Chapter 17 - Darkmtl
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Chapter 17

“Mommyyyyyyy!”

Ha-yul was happily eating the apple that the boss had peeled for her when she heard Ha-yeon’s voice. Ha-yul wanted to get up from the bed and greet Ha-yeon, but the IV drip attached to her arm stopped her.

“Ha-yeon!”

“Mommy! Don’t die! Don’t leave Ha-yeon behind and go anywhere!”

Ha-yeon’s eyes were red and swollen from crying so much. Seeing Ha-yeon like that made Ha-yul feel guilty. Maybe she shouldn’t have gone to work at the café today and should’ve visited the hospital instead… She wondered if she had hurt Ha-yeon unnecessarily.

“Mommy’s not going to die. Do you think I’d leave Ha-yeon behind and go?”

“Sniff…”

Ha-yeon was too scared to hug her mom, afraid she might hurt her, so she just stood by and watched. Just then, Chae So-young and Yoo A-rin approached from behind.

“Ha-yul, are you okay?”

Chae So-young and Yoo A-rin had brought a vitamin drink for Kim Ha-yul to have. It was customary to bring something when visiting someone in the hospital. Ha-yul bowed her head apologetically when she saw her sisters. She felt bad for causing trouble.

“Sorry, sisters. Because of me…”

“No, no. But if you were feeling this bad, you should’ve said something!”

“Right.”

“Sigh…”

The boss, who had been quietly observing the conversation, chimed in.

“I talked to the doctor, and they said you should rest well this week.”

“Really, boss?”

“Yeah.”

It wasn’t a big deal if Ha-yul didn’t work at the café. If a part-timer leaving for a week could ruin the café, then it wasn’t being managed properly. It’s not like a company would collapse just because one new employee took a break, right? That’s not how it worked.

After chatting for about 30 minutes, Seong Mi-rae, the boss of Happy Café, subtly signaled to Chae So-young and Yoo A-rin. Seeing Ha-yeon unable to move from her spot, she thought it was best to give the mother and daughter some time alone. Besides, there wasn’t much point in them staying longer.

“So-young, A-rin, let’s go now.”

“Can’t we stay a bit longer…?”

Chae So-young and Yoo A-rin looked at the boss with pleading eyes, but Seong Mi-rae firmly shut them down.

“Ha-yul needs to rest, you two.”

“Okay!”

Chae So-young, Yoo A-rin, and Seong Mi-rae left the hospital room. It was a six-bed room, but it was completely empty. Not every hospital is packed with patients every day, after all.

“By the way, the café’s sales are going to drop this week.”

“Right. Most of the male customers come to see Ha-yul.”

It was clear that the number of male customers at the café would decrease this week. People flocked to the café to drink the coffee Ha-yul made. Her coffee was much tastier and had a deeper flavor than anyone else’s.

It was so impressive that Yoo A-rin even tried making coffee similar to Ha-yul’s, but it wasn’t the same. It was an unexplainable phenomenon, but they just accepted it. In a world where Hunters exist, it’s not far-fetched to think someone could have a talent for making delicious coffee.

“Don’t worry about that. Our café makes enough money anyway.”

It was true. Ever since Ha-yul joined, the monthly sales had skyrocketed. As long as Ha-yul didn’t quit her part-time job, they were golden.

“We’ve confirmed Ha-yul’s fine. Let’s get ready to open the café tomorrow.”

“Sniff… I wanted to take a break this week.”

“Don’t even think about slacking off just because Ha-yul’s not here!”

Seong Mi-rae patted Chae So-young’s back, who looked dejected. Now that they knew Ha-yul was fine, they had to focus on their own tasks.

I blankly watched as the boss and my sisters left. The boss said I should rest well this week, so I planned to do just that.

If I went back to work at the café and my cold got worse, I wouldn’t be able to face the boss. From now on, if I felt sick, I’d tell the boss instead of holding it in.

