Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Back at the Hotel
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As we returned to the hotel, the sun had already set and the sky had darkened.
Jungeun and I headed back to our rooms to freshen up before meeting again in the hotel lobby on the first floor.
"Daddy, Daeun wants a choccy snack!"
Back to her usual self, she kept acting cute, begging me to let her have a chocolate snack.
"Hmm, we're about to have dinner soon."
"Daeun just one! Daeun can still eat dinner even if she has this! Really!"
When she put it like that, how could I say no?
"Fine, just one."
"Okay!"
With my permission, Daeun peeled open a chocolate snack and popped it straight into her mouth.
She chewed away with the happiest look on her face.
Just then, Jungeun shook out his damp hair with his hand and asked,
"You seem a bit better now."
"Yeah, we talked a little when I went to get the car earlier."
"Looks like it went well, at least."
After something like that, he must have been pretty curious too.
"Yeah. Turns out Daeun had talked with Hyorin, so I didn't have much choice."
"What did they talk about?"
No point hiding it.
"Seemed like Hyorin told her she'd always be by Daeun's side."
"Ah..."
Jungeun's expression turned sympathetic.
He knew it too. This was unavoidable because of Daeun's perfect memory.
"But we talked it out, so it'll be fine."
"If Daeun said something like that, it couldn't have been easy to convince her. What did you say?"
I glanced at Daeun, who was munching her chocolate snack with a blissful smile, and answered Jungeun's question.
"We decided to get famous."
"What?"
"So that whenever Daeun wants, she can always find Daddy. We're gonna get super, super famous."
At the word "famous," Jungeun's face took on a strange look.
Of course. No one knew my style better than him. He knew full well how ridiculous that sounded coming from me.
"You do know what you're saying, right?"
"Of course I do."
"And you said it anyway?"
The last time we visited Ms. Erina's studio, she had asked me first—not Daeun. But I had to turn her down in the end.
All because of the clients who'd bought my paintings.
Jungeun knew that better than anyone, so he couldn't help but be skeptical.
"This doesn't seem like something you can just decide on a whim. Director Go needs to know too, and..."
I knew what he was worried about, but it wasn't something to agonize over right now.
"I know it's not easy. That's why I'm taking it slow."
"You're actually planning to go through with it?"
Too late for that.
"I already promised Daeun."
"Ha..."
No other way around it.
That was the only thing I could do for her at the time.
"You know what Daeun means to me. I'd do anything for her—even give up my career."
"Could cause problems in a lot of places."
"I know."
Jungeun rubbed his forehead, looking thoroughly troubled.
"Whew. I get it's unavoidable, but still... this..."
"Let's drop it for now. We'll talk about it once we're back in Seoul."
Talking more would just give us headaches. And nothing was set in stone yet.
Jungeun let out a long sigh at that.
"Got it. For now, no major worries come to mind, but maybe something'll turn up if we look."
With that, he turned his head away, signaling he was done with the topic.
That's when I spotted Ms. Erina approaching from afar. I smiled and greeted her.
"You're here!"
"Ah! Did everyone have a fun day?"
"Auntie!"
"Daeun! Was it fun today?"
"Yeah! Super duper fun!"
"Oh, hold on!"
Mid-laugh, she pulled something from her pocket and handed it to Daeun.
"Daeun, a gift from Auntie!"
"Huh? What's this?"
It was a delicate little necklace.
Ms. Erina held up the thin chain with a pink heart pendant in the center and looked at me.
"Mind if I put it on Daeun? I got gold just in case of allergies."
"Yes, gold..."
Gold for a child's necklace?
"It's thin and light, so it's not that expensive. But it's a gift for Daeun, so I wanted something nice. I put a lot of thought into it!"
Her words showed just how much care she'd put into choosing it for Daeun—worrying about allergies, burden, everything.
How could I refuse after that?
"Thank you."
"Aw, no need! So, can I put it on her?"
"Yes, and I'm the one who's grateful."
"Daeun! Daddy says yes! Auntie will put the necklace on you!"
Daeun beamed happily at that.
"Okay!"
"Hold still, turn around a sec?"
She gently lifted Daeun's hair and fastened the necklace.
Then she turned her back around to check.
"Wow, it suits you perfectly. I got it thinking it'd look great on you. And the meaning's nice too."
