A Giant Carrot in My Dreams
Today, Seona's Restaurant was bustling.
It wasn't usually this busy, but with a special dinner to prepare, Jungwoo found himself moving with more purpose than usual.
He had decided to make enough food for ten people, which meant gathering a considerable amount of ingredients.
“Seia–”
Though he had woken up a little earlier than usual, the extra preparations meant it was also time to wake Seia a bit sooner.
She must have been deep in dreamland; her fingers were still tucked in her mouth with a soft sucking sound before her eyes slowly fluttered open.
“It's time to get up.”
“Mmm….”
Children really were fascinating.
When they played, you wondered where they got all that endless energy, yet when they fell asleep, it seemed like they could stay that way forever.
“Hic… Daddy….”
“What is it? What's wrong? Does something hurt?”
But the moment Seia woke up, she began to whimper.
Her big round eyes grew watery, looking as if tears might spill over any second.
Jungwoo gazed at her with concern, wondering if she was sick, when she suddenly burrowed into his arms.
“Someone… someone was chasing me…!”
So that's why she was crying. It seemed the thriller movie she'd watched yesterday had followed her into her dreams.
Seia had buried her face deep in his chest, but she didn't seem satisfied with just that.
“It's okay. Daddy's right here.”
In a way, it was good that she had crawled into his arms.
Otherwise, she might have seen the smile he couldn't quite suppress.
Seia still hadn't fully shaken off the nightmare, but being held by her father helped her calm down considerably.
“So, what exactly was chasing you?”
“A carrot…!”
“Hmm? A carrot?”
Was it the carrot he was thinking of?
Of course. There wasn't any other kind.
The orange kind.
The one rabbits loved.
“Did you not like the carrot, Seia?”
“It's not that I don't like it… but it was too big.”
Seia wasn't usually a picky eater.
She ate almost everything Jungwoo made for her.
Still, there were a few things she disliked.
Bell peppers, for one.
She didn't care for that slight crunch, that particular texture.
That was why she wasn't fond of chili peppers either.
Carrots fell somewhere in the middle—she neither loved nor hated them—but imagining a giant carrot chasing after her probably wasn't a pleasant thought.
“Was the carrot just chasing you?”
At Jungwoo's question, Seia nodded vigorously.
When she pulled her head slightly out of his embrace, the corners of her eyes were already damp.
He stroked her hair a few times, murmuring that everything was fine, and soon she seemed to recover her spirits.
Once Seia had perked up again, Jungwoo finished helping her get ready, and the father and daughter headed out together using the slide.
Thanks to that slide, he actually looked forward to the commute.
Jungwoo wasn't great with scary things, but this slide was just tame enough for him to enjoy.
The first thing Seia said upon arriving at the restaurant was:
“Daddy.”
“Yes, Seia?”
“Today's the menu!”
She must have been itching to write; she already had a pen in her hand, probably found somewhere.
“Haha. You don't have to do it today, Seia.”
“Why not?”
“Well….”
How should he explain this?
If he wasn't careful, he'd ruin the surprise party planned for that evening.
He thought for a moment, but nothing suitable came to mind.
“…Just because?”
“Just because?”
Seia tilted her head, but thankfully, she didn't press further.
Still, he had decided on the menu.
He'd debated it for a while, but since it was Seia's birthday, he resolved to focus purely on flavor without overthinking anything else.
“Alright, shall we head to the market?”
Come to think of it, he seemed to go to the market every day.
He had no complaints about visiting the market itself.
The issue was having to go outside.
The reason Seona's Restaurant was the best place in the world for Jungwoo was that he could stay with Seia while remaining safe.
If a real accident happened, that safety would be meaningless, but being able to stay by her side was what mattered most.
The walk to the market wasn't far, but Jungwoo reminded himself not to let his guard down even for that short distance.
In all his years of living, there had rarely been a situation where it was truly safe to relax.
Letting your guard down often led straight to carelessness.
This was the kind of world they lived in now.
It wasn't that Jungwoo was overly paranoid.
Several of his friends had been involved in accidents while simply stepping out to the convenience store near their homes or running a quick errand.
That was why the term “safety complacency” existed.
Once you grew numb to the risks, there was no going back—unless something drastic happened to wake you up.
“I should ask if it's okay.”
Holding Seia's hand tightly, they arrived at the market.
Watching the lively energy of the vendors made him glad they had come in the morning.
It felt like the place gave him strength.
“Hello, ma'am.”
“Hellooo, ma'am!”
“…Yes.”
The elderly vendor flinched slightly at Seia's cheerful “ma'am,” then quickly turned away and began fiddling with some innocent-looking fruits and vegetables.
“I'd like to buy some daikon radishes today.”
“They're over there. Help yourself.”
“Ah, and by any chance… do you offer delivery?”
“What? Delivery?”
At the word “delivery,” the old woman's gaze shifted sharply to Jungwoo.
“Are you asking this old lady who's barely got any strength left to deliver for you?”
“No, not at all. I was just wondering if you had any staff who handled deliveries.”
“Tsk. Young people these days only want the easy way out. Why? How far is it from that restaurant of yours to this market, anyway?”
