My Daughter Has Become A Fool - Chapter 7

Episode 7: Commute
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!
As always, the damned alarm goes off.
I set the most annoying alarm possible because I’m a heavy sleeper.
It ensures I wake up, but the side effect is feeling groggy every morning.
Especially today, I feel unusually tired, maybe from all the running around yesterday.
Even though I went to bed earlier than usual.
“Ugh…”
I struggled to get up to shut up the damn thing.
No, I tried to.
Until I saw the small, white hand on my stomach.
Right. I wasn’t alone. I fell asleep with Yondu.
It’s strange to wake up next to someone.
It feels like my blood pressure drops instantly because of the alarm.
‘How can she sleep so well?’
Even with the damn duck blaring, Yondu sleeps like a log.
Not even batting an eyelid. I really didn’t want to wake her.
I reached for my phone without disturbing myself too much.
“Phew…”
Fortunately, I managed to turn off the alarm.
After the duck quieted down, I just laid back down.
And I looked at Yeon-du, sleeping while embracing me.
‘There’s really no other angel like her.’
I think there’s another side effect of waking up.
If there’s a baby sleeping so peacefully next to you, you don’t want to get up.
Especially if it’s your own beautiful daughter.
I couldn’t help but smile.
I don’t know much, but I think what people commonly call a dad smile is on my face right now.
Click.
I ended up taking a picture after all.
I wanted to capture Yeon-du sleeping like this.
In the end, what remains after time passes is photographs.
Even though I hate taking pictures.
And there’s no one to take them for me.
“Not happening.”
I might just fall back asleep like this. There’s a lot to do.
I had to get ready for work and figure out what to do with Yeon-du.
I set the alarm early on purpose, but I still needed to hurry.
Rustle.
I carefully pulled off the blanket and gently moved Yondu’s arm off me.
Yeon-du, who hadn’t stirred at all because of the alarm, squinted her eyes slightly.
Even her squinting face is adorable.
“Ugh!”
After stretching, I immediately reached for my phone.
Last night, I fell asleep while pondering what to do with Yeon-du.
I couldn’t leave her alone at home.
I’ve heard that’s considered child neglect in the United States.
“I can’t do that because I’m anxious.”
I wanted to be with her all day, but realistically, it wasn’t possible.
I needed someone to look after Yeon-du while I worked.
So, I thought about daycare.
“I saved it yesterday.”
I had saved the number of the daycare closest to home.
Although I hadn’t asked Yondu’s opinion yet, I couldn’t think of any other way.
I immediately made the call.
“Hello, Municipal So-mang Daycare!”
A woman’s voice answered promptly.
“Hello, I have some inquiries.”
“Sure, go ahead!”
“I’m considering leaving my child in your care.”
“How old is your child?”
“She’s five.”
“Um… I’m sorry, but have you applied for admission?”
“Um… what?”
Admission? What admission?
Suddenly, everything went dark.
As I listened to the explanation, I understood.
The place I called required advance application for admission to the municipal daycare.
And even after applying, it would take at least a few months for admission.
“I’m sorry…”
“Oh, it’s okay. If it’s urgent, you might want to call a local home daycare.”
“Thank you.”
I should have checked before making the call.
Parenting is entirely new to me, and everything feels unfamiliar.
I immediately searched for a home daycare and made another call.
It seemed like this was the only home daycare around my area.
“Hello, this is Dan-bi Daycare!”
“Hi. I’m wondering if you can take care of a five-year-old.”
“A five-year-old?”
“Yes.”
“Starting from when do you plan to leave her with us?”
“I need to do it urgently… Can she start today?”
“Today?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but it might be difficult starting from today. We’re not a large-scale daycare, so all our spots are currently filled.”
I sighed involuntarily.
This was a real problem. Just my luck, all the spots were taken.
No, it’s probably because people aren’t having babies these days.
It seems like this home daycare is the only one around, which is why all the children are gathered here.
She must have noticed my sigh because she continued.
“It might be a few days before a spot opens up… Would that be okay with you?”
At this point, it seemed like the best option.
“Yes, please contact me as soon as a spot becomes available.”
“Hold on…”
“What is it?”
“How much does daycare cost?”
It was a crucial issue for me.
The answer came immediately.
“The basic rate for full-time care is 330,000 won. And for the tailored program…”
“…”
I didn’t hear what followed after the shock.
330,000 won? That’s way more than I thought. How much do I even make per month?
Isn’t it normal? Taking care of her all day should cost this much, right?
Realistic issues were starting to hit me.
“330,000 won… I see.”
“However, if your child is 5 years old, the government provides a minimum of 200,000 won in childcare allowances…”
I hadn’t thought about that part.
But there’s another problem.
Can I receive that?
“Isn’t that provided under the parent’s name?”
“Yes? Of course.”
I could hear the surprise in her voice.
Well, it was a ridiculous question even for me.
