episode_0040

After returning from shopping, on a weekday evening when they were busy preparing for an upcoming vacation plan a few days ahead, as always, it was when they went to exercise with Dayoung and Davin.

“Huh? Can you watch the kid for a bit?”

In the shower room. Now accustomed to seeing other women’s naked bodies, she casually turned her head and looked at Choi Jin-hee’s wet body. As expected, her well-toned figure from exercise was firm and beautiful enough even if it didn’t have the same volume as Nana and Dayoung.

But what did she just say? What? Watch the kid?

“Yes. Something came up this time. I wish there was someone who could watch for a day or two.”

“Well… I’m fine, but didn’t your mother originally agree to watch?”

I’m the one watching the child, anyway, since I’m on leave, it didn’t matter in terms of schedule, but for the child, coming to a strange place and being here was definitely not easy.

“The recent incident is related to my mom… She got hospitalized.”

“What? How did that happen? Is she sick?”

“Oh, while taking care of the child this time, she fell in the bathroom. Ugh. Anyway, she hurt her pelvis and can’t move at all now. It’ll take a month until the bones heal. Ugh.”

Young people usually recover in 2-3 weeks, but maybe because she’s older, a month might not be enough.

“Didn’t you say the child is 5 years old?”

Dayoung suddenly asked Choi Jin-hee.

“Yes, 5 years old. A daughter. Oh, right. I need Dayoung’s permission too.”

“Oh, I’m fine. I like kids. How about Mom?”

“Well, I’m okay too. But, is two days okay? She needs a month of nursing care.”

Then Choi Jin-hee scratched her head and said, “Well… Actually, I didn’t just ask my sister. There are other moms who were with me before… No, mothers of children. One of them agreed to watch for two days.”

“Weren’t there three others besides you? Where are the other two? That’s so rude.”

“Hehe, when you’re asking for help, any help is appreciated. Anyway, please help me for two days starting tomorrow. I’ll pay you for your trouble.”

“Ugh, forget it. I don’t need payment. It’s not like I’m doing this because I find it bothersome; just buy me a nice meal later. Money matters need to be precise, but favors like this are repaid with favors. I might need your help later too.”

Choi Jin-hee looked at me with eyes that seemed touched.

“Wow… You really are… I felt it since we first met at that cafe, but you’re truly a gem of a person. Hmm. People like you are rare these days. I didn’t want to swear, but how quick those other moms are with calculations, ugh. Dayoung, you should treat your mom well.”

Dayoung replied with a smile, “I know. That’s why I’m doing well.”

Seeing that, I chuckled in amazement.

“What? Aren’t you always complaining that I’m nagging you? You act like you don’t have a mother of your own? Hey, groom yourself well from now on in case you have a daughter like this.”

“Oh, that’s because Mom always does unreasonable things!”

When Dayoung shouted, Choi Jin-hee chuckled.

“They have a good relationship between mother and daughter. Hehe.”

Anyway, for these reasons, I decided to take care of Choi Jin-hee’s daughter.

The next afternoon. As usual, after studying video editing in the morning and organizing simple content and recipes related to composition, I had lunch. I watched some drama and only got up from my seat around 4 p.m. to leave the house. To pick up Choi Jin-hee’s daughter who comes home by kindergarten bus at 4:30 p.m.

Choi Jin-hee and I, who lived in the same apartment complex, headed to a facility we often saw but never used. It was a place called Kids Station, mainly designed for children to wait during school drop-off and pick-up times, with simple picture books and heating and cooling facilities.

Upon arriving at Kids Station, many young mothers were waiting there, likely due to kindergarten or daycare pick-up times. A few of them seemed to be waiting with their children, probably waiting to send them to academies. The sight of children in taekwondo uniforms was so cute that I couldn’t help but smile.

Due to the nature of picking up children at the same time and place, the atmosphere was filled with friendly conversations among the moms.

