The Father Surrogate Gig
In a world where monsters tear civilians apart, widows and widowers are no longer rare. The number of children growing up without a father or mother has skyrocketed since the monsters first appeared.
"Yoona, how's Daddy? Just like the one you saw on your phone, right? Hm…?"
I had overlooked one crucial detail. A surrogate father and a babysitter were strictly different things. If she had been looking for a babysitter, she never would have contacted me.
When the little girl named Yoona still looked at me with fear in her eyes, her young mother began to ramble.
"Y-Yoona's dad…! You must be exhausted. It's been so long since you've come home…"
—Hug.
She suddenly pulled me into an embrace. The scent of a lived-in home drifted through her hair and reached my nose.
"Did you eat anything on the way…? I was just about to start dinner…"
"No, wait, what is this—"
"I was going to make your favorite galbi-jjim. You like it, don't you, Yoona's dad…?"
Since her mother was acting so familiar, Yoona seemed to grow convinced that I really was her father. She crept closer, buried her face against my side, and wrapped her arms around my leg.
Previous role-playing gigs had only required a quick greeting, a few photos, and showing up to make the numbers work. This was different. I wasn't just some uncle hired to play around—I was actually here as a surrogate father.
"Come inside. It's cold out."
Yoona's mother took my hand and pulled me into the house. I couldn't just shake her off and leave, so I had no choice but to follow her in. Being showered with affection by a beautiful woman with a great figure felt nice, but the real problem was the child.
Was I really just supposed to play with her for one day and that was it?
"…Daddy. Daddy."
Feeling uneasy, I came out of the bathroom after washing my hands to find Yoona calling for me. Her name was Yoona, wasn't it?
"Uh, Y-Yoona?"
Yoona had large, pretty eyes and a delicate face. She really did look exactly like her mother. She grabbed the hem of my pants and trotted toward the living room.
"Just a sec."
She sat me down on the sofa, then ran off alone into the master bedroom. A moment later, she returned carrying a sketchbook.
"L-Look at this, Daddy."
Somehow managing to hold a sketchbook nearly as big as herself, Yoona stood in front of me on the sofa. She flipped through the pages for a second, then—
"Daddy, fighting!"
She showed me a drawing she had clearly made herself and began singing a children's song I vaguely remembered.
"We are… um… we are… here for you."
She didn't seem to know all the lyrics. On the first page of the sketchbook clutched in her tiny hands was a drawing of a mom, a dad, and a little girl labeled "me," all smiling happily together. The pages after that followed the same pattern.
Suddenly being treated to this little performance left me flustered. I glanced sideways and saw—
—Clap, clap.
Yoona's mother was applauding, whispering "That's my girl, that's my girl," while beads of sweat trickled down her face. She looked terrified that my reaction might be negative.
Yoona kept singing along with her drawings, her performance surprisingly polished. She must have practiced a lot.
Ha…
When the song finally ended, Yoona looked up at me with a face caught between worry and pride. She was incredibly cute. Was this the kind of scene parents got to see every day?
"…Our Yoona's really good. You could be an idol."
"Hee, heehee. Right? I'm gonna be a magical girl, Daddy!"
Delighted by the praise, Yoona climbed onto the sofa and plopped down beside me, grinning from ear to ear.
She had completely accepted me as her father now.
"A magical girl?"
"Yeah! I'm gonna be a cool magical girl just like Pink Rose!"
With that, Yoona launched into an enthusiastic explanation about magical girls. Meanwhile, her mother was setting the table with a clatter of dishes.
"Daddy, are you listening?"
"Ah, yeah."
"So Pink Rose, right? She's colleagues with Red Camellia…"
If anyone saw us right now, we'd look like a perfectly happy father and daughter. The thought made a wave of nausea rise in my throat. Pretending to be a father when I wasn't one… Whether I liked it or not, my actions today would become Yoona's final memory of having a dad.
"…Daddy? Daddy?"
"Ah, yeah. I was listening."
"…And then Pink Rose did this next…"
The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to leave immediately. Maybe it hit harder because I had grown up in a happy family myself. Offering a brief illusion of a happy home was nothing but hypocrisy. But if I walked out now, Yoona would have to face the pain of losing her father all over again. Her mother would try to lie her way through it, but kids these days were sharp.