Of course, it’s provided under the parent’s name.
“Okay. Then have a good day…”
After hanging up the phone, I realized I had one major problem.
Could I legally be Yondu’s parent?
Did I have the qualifications for that?
‘I need to find out.’
It seemed like I needed to find a solution.
That’s when it happened.
“Dad…”
Startled, I turned around to see Yondu standing there.
But for some reason, he looked upset. His voice was trembling too.
“What’s wrong, Yondu? Are you hurt?”
“Dad… Where is Yondu going? Can’t Yondu stay with Dad?”
“What do you mean…”
Oh no. He must have overheard the phone conversation!
From Yondu’s perspective, it was definitely a conversation with potential for misunderstanding.
It was about leaving Yondu somewhere.
“No, no, absolutely not. We will keep living together. So, don’t worry.”
“Really..?”
“Yes. We’re family.”

I arrived at the convenience store 10 minutes before my shift started.
Next to me was Yeon-du, holding my hand tightly.
There’s a short story behind why the situation came to this.
“I couldn’t possibly leave Yeon-du alone at home.”
I had been considering my options and decided to call the convenience store owner.
I explained my situation and asked if I could bring my baby to work for a few days.
Having worked here for a long time, I knew the convenience store owner well.
He was a warm-hearted man in his 50s, and I judged him to be a pretty good person.
We never had any big conflicts, and he was always kind to me.
But asking him for this favor was nerve-wracking.
Bringing a child to work isn’t an easy request.
However, his response came unexpectedly quickly.
“I’m in a hurry right now… Just do as you wish, Juwon!”
And without giving me a chance to explain, she hung up.
I don’t know what’s going on, but it seemed urgent.
So I just brought her with me. Anyway, I got permission to do so.
Yeon-du pointed to the convenience store and asked, “Daddy, do you work here?”
“Yeah.”
“Then… What does Dad do?”
Hmm… it’s a bit ambiguous what to answer.
“Selling stuff. Snacks and drinks, you know?”
“Wow…”
No, why the surprise?
It’s just a part-time job, nothing impressive.
Seeing her innocent expression made me feel like I was lying.
“… Let’s go in quickly!”
“Yeon-du too?”
“Yeah, Yeon-du too.”
Creak.
As we opened the door and entered, the previous part-timer was still there.
He was a slightly chubby male part-timer. Was he a bit younger than me?
I don’t really know; we’re not close.
“Hello.”
“Yes, hello.”
As usual, we exchanged greetings and I took over the shift.
But unlike usual, the part-timer didn’t leave and muttered something.
“Wow…”
I could immediately understand the reason.
The part-timer’s gaze was fixed on Yeon-du.
Yeah, I understand that feeling. It’s hard to take your eyes off her the first time you see her beauty.
The situation felt awkward, so I said something.
“I brought her here because of some circumstances.”
“Wow, she’s so pretty… She’s prettier than Matilda in the movie…”
That was an unexpected compliment.
From the perspective of someone who watched the movie, I fully agreed with that statement.
Matilda is indeed pretty, but Yeon-du is even prettier.
But why? Even though the compliments are for Yeon-du, strangely, I feel good.
Yeon-du seemed to understand the compliments as well, as she smiled sweetly.
“Uh…”
The guy made a strange noise and had an ecstatic expression.
It seemed like he melted seeing Yondu’s smile just now.
In the end, even though his part-time shift ended, he lingered for a while before leaving the convenience store.
Then customers started coming in.
“Wow…”
“Wow…”
“Wow….”
It felt like déjà vu.
Every incoming customer had the same reaction.
They couldn’t help but admire Yeon-du, who was just sitting next to me.
‘Ha-ha, quite the fan service.’
Every time she received a compliment, Yeon-du flashed a sweet smile.
Thanks to her, it wasn’t boring.
It was somewhat entertaining to see people’s reactions to Yondu’s smile.
“Aw, so cute! Is she your daughter?”
A lady asked me.
Before I could answer, Yeon-du answered for me.
“Yes! She’s Daddy’s daughter!”
“Oh my, her voice is like a sweet little bird~”
She even bought a sausage for us.
I hesitated a bit but ended up accepting it because Yeon-du was handed it.
I peeled it and gave it to Yeon-du.
“You can eat it little by little. Chew it well.”
Chew, chew, chew.
“Wow…”
What? The sausage disappeared like magic.
Yeon-du looked at the sausage peel in her hand, which seemed to be the size of a small pearl.
I chuckled and asked, “Is it tasty?”
Yeon-du vigorously nodded her head.
“I’ll buy you some more later.”
“Yes!”
Yeon-du sat excitedly, swinging her legs.
“Be careful, if it falls, you’ll get hurt.”
“Careful!!”
She repeated after me. It’s really cute how she follows along.
Jiing.
Just as I was smiling like a dad, my phone vibrated.
