Chapter 17
Chapter 17
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Future Art Supply
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Bow!
The three of them suddenly bent at the waist in apology.
"I'm sorry!"
Was that incident really something worth apologizing for like this? I gave them an awkward smile at their apologies.
"It's fine. No need to go that far."
It was just a simple misunderstanding, so I brushed it off lightly, but Aram Go seemed to feel differently.
"I'm sorry. My friends jumped to needless conclusions."
I shook my head at her apology, her face slightly flushed with embarrassment.
"I'm really fine."
Well, anyone could misunderstand something like that.
Judging by their expressions, if we stayed like this, they'd spend the whole day feeling sorry, so I quickly changed the subject.
"By the way, weren't you on your way somewhere with your friends?"
At that, the one with her long hair tied back spoke up.
"Oh, we were heading to the art supply store. Not sure if Aram told you, but we're prepping for our end-of-term projects right now."
Daeun, who had been listening quietly beside me, asked curiously at the mention of the art supply store.
"Daddy, what's an art supply store?"
"Oh, it's the place that sells all the stuff Daeun uses when she draws."
"Like paints?"
"Yeah, they sell paints, brushes, and pretty much everything you need for drawing."
"Daeun wants to go see too!"
"You want to go to the art supply store, Daeun?"
Daeun nodded vigorously at my question. Her enthusiasm instantly brightened the friends' faces.
"Ah! Then how about we all go to the art supply store together?"
"Your name's Daeun? So cute!"
"I want to go with Daeun. Is that okay?"
"Oh, sure, no problem."
As I said that, I glanced at Aram Go.
Whether to make up for the earlier mistake or not, her friends grabbed her arms from both sides.
"Come on, Aram, let's go together!"
"Huh?"
"Daeun wants to go too. It'd be weird not to!"
Their friends chattered nonstop from both sides, desperately trying to drag her along to the art supply store. The sight unexpectedly brought back memories of my school days.
The times of drawing without a care in the world, laughing and chatting with friends.
Those moments were even more meaningful because Hyorin had been there with me every step of the way.
"Come on, let's go!"
"Let's gooo! We're all going to the art supply store together!"
I watched Aram Go laughing and chatting with her friends and asked,
"By any chance, do you know which art supply store you're going to?"
"Ah! We're going to Future Art Supply, right at the intersection up ahead!"
"Future Art Supply?"
"Yeah, do you know it?"
Of course I did. From my first day at university to the moment of graduation, it was practically a daily haunt.
Maybe even more comfortable than school itself.
"Oh, yeah. I've heard of it."
No need to bring up those old times, though.
I turned my head slightly and looked at Daeun, who was beaming at me.
'Looks like coming here was the right call.'
I'd thought coming to the school was just to show Daeun the place I'd attended...
But now, the feeling was completely different.
It was like Daeun was stepping into the memories Hyorin and I had created.
For some reason, that emotion made my heart race like mad right then.
Thump.
An inexplicable pounding in my chest.
I wanted to show Daeun even more memories.
"Let's go check out the art supply store, Daeun."
As if sensing my feelings, Daeun grabbed my hand and replied brightly.
"Yeah!"
And so, hand in hand with Daeun, I set off on a journey into the memories I'd made with Hyorin.
Ding-a-ling.
As soon as I opened the door, the familiar scent of the art supply store stirred old memories like a long-forgotten perfume.
The quiet, serene atmosphere didn't last long; with everyone following in, the place soon buzzed with noise.
"Shop owner, we're here!"
"Aram, nothing for you?"
"Nope, nothing for me. What are you here for today?"
"I'm getting acrylic paints, and also..."
Without missing a beat, they scattered in all directions as soon as they entered, each off to buy their own supplies.
Seeing that made my heart flutter too.
'Coming to an art supply store always lifts the mood.'
The shelves filled with brushes of every shape, the neatly organized paints—they were soothing just to look at.
Like stepping into a witch's house made entirely of candy.
"Wow! So many paints! Daddy! Daeun wants to look around too!"
But why a witch's house, you ask?
"Does Daeun need anything?"
"Need something?"
"Yeah, if you don't decide what you need ahead of time, you might want to buy everything."
If you shop without a plan, you'd end up buying way too much.
That's why Hyorin and I used to call art supply stores the witch's house.
Back then, it had been too pricey for kids like us to handle.
So we'd make a list of exactly what we needed beforehand.
At my explanation, Daeun pursed her lips thoughtfully.
"Daeun needs paints!"
Daeun mostly used oil paints anyway.
"Paints, and what else?"
"Hmm, more brushes would be nice!"
I'd been planning to get her brushes anyway.
Ever since Hyorin passed and I'd been away from home for so long, most of them had dried out and split.
"And?"
"Can I get more?"
