Chapter 133
Chapter 133
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: Breaking the Silence
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The counseling session with Sangdam's dad hit heavier than I expected.
"Sangdam has never seen her mom's face. She passed away to heaven shortly after Sangdam was born."
The direct cause of death was preeclampsia.
From what he said, a significant number of pregnant women succumb to this condition.
But Sangdam's dad didn't think that was the issue.
"I don't believe that caused Sangdam's problem. She never saw her mom or heard stories about her. Of course, she knows about the remarriage, but she still follows her stepmom like a real mom."
From his perspective, that made sense.
A child who never met her mom developing selective mutism because of her death?
If I were in his shoes, I'd act and think the same.
I'd assume the child had some other problem.
But after seeing Sangdam's drawing, I thought differently.
The drawing—the one Sangdam made—was speaking.
It was telling us her problem was tied to her deceased mother.
That's when Sangdam's stepmom, who had been listening quietly beside him, asked,
"But why bring up the remarriage?"
I decided to go with what I'd seen and share it.
"There's longing for her mother in the drawing Sangdam made."
"Longing for her mother?"
"Yes. How could a child who never saw her mother's face long for her, as her father said? At first, I wondered if she was longing for you, ma'am."
I shook my head.
"Have you ever talked to her about her biological mother?"
"No, never. I went out of my way to avoid it."
With that level of certainty, it was clear neither the dad nor the mom had said anything.
So who?
Then Ms. Ahn Heesook, who had been listening to me, asked curiously,
"But, Painter Lee Kanghyeok."
"Oh, yes."
"If it's okay, could you explain the drawing a bit? Not everyone can read paintings like you, Painter Lee Kanghyeok."
"Oh..."
I realized I hadn't done the obvious.
That was my mistake.
So I quickly began explaining the drawing.
"First, before having Sangdam draw, we presented her with a few scenarios."
In art therapy, you typically give children specific scenarios.
The kids then draw whatever they want based on those, and you analyze to understand their psychology.
We gave three scenarios total.
Family, place, and what they're doing.
"Before interpreting the various elements, honestly, when I first saw the drawing, I couldn't understand why Sangdam was there."
It wasn't just talk—it was true. Sangdam's drawing was incredibly bright.
The colors used, and even the expressions on the family members (excluding herself) were all very cheerful.
From that alone, you could tell Sangdam's current situation seemed perfect.
But there was one problem.
It was the expression Sangdam drew on her own face.
"But looking at Sangdam's expression here and the sun in the sky, I realized it. Ah, Sangdam misses her mom."
"She misses her mom?"
"Yes. The face on that sun is probably her deceased mother's face."
Sangdam's dad asked back.
"Don't most kids draw faces on the sun?"
"It's not because of the expression on the sun that I said it's her mom."
"Then?"
"It's because of the color painted on the sun."
The sun was painted a deep, intense red.
In children's drawings, using such a strong single color like that often happens when emotions explode.
When she drew this, Sangdam's emotions must have been intensely fluctuating.
You could tell from the colors.
Her parents smiling, painted in completely different colors from the red-faced, frowning Sangdam.
Putting it all together, I reached a conclusion.
"Sangdam seems to miss her deceased mother."
"......"
Sangdam's dad's face darkened, just like Sangdam's in the drawing.
The truth revealed through Sangdam's drawing had sunk the mood heavily.
But I saw hope.
"That's my interpretation of Sangdam's drawing so far. Now, shall we try some art therapy?"
"Art... therapy?"
As I spoke, I laid out the facts plainly.
"Yes, originally, I planned to assess her psychology and seek help from various hospitals for counseling."
Honestly, you can gauge a child's mind through drawings, but treatment is another matter.
But Daeun Lee's unexpected appearance made it possible.
No—more accurately, Daeun solved it.
"A PD suggested taking advantage of this surprising turn and using it like therapy."
With that, I asked for their understanding.
"I was supposed to appear alone, but given the circumstances, with your permission, I'd like to bring my daughter here."
"Your daughter?"
"Yes, Lee Daeun. She's currently active as an artist."
I turned my gaze backstage, and Daeun, who had been waiting, toddled out onto the stage.
And right beside her.
'Oh, coming out together?'
Sangdam was holding Daeun's hand tightly, walking out with her.
I smiled, approached Daeun, and asked,
"Daeun, can you show what you were doing with your friend earlier here?"
