Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: My Daughter Is a Genius Painter
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'I had no choice but to know exactly.'
Daeun's abilities weren't limited to just perfect memory.
When Daeun looked at a painting, she could read the emotions the artist felt at the time it was created.
That meant she could understand the artist's feelings better than anyone else, perhaps.
Especially if it was a child.
"Daeun! Spot on! How did you know? This painting was done by a friend with insomnia. They said they can't sleep at night because they're scared—how did you pick up on that exactly?"
At the question, Daeun seemed overjoyed, not knowing what to do with herself.
"I just knew! The painting told Daeun all about it!"
The idea that paintings told Daeun the artist's inner thoughts.
It really was like something out of a fantasy story. Then again, genius talent was practically magic.
In that sense, wasn't Daeun a mystical being herself?
"Did you know about this, Painter?"
"Ah, Daeun's eye for art."
"Yes! This is truly a genius-level talent. Mind if I show you some more paintings from other kids?"
That was what the director had said.
She wanted to nurture Daeun's eye for reading pictures.
That's why she deliberately arranged for us to visit the gallery, to expose us to all sorts of opportunities.
'Well, kids' drawings are all the same, anyway.'
Rather than overly profound works heavy with meaning, maybe the honest emotions in children's drawings were better.
I nodded in agreement.
"Sure, that's fine."
"Oh! Thank you. So, Daeun, what do you think of this one?"
With that, the PD showed Daeun all the paintings he'd brought, and Daeun read the children's emotions from each one.
'Wow, even I'm surprised by this.'
She didn't get a single one wrong.
The PD even showed me info on the kids who made them.
Yet Daeun pierced right through to their true feelings, nailing each one perfectly.
"This is really... Daeun is definitely a genius. An art genius. No, she's already a painter, so she'll be a genius painter."
Genius painter. It felt like too grand a title... but the innate ability she'd just shown made even that seem insufficient.
"Daddy! Daeun did good!"
"Yeah, Daeun was so cool. Even Daddy, who knew already, was shocked."
"Even better than Daddy?"
"Yeah, better than Daddy?"
"Yeah! Mommy said so! Daeun takes after Daddy!"
Yeah, takes after me.
That was news to me.
Hyorin must have known about Daeun's genius all along.
Just then, the PD, who'd been listening, chuckled and spoke up.
"Like they say, geniuses are born from geniuses, huh?"
"Wh-what? Genius?"
"That's why I have a proposal for you, Painter. Mind if I make one?"
His mention of a proposal made me tense for no reason.
Was he about to invite me onto the show he was producing?
But then the PD smiled and said,
"My junior PD is hosting a program—want to guest on it?"
"M-me?"
Not even as a panelist, but a guest, out of nowhere.
Of course, today's meeting was for an interview, but I couldn't quite read the PD's intentions.
"What kind of show? If I can do it..."
The PD shook his head.
"No, not you, Painter Kanghyeok Lee."
"Then...?"
"Daeun."
"Yes!"
Daeun as a guest...
She'd appeared once before, so it wasn't out of the question, but the PD's follow-up made me hesitate to decide.
"The show's called Genius Discovery Squad."
I'd come across Genius Discovery Squad while searching online about Daeun before.
It was a program that found kids with genius abilities and helped develop them.
It seemed PD Kim Chanmi wanted to send Daeun there.
After that, the proper interview began.
The questions were basic: starting with fundamentals of art psychology, then asking if it actually helped correct children's psychology and behavior.
I answered with conviction, and the PD seemed quite satisfied.
Then he got a call from somewhere and stepped out briefly. I glanced over at Daeun.
Kyu! Kyua!
Daeun was poking at the paintings the PD had left behind, playing with her fingers.
'Hmm, Genius Discovery Squad.'
Honestly, appearing on TV wasn't a big deal anymore after the variety show. No real aversion left.
I wanted fame myself, so I could've brushed it off easily—but I was worried about something else.
What worried me was people's gazes.
'I don't want Daeun getting hurt over nothing.'
A regular variety show appearance? No problem at all.
Show off her cuteness, maybe her painting sometimes—people would coo and laugh.
But this was about showcasing genius talent, and that's where issues arose.
People instinctively envy and get jealous of the successful.
'We shouldn't do it.'
I'd told the PD I'd think about it, but I'd planned to decline from the start.
We already knew her talent's extent—me, the director, people around us had confirmed it.
