Chapter 181
Chapter 181
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 181
Chapter Title: Daeun's Dentist Day
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The day Daeun goes to the dentist.
Isn't pork cutlet the truth for lunch on dentist day?
We headed to a restaurant near the dentist...
'Hmm.'
I had to check on Daeun.
"Daeun, you okay?"
"Y-yeah. D-Daeun is f-fine..."
She didn't look fine at all, but it seemed like she was forcing herself to be brave.
Still, her fear was obvious.
There was no helping it.
We couldn't just leave a rotten tooth alone.
Either way, she needed some comforting so she wouldn't worry too much.
"Daeun, don't worry too much. It might hurt a little during treatment, but that's because we're fixing it so it won't hurt even more later."
At that, Daeun asked,
"Doesn't hurt much?"
Ah... What should I say to that?
Of course, I could say it doesn't hurt much, but I couldn't lie.
Plus, it'd be a lie that would get exposed the moment she got treated.
"It hurts."
Tremble.
Daeun's eyes shook wildly.
Seeing her terrified expression made my heart ache.
Just then, oblivious to our feelings or not,
"Your food's here."
Three orders of pork cutlet were placed in front of us.
"Shall we eat?"
"...Yeah."
Daeun was looking seriously downcast, so both I and Jungeun, who'd come along, gazed at her with worried faces.
Then, Jungeun spoke to Daeun.
"U-um, Daeun! It might hurt during treatment, but after, it feels so much better."
"What feels good?"
"Um, well, it stops hurting after."
"If it hurts that much now?"
"Yeah! It hurts a ton!"
"Then treatment hurts that much too?"
"Yeah, of course... Ah."
He should've kept quiet.
What difference did it make to beat around the bush that treatment hurts a ton?
The mood suddenly plummeted at Jungeun's words.
He'd piled even more worries on already anxious Daeun, and now he didn't know what to do.
But it wasn't a situation to cover for his mistake.
"Let's eat then."
"Yeah..."
And so, we started our meal in a much heavier atmosphere than usual.
Clink.
In the quiet mood, only the faint sound of chopsticks could be heard.
'Ah!'
Suddenly, a good idea struck me.
Maybe this action of mine could comfort Daeun a bit. With that thought, I spoke to her while she was eating.
"Daeun."
"Yeah."
"How about we do this?"
She always wanted to do everything together.
She'd probably like this too.
"How?"
"Dad will do it with you."
"What?"
"Dentist visit."
Whoosh!
Daeun's face brightened right then.
"Dad's going too?"
"Yeah, you seem really scared. I'll go first and show you."
Of course, I had nothing to treat, so it'd just be a checkup.
But if this could ease her fear even a little, I'd do it a hundred times.
Daeun asked with a slightly flushed face.
"Then Dad first?"
"Yeah, then you. How's that?"
"Good!"
She must've liked my suggestion.
The listless Daeun was gone; now she was beaming as she ate.
Seeing that, Jungeun gave me a thumbs-up.
'As long as Daeun's happy.'
That way, we finished our pre-dentist meal without issue.
After eating, we arrived at the dentist.
We had a reservation, but man, there were so many people.
'Will we... even get treated?'
I was worried if we'd get seen before Daeun's turn.
Entering the clinic, we saw people waiting for treatment.
Usually, a place full of kids like this would be chaos.
But maybe because it was a dentist, the interior felt eerily quiet.
In that atmosphere, I went to the reception desk.
"We have a reservation."
"Ah, name please?"
"Daeun Lee."
"Ah, perfect timing. The director's seeing patients now. Have a seat, and we'll call your name."
Normally, I'd just go sit and wait.
But.
I glanced at Daeun sitting with Jungeun in front of the TV and asked,
"Um, excuse me, though."
"Yes, how can I help?"
"Just in case, I wanted to ask... Could I request something?"
"A request?"
I briefly explained to the receptionist what I'd told Daeun at lunch.
She smiled faintly.
"So, the child is scared of treatment, and you want to go first to show her it's okay?"
"Yes, exactly. If it's not too much trouble..."
There were other reservations, after all.
"I'll check with the director. He probably won't mind for that reason. Have a seat, I'll let you know."
"Yes, thank you."
I thanked her and returned to where Daeun and Jungeun were.
Jungeun asked as I sat.
"What'd she say?"
"Gonna ask the director and let us know."
"Good, good. Daeun seems less tense because of it. Hope it works out."
I felt the same, but if not, oh well.
Even if not, we'd achieved our goal.
Daeun wasn't as scared anymore.
Then, having heard the whole thing, Daeun asked,
"Dad!"
"Yeah?"
"But Mom's scared of dentist too?"
"Yeah, Mom."
"Yeah! Daeun curious!"
I'd gone to the dentist with Hyorin a few times while living together.
Sometimes for checkups, but she actually had a couple cavities.
At Daeun's words, I recalled going with Hyorin.
One memory surfaced.
Smile.
"Yeah, Mom was scared too."
"Really?"
"Yeah, Mom was super scared of the dentist."
Jungeun, knowing Hyorin's personality, asked in surprise.
"Hyorin was scared of the dentist?"
"Yeah, surprising, right?"
"Yeah, I thought she wasn't fazed at all."
"Well, she never showed it outwardly, but she was scared."
We went together because it was convenient.
She acted fine on the way there.
But during treatment, she was more tense than anyone.
So cute.
Thinking back now, every one of those memories was happy.
Daeun looked delighted at the story.
"Hee! Daeun and Mom same!"
"Right. It's normal to be scared. All the other kids here are too, so nothing to be ashamed of. Not treating it would be more embarrassing."
"Why embarrassing if no treatment?"
"Of course. Just coming here is super impressive."
"Really?"
Then, something odd happened.
The quiet dentist suddenly buzzed with life.
Children's voices rang out.
"Mom, Tae brave!"
"Yeah, Tae's so brave! Scaredy-cats couldn't come here."
"Tae brave!"
"Mommy, me!"
"Suji's brave too!"
Murmur murmur.
It was so quiet that our conversation must've carried.
But thanks to it, the kids gained courage.
It chased away their fears, even if just a bit.
Brave kids.
I told Daeun for them too.
"Like superheroes."
"Superhero what?"
"Super brave, cool people who save others."
Whoosh!
Daeun's face lit up, and the quiet clinic instantly came alive.
"Tae not scared at all!"
"Suji too! Suji super cool! Hee!"
The kids' laughter spread like a virus, infecting away their fears.
The children weren't scared anymore.
Just like real superheroes.
Smile.
With the mood like that, the moms' faces relaxed.
They all looked at me and nodded lightly.
Like a thank-you.
I nodded back just then.
"Daeun Lee guardian."
The nurse who'd gone to ask the director returned.
"Ah, yes."
I approached at her call.
"What'd the director say?"
"Such cases aren't unheard of, so simple demo checkups are okay. Kids relax more seeing parents go first, he said."
Guess being a kid-focused dentist, they understood.
"Lucky."
"Yes. We'll call when it's your turn, so get ready."
"Yes."
I sighed in relief and went back.
"She said yes."
"Oh, great."
"Daeun! Dad and you together, okay?"
"Yeah! Dad!"
We waited a bit, then it was Daeun's turn.
"Daeun Lee, come on back!"
"Alright, Daeun, let's go."
No issues getting her to the treatment room.
"Hello. Hi, you must be Daeun."
"Yes!"
"Wow, spirited. Most kids are terrified, but not you."
"Yes! Daeun super super brave like superhero!"
"Yeah, superhero, hahaha! Right, super brave like one. You'll do great today. Right?"
"Yes! Totally!"
Maybe finding Daeun cute, the director smiled and said to me,
"Guardian first then?"
"Ah, yes. Please take care of it."
"Dad! You got this!"
You got this.
"Y-yeah, th-thanks."
I smiled at Daeun and lay back in the chair.
The nurse covered my face with a cloth.
"Shall we take a look then? Please do."
I'd chosen this for Daeun, but somehow...
'Whew, tense.'
Dentist vibes were unavoidable.
Maybe sensing my nerves, the director said smiling,
"No need to be so tense."
Then Daeun asked curiously,
"Dad scared? Daeun hold hand?"
What was this? Felt like roles reversed.
The director chuckled too, finding the situation funny.
"Ah, s-sorry. First time like this. Always see kids scared."
"Hahaha..."
Rubbing salt in the wound.
Anyway, despite the weird vibe from the start, treatment began.
"Ah, go ahead please."
"Yes, ah."
He opened my mouth and poked around with a round mirror.
Obviously no issues, but just the checkup had me tense.
"Hmm. Ah, um."
But the director's reaction during the exam was odd.
Couldn't see his face through the cloth, but...
Bad feeling.
Then, he said something unexpected.
"You have cavities."
"Wha wha whaaa (What, cavities?)"
"Cavities? Yes, cavities. Two of them. Better treat quick. Hanna, suction please?"
This wasn't in the plan.
Just lay down to ease Daeun's fear.
Cavities?
But neither director nor nurse seemed inclined to stop.
Whirrrrr!
"Ah! Aaaaah! (Ah! Wait a sec!)"