Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: That the Director Had a Child
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The doctor pushed up his glasses and asked,
"Didn't you know?"
Of course I didn't.
Director Go never shared personal stories like that with me, and she never gave any indication.
"Well, Yunmi isn't the type to talk about such things."
Hearing that, I cautiously asked,
"Does Director Go have a child?"
I don't know why I was so careful, but it was probably instinct.
"She did."
"She... did? So now..."
The doctor's expression darkened.
"It's a past she'd rather erase for Yunmi. That's why she doesn't talk about it."
Hearing someone else's sad story about Director Go didn't sit well with me.
It felt like prying further would be disrespectful to her.
The doctor seemed to feel the same.
"Well, she says she's fine with it herself, but her friends and everyone else seems to avoid talking about her daughter. Actually, when I heard about little Daeun, I thought maybe she'd finally opened up about it."
I shook my head.
The doctor nodded as if he understood.
"You'd be better off hearing the details directly from her later. It's only proper."
"Yes, I will."
I wasn't sure if I'd ever get the chance to ask, but if I did, it might bring us closer on a personal level.
"Oh, but there's one thing I can tell you."
"What's that?"
"Why Yunmi sent little Daeun to me."
The reason she sent Daeun to this doctor.
"Of course, she probably didn't tell you this either, but Yunmi's daughter was similar to Daeun."
"Similar... you don't mean."
"Yunmi's daughter, Suryeon, didn't have perfect recall like Daeun, but she had similar abilities. Have you heard of Servant Syndrome?"
"..."
I was speechless for a while after hearing that.
Servant Syndrome was an ability that mainly manifested in people with autism spectrum disorder.
Like perfect recall, they could remember everything, or exhibit extraordinary skills in mental arithmetic—abilities like that.
In other words, Director Go's daughter had autism spectrum disorder.
'Ah, so that's why Aram mentioned that.'
The day we went shopping for Daeun's clothes together, Aram had said she'd come a few times to buy clothes for her cousin.
That cousin must have been the director's daughter.
'Whew, feels like I heard something I shouldn't have.'
The doctor said the director wouldn't mind, but I felt differently.
Her child had died. A sick child at that—how could any parent be okay with it?
Director Go's expression when she saw Daeun's abilities at yesterday's exhibition was still vivid in my mind.
'I should stop by after her appointments are done.'
With that thought, I waited a bit, and Daeun came out of the examination room smiling after her tests.
"Daddy!"
Spotting me, she toddled over and started chattering about what happened inside.
"Daddy, Daeuni finished the pictures! But they were all done already! And the nurse auntie showed me more pictures, and Daeuni finished those too! Daeuni's great!"
They'd said the memory test involved picture-matching games.
She must have been talking about that.
"Good job. You didn't cry at all—such a brave girl."
"Yeah! Daeuni was scared at first 'cause it was the hospital, but now Daeuni's not scared at all!"
"That's right. Hospitals aren't scary places. They make you better when you're sick."
At that, Daeun tilted her head.
"Then is Daeuni sick now? Daeuni's not sick."
"Hmm, they treat sickness, but they also check to make sure you don't get sick."
"Oh, Daeuni hates being sick! Daeuni will do the tests!"
I nodded with a laugh at her words.
"Yeah, our Daeun is the best."
Just then, a nurse approached us.
It was the one who'd helped with Daeun's tests earlier.
"Guardian of Daeun Lee, you can go in now."
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
They called me in almost right after Daeun came out, so she definitely has perfect recall.
I was about to ask Daeun to come with me when the nurse said,
"The guardian goes in alone."
"Yes? Just me?"
"Yes, I'll watch Daeun."
The nurse extended her hand to Daeun.
"Daeun, want to go look at picture books?"
"Daeuni loves books! Daddy, can Daeuni go?"
"Yeah, you can look at picture books by yourself for a bit while Daddy meets the doctor."
"Okay! Daeuni's good at that! Daeuni can stay by myself!"
"Alright."
As soon as I answered, she dashed to the bookshelf full of picture books.
Watching her with a fond smile, I entered the consultation room.
Click.
"Ah, you're here."
As I sat in the chair, the doctor pushed up his slightly slipped glasses and spoke.
"You probably have an idea already, but Daeun definitely has perfect recall. She remembers almost everything from birth until now."
As he said that, he showed me the test sheet.
Normally patients fill it out themselves, but since Daeun was so young, the nurse had asked questions and recorded the answers.
"She remembered where she was, what she was doing, who she was with, and even how she felt at the time—all of it."
I explained my own experiences with Daeun's abilities.
