Chapter 36
Chapter 36
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Smiling Parents and Crying Children
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Smiling parents sat in front of crying children.
As soon as Daeun's painting was revealed to the crowd, the onlookers' faces darkened.
The mothers who had brought their kids especially kept glancing at their children.
[I get why the professor said that now.]
The professor had said it felt like she was looking right through Seoseo-gu.
Seeing this, bloodlines really were something to fear.
Who would've thought Daeun would capture something like this in her painting.
Hee-hee.
"Daddy! Daeun drew it so good!"
Daeun bounced around proudly showing off her painting.
I laughed and patted her head.
"You did great. It looks like you draw better than Daddy."
"Really? Daeun draws way better than Daddy?"
"Of course. You drew today's picture so amazingly well. Good job."
At those words, Daeun lit up like she owned the world.
Watching her reaction with a smile, a sudden curiosity struck me.
All the paintings Daeun had done so far were based on reality.
That was thanks in part to her perfect memory, but this one was different from the others.
It expressed human emotions, not just the scene as it was.
So I asked.
"But Daeun."
"Yeah! Daddy."
"Daddy's curious about something. Why are the kids in the painting crying?"
"Why are they crying?"
Nod.
I nodded, expecting an immediate answer, but Daeun fell deep into thought.
"Um, because... like, crying is..."
She couldn't answer right away and started mumbling.
Not out of anxiety, but like she couldn't find the words to explain her own painting.
"Maybe you drew it that way because it felt like they were crying?"
Rustle.
Daeun's head lifted.
I explained in more detail.
In a way she could fully understand.
"You thought your friends looked sad, so you drew them crying, right?"
"Yeah! That's right! How'd you know?"
Just as I thought.
"Um, because I'm Daddy."
"Wow! Daddy's amazing!"
The reason Daeun couldn't explain it was simple.
Up until now, she'd painted based on what she'd seen in real life.
She drew them as detailed as her memories allowed, but today's was different.
It was like she'd set aside reality and focused purely on emotion.
That's how I knew.
She couldn't explain it because.
[She'd never done it before, so she didn't know how.]
Daeun seemed to have found her answer and nodded repeatedly as she explained the painting.
"I saw my friends were super sad, so that's why."
Daeun had poured the emotion of sadness into her painting.
Any child could do that, but Daeun was a bit different.
With her photographic memory of scenes, it wasn't easy to draw differently from reality.
Just then, Do-yoon and his mom approached us.
I smiled and congratulated them.
"Congratulations. You won the grand prize. Great job, Do-yoon."
Do-yoon awkwardly accepted the praise with a fidget.
"Do-yoon worked really hard."
"Yeah, I could tell. He drew amazingly well."
Do-yoon's mom smiled and said.
"I was so surprised when the host mentioned it. He said it's a famous person, right?"
"Oh, that... It's just that a lot of people like it."
"I knew Daeun had real talent, but it must be something you're born with."
Innate talent.
Daeun was definitely a genius. But I didn't want to highlight that part.
As I'd mentioned before, for Daeun, painting was talent, but also a way to preserve memories.
So I didn't add anything to Do-yoon's mom's comment.
Instead, I changed the subject.
Awkwardly smiling, I quickly steered the conversation.
"Anyway, thank you for submitting your painting. Thanks to you, everyone got to see it."
Do-yoon's mom had decided on her own to enter it, but that let so many people see Daeun's work.
"Oh no, what did I do? I didn't do anything—it's all because Daeun drew so well."
She turned to Daeun and said.
"Thanks for joining the painting event. We got to see such a great picture because of you."
To some, the painting's subject might be quite sensitive.
She'd acted out of love for her child, but the parents' smiles in the painting could come off as repulsive at first glance.
It was showing exactly what they were doing wrong.
Yet Do-yoon's mom took it straight to heart.
"Oh, and there was something I was curious about while she was painting."
Then, Do-yoon's mom asked curiously.
"That mat at the far end—is that the one we were sitting on?"
"Yes! Exactly!"
"Then the one drawn there is Do-yoon, right?"
"Yes! That's him too!"
What was she so curious about?
Do-yoon's mom smiled and asked.
"But why isn't Do-yoon crying?"
Not crying?
I hurriedly checked the painting at her words.
It was in the corner and hard to see clearly, but sure enough, Do-yoon wasn't crying.
His expression was just a bit dark—very different from the other kids' emotions.
Daeun smiled and answered her question.
"He didn't look sad."
"He didn't look sad?"
"Yes!"
"Then what expression is that?"
No one there—me included—could have predicted her answer.
"Brother Do-yoon wants to play with Mommy!"
After the contest ended, Daeun and I reluctantly took President Jeong's persistent offer and rode in her car home.