"Of course."
That's why I'd swallowed my pride and accepted the sponsorship.
"If there's anything else you want, just say so."
"Hmm..."
Daeun thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"No need for anything else!"
She said she didn't need more, but it seemed like she just didn't know what was available.
So I smiled brightly and said to her,
"Then let's get what Daeun needs first, and look around after."
Her eyes sparkled intensely at my question.
"Yeah! Daeun wants paints and brushes, then look around!"
The kid loves art supply stores that much?
If I'd known she'd react this excitedly, I would've brought her sooner.
Just as I thought it was good we'd come now anyway—
Someone suddenly poked her head out from behind the counter.
"Oh my, I heard an angel's voice and wondered where it was coming from—turns out there's an angel right here."
A middle-aged woman pushing up her small, round glasses that had slipped down her nose.
The moment I saw her face, a smile spread across mine.
'The shop owner has aged a lot too.'
The last time I'd seen her was graduation day.
"So, what brings our little angel here today?"
With her warm, friendly smile, she asked, and Daeun beamed back.
"Daddy says he'll buy me paints!"
"Oh, Daddy will?"
As she said that, she turned with a smile, then her eyes widened.
"Huh?"
The shop owner adjusted her glasses and peered at my face several times.
Then she recognized me.
"C-Could it be... K-Kanghyeok?"
The art supply store had been like a second home.
Of course she'd seen me almost every day back then—no matter how much time passed, she'd recognize me.
At her words, I smiled brightly and asked after her.
"How have you been?"
She hurried out from behind the counter and looked me up and down.
"I-I heard about the accident. Are you okay now?"
"You knew?"
"Of course. I was so shocked when I heard."
It was right by the school, after all.
She must have heard about it passing by.
Or maybe from the news.
"I'm fine now. No lingering pains or anything."
No need to go into details and worry her.
"Glad you look well, at least. By the way, I had no idea you had a daughter."
She glanced at Daeun standing beside me.
"The mom must be Hyorin, right?"
At the mention of Hyorin, Daeun's expression changed.
"Auntie, you know Mommy?"
The shop owner knelt on one knee and replied.
"Of course. Auntie was super close with your mommy."
"Really?"
"Really! Mommy came by all the time and we'd chat up a storm."
"Wow!"
Maybe finding Daeun's reaction adorable—
The shop owner looked at me with a beaming face and asked,
"But where's Hyorin? She leaving the kid and coming back soon? It'd be great to see her after so long."
She seemed genuinely excited, thinking she'd reunite with Hyorin soon.
I pondered how to respond to the shop owner.
But Daeun spoke first.
"Mommy went far away! Up in the sky!"
"What..."
A heavy silence fell over the shop.
The shop owner looked at me with pity, and I nodded in response.
She didn't bring up Hyorin again.
She seemed full of questions but held back for the young child's sake.
"So, your name is...?"
"Daeun!"
She smiled.
"Our Daeun is such a brave girl. Then Auntie has to give a brave girl like you a gift. Look around the store, and if there's anything you want, get it—anything at all. Auntie will make it a present."
Daeun blinked rapidly and asked,
"Anything?"
"Yeah, anything Daeun wants, Auntie will get for you. Go pick it out."
"Daddy! Auntie says! Auntie!"
At Daeun's excited question, I laughed heartily.
"Alright, alright. Shall we go look around together then?"
"Yeah!"
Daeun scampered off to the back, starting to inspect all the materials scattered around.
Then the shop owner came over to my side, her voice trembling slightly.
"Are you... okay?"
I gave an awkward smile and nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
I said I was fine, but my expression must have said otherwise.
She gently stroked my back.
"I know no words of comfort will help. How could they? She was the one you promised to live happily with forever."
I looked at the shop owner.
Yet she kept stroking my back and continued.
"After she passed, you just cried like mad. You shut yourself in your room for days, crying and sleeping— I have no idea how long."
I hadn't known.
That the shop owner had such a past.
"But do you know who comforted me?"
I shook my head, and she smiled faintly.
"My son."
Her eyes began to redden.
"I was exhausted from crying and fell asleep, and my son came and said he'd protect me from now on, instead of Dad. The kid was barely six..."
I turned my head away slightly.
If I kept looking at her face, I'd burst into tears myself.
"But the funny thing? Those simple words from him... somehow, I really held on. They truly comforted me."
Hearing that made me think back to the first time I met Daeun.
'Maybe...'
From that first meeting until now.
I'd thought I had to be strong for her sake.
Sad, but pretending not to be.
I'd convinced myself I was pushing forward to raise her proudly.
'Daeun was the one comforting me.'
Listening to the shop owner, I realized.
It wasn't me comforting Daeun...
"Daeun really takes after Hyorin."
Daeun had been comforting me.