Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Fireworks and a Rushed Morning
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"That's so good, huh?"
Changsik slurped down his canned coffee, grinning nonstop like something was hilarious.
"Yeah, it's great."
Jungeun chimed in, mirroring the exact same expression.
"It's great, right? Reminds me of the first time Daeun called me uncle."
"That must've felt amazing."
"Yeah, like I owned the world. You never saw her as a kid, huh?"
"Got any photos?"
"I do. Write me an article if I give 'em to you?"
"If it's childhood pics of Daeun? Deal."
Why were they bargaining over someone else's daughter photos?
"I've got pics of Daeun from the day she was born right up to now."
He had all of Daeun's childhood photos?
Sure, we had plenty at home too, but that didn't make Jungeun's any less precious.
I decided to butt into the conversation.
I squeezed between them.
"Give me those photos too."
"You too?"
Jungeun said it, then seemed to realize why I wanted them.
"Oh, yeah, you'd be curious too. What Daeun looked like as a little kid."
I'd have to dig out the albums Hyorin organized when I got home.
What did Daeun look like back then?
Way cuter than she is now, probably.
I smiled in anticipation.
That's when Daeun, who'd been spinning around on the sports field, called out to us.
"Daddy! Uncles!"
No one could resist Daeun's call—it was absolute.
"Yeah!"
"What?"
"What's up, Daeun!"
Was our reaction funny to her?
She covered her mouth with both hands and giggled.
"Daeuni wants to do fiwoworks!"
At Daeun's request for fireworks, all three of us shot up in unison and shouted.
"Be right back with some!"
"I'll grab 'em now!"
"On my way!"
Her blatant laughter at our synchronized outburst was adorable—we all ended up laughing too.
Then Jungeun spoke up.
"You two get the fireworks. You stay here with Daeun."
"I'll chip in."
"Money? Nah! I invited you guys today. It's on me. Nobody spend a dime."
"Hey, cheapskate Changsik, what's with the generosity?"
"When'd you get that nickname? Just nod next time."
"Yes, sir. We'll take it. Be right back."
"Yeah."
The two kept bickering as they headed off to buy fireworks.
Meanwhile, Daeun came running from the field, her face dotted with sweat beads, and plopped down.
"Daddy, Daeuni hot!"
It was late autumn, and I'd bundled her up warm to avoid a cold—that backfired.
"You that hot?"
"Daeuni wants hand fan!"
"Hand fan?"
"Yeah! Mommy always does it when Daeuni hot!"
I hurriedly fanned her little face with my hand.
Did it feel cool?
"Hee!"
She savored the breeze with a blissful look.
Suddenly, Daeun looked at me and held up two fingers.
"Level two!"
"Level two?"
"Yeah, level two!"
At "level two," old memories flashed back, and I sped up my hand.
"Wow, Daddy's level two super cool!"
Hand fan levels. Things Hyorin always did for her.
Never thought I'd be doing it for Daeun.
A sudden curiosity hit me, so I asked.
"But Daeun."
"Yeah, Daddy?"
"Aren't you curious about the end of the story? I didn't say who won."
We'd gotten interrupted mid-story by sudden fireworks and moved spots.
But Daeun didn't seem all that interested in the ending.
"Nope, not curious."
"Oh, not curious?"
"Nope! Daeuni knows. Mommy and Daddy won!"
"Huh? How'd you know?"
She grinned mischievously and dropped a surprise.
"Mommy told Daeuni the rest. So Daeuni knows."
Hyorin told her?
"When?"
Curious when, she beamed at me.
"Mommy said Daddy thought he wanted to live with her forever that day!"
"He thought he wanted to live with her forever?"
"Yeah! And then Mommy won!"
Daeun drew the biggest circle she could with her arms and yelled.
"She was suuuper happy!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Boom!
After hurling the last ball, the student judging announced in a shaky voice.
"Uh... y-you hit all f-five out of five chances. Perfect score."
Hyorin was supposed to throw first originally.
But things shifted, so I went first, then her.
"Whoa! Jackpot!"
I nailed all five, tying the score right there.
"Now if Hyorin lands just one, we win! You got this, Hyorin!"
"Uh... yeah."
For some reason, Hyorin looked insanely tense.
'Shouldn't have let her go second?'
I'd thought giving her a win on one throw was thoughtful, but it might've just stressed her out more.
Luckily, she seemed to psych herself up.
"I can do it. Kanghyeok, I can do this."
She grabbed her five water balloons and headed to the throwing spot.
