Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: My Daughter is a Genius Painter 081
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Daeun's story took place before Hyorin died—so, about a year and a half ago.
"Daeun! You have to hold Mommy's hand."
"Okay!"
Hyorin, who had been walking ahead, held out her hand, and Daeun quickly came over and grabbed it.
Seeing this, Hyorin beamed and said to Daeun,
"Our Daeun seems to be growing up way too fast. Mommy wishes you could stay a baby forever. You'd be so adorable!"
"Daeun not baby!"
"Yeah, of course you're not a baby. That's not what I mean—I'm just saying I wish you could stay a kid forever. Then you could be with Mommy all the time, right?"
Young Daeun still couldn't quite grasp what that meant.
But Hyorin's smile was enough to make Daeun smile too.
"Shall we go grocery shopping together then, Mommy and Daeun?"
"Okay!"
"Since we're already at the mart, let's buy everything we haven't been able to get because it's too far away."
With that, Hyorin pulled out her phone and checked the list she'd prepared in advance.
"Hmm, we're out of toilet paper, shampoo, oh! And Daeun's diapers too, right."
As she said this, Hyorin began picking out items one by one with Daeun.
Toilet paper, wet wipes, Daeun's diapers, even feminine products—by the time they'd grabbed everything, the cart was already full.
"Whew, I said we'd just pick a few, but we bought too much."
Hyorin paused to calculate the cost, her expression turning a bit troubled as she looked at the daily necessities in the cart. Soon, she removed a few items.
"Hmm, we don't need this right now, and we can get this later from the mart near the house."
After taking some things out of the cart, Hyorin asked Daeun, who was toddling around nearby.
"Daeun, Mommy needs to put these back real quick. Can you ride in the cart? Then Mommy can go fast and come right back."
Taking care of both the cart and Daeun was time-consuming. That's why she'd decided to let Daeun ride in the cart.
That way, at least the time spent watching Daeun would be cut down.
"Cart."
Daeun looked at the cart full of stuff and replied brightly.
"Ride!"
"Yeah, just a sec, Mommy'll put you in."
Whoosh!
Hyorin swiftly lifted Daeun and sat her in the cart's child seat.
"Alright, let's go quick then."
"Okay! Fast!"
At Daeun's cry of "fast," Hyorin grinned widely and pushed the cart.
She dodged people here and there, speeding toward the spot where she'd left the removed items.
Just as she hurried to put them back...
Daeun grabbed Hyorin's sleeve and said,
"Mommy! Don't go!"
"Yeah, Mommy's not going anywhere."
Not wanting to be apart even for a moment, Daeun clung to her mom's arm and wouldn't let go.
Surprised by Daeun's sudden behavior, Hyorin soothed her.
"Mommy's not going far. Just dropping these off right over there."
"But no! Stay with Daeun!"
"Oh dear. No helping it."
In the end, with Daeun being so insistent, Hyorin had no choice but to push the cart all the way to the items.
The mart was already crowded with people. Not even being able to go a few steps ahead right in front of her left Hyorin feeling truly awkward.
Even so, Hyorin didn't get mad once. She kept smiling as she returned every item to its place.
"Whew, that's a chore too."
"Hee, with Mommy."
Hearing that and smiling made a huge grin spread across Hyorin's face.
Like she owned the whole world.
Daeun, beaming brightly, saw Hyorin's expression and smiled back sweetly.
"Daeun wuv Mommy."
"Wow, I love that. Mommy feels so good when you say that. Since we're both happy, how about we get one of those cookies you like, Daeun?"
"Cookie! Choco! Choco!"
"Yeah, yeah, I knew you'd say that. Mommy'll buy you chocolate cookies, Daeun."
"Yay!"
At Hyorin's words, Daeun wriggled around excitedly in the cart.
Seeing this, Hyorin called it...
The Dance of Joy.
"Then let's hit the food aisle and head home."
"Daeun choco!"
"Yeah, we'll get those too."
As Hyorin said this and started pushing toward the food section...
A sound from somewhere caught Daeun's attention.
*Princess, welcome! Let's try on a dress together!*
The words "princess" and "dress" made Daeun's head snap around.
Naturally, Hyorin, walking beside her, couldn't help but look toward the sound too.
*Princess, we're out of time! Hurry and dress me!*
She couldn't tear her eyes away from the toy's urging voice, as if it were talking directly to Daeun.
Even as the cart moved, she stared fixedly in that direction.
Finally, Daeun couldn't hold back and said,
"Mommy, Daeun wanna go there."
"Uh, yeah, where?"
"There, princess sound."
"There?"
Looking toward the sound, she saw a sign that read "Toyland."
The toy aisle.
A place no kid could just pass by.
Swoosh.
But at the sight of that aisle, Hyorin couldn't smile.
No, her bright expression hardened.
"Daeun wanna see there."
Her tone had dropped a bit, but Daeun, whose attention was fully on the toys, didn't notice Hyorin's face.