"Daeun can draw pictures exactly like what she's seen. That's how I knew."
"Hmm, so Daeun draws pictures?"
At the mention of drawing, the doctor jotted something down on the test sheet with his pen.
Then he stroked his chin, looking at the results.
"As you know, perfect recall goes beyond just good memory. It's also called hyperthymesia. In short, it means remembering every detail, even unnecessary information—and forever."
Remembering everything, forever.
Hearing it from the doctor made it hit harder somehow.
It felt a bit serious.
But seeing my expression, the doctor smiled.
"But you don't need to take it too gravely. Sure, remembering everything might bring back painful past memories sometimes, but it doesn't mean eternal suffering from those memories."
He gave some examples.
"People with abilities like Daeun's are living well right now, as we speak. It's different from Servant Syndrome."
"So there's nothing special I need to do?"
At my question, the doctor smiled at me.
"Make good memories for her."
"Yes?"
"You're already doing a great job."
He pointed toward the outside of the consultation room with his finger.
I turned to look through the glass window and locked eyes with Daeun, who was reading her book. She waved her little hand with all her might.
As if saying she was fine and not to worry.
"The death of her mother will leave a big scar on her. She seems okay now, but there will be days when sadness suddenly overwhelms her. So keep watching over her like you are. Even if past memories trouble her someday."
The doctor continued with a faint smile.
"So she can overcome it. Both Daeun and you, Kanghyeok Lee."
"It was so much fun!"
"Yeah? It was fun?"
We'd gone to the hospital today. Daeun had been scared before we left.
But she told me it was fun anyway.
"Yeah! Daeuni was scared of the hospital, but now Daeuni's not scared at all!"
Maybe because she didn't get a shot, or the tests were fun.
"Really?"
When I asked with a smile, she gave me the world's most adorable look.
"Maybe 'cause I went with Daddy?"
Her sweet answer made me melt with happiness.
And her response made me recall the doctor's words once more.
Bad memories don't fade, but that's all. Her answer just proved it.
Even a scary hospital memory could be softened by overlaying happy ones.
"Then you can bravely go to the hospital next time too."
Daeun's face clouded a bit at that, but she quickly brightened with a smile.
"Yeah! If I go with Daddy, Daeuni can!"
Her brave reply was just too cute.
It was like a lethal dose of cuteness.
I grinned at her and said,
"We're almost there now."
"Oh! Yeah!"
Besides the hospital visit, we had no other plans today.
I'd decided to swing by the gallery to update Director Go on the hospital trip.
Just as we neared the entrance of Arnia Gallery...
Bzzz.
My phone rang.
No one usually calls at this hour. Curious, I checked the screen.
[Sister Kim Inyoung]
It was Hyorin's mother.
Seeing the caller, I quickly answered.
"Ah, hello."
Kanghyeok, how have you been?
It had been a long time since she'd asked about Daeun last time.
"Ah, yes. Daeun and I are doing well."
Hearing we were fine, her tone softened a bit.
That's a relief. I've been so worried.
"But what brings your call?"
Oh, it's about the text you sent a few days ago.
The text...
'Ah!'
A few days ago, I'd texted about Daeun's food obsession, wondering if she knew anything.
She must be calling about that.
That Hyeongcheol kid you mentioned. He is at our orphanage.
"I-is that so?"
I'd asked just in case, but I hadn't expected a real Hyeongcheol at the orphanage.
But her next words plunged the matter deeper into mystery.
But did Hyeongcheol really steal and eat it?
"Yes, that's what..."
My hesitant voice made her pause, then she spoke awkwardly.
I don't know about the other kids, but Hyeongcheol would never do that.
I wondered if she was certain, but kids being kids, it could happen...
Well, Hyeongcheol is only just two years old.
"T-two years old?"
At her words, I glanced at Daeun toddling along.
A two-year-old stole her food and caused the food obsession?
I could understand her reaction now.
So I called thinking there might be a misunderstanding.
For now, I couldn't give a clear answer.
So I asked her permission.
"I'll ask about it later."
Thank you. There might have been some mix-up.
"Yes, got it."
I couldn't brush it off as just kids' stuff.
Other kids might forget bad things quickly, but Daeun remembers everything forever.
Click.
After hanging up with the sister, I stared at the phone with complicated feelings when...
"Auntie!"
Yeah, it's Auntie.
Lifting my head at Daeun's words, I spotted Aram Go coming out of the Arnia Gallery entrance in the distance.
I raised my hand happily to wave, but...
I froze.
The people streaming out behind her stopped me in my tracks.
'What the heck, so many people?'