Chapter 56

Squish squish—

Ha-yeon was snuggled in my arms, fiddling with my stomach. But her hands gradually moved upward and soon began touching my chest. Since I wasn’t wearing a bra at home, I could feel every little poke and prod from Ha-yeon.

“Ha… Ha-yeon, Mommy’s milk isn’t coming out…”

Ha-yeon was making such a serious, solemn face while touching me that it felt a little awkward to tell her to stop. But what came out of her mouth was something entirely different.

“Mommy… haven’t you gained a little weight?”

Ha-yeon’s innocent voice echoed through the living room.

“Huh?”

“You’ve gotten chubbier than before!”

I was shocked by Ha-yeon’s words. Gaining weight…?! I quickly put Ha-yeon down and hurriedly got up to look for the scale. I pulled out the dusty scale from the corner, trembling inside.

No way… But I have been eating a lot lately. That fact alone made me depressed. The cause was already clear.

I stepped onto the scale. The numbers slowly climbed before finally stopping at a certain point.

The number staring back at me confirmed the truth. My weight had definitely increased. Maybe even by a lot. Ha-yeon came over, glanced at the scale, and then spoke.

“Ah… no, Mommy! I love you no matter what!”

Instead of comforting me, her words made something deep inside me ache even more. Though her words were pure, my self-esteem had already hit rock bottom and couldn’t recover. Even as Ha-yeon tried to comfort me, the number on the scale remained unchanged, stubbornly proving its point.

“Sniff…”

As I stepped off the scale, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My cheeks looked rounder than usual, and my sides seemed to sag a bit. Was this what Ha-yeon meant by “chubby”? I even felt like my stomach was slightly protruding, as if I were pregnant! Of course, it was just my overactive imagination. My stomach wasn’t actually sticking out.

As I stared at the mirror, I couldn’t help but imagine the worst. What if I kept gaining weight? I might end up looking like a pig. That thought was terrifying.

“Mommy, you’re really starting to look like a pig!”

The moment I imagined Ha-yeon saying that and laughing in front of me, a chill ran down my spine. Of course, the chances of Ha-yeon saying something like that were close to zero. She wouldn’t say something so harsh. But I had seen her change her tone when she was with her friends, so I didn’t know what she might say when I wasn’t around.

I clenched my fists. It was time to start a diet.

Noticing my gloomy expression, Ha-yeon quietly approached and grