Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Let's Go on a Trip (1)
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No kid in the world hates playgrounds.
Kids instinctively love playgrounds, flashing bright smiles just from running around outside.
It's safe to say they're always riding high on adrenaline shots straight to the brain.
But Suryeon had been through a shocking incident, perhaps.
"Suryeon, want to go for a walk with Dad?"
"No. I'm not going out."
She turned away sharply—
Suryeon refused to go out.
Every day I suggested heading outside, but she wrapped herself in the blanket and flat-out refused.
"The world outside is dangerous. Home is the best. Anything beyond this blanket is risky."
Plopped down on the floor.
She was showing rock-solid determination that no matter what, she wasn't budging.
*This is a headache.*
It was obvious this would end the same way again.
I stood up anyway, beckoning Hwaryeon and Choryeon toward the entryway.
"Then we'll just go without you, Suryeon. Rest well at home. Got it?"
No sooner had I said it than Suryeon threw off the blanket and came charging out.
"No! Dad, don't go."
She clung tight—
Suryeon grabbed my arm to block the outing.
"Stay with me. Let's stay home."
"It's just for a little bit alone..."
"You understand when I go to work. But once I'm home, stay home. Don't go out again."
Let's stay home together.
That's what Suryeon said as she blocked the door.
I glanced awkwardly at Hwaryeon and Choryeon, who were waiting beside me.
Hwaryeon and Choryeon, who'd been looking forward to going out, were glaring at Suryeon and grinding their teeth.
"Lee Suryeon! We can't go out because of you! How many times has this happened?!"
"Suryeon sis...! Don't cross the line...! That's too much...!"
Grrrr—!!
Hwaryeon and Choryeon finally snapped.
Suryeon looked back at them like she couldn't comprehend.
"Why do you want to go outside? The world's full of trash. A world full of trash is just trash. But home has no trash—it's a happy world."
"What? What are you even saying?!"
"The conclusion is that home is the best."
Suryeon said that, then turned her head and muttered.
"Heh heh... The world is full of trash... Home is the best..."
I shouldn't have let her browse the internet so much.
Looks like her chuunibyou syndrome is pretty severe.
I sighed and patted Hwaryeon and Choryeon's heads.
"Looks like we can't go out today either. Sorry, kids. Let's all take off our shoes."
"That's ridiculous, Dad! We can just leave her and go ourselves!"
Fair point.
We could leave Suryeon and have fun without her.
But dad instincts told me that wasn't okay.
"Hwaryeon."
"What!"
"I know what you're thinking. Want to take a good look at Suryeon?"
"Hmm? Sure!"
Ziiiing—
Hwaryeon stared piercingly at Suryeon alongside me.
"Heh heh... Humans are trash... The outside is full of trash... The world is trash..."
Suryeon, deep in chuunibyou mode, was muttering to herself.
"Does that look normal to you, Hwaryeon?"
"No, she looks totally unhinged."
"What do you think would happen if we left her alone?"
"She'd wreck everything! The house would collapse!"
"You get it."
"Mm-hmm!"
Hwaryeon nodded in agreement with my words.
Even in Hwaryeon's eyes, Suryeon's state looked dangerous.
*Choryeon's nodding too. Even the youngest thinks something's off.*
Choryeon was nodding along as she watched Suryeon lost in her chuunibyou haze.
Suryeon's condition was worrying—
"You're right, Suryeon sis! Humans who cut down trees are trash! We need to clean them up! For the normalization of Earth!"
"Why are you agreeing, Choryeon? That's extremist talk. Don't listen."
I covered Choryeon's ears as she echoed Suryeon's ideology.
Then, watching Suryeon still chuckling "keh keh," I thought.
*Chuunibyou might be too far gone, but how do I cure this agoraphobia?*
Hmm.
What to do.
Maybe it wouldn't hurt to ask the people around me for advice.
I didn't have many friends, but I knew plenty of adults.
***
*'My daughter refuses to go outside.'*
I decided to ask those around me for solutions to the problem.
First, I went to the grandma who lived closest to home.
"Grandma, you saw Suryeon the other day, right?"
"That quiet little one. My memory's fuzzy these days, but of course I remember."
"She's refusing to go out. Any ideas?"
Grandma answered my question like it was no big deal.
"Just beat her until she goes out. Kids grow up knowing better after a beating."
"What? She's not some busted appliance. What kind of advice is that?"
"Tch, that's how it was back in my day. We grew up getting hit, and it fixed us right up."
Ridiculous solution.
*Physical therapy's a pass for now.*
Grandma didn't seem interested in giving me real advice anyway.
Probably thought it was too much hassle and that I should figure it out myself.
