Dad Drank with a Woman?
"OT has to be attended. Some people say you don't have to go, but I think you should."
"But... it's annoying. And Dad hasn't seen you for three days..."
The daughter wore a face that said she didn't want to go to university OT.
But I had to send her.
She was the kind who said she didn't want to be apart from me for even three days.
If I went on a trip for three days, leaving her behind, her dissatisfaction would definitely explode.
To fulfill the wish of my junior colleague Ah-rin from university, I had to send the daughter to university OT.
"You'll regret it a lot if you don't go?"
"How do you know?"
"Because Dad didn't go, I regretted it."
"Eh...?"
Min-ah's face looked slightly surprised.
"Was there OT even in Dad's time?"
I was taken aback.
"How old a person do you think I am to say that?"
"Then there was only OT? Enrollment was done on computer in that generation."
Of course, the computer back then was very different from today's.
I didn't use a dedicated internet line; I used the phone line.
The speed was extremely slow, and it was extremely expensive.
So at that time, it was impossible to use the internet at home normally.
It was correct that enrollment was done on computer.
But now you can apply comfortably from home with internet, whereas back then you had to come to the university computer lab.
Since it was done where the university computer lab's dedicated line was laid... it's quite different from what you think now... but it was correct that it was done on computer.
It wasn't a lie.
"Hehe...? Lie! Back then it was done on paper, right?"
"Dad is also a genuine internet generation. That's too much."
It was exactly right.
I could use the internet back then too.
Of course, it was extremely slow with poor connection, so I used more of the text-based community called PC communication.
"I can't believe it... Dad used the internet in college days... I thought Dad was an analog generation and couldn't do such things."
"I wish you would remember that Dad is also a computer generation."
"Hiiing......"
The daughter seemed to think I was much older generation.
It was like disappointment but not quite, but I was quite shocked too.
The daughter treating me like an old man.
My phone is the latest foldable phone.
Not an old flip phone, but the latest phone with a real folding screen.
I do everything with that phone.
I look up information, check maps, and manage appointment reservations.
Although I'm old, my ability to handle information devices is sufficient, on par with today's generation kids.
But explaining alone has limits in convincing the daughter.
I have to show it directly.
Then she'll definitely believe.
I took out my phone and unfolded it.
When unfolded, it's about tablet size, roughly seven inches.
"Look. Dad uses this. I handle smartphones much better than the daughter, right?"
The daughter flinched when she saw the folding phone.
Normally I don't use my phone in front of the daughter.
I set it to silent.
For the evening time, it's solely for the daughter.
That's why the daughter might not know what my phone is.
"Look. Dad uses this to check maps and make reservations."
I puffed my chest.
"I don't look like an old man who can't handle anything like this, right?"
"Hmm... Why isn't Dad using Orange Phone?"
The daughter suddenly mentioned a different model phone.
"Orange Phone."
A product that uses a different operating system from the one I'm using now.
Orange Phones have amazing compatibility and clean design, gaining absolute popularity among teens.
Of course, I don't use it because it doesn't match my job, but...
"Dad's phone is anyway worse than Orange Phone? Others said that..."
Probably because the daughter's school friends all use Orange Phone, she thinks that way.
"This one is slow in response too... eh?"
Min-ah touched the phone here and there, and her face changed from ignoring to surprised.
"Eh? This one moves smoothly too? My friend's Terminal Phone was super laggy..."
I saw it in the news.
The fact that kids from poor families use the Terminal-based phone that I use.
Since it's a cheap product, it naturally lags more than expensive Orange Phone.
"Terminal Phone also has products with performance similar to Orange Phone at the same price."
"Ah......"
Min-ah looked amazed and touched my phone here and there.
Looking at it, the daughter is really amazing.
Normally kids her age are interested in phones.
But the daughter asked me to buy her an old phone with no functions.
[Students have to study. I can't waste time on such things.]
But I was worried.
I heard that recent notices and school activities are all based on smartphones...
I thought if she uses an old product alone, she might be left out among the kids.
[Eh? I'm not uncomfortable. My phone only does calls and texts... If there's something to deliver, they tell me directly?]