"Everything comfortable?"
Ah, the whole space feels awkward and uncomfortable...
But I couldn't say that outright.
"Oh, thanks to you, we'll get home nice and easy."
Meanwhile, Daeun seemed to like her seat, wiggling her butt as she said.
"It's so squishy and soft!"
"Yeah?"
"Yes! Auntie car's nice!"
I hated owing debts, so it felt a bit uncomfortable mentally, but since Daeun was happy, maybe it was okay.
That's when President Jeong asked while driving.
"By the way, Do-yoon, was it? I had no idea he felt that way."
The three who'd come late had heard about Do-yoon too.
"Who would've thought he skipped bringing art supplies because he wanted attention from his mom."
"I heard going shopping for supplies with her was so much fun."
So Daeun hadn't just lent supplies—she'd said she wanted to paint together.
To think her actions carried such deep meaning.
"Really? That's even more impressive. How did you know, Daeun?"
President Jeong's question made me curious too.
How had Daeun figured out Do-yoon wanted his mom's attention and to play with her?
"I just knew!"
"Yeah, just... knew?"
"Yes! Daeun knows everything!"
Like instinct.
Daeun seemed to sense others' emotions with animal-like accuracy. And she naturally wove it into her painting.
[Well, she reads emotions in artworks too.]
Come to think of it, her eye for art could apply here.
Different expression, but reality was just another subject in her sights.
The ability to read emotions.
Daeun was more of a genius than I thought.
"Impressive. Truly impressive."
President Jeong praised without reserve and asked.
"So, about what I mentioned before—have you thought it over?"
"Oh, the exhibition."
A week ago, Daeun had really wanted her own solo show.
Daeun smiled like she knew exactly what she meant and replied.
"Daeun wants an exhibition! Daeun can do it good!"
"Ooh! Really?"
President Jeong glanced at me while driving.
"Yes, she was super excited when you asked last time. But I have a couple requests."
"Requests?"
"Yes, there's a painting she treasures—she wants it displayed but not for sale."
"If it's one she cherishes, of course! Just exhibit it."
I'd known she'd agree.
"So, we can schedule Daeun's exhibition then?"
Daeun's first solo exhibition in life. It felt momentous.
"Yes, please."
"Oh, no need for 'please.' If anything, we're the ones who should beg."
Then President Jeong smiled at Daeun.
"Artist Daeun Lee, thank you for choosing our department store. Looking forward to working with you."
Daeun beamed happily at "Artist Daeun Lee."
"Daddy! Daeun's an artist now!"
"Yeah, since you're doing an exhibition. You're a real artist now, Daeun."
At "artist," Daeun pushed up her cheeks with both hands.
President Jeong looked even happier and said.
"Oh, we'll handle contract details separately later. Now, about support."
"Support?"
"Yes, if we host the exhibition at our store, you can use our owned studios for free. Pick whichever one's convenient from the ones available."
Renting out a studio.
Even though President Jeong had said just display what Daeun had already painted, we'd still need to create during prep time.
A studio would be perfect for that.
Our house was small, hard to work in, and renting one separately would cost too much.
It was exactly the support we needed.
"I was just thinking we'd need a studio. Perfect."
"Really? I'll send a list as soon as I get to the office. There's one nearby, so no inconvenience."
"Daddy, so Daeun draws somewhere else now?"
Getting her own workspace excited Daeun too.
"Yeah, we'll go there to paint from now on. Sound good?"
"Yes! Super nice!"
"Oh, and with the studio list, I'll confirm the exact schedule too. There's a scheduled exhibition first, so after that's done... hmm, roughly."
President Jeong thought for a moment and replied.
"About four months from now, we can hold it."
Four months until Daeun's first exhibition.
It'd probably be quite an interesting time.
"Daddy! Daeun will do her best!"
"Yeah, Daddy will too."
I was really looking forward to it.
Truly.
The next morning, I got a call from Director Go early.
I'd heard. You're going ahead with the exhibition, huh.
When President Jeong first proposed it, she'd told Director Go right away.
She must've informed her the moment I agreed.
"Yes, she said it'd take about four months."
Four months. Guess I can't do my regular work during prep.
I could, but not like now.
Still, that didn't mean I couldn't.
"No, we have to. It's not like you're giving me something impossible."
And the task from Director Go was pretty fun too.
Hmm, then let's do this.
Like she'd prepared an alternative.
Her next words made my eyes widen.
Participating in various exhibitions with Daeun. Sound good? Not bad, right?
Various exhibitions?
I was a bit puzzled.
"Isn't that too easy? You sure?"
It felt way too easy.
I wondered if I could even accept such a light task.
But after hearing her out fully, I changed my mind.
I didn't say it was in Seoul.