Chapter 228
Chapter 228
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 228
Chapter Title: Unwanted Talent
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Everyone's eyes turned to Daeun at her sudden action.
To think she was greeting the kid who had harshly criticized her own painting.
Before I could say anything to stop her, I grew even more flustered.
In response to Daeun's words, the boy glared at her and replied.
"I'm older than you, so you're my little sister."
"Just one year older than Daeun."
"Yeah, so call me oppa."
He did look a bit bigger...
No, that wasn't the point.
I hurried over to Daeun and greeted them awkwardly with a smile.
"Ah, sorry about that."
At my words, the boy's mom looked even more apologetic as she spoke.
"Ah, no... We're the ones who should be sorry. He's not usually like this..."
Kids sometimes do things their parents never expect, leaving them flustered.
That doesn't mean all those actions are bad, though.
But this time, beyond criticizing Daeun's painting, he'd bothered other people.
Most of the visitors were even looking at him disapprovingly.
That's when Daeun spoke up.
"I hate it, I'm not calling you oppa."
"Why?"
"Because you did a bad thing."
Daeun said it with a stern frown, as if scolding him.
I hadn't expected her to pinpoint it as bad behavior like that.
It was probably because he'd badmouthed her work...
"Our mom says that everyone feels different emotions when looking at a painting, and you can't force those feelings on others!"
So, Daeun had approached him not because he'd criticized her painting, but because he'd tried to impose his feelings on everyone else?
I suddenly felt ashamed for jumping to the wrong conclusion.
[I wonder if Hyorin taught her that?]
That's when—
"What did I do!"
The kid still seemed oblivious to what he'd done wrong.
Yet Daeun didn't back down at all.
It was like seeing the bold Hyorin from back in the day.
Daeun was Hyorin's daughter, after all.
"So apologize!"
"No way!"
"If you don't apologize!"
"What if I don't!"
"I'm really gonna scold you!"
Whoosh!
Daeun stepped right up to the boy.
As her face came nose-to-nose, the boy jumped back in surprise.
He stammered in panic.
"I-I-I'm still not apologizing. You're gonna hit me or something..."
He was blurting out words without even knowing what he was saying.
"You gotta keep going to art classes if you do art! I hate doing art! I like soccer, but Mom keeps making me go to art classes!"
"......"
The visitors who'd been glaring at the kid went blank-faced at his outburst.
Sangwoon's mom, who'd unintentionally heard her son's true feelings, flushed beet red and bowed her head deeply.
The boy's single outburst turned the atmosphere solemn.
From a bratty kid to one forced into it by his parents.
But even so, his mom didn't blame him.
Tap.
"Here, have some canned coffee."
I placed one of the department store's complimentary canned coffees in front of the mom.
She thanked me profusely, saying I didn't need to do that.
Then she turned self-critical.
"How pathetic, huh? Not even knowing what my own kid wants."
"No, it's not like that. Parents can't know everything."
Parents were human too.
Unless you're a god, you can't read a kid's mind if they don't tell you.
You can only guess from their expressions and actions.
I could relate, always wondering what was on Daeun's mind.
"Still, I'm glad we came today. I actually think Sangwoon has talent for art."
At the mention of talent, I asked hopefully.
"Are you in this field yourself, by any chance?"
"You're Painter Kanghyeok Lee, right?"
Since she recognized me right away, she must work in art.
"Actually, I'm an adjunct professor in the Western Art Department at XX University."
"Oh... P-Professor."
"Yes, so I guess I got greedy. Thinking my kid might become a great artist."
She glanced up at the two kids chatting away at the little table.
"So I brought him here to cultivate his eye, but I ended up hearing something I never expected."
How many parents like her are there in our country?
Probably more than I think.
Pushing studies for their child's future.
Academy classes, workbooks, even study abroad—just in case it helps down the line.
Because they're your kid.
Your own flesh and blood.
If they show even a little aptitude, parents try to nurture it.
Of course, forcing it when the kid hates it is a problem.
But she seemed a bit different from others.
"When he was three, he started drawing on his own, and I was shocked. No one taught him, but he drew by himself, so I thought he had innate talent for art. I worried it might fade, so academies, private lessons, and even after work, I'd make him draw for an hour..."
But was that really what Sangwoon wanted?
