Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: Piggyback to Penguins
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The show ended, and people poured out in droves. Amid the crowd, I gripped Daeun's hand tightly.
"Daeun-ah, was it fun?"
"Yeah! Super fun!"
Just then, Jungeun grinned mischievously.
"The dolphins were amazing, huh? Seemed pretty smart."
At his question, Daeun glanced away and gave an awkward smile.
"Hehe, Daddy! Daeun wants to go see the penguins!"
I couldn't tell if she hadn't heard him or was just ignoring it. But every little thing she did felt unbearably cute.
Her refusal to admit the animals were smarter than her was just too adorable.
'Well, a good memory doesn't mean you're good at math.'
I'd forgotten because of her eidetic memory, but she hadn't learned math yet, so of course she couldn't do it.
She was only five, after all.
'Still, it's about time to start her studies.'
If she were in daycare or kindergarten, I wouldn't have to worry about the basics.
Places like that cover things like Hangul and fundamental learning.
But Daeun's grasp of those basics was practically zero.
And no one at home was teaching her.
'If it comes to it, I'll have to teach her myself.'
I wasn't much for academics, but I could handle the very basics.
For Daeun's sake, I'd learn whatever I needed to.
"Alright, let's go see the penguins."
I smiled and answered her request. Jungeun beamed and chimed in.
"The penguin tank isn't far from here. Follow your uncle, and we'll be there in no time."
"Yeah!"
I knelt down in front of Daeun, who nodded vigorously, and gave her a warning just in case.
"Daeun-ah."
"Yeah, Daddy."
"Having fun is important, but take a look around."
She swept her gaze across the aquarium interior.
The vast space teemed with crowds.
"See how many people there are?"
"Yeah, lots."
"Right. So with all these people, you have to hold Daddy's hand the whole time. Otherwise, you might get lost."
She was still so young.
The thought of Daeun getting lost in a place this packed sent chills down my spine.
I gripped her hand even tighter and asked again.
"And if—just in case, a million to one—you do get lost, remember the phone number Daddy told you?"
"Yeah! 010! XXXX-XXXX, right?"
Nod!
"Good girl. And Daddy's name is?"
"Kanghyeok Lee!"
"Where do we live?"
"Seoul...!"
Her eidetic memory shone in moments like this.
Even if she got lost, her recall would lead her straight back to me.
But this was only for the absolute worst-case scenario. I had no intention of losing her.
I squeezed her hand.
"Don't let go of Daddy's hand."
"Yeah!"
"Daddy won't let go of yours either."
Her face lit up in a huge smile.
She spun around, still holding my hand, and shouted.
"Daddy! Daeun wants to see the penguins!"
I grinned.
"Alright, let's go."
And so we pushed through the throngs of people toward the penguin tank.
When we first arrived at the aquarium, Jungeun had mentioned it.
He said the penguin tank was one of the most popular spots.
It proved true—the area was packed to the gills.
Daeun strained on her tiptoes amid the crush.
"Daeun wants to see! Penguins! Daeun can't see the penguins!"
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't peer inside the tank.
It wasn't just the crowd; the wall of adults was too tall for her little tippy-toes to overcome.
So I asked her.
"Daeun-ah, want Daddy to give you a piggyback ride?"
She blinked at the word.
"What's that?"
She didn't know piggyback rides?
Well, Hyorin probably never gave her any.
Realizing that, I quickly pointed ahead.
"That's a piggyback."
We weren't the only ones. Other kids her age wanted to see too but couldn't, so the dads hanging back had no choice but to hoist their little ones up.
"You climb on Daddy's neck."
"Yeah, then you'd see the penguins great. What do you say? Piggyback ride?"
She pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"Uh-huh, Daeun wants to."
I'd figured she'd say yes, but her reaction wasn't quite what I expected.
'Maybe she's scared?'
Her expression suggested the piggyback itself frightened her.
The height probably terrified her. But I'd hold on tight, and as long as she gripped my face, she wouldn't fall.
And even if she did somehow slip, I'd never let her go.
"Alright, up you go."
"Uh-huh! Hold tight! Don't drop me!"
"Got it. Just trust Daddy."
As I said that, I grabbed her under the arms and hoisted her up... or tried to.
"Daddyyy!"
She called out urgently.
"Yeah? What's wrong?"
I froze mid-lift in an awkward pose, and she pleaded again, still worried.
"Hold tight! Daeun's scared!"
