The Third Condition
Just before an inexplicable wave of emotion could surge up, Da-hee let out a dramatic huff and put on a sulky expression.
“Still, I can’t just let this slide. If you want to marry Mom, you need my permission first!”
“What would it take for you to give it?”
Yoo-seok pushed the fleeting emotion down for now and asked with a warm, friendly smile. Faced with a smile that would have made most children burst into tears, Da-hee pondered the question with perfect composure.
“Hmm~ First, you have to really know Mom. That way you won’t fight! But I bet it’ll be hard for someone like you, mister.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Our mom sleeps like a princess, lying perfectly straight and going koo~ when she snores. If the bed feels uncomfortable, she can’t fall into a deep sleep. Didn’t you know? And if a huge person like you sleeps next to her, how uncomfortable would that be? What if you toss and turn and accidentally squish her with your body?”
“Mi-seon’s sleeping habits are pretty bad, though…”
“How would you know that, mister!”
Da-hee, who had been proudly listing every detail about “our mom,” suddenly changed and slammed her small fist on the table. Yoo-seok and Mi-seon’s faces flushed bright red.
Da-hee whirled toward Mi-seon with an expression of utter disbelief.
“Mom! Did you sleep with this guy?!”
“D-Da-hee, it’s not like that…”
“You said the spot next to you was mine forever! Liar!”
The expression Mi-seon had seen but failed to register just moments ago surfaced once more. And the emotion that had lingered like an afterimage in Mi-seon’s heart began to churn violently.
Oh Na-yun instinctively seized control of ‘Mi-seon’s’ emotions.
She could not repeat the mistake she had made during the table read. This feeling was not yet ready to be released. But neither could it be extinguished.
‘Because ‘Mi-seon’ doesn’t know—she simply hasn’t realized it yet.’
She had to keep the wave of emotion Su-a had stirred in a calm, steady state. So that it could become a tidal wave at the ending.
It was difficult. But she could do it.
For the first time, Oh Na-yun felt that acting was genuinely fun.
“This won’t do. I’m going to personally evaluate whether you’re qualified to be a dad!”
After filming the shocked reactions of ‘Mi-seon’ and ‘Yoo-seok’ to ‘Da-hee’s’ declaration, the crew moved the set again. This time the background was the kitchen of a family home.
Because it was the scene where ‘Yoo-seok’ cooked at ‘Da-hee’s’ request, the set was already filled with delicious aromas.
Since this was the last of ‘Da-hee’s’ indoor shots, they filmed her part first and decided to shoot ‘Yoo-seok’ cooking later with a stand-in.
Mom examined the side dishes on the table, then flagged down a passing staff member.
“Could you change this sunny-side-up to fully cooked? Su-a breaks out in hives if she eats runny yolks.”
“Ah, I’ll request a replacement right away!”
The staff member hurried off, and I moved to change into my next outfit.
Soon filming began.
“A good dad has to make delicious meals every day!”
Though the judging criteria were extremely subjective, Yoo-seok didn’t argue. He simply tied on an apron.
Luckily, he was quite skilled in the kitchen. His basic side dishes, in particular, were professional level.
The doenjang jjigae bubbled gently, the kimchi fried rice stir-fried in scallion oil made mouths water, and the egg sunny-side-up to top the rice was perfect.
“Want to try a taste?”
Yoo-seok blew on a spoonful of kimchi fried rice to cool it and offered it to Da-hee, who had been hovering nearby and watching. She gave him a quick, haughty glance before accepting the spoon and taking a bite.
When her eyes widened into perfect circles, Yoo-seok grinned.
“It’s dangerous with the fire and knives, so go stand by Mi-seon.”
After feeding her one more spoonful, Yoo-seok sent Da-hee to the table and finished the rest of the cooking.
Beside the kimchi fried rice, there was crunchy napa cabbage kimchi that couldn’t be left out, sweet and chewy soybean sprouts, crisp and refreshing mung bean sprouts, and bulgogi added to make up for the lack of protein.
Mi-seon and Da-hee gasped at the feast spread across the table.
“The table legs are going to break!”
“Looks delicious! …Hot, I mean. It looks edible, I guess.”
Mi-seon and Yoo-seok watched with fond smiles as Da-hee hurriedly corrected herself while swallowing her drool, then pretended not to notice and began the meal.
“Thank you for the food!”
The kimchi fried rice, sprinkled with crushed seaweed and topped with a fried egg, looked incredibly appetizing. Da-hee scooped up a huge bite, stuffed it in her mouth, and chewed vigorously.
“How is it, Da-hee? Tastes good, right?”
