Rainy Day Sketches
Today's menu had to be extended to lunchboxes out of necessity.
Since someone was coming about that very matter, it made sense to keep things this way.
“Daddy.”
“Yes, Seia?”
“It's raining.”
Seia's voice as she announced the rain wasn't particularly bright.
Neither Jungwoo nor Seia particularly liked rainy days.
Jungwoo simply found them damp and gloomy. Seia, on the other hand, disliked them because she thought the sky looked sad when it rained.
His late wife had felt the same. She hadn't cared much for rainy days either, though she did enjoy staying indoors during them. She used to say that watching the rain through the window made her strangely emotional.
Today feels different.
Ever since Seia had come into his life, he hadn't really had the chance to watch the rain properly from home. Their old semi-basement apartment meant that rain wasn't something to appreciate—it was something to worry about, constantly checking for leaks.
Until now, rain had been nothing but an unwelcome guest. An intruder who showed up even when there was no party to crash.
But the rain he saw today felt entirely different.
Instead of the tiny, leaky window that offered almost no view, he had a massive window that looked out onto the world. Just rain falling, yet the scenery unfolding before him was completely unlike anything he'd seen from the restaurant before.
It wasn't pouring heavily, nor was it a light drizzle. The way raindrops splattered against the ground and the way they struck the window created entirely different patterns, each with its own unique charm.
Since the menu hadn't changed, there was no need to visit the market. Besides, fewer customers tended to come on rainy days. The ingredients he had left would easily carry them through the day.
Perhaps that was why he felt more relaxed than usual, and that sense of ease seemed tied to the rain itself.
Maybe that was the reason the rain—which he had never particularly liked—felt almost pleasant today.
As if proving they were truly father and daughter, Jungwoo and Seia sat side by side in silent agreement, mesmerized by the view outside the window. They sat at the table Seia loved most, the one she recommended to customers more than any other.
“Brr. Cold.”
“Are you cold?”
“Yeah… I'm cold.”
“Come here.”
As if she'd been waiting for those exact words, Seia darted into Jungwoo's arms.
It was the warmest, most comfortable place in the world.
He wrapped his arms around her completely to keep her warm and stared at the raindrops pattering against the window. The sight was almost hypnotic.
He knew he should be worried about the lack of customers, yet strangely, he wasn't concerned at all. Spending time like this, lost in thought, didn't feel like a waste.
Just then, his phone vibrated.
He received more calls these days than before, but they were still infrequent. This one was probably from the person Park Geon-su had mentioned—the one handling the lunchbox containers.
“Hello?”
He kept one arm firmly around Seia while answering with the other.
“Yes, hello. This is Lee Jungwoo from Seona's Restaurant.”
“I understand you've already been informed about today's visit.”
“Yes, that's correct.”
“Would one hour from now be convenient?”
“One hour?”
It was exactly eleven o'clock. One hour from now would be noon. Did that mean they planned to have lunch at the restaurant as well?
Good thing I prepared in advance.
“Yes. If it's inconvenient, we can adjust the schedule. However, other appointments have already been arranged…”
“No, it's fine. Twelve o'clock works perfectly.”
“Then we'll see you then.”
It felt oddly like he was about to be interviewed.
It wasn't as if they absolutely needed these containers. In truth, it wouldn't matter much if they didn't get them. Lunchbox containers could be sourced elsewhere if necessary. At worst, they'd be a bit more expensive or slightly less effective.
Even so, Jungwoo felt nervous and had prepared thoroughly. The reason was simple: this connection had come from one of his few regular customers. If he disappointed them, it would reflect poorly on the person who had made the introduction. He hated that idea.
Besides, giving his all to everything was simply part of Jungwoo's nature.
“Daddy.”
“Yes, Seia?”
“When it rains, does the kitty not come?”
“The cat?”
She seemed to miss the cat.
Jungwoo didn't know much about cats, but ever since the stray had started visiting, he'd been learning little by little. Cats hated water because it lowered their body temperature. So on rainy days like this, they rarely ventured outside.
Just like him and Seia right now. The cat was probably curled up somewhere with a roof overhead, waiting for the rain to stop while baking its bread—exactly like a father and daughter might.
“Cats don't like the cold.”
“But if I hug it… it would be okay…”
Just like he was hugging Seia now because she was cold. If only he could do the same for the cat.
Seia's voice and expression were filled with longing, but there was nothing they could do if the cat didn't come.
“Should Daddy draw a cat for you?”
“Yes!”
What kind of cat would he draw?
Seia's voice, which had been calmer than usual—though not quite melancholy—brightened again with excitement.
Drawing a cat wasn't that hard. He wouldn't draw the whole body, of course—just a round face with cat ears, eyes, a nose, and a few whiskers. That was all it took.
“Haaa.”
“Hmm?”
Seia loved listening to her father's breathing, but this sound was much louder than usual. She remembered hearing breaths like this before, and how her father's expression had always looked troubled afterward.