“Mommyyyyy…”

Ha-yeon’s tears started falling. The tears she had been holding back in front of the boss and my sisters finally burst out. Ha-yeon always tried to act mature in front of others, but when it was just the two of us, she acted like any other child.

“Ha-yeon, stop crying!”

“I thought Mommy was going to die…”

“Mommy’s fine, okay?”

Ha-yeon snuggled into my arms. I stroked her head to comfort her. It was the first time I’d seen Ha-yeon cry so much. She usually didn’t cry easily.

“Mommy, are you really okay?”

Ha-yeon looked up at me with her adorable face. I resisted the urge to kiss her cheek and replied.

“Yeah. The doctor said I’m much better now. I’m way better than before, right?”

“Sniff…”

Ha-yeon burrowed deeper into my arms, as if she didn’t want to let go. I hugged her tighter, hoping it would reassure her. As we were talking, Ha-yeon suddenly remembered something and rummaged through her bag.

“Mommy! I made a carnation for you today… I’m sorry…”

The carnation she pulled out of her bag was covered in dirt. Had she dropped it on the ground?

“I didn’t mean to drop it…”

I carefully took the carnation from Ha-yeon. It was actually quite well-made. After brushing off the dirt, it looked neat. I pinned it to my chest. Ha-yeon had put so much effort into it, so I had to wear it.

“You did a great job, Ha-yeon! It’s so pretty!”

“Really!?”

“Yeah!”

I smiled brightly and showed off the carnation Ha-yeon had given me. Ha-yeon grinned happily. She looked much better when she smiled. The crying Ha-yeon from earlier shouldn’t exist.

“Ha-yeon, try this apple. It’s delicious.”

I handed Ha-yeon the apple the boss had peeled for me. Ha-yeon shook her head.

“Mommy, feed me!”

“Okay…”

I picked up the apple and fed it to Ha-yeon. She smiled brightly as she looked at me.

“It’s yummy!”

“Right?”

“It’s extra yummy because Mommy gave it to me!”

Well, the boss did all the work… But I wasn’t the type to nitpick, so I just nodded. Ha-yeon kept chattering beside me. The crying Ha-yeon from earlier was long gone.

“I think you’re good to be discharged… And this week, avoid any strenuous activities. You still have some remnants of the cold.”

“Yes, doctor!”

After listening to the doctor, I was ready to go home. Ha-yeon clung to me, refusing to let go. I looked at her and said.

“Ha-yeon, you’ll catch Mommy’s cold.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine! If it’s Mommy’s cold, I don’t mind!”

“But I do…”

Ha-yeon stuck to me like glue, not caring if she caught my cold. It looked like she’d be sleeping with me tonight. I had planned to sleep in the living room and let Ha-yeon sleep alone, but…

Even though I was feeling better after the IV drip and medication, I could still feel the lingering effects of the cold. A cold isn’t something that goes away overnight. It takes at least a week of proper rest to recover.

I didn’t want Ha-yeon to catch it. I tried to keep my distance, but Ha-yeon wouldn’t let go. In the end, I gave up. I didn’t have the heart to push her away.

I sighed deeply. Would Ha-yeon ever become independent?

Sure, some kids are clingy when they’re young, but they often change during puberty. Those sweet, smiling kids from childhood sometimes grow up to find their moms annoying.

Maybe Ha-yeon would be like that too. When she grows up and matures, she might not cling to me like this. Thinking about it made me a little sad. I liked how Ha-yeon was now. She wouldn’t abandon me later, right?

I felt a bit anxious.

“Ha-yeon, you won’t abandon Mommy, right?”

“What are you talking about, Mommy! Mommy and Ha-yeon will be together forever!”

I wanted to record Ha-yeon’s words. If she ever grew up and didn’t listen to me, I’d play it back for her.


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I Picked Up the Main Character

I Picked Up the Main Character

주인공을 주워버렸다
Score 7.6
Status: Completed Type: Author: Released: 2024 Native Language: Korean
Since I entered the world of this novel, I’ve been raising the protagonist to enjoy an easy life. But the way the protagonist looks at me is a bit strange.

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