MDSW 03

Chapter 3

“They Say My Daughter Is a Genius”

“That’s it for today’s presentation session. Great job, everyone~!”

Teacher Chae-eun called out her closing remarks.

Right on cue, the school bell rang, signaling the start of break time.

After class ended, Yurina hurried over to me from the back of the classroom.

As she walked toward me, I felt strangely nervous.

“Dad, we can go now, right?”

“Yep, let’s go. You did such a great job today. When did you prepare a drawing like that? That’s amazing.”

I ruffled Yurina’s hair, doing my best to hide my shock.

The truth was that my legs were still trembling.

Don’t let your hands shake, Kang Seong-un…

About fifteen minutes earlier, when I saw Yurina’s presentation drawing, I had completely frozen in panic.

The picture in her sketchbook wasn’t just a child’s drawing of me, her grandmother, and herself.

From the clean, confident lines to the detailed use of color despite being done with crayons, it looked like a portrait and self-portrait created by at least a university art major.

The artwork was so impressive that it looked worthy of being framed and displayed immediately.

I had lost the ability to react.

While everyone else applauded, I simply stood there staring blankly.

Teacher Chae-eun even looked nervous because I wasn’t clapping or responding.

That’s how shocking Yurina’s drawing had been to me.

Now I understand why everyone kept praising her… I’m the idiot for not noticing until now…

Just as her teachers had said, Yurina was truly gifted at drawing.

Gifted enough to be called a natural talent.

“But Dad… did you maybe not like my drawing?”

“Huh? Of course not. It was such a wonderful drawing.”

“Really? Because earlier… it kind of looked like you didn’t like it.”

I flinched.

It seemed my frozen reaction had hurt her feelings.

“No, no! That’s not it! Dad was just surprised!”

I waved my hands frantically.

“You drew so well that I was completely shocked. Haha…”

I hurriedly comforted her.

Come to think of it, not even clapping was pretty awful of me…

But I couldn’t help it.

The moment I saw her drawing, my typical Korean father instincts had kicked in, and I’d already started imagining her holding exhibitions in France.

Sorry for being such an embarrassing dad, Yurina.

“Was it really that good?”

“Of course! How are you so good at drawing? You must have taken after your mom.”

Yurina’s expression finally brightened as I showered her with compliments.

“Mom was good at drawing too, right? You told me she was a painter.”

“That’s right. She was incredibly talented, just like you.”

My wife had once held solo exhibitions and enjoyed a successful career as an artist.

It seemed Yurina had inherited her talent from her mother.

The thought made my chest tighten with emotion.

My angelic daughter had inherited such a beautiful gift from the woman I loved.

You really gave her all the best parts before you left, didn’t you, honey?

If my wife could have seen Yurina’s drawing, she would have been so happy.

The thought left a bittersweet ache in my heart.

“I have lots of other drawings at home too! I’ll show them to you tonight!”

Yurina bounced excitedly on her toes.

Then her excitement gradually faded.

“Actually… Dad comes home late because he’s busy…”

she muttered quietly.

“…Yurina.”

The disappointed look on her face and the way she spoke as if it were completely normal pierced my heart.

It was shocking to realize that even at this age, Yurina already thought of me as someone who was always busy and difficult to spend time with.

If she had already felt that way now, how deep would those wounds have become three years later?

Just looking at her made my chest ache.

“No, that’s not true. Today, Dad’s actually going to get home before you.”

“Really?”

“Really. We’ll eat something delicious together tonight, and then we’ll look at all your other drawings.”

I knelt down so our eyes were level.

Smiling warmly, I gently stroked her hair.

“Yurina, you’ll play with Dad tonight, right?”

A bright smile spread across her face.

“Yeah!! Let’s have lots of fun!!”

After the wonderful presentation she had given, there was no way I could disappoint my daughter.

Besides, I had already planned to settle things today.

This life couldn’t be the same as the last one.

And to make that happen, there was one thing I needed to finish first.

“Where the hell have you been?!”

As soon as the presentation ended, I drove straight to Director Hwang’s studio.

Seeing the thirty-six missed calls on my phone, I had already guessed what was coming.

Sure enough, the moment I stepped inside, Director Hwang’s roar exploded through the room.

“…My hearing isn’t gone, Director.”

“Then you ignored me on purpose?! If you’re not deaf, why didn’t you answer your phone?!”

I had prepared myself on the way over, but now that I was standing in front of him, the words refused to come out.

I still have to say it. I promised myself I would.

I shut my eyes tightly for a moment before opening them and meeting Director Hwang’s furious gaze.

“Director, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Good. Start by explaining why you’re late.”

“I was helping my daughter get to school. But that’s not what I need to talk about.”

“I already don’t like that answer, but fine. Say everything first. I’ll yell at you afterward.”

Known as the Tiger Director, Hwang ground his teeth together as murderous intent practically radiated from him.

