Chapter 94
Chapter 94
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: Aquarium Adventure
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When I met Jungeun again, he had driven Painter Oh's car over.
"Man, you're something else. How did you even think to bring a car?"
"You want me to take buses around Jeju Island?"
"No, that won't do."
I had taken the bus all the way to Saryeoni Forest Path, so that's why I asked, but Jungeun just shook his head at my words.
"You really have to admire that laid-back personality of yours."
"Why?"
"Time is money for working stiffs, you know. Even if it costs a bit, you gotta rent a car no matter what. As if a self-employed guy like you would understand."
Then Jungeun gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands and continued.
"So quit yapping and just follow me."
That reminded me of something I'd been wondering since I got in the car.
"But where are we going?"
"I said quit yapping and follow. Always asking questions."
"You've got a spot picked out already?"
"Of course! This is a trip with Daeun! There's a place I've always wanted to go to with her since coming to Jeju!"
Then Jungeun glanced back at Daeun in the backseat and said.
"Right, Daeun?"
But even Daeun didn't know the exact destination.
No matter what, she couldn't just answer without knowing where they were going.
"But Uncle! Where are we going?"
At Daeun's question, Jungeun answered right away.
"Yeah, we're going to see fishies."
Yeah, fishies?
"Daeuni saw fishies yesterday!"
"No, yesterday's were just fish we caught. We're going to see some really pretty fishies."
"Pretty fishies?"
Then Jungeun asked Daeun with a mischievous grin.
"Daeun, do you like sharks by any chance?"
At the word shark, Daeun looked pretty startled.
"Sha... rk?"
"Yeah, sharks."
"Those with the super scary teeth..."
"Yeah, that's a shark too, but there are some weird-looking ones, and at the place we're going, you can see lots of different fish."
"Where is that?"
If it was a place with pretty fish and sharks, there was only one spot that fit.
"The place we're heading to right now is the aquarium."
That's right. The place Jungeun wanted to go with Daeun was the aquarium.
But what Daeun said next surprised not just Jungeun, but me too.
"Daeuni went with Mommy! Aqua... wium!"
She'd gone to the aquarium with Hyorin?
First time I'd heard about it.
When we arrived at the aquarium, the first thing we saw was a massive crowd of people.
"Wow, why are there so many people here?"
There were way too many people.
And the grounds were insanely huge, beyond anything I could've imagined.
At my reaction, Jungeun smirked and said.
"This place is super famous. Tons of fish, sea lions, giant manta rays. All kinds of species live here."
Hearing that, Daeun, who was listening beside us, lit up.
"Daeuni penguins! Wanna see penguins!"
"Oh! Daeun really knows her stuff. There's a penguin tank here, probably the most popular spot."
"Wow! Penguins later! Daeuni wanna see penguins so bad!"
"Got it. We can see them right away once we enter the penguin tank anyway, so let's head there first!"
"Yeah!"
Daeun was so excited she could barely contain herself.
"Then Uncle will go grab the tickets real quick. You and Daddy wait here."
"Yeah, Uncle! Uncle's the best!"
At Daeun calling him the best uncle, Jungeun covered his mouth, overwhelmed with emotion.
"Thanks, Daeun. You're the best to Uncle too! Uncle'll be right back!"
With that, Jungeun hurried off to the ticket booth.
In the meantime, I asked Daeun, who was fidgeting and looking all around.
"Daeun, have you been to the aquarium with Mommy before?"
"Yeah!"
"When? When did you go with Mommy?"
"Hmm, long time ago. When Daeuni was wittle."
If it was when Daeun was little, it must've been before Hyorin moved out—back when we lived in our old house.
Since Daeun remembers almost everything from when she was little, I could ask her.
"Was it fun back then?"
"Yeah! Daeuni saw so many big fishies!"
"And Mommy? Did Mommy like it?"
"Yeah! Mommy told Daeuni! Daddy's favorite fishies! Mommy's favorite fishies too."
Hearing that, I suddenly felt relieved.
'So they did go out and have fun sometimes.'
A sigh of relief escaped me naturally.
There was no need for the whole family to be miserable just because I was laid up in bed.
In fact, Hyorin had done her absolute best, and even if I never woke up, the rest of the family didn't have to be unhappy.
Besides, it wasn't the family's fault that I hadn't woken up.
And if anyone was to blame, it should be me, not them.
If it weren't for me, Hyorin and Daeun wouldn't have had to live so miserably.
"Mommy smiled too."
Whoosh.
At my question about whether Mommy smiled, Daeun looked at me and broke into a big grin.
"Yeah, like this, mouth goes up, super super super happy!"
Even with her limited skills, Daeun was trying hard to mimic Hyorin's smile.
It was endearing, and I couldn't help but picture Hyorin's smile.
Maybe that's why.
Smile.
"Then the aquarium must be a happy place for Daeun."
I kept trying to see Hyorin through Daeun.
"Yeah!"
Right as my heart eased a bit at Daeun's enthusiastic reply.
"D-Daeun!"