Going on Genius Discovery Squad would just look like bragging about her genius.
"Daddy, whatcha doing?"
At Daeun's question, I quickly changed my expression.
"Oh, just thinking for a sec."
"About what?"
I couldn't tell her about that, so I brought up what she'd mentioned earlier with Hyorin.
"What you said earlier."
"About Mommy?"
"Yeah, I was thinking about that, and it seems like you take after Mommy more than Daddy."
Daeun put her hands together like a flower bud and held them to her face.
"'Cause I'm pretty!"
Pfft.
She was so cute I nearly burst out laughing.
Cute and pretty, sure, but that's not what I meant.
"That's part of it, but I meant that eye of yours."
"Daeun's eye?"
"Yeah, your eye for pictures. That's something Mommy was good at, not Daddy."
Daeun's eyes went wide.
"Really?"
"Yeah, really."
Truth was, the biggest reason I majored in art psychology was Hyorin.
Plus, she'd said she entered our department specifically to study it.
'Oh, come to think of it.'
I asked Daeun,
"But Daeun."
"Yeah!"
"Did Mommy ever ask you to draw something like what you saw earlier?"
Daeun nodded vigorously.
"Yeah! She did!"
"What did Mommy say then?"
It was from a while back, but with her video-like memory, she'd remember.
"Can you tell Daddy exactly what Mommy said?"
I was curious.
How had Hyorin evaluated Daeun's drawing?
Daeun thought for a moment, then started...
"So Mommy said...!"
Click.
"Ah! I'm back!"
The PD returned at the most perfectly awful timing.
In his hands were snacks and chocolate milk that instantly stole Daeun's attention.
"Wow! Choco milk!"
And just like that, I heartbreakingly missed hearing what Hyorin had said.
"Um, what's this for?"
"Oh, of course! I brought it for Daeun."
"Yay!"
She was so thrilled.
'I'll hear it later.'
No choice but to wait.
"Please think it over, and give me a call."
"Sure, thanks for today."
"No, thank you. And I did make a tricky request."
I smiled brightly at the PD's words.
"I'll call by tomorrow."
"Yes! Take care, and I'll be waiting."
That wrapped up my interview with PD Kim Chanmi.
'Jungeun was right after all.'
Right up to the end—until the interview was nearly done—he never mentioned his show once.
Not after hinting at the start that it was the purpose.
Only when it was almost over did he bring up appearing on his program.
Asking if I could guest on the one he produced.
So, just like my talk with Jungeun, I didn't decide on the spot and said I'd follow up.
"Daddy! Let's go home now!"
"Yeah, home? We have to go to the studio now."
Daeun pouted.
"Daeun wants to go home."
Suddenly wanting to go home?
We'd come early for the station, but we weren't exhausted or anything.
Why the sudden urge?
I asked if she was tired.
"You tired, Daeun?"
"No!"
"Then?"
"Daeun wants to go home for something!"
"What?"
"Daeun's sketchbook!"
"Oh, right—we left it there. But going back would make us super late to the studio. Can't we grab it tomorrow?"
At home, she mostly drew in her sketchbook.
Couldn't unroll canvas every time.
So I'd let her doodle in the sketchbook at home.
'Shoot, left it today of all days.'
She insisted she needed it.
"Daeun has to have it."
"Has to?"
"Yeah, has to."
Hmm, if she really needed it, we'd go—but it'd take over an hour round trip, and we'd arrive at the studio late afternoon.
"How about we just go home today?"
No guests coming, and we'd finished the happiness-themed painting days ago.
Daeun beamed.
"Yeah! Daeun loves that!"
Seeing her so happy, I thought it was for the best.
Like I told Aram days ago, painting every day is tough.
Maybe Daeun needed a break too—and right then, she said something unexpected.
"Daeun knows where to go home!"
"Oh? Where?"
"Mommy and Daeun's studio!"
Hyorin and Daeun's studio—did she mean the one behind our first house, by the playground?
"Why there?"
Curious why suddenly, I asked, and she grinned.
"That's where Mommy told Daeun!"
"Told you what?"
"About Daeun's drawing!"
I'd thought she'd forgotten, but she'd been holding onto it.
"I'll tell you there!"
Guess we had to hurry. To hear that story.
"Let's go!"
"Yeah!"
And so we quickly headed to Hyorin and Daeun's studio.