“I’m sorry, but I’d like to quit working here as of today.”

The director froze.

The outburst that had been pouring from him suddenly stopped.

“…What?”

His voice dropped.

The shock on his face was obvious.

“I’m truly sorry!!”

Unable to look him in the eye, I bent into a deep ninety-degree bow and poured out everything I had been holding back.

“I’m sorry! I know I told you I could give up parenting for the sake of this film, but I can’t leave my daughter alone anymore! Leaving a child without a mother in her grandmother’s care while I chase my dreams feels too selfish! So… I’m truly sorry, but I think I need to focus on raising my daughter!”

After speaking honestly, I waited for his response.

My heart pounded wildly, and my palms were slick with sweat.

“…?”

But no matter how long I waited, he didn’t answer.

I glanced upward and realized he had disappeared.

“…Director? Director, where are you?!”

Bang!

The door to the break room burst open.

Startled, I jumped.

The moment he heard my explanation, Director Hwang had gone into the room.

Now he emerged carrying my suitcase.

“Pack your stuff and get out. I’m busy.”

With the coolest farewell imaginable, he tossed the suitcase at me.

Then he turned around, sat back at his desk, and resumed working.

“You aren’t angry? You’re not even going to try stopping me?”

Feeling oddly disappointed, I found myself whining.

“Why would I stop you?”

Director Hwang let out a crooked grin without even looking at me.

“If a guy as obsessed with movies as you wants to quit, then whatever you’re choosing must be worth even more. Now grab your stuff and get out!”

He was right.

Or maybe it would be more accurate to say he was brutally honest.

Bang!

The door slammed shut.

I hurriedly gathered my belongings and was effectively kicked out of the studio.

Since I was out within three minutes, “kicked out” was probably the correct term.

“…”

A dry laugh escaped me as I stood before the firmly closed door.

It felt strangely empty.

In my previous life, we had gone on to create a ten-million-viewer blockbuster together.

Yet our relationship had ended just like this.

“Couldn’t you have tried to stop me at least once?!”

I shouted at the door.

No answer came back.

…Why am I actually hurt by this?

Leaning against the entrance, I stood there for a long time.

The sky overhead was annoyingly clear and beautiful.

As I looked up, my wife’s face suddenly came to mind.

For some reason, it felt as if she were watching over me.

As if she were telling me I had made the right choice.

I really did the right thing, didn’t I, honey?

After returning home, I sprawled across the living room floor.

It was only 12:30 in the afternoon, but the emotional exhaustion made my body feel impossibly heavy.

“Ha… what am I even supposed to do with my life now?”

I stared blankly at the ceiling.

I could almost see the image of myself standing before the public as the writer of a ten-million-viewer film.

A magnificent achievement.

And now, nothing more than a memory.

Still, it was a good experience.

The three years I spent with Director Hwang had been the golden age of my writing career.

They were probably the years in which I had grown the most.

“Ah, whatever. First I need a job. After paying back the contract advance, I won’t have much left.”

I sat up and turned on my phone.

Opening my contacts list, I started looking for people who might help me find work.

Just then—

Bzzz!

My phone vibrated.

The caller ID read:

[Yurina’s Homeroom Teacher]

Teacher Chae-eun? Why is she calling all of a sudden?

I answered.

“Hello?”

—Mr. Yurina’s Dad, did you get home safely?

“Yes. Is something wrong?”

—Actually, you left your jacket on top of the classroom lockers.

“My jacket?”

The moment she mentioned it, I suddenly felt cold.

Now that I thought about it, I’d gone to school wearing a jacket.

At the moment, I was only wearing a T-shirt.

“Oh! I really left it there?!”

—Haha. Looks like you forgot.

I had been so shocked by Yurina’s drawing that I’d completely lost my focus.

I’d taken off my jacket because seeing the artwork made me sweat, then left it behind.

—I’ll give it to Yurina after school so she can bring it home.

“Thank you. That was careless of me. Haha… By the way, I really enjoyed today’s presentation.”

—Oh! Right! Were you okay with it? You looked a little unhappy earlier.

I flinched again.

Teacher Chae-eun was saying the exact same thing as Yurina.

My expression must have been really bad…

Embarrassed, I rubbed my forehead.

“I honestly didn’t know my daughter could draw that well. If I’d known, I might have enrolled her in art classes much earlier. Haha…”

I tried to laugh it off.

But Teacher Chae-eun immediately seized on what I’d said.

—Exactly! I really think Yurina should receive a professional evaluation!

“Huh?”

—I know a great art academy through some people I know. Would you like me to recommend it?

“Oh… yes, I’d appreciate that.”

—Great! I’ll send you the address by text right away!!

She sounded even more excited than I was.

Yurina had often said that her teacher felt more like an older sister than a teacher.

Apparently that wasn’t an exaggeration.

—You should definitely check it out! It might be a wonderful opportunity for Yurina’s talent!