Absolute Beginner Dad Episode 155

Yoon Hee-soo silently gazed at the grand piano placed in one corner of the spacious penthouse living room.

"Hye-su..."

The image of her child, sitting on the piano bench and chattering away, kept surfacing in her mind.

"Mommy, I'll play for you!"

There were even a few simple songs she could play from start to finish—repetitive tunes like "Chopsticks March."

After finishing, she would always look up at her with a proud face, as if asking, "How was it?" while waiting for praise.

"Mommy, I'll try another song..."

Her child's voice kept echoing in her ears.

Those tiny fingers pressing the keys...

The sound that followed...

"Our Hye-su..."

Memories of the child she had lost surged over her like a tidal wave.

Until the crushing waves of grief finally subsided, she could do nothing but collapse and sob.

"Mommy, live."

Eventually, she shook her head and stood up.

Staggering, she made her way to the bathroom and splashed water on her face.

Then she lifted her head and stared at her reflection in the mirror.

The face looking back at her felt alien, like it belonged to someone else.

No matter how much she washed, the tear stains wouldn't fade.

Forcing a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠smile at her reflection, she whispered,

"I'll live..."

Her eyes no longer held any love for herself.

Yet she clenched her teeth and muttered a vow of survival.

"Even so... I'll keep living."

Her time would inevitably move forward.

Soon, her gaze drifted back to the piano in the living room.

She ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wished someone—anyone—would play it.

What would Hye-su have said?

That child, who never hesitated to share what she had, would have gladly given it away.

Without delay, Hee-soo pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

"Yes, this is Yoon Hee-soo."

She continued,

"About the piano earlier..."

A brief silence followed.

"I'll just... transfer it to you."

From the other end of the line, Kazan's startled voice responded.

—You're giving it away for free? Without any conditions?

To that, Hee-soo replied,

"I was already paid long ago."

Hadn't she been allowed to see the daughter she thought she'd never meet again?

Hadn't that daughter been given a pile of new toys and a peaceful life?

"About the piano..."

She forced her voice to remain steady.

"I'll explain it to you myself."

A heavy silence filled the dental clinic.

Seol was in the middle of her checkup...

"Sweetie, open wide and say 'Ah' for me?"

Seol, looking like she might burst into tears at any moment, opened her tiny mouth as wide as she could.

"Yes, it's loose."

The dentist, having finished the examination, turned to Kang-jun and Crabsley—who were present as guardians—and began explaining.

"Usually, baby teeth start loosening around age five, but the timing varies from child to child."

Crabsley frowned.

"So there's no issue?"

"Well, it is a bit early, but..."

"Think carefully before you answer."

Leaning in, he whispered coldly into the dentist's ear.

"Had it been any other tooth, perhaps. But a front tooth?"

"Excuse me?"

"People without front teeth always look pitiful for no reason."

Crabsley added gravely,

"If your misdiagnosis condemns Her Highness to a life without front teeth..."

"Sir...?"

"Suddenly, it won't just be Her Highness's tooth that's loose—it'll be your life."

Normally, Kang-jun would have stopped him, but this time, he only stared down at the dentist with icy calm.

"Are you absolutely sure there's no problem?"

Under their relentless pressure, the dentist broke into a cold sweat.

"Y-Yes, completely..."

Kang-jun tilted his head slightly.

"Then what should we do next?"

The dentist answered immediately.

"Wait a little longer. If it loosens more, come back for an extraction."

"An extraction..."

"Sometimes they fall out naturally, but just in case, please return for a follow-up."

Seol, sensing the tension, asked nervously,

"What's 'extraction'?"

Crabsley sighed dramatically.

"It means pulling the tooth out."

"Th-That sounds scary..."

"Yes, it's very scary."

Then, he added ominously,

"It's such a simple and effective method of causing pain that it's often used in... interrogations."

Seol immediately burst into tears. "WAAAAAH!"

Kang-jun scooped her up, soothing her while shooting Crabsley a glare.

"Why would you scare her like that?"

"The truth is simply—"

"Not helpful."

Then, Kang-jun turned to Seol with a gentle smile.

"Seol, have you heard the story?"

"Wh-What story?"

"About the Tooth Fairy...?"

"What's that?"

Seeing her interest piqued, Kang-jun continued.

"Kids lose their baby teeth as they grow up."

"Sniff..."

"Then new, bigger, stronger teeth grow in their place."

Seol sniffled.

