Jo Sung-hyun finished the call and headed straight to Lee Soo-hyun's house.
Lee Soo-hyun welcomed him as he hadn't been home for a few days.
Jo Sung-hyun put the drinks he bought on the way in the refrigerator and greeted his father.
"Is that a new doll?"
Lee Soo-hyun looked at the mermaid princess doll that Chae-yoon was holding and said.
"Yes, I got it as a prize at the sports day."
"Chae-yoon must have done well."
"Daddy sang a song and did it!"
Chae-yoon said proudly.
At that, Lee Soo-hyun turned her head and looked at Jo Sung-hyun.
She had a look on her face that demanded an explanation, and Jo Sung-hyun shrugged his shoulders.
"They said they would give a prize to someone who sings well. I sang a song and got it."
"You got it somehow."
"Mom, your son sings better than you think."
At Jo Sung-hyun's words, Lee Soo-hyun waved her hand as if she understood.
She quickly prepared dinner, and they all ate together.
Chae-yoon, who ate faster than others, rolled around in the living room, which was bigger than Jo Sung-hyun's house, and then lay down on the sofa as if she was tired.
The child soon fell asleep, nodding off.
Jo Sung-hyun approached the child and carefully laid her down and covered her with a blanket.
"So, what did you really come for today?"
As soon as he sat down at the table again, Lee Soo-hyun asked.
Jo Sung-hyun scratched his cheek.
"Well, it's because of Chae-yoon."
"What about Chae-yoon? Did she get hurt?"
Lee Soo-hyun turned her head and looked at Chae-yoon.
She confirmed once again that she was fine, and moved her eyes to Jo Sung-hyun.
Jo Sung-hyun chuckled.
"Why would she get hurt? I had a consultation with the kindergarten teacher today, and the teacher said that Chae-yoon is getting more and more emotional expressions, which is good."
"That's good. I'm glad. She had a hard time after her mother died."
"Yes. The teacher told me that it would be better if I spend more time with Chae-yoon, doing what she likes. That's why I came."
With a bright face, Lee Soo-hyun said.
"That's good. Of course. She likes you so much."
She was one of the people who felt the most that Jo Sung-hyun had changed a lot lately.
He used to be busy and distant from his daughter, but what happened to him that he suddenly became so attached to Chae-yoon that he couldn't live without her.
She thought it was a good change that Chae-yoon became brighter, but more than anything, she was grateful that her son, Jo Sung-hyun, became much brighter as he spent time with Chae-yoon.
"What do you think would be good to do together? Like, reading fairy tales or something? Or just go somewhere and have fun?"
"That's not bad... But you said to spend time doing what Chae-yoon likes, right? Does Chae-yoon like reading fairy tales or something?"
At that, Jo Sung-hyun hesitated.
He didn't think that far.
The teacher clearly said that it would be good to spend time doing what Chae-yoon likes.
Jo Sung-hyun just naturally thought of the things he wanted to do for his daughter.
Of course, reading fairy tales or going somewhere would be something that Chae-yoon would like.
But, doing what Chae-yoon really wants and likes, rather than what Jo Sung-hyun wants to do for her, is just self-satisfaction.
He felt like someone hit him on the head and came to his senses.
"She just wants you to be a normal dad. She'll like it if you spend time with her as a dad, no matter what you do. Of course, she'll like it more if you do what she likes."
Lee Soo-hyun said that, and Jo Sung-hyun nodded his head.
In the meantime, Jo Sung-hyun's father, who was sitting next to Lee Soo-hyun, opened his mouth.
He had been quiet until now, but when he opened his mouth, Jo Sung-hyun and Lee Soo-hyun looked at him at the same time.
"She plays the piano well, right? Why don't you learn the piano together? She was moving her fingers like crazy while eating. Like playing the piano."
At his father's words, Jo Sung-hyun had no choice but to agree.
He could do it, and Chae-yoon liked it.
Music.
* * *
He returned home.
Chae-yoon had a nap after dinner, and she didn't look sleepy even though it was almost 10 o'clock.
As he watched Chae-yoon quietly, Jo Sung-hyun spoke.
"Chae-yoon."
"Yes?"
Chae-yoon, who was humming and swaying her arms, responded slowly.
"Do you like music, Chae-yoon?"
"Music?"
"Yes. Like playing the piano, or singing... things like that."
"Yes! Chae-yoon likes music!"
Chae-yoon responded without hesitation.
After all, she's a child who said she wanted to be a mermaid princess and sing well after going to the aquarium.
Should he really learn the piano together with her, as her father suggested?
Jo Sung-hyun hadn't put in a lot of effort into learning the piano, but he knew the basics.
Using the keyboard while composing was something he did naturally.
He might not be able to play like world-class pianists, but he could manage to a certain extent.
However, there was a problem with this too.
Chae-yoon seemed to know the basics, even though she hadn't been professionally trained. She could play a song by listening to Yumi's music a few times, and she could even play the ringtone on her phone.
Jo Sung-hyun didn't have the talent to teach her something like that.
No matter what anyone said, Chae-yoon had a natural talent for music.
It was becoming more evident, and even what had been revealed so far was enough to call Chae-yoon a prodigy.
But then, what should he do from now on?
Jo Sung-hyun felt his mind becoming complicated in an instant.
It wasn't a question of whether he should pursue music again or not.
That part of the dilemma had already been resolved.
The current dilemma was whether Jo Sung-hyun could handle Chae-yoon's talent or not.
How should he raise Chae-yoon?
It was difficult.
It was his first time raising a musical prodigy daughter.
As he looked at Chae-yoon, who was still humming and playing with the mermaid princess, the night grew deeper.
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