A Peaceful Day (4)
A Peaceful Day (4)
School ended, and since Da-yeon wanted to go to karaoke, we made that the priority and got moving.
We wrapped things up at the PC bang, and with Dad gone, I thought about staying out a little longer to match Da-yeon's curfew, which was later than mine.
But if Dad came home and I wasn't there to hang out with him, he'd definitely get sulky.
Dad's a massive sulk-machine, but even if he gets pouty, I can just pull out my fourth secret weapon and he'll get over it fast anyway.
Still, a sulky Dad torments me all the way into the next day, so I could already see it clear as day — tomorrow, him clinging to me even more annoyingly.
I parted ways with Da-yeon at the front door, then started setting out the supplies I'd prepared.
After that, I fed Alpha and Beta, then flopped down onto the sofa.
That was when the phone rang.
The screen read "Daddyyy♡."
Please don't get the wrong idea and think I saved it that way myself.
Dad saved it himself, and I just couldn't be bothered to stop him.
"What."
"Daaaal! Where are you!"
"Home."
"Daddy's almost there! Just a little longer! I bought jokbal, my daughter's favorite, tee-hee~"
It's not that I especially love jokbal; I pretty much like any late-night food except the spicy stuff.
Lately, I've seen people online fighting about whether jin ramyeon hot flavor or mild flavor is better...
Mild flavor, no contest. People who think spicy equals delicious are total taste-ignoramuses...
"Got it. Hanging up."
"Hurry home, Daddy. 'Say it.'"
"...? Hanging up."
I hung up naturally.
Then I bustled around, gathered the supplies, and wrote on a Post-it note.
- Kim Ji-ho, I have kidnapped your daughter.
- Take the weapon before your eyes and attempt to locate your daughter.
I hid a water gun and the Post-it in the shoe cabinet and headed to the second floor.
Of course, I was carrying a water gun with vastly superior performance to Dad's...
Kim Ji-ho, heart fluttering at the thought of seeing his daughter for the first time in seven days, pulled out the jokbal, locked the car haphazardly, and ran to the elevator.
I wanted to see Si-yoon's face as quickly as possible—her legs swinging on the sofa—but today the elevator was coming unbearably slowly.
I imagined Si-yoon smiling at me, feet tapping with anticipation, and before I knew it, the elevator had arrived.
The moment I reached the front door, I quickly punched in the passcode and flung the door wide open.
"Daaal! Daddy's home!"
The house was far too quiet.
"...? Si-yoon? Are you asleep?"
It was only 8 o'clock, and Si-yoon, who always wanted to stay up as late as possible, would absolutely never be asleep.
Besides, we'd just been on the phone, so there was no way she was asleep.
I took off my shoes and opened the shoe cabinet.
There, I saw a note and a water gun filled with water.
"...?"
- Kim Ji-ho, I have kidnapped your daughter. Take the weapon before your eyes and attempt to locate your daughter.
A smile spread across my face at Si-yoon's cute prank.
I picked up the water gun just as it was, set the jokbal on the dining table, and moved carefully.
Just looking at her made me happy, but this was Si-yoon, who went so far as to prepare events like this. How could I ever want to leave the house?
Alpha and Beta meowed, as if happy to see the butler they hadn't seen in a while.
I felt sorry for Alpha and Beta, but I wanted to see Si-yoon's face even sooner.
I gave them each a light pat, then cautiously checked the rooms.
This house, where Si-yoon had lived her entire life, was too big — it was hard to find where she was.
Si-yoon never did this kind of prank in her mother's room, so I passed that room and moved to the second-floor storage room.
The moment I opened the door, the room was pitch black—I couldn't see an inch ahead.
There was no way she'd hidden in here... I thought, and the instant I turned to look behind me, I heard a click.
I hurriedly raised my water gun and spun around.
But an enormous water gun thicker than Si-yoon's thigh sprayed water in every direction, every stream blasting straight into me.
Fwooshhhh!!!
"Aaaack?!"
Panicked by the incredible water pressure and torrents, I couldn't even manage a counterattack as my whole body got drenched.
"Heh heh heh."
"What the heck is that thing! Mine's like this. Hahaha!"
I cackled and showed her the water gun sitting on my palm, smaller than my own hand.
"That's the privilege of the prepared. Heh heh... Good trip?"
"Yeah!!"
Si-yoon, having fired her water gun, smiled charmingly.
I was so overjoyed to see her that I didn't even register my body was wet and pulled tiny Si-yoon into a tight hug.
Si-yoon, who had athletic ability beyond any comparison with kids her age, could have dodged me easily, but she stayed still, smiling with a hint of exasperation.