"Okay, got it from Grandma... Next up isn't my favorite, but... she runs a kindergarten, so maybe she knows."
Might as well check since it's nearby.
I headed to Gu Bong-gu's Happy Kindergarten.
In a room full of bright colors, I sat in a mismatched chair and asked.
"Gu Bong-gu."
"Yeah."
"What do you think?"
Gu Bong-gu pondered his response for a bit, then said it like there was no choice.
"Just keep knocking on the door to go out. Be persistent, and it'll open eventually. She's scared of the outside because she's not used to it."
Knock on the door to Suryeon's heart.
Like a loan shark pounding on a door for repayment.
Gu Bong-gu's loan shark therapy didn't sound bad.
Not sure if it'd work on stubborn Suryeon, though.
"Anyway, thanks, Gu Bong-gu. I'll give it a shot. Sent you a little money too."
"Alright, pay up quick. Call if you need help."
Is it because of the repayment?
Gu Bong-gu felt nicer somehow.
Maybe a sense of camaraderie from raising kids.
"Got advice from two people, but still not sure."
No "this is it!" moment.
Any other ideas?
I took the cigarette Gu Bong-gu had given me, lit up, and smoked in front of the house.
"Hoo... Any good ideas...?"
No solutions coming to mind, I couldn't bring myself to head home.
I stood loitering out front long after finishing the smoke.
Then, I pulled out my smartphone and checked my contacts.
"Been a while. Wonder if he's doing okay."
Manpower agency director Jo Hyun-gyu.
I called the director.
After about ten seconds of ringing, Jo Hyun-gyu's voice came through.
-What's up, Lee Ha-jun? Calling at this hour. Something wrong?
"Just checking in, seeing how you're doing. Got a question too."
I exchanged greetings with Jo Hyun-gyu and explained the situation.
As a fellow dad raising a daughter, he listened quietly and responded.
-Agoraphobia, huh? Tough one. I think treat it quick. My girl got bit by a dog when she was super young and developed a dog phobia. Never shook it as she got older.
"She's dead set against going out. Any methods?"
-You said she went out because she was curious and then had an accident, right?
"Yeah."
-Take her somewhere that sparks enough curiosity to overcome the accident. That should do it. Show her there are good places outside too.
Veteran parents really know their stuff.
I thanked the director and hung up.
Then, I headed home with confident strides.
"Got a good idea."
A grin spread across my face.
I was sure I could solve this.
***
Suryeon sat beside me, staring up at the TV.
To apply the advice, I held my smartphone screen up to her face.
Suryeon recoiled and looked at me.
"What's this, Dad?"
"How's this look, Suryeon? Pretty, right?"
"Hmm..."
A photo of an amusement park in District 2.
Suryeon peered intently at the screen.
"What do you think? Amusement park—don't you want to go? Doesn't it spark your curiosity?"
"Hmm..."
Suryeon thought for a moment.
Then she whipped her head away.
"No. Not interested."
"Too many people?"
"Yeah."
Picky taste, as expected.
*No worries. Plenty more options.*
I swiped to the next photo.
"Big supermarket!"
"Been there. Meh."
"Pool!"
"Not bad. But too many humans."
"Museum!"
"Okay, but... not right now."
Tough to match her finicky palate.
Still, she was starting to show interest with each new place.
Sparking a dragon's curiosity was the right call, after all.
I showed her a spot that'd be hard to get to, but one she'd probably love most.
"How about here, Suryeon!"
"Uh, uhh...!"
Surfaces sparkling in sunlight.
Vast expanses of water.
An ocean of unknowable depths.
Suryeon gazed at the ocean photo, her blue eyes starting to sparkle.
"No people... Water... Looks cool..."
"So, the ocean? Even if you hate going out, don't you want to see this?"
"Uh, uhhmm..."
Suryeon stared at the photo, deep in thought.
Was she picturing going out?
She winced now and then from the fear.
But curiosity won out—she grabbed my arm eagerly.
"I wanna go to the ocean. Sounds good."
What a relief.
Suryeon liked the ocean and didn't refuse to go out this time.
I smiled naturally, relieved.
And then.
Hwaryeon and Choryeon, hearing about the ocean, scampered over.
"Me! Why didn't you ask me! I wanna go too!"
"I want to go to the ocean too. It'd be nice if you'd asked me, Dad... Kinda bummed."
Better to take them all if we're going.
"Alright, we'll all go."
"Yay!"
"...I wanted to go alone."
"Right, Dad!"
Wooo!
The kids raised joyful voices.
I was happy watching them, but inwardly worried.
*...Can we actually go?*
Dad's intuition said trouble was brewing already.