"But I like my teeth now..."

Clearly, the idea of losing a tooth terrified her.

"But there's a fairy who wants those lost teeth."

"A fairy...?"

"Yep. She takes the tooth and grants a wish in return."

Seol's eyes widened.

"So if I give my tooth, she'll give me anything?"

"That's right."

"WOW! Then I hope my tooth falls out super fast!"

Kang-jun chuckled.

"You already have a wish in mind?"

"Mm! My wish is a secret!"

"Alright, I'll teach you how to make a wish when it falls out."

Instantly, she was all smiles again.

Children...

They were always this simple and pure.

"Let's go."

Just as Kang-jun was about to leave the clinic—

Bzzzt—

His phone, tucked in his pocket, suddenly vibrated.

"Hm?"

Pulling it out, he saw Yoon Hee-soo's name on the screen.

"One sec," he said, handing Seol to Crabsley before answering.

"Hello?"

Hee-soo's voice, unusually subdued, came through.

—Do you have a moment?

"Yeah, what's up?"

—It's about the piano.

She continued,

—I heard you were looking for the limited-edition piano released for Starchain's 100th anniversary.

"Oh, right."

—I won one at auction three years ago. If you'd like, I can transfer it to you.

"Wait, seriously?"

—But it's much bigger than expected. If you have time, you should come see it first...

Kang-jun cut in.

"Can I come today?"

—Of course.

"Great. Send me the address."

Yoon Hee-soo ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sat on the penthouse sofa, staring blankly at the piano when—

Ding-dong.

The doorbell rang.

"Just a second!" she called reflexively, heading to the entrance.

Click—

The door opened to reveal...

"Auntie, hi!"

"Seol! You came!"

"Missed you!"

Seol, cradled in Kang-jun's arms, wasn't alone.

"Milady, a pleasure."

Beside them stood a young man so strikingly handsome it was hard not to stare.

"Ah, nice to meet you..."

Kang-jun promptly introduced him.

"You haven't met Dibalde yet, right?"

"No..."

"One of my most loyal retainers."

Then, turning to Dibalde, he gave a brief introduction.

"This is S-Rank Hunter Yoon Hee-soo."

As soon as the brief introductions were over, Kang-jun immediately asked:

"By the way, that piano?"

To exaggerate slightly, the grand piano sat conspicuously in the center of the living room—spacious enough to be called a 'playground.'

"It's much bigger than I imagined. My place is too small to fit something like this..."

"Yes, that's exactly why I contacted you before sending it over. I was worried about the space."

Then Dibalde asked:

"How is the piano's condition?"

"Condition?"

"Has it been well maintained?"

Yoon Hee-soo hesitated before answering reluctantly.

"Well... It's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠been so long since I last checked..."

Kang-jun gestured toward the piano with a slight nod.

"Go take a look."

The reason Dibalde had accompanied them was his deep knowledge of music and considerable skill in handling various instruments.

Dibalde immediately walked over and pressed the piano keys one by one, quickly assessing its overall condition and tuning.

Meanwhile, Seol, who had climbed down from Kang-jun's arms, began running excitedly around the spacious living room.

"Wow, it's so biiig...!"

When Kang-jun tried to stop her—"Seol, no running..."—Yoon Hee-soo shook her head reassuringly.

"The soundproofing here is excellent, so she can run around as much as she wants."

Kang-jun nodded subtly as he glanced around the living room...

...until his eyes landed on a display cabinet filled with awards.

Among the plaques from the Hunter Bureau, a single deflated balloon was tucked between them.

"Why is there a balloon on display?"

And not just any balloon—one so shriveled it was barely recognizable.

Yoon Hee-soo's expression darkened as she explained quietly.

"It used to be much bigger, but now it's like this..."

"Well, balloons naturally lose air over time..."

"This one... Hye-su blew it up herself."

She murmured again, her voice barely audible.

"It holds her last breath. Watching it disappear little by little... hurts."

Kang-jun pressed his lips together.

The grief of a mother who had lost her child.

He couldn't fathom it.

A heavy silence lingered.

Yoon Hee-soo awkwardly brushed her arm before cautiously changing the subject.

"Anyway, girls seem to love pianos around this age. Actually, this grand piano was originally a birthday gift for Hye-su."

"A keepsake?"

"Yes. But really, it's fine—you can take it if you want. It's better for someone to play it than to leave it abandoned like this..."

