Chapter 204
Chapter 204
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 204
Chapter Title: Daeun Grows Up
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From the day we returned from the performance, there was a change in Daeun's behavior.
Until then, she had always carried her doll everywhere she went.
But strangely, after that, she stopped taking the doll with her.
Even when I asked why she wasn't carrying it anymore, she didn't explain any particular reason.
She just said she didn't need it now.
I felt good about Daeun's change, but on the other hand, the thought crossed my mind.
'She's grown up.'
It had only been a few months since I met Daeun.
But in that short time, she had grown in leaps and bounds several times over.
It was truly touching and gratifying.
And for some reason I couldn't quite place, what Jiyul's dad had said kept circling in my head.
I glanced at the photo from the performance venue stuck up in the living room and asked.
"Daeun-ah, shall we go see another show next time?"
"Yeah yeah! Going with Jiyuri is fine too!"
"I'll ask Jiyul's dad about it later."
"Yeah!"
Daeun answered brightly, beaming nonstop as she sat at the desk sketching something.
I peeked over to see what she was drawing so intently, and it was the most memorable scene from the performance.
The moment the Glass Slipper Princess slipped on her lost shoe and transformed—even thinking about it now still made my heart race.
Daeun must have felt the same, as she kept drawing with that same entranced look on her face from back then.
'I should just stay home today.'
I had planned to head to work, but it was Sunday anyway.
There was no real need to go in today.
Resting up might actually be more efficient for tomorrow's work, I thought.
I turned to her.
"Daeun, want something to drink?"
"Daeunie!"
"Yeah, Daddy was gonna make you something."
"Daddy can make it?"
"Of course. Daddy's great at stuff like this."
I had worked at a café for a very brief stint in the past.
So I could make most things, as long as they weren't too tricky.
Of course, some menu items required specific ingredients I'd have to buy.
"Then can Daddy make chocolate milk?"
"Chocolate milk?"
She probably meant hot chocolate.
I grinned at her request.
"Of course. Don't you wanna try Daddy's chocolate milk? Actually, how about we make it together?"
At my question, Daeun dropped the pencil she was holding like it was on fire and shouted.
"Yeah! Daeun wants to make chocolate milk with Daddy!"
I smiled.
"Alright, then let's hit the supermarket."
"Yeah!"
Since it was just the mart right by the house, we didn't need any special prep.
I threw on a cap haphazardly and let Daeun go out in her pajamas.
Chatting away as we went, we arrived at the mart and headed inside like always.
Maybe because we came grocery shopping so often.
Rustle!
"Daddy! Daeun wants to look here!"
She dashed to the snack aisle and looked around with sparkling eyes.
I chuckled at the sight.
"Yeah, stay here and look around. Daddy'll grab the stuff quick and come back."
"Then can Daeun get one candy?"
Of course, she had an ulterior motive for the snack aisle.
We'd had lunch already anyway, so one snack wouldn't hurt.
"Alright, but just pick one."
"Wooow! Promise just one!"
With that, Daeun started happily deliberating over her choice.
I smiled endearingly at her and headed to where they kept the hot chocolate ingredients.
'I could just buy hot chocolate mix... but I wanna make it taste great.'
I wanted her to try real homemade hot chocolate from Daddy.
So I was extra careful picking out the ingredients.
The most important ones: chocolate, the milk base, sweetened condensed milk for that perfect sweetness, and so on.
I didn't forget pancake mix either—it'd pair amazingly as a snack.
Since we were doing snack time anyway, might as well go all out.
I grinned.
'Daeun's gonna love this.'
Imagining her joy during snack time as I did.
Step.
I headed back to the snack aisle where Daeun waited.
That's when I overheard two voices from the snack aisle.
"Mommy! This one!"
"No, you begged for that yesterday, I bought it, and you didn't even finish it."
"Aw! Today I'll eat it all for real! For real!"
"No. Absolutely not. Finish what's at home first."
"Hiiiing! Mommy's mean!"
"No helping it. Why'd you buy so much if you can't eat it?"
A kid and her mom.
Looks like the child had overindulged in snacks out of greed.
It was a totally ordinary conversation, the kind of greedy moment any kid might have.
But.
I rounded the corner and saw Daeun.
I naturally stopped in my tracks and ducked behind the edge.
"Buy me snacks!"
"No."
"Hiiiing! If Mommy won't buy it, I'll stay here forever!"
"Fine, stay here then. Mommy's leaving."
Daeun was watching the whole exchange silently.
She clutched a snack in one hand, staring with such a pitiful look.
Even this everyday scene must seem enviable to her.
The mother and child kept bickering as they moved to another aisle.
I approached Daeun with a casual smile, pretending I hadn't seen a thing.
"Daeun-ah, pick out your snack?"
"Daddy!"
Right then, Daeun set down the snack she'd been holding and grabbed another.
It was the exact one the other kid had been begging for.
"Huh? Why this one? You don't wanna get it?"
"I wanna buy this!"