Jungwoo had looked flustered at first, but his expression hardened at her words.
“…I had two friends. They were both very close to me.”
“What's this all of a sudden?”
“One of them got into an accident just stepping out to the convenience store near his house. The other was on his way to a nearby place when it happened too.”
“What do you want me to do about…”
The vendor stared at him with a bewildered expression, starting to speak before falling silent.
She understood exactly what he was getting at.
It was about Seia.
Just because something had a low chance of happening didn't mean it couldn't happen.
“D-Daddy…”
Jungwoo's hardened face and tone.
It was a side of her father Seia had never seen before.
Even so, she wasn't afraid of him.
She didn't quite understand what he and the old woman had been talking about, but she didn't think the grandmother had done anything wrong either.
Since she didn't know the details, all Seia could do was hope her dad wasn't angry.
“…Yes. What is it, Seia?”
He felt her small hand tugging at his pant leg.
Jungwoo lifted her up into his arms.
“…I'm sorry. I'll just take the radishes and go.”
“It's fine.”
“Pardon?”
“I said it's fine. Around here. This neighborhood.”
“What do you…”
“What you're worried about won't happen here, so there's no need to stress over it.”
She spoke casually, but Jungwoo understood.
She was certain this area was safe.
He didn't know why, but the old woman was absolutely sure of it.
“Besides, staying inside all the time isn't necessarily better.”
“Yes, that's true.”
“Last time, even in the city…”
The old woman started to mention the city but suddenly closed her mouth.
“Sorry?”
“Never mind. Off you go.”
“Ah, yes. Understood. I'll pick up the radishes on my way out later. There's quite a lot of them.”
“…Alright.”
The vendor clearly knew why there was so much, but she didn't say anything more.
Still, he was sure he'd heard her mention the city.
Was it just his imagination?
As his thoughts deepened on the matter, Seia's voice came from his arms.
“Daddy.”
“Yes?”
“Are you mad?”
“No. Daddy wasn't angry. I was just being serious.”
“Ser…ious?”
“Mm… it means I got very focused. That's what it means.”
She didn't seem to fully grasp the word “serious” yet, but since he said he wasn't angry, that was enough for her.
Daddy never lied to her, after all.
“Come on, shall we head to the next shop?”
“Okay!”
The next stop was the butcher shop.
Given the occasion, he intended to prepare everything thoroughly.
He set Seia down from his arms, took her hand firmly, and stepped inside.
“Welcome.”
“Hello. I'd like ten chickens, please.”
“Ten of them?”
“Yes, ten. Oh, and could you cut them into pieces for me?”
“Of course. Just a moment, please.”
The menu Jungwoo had planned for today was homemade fried chicken.
Since it was for the evening, if he bought them now and brined them, they would turn out delicious.
“Daddy, Daddy.”
“Yes?”
“What are you making?”
Seia was asking a question, but it looked like she had already guessed the answer.
She hadn't even heard what it was yet, but her eyes were sparkling.
“Hehe. Our Seia, it seems like you already have something in mind?”
“Heehee. You caught me.”
Who knew the word “caught” could sound so adorable.
So what exactly was the dish Seia wanted?
“What does Seia like?”
“Chicken!”
“Correct!”
As far as Jungwoo remembered, the number of times Seia had eaten chicken could be counted on one hand.
The taste was proven, of course, but it wasn't the kind of food you ordered often.
Above all, it wasn't exactly cheap.
So it was something they had only on special occasions.
And he had never made it for her himself.
“Chicken, chicken!”
“Haha. You like it that much?”
“Chicken is so yummy.”
Seia usually preferred her father's cooking over most delivery food, but chicken was a slight exception to that rule.
It might sting a little, but even Jungwoo had to admit that nothing could beat freshly fried chicken when it was hot and crispy.
Today he was making chicken to celebrate Seia's birthday, but he also planned to use it as an opportunity to firmly establish his superiority in the kitchen hierarchy.
Chicken was delicious, but his homemade version would be even better.
“Here you go. Are you having some kind of feast today?”
“Mm… you could say that. A very special one.”
Jungwoo answered with a smile and returned with Seia to the market entrance.
He was gathering the radishes he'd bought earlier when the old vendor called out to him.
“In all the years since this market opened, there hasn't been a single accident here, so come without worry. Understand?”
“Yes. I will.”
She had already told him earlier, but the fact that she was repeating it meant it must have weighed on her mind.
Jungwoo smiled back, realizing his earlier expression had probably looked quite stiff, and left the market.
On the way back to the restaurant, he carefully shielded the entrance sign with his body so Seia wouldn't see it.
She still had no idea.
She knew it was her birthday, but she didn't know what was going to happen.
I hope a lot of people come.
There was no one specific he could call, so all he could do was pray.
He had wanted to invite the people from the market, but there were simply too many of them, and with Seia right beside him, it had been hard to bring it up.
“Alright, our Seia. Let's do our best today too.”
“Daddy, you do your best too!”
Today was starting with even more energy.
He hoped that by evening, the smile on Seia's face would be even brighter than the one she wore now.