Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: The Next Day
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The next day.
I woke up naturally to the bright light shining on my eyelids.
Squeeze.
Suddenly, my chest felt tight.
'Phew, is it still the aftereffects?'
My chest felt stuffy, like it was hard to breathe.
I'd been fine at the hospital, so why was this happening all of a sudden? As I opened my eyes, I was confronted with an unexpected situation.
"Uh......"
It was none other than Daeun.
She must have climbed into bed last night saying she was scared to sleep alone, and ended up falling asleep with me.
But she'd fallen asleep at the edge of the bed—why was she sprawled out on top of me now?
You wouldn't end up in this position unless you'd thrashed around in your sleep.
Slide.
Careful not to wake her, I gently pushed Daeun's little body onto the bed and slowly sat up.
'Phew, good thing she didn't wake up.'
It was just before 9 a.m.
I didn't know much about kids, but I'd heard from way back that children need a lot of sleep.
Better to let her wake up naturally than wake her. With that thought, I quietly slipped out of the bedroom.
Click.
I closed the door softly, and the view of the house I'd looked around yesterday came into sight.
Slide.
It was definitely smaller than my previous place, but that made it feel all the more special somehow.
Hard to put into words, but...
'Cozy.'
There was a warmth that enveloped the whole house.
Was it because Daeun and Hyorin had lived here together?
'Nice.'
As I wandered around the house, I approached the desk Daeun used.
And there, I found her sketchbook.
'She must draw a lot.'
There wasn't just one or two. At least five, no...
Slide.
"Wow... so many."
I hadn't noticed yesterday, but sketchbooks were stacked on the bookshelf, tucked in drawers—quite a few in total.
They were piled up like they'd been deliberately collected. Flipping through a few pages, I saw drawings similar to the one hanging on the family room wall.
Rustle.
At first, I just glanced casually, but the more I flipped, the more amazed I became.
'All these... did she just draw all day?'
There was no set theme. She was just drawing everything she saw.
Rustle.
I found myself sinking into her drawings right there, absorbed in admiring Daeun's work.
And one emotion lingered in my chest.
'I get what made Daeun happy.'
Not some subject forced on her by someone else, but things that moved her emotions, captured on paper.
Maybe that's why.
Emotion poured from every picture.
The happy moments she'd felt, captured in flashes.
Click.
Just then, I heard the door open behind me.
Daeun's voice rang out, and holding the sketchbook, I turned around.
"You're awa......"
"...Mommy."
'Yeah, Mommy.'
Startled by the sudden "Mommy," but before I could react, Daeun's lips twisted downward.
"Uh, Mommy... where?"
Feeling her anxiety, I set the sketchbook down and hurried to soothe her.
"D-Daeun, Mommy's... like this..."
"Mo... Momm......"
But Daeun, fresh from sleep, wasn't hearing me.
Tears welled up in her big eyes, misty.
"Mo, Momm... Waaah!"
She burst into tears.
Caught off guard by her sudden wailing, I rushed to comfort her, but...
Thud thud thud!
"D-Daddyyy!"
Grab!
Tears streaming like chicken droppings, she ran to me and clung tight. I clamped my mouth shut.
It had only been a day since we met, but the loss of her mother must have hit the little girl harder than I imagined.
That's why she was clinging to me, even though I was still a stranger.
After a moment's hesitation at her actions...
Squeeze.
I hugged her tight as she writhed in sorrow.
Then, to Daeun burying her face in my chest and choking back sobs, I whispered softly.
"Daeun, it's okay."
You can't hold back sadness by trying. The more you try, the harder it crushes you.
Sometimes, facing it head-on helps.
"It's okay to cry."
I'd been the same.
Squeeze.
At my words, Daeun grabbed my collar with her tiny hands and...
"Waaah!"
Sobbed her heart out in my arms for a good long while.
* * *
Sniff.
Daeun's crying seemed to have calmed a bit.
"It's okay."
Nod.
She was still sniffling, but not bawling like before.
Waking up must have made her feel Mom's absence keenly.
Thinking back now, I'd felt the same. Waking up to find someone gone beside you... it just sucked.
Daeun blinked up at me.
"Daeuni... saw drawings?"
Being in my arms, she'd naturally spotted the sketchbook in front of me.
I smiled.
"Yeah, Daddy likes Daeun's drawings, so I was looking. Is it... not okay to look?"
She shook her head vigorously.
"No, Daddy can look. Daeun likes Daddy."
"You like Daddy?"
Nod!
"Uh-huh, I like."
Ah, what was this... Her words hit me deep.
This second life, bought with Hyorin's life.
They meant the world to me.
"Daddy... Daddy likes Daeun too."
"Hee."
At "like," she smiled shyly and pointed at the sketchbook.