"Yoona's dad, Yoona! Dinner's ready…!"
Ah—
While I had been lost in thought, trying to ignore the rising nausea, I somehow found myself seated at the dining table.
"Whoa! Meat!"
"…I made galbi-jjim. It's your favorite, Yoona's dad."
So the father I was pretending to be liked galbi-jjim. Yoona's mother placed a large piece of meat on top of my rice.
"Mom, me too!"
She did the same for Yoona's bowl.
"Heehee, I reeeally like meat!"
With the childish speech patterns typical of her age, Yoona took a huge bite. Every time the meat on her plate disappeared, her mother added another piece. Yoona beamed as she ate, and her mother watched her with a happy expression.
It was the picture of a warm, happy family dinner. But I couldn't really taste the galbi-jjim.
* * *
After the meal, while Yoona was in the bathroom, I called her mother out to the veranda. Under normal circumstances, being alone with such a beautiful woman might have sparked some wild fantasies, but right now I was filled with nothing but irritation and anger.
"What the hell is this supposed to be?"
My voice came out louder than I intended.
"You didn't explain anything and just made me act like her dad in front of the kid? What were you thinking?"
Yoona's mother, still wearing her apron, lowered her head with a dark expression. Normally I might have softened, but I couldn't afford to right now.
"You said I just had to play with her for one day."
It wasn't that I simply disliked pretending to be Yoona's father. It made me feel guilty. Getting paid a measly amount to play dad in front of a child—what if I made a mistake and gave her trauma? I wasn't even confident I could pull off a convincing impression of her real father.
"…"
Yoona's mother kept her head bowed, her expression still gloomy. I had already guessed as much. Even without hearing the full story, it was obvious this family had been through something tragic. I had always told myself I wouldn't ask clients about their circumstances, and I had planned to stick to that, but—
"Just explain it to me, okay?"
This time, I needed to know. Sure, I was only here for the money, but this wasn't fair to Yoona.
Ah… Had I already grown attached to her?
I dragged a hand down my face.
"…Say something. This isn't right."
Maybe I was overstepping. But now that I was here, there was no backing out.
"…"
After a long silence with her head still lowered, Yoona's mother finally spoke when it became clear I wasn't going to leave.
"…The thing is…"
* * *
Yoona's real father hadn't been a good man. He was the textbook example of a useless husband—coming home late every night after drinking, failing to provide, yet still acting like the head of the household. There were plenty of other negatives attached to him. Of course, he had died a few years ago after getting caught in a monster rampage.
"So that's why you hired a surrogate father?"
"…Yes."
Goddamn it. While I could sympathize with a young mother whose husband had died suddenly, even so—hiring a fake dad who would only show up for a single day still felt wrong.
"Ever since last year, Yoona's been asking about her dad nonstop. Maybe she's gotten smarter…"
"…"
"…So I thought, even if it's fake, I should at least let her see one this year…"
I honestly couldn't understand it.
"And what happens when I leave? What if I show up for one day and then disappear forever? How is she supposed to handle that?"
"I was planning to comfort her somehow…"
Ha. This mother wasn't in her right mind either. The sheer absurdity of her logic almost made me laugh.
"Wouldn't it be better to just tell her I'm her uncle and leave now?"
"Ah, no. Please don't."
Thinking about it, that wouldn't be right either. After dancing for her, eating together, and chatting like a real dad, suddenly claiming to be her uncle would make me just as much of a bastard.
"…Just pretend to be her dad for one day. I'm begging you…"
Yoona's mother bowed so deeply that the top of her head was visible. Making a mother grovel like this in her own home made me feel like a complete bastard.
What the hell was I supposed to do…?
Ah, screw it.
"I'll stay until ten. After that, you're on your own explaining it to Yoona."
Honestly, she was someone I'd never see again after today. Maybe I was meddling too much. Once today was over, it wouldn't be my problem anymore.
"Yes… Thank you…"
Guilt tore at my heart, but what could I do? She would handle her own child. I'd just do the bare minimum like before and go home.
I placed my hand on the doorknob to return to being Yoona's father.
—Creak.
When I turned the knob, what I saw on the other side was Yoona standing there with an expression no girl her age should ever have to make.