"You really had to hug me with a soaking wet body, didn't you?"
"Of course~"
Since staying in wet clothes could make her catch a cold, I promptly sent Si-yoon off to the shower.
Then I laid out a change of clothes for Si-yoon and examined the water gun she'd used.
A "Super Suka Hydro Cannon" with a price tag approaching 600,000 won...
In comparison, the 1,100 won price tag on my own water gun made me snicker.
So cutely selfish.
Dad and I each showered in separate bathrooms and came out.
Then, as if we'd made a promise, I spent the whole day with Dad.
We were eating the jokbal Dad had bought and playing Go when Dad looked at me and spoke.
"Should I try learning Go too?"
"Pfft?"
"Huh? What kind of reaction is that to your dad?"
"What do you mean? Dad, just stick to flicking Go stones~"
"Hah. Who do you think gave birth to you? I'm smart too, you know?"
"Heh. You only finished high school."
"....."
"And even that was a GED~"
"....."
"And when I was 8, out of 500 questions I gave you, you only got 210 right? Weak~"
Dad's expression gradually crumpled, and he stared at the table while chewing on a piece of jokbal.
Dad was in his forties now, but.
He looked like he was somewhere between his very late twenties and very early thirties.
Since Dad was the epitome of a baby face, that expression suited him perfectly at that age.
With our now deeply familiar way of talking, Dad grinned and said,
"Then I won't~"
We finished the jokbal and put the leftovers in the fridge.
For a while, I lounged on the same bed as Dad, scrolling on my phone.
Dad draped his leg over my waist.
"That's heavy, you know?"
"How comfortable. How about you give me a massage while you're at it."
"Nah, I'm going to my room~"
"Pleeease~"
I grabbed one of Dad's toes and bent it back, and he screamed.
"Aaaack!!!"
"I'll break it!"
"Ahaha!"
Despite my threat, Dad kept his arms and legs draped over my body.
I snorted, stayed in Dad's arms scrolling on my phone, and at some point, passed out.
I woke up in my own room, so Dad must have carried me to bed after I fell asleep.
I started my now-habitual chest massage.
As I was kneading, Alpha and Beta, who had sensed my presence, came quietly to lie down next to me.
The moment they realized my eyes were open, they sat up and pressed themselves closer.
"Morning...~"
""Meow meow.""
I petted Alpha and Beta with both hands for a bit, then got up and went outside.
Dad, maybe wanting to catch up with me first thing in the morning, had started cooking a huge meal.
I watched him for a moment, then flopped onto the sofa, and Beta hopped up and settled right next to my stomach.
Beta placed both paws on my chest and started kneading.
"Si-yoon."
"Don't call me. Busy."
Dad paused mid-cooking, looked at me, and narrowed his eyes.
"...You're busy smelling Alpha's paw pads...?"
"It's the most important thing. A task to truly wake my mind..."
Dad stared at me with an expression of utter disbelief.
Right then, the phone rang.
I stopped fiddling with Alpha's toe beans and pulled my phone from my pocket.
The caller was Jong-hyeon.
Skimming it, I read that Han Ma-hyeon was making plans to kidnap me.
On such a peaceful morning, just thinking of Han Ma-hyeon's face made me feel sick and soured my mood.
I immediately contacted Park Ji-hoon.
- Hey, you know that big guy named Han Ma-hyeon?
(Jackass) - yep
- Train up his younger brother a bit.
(Jackass) - huh?
- You piece of shit, did you catch Tae-oh's disease for texting too? Your replies are short as hell, you prick.
(Jackass) - Yo, is that how you ask for a favor?
- Anyway, train Han Seok-hyeon up some.
(Jackass) - To what degree?
- Half-assed is fine, just make sure he ends up stronger than Han Ma-hyeon.
(Jackass) - I can decide the intensity however I want, right?
- yep
I turned off the screen, and a message from Park Ji-hoon popped up on the lock screen.
(Jackass) - Fuck, look who's talking about tone.
I finished texting and was about to get down to seriously touching and sniffing Alpha's pink toe beans, but at some point Dad was standing right in front of me.
"...?"
Dad, as if suddenly afflicted with something, started lunging at me.
So I casually lifted my foot and blocked him. Alpha and Beta fled at top speed from the sudden commotion.
"Are you insane?"
"Give me a huuug~"
"Didn't you hug me enough yesterday? Go away, I'm gonna get mad."
"Whyyyy~ I gave birth to you, just one hug! You're so mean!"
"Mom gave birth to me. And Dad... have you ever gotten beaten up by your daughter...? My hands are pretty rough, you know?"
Of course, I did hit Dad with a high kick once, but
Dad doesn't remember it, so it's like it never happened.
