Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: At the Broadcasting Station
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The broadcasting station was bigger than I expected.
There were a lot of people, making it quite hectic.
In the midst of all that, I was waiting at a coffee shop on the first floor with Daeun for someone.
'About five minutes left?'
There were roughly five minutes until the appointed time.
Daeun was devouring the iced chocolate milk I'd ordered for her like it was the best thing ever.
Slurp!
"Daddy!"
"Yeah?"
"This is so yummy! Try some, Daddy!"
With that, she pushed her chocolate milk toward me.
"Yeah, it's okay for Daddy to have some."
"Yeah! Go ahead!"
"Really?"
"Yeah yeah! It's so yummy, that's why. Try it!"
Unable to resist her, I pretended to give in and took a sip.
Sweet chocolate milk. Honestly, they all taste pretty much the same to me.
But to Daeun, who loved chocolate so much, each shop's version seemed to have its own unique flavor.
I couldn't disappoint her after she'd offered it thinking of me. Naturally, I had to react enthusiastically.
"Wow! Why is this so delicious?"
"Right? Super yummy! I knew you'd say that!"
My reaction must have satisfied her, because Daeun grinned widely as she sipped her chocolate milk.
She was just too cute.
So, smiling, I asked her.
"But, Daeun."
"Yeah?"
"Daddy's really curious about something."
"What?"
"Who do you take after to be so cute?"
"Me!"
Hearing she was cute made her even cuter.
"Yeah, who do you look like?"
She tilted her head as if thinking, then answered.
"Mommy."
"Yeah, you look like Mommy."
"Oh, no! Sweeter than Daddy!"
"Yeah, not Mommy."
"Yeah, if like Mommy, not cute but pretty!"
Ah, that was what she meant. I'd thought she was saying Mommy wasn't cute.
Well, Hyorin was a real beauty, after all.
Nodding at her answer, I said.
"You're right. But you do look like your mommy too, Daeun."
"Really?"
"Of course. No matter what anyone says, you're Mommy's daughter."
"That's right! I'm Mommy's girl!"
She beamed.
Her response suddenly brought back an old memory.
'Back then, I wondered why they were smiling so much...'
Back in my college days, there were times I went out to sketch.
It was a period of a lot of wandering, so I often went outside to gaze at the sky and draw.
Occasionally, when I got sick of campus, I'd grab my easel and head to the streets. That's when I saw a mother and daughter sitting under a parasol in front of a convenience store on one street corner.
-Hahaha!
-Heeheehee!
The two, sharing one ice cream they'd bought, sat side by side chatting.
They were just sitting there eating ice cream, but smiles never left their faces.
Laughing and playing around over whatever it was.
Swish.
'I get it now. Why they were smiling like that.'
A bit late, but I finally understood why those two had been smiling so much back then.
Just watching them made me happy.
Seeing them eat so enjoyably made me want to tease them, strike up a conversation for no reason.
Every moment together was happy and precious.
That mother and daughter must have felt the same.
Swish.
Someone good just to look at.
"Daeun."
"Yeah!"
"I love you."
At my words, she grinned brightly.
"I love you too, Daddy!"
Swish.
Just then, a long shadow fell over us from behind.
It suddenly got dark, so I looked up to see a middle-aged woman wearing glasses blinking at us.
She seemed extremely flustered as she asked.
"Um, uh, are you by any chance Daeun's father, Painter Kanghyeok Lee?"
* * *
PD Kim Chanmi knew who I was.
I'd heard she was very interested in this field, so it made sense that she knew me, but the problem was...
'I didn't realize she knew about Daeun too.'
PD Kim Chanmi even knew of Daeun's existence.
"Oh my gosh!"
Right now, she was repeatedly exclaiming "oh my gosh" in astonishment at our relationship.
"I never imagined we'd meet like this. This has to be fate, right?"
"Y-Yes, f-fate."
"Yes, there's no other way to explain it."
Fate? She didn't have to describe our connection quite so dramatically.
But PD Kim Chanmi seemed firmly convinced it was fate.
"Because after seeing her on that broadcast, I became a huge fan of Daeun."
"A fan?"
"Yes! I came to interview Painter Kanghyeok Lee, and who would've thought I'd meet the fan-favorite Daeun here!"
Haha, really.
I understood the surprise, but seeing her react this way made me feel embarrassed for no reason.
"You don't have to hype it up like that."
"What do you mean hype? I'm a real fan. This is sincere."
Since she insisted it was sincere, I couldn't say anything else.
As I chuckled awkwardly in embarrassment, the PD smiled and asked.
"By the way, I know this is rude for a first meeting, but could I ask one favor?"
"A favor? What kind?"
A sudden request—what could she want that made her apologize so much? That's when PD Kim Chanmi brought up something completely unexpected.
"If there's a chance later, could I see the picture Daeun drew for Erina? In person?"
"Yes, the picture?"
"Yes! Watching that broadcast, I felt for the first time that I wanted a painting. One you can pour your heart into. Isn't that just amazing? But it's already a gift to Erina, so buying it again doesn't make sense. I just want to see it for real."
