By Zephyria Yu-jin paused at the small voice. Considering the child’s excitement, he wanted to lie, but he couldn’t. If Angela believed Yu-jin’s words and was relieved, the disappointment and sadness would be even greater when that day suddenly came.
“Yes, Angie, I’m sorry.”
Yu-jin apologized as he looked at the child’s face. He was inwardly prepared for Angela to cry, but unexpectedly, she didn’t cry, but instead asked with a cautious expression.
“Then I have to be careful not to break anything, right?”
Yu-jin was surprised by the unexpected words. Unlike his expectations, Angela didn’t seem to be crying at all. Instead, she was looking at Daddy with a worried face. Seeing that face, Yu-jin thought it would be better if his daughter cried instead.
“It’s okay if something gets a little broken, Mr. Campbell is rich.”
As he stroked her cheek, Angela frowned and said in a complaining tone.
“Still, what if he tells us to pay for it? We don’t have any money.”
Yu-jin barely swallowed the sigh that was about to come out. It was all his fault that the child was so worried about money. Yu-jin tried his best to make his daughter feel at ease and forced a smile.
“I told you it’s not like that anymore, Angie. Don’t think like that. You can play with it as much as you want, Mr. Campbell would want that even more.”
In order to persuade Angela, Yu-jin deliberately turned to look at the playroom and continued.
“Think about it, why would he buy so many toys if he was just going to look at them? He’d be upset if he bought you a gift and you didn’t play with it, right?”
A wavering look was evident on Angela’s face. To have so many toys and have to resist the urge to play with them was too cruel a trial for a young child. Yu-jin stroked her head as he added, seeing her hesitant gaze stealing glances at the playroom after him.
“Okay? So it’s okay to play with them. Let’s thank Mr. Campbell later, and that’s it. Okay?”
The child seemed to be thinking for a moment, then nodded slightly. Yu-jin smiled, picked up Angela, and headed for the playroom.
“What should we play with first? Do you want to go on the slide?”As Yu-jin asked, Angela hesitated and said softly, “Doll.” Yu-jin barely suppressed a sigh of pity at the sight of his daughter holding a brand-new baby doll and carefully feeding it with a toy bottle. Even though he had said it was okay, he could clearly see that she was extremely nervous about the toy getting damaged.
*I have to make sure Angie has everything she needs while we’re here.*
He didn’t know why Winston was doing this, but if it made his daughter happy, he didn’t care. No matter what Winston called him or how he treated him.
“Shall we have breakfast on the balcony tomorrow morning, Angie?”
Angela looked at him, startled by Yu-jin’s question.
“Can we?”
“Of course, but we have to get permission from the landlord.”
As he added with a smile, Angela’s expression quickly became tense.
“Who’s that?”
Yu-jin put on a deliberately serious face and said, “Well… I hope he’ll let us, don’t you?”
“Yeah.”
Seeing the child stiffen up, Yu-jin opened his mouth with a serious expression.
“Angie, there’s a very cute and wonderful girl, and I was wondering if I could have breakfast with her on the balcony tomorrow?”
“Huh?”
Angela didn’t immediately catch on to Yu-jin’s joke and widened her eyes. Yu-jin tried his best to suppress his laughter and continued politely.
“She’s such a kind and good girl that I really want to have breakfast with her. Would it be okay to invite her to the veranda of your room?”
Angela still blinked with a puzzled look on her face. He thought that maybe it was a bit too difficult this time, even though she was a smart child for her age, and Yu-jin burst out laughing.
“Angie, it’s your room! You have to give permission.”
“Uh, uh, uh?”
Angela’s eyes gradually widened. The child’s expression, as if she was slowly understanding the meaning of the words, gradually changed to surprise. Yu-jin smiled brightly and said,
“Yes, Angie. I’m asking you. The owner of this room.”
“Ah… ahh.”
Only then did his daughter, who had finally understood completely, look up at Yu-jin with her mouth as wide as her eyes. She seemed to finally realize that this room was hers. Watching the child’s face slowly fill with emotion, Yu-jin asked softly,
“Is it okay, Angie? Do you give me permission?”
“Y-yes!”
A beat late, Angela nodded. Her eyes, looking up at Yu-jin, were filled with joy and sparkled.
“Of course, of course, I give you permission! I’m so happy!”
The child, who jumped into his arms, kissed Yu-jin’s cheek repeatedly. Yu-jin hugged his daughter tightly and asked with a smile,
“Would you like pancakes for breakfast tomorrow? With maple syrup. And milk.”
At the mention of her favorite menu, Angela couldn’t hide her excitement and shouted, “Wow!” as she ran around. Yu-jin watched his daughter’s face with a satisfied expression.
* * *
Perhaps because she was so excited about the amazing event, Angela couldn’t fall asleep easily. Yu-jin deliberately bathed the child early, finished dinner, and put her in her pajamas earlier than usual.
“I’m not sleepy yet, Daddy.”
Seeing the child’s still bright eyes, Yu-jin smiled and stroked her cheek.
“You have to go to sleep quickly so we can have breakfast on the balcony tomorrow morning.”
“Uhh.”
Angela, who nodded obediently, climbed into bed and looked up at Yu-jin.
“From today, I’m sleeping alone, right?”
“Yes.”
Yu-jin felt sorry for the child, but it was something she had to experience someday.
“I’ll stay by your side until you fall asleep, Angie.”
He wondered if he should tell her a made-up story as usual, but he soon had an idea.
“Should I bring you a doll? There’s a doll this big, do you want to sleep with it?”
When he mentioned the dolls that were piled up in the playroom, Angela was startled but soon shook her head.
“No, it’s okay. Max is enough.”
“Max?”
It was the first doll he had bought for her when she was born, and it was the only doll Angela had. Yu-jin, recalling the old, worn-out, and dirty doll, thought of another reason.
“Are you worried the doll will get damaged?”
When he asked carefully, Angela didn’t answer immediately. The child, who lowered her eyes and hesitated, mumbled in a small voice.
“I just like Max.”
Yu-jin looked at the child for a moment and reluctantly brought her the doll. Angela, who received the doll from Yu-jin, hugged it tightly in her arms and closed her eyes. Yu-jin, who had been sitting by the bed telling her stories until she fell asleep, eventually confirmed that the child had fallen into a deep sleep, breathing her unique comfortable breaths, kissed her forehead, and left the bedroom.
Okay, now.
As he closed the door behind him, he took a deep breath involuntarily. He slowly exhaled and steeled his heart, looking to the side. Winston had already returned home. Yu-jin had already confirmed through the window that his car had arrived.
*He’s behind that door.*
Yu-jin looked at the firmly closed door and swallowed hard. He felt the urge to run away, but he knew it was impossible. Forcibly recalling the child’s face, he whipped himself.
He barely knocked, but no sound came from inside. Was he already asleep? He hoped so.
But Yu-jin also knew that it was a vain hope. He took another deep breath before opening the door and reached for the doorknob.
When he finally opened the door, Yu-jin was so startled by the sound of the door echoing in the quiet mansion that his heart almost dropped.
Through the slowly opening door, the familiar scenery of the room came into view. And the moment he found the man sitting alone by the window with his legs crossed, Yu-jin stopped in his tracks, still holding the doorknob.
Winston had only taken off his jacket and tie, and was still wearing the rest, including his vest. A bottle of liquor and a glass were placed on the tea table. The brown liquid in the glass had almost reached the bottom. Had he been drinking ever since he got home?
Even in the midst of all that, he was tapping on the screen, looking at the tablet he had placed on his thick thighs. He also checked his cell phone from time to time. He seemed to know why he hadn’t even looked up when he heard the door open.