Her voice trailed off before she added:

"Thanks to you, I got to see Hye-su again... and I know I'll keep seeing her. So..."

She forced a smile.

"Hye-su would've given it away without hesitation. She was always like that—sharing anything if someone needed it."

Kang-jun, however, felt uneasy.

'Even if I took it, there's no space at home. Maybe I should just make an excuse and leave it here.'

Yoon Hee-soo had kept a deflated balloon for years just because it held her daughter's breath.

Even if Seol wanted it...

How could he take a cherished memento from a mother trapped in memories of her child?

'I'd like to let them meet often, but...'

The living who lingered too long in the underworld—or traveled there frequently—would inevitably have their memories eroded.

Originally...

The reason Hye-su's memories had faded while waiting for her mother at the riverbank was the same.

'I suppose that's just providence.'

Dibalde, having finished inspecting the piano, turned to Kang-jun and Yoon Hee-soo and explained softly:

"For something left unattended, it's in decent shape. With a little tuning, it should produce quite a pleasant sound."

Kang-jun replied immediately.

"After seeing it, I don't think I can take it—no space at home. But since we're here, go ahead and tune it."

Yoon Hee-soo blinked.

"You're not taking the piano?"

"Yeah, my place is too small."

"But since you came all this way..."

"It's cramped enough as it is."

Just then, Seol toddled over from across the room and suddenly hugged Yoon Hee-soo, proudly announcing as if sharing big news:

"Auntie, my tooth wiggles!"

"Really? Already?"

"Uh-huh! Gonna give it to the Tooth Fairy!"

Yoon Hee-soo smiled faintly.

"The Tooth Fairy... It's been so long since I heard that."

"You know about the Tooth Fairy too, Auntie?"

"Of course. My daughter used to make wishes every time she lost a tooth."

She didn't know what wishes Hye-su had made.

But her daughter, too...

Had always made wishes when her teeth fell out.

"Huh?"

Just then, Dibalde frowned.

"Ah, excuse me."

He called Kang-jun and Yoon Hee-soo over and held up a small cloth pouch he had found inside the piano.

"This was inside. I was concerned it might be important..."

Yoon Hee-soo's eyes widened as she stared at the pouch, then stretched out her hands urgently.

"P-Please, let me see..."

As if entranced, she immediately opened the pouch and checked its contents.

Inside was a crumpled note and... a baby tooth.

"How did this...?"

Kang-jun frowned.

"That's a baby tooth, isn't it?"

It was Hye-su's tooth.

Just like Seol's...

A wobbly tooth that had finally come loose.

"Hye-su..."

Only then did the long-buried memory resurface.

"If you throw a lost tooth onto the roof, the Tooth Fairy will take it and grant your wish."

"But we don't have a roof."

"Then hide it somewhere only you know. When the new tooth grows, the Fairy will take it and grant your wish."

Yoon Hee-soo explained briefly before murmuring in a hollow voice:

"So she hid it inside the piano..."

"Ah..."

"What do I do now...?"

Her trembling hands unfolded the note, desperate to see what wish her daughter had made before she was gone.

She had to know.

"Mommy, don't be sick."

"Be healthy."

"Be happy with Mommy."

"That's my wish."

The crooked handwriting shattered her completely.

She collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

Seol, startled, sat beside her and patted her back.

"Auntie, don't cry..."

Dibalde, who had been silently observing, immediately began tuning the piano.

Once finished, he sat before it, lifted the cover, and placed his hands on the keys.

"Final check."

A necessary step after tuning.

No...

He intended to play a requiem under the guise of inspection.

"Sheet music..."

He glanced at the score on the piano.

Chopsticks March.

Originally titled The Celebrated Chop Waltz.

"An easy piece."

As his fingers pressed the keys, a simple melody filled the air.

"Hye-su... Hye-su..."

A requiem for the daughter who had left first...

And a tribute to the mother who had to let her go.

Amid the music, Yoon Hee-soo wept openly.

Tears fell like raindrops as she grieved.

"Hye-su..."

The delicate notes intertwined into something heartbreakingly beautiful.

Without a doubt...

This was the saddest Chopsticks March in the world.

"That's it. Cry all you need."

Kang-jun gently rubbed her trembling shoulders.

Once again, he hated the world.

A world where the survivors had to keep dragging themselves forward.

"I miss you, Hye-su..."

And still, the march played on.

As if relentlessly urging the living to keep moving...

Unaware of the listeners' pain, it simply continued.