"Yeah, wanna go. Let Daeun down."
"D-Down?"
"Yeah! Wanna down!"
So stubborn.
It was the most natural reaction and behavior for a child, but Hyorin couldn't help feeling flustered.
But there was no other way. Daeun wanted down.
"O-Okay, then. Mommy'll let you down."
Hyorin lifted Daeun out of the cart.
The moment she did, Daeun took off like a shot toward the toy aisle where the sound was coming from.
"Mommy, big house! Princess dwess!"
What Daeun was looking at was a toy: a big house with several dresses hanging on it.
And the voice kept coming, captivating kids and not letting them look away.
*Princess! Help! Pick a dress and put it on—we have to get to the castle quick!*
"Mommy, Daeun hewp."
Hyorin couldn't help but laugh at Daeun's excited declaration that she had to help the toy.
And... checking the price just in case...
[139,999 won]
Swoosh.
"Y-You want this one?"
Her expression darkened completely.
But Daeun didn't notice Hyorin's face at all.
"Yeah! Daeun want this."
With that, Daeun suddenly spread her arms wide and hugged the box containing the toy house.
She wanted the toy as big as herself and grunted as she tried to load it into the cart.
Watching this, Hyorin seemed to hesitate for a moment.
Swoosh.
Then she knelt down and asked Daeun,
"Daeun, is this toy really something you need? There are lots of other toys besides this. If we're gonna buy something, maybe we should look around a bit more and pick one."
Swoosh.
At Hyorin's words, Daeun shook her head.
"No, want this."
If she were even a year older, Hyorin might have talked it over more with her.
But Daeun was still only four.
Even if you explained it so she could understand the words, she was too young to grasp the meaning behind them.
In the end, Hyorin had to make a choice.
"You really want it?"
Nod! Nod!
Daeun nodded vigorously, and Hyorin sighed as she said,
"Alright. Since Daeun wants it so much, Mommy will buy it for you."
She decided to buy the toy for Daeun.
Daeun lit up with joy and smiled brightly, and seeing that smile, Hyorin could only give a bitter smile in return.
Tap.
Back in the cart, Daeun hugged the big toy box to her chest with a happy smile.
Hyorin looked at her and pushed the cart.
Not toward the food section, but back the way they'd come.
Rustle.
Hyorin started removing a few more items from the cart.
Out went the toilet paper, the shampoo, the three-pack of underwear, and the feminine products.
When she looked at the cart again, only the absolute necessities for Daeun remained.
"Shall we go get your chocolate cookies then, Daeun?"
"Okay."
Daeun had watched all of Hyorin's actions. But she didn't ask her mom a single question.
The cart carrying Daeun passed through the mart. Just minutes ago, it had been filled with laughter.
"......"
Now, it felt so awkward, like it was a different cart altogether.
Daeun peeked at Hyorin's face.
Hyorin gave her a bitter smile.
When they reached the food section, Hyorin picked out one pack of Daeun's favorite chocolate cookies and held it out.
"You like these, right, Daeun?"
"Yeah."
"Shall we get them?"
Nod.
She added the cookies to the much lighter cart.
And... the cart headed back to the first-floor checkout.
They hadn't planned to buy only this.
For some reason, though, nothing else went into the cart after that.
Daeun was curious.
Why did buying the toy not feel fun?
Why had Mommy gone quiet?
Even young Daeun knew one thing for sure.
What had caused this.
"Mommy."
And she instinctively knew how to bring the smiles back.
"Daeun no want this."
"Yeah? What do you mean?"
"Daeun no want pwincess anymore."
"Ah, why suddenly say you don't want it?"
"'Cause Daeun wuv Mommy."
And so, four-year-old Daeun was growing up without even realizing it.
Contrary to Hyorin's wishes.
By the time Daeun finished her story, I couldn't say a word.
No, I could have spoken. But if I said even one more thing here, I felt like I'd burst into tears.
"......"
So I just stared at Daeun for a long while, as she spoke so calmly.
Then her voice broke the silence.
"Mommy was sad."
Daeun said it expressionlessly.
"But Daeun wuv Mommy."
Her lips trembled.
"So Daeun no buy toy."
Lowering her head, Daeun fiddled with her hands.
"But Daeun want toy."
Swoosh.
Then she looked up at me.
Her trembling lips, the eyes looking at me—they were filled with clear tears.
But.
Clench.
Daeun bit her lip and kept talking.
"But if Daeun buy, Mommy keep taking stuff out."
She wasn't too young to not know.
Kids might not think deeply about it, but they sense through intuition what's happening right now.
Daeun was no different.
"Still, Daeun want toy."
Daeun's voice choked up.
"Daeun wanna dwess pwincess."
As she spoke, her big eyes filled completely with tears.
"But Daeun... wuv Mommy."
In the end, with tears pouring out...
"Waaah!"
Daeun became a child again.