Not just once, but repeatedly.
When I checked, I was invited to a group chat.
Yoon-woo and his Dorks (4)
Looking at the title, it seemed like Yoon-woo had opened the group chat.
That rascal. He said he’d invite me when we talked yesterday.
I chuckled and sent a message to the group chat.
This is Juwon: You childish brat. What kind of name is this?
Then the three guys flooded me with replies.
Choi Yoon-woo: Hey! Come out! The fossil spoke!
Park Jun-soo: Wow, almost on the level of a Pachycephalosaurus. How long has it been since we heard Juwon speak?
Yoo Sung-hyun: It’s almost a national treasure level. Let’s capture it.
They’re overdoing it. Even calling me a fossil.
Juwon: Don’t overdo it.
More replies poured in.
With just a word from me, the three guys were excitedly teasing me.
Still, it was somewhat fun. It’s been a while since I contacted my school friends.
While chatting, a link was posted in the group chat.
Choi Yoon-woo: Hey, come in and see. It’s really cute.
What’s cute?
I clicked on the link and entered.
[Baby and Mommy]
Was it a YouTube channel? Judging by the channel name and the video clips, it seemed to be related to babies.
Ah, they must have posted it because the baby was cute. I clicked on the top video.
In the video, a baby appeared.
“Is it solving a puzzle?”
The baby seemed to be solving a dinosaur puzzle.
After watching a bit of the video, I nodded and closed it.
“Cute.”
I felt like I knew why they posted the link.
The baby was cute. Maybe the old me would have watched the video to the end.
But not now. I turned my gaze sideways.
For some reason, Yeon-du, who was puffing her cheeks, caught my eye.
“Even cuter.”

You just need to look at Yondu; there’s no need to watch videos. To my eyes, Yondu is much cuter, especially since she’s my daughter, making her even cuter.
Meanwhile, the group chat kept buzzing. It seemed like they were all unmarried, judging by their talk. It started with wanting a son like this someday, then boasting about superior genetics and how they would be on a different level than others.
“Unbelievable.”
All this fuss over a YouTube video.
If they ever saw Yondu in person, they might actually faint.
And if they knew I was a dad…
Thinking of the guys boasting, I couldn’t help but laugh.
That’s when it happened.
Click.
Someone opened the door to the convenience store.
This time, it wasn’t a customer.
“Hello.”
I pocketed my phone and politely greeted them.
I’m always polite to customers, but a bit more courteous to the person who holds my paycheck – the boss.
“Hello, sir.”
“Oh, Juwon. Just stopped by to check in. Everything alright?”
“Yes. I called earlier, but you seemed busy…”
“Ah! Right! I was outside, had an urgent call of nature… and hung up? Sorry, hehe.”
It was an urgent nature’s call, after all.
“I see. Um, did you hear what I said over the phone?”
“I did. You said something about bringing your kid?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“Where’s the kid then?”
“Huh? Well, um, she’s right here…”
Huh? Wait. Why is Yondu suddenly missing?
The kid who was just sitting on the chair next to me.
Did she disappear while I was briefly checking my phone?
I couldn’t hide my confusion.
“Uh, where did she go? I didn’t hear the door open…”
Just then, a comforting voice reached me.
“Daddy!”
“…!”
Yondu came bouncing from behind the shelves.
Wait. What’s in her hand? A sausage.
Was it really that delicious? Fortunately, she hadn’t peeled it yet.
“Hehe, Daddy! Look at this!”
It seemed like she wanted to buy it.
But now was not the right time. I hadn’t done the right thing by bringing her, and her running around didn’t help.
“Um, sorry for…”
I apologized to the boss.
But something felt odd. The boss was looking at me with a strange expression.
It was hard to guess what he was thinking.
Then, with a trembling voice, the boss uttered a sentence.
“You should have told me, man.”
“..Huh?”
“You should have told me you had a kid.”
That’s when I realized something.
Yondu just called me Dad in front of the boss.
Because of that, the boss was misunderstanding something.
Patting my shoulder, the boss said with a somewhat sad expression.
“You’ve been through a lot, raising a kid at such a young age. Oh, Juwon, she’s so much like you. Beautiful, beautiful.”
He quickly peeled the sausage and handed it to Yondu.
“Eat a lot. Eat this one and another. Got it?”
“Thank you!”
“No, no.”
It was a really awkward situation for me.
Of course, the boss wasn’t wrong.
Raising a kid at a young age, that’s correct.
But I felt like I needed to explain.
“Um, sir? I have something to say…”
“Juwon.”
“Yes?”
“I can’t do much, but… I’ll talk to my wife about raising your wage a bit. So, hang in there, okay?”
At that moment, a word popped out of my mouth automatically.
“Thank you so much. I’ll really raise her well.”
“Yeah, you better.”
That’s how I compromised with reality.
I’m sorry, boss.