"Then Daddy likes drawing too?"
"Dra... wings?"
"Yeah, Daeun likes drawings. Drawing is super fun! What about Daddy?"
No need to say it—the feeling shone through her art.
To my hugged-up girl asking, I grinned at her cuteness and answered.
"Daddy likes drawing too. And people really liked Daddy's drawings."
"You draw really good, Daddy?"
"You bet! Daddy draws super good!"
I'd even had exhibitions.
Come to think of it, where were those old paintings?
There'd been a few in the studio before the move. Hyorin would've known about them.
If she'd sold them out of hardship, no choice...
'But she wouldn't have sold those.'
Some, Hyorin never would've parted with.
I'd ask Sister later, but would I find them?
Slide.
Then, Daeun looked up at me.
"Wanna see Daddy draw."
"Daddy draw?"
"Yeah!"
'Wait, this is perfect.'
I'd been wondering how to bond with Daeun.
We'd gotten comfy talking, felt a bit closer, but I'd only met her yesterday.
She must still feel awkward around me.
I'd pondered how to make her comfortable with me.
And the answer was closer than I thought.
"After breakfast, wanna go out and draw?"
Whoosh!
Her eyes went wide at "draw."
"Really?"
"Yeah, really. You said you wanna see Daddy draw."
"Yeah! Then Daeun draw too!"
"Yep, let's go draw together."
At that, she wriggled out of my arms, pumped her tiny cute fist, and yelled.
"Gotta prepare!"
"P-Prepare? What prepare all sudden?"
"Drawing prepare!"
"Drawing prepare?"
What was she on about...
She bolted up, dashed to the laundry room door by the kitchen, and started grunting as she dragged something out.
Peeking over, I saw...
"Th... there was an easel?"
A foldable aluminum easel.
And.
"Yeah! Two!"
Two of them...
Looks like Hyorin took Daeun out drawing often. Pretty often.
'From now on... that's on me.'
The drawing outings with Hyorin.
That role was mine from here on.
* * *
'Gotta hit the market before heading home.'
I'd planned to cook, but the fridge was empty—no ingredients at all.
Had to order delivery again.
Daeun said there was a market nearby they went to with Mom.
Could stop on the way back.
Creak.
Pushing open the rusty gate, a long alley stretched out. Daeun, who'd come out, bounced excitedly and said,
"Daeun knows drawing place!"
"Yeah, drawing place."
"Yeah!"
Then she started marching up the uphill alley.
"D-Daeun, where you going!"
"This way!"
Clutching a sketchbook as big as herself, she charged up the alley without hesitation. Afraid to lose her, I hurried after.
"Where we going?"
"Place Mommy and me went!"
"Yeah, with Mommy."
"Yeah! Daeun knows!"
Must've come out drawing with Hyorin a lot.
Else she wouldn't charge ahead like this.
Tap.
After trudging up awhile, at the alley's end...
"Wow, a park up here."
A small, old park emerged.
Bench, exercise equipment, flowerbed overgrown and unkempt from neglect.
Soon as we arrived, Daeun claimed a bench like it was hers.
"Daddy, here."
"This the place you meant?"
"Yeah! Mommy and Daeun's studio! Daddy join too!"
"Studio? Mommy called it that?"
"Yeah!"
Did she know what "studio" meant?
"Daeun, know what a studio is?"
"Stu-dio."
"Yeah, studio."
She blinked rapidly, thinking, then said,
"Fun place!"
Pfft!
Her explanation cracked me up. Studio as a fun place.
Could be torture for some, but for Daeun, it was joy.
Makes sense—this spot held memories with Hyorin.
At my laugh, she leaned in close.
"Wrong?"
"Nope, spot on. Studio's fun and exciting."
"Right! Super fun here!"
At her words, I quickly set up the easels I'd brought, making it easy for her to draw.
She opened her precious sketchbook, placed it on the easel, pulled out a pencil like a pro, and started drawing.
Scribble scribble.
Her focus sparked my curiosity.
'Hmm, but what's she drawing?'
Usually outdoors, you draw what you see—like the neighborhood view below.
But Daeun stared elsewhere? No, she sketched away intently.
Like she'd decided beforehand.
So I asked.
"But Daeun, had something in mind to draw?"
"Yeah! Daeun draw what wanna!"
"What you wanna draw?"
"Friend!"
"Friend?"
"Yeah! Grandma house friend!"
Scratch scratch!
Grandma's house friend? Wondering what that was, I watched her drawing.
Scribble!
The outline of what she'd mentioned took shape on the page.
And soon...
Gulp.
'No way... this is...'
I could only stare in shock at Daeun, tongue out in concentration, drawing furiously.
The picture on the sketchbook was none other than...
'Perfect... memory...'
The orphanage yard, kids playing happily.