Chapter 13
Chapter 13
“How’s breakfast?”
“It’s good.”
As I ate the food Yeoreum made, I praised her right away.
… A teenage daughter’s anger was truly terrifying. Just yesterday, I honestly thought Yeoreum might beat me to death at this rate.
But today, the moment I got home, she suddenly hugged me and apologized, and then the moment Dain’s name came up, her expression completely stiffened.
What even was this emotional rollercoaster? Was this what having a teenage daughter was like?
Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.
“… So, why exactly were you late?”
At Yeoreum’s question, I started recalling what had delayed me today.
Well, to sum it up simply…
I was late because of Yeoreum.
It was right after my shift ended.
I waited for Choi Dain from the morning shift.
“Dain-ssi, hello.”
“Sunbae-nim, hello!”
“I have something I’d like to talk about… would you be willing to listen?”
“A consultation? If you’re okay with me, then of course I’ll listen!”
Dain smiled brightly and tapped her chest, and I began talking with her over coffee.
About Yeoreum.
“… Yesterday, Yeoreum seemed to have had a bit of a hard time.”
“A hard time? What happened?”
“Well… I was cleaning at home, and she suddenly got angry. Asking why I was doing it and telling me to rest.”
“… If a dad who worked all night comes home and does that, of course she’d get mad.”
“Is that… natural?”
“Of course it is. Especially since your job is so dangerous.”
When she put it like that, I had nothing to say.
“Still, Yeoreum was also in the wrong for getting that angry. The cleaning was, in a way, for her too.”
“I wondered if I’d been too careless.”
“You were a bit careless, and Yeoreum overreacted. So both sides share some fault.”
That comforted me a little, but that wasn’t the main issue.
“Then… is there a good way to make up with her?”
“Make up with Yeoreum?”
“Yes.”
After thinking for a moment, Dain patted my shoulder and gave me a surprisingly simple solution.
“Kids usually cheer up when they eat something tasty. Especially middle school girls going through puberty.”
“Is that so…?”
“Yep! And I’ll talk to Yeoreum separately too. I’m the officer in charge of her school, after all.”
“Please, I’m counting on you.”
With that, I bowed my head slightly while she waved her hand with a smile.
Anyway… that was it. I ended up being late because I waited for Dain’s shift to start.
“… Yeoreum.”
“Yes, mister.”
“… Could you maybe hear the details directly from Dain later?”
Yeoreum was smiling.
But it was the kind of smile that looked very, very angry.
“Ohhh~ So you’re saying I should hear it ‘directly’ from Dain unni later?”
“Uh… Yeoreum…?”
“Sure! I’ll hear it directly later! She’s the officer in charge of our school anyway, right? I can call her anytime?”
“She might be on duty now… maybe it’s better to talk in the afternoon—”
“… Hmph. Whatever.”
With that, Yeoreum glanced at the clock.
“… Because of you, I’m going to be late for school.”
“Sorry… want me to drive you?”
To be honest, I could get there faster on foot. But since I was pretending to be a normal human, I had to use a car.
Even while driving, it felt like a waste of money. I’ve got perfectly good legs worth a million bucks, you know.
Yeoreum looked down at me, then gave a small smile.
“Mister, don’t you think skipping school once in a while might be nice?”
“… Yeoreum?”
“Hehe… just kidding. There’s no way I’d actually skip.”
The moment I saw that, I let out a sigh of relief.
I had seriously started wondering if I’d spoiled her too much.
But I could say this with certainty—spoiling Yeoreum was fine.
Because even if she said things like that, she was still a very diligent kid who always went to school.
“Yeoreum, get in. I’ll take you.”
“Okay, mister. And after dropping me off, you’re going straight home, right?”
“Of course.”
I started the car and drove her to school.
She waved her hand energetically at me, and I waved back.
Seeing that bright smile, it was clear.
Yeoreum hadn’t changed at all.
She was exactly the same as before.
Still my precious child.
Still someone I had to protect.
Still someone who deserved to be happy.
With that thought in mind, I returned home.
And then—
“I greet my महान master.”
Today as well, for Yeoreum’s sake, I played the role of a villain.
Right in front of the final boss of villains.
By the afternoon, I called Dain unni to the counseling room.
Maybe because of my situation, the counselor didn’t question it and let us use the room freely.
“Dain unni, you came?”
“Yeoreum, hi. Long time no see.”
“Right? It’s been a month. Have you been well?”
“Of course.”
She smiled gently and sat down.
Looking at her, I couldn’t help but think—
Even at twenty-seven, she gave off both a pretty and cute vibe at the same time.
Tall, slim, but with a soft, adorable face.
She must’ve been confessed to many times.
And yet, she chose to work as a police officer, fighting for people like us.
She really was amazing.
But still…
“Dain unni, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“… Do you like my mister?”
I can’t let anyone take him away.
Dain blinked at my question, then burst into laughter.
“Pfft—hahaha…”
“Dain unni?”
“Yeoreum, relax your face. Calm down.”
“I am calm.”
“Nope. I can see how mad you are.”
“I said I’m not mad.”
The moment I said that, Dain suddenly pulled me into a hug, rubbing her cheek against my head.
“D-Dain unni!?”
“Geez, Yeoreum. Don’t worry. I’m not going to steal your mister~”
“T-That’s not what I meant…!”
“He’s just not my type.”
Hearing that made me feel relieved… but also slightly annoyed.
There’s no one more handsome than him.
No one better than him.
Maybe she noticed my dissatisfaction, because she quickly added—
“He is super handsome, though. But I like cute guys. So he’s out.”
… So she does recognize he’s handsome.
That alone reassured me.
“Anyway, Yeoreum. He was really worried about you.”
“Mister… was?”
“Yep. He looked completely down the whole shift because of you.”
That made my chest tighten.
I really had hurt him.
“Why did you get so mad?”
“… He overworks himself too much. He works all night, cooks, does all the chores, and I don’t even know if he sleeps properly. He’s even collapsed before.”
“Hmm… that’s definitely something to worry about.”
“… Yeah.”
“Then later, you can protect him instead.”
“Me…?”
“Yeah. You protect him.”
As she gently held my cheeks, I felt embarrassed.
But she was right.
I had to protect him.
“… Then… he won’t leave, right?”
“Leave?”
“Like… getting tired of me… or liking someone else… or something bad happening to him…”
Just imagining it made everything collapse.
Being alone again—I couldn’t bear that.
“Don’t worry. He’s not that kind of person. He’ll stay by your side.”
“… Really?”
“Really.”
… It felt true.
But still—
“Someday… will I be able to protect him?”
“Of course. You definitely will.”
“Thank you, unni…”
Someday, I will protect him.
I made that promise to myself.
After talking with Yeoreum, I realized two things.
First, her emotional dependence on him was very strong.
Just imagining him gone made her tremble.
That needed to be addressed somehow.
And second…
‘Calling him “mister” feels a bit distant… maybe “oppa” would be better?’
It seemed like she might be developing… other feelings too.
A ten-year gap… well, in society, that’s not that huge.
Honestly, I’m rooting for her.
Not sure about him, but if a girl ten years younger makes a move, wouldn’t he accept?
Well, that’s assuming those feelings last until adulthood.
Still…
“… So he’s collapsed before, huh.”
That ace of the special task force, Gu Hyunmin, collapsing…
That was surprising.
When did that happen?
At least not since I joined.
I should look into it later.