Anyway, that's how it is.
"Wow, that's like, straight-up filial impiety? Si-yoon?"
"Then don't make your daughter a filial impiety criminal and go away?"
Dad smirked, then pulled out two 50,000-won bills from his pocket.
Hah... trying to buy me with money, what a joke.
The moment I was about to sneer at Dad, he added two more bills...
and I naturally lowered my leg.
Honestly, there's a limit to playing hard to get — one hug for 200,000 won is a total steal.
The soup Dad had put on started to boil, so Dad, looking satisfied, moved away.
He turned down the gas and came back to hug me again.
I casually pushed him away with my foot.
"What the hell is this!!!"
I naturally covered my ears at Dad's booming voice.
"What is what."
"I gave you 200,000 won!"
I smirked at Dad and continued.
"Then you can just give me 200,000 more."
"Wow... you really treat money like it's nothing, don't you?"
"Nope. I just know my worth precisely. Look, if I told random people on the street that I'd hug them for 200,000 won, don't you think they'd line up?"
"....."
"Huh? This might actually be a good moneymaker. 100 people a day is 20 million won..."
"...Are you insane?"
"Wow... Dad, if I really put my mind to it, I could totally make 200 million a day. I could make more than I do drawing."
"YAH!!!"
Only after Dad and I had bickered for a long time did the sound of the food being ready ring out.
I got up naturally and helped Dad.
As I was spooning up the warm soup, Dad gazed at me with deep, sentimental eyes.
"Wanna go out and have fun with Dad today?"
"No."
"Why?"
"There's nowhere to go anyway."
"Come on, with white cloth and the wind, you can go anywhere."
"Sure, wrap a white cloth around yourself and go far away by yourself."
Whenever Dad and I eat something together, our eating speed gets noticeably slow.
A father and daughter who eat at an incredibly leisurely pace.
So much so that the soup gets cold while we're eating and we have to heat it up again.
As I was leisurely eating while watching Neotube on my tablet, Dad said to me,
"Let's go have fun! Ah! Wanna go to an amusement park?!"
"No."
"Si-yoon, you've never even been to an amusement park!"
"I said no. And didn't you used to say amusement parks are too dangerous and I couldn't go?"
"Come on, Team 7 works so hard keeping our Si-yoon safe, I should at least see their faces more often!"
"Have you ever seen a salaried employee love the person who signs their paycheck? No."
"Team 7 seems pretty fond, though?"
"....."
"Aaaah, whyyy~ Come out and have fun with Daddy~"
I turned off the tablet and looked at Dad.
"Starting today, I have one day off per week, you know?"
"Oh?!"
"'Oh...?' Don't tell me... you didn't know?"
I narrowed my eyes and stared at Dad, and he laughed awkwardly.
"Really? You didn't know I have filming tomorrow...?"
"Come on...! Of course I knew!"
"....."
"Sorry... I really did know, I just forgot for a second just now..."
I kept my expression steady, then closed my eyes and spoke.
"Meanwhile, someone spent a whole week prepping to hang out with you on the day you came home..."
"Sorry..."
Without a word, I quickly shoveled rice into my mouth.
Dad started eating while watching my reaction, and I maintained my expression while naturally sending a text.
- Wanna go to an amusement park today?
(My Da-yeon) - Yeah! What time?
- Now.
(My Da-yeon) - Huh...? Now?
- Yeah, see you in 2 hours~
(My Da-yeon) - Got it!
I kept up the act of being sulky. After I finished eating, I set my bowl down on the table with a firm clack.
Ignoring Dad, who flinched, I put my bowl in the sink and headed to my room.
I walked to my room slowly, and the moment I stepped inside, I swiftly changed clothes and came back out.
"....."
I felt déjà vu.
The silent house... Dad was nowhere to be seen.
I tried calling him, and sure enough, Dad's phone — covered in stickers of my face — rang on the sofa.
"Haa..."
I naturally contacted Deputy Chief Kim Dong-hoon.
"Yes, what brings you to call so early in the morning?"
"Did my dad go outside the building?"
"One moment."
Deputy Chief Kim Dong-hoon took the phone away from his mouth and started talking to someone.
"Ah, he's at the convenience store on the first floor."
"Okay, thank you."
"Not at all, hearing your voice so early is invigorating! Have a good day~"
"Yes, Deputy Chief... no, Mister, you have a good day too~"
Before, when I'd called Deputy Chief Kim Dong-hoon "Mister" since I was Tae-oh's friend, he'd been absolutely delighted.
"Hahaha! Yes! Thank you!"
See, he's this happy over just the title "Mister" — it costs me nothing.