The snack she chose was a twisty kind you slipped on your finger.
Not the type Daeun usually went for.
She always picked chocolate-coated ones without fail.
Maybe influenced a bit by that bickering pair from earlier.
Normally, I'd have laughed and said let's go.
But.
'Hmm, what to do?'
Maybe because I'd glimpsed her feelings, my lips wouldn't move.
"Let's go!"
Daeun started heading to checkout in a hurry.
"Wait a sec."
I grabbed her.
Then I smiled and said.
"Daeun doesn't really like this snack."
"Yeah..."
"You might not eat it all and waste it, so let's get something else."
Her expression changed in an instant at my words.
"No! We buy this!"
"No. It's a waste if you won't eat it."
"Nooo! Daeun likes this, really!"
"Hey now, listen to Daddy. Last time you left that similar one, remember? So today..."
I picked up the chocolate mushroom snack she'd liked before.
"Let's get this."
Daeun looked back and forth between the snack in my hand and me.
Then, almost unconsciously.
Twitch.
Her lips quivered.
"Nooo! Daeun wants this one!"
"No."
"Daddy! Daeun can eat this all!"
"Really? What's with our Daeun today? Daddy wants this one."
"For real! Daeun can eat it all!"
Even as she argued with me, Daeun looked so incredibly happy.
Her joyful smile made me smile too.
I couldn't magically bring back that mom who'd wandered off far away.
If I could, I'd do it by any means necessary.
But realistically, impossible.
Still, there was something I could do in this situation.
'If that's what Daeun wants.'
I couldn't fully replace a mom.
But I could at least fill the void so she wouldn't feel it.
If nagging was needed, I'd do it.
As long as it made Daeun happy.
I said.
"You can really eat it all?"
"Yeah yeah! Daeun can eat it all!"
"Sigh, alright. Daddy trusts you then."
"Yeah! Promise!"
Because I was Daeun's daddy.
And so we finished our slightly meaningful() shopping and headed home.
Back home, Daeun was humming happily, who knows why so excited.
"Hmm hmm hmm~!"
Maybe because she'd finally experienced firsthand what she'd only envied before.
I didn't know the exact reason, but one thing was clear.
'Good call.'
My decision had been the right one.
Watching her, I said.
"Alright, Daddy'll whip up that chocolate milk quick."
She scampered over at my words and asked.
"Daddy! Can Daeun make it too?"
"Yeah, you wanna try making it?"
"Yeah! Daeun wants to try!"
It wasn't hard to make anyway, and as long as she was careful with the hot stuff, she could handle it.
"Perfect. First, go wash your hands nice and clean."
"Okay! Daeun'll wash quick!"
Splash!
Eager to do it together, she washed up in a flash and dashed to the kitchen.
I draped a big towel around her neck like an apron while she waited.
'I should get Daeun her own apron sometime.'
Something told me this wouldn't be the last time we cooked together.
I laid out the ingredients on the table and said.
"Okay, let's start. First, we'll melt the chocolate—the most important part for chocolate milk, like you said."
"How?"
"Hmm, normally you melt it in hot milk, but today we're making cold chocolate milk. Watch closely."
I filled a small pot halfway with water, set a ceramic bowl inside.
Then I unwrapped the chocolate we'd bought and put it in the bowl.
Daeun asked.
"Daddy! Does it melt like this?"
"Yeah, watch. It'll melt super fast."
Click.
I lit the gas stove, and soon after.
As the water boiled, the chocolate started melting naturally.
Daeun's eyes went wide with amazement.
"Wooow! It's melting!"
"Right. Once it starts, you stir like this."
Stir stir.
Using a wooden spoon, I stirred slowly, and it melted faster.
Once fully melted, I turned off the heat.
Daeun stomped excitedly.
"Then what? What's next?"
Mercy, she was thrilled even though we'd barely started.
To her clamoring for the next step, I grabbed the milk.
"Next, we warm up the milk."
She yelled.
"Daeun wants cold! Gotta drink it cold!"
"I know, but even for cold, we warm it a little first."
Even double-boiled, dumping it straight into cold milk would make it clump.
So I poured milk halfway into a mug and microwaved it.
Meanwhile, I pulled out the condensed milk from the mart.
"And the sweetest part! Here's where you choose. Super sweet for Daeun, or just a little sweet?"
"Daeun wants sweet! Super duper sweet!"
"Yeah, but then it might be too sweet to drink."
"Why? Sweet is yummy! Daeun loves sweet! Daeun can drink it!"
Well, she did love sweets a ton.
But this was a bit different.
Too much of anything is worse than none.
I wanted to show her.
So.
I scooped a bit of condensed milk and held it out.
"Wanna try some?"
Condensed milk was sweet on its own—plenty sweet already.
She'd get it the moment she tasted it, I figured.
"Yeah!"
Nom!
I fed it to her.
A moment later, I ended up grinning awkwardly.
Sparkle!
"It's so yummy! More! Daeun wants more!"
Uh... th-this isn't what I expected...