I just sat quietly, waiting without engaging in conversation. Although I was afraid someone might start a conversation with me, I stayed in my corner quietly. However, it seemed that the moms had been glancing at me since earlier; apparently, attention was drawn to my appearance wherever I went. Well, it had become so familiar that I just brushed it off, as long as it didn’t cross certain boundaries.

It’s not like I’m wearing something revealing. Frankly, as long as men don’t look at me with lustful eyes, I can understand their feelings, although it’s uncomfortable but bearable.

If I were to mention these thoughts to Dayoung, she would surely nag me about it, so I just kept them to myself.

Anyway, after sitting quietly for about 10 minutes, the car we were waiting for arrived. It was a yellow Starlet with a magnet sticker that read “Samsong Daycare.”

Since I had once visited Su-yeon’s house and picked up Jin-woo and Jin-seo instead, the process wasn’t difficult. But I couldn’t help worrying whether Choi Jin-hee’s daughter, Hye-sol, would find me unfamiliar.

Two women left the Kids Station before me. They were probably moms leaving their kids at the same daycare.

-Drrrrk.

The car door opened, and a woman in her thirties who seemed to be a daycare teacher got out of the car.

“Hello, Da-hee’s mom, Hyun-soo’s mom~ Oh, are you Hye-sol’s guardian? Yes, hello. I received a call from Hye-sol’s mom. Haha.”

Indeed, even though she seemed to be close to the end of her workday as a daycare teacher, she maintained such a high energy level. Well, maybe it made sense if she thought this was almost the end of her workday. I don’t know if I’m looking at it too much from a working perspective, but anyway, I really admire people who take care of children, having raised one myself.

“Yes, hello.”

The teacher called out the children’s names one by one and helped them out of the car. Hye-sol, who was sitting on the innermost seat, was the last to get out. Perhaps it was because I was a stranger that Hye-sol hesitated. I approached her with a smile and greeted her first.

“Hi, Hye-sol.”

“Oh, you old lady. Hello.”

“You old lady?”

What does “you old lady” mean? Why is she looking at me as if I’m so scary?

“Pl-please listen to me well… don’t scold me….”

As tears started to well up, the two moms next to us looked at me suspiciously.

“Oh, I won’t scold you. Why would I scold you? Here, let’s stop this with this!”

I quickly offered Hye-sol a frozen jelly to calm her down. Of course, it wouldn’t end with just this…

“Wow, jelly!”

I see. Choi Jin-hee did say that giving her frozen jelly would calm her down, but I didn’t expect it to work this well…

“Is it tasty?”

-Chomp chomp.

“Yes~”

Finding her reaction amusing and cute, I patted her head and held her hand.

“Shall we go to my place and have something even tastier?”

Hyeseol’s eyes sparkled. Her favorite frozen jelly. Is there something even more delicious? She seemed surprised at the thought.

“Okay, give the bag to the lady.”

I took Hyeseol’s bag, held her hand, and walked to our house. Somehow, my hands and height felt larger than an average woman’s, making me feel a bit unfamiliar. Of course, there were times when I was bigger as a man, but recently, holding the hand of our child felt surprisingly nice. It brought back that feeling of warmth and preciousness I used to feel often when the kids were young…

Ah, a child’s hand is so warm.

Arriving home in simple happiness, I helped Hyeseol wash her hands and change clothes. She cautiously explored the house, everything seeming different from what she was used to, from the sights to the smells.

With her short legs pitter-pattering around, I watched proudly. Her occasional glances to check my reaction were so adorable that I wanted to hug her, but she seemed a bit scared already. Perhaps a vivid memory of scolding her mother at the cafe before has left its mark…

“Hyeseol, want to play a fun game with me?”

An obsession to cover up that memory and plant a new image captivated me.

But things never go as planned. Hyeseol looked at me and vigorously shook her head. Ah, it hurts.

“S-So, do you have something you want to do?”

Then, Hyeseol rolled her eyes around, fixed her gaze somewhere, and said suddenly,

“I’m hungry. Give me food.”

Why are you saying that while looking at my chest, Hyeseol?