CH 183

“So, what do you want to tell Dad?” Muyeol asked with a smile.

“Dad, I want something,” said Jiyoon.

“You have a favor to ask?” “

Jiyoon smiled innocently and corrected herself, “Yes, I want to ask you a favor.”

Muyeol met her eyes. “What’s the favor?”

“I want to go to the market with you.”

Muyeol cocked his head to the side, unable to understand just what she needed to buy that she needed only him to accompany her.

“It’s a secret from Mom. I really want to go with you,” Jiyoon quickly added.

“I don’t know…” Muyeol hummed. “If Mom asks about it, I can’t lie to her.”

“So you can’t tell her!”

At times like these, she seemed so much like Yiyoung. Once Muyeol noticed that, he became weak toward her. So he instantly said, “Okay. I won’t tell Mom. So, what are we going to do at the market?”

“Choose a good candy!” Jiyoon said with a big smile.

All she did was mention ‘candy’. It almost made Muyeol burst into laughter, but he successfully restrained himself.

Now that he thought about it, White Day was approaching. Normally, men gave candies to their women on White Day in response to receiving chocolates from them on Valentine’s Day. However, since Yiyoung didn’t care about special days like these, Muyeol had assumed that Jiyoon didn’t care much either.

And as he thought of the candies, Muyeol remembered the candies Yiyoung used to prepare every year when they were young. It had taken a lot of work for Muyeol to collect all of them at the end of the day. And each time he did it, he told himself not to do such a thing. But then he would think of Yiyoung’s smile, and prepare another shopping bag.

“Who do you want to give them to?”  he asked.

“It’s nothing special. There’s a new student in my class, but it would be weird if I only gave the candies to him.”

“Why?” Muyeol asked in confusion.

“What do you mean, why? What if the other kids find out I like him? So, I want to give candies to all of them. That way, nobody will know!”

‘Wpw… is she a combination of Cha Muyeol and Yoon Yiyoung?’ he thought.

“But why do we have to keep this a secret from Mom?” asked Muyeol.

“It’s what I want, just in case I have my heart broken, since Mom would be so sad,” Jiyoon said with a grin.

Muyeol was surprised by the use of such a mature phrase, but didn’t express it, letting it slide as some light words.

“Then, what about Dad?”

“Dad would like it if I had my heart broken. All the kids said that dads are like that.”

This time, Muyeol couldn’t control his laughter. But at the same time, he was dizzy, mind busy focusing on the fact that she already met someone at her age. He did want her to meet someone great, but this was too early! However, he then remembered the moment he had first met Shitty Yoon.

“Okay.” Muyeol nodded like a cool dad. “Let’s go pick those candies together.”

Jiyoon laughed innocently.

* * *

A few days later…

Jiyoon stood in front of a counter, several kinds of colorful candies displayed on its shelves. She normally did not enjoy eating candies, so she was having a hard time choosing them. And that was why she had brought Muyeol to the candy shop.

“Wow, I really don’t know what to choose. Please choose it for me, Dad. What kind of candies do guys like?” asked Jiyoon.

It was a hard question for him, since Muyeol didn’t like eating candies either. But then he remembered the candies he had eaten before, and wondered if the shop still sold them.

Muyeol slowly walked, his eyes scanning the display stand. As he observed it in detail, a smile unconsciously played on his lips. Yiyoung had probably bought candies in the same way, spending time carefully choosing the candies. It looked like he had turned into her.

‘What would friends like?’

‘What kind of candies would everyone like?’

‘Which one would be good…’ was what Yiyoung must have thought back then.

Muyeol paused, staring at one particular place. The shop still had the candies which he used to eat every year, almost making his teeth decay.

“Come look at this, Jiyoon.”

Jiyoon, who had been looking at other candies, walked to her dad’s side. Muyeol pointed at the candies and said, “This one.”

“Really? Thanks, Dad.”

Jiyoon quickly put the candies in the shopping cart. Since she was buying the candies with her own saved money, Muyeol didn’t involve himself in the payment. After purchasing the candies, Jiyoon went to the store for school supplies.

Muyeol watched Jiyoon, who was busy choosing supplies to wrap the candies in, and found himself missing Yiyoung a lot.