Yeah. That's right.
Min-ah is pretty.
She studies well too.
Such kids form groups around them without needing to join the crowd.
[When I see the kids, they don't study because they're playing with phones. I don't want to be like that.]
That's why the daughter didn't touch a smartphone until high school.
She could have played with mine, but she didn't.
Instead, she studied hard and went to the best university in Korea.
"Let's go to the phone store tomorrow. I'll buy the latest Orange Phone that the daughter wants."
Orange Phone is expensive.
But the daughter has the qualification to have that expensive phone.
"Really?"
"And go to university OT too. That way, many awkward things at the entrance ceremony will disappear."
"Hiiing, it's annoying to go..."
"More than anything, if you don't go to OT... the schedule for the first semester will be messed up, right?"
"Why will it be messed up?"
"At OT, seniors usually teach how to make schedules."
"Ah......"
"How to make a schedule without free periods. And who the professors to avoid... You can only get that info at OT."
Min-ah's expression was finally understanding.
What I mean by saying to attend OT.
Actually, even without attending OT, there won't be problems in interpersonal relationships for someone like Min-ah.
People gather around pretty kids.
But the really important enrollment.
This is the important reason why you must attend OT.
"Dad didn't want to attend OT either. So I didn't participate."
"As expected, Dad was like that too."
"As a result, the first semester was completely messed up."
"Ah......"
"Because there was no info, I ended up taking a really tough professor's class... and got five hours of free periods... it was the worst first semester."
"What to do..."
Min-ah's face changed seriously.
Even though it's past, she seemed to empathize with my first year first semester.
"To avoid that, I have to attend OT, right?"
"I get it...! I'll attend OT, Dad."
Min-ah is a good daughter.
She does as Dad wants.
Same this time.
-DING-
My phone's text sound.
"Eh? Dad got a text."
"Yeah? No one sends texts at this time."
Min-ah was holding the phone, so she saw the text first.
"...Eh?"
The daughter's eyebrows furrowed slightly then relaxed.
"Dad got a text from a person named Baek Ah-rin, teacher."
Min-ah immediately handed the phone to me as if nothing happened.
[Sorry, senior. I passed out at the drinking party.]
[I'll definitely repay the debt I owe you today.]
It seems Ah-rin has woken up from the alcohol.
......
When I saw her text, my heart twisted in a corner.
She had endured a lot of pain and lived until now, and this was the first time she showed her pain to me.
Was it refreshing?
Or more painful?
From her text, it felt a bit more painful.
It was because she felt she had made a big mistake to me, so it was even more intense.
The daughter also said to go to OT and leave her place, so let's go to Jeju as Ah-rin wants at that time.
There, let's vent her pain.
The best I can do as a senior is that.
"Dad, why are you so serious?"
Probably my face became too serious.
"What's up? Who is that person to make your face so serious?"
I should have managed my expression, but the daughter was worried.
At times like this, explanation is most needed.
"Dad, you said there's one more doctor at the hospital, right?"
"Ah... the person who is Dad's junior?"
"Yeah. That's right. I drank one drink with that person today, and got too drunk, so Dad suffered a bit."
"Ah......"
Min-ah nodded as if she understood.
"But I thought the junior who works at Dad's hospital was a man, but it's a woman?"
"Yeah. That's right."
The daughter's face instantly hardened.
"Ah... I thought Dad's junior was a man until now."
Some small unease felt...
"Anyway, nothing happened, right?"
The unease disappeared with Min-ah's laugh.
"Yeah. I sent her home in a taxi."
I lied because of that unease.
"It must have been hard sending the drunk person home, Dad. Later, get her good! She struggled because of you!"
"I get it, daughter."
Min-ah stood up from her seat.
"Aw, I'm sleepy. I'm going to bed now."
"Shall we brush our teeth together?"
"Yeah, Dad!"
Min-ah crossed her arms.
Her plump breasts felt on the arm.
But since the things talked about so far were so ordinary, it didn't stimulate much.
This is normal.
This is family.
Feeling relieved... we went to the bathroom to brush our teeth.