At the mention of "meaning," Jungeun piped up curiously.
"What's the meaning behind the pink heart?"
"Oh, of course there is!"
"Auntie! Tell Daeun! Daeun's curious!"
With everyone interested, Erina smiled shyly and explained.
"Pink hearts have a few meanings, but I loved that it symbolizes friendship."
"Friendship? What's that?"
Erina pointed at Daeun with a finger.
"It means you and Auntie are eternal friends. Cool, right?"
Eternal friends.
Daeun, who was already obsessed with the idea of friends, lit up at "eternal friends."
"Really? Pink heart means friend?"
"Yeah, pink hearts stand for friendship."
"Wow!"
Daeun checked the necklace around her neck.
"Daeun loves the necklace Auntie gave!"
"Really? That makes Auntie so happy."
"Really love it! Thank you, Auntie!"
Daeun couldn't take her eyes off it, clearly thrilled.
Just then.
"Huh? Why's everyone out here?"
"Yeah, what's going on?"
Painter Oh and Director Go, back from fishing, walked into the hotel lobby right on cue.
I blinked and asked,
"Why are you back so soon? No more fishing?"
It was evening now, sun long gone.
Even accounting for travel time, this was way too early.
Painter Oh chuckled at my question.
"Well, we realized you're all heading back to Seoul tomorrow. We'll stay here and fish every day, but for you folks, it's the last day."
He glanced at Director Go with a grin.
"And she said we had to see you off properly."
"When did I say that?"
"Plus, who was it that rushed us because dinner might be late?"
Director Go dodged Painter Oh's gaze.
Either way, they'd come to see us off before we left tomorrow. I smiled and said,
"You timed it perfectly. We're just about to grab dinner."
Director Go's face brightened instantly.
Daeun perked up excitedly.
"Wow! So we all eat together?"
Smiling, I turned to everyone.
"Yeah, dinner together. Last night in Jeju, right?"
Ms. Erina, Jungeun, Painter Oh, Director Go—all smiled happily and chimed in.
"Yeah!"
"Of course!"
"Naturally."
And so our joyful Jeju trip...
"Daeun wants dinner! Hungry!"
...drew to a close.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A week had passed since our Jeju trip.
Honestly, it was just a 2-night, 3-day trip, so I wasn't too worried. But apparently it was tougher than I thought—Daeun and I both crashed as soon as we got home.
Pushing everything else aside, we were painting at home together when my phone rang. It was Jungeun.
-Whatcha doing?
-Painting at home with Daeun.
-Frickin' freelancers have it good. Some of us had to go straight back to work after Jeju, no days off.
I'd been a little worried seeing him get a work call right after we landed, rushing off to the office without a proper hello.
Seemed like he hadn't had a real break since.
-Tough break.
-Eh, I always go looking for suffering.
-True.
-That reaction's kinda meh.
-So why the call?
He smacked his lips a few times before getting businesslike.
-About that promise you made with Daeun. Just checking if you've changed your mind.
That again.
My stance hadn't budged from Jeju. I'd already promised her, so I had to keep it.
-Nope, still the same. Can't break a promise to Daeun.
-Sigh. Figured as much.
He'd predicted I'd say this.
-Knew it, huh? Then why ask?
My question made him smack his lips again.
-To confirm, duh. What if you'd changed your mind midway?
-And that's really all? Just checking?
-Of course not. I just...
His voice sounded reluctant, like he hated bringing it up. But he sighed heavily and got to it.
-Fine. Gotta rip the band-aid off. Got an interview request from a broadcaster a while back.
"A broadcaster?"
-Yep. I've written tons of articles, know a bunch of artists, so they reached out directly. Asked if I knew any artists interested in TV.
Never imagined Jungeun getting a call like that.
"And?"
-What do you mean "and"? Normally I'd say no, but you said you wanna get famous.
He paused, then continued.
-Calling it an interview's polite. Feels more like laying groundwork for casting.
"Casting?"
His explanation piqued my interest.
-Yeah. The guy's prepping a variety show like an art therapy counseling spot for kids. Involves kids and art—totally you. You minored in art psychology, right?
Then, very cautiously, like he hoped I'd refuse:
-Wanna give it a shot?
I knew exactly how he felt, but my mind was made up. No hesitation.
If I was gonna do it anyway.
"Yeah. I'll do it."
No more waffling.