Her face was a whirlwind of emotions.
She wanted to see the penguins, but the piggyback scared her. She trusted me, but the thought of falling terrified her.
That must be what a mix of conflicting feelings looked like.
I looked at her and said.
"Daeun-ah."
"Yeah."
"Trust Daddy. I won't let you go, no matter what."
Never.
I wondered if my resolve reached her.
One emotion surfaced clearly on her face. I didn't need to ask what it was.
It was trust.
"Yeah, got it."
With her trust confirmed, I...
Heave!
Scooped her up and settled her on my neck.
She tensed at first, but then her eyes widened at the sight before her.
With the clear view from up high, she could see the penguins waddling around far across the tank.
Their jumps and dives into the water were utterly adorable.
"Daddy! Penguins! Daeun sees the penguins! Daeun's so happy!"
"Good view?"
"Yeah! Daddy's the best!"
Lost in the penguins, she'd forgotten her fear entirely. Eventually, she hugged my face tight.
Squeeze!
"Daddy's the best!"
I wanted to tell her the same, but she was too excited watching the penguins to hear.
Instead, I held her clinging hands and thought it for her.
[Daddy thinks Daeun's the best too.]
"No need to see more?"
"Yeah! Daeun saw them all!"
The crowd was thinning as we edged forward, but suddenly Daeun declared she was done.
Even when I said we could get closer if we waited just a bit longer, she wouldn't budge.
"Daeun-ah! Water here!"
Just then, Jungeun returned from buying water after she said she was thirsty.
'Errands are fine if they're for Daeun, huh?'
He was nothing if not consistent.
He hurried over, twisted open a 500ml bottle of mineral water, and handed it to her.
"Here."
"Thanks, Uncle!"
Her smile was enough for him; he nodded eagerly.
"If you want anything else, just say, okay?"
"Yeah!"
She gulped it down.
Thirsty as she was, she drank for a good while before letting out a satisfied sigh.
"Ahh!"
Even her "ahh" was cute.
How could kids make everything they do so endearing?
"Daddy, drink too!"
Her heart was pure angel.
"Daddy drink."
"Yeah! Super refreshing!"
"Got it."
I took the bottle at her urging and drank.
Gulp!
"Ahh!"
"See, Daddy? Refreshing!"
Kids want to share everything, so I smiled and indulged her.
"Yeah, this hits the spot. Feels like it clears out your chest."
Her eyes trembled at that.
"D-Daddy... hole in your chest?"
"No, not like that. It just feels that refreshing, like it could punch a hole through."
"Refreshing means hole?"
Hmm... How to explain this?
It was like saying something's cool after a hot bath—hard to put into words simply.
Jungeun stepped in to help.
"Uh, okay, think of it like this. Daeun-ah, remember when you were super curious about something?"
"Curious?"
"Yeah, like your chest felt all tight and stuff because you wanted to know so bad."
She thought for a second, then nodded.
"Yeah, that happened."
"Then what if someone tells you the answer?"
"Who tells?"
"Someone might tell you, or you figure it out. Anyway, how's it feel when the curiosity's gone?"
Her face brightened instantly.
"Super refreshing!"
"Right? Like your tight chest just opens right up."
"Oh! Exactly! That's the feeling!"
Hey, being a journalist paid off—he explained it well.
"Now you get what Daddy meant?"
"Yeah! Daeun gets it now! Knows what 'chest opening up' means!"
She snatched the bottle back and chugged more.
Then, moments later.
"Ahh! Refreshing! Chest opened up!"
It sounded a bit scary without the full phrase, but she was cute, so it passed.
Watching her, a sudden curiosity struck me.
'But... did that ever happen to Daeun?'
The scenario Jungeun used as an example.
Nothing like that since we met, so it must've been with Hyorin.
She would've been even younger then. Would something have bugged her that much?
I asked on impulse.
"But Daeun-ah."
"Yeah, Daddy!"
"When Uncle was explaining earlier."
"The chest opening?"
Well, that was a tad morbid.
But the meaning got across.
"Yeah, he asked about when you were curious."
"Yeah! Daeun felt super refreshed after learning!"
"What was so curious back then?"
"What Daeun was curious about."
"Yeah, can you tell me?"
She nodded casually.
"Yeah! Daeun was super-duper curious!"
Right at that moment, when I wondered what it was.
"When Daeun only had Mommy! But Mommy told me, so super refreshed!"
'Oh...'
I bit my lower lip at her words.