"What we were doing earlier?"
"Yeah, drawing."
"Oh! I can do it!"
Then Daeun looked at Sangdam and said,
"Let's draw!"
Nod.
At that, they went to the spot the PD had prepared and started doing what they'd been doing behind the set.
Everyone watched the scene quietly.
Scribble scribble.
Daeun started first, of course.
On the white paper, she drew a family picture similar to Sangdam's.
'That's...'
In Daeun's drawing was the hilltop studio we'd all gone to together.
And there, mom and dad smiling brightly as they painted.
We'd never gone together even once, but through the drawing, it seemed Daeun was expressing her wish to go.
Daeun finished her drawing in about ten minutes, whoosh.
Same family theme, but her skill level was impressive.
Not that it mattered much here.
The real surprise came next.
Scribble.
Sangdam, who had been quietly watching Daeun's drawing, suddenly grabbed a pencil.
She looked at Daeun and started drawing.
"Huh?"
Sangdam's dad was shocked by her actions.
Understandably—the expression on Sangdam's face as she drew held a faint smile.
Like she was enjoying drawing.
Scribble scribble.
Sangdam's drawing was another family picture.
Mom and dad watching from afar.
And Sangdam, far away from them, crying alone and lonely.
The quality was lower than Daeun's, but quality wasn't the point.
What mattered was the heart behind the drawing.
Then Ms. Ahn Heesook, watching the two kids, said in surprise,
"Wa-wait a minute. Are those two... communicating right now?"
"Yes, they're communicating."
Sangdam's dad jumped in shock, and Ms. Ahn Heesook nodded again, saying,
"It seems like they're communicating through drawings."
Sangdam's selective mutism had made her inner feelings completely unknowable.
'Communication.'
That's what the PD had told me after seeing this.
Daeun seemed to have resolved Sangdam's issue.
Scribble scribble.
Daeun draws, Sangdam draws.
Daeun smiles at Sangdam's drawing, and Sangdam smiles back, looking happy.
They went back and forth like that for a while.
Then, something unexpected happened.
"I'm sad."
Sangdam... spoke.
Is recovery supposed to happen this fast?
Sangdam's condition had visibly improved.
It seemed expressing her emotions little by little through drawing had changed her, but I thought it was all thanks to Daeun.
Daeun read the feelings in Sangdam's drawings and communicated through them.
That's how we first learned Sangdam's true feelings.
"Ah..."
When Sangdam finished speaking,
Everyone's faces were sad.
Especially Sangdam's dad, who had buried his face in his hands, sobbing silently.
It couldn't be helped.
Sangdam said it was her fault her mom died.
'No way she overheard the adults talking at night.'
No one was to blame for her learning that.
She said she heard Sangdam's dad and grandma talking after she fell asleep.
That mom died because of Sangdam.
After that, she thought everything was her fault.
Mom died because of her.
Dad is sad because of her.
Because of her.
Because of her...
Gradually, Sangdam closed off her heart, leading to this selective mutism.
No one spoke to Sangdam.
They just quietly listened to her calm words.
Except for one person.
Someone who understood and approached Sangdam.
Daeun.
Hug.
"Oh my..."
Daeun hugged Sangdam tightly.
Like she was comforting her for blaming herself.
And with that, we wrapped up the first recording shoot.
After the shoot, Daeun and I headed straight to the waiting room.
As we packed our things, I asked Daeun,
"Daeun, how was today?"
At my question, Daeun, bright as always...
"Sangdam's heart hurts."
Huh?
My face stiffened at Daeun saying her heart hurt.
She was still so young.
She must have empathized with the similar yet different situation.
I grew a bit worried.
I didn't want Daeun expressing her longing for her mom in some other way.
"Did it hurt a lot?"
At my question, Daeun nodded and said,
"Yeah, it hurt a lot. So I told my friend."
"You told her?"
At that answer, Daeun held out the drawing she'd made earlier and said,
"I told her with a drawing!"
Hmm, unless I was Daeun, I couldn't know exactly what or how.
But.
'Ah.'
Even I could understand the drawing she held out.
So that's what their drawing conversation was.
Daeun had been comforting Sangdam through her drawings.
In the drawing Daeun showed me.
Smile.
Sangdam's mom, as an angel, was hugging Sangdam tightly.