“Hmmm…”
Da-hee tilted her head this way and that, savoring the flavor, then swallowed.
“I’ll need to eat more to be sure.”
With that, she began attacking the kimchi fried rice with the determination of a warrior. Mi-seon and Yoo-seok smiled warmly and took turns bringing her more side dishes.
The first condition for being a good dad had been passed with flying colors.
Because we had skipped a proper meal to film the dining scene, everyone was starving. The other actors felt the same, so as soon as filming wrapped, we decided to fill our stomachs with the props already prepared on set.
While the staff carefully cleared the equipment to avoid stirring up dust, we quickly emptied our bowls.
“Su-a, you don’t like eggs? If you’re a picky eater you won’t grow up big and strong like me.”
Kwon Du-il must have grown more comfortable during filming; he pointed it out in his usual booming, serious tone. Even as he spoke, he slid his own plate toward me as if asking for my leftovers. I transferred the sunny-side-up with only the yolk remaining into his rice bowl.
“If I eat runny yolks I get hives.”
“What?! You’re allergic?”
“It’s not a full allergy. My arms and legs just get a little itchy.”
“Still, it’s a good thing you didn’t eat it by mistake earlier. That could’ve been bad.”
Oh Na-yun also examined me with a startled expression. It wasn’t that big a deal.
It was an immune response I’d developed as a child and would likely disappear within a year or two. If I ate them fully cooked, I had no problem at all.
Kwon Du-il poked the yolk I’d given him with his spoon. The undercooked center oozed out thickly.
He grumbled, sounding genuinely upset.
“You should’ve told the adults beforehand. It’s not hard to cook them all the way through. They would’ve fixed it right away.”
It wasn’t hard, which was probably why the busy staff had forgotten. And since it didn’t cause an actual seizure, Mom had mentioned it casually.
If I made a fuss about something like this, people would just say I was showing off. In this industry, it was all too easy to be labeled a child star already suffering from celebrity syndrome.
I’ll casually mention it to the director later, though.
Since it violated the safety management clause I’d added to the contract, a little pressure should prevent it from happening again.
But I couldn’t say any of that out loud, so I let it slide naturally. I offered an awkward smile.
Kwon Du-il and Oh Na-yun understood immediately.
“You already told them?!”
“And they still brought out runny eggs?”
“Everyone’s really busy. In the end I didn’t eat it, so it’s fine.”
“Fine? How is that fine! You have to be extra careful with food. Want me to talk to the director?”
I agreed with the sentiment, but I turned her down again. The treatment you received on set ultimately depended on your name value. Or how well your agency looked after you.
Oh Na-yun stepping in now would only be a temporary fix. I soothed the visibly more upset Oh Na-yun and finished my meal.
Kwon Du-il watched me with a serious expression, lost in thought. He was the last among us to finish eating.
“Second condition for being a good dad!”
“There’s a second one…?”
Pretending not to hear Mi-seon’s question, Da-hee declared confidently.
“A good dad has to play energetically with his kids!”
And so the three of them headed to the playground.
“Is the playground enough? If you want to play really hard, wouldn’t an amusement park be better?”
“We can’t go there often. A playground we can visit anytime is better.”
Instead of mentioning the real reason (production budget) that couldn’t be said on air, Da-hee gave a clear, logical answer and then dashed off with a patter of feet. Her small steps bounced cheerfully across the urethane-padded ground instead of sand.
Yoo-seok and Mi-seon half-ran after her. When Da-hee immediately tried to climb the jungle gym, Mi-seon stopped her.
“Let’s start with the swings! The jungle gym is too high and scary, right? Okay?”
Da-hee stared quietly at Mi-seon’s urgent face for a moment, then nodded.
The swings, the seesaw, the spring rider—nothing special, but Da-hee was incredibly excited, and Yoo-seok played along even though he was sweating buckets.
Mi-seon, the first to tap out from the child’s endless stamina, sat on a bench and watched them.
Seeing the two of them having so much fun, she thought the second condition would pass without a hitch.
That was when it happened.
“Mister, stand right here.”
Da-hee positioned Yoo-seok at the bottom of the slide, then scampered up the ladder. But she didn’t stop there. She began climbing the support structure that held up the slide.
The faces of Yoo-seok and Mi-seon, who had not taken their eyes off the child for a second, hardened.
“Third condition for being a good dad! A good dad must always protect his family and keep them safe!”
“Da-hee, no!! Come down right now!”
“It’s dangerous, Da-hee!”
“Catch me!”
Perched precariously at the very top of the slide structure, Da-hee waved her hands with a dangerous grin.