Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Caricature Booth
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The caricature booth, true to its long-standing tradition, was set up right there in the art department.
'Is that where Cheongsik's department is?'
Even though universities had multiple departments within the art school, it might not be exactly Cheongsik's, but the shared art school connection made it feel familiar.
Hand-painted signs and the students' faces, tired yet somehow brimming with enjoyment.
If this had been my alma mater, I might have felt even more at ease.
'But this isn't bad either.'
No, it was pretty nice. The fresh vibe actually lifted my spirits.
"Daddy, what's that?"
Daeun pointed at the sample caricature on display.
A chibi-style character, two-heads-tall, a bit comical maybe, but it captured the person's features so well you could tell who it was.
"That's called a caricature. It's drawing people in a character style."
Would she get it if I explained it like that?
"I know the feeling!"
'Oh!'
She was still little, but thanks to her perfect memory, she seemed a bit clever...
"Like drawing it all twisty and fun like that!"
Hmm... did she really understand my explanation?
I suddenly felt uneasy, but she'd already jumped to her own conclusion, so I couldn't add more.
And so.
Thud thud!
Daeun marched energetically toward the caricature booth, greeted by the students' bright welcome.
"Welcome! This is the Comics Department."
'Comics Department, huh.'
I'd heard Cheongsik was a professor in the Western Painting Department, so this seemed pretty far removed.
'Well, it doesn't really matter.'
We were here at Cheongsik's invitation for the festival, but wasn't the whole point just to come and enjoy it?
"Daeuni's gonna draw a picture!"
"Yes!"
"Daeuni's not the one drawing the picture."
She must have thought caricature meant she'd draw the other person herself.
Makes sense, since most of the displayed drawings featured the artists who did the caricatures.
"Daeun-ah, here they draw you. You're the model."
"Then the aunties draw Daeuni?"
"Yeah, that's right. Shall we ask them to draw our Daeuni all pretty?"
Daeun's eyes sparkled.
"Yeah!"
Luckily, she wasn't disappointed that she wouldn't be drawing.
Seeing her excited made even me, watching from the side, feel good.
Just then, a student sitting at the easel spoke up.
"Would you like it just the two of you together? It's ten thousand won per person, so normally twenty thousand for two, but the kid's so cute, special discount—fifteen thousand won."
These kids knew how to run a booth.
The student smiled as she spoke, her sales pitch top-notch.
Not only complimenting Daeun naturally, but highlighting the specialness of getting drawn together with Daddy.
Who could say no to that?
Just in case Daeun wanted to do it alone, I checked.
"Daeun-ah, wanna get drawn with Daddy?"
She seemed to think for a moment, then nodded.
"Yeah, Daeuni wants to get drawn with Daddy."
What could she have been pondering so deeply?
Even months later, I still couldn't quite read her little mind.
"Then please come to the back seat here. We'll start right away."
With that, the student guided me and Daeun to the inner spot, and as we sat, the caricature session began.
'Feels a bit awkward.'
How long had it been since I modeled for a drawing?
Back in college, I'd posed a few times for class assignments, but nothing since.
I'd always been the one drawing others, never the model.
"What pose would you like? Get comfortable in whatever feels right, and I'll match it as best I can."
"Pose, huh."
Alone, it might not matter, but for two people, a special pose would be nice.
'What pose would work?'
Side by side would be standard, but that felt too plain.
It was a special drawing of us together—too bland wouldn't do.
So, smiling, I turned to Daeun...
"Daeuni wants to sit on Daddy's lap!"
"On Daddy's lap?"
"Yeah! Daeuni sit on Daddy's lap and smile!"
I did sometimes have her sit on my lap when brushing or tying her hair.
Maybe that's what she remembered.
"Sitting on the lap would make a great composition. It'll take about ten to fifteen minutes, so it won't be too tiring."
The effort didn't worry me.
Daeun wasn't heavy, and max fifteen minutes.
What concerned me was Daeun.
"Daeuni won't be uncomfortable?"
Brushing or tying was quick, just moments.
Five minutes at most on my lap—might bother her.
"Daeuni's fine. Daeuni likes sitting on Daddy's lap."
"Alright then."
If she said so.
I gave a small nod.
"Yes, we'll do lap-sitting. Anything else needed?"
"No, that's it. Caricatures capture the model's features, so no need to stay perfectly still. Just hold the pose comfortably, and I'll draw."
Less tricky than expected—good.
"Got it. Here we go."
Swish.
I settled Daeun on my lap, and the student artist said,
"Alright, I'll let you know when it's done."
"Ah, please do."