Jungeun, who'd gone for tickets, came rushing back.
'Huh?'
Totally out of breath and frantic.
"D-Daeun! We gotta hurry!"
"What do you mean all of a sudden? Hurry why?"
Just as I wondered what could possibly make him say we had to hurry.
Jungeun held up the pamphlet he'd gotten with the tickets and said.
"Show starts in 10 minutes."
"Yeah, a show?"
"Yeah! Miss this time slot and we wait three hours for the next one, so we gotta go now. And this show's super exciting—who do you think comes out?"
At his question, Daeun blinked and asked.
"Who comes out?"
"Sea lions and dolphins, right away!"
At that, Daeun's eyes changed. She grabbed Jungeun's and my hands without looking back and pulled.
Squeeze!
"No dawdlin'! Daeuni gonna see sea lions and dolphins!"
Ten minutes left until the show.
Whoosh.
I immediately turned my back to Daeun and crouched.
"Daeun, hop on! We'll dash straight to the show."
At my words, Daeun climbed on my back right away and stretched her arms forward.
"Daddy, go!"
We absolutely couldn't be late for the show.
I had to show Daeun the sea lions and dolphins.
So I did.
"Hold on tight."
Thud!
And started sprinting toward the show venue.
I ran so fast my eyebrows were fluttering.
Even so, the path was so long that we barely made it to the venue on time without being late.
Murmur murmur.
A ton of people were already seated for the show.
We wanted front-row seats, but there wasn't even standing room up front, so we had no choice but to watch from the very back.
"Ah, no seats."
Jungeun kept scanning around for spots too, but with the show starting any second, it'd be weirder if there were seats.
But Daeun didn't care about that at all.
"Daeuni fine! Daeuni legs strong, can stand and watch!"
For Daeun, just being able to see the show seemed enough.
Pa-ba-bang!
Then upbeat music filled the venue, and people who looked like performers came running out laughing and started dancing.
Daeun clapped at the sight.
"Daddy! Dancin'! They're dancin'!"
"Yeah, they are."
Like the parade folks at an amusement park, they danced all over the stage.
The song was so catchy, my shoulders were bouncing on their own.
Then the dancers climbed onto something high up, pulling off dizzying stunts just watching.
"Wow! People flyin' around!"
It was true.
Just like Daeun said, maybe they had wings—as they performed tricks, they got up on circular structures hanging from the ceiling.
Insanely high up.
The people standing at that hair-raising height looked down and egged on the crowd to clap.
Bam! Bam!
The upbeat tune shifted to tense music, and soon the earlier dancers were clapping at head height, urging everyone to join.
Daeun clapped along.
Clap! Clap!
"Daddy clap too! Uncle too!"
"Uh, uh. Got it."
At Daeun's sudden command, I started clapping awkwardly, and Jungeun followed without a word since it was Daeun asking.
How long did we clap like that?
Doo-doo-doo-!
The music built to a crescendo.
Whoosh-!
And the ones hanging from the ceiling jumped toward the water below.
Splash!
"Wow! They divin'!"
Daeun was so amazed she kept clapping nonstop, and Jungeun and I smiled at her reaction.
Then Jungeun sidled up and whispered.
"Worth coming, right?"
Nod.
"Yeah, the best."
I gave a thumbs-up in total praise, and Jungeun's shoulders were already up to his ears.
"Just wait a bit more. You'll thank me even more then."
"Why?"
At my question, Jungeun nodded toward the front.
And that's when I got what he meant.
–And now, next up is sea lion Yeongchan's performance.
Daeun, who'd been glued to the front, grabbed my clothes in excitement.
"Daddy! There! There! Yeongchan comin' out!"
The sea lion called Yeongchan, as soon as he appeared, swam a big lap around the venue tank like he was greeting the crowd who'd come to see him.
Then at the trainer's command, he climbed onto the front platform and ate the food the trainer handed him.
Daeun must've found it amazing.
"Daddy, Yeongchan super smart! Understands people words!"
It was plenty amazing.
Even adults were watching in wonder.
For a little kid like Daeun, it had to feel even more magical.
Smile.
I chuckled and said.
"Yeah, Daddy's seeing it for the first time too. Pretty amazing."
Then Jungeun beside me explained in more detail.
"Sea lions are super smart animals by nature. They say it's like a 5- or 6-year-old kid's intelligence. They can totally understand and follow simple commands."
At that, Daeun's eyes went wide.
"Daeuni six already though."
Kids always compared everything to themselves. Daeun was no different.
At her question, Jungeun grinned mischievously.
"So doesn't that make the sea lion smarter than Daeun?"
A sea lion smarter than her?
I figured she'd argue back right away, but Daeun had a surprisingly different reaction.
"No way... Daeuni smarter... For real!"
"You really really think that about yourself, Daeun?"
I had to cover my mouth at Daeun's follow-up answer.
"Daeuni knows 1 plus 1!"
"What is it?"
"2!"
"Then what's 2 plus 2?"
!!
Daeun's eyes shook wildly.