There were actually quite a few people like that.
I hadn't told Daeun, but during the live chat when the broadcast aired, similar comments had popped up.
Please let us see the picture Daeun drew in real life.
At the PD's words, Daeun's eyes widened as she asked.
"Auntie, you wanna see my picture?"
Whoosh!
At Daeun's question, PD Kim Chanmi's expression turned teary, and she bit her lip hard.
It looked like the face of someone overwhelmed by cuteness but trying not to show it.
Nodding vigorously at Daeun's question, PD Kim Chanmi replied.
"Yes, I really want to see it. Auntie is a huge fan of Daeun! Seeing that picture made me so happy."
What was this? The atmosphere had suddenly turned into a fan meet.
I hadn't expected this vibe when we came out, but somehow it felt just like one.
At the PD's words, Daeun smiled and said.
"Then I'll show you later!"
"Really? Really really? Can Auntie come see the picture?"
"Yes! I draw at my studio too!"
"You have a studio?"
Whoosh!
Then she looked at me and asked.
"A studio? Does that mean Daeun is an artist too?"
In that broadcast, they hadn't referred to Daeun as an artist.
I'd asked them to avoid it to prevent controversy, which is probably why the PD was reacting this way.
"Yes, she's preparing for her solo exhibition early next year."
Gasp!
The PD covered her mouth with both hands in shock.
"Wow! Amazing! I thought her skill was incredible for her age, but... it's on another level."
She gazed at Daeun with eyes full of awe.
And after a moment.
Swish.
When the PD looked back, there was a new emotion in her eyes that hadn't been there before.
That was...
"Shall we start the interview then? A bit late, but."
Greed.
* * *
We left the coffee shop and headed deeper into the broadcasting station.
Following PD Kim Chanmi, we arrived at a small meeting room on the third floor.
Click.
"I reserved this in advance since it's for an interview. Feel free to use it comfortably during the session."
"Ah, thank you."
"Would you like some tea?"
At her offer, I shook my head.
"No, I had coffee earlier, so I'm good."
"Ah, right. Shall we start the interview then?"
She sat down across from me and Daeun.
Then she checked the file she'd brought.
In the meantime, I had a question and asked.
"Ah, but I have something I'm curious about."
"Ah, yes! Please feel free to ask."
"I heard today's interview topic is about art psychology. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that's right. I didn't mention it beforehand, but I'm taking charge of a program soon. One segment is about assessing and correcting children's psychology through art. That's why I've been interviewing artists lately."
That explained what Jungeun had said.
He'd called this interview more like disguised casting than a real one. At his answer, I asked once more.
"If it's for that purpose, wouldn't a hospital be more suitable than an artist? Or is there a special reason you're seeking out artists instead of hospitals?"
That was what puzzled me.
If it's about assessing and correcting kids' psychology with art psychology, why seek general artists over hospitals?
Hospitals specializing in art psychology would surely be far more helpful for correction.
"Hmm, no special reason. Not all, but hospitals are profit-driven organizations, so people tend to be wary."
Her point about profit-driven groups made sense.
In short, she wanted someone who didn't see kids as money.
If a doctor appeared on air, the hospital's revenue would naturally rise. But I thought differently.
"Still, hospitals have more cases and can care for kids more reliably, right?"
"Of course. That's a specialty they handle professionally. I've scouted a few hospitals specializing in art psychology. Though whether we use them will be decided later."
In the end, they were prioritizing interviews with artists first for various reasons.
Resorting to hospitals as a last option if needed.
"Any more questions?"
At that, I shook my head.
"No, that's all."
"Alright, shall we begin the interview?"
Nod.
As I nodded, the PD opened her notebook and started with questions.
"I'll keep the questions as simple as possible. If you get stuck, just answer whatever comes to mind. This isn't a test or anything hugely significant. Think of it as casually consulting."
"Yes."
"Before the first question..., could you take a look at this?"
With that, PD Kim Chanmi pulled a sheet from her documents and handed it to me.
Swish.
"Yeah, isn't this a drawing?"
At the word "drawing," Daeun scurried over to look.
Perhaps finding Daeun cute, the PD smiled and said.
"This drawing was done by a child around Daeun's age. It's the standard tree, house, sky, sun drawing used in general art psychology."
It definitely looked like something a five-year-old had drawn.
Then the PD asked.
"What feelings do you get from this drawing?"
Probably to check if I had the aptitude for art psychology.
Since it was a program for kids, the interviewee's skills were crucial.
Having heard hints about this beforehand, I was about to respond familiarly...
"My friend is super scared!"
Huh?
Daeun's sudden words made both me and the PD's eyes widen.
But that was just the beginning.
"My friend can't sleep at night! Keeps crying and fussing!"
At that, my eyes flashed open.
'Come to think of it...'
Director Go had said it.
Daeun had special eyes for seeing drawings.
And I knew what those eyes were.
Eyes that could read the heart of the person who drew the picture.
So that meant...
"D-Daeun! H-How did you know that?!"
Daeun could grasp children's hearts better than any artist or doctor.