Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Pink Dress and School Memories
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Daeun looked incredibly cute in her pink dress.
They say clothes make the person, but I never imagined she'd look this adorable.
Seeing my reaction, Aram Go smiled and asked Daeun,
"Daeun, do you like this dress?"
"Yes! Daeun loves this dress so much!"
Daeun seemed to love the outfit she was wearing too. She was gazing down at her dress with a satisfied expression I'd never seen before.
Aram glanced at me and asked,
"Hey, Sunbae!"
"Se... nior?"
...Yeah, senior.
Was it because we were both alumni from the same school? Aram spoke without any hesitation.
"Yes! Sunbae. That's you, right?"
Well, technically, she wasn't wrong.
'What an impressive person.' It was another moment where I was struck by Aram's boundless energy.
"So, Sunbae, treat me casually too."
It wasn't like I could suddenly start doing that just because she said so, but if I argued, the conversation might veer off track. I nodded vaguely, and Aram looked at Daeun before saying to me, "By any chance, are you planning to buy a few more casual outfits for Daeun? If so, there are other cute stores around here besides this one."
Most of the clothes at home were old hand-me-downs. Since we were already out, it didn't seem like a bad idea to pick up a few everyday outfits.
"Yeah, I was planning to grab a few anyway. Mind helping out?"
At my words, Aram clenched her fist and replied, "Don't worry! Since it's Sunbae's request, I'll scour the whole place and pick out the ones that suit Daeun best!"
Hmm, uh... she was getting fired up over something oddly specific. And why did it have to be framed as my request? I tried to stop her from her unexpected declaration, but...
"Okay, Daeun! Want to go look at more clothes with Auntie?"
Her face lit up!
"Yes! Daeun loves trying on clothes!" 'This kid.' Daeun was thrilled. Whether it was the clothes themselves or our reactions to her, I wasn't sure. Either way, I decided to match Aram's energy a bit.
"Alright, let's go!"
"Yay!"
And so, with a happy smile, I followed the two of them.
Slurp!
"Whoa!"
Slurrrp!
"Ahh!"
Aram and Daeun drank their beverages almost in sync and let out exclamations of delight.
"So refreshing!"
"This is super yummy!"
After a full two hours of shopping, we finally got to rest at a coffee shop on the third floor of the outlet mall.
Seeing them like that, I smiled and said,
"You two worked hard."
Aram shook her head vigorously in response.
"No, for you and Daeun, Sunbae, I could do it for hours."
Liar.
She said it was for us, but she'd been the most excited during the shopping.
I chuckled and replied,
"Still, thanks to you, we got a lot of outfits that suit Daeun."
Including the dress for tomorrow, we'd bought a total of five outfits.
Even at an outlet mall instead of a department store, it added up to quite a bit of money, but I decided not to worry about it.
'This much is fine.' All this time, Hyorin had scrimped to cover my hospital bills and hadn't been able to buy Daeun even a single proper outfit. The same went for Hyorin herself, of course. It was all because of me, but Hyorin probably blamed herself for not being able to dress Daeun nicely. That's the kind of person Hyorin was. Maybe that's why. 'I won't let them live like that anymore.' I planned to make up for everything they couldn't do because of me. I'd buy her clothes, let her keep painting the pictures she loved. And ease the guilt Hyorin had carried in her heart her whole life. I smiled brightly.
"I'll buy you more next time."
Daeun smiled back and replied, "Okay, Daddy!"
"You two will be amazed when you see Daeun in her new clothes tomorrow."
At Aram's words, Daeun's eyes widened as she asked, "Really?"
"Totally. Daeun looks so cute today already, right?"
Maybe embarrassed by being called cute, Daeun pursed her lips and wriggled her body. Aram watched her with a fond smile, then suddenly clapped her hands. Clap!
"Oh, wait! Sunbae! If you're free, want to swing by the school?"
"School?"
"Yeah, Daeun looks too cute today to just head home."
Daeun's eyes widened again as she looked at me.
"Daddy go to school too?"
To her question about school, I nodded lightly and said, "I went there a long time ago."
"Really? Before Daeun was born?"
"Way before you were born."
"Wow! Daeun wants to see Daddy's school too!"
Hearing it was the school I'd attended, Daeun beamed with excitement. Seeing Daeun like that, Aram smiled and said to me, "She seems like she wants to check it out. If you're not busy, why not? Lately, with everyone prepping graduation projects, outsiders come and go all the time anyway."
True, no time sees more outsiders on campus than during graduation project season. 'School, huh...' Aram's sudden suggestion gave me pause. It might not seem like a big deal to revisit my alma mater, but school held a slightly different meaning for me. As I could tell from my conversation with Aram. If I went, people would recognize me. 'It'll... be fine.' I had no intention of hiding, and my return would stir up issues anyway. Jungeun Park had worried most about that. But. I looked at Daeun, her eyes full of anticipation. 'Maybe I can make another special memory for her.' Worries were just worries. What I could give Daeun by going outweighed them. I asked her, "Daeun, but do you know something?"
"Yeah, what?"
To the curious, blinking Daeun, I said with a warm smile, "Your mom and I went to the same school. Cool, right?"
"Really?"
"Yeah. So, want to visit the school your mom and dad went to? If you do, we could stop by today."
Without a moment's hesitation, Daeun shot her hand up and shouted, "Daeun wants to go! To Mommy and Daddy's school!"
We hadn't scheduled anything else today anyway, just shopping, and it had been ages since I'd visited. Looking at Aram, I said, "Shall we drop by school after all?"
And so, we headed to our alma mater, where we'd nurtured our dreams and love as college students.
Clink.
"The tea has gone cold. Shall I reheat it?"
At Manager Park's words, Director Go Yunmi gazed down at her chilled teacup.
"No, it's fine. Cold tea has its own flavor."
With that, she took a sip of the cold tea and asked Manager Park,
"You seem like you have something to say. Go ahead."
She set down her cup and fixed him with a somewhat indifferent gaze.
It was a look that could chill anyone to the bone, but perhaps because Manager Park had served at her side for so long...
He brushed it off nonchalantly.
"It's not so much something to say as a question I have."
"A question? What kind?"
At her query, Manager Park narrowed his eyes, as if recalling the past, and replied,
"It's probably an extension of that mystery from five years ago."
"Don't tell me it's about Kanghyeok."
"Well, if it's connected, then yes."
At that, Go Yunmi crossed her legs and draped her arm over them as she asked,
"If so, you're wondering why I'm supporting that father and daughter."
Manager Park tilted his head slightly and countered,
"May I ask why you're supporting them?"
"Hmm, why I'm supporting them..."
At the word "support," Director Go Yunmi traced the rim of her teacup with her finger.
Swish.
She paused, then lifted her gaze to Manager Park again.
"Not wanting to see a talented painter fall... That won't fly, huh."
"Yes, Painter Lee Kanghyeok's talent is as exceptional as you've acknowledged, Director. He wouldn't fade without your help—he'd soar even higher."
"Five years ago, I hoped Kanghyeok would wake up..."
"But back then, you seemed a bit emotional."
"Hmm, you're no fun, Manager Park. Too lacking in humanity."
"After ten years at your side, Director, I've naturally taken after you."
"That sounds like an insult. Does it?"
At Go Yunmi's remark, Manager Park smiled faintly.
"Would I ever?"
Go Yunmi squeezed her eyes shut and let out a small sigh at his sly deflection.
"You can't fool Manager Park's eyes, huh. You're right. There was no special reason for helping that family. You said I was emotional five years ago. Yes, I was. Then and now."
Manager Park looked at her with a complex expression.
"So, do you regret it?"
At the word "regret," Director Go Yunmi's eyebrow twitched.
"Do I look like someone who regrets things?"
"No, not that, but..."
Manager Park paused before continuing.
"You seem like you do."
"......"
His words hung a thick silence between them.
Tick, tock.
The wall clock's second hand echoed loudly.
As the brittle quiet stretched on, Director Go Yunmi finally spoke.
"You're wrong."
"It's not regret?"
At Manager Park's question, Go Yunmi glanced toward a corner of the office stacked with Choco Milk boxes and murmured softly, almost a whisper.
"It's not regret."
With a very heavy gaze.
"It's lingering attachment..."
Screech—
As the bus stopped, I took Daeun's hand and carefully stepped off.
Watching the bus that had dropped us off drive away, a wave of nostalgia hit me.
"Wow, that bus route is still running. Same as eight years ago."
"You remember that?"
"Of course. I took it almost every day to school."
To me, that bus was a memory in itself.
As I said that, Daeun, who had been holding my hand and looking around curiously, asked,
"Did Daddy ride that big bus every day?"
"Ah, the bus? Yeah, every day."
After graduation, I'd started earning, but back in school, I was just a broke young painter.
Daeun took it differently.
"Wow, so Daddy rode that huge car every day? So cool!"
Did riding the bus seem cool to her?
"Shall we take the big bus home too, then?"
Her eyes sparkled at the idea.
"Really? Really ride it?"
It wasn't hard, and if Daeun liked it, I was game.
"Yeah, let's take it."
"Yay!"
She clenched her little fists in excitement.
I smiled at her adorable antics and held out my hand.
"Shall we explore Daddy's school together?"
"Yeah! Fun! Daeun wants to look around!"
As she reached for my hand—
"Hey, it's Aram. Go Aram!"
"Yeah, Aram—oh! It really is!"
"Aram!"
A group of people spotted Aram and approached excitedly, then...
Halt.
"Yeah?"
"Huh?"
They froze upon noticing us beside her.
A moment later,
Their eyes turned to me and Daeun, trembling wildly as they stammered in shock.
"You! Are you... m-married or something?!"
"And this kid... your daughter...?"
......What