For the next fifteen minutes, to keep Daeun relaxed, I smiled and asked,
"Daeun-ah, tummy not hungry?"
"Tummy..."
We had about an hour or two till lunch.
I'd eaten breakfast early, so by now I was peckish, and figured she might be too.
"Uh, Daddy, how'd you know? Daeuni's tummy is hungry~"
She was amazed I'd guessed right.
I shrugged exaggeratedly on purpose.
"Daddy knows everything! Ask Daddy anything you don't know. I'll tell you."
I was just showboating to look cool for her.
"Really really? Even if I ask?"
Turns out she did have something to ask.
"What're you curious about?"
"Yeah! Daeuni's got a question!"
No way she's asking when Mommy's coming, right?
I started to panic. It felt like she'd been waiting for this.
But I'd promised, no backing out.
"What is it? If Daddy knows, I'll tell you everything."
"Really? Then Daeuni'll ask Daddy."
And then she hit me with the last thing I expected.
"When will Daeuni get lots of friends like Daddy?"
"Uh, lots of what?"
"Daeuni wants lots of friends like Daddy has."
Totally out of left field.
Daeun asking me about making friends?
"You want friends?"
"Yeah, it'd be fun if Daeuni had friends too."
Hanging out with her everywhere, we'd naturally met people I knew.
Not all were friends, but to little Daeun, they might feel like it.
'Well, I haven't met up with any friends once since coming back.'
From her view, it made sense to wonder.
"You've wanted to make friends, Daeun-ah?"
"Yeah! Lots of them, and play with Daeuni's friends a bunch!"
At the mention of playing with friends, she remembered something—her legs kicked happily while sitting on my lap.
Her action sparked a question in me.
Something I'd neglected to ask amid focusing on Hyorin, Daeun, and myself.
Maybe not about the past, but essential for the future.
"Does Daeun have friends?"
"Yeah! Daeuni has friends! Rahee and Taeyang, and Sihwa, and Seoyuri too, and Iheoni and..."
She ticked them off on her fingers one by one.
The count blew past ten.
At eleven.
Pause.
Fingers ran out, she couldn't name more.
'No need to list them all.'
Did she think it'd be rude not to?
Fingers splayed, she pondered briefly.
'Ah!'
Found a way—her face lit up as she folded fingers back down.
"...and Sihu too! All of them are Daeuni's friends."
"Daeun has lots of friends."
Thirteen in total.
Not a small number, yet she wanted more.
"No, friends who play with Daeuni—if no friends like that, it's no fun."
"Friends who play with Daeun?"
"Yeah!"
"They're all grandma's house friends, so Daeuni can't see them."
Her face fell a bit, looking sad.
'Grandma's house friends—does she mean all from the orphanage?'
No other friends?
Even with bad kindergarten memories, surely some friends from there?
I asked.
She shook her head firmly.
"Nope."
"Yeah, no friends besides grandma's house ones."
Never imagined Daeun had no friends outside the orphanage.
Now I got why she'd asked me that.
It made sense, thinking about it.
Kids in daycare or kindergarten make friends naturally, but not for Daeun.
'Sending her to kindergarten?'
She might make one or two, but the problem was her bad memories there.
"How can Daeuni get lots of friends?"
How to explain this?
Making friends isn't hard. As time passes and she grows, she'll join school or somewhere.
Meet someone with common ground, become friends.
But could she grasp that in words?
"Hmm, Daeun-ah, so friends are like..."
I had to explain simply for her to understand.
She's smart, so she'd get it.
Then the student artist drawing us spoke up.
"Um, sorry to interrupt."
"Ah, sorry. We moved too much."
"No, not that. Do you need friends for the kid by any chance?"
"Yes?"
She'd overheard our talk while drawing.
At "friends," Daeun perked up happily.
"Daeuni wants to make friends!"
The student grinned wide and explained why she'd spoken.
"Um, not for any other reason, but if you have time, why not check out the Early Childhood Education Department?"
"Early Childhood Education?"
Her explanation went like this.
The university ran its own affiliated kindergarten.
Tied to the Early Childhood Education Department, and during festivals, they set up a kids' play area.
It was running right now, too.
"You'll find the kindergarten kids there. Might be a good chance for her to make friends."
Great suggestion.
Not lecturing on how to make friends, but taking her to a place where she could.
Maybe the best answer I could give her right now.
Smiling at Daeun on my lap, I asked,
"Daeun wants to go...?"
"Yeah! Daeuni wants to go! Daeuni go make friends!"
No need to ask.
I looked at her with hand raised high, nodded.
"Alright, let's go."
"Yay!"