Park Inseok, already soaked from five hits, looked like a drowned rat—but happy.
'Must've heard something good.'
What was it?
The fireworks burst right then, audible only to them, but clearly something nice.
His blissful face said it all.
Hyorin faced the target and gripped a water balloon.
She hurled it with all her might.
Plop!
It flew straight... then lost power and dropped short.
Good aim, bad force.
'She's way too tense.'
Baseball eye, I guess.
Her shoulder was all tensed up.
That form wouldn't transfer power right—could even strain her shoulder.
I paused the game and went to her.
"Hyorin, hold up."
"Yeah? Why?"
She looked puzzled at the sudden stop, then flinched when I put a hand on her shoulder.
"First, deep breaths, relax your shoulders. Keep your eyes locked on the target the whole time. No looking away."
"Yeah."
"If that doesn't click, do it step by step. Deep breath first."
Not about throwing well.
Just no regrets after.
I wanted to teach her to throw without regrets.
"Deep... breath in."
"Good. Now eyes only on the target. Keep the ball from going anywhere else."
"Eyes on target, ball stays on path."
Her gaze wandered, so I turned her face back with a finger.
"Focus on the target."
"Ah, yeah."
"Then throw when ready."
"Throw."
"Yeah, if it hits, great."
"Hmm... what if it misses?"
I grinned wide at her question.
"Hitting or missing isn't the point. Throwing it is."
Her tense face bloomed like spring cherry blossoms.
Pretty sure I fell for her right then.
That cherry-blossom smile.
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Beep-beep-beep! Beep-beep-beep!
A few mornings later, a blaring alarm finally pried my eyes open.
'Ugh, morning already?'
I rubbed my sticky eyes and grabbed my phone to silence it.
Then.
"Whoa!"
I bolted upright in shock.
"Late! Daeun! We're late! Get up!"
Stayed up too late puzzling with her last night—big mistake.
I shook her shoulder frantically.
"Daeun! Up! Wake up!"
"Yeah, Daddy... Daeuni dizzy."
"Daeun! Art gallery day, remember? We're late!"
Her eyes snapped open at "art gallery."
"Art gawwery right now! Daeuni go see art fwiends!"
Good, she's alert. I checked the time quick.
Destination: a Daegu gallery, Director Go's old friend's exhibition. She stressed a million times not to be late.
Tried to plan ahead, but...
'Too complacent.'
Her cuteness wore me down into extra playtime.
Train to Daegu left at 11.
Now 9:25. Had to hit Seoul Station in 1.5 hours.
Even taxi would eat 30+ minutes...
'We got this...?'
No time to doubt. Just go.
"Daeun! Hurry!"
Breakfast on the move.
Get ready on the fly!
I scooped her still-rolling self and bolted to the bathroom.
"Ah, Daddy! Scary!"
"It's fine! Daddy's got you tight!"
"Ah! Higher! Fun!"
"Yeah."
Bad vibes from the start.
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Ring-ring-ring!
[Passengers to Busan, please proceed to platform 12 for the arriving...]
"Huff, huff."
Pat-pat.
"Daddy okay?"
"Yeah, huff! Just... catch my breath. Fine."
10:59 now.
Made it to the station without missing it.
Three minutes before, tumbling out Seoul Station entrance, thought the sky was falling.
But humans pull superhuman feats in crises, huh.
Not even baseball training had me sprinting like that.
'Heart... should be fine, right?'
Fresh from vegetative state, that speed.
Hyorin would've applauded.
Clunk.
"Let's board."
"Yeah!"
Caught our breath, held Daeun's hand, boarded.
Seats: forward-facing car X, seats 3 and 4.
Picked forward-facing for her motion sickness.
One issue: seats...
"Daddy, our seats..."
"Yeah, only these left."
Late booking meant only forward-reverse facing pairs open.
No way sitting backward if she'd puke...
'No biggie.'
Stowed luggage, put Daeun by the window.
"Better? Good view?"
"Wow! See evewything! Yeah, Daeuni wike!"
I smiled and whispered at her shout.
"Daeun, this is shared space, so quiet voice, okay?"
She nodded, finger to lips, matching the quiet car vibe.
Shh.
Then.
Footsteps.
Someone approached our facing seats.
We saw who...
"Uh..."
A kind-faced grandma and an strikingly handsome... boy sat opposite.
The boy greeted Daeun.
"Hi."
So ordinary.
But Daeun...
'Daeun?'
"H-Hi."
She replied super shyly.