lee Jun-seo: Come and we're not friends anymore.
Lee Jun-seo: (laughing emoticon)
Lee Jun-seo: Guess what Yu-na's doing right now?
I put a cute headband on Yu-na—one you can't miss at an amusement park—and snapped a photo to send.
Lee Jun-seo: (photo)
Everyone started sending jealous messages with angry emoticons.
I couldn't help but laugh.
"Dad, what are you doing?"
"Yu-na, wanna see this? The noonas and oppa are mad looking at your photo."
I added a little white lie and showed her the group chat.
Yu-na's lips puckered like a duck's, and her eyebrows drooped.
"Why are noona and oppa mad? Because Yu-na's ugly?"
"Hahaha. No, that's not it."
I took off the yellow headband I was wearing and put it on Yu-na's head.
Then I continued.
"It's because they can only see you in photos."
"...Then why are noona and oppa mad?"
Yu-na didn't seem to get it.
"Noona and oppa want to meet our cute Yu-na. We haven't seen them lately, right?"
"Oh! Dad, then let's take tons of photos and send them!"
We'd already done most of the rides, so why not make memories with photos?
"...Hmm. Yeah, let's do that."
"Hehehe. Okay!"
I typed that I'd send all the photos in the afternoon, turned off notifications, and pocketed my phone.
"Alright, Yu-na. No more rides—let's go take photos instead?"
"Okay!"
In front of a beautifully decorated flower bed, I hammed it up for Yu-na, who was making a flower frame with her hands.
"Yu-na, where are you?"
"Hehehe. Right here, Dad."
"Hmm, Dad only sees flowers? Oh! There you are!"
"Eeeek! Daddyyy!"
Click!
I captured her on my phone as she collapsed to the ground, poking her sides.
'This should be enough, right?'
I stopped tickling her.
To organize the photos I'd taken so far, I opened my gallery.
'Fewer than I thought.'
Even with hundreds from today, it felt too few to me.
I'd delete the ones I didn't like anyway.
"Dad, what are you doing?"
"Sorting photos. Be good and still for a bit, okay?"
"Okay. Can I sit on your lap then?"
"Yeah. Let's sit there and rest a minute."
I sat on the nearby bench, placed my hand on Yu-na's waist, and started sorting photos.
Deleting the shaky ones...
Suddenly, a shadow fell over us.
"Jun-seo, what are you doing here?"
I turned at the deep voice.
Lee Jong-min and Yoon Si-won were peering at my phone and nodding slightly.
"Taking photos, I see."
"But no photos of just you and Yu-na together?"
Lee Jong-min raised his voice, furrowing his brow at Yoon Si-won's words.
"Hey now! What's the point of only photographing your daughter? You need ones together to make real memories. Hand that over."
He snatched my phone and dashed forward to pose.
"You, step aside. Ha-yul, don't stand there either."
I froze at his instructions, wearing a pink headband.
This might be rude, but...
It didn't suit him. No, it was nightmare-fuel scary.
A pink headband...
"Jun-seo, look here."
"Ah, yes!"
I hurriedly followed his lead.
Hugging Yu-na tight, I smiled at the camera.
"Perfect. Yu-na, smile a bit bigger."
"Like this?"
Her silly pose—poking her cheeks with tiny fingers—made me laugh.
Click!
The shutter sound captured the moment.
He checked the photo with satisfaction and came back.
"Nice shot. If you've had your fun, want to hang with us now? It's about dinner time anyway."
"Yeah, sure..."
I stopped mid-sentence upon seeing the photo. It was too good—I was stunned.
What? How is it this perfect?
All my photos had focused on Yu-na's face.
But he'd framed us with the background in mind. It screamed professional.
"You really know how to take photos..."
"Hahaha! Actually, I'm a photographer by trade. That's why."
"......"
I unintentionally shot him a glance.
Sorry, but with his muscular build and tough looks...
It didn't fit a photographer.
'With that body?'
Then I felt a weird stare.
Turning, Yoon Si-won was glaring with narrowed eyes.
Ah, that was rude.
I snapped to and bowed to Lee Jong-min. Judging by looks alone was my mistake.
"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."
"Hahaha!"
A hearty laugh rang out.
I looked up—he was grinning.
"Guess my looks threw you off. Happens all the time."
"Sigh... You're too pure for your own good."
She sighed deeply, reverting to her usual self with a smile.
"We're heading to dinner now. Join us, Jun-seo? We were gonna grab a good spot and let you know."
"Ah, sure, why not?"
As I scratched my head, Ha-yul, who had been quietly watching, piped up.
"Yeah, mister. Our dad's cooking is super tasty. They say even if one dies eating with him, the other wouldn't notice."
"You little! Where'd you learn that?!"
"Hehehe! Catch me!"
Yoon Si-won couldn't scold Ha-yul as she hid behind me, her brow furrowing again.
"Come out now or Mom's gonna get mad."
"Hehehe. Mom doesn't scare me anymore."
Her lips curved up, eyebrows twitching as she unleashed a fierce aura.
"...Ha-yul? Should Mom turn back into goblin mom?"
"......"
Ha-yul tucked in her tail and slunk back to Yoon Si-won.
Guess the old her was still scary.
I turned to see Yu-na chatting with Lee Jong-min.
"Mister! Mister! Same as Yu-na. Pink headband!"
"Hahaha. Yeah? Want to do mister's headband too, Yu-na?"
"Okay."
Yu-na already had two headbands. Now with his, that made three.
She grabbed the extra ones and laughed.
"Hehehe. So many headbands."
We gathered on a cute mat patterned with little rabbits.
Placing our packed lunches in the center made my mouth water.
"Wow, looks delicious."
Ha-yul's family had inari sushi and kimbap. Worlds apart from mine.
I'd just transferred convenience store bentos to a container.
Seeing theirs made mine look pathetic.
"Yours looks pretty good too."
"Looks like it took a lot of effort. When did you even prep all that?"
They thought I'd cooked everything in my container.
No choice then.
I'd have to say I made it.
I chuckled awkwardly.
"Hahaha. I do some cooking."
Then Yu-na stuck out her tongue cutely.
"Tch. Dad's a liar."
"Huh? What're you saying? Dad worked so hard cooking from dawn."
"It's all just bentos."
I quickly stuffed a piece of kimbap in her little mouth.
Nom nom.
"Hahaha! Yeah, they are all bentos."
"Y-Yeah. These are bentos, not home cooking."
Everyone awkwardly laughed, not quite getting it but siding with Yu-na.
'Sorry, Yu-na...'
But now she's the liar.
Well...
Packing side dishes from convenience store bentos into a pretty container made it look homemade.
I nonchalantly kept feeding her kimbap.
Nom nom.