Chapter 14

“Ha-yeon, you need to get dressed!”

“Heehee!”

Ha-yeon was running around wearing only her underwear. Luckily, the house had the heater on, so it wasn’t too cold for winter. Besides, the government provided support, so even if we cranked up the heater, the monthly bill wasn’t much. Raising a child came with so many benefits—benefits you’d never get otherwise.

I moved to catch Ha-yeon. My clumsy body made it hard to catch the nimble little one. She was small and quick, making it nearly impossible for me to grab her. As we played this game of tag, Ha-yeon suddenly disappeared. How could she vanish in such a small house…?

Then, she appeared behind me.

“Eek!”

“Mom!”

Ha-yeon was grinning, clearly amused by my reaction. I thought a ghost had appeared. Relieved, I sighed and finally caught her. She didn’t try to run away anymore. I stood her up and got her dressed—though, to be fair, she wasn’t wearing much to begin with.

Once Ha-yeon was dressed, the clothes we picked up from Dongmyo Market looked like high-end fashion. They say fashion is all about the face, and on Ha-yeon, even simple clothes looked elegant and stylish. It was as if we’d bought them from some expensive brand store. I couldn’t help but clap. The outfit suited her so well.

“Ha-yeon, it looks amazing on you!”

“Really? I like it even more because you think so!”

Usually, little kids throw tantrums about clothes, but Ha-yeon never did. She loved whatever I dressed her in. Of course, she’d whine occasionally, but only when I was too busy to help her change. She could dress herself just fine, but oddly, she wouldn’t do it unless I was around.

Maybe it’s because she’s still little. Anyway, once I finished dressing her, Ha-yeon looked like a round snowman. The thick padded jacket made sense—it was still freezing outside, close to sub-zero temperatures.

After dressing Ha-yeon, I started changing my own clothes. While Ha-yeon’s clothes were either from Dongmyo Market or occasionally splurged from brand stores, mine were mostly second-hand clothes from government donations. You know, the ones from those clothing donation bins.

With all the money spent on Ha-yeon’s clothes, there wasn’t much left for mine. But the donated clothes were surprisingly decent. Maybe because it’s a well-off area, people donated good stuff. I kept an eagle eye out for those and wore them proudly.

“Mom, your chest is huge!”

Ha-yeon said this while I was just wearing a bra. Well, my chest *is* bigger than the average Korean woman’s. Maybe that’s why I often caught people staring at me when I worked at the café—both men and women.

Though, honestly, I didn’t really notice the stares much. Except for the occasional blatant look.

“Ha-yeon, you’ll grow big too!”

“Really?”

I said it to tease her, but Ha-yeon just responded indifferently. I wanted to tell her how inconvenient having a big chest can be.

For one, walking around with a big chest made my shoulders ache, and sleeping on my stomach was nearly impossible. Ever since my chest grew, the only comfortable sleeping position was on my back. Sleeping on my side or stomach made my chest feel heavy, and I couldn’t fall asleep.

Anyway, Ha-yeon kept circling around me. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I quickly changed my clothes and said, “Let’s go, Ha-yeon!”

“Okay!”

—

“Ha-yeon, stay still!”

Ha-yeon wouldn’t stop moving for a second. I’d heard kids have endless energy, and it seemed true.

“But I’m happy to be out with you!”

We took the bus and arrived at our destination—a furniture store specializing in beds. Before entering, we had to take off our shoes. Of course, we weren’t walking around barefoot; the store provided cozy slippers, fluffy enough to wear around the house.

I took off Ha-yeon’s shoes and helped her into the slippers. Her shoes were old, so I made a mental note to buy her new ones soon. I didn’t mind wearing second-hand stuff, but Ha-yeon deserved better. It wasn’t like we were short on money—I earned enough and had savings.

“Ticklish!”

I must’ve touched her foot. I laughed and said, “Your feet are so soft, I couldn’t help it!”

“Really? You can touch them more if you want!”

“Let’s go inside~”

I changed into the slippers too, then held Ha-yeon’s hand as we entered the store. Inside, bright lights greeted us, and all we could see were beds—soft, fluffy beds everywhere.

“Wow!”

Compared to the old bed at home, these looked amazing. Ha-yeon immediately ran off, inspecting the beds without anyone telling her to.

“Hello!”

A neatly dressed employee greeted us. I nodded in response.

“If you find a bed you like, just let us know. Feel free to ask any questions.”

Thankfully, it wasn’t like those clothing stores where employees hover over you. We could freely explore, try out the beds, and ask questions if needed. I sighed in relief. Even after working at a café, I still wasn’t comfortable talking to strangers, especially men.

Luckily, all the employees here seemed to be women. I approached Ha-yeon, who was lying on a bed.

“Ha-yeon, do you like this bed?”

She was tapping the bed frame, searching for something. I tilted my head, confused. We came here to buy a bed for Ha-yeon, so it had to suit her taste, not mine.

After all, the bed was for her. I usually slept in the living room to give her her own space, though sometimes we slept together.

“Yeah, I like it big! We need a big bed so I can sleep with you!”

“Huh?”

I thought Ha-yeon would want a soft, comfy bed, but she surprised me. She looked at me and said, “I want to sleep with you! You always sleep on the couch in the living room!”

I didn’t have my own room, so I slept on the couch to give Ha-yeon her space. With only one room, one of us had to sleep outside, and I preferred it to be me.

But Ha-yeon seemed to want to sleep with me. While it was sweet, I wasn’t sure if it was the best way to foster her independence.

“Mom, you should lie down too! It’s so soft!”

The bed looked irresistibly soft, so I couldn’t help but dive in. It wasn’t my fault—the bed was just too inviting.

*Plop!*

The bed was incredibly soft. Compared to this, our bed at home felt like trash.

“Mom, do you like it?”

“Yeah! It’s amazing!”

We lay there for a while, soaking in the comfort. It was so cozy that I almost fell asleep. But we couldn’t just nap in someone else’s store! I got up before I dozed off.

“Ha-yeon, let’s check out the other beds!”

“Okay!”

There were still so many beds left. We had to try them all—it would be a shame not to. It was like sampling food at a tasting booth; you had to try everything before deciding.

So, Ha-yeon and I hopped from bed to bed. Some were so soft you’d sink halfway in, while others were firm and unyielding. It was fascinating how different people’s preferences were. Personally, I’d always go for the softest mattress.