Why was he making that sound now?
With a mix of curiosity and worry, she peeked up at him—only to see that he wasn't sighing at all. He was breathing onto the glass window.
The once-clear pane turned milky white with condensation, like a blank sheet of paper.
No pen was needed. Jungwoo's finger moved smoothly, and before long, a white cat had appeared.
“What do you think? Want to try, Seia?”
“Yes! I want to!”
It was the perfect canvas for Seia. Breathe to create the paper, then draw whatever she wanted. If she didn't like it or wanted to draw something else, she could simply rub it away.
“Haaat!”
Seia blew on the glass just like her father, but with such determination that it sounded more like a battle cry. Her mouth was small, so the patch of condensation was a bit smaller than his, but it was more than enough space for a cat.
“Hehe.”
She copied the cat her father had drawn. One by one, more cats appeared.
The sound of her breathing continued steadily, and with each puff, the number of cats grew. The very first cat she'd drawn had already become the grandfather cat.
There was a grandmother cat, a father cat, a mother cat. Then sons and daughters were added one after another.
“Oh, it's a whole cat family now?”
“That's right. The one Daddy drew is the great-grandfather kitty.”
She looked like she wanted to draw even more, but unfortunately, the extent of family members Seia knew ended there. She couldn't very well start adding aunt cats or sister-in-law cats on the window.
Each cat had its own personality. The younger sibling cat had a little ribbon on its ear, while the father cat had two extra whiskers on each side to look more dignified. The kittens, on the other hand, were missing one whisker each, leaving them with just two.
“Seia, are you still cold?”
“A little?”
He wasn't sure when the rain had started, but given how chilly it felt, it had probably been falling since dawn.
“I'll turn on the heater.”
“Heater?”
“It makes things warm when it's cold.”
“Like Daddy?”
“Haha. That's right. Just like Daddy.”
With a soft chime, warm air began flowing from the air conditioner. At the same moment, the familiar sound of the doorbell rang.
“Welco— Oh, it's you again?”
“Nice to see you.”
“Hellooo!”
The person who arrived just before noon was none other than Choi Jin-cheol.
Just like his previous visit, he had brought his secretary along. He'd already checked the day's menu on his way in.
“Sit here!”
Seia hopped up first and guided the two men to their seats. Naturally, it was the window-side table—the very one she and Jungwoo had been sitting at moments before.
“Thank you, dear.”
Things felt a little different from his last visit. It was fascinating. The weather had grown colder, yet the atmosphere inside had become warmer.
“What would you like?”
“While we're here for a meal, I actually came for another matter.”
“Another matter?”
“Yes. You know Mr. Park Geon-su, don't you?”
“Ah, yes. I do.”
He wasn't sure why the word “guild” had almost slipped out, but it wasn't important.
“It's about the lunchbox containers.”
“Oh, then the person Mr. Park mentioned who would introduce us…”
“That's correct. It's me.”
It was true that Choi Jin-cheol had taken Park Geon-su's call. But this transaction was so small it barely deserved the word “deal.” There was no reason for him to come in person. Choi Jin-cheol was the type of man others came to see, not the other way around.
Yet he had made the trip anyway, for a very simple reason. He couldn't quite remember what he'd felt the last time he'd been here. It hadn't even been that long ago.
And I suppose I'm somewhat grateful.
Ever since that day, the atmosphere at home had changed. Surprisingly, the only one who had changed was Choi Jin-cheol himself, but the restaurant that had sparked that change remained a pleasant memory.
“Have you eaten yet? It's lunchtime.”
“I am on my way to a restaurant. It would be rude not to eat here.”
“I suppose so. Would it be alright if I prepare lunchboxes for you?”
“Yes. That would be perfect.”
Although he'd come to discuss business regarding the lunchbox containers, it would be better to talk with a full stomach.
Beyond what he'd felt that day, when evaluated with complete objectivity, the food at Seona's Restaurant was genuinely excellent. With a better signboard and some interior improvements, it could easily charge the prices of a proper Korean fine-dining establishment.
It was a good restaurant, even on second glance. Its cleanliness was impeccable.
“The weather's quite chilly, yet you've turned on the heater. Nice touch.”
Choi Jin-cheol didn't particularly like rainy days either. But the view through the window here was rather pleasant.
“I'll take out the samples I brought. We can discuss business after the meal.”
“Understood.”
“Ah, and this as well.”
One was the lunchbox container sample. The other was a small token of goodwill—pave chocolate.
It had been brought back directly by an executive who had recently returned from a business trip to Europe.
Hehe…
He was curious what kind of reaction the child blowing on the window at the front table would show. His own daughter had loved this chocolate. It was nearly impossible to find in Korea, so unless someone brought it back from abroad, there was no way to taste it.
She would like it, wouldn't she? What kind of face and reaction would she make?
It was a familiar anticipation. This was the same chocolate he'd first shown his daughter Su-yeon when she was around Seia's age.