At six, kids should be running around playing.
Yet at that age, academies, tutoring, and being held back from play to learn art.
"Lately, Sangwoon's reactions were off, and sure enough, it all blew up."
Despite knowing it was rude, I had to ask.
"Did he hate drawing before too?"
"No, he still liked drawing. But... it felt different from when he first started. Like... he was doing it because he was told to, like someone who'd lost interest."
Interest...
Maybe Sangwoon's first drawings were fun in themselves.
If they'd just let him be, he might not have lost that spark.
Like a fun game—if they'd played along, what then?
"It's my fault. Feels like I killed what he loved with my greed... I'm not fit to be a mom."
Not fit to be a mom.
Looking at the kids talking, I replied.
"If we're talking qualifications, mine are worse."
"W-What do you mean..."
I couldn't spill my whole backstory.
It was long, and unnecessary anyway.
"I didn't even know what Daeun was thinking when she painted."
If not for yesterday's interview with Jungeun, I'd have learned her reasons for painting way later.
Or maybe never.
"During the interview yesterday, Daeun said painting makes her happy."
"H-Happy?"
In a way, it was the opposite of Sangwoon.
Sangwoon losing interest in painting, Daeun happy while painting.
"So what I'm saying is, it's not too late."
"N-Not too late?"
"Yeah, that's what I think. Maybe because I missed watching Daeun grow, but if you want to nurture talent, isn't just cheering from the side enough?"
I was bedridden in the hospital, missing Daeun.
Talent matters in life, sure.
But I regretted all the time wasted in that bed.
Time as she grew up.
Time we didn't share.
So I focused on our time together now.
To make more memories with her.
Sangwoon's mom might not agree.
But I didn't want to lie.
Their childhoods wouldn't come back.
"And if there's real talent for art, won't they grow on their own without academies or tutors?"
As a professor, she'd get my point.
She stared at the two kids talking for a long while.
Then she smiled brightly at me.
"Coming here today was the right call."
Not exactly an answer to me.
But it felt like I'd heard one.
Too bad I couldn't chat with Sangwoon.
But I couldn't hold back the two who'd already greeted and left.
"By the way, Daeun. What were you and Sangwoon talking about earlier?"
Daeun shrugged and said.
"I told him to apologize!"
That apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
The more Daeun grew, the more she resembled Hyorin.
Especially her personality.
"Did he apologize?"
"Nope! He wouldn't!"
I didn't know the circumstances then, but now I did.
"Still, maybe he had a reason not to."
"He still has to apologize!"
"Y-Yeah, true."
As I smiled awkwardly at her sharp reply, Daeun added.
"But I decided to forgive him!"
"Even without an apology?"
"Yep!"
Forgiveness without apology.
What did Sangwoon say to earn that?
"Why?"
"Because Daeun likes painting, but Sangwoon said it's hard for him. So I forgave him."
"Because painting is hard?"
"Yep!"
I wasn't sure if I didn't get Daeun or what.
But I couldn't see the forgiveness angle.
I'd just accept it as is.
Then Daeun turned her head primly and said something I never expected.
"Daeun feels that way sometimes too, so I forgave him!"
W-Wait, painting is hard for her too?
Looks like there's more to Daeun's past I don't know.
As closing time approached, President Jeong returned to the exhibition hall after stepping out.
"You worked so hard today. Daeun must be tired, but you did great."
"Daeun had super super fun!"
Daeun spoke for me.
At her bright reply, President Jeong asked.
"By the way, I heard about the incident earlier."
"Oh, that? No need to worry. Just a little mishap."
"Still, glad it blew over. I was worried it'd leave a bad memory here."
Was President Jeong a mom too?
She seemed more concerned for the kid and his mom than the store.
She smiled.
"Good thing."
"Yes, closing time soon, so let me drive you home."
"Oh, you don't have to..."
"I want to. And to thank you both."
"T-Thank us?"
Thank us? For what? That's when—
President Jeong said it with the brightest smile I'd seen from her.
And with those words, Daeun became even more special.
"Yes, our store hit the highest sales of the year today. Maybe because of that, we got special orders from above to take good care of you two."
We—as VIP guests—had driven the department store to record annual sales.
"Y- Year's... h-highest?"
Yes.