Chapter 202
Chapter 202
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 202
Chapter Title: The Princess Doll
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When we got to the canteen, it wasn't Daeun who went wide-eyed—it was me.
It was packed to the brim with all sorts of toys and gadgets, like stepping into a whole new world.
There were toys that felt straight out of my own childhood.
And others so bizarre I couldn't even figure out how you were supposed to play with them.
In the middle of that toy wonderland.
If even I was this surprised, what must the kids be feeling?
"Mommy! Buy me that one!"
"Oh, sweetie, we already have that at home."
"But still, buy it for me!"
"No way!"
"Daddy! This one! This balloon one's so pretty, buy it for me!"
"I want a balloon."
"Yeah, yeah! It's Jiyul's!"
"Hmm, how about we ask your mom first?"
Ugh, it was total chaos.
Every kid was hounding their parents for just one toy.
I glanced over at Daeun amid the frenzy.
Swish.
Her eyes were glued to the pile of toys, not budging an inch.
She clearly wanted something, but because she was still sulking, she wasn't asking for it.
Seeing her like that, I decided to test the waters.
"Daeun, honey, is there anything you want?"
"......No, nothing."
"You sure there's nothing you want?"
Her eyes were shaking like crazy.
She wanted to say she wanted it, but her stubbornness was holding her back.
Daeun was adorable like that, but part of me felt sorry for her too.
I wondered if this was how Hyorin used to look at me back in the day.
But pretending to know better wouldn't help.
It might just make her dig in her heels even more.
So I came up with another approach.
"Alright, if you don't want anything, maybe we should just go."
I gently tugged at her arm as I said it.
But grip.
Daeun tensed up and held her ground.
Her whole body was screaming that she wanted it, but her stubbornness was blocking the way.
I smiled and tried again.
"Nah, you might spot something you want up close. Let's go take a look."
Nod! Nod!
It was a light bit of push and pull.
But it seemed to hit just the right note with Daeun's desires.
I gave her back a nudge as she nodded eagerly.
"Go on, check it out."
"Okay! ......Okay."
Too late for that.
Her bright response suggested she was starting to soften up a bit.
But it was still too soon to push it.
Better to wait until she was fully over her huff—that way it'd work much better.
Swish.
As I nudged her forward, she widened her eyes and approached the shelves overflowing with toys.
Sneaking up behind her, I could see.
'Is that the one she wants?'
I figured out what toy had captured her gaze.
It was the princess from today's show, Glass Slipper—the star herself.
A yellow-haired princess in a beautiful dress.
For Daeun, who already loved dolls, a princess doll was irresistible.
'She can't take her eyes off it.'
There were plenty of other toys, but Daeun was locked onto that princess doll, staring only at it.
She even reached out tentatively and fiddled with the doll's hand.
That's when the canteen lady smiled and asked.
"Sweetie, do you want the doll?"
At the question, Daeun's face changed instantly, and she shook her head vigorously.
But her hand stayed right there on the doll.
"Aw, looks like you do want it."
"Daeun doesn't......want it."
"Why not, huh? Tell me."
Daeun glanced back at me where I stood before answering.
"Just don't want it."
Sensing the vibe, the lady played it cool and asked.
"Did you two have a fight with Daddy?"
Whoosh!
Daeun's eyes went wide as she shot back at the lady.
"How'd you know?"
"Oh, honey, I'm a mom too—of course I know. I can tell you're super mad at him. Right?"
Thinking the lady got it, Daeun spilled the whole story of our fight.
"Yeah! Daeun said she wanted to marry Daddy, but he said no!"
The parents around us all smiled at her outburst.
Probably every kid asks that at this age, right?
Just then, a kid picking out toys next to Daeun jumped in, startled.
"Jiyul too! Jiyul wants to marry Daddy, but he said no!"
"Really?"
"Wow! That's so cool!"
"Yeah! Super cool!"
Jiyul's dad, standing behind, gave me an awkward smile and a nod.
I nodded back at Jiyul's dad, and the lady burst out laughing like it was the funniest thing.
"Oh my, you kids! Your daddies must be such good guys."
Daeun and Jiyul, fascinated by the shared experience, kept chatting away.
"Does your daddy do that too?"
"What?"
"Not let you marry him! My daddy says Jiyul will meet someone way way cooler later! But Jiyul thinks Daddy's the coolest!"
"Yeah, my daddy says he already married Mommy, so no!"
"Oh, your daddy lets you marry him? Like my daddy!"
"Whoa, really? So cool!"
What was this? The conversation had veered into weird territory.
But the kids were thrilled by the common ground and kept going.
Meanwhile, Jiyul's dad came over and greeted me.
"Hello."
"Oh! Hi there."
We exchanged greetings and eyed each other.
Maybe it was the shared "dad of a daughter" bond, but there was this unspoken understanding.
Grinning, I said.
"Kids are just too cute, huh? Did Jiyul say she wanted to marry you too?"
"Oh, that. Haha, yeah. Out of nowhere one day, she said she'd grow up and marry her daddy."
Curious, I asked.
"So what'd you do?"
I'd heard bits from Jiyul, but I wanted the full story.
Actually, truth be told, I was dying to know how he'd navigated this minefield.
"Like Jiyul said, I told her she'd meet someone even cooler someday. She insisted I'm the best and said she'd live with me forever."
I deeply related to that.
Then Jiyul's dad turned the question on me.
"So how'd you handle Daeun?"
I gave an awkward laugh.
"I told her I'd already married Mommy, so I can't do it twice. Think it hurt her feelings—she got all pouty."
"Ah, I see. Jiyul didn't sulk, but... Daeun must really love her daddy."
"Haha, you think?"
Daeun loving me that much was something I was truly grateful for.
But she'd be that much more disappointed too.
I got where Daeun was coming from, but...
Jiyul's dad glanced at the still-chattering kids and said.
"I did tell her no, but I hope she holds onto those feelings forever. It's not possible, but... I wish she'd keep that mindset just a little longer."
"Ah......"
I knew exactly what he meant.
Kids grow up so fast, right before your eyes.
Not just physically, but mentally too.
And these pure feelings fade naturally.
That's what he was getting at.
Looking at the kids, I replied.
"Yeah. That's the daddy's heart for you."
"Exactly."
Suddenly, the area got noisy as one voice boomed out.
"Alright! Glass Slipper showtime! We'll escort you in now!"
We didn't end up buying the doll amid all the talk—too bad.
But we could get it after the show, so we headed in for the performance first.
Swish.
'Would've been nice to sit with Jiyul's family.'
We wouldn't chat much during the show, of course.
Still, just being near them seemed to ease Daeun's mood a little.
Not that she was super mad anymore.
That brief time had given her some comfort, maybe from feeling like she wasn't alone.
"This is gonna be fun!"
Daeun's face was a lot brighter.
Treading carefully, I asked.
"Daeun, should we say bye to Jiyul on our way home?"
She pouted a tiny bit, but didn't shut down like before.
"Yeah, wanna say bye to Jiyul."
I nodded, pretty satisfied.
"Good. Then right after the show, we'll go find her. Bet Jiyul wants to say bye too."
I'd even scoped out their seats earlier, just in case.
Thanks to Jiyul's family, I'd finally broken the ice with Daeun, and I kept the conversation going as gently as possible.
That's when.
-Doom-doom-doom-doom!
The show was starting—drums pounded from speakers all around.
Screeech!
The curtain parted, and a man in rat costume dashed out from inside.
-Hellooo, everyone! Great to see you all! I've got a super super fun story for you today! Do you all know what it is?
The high-energy guy hyped up the kids with his question.
They roared back in unison.
"Glass Slipper!"
-Wow, my friends all know it! That's right! The story for you today is all about the Glass Slipper Princess. You excited?
"Yesss!"
Daeun's voice rang out loud and clear among the kids' cheers.
The rat-costumed man continued.
-Okay! Follow me into the story... but first! Let's call out today's star together. Ready? Glass Slipper Princess!
"Glass Slipper Princess!"
-Come on out!
Boom!
Our cheers plunged the auditorium into darkness, then a spotlight hit dead center stage.
There she was—the Glass Slipper Princess herself, in maid's rags.
Swish swish.
Sweeping away furiously with a broom, a determined look on her face, she addressed the audience.
-Gotta clean hard today so I don't get in trouble!
Then a man's voice boomed from behind her.
-Hear ye, kingdom folk! In one week, a grand ball for the prince's birthday at the castle! All attend and celebrate His Highness!
At that.
Whoosh!
Daeun whipped around to me.
"Daddy! What's a prince?"
"Wow, princey!"
"Yeah! Daeun wants a prince hubby!"
How to explain? I pondered, then smiled.
"Someone super cool and awesome... I guess."
Daeun thought for a sec, then asked.
"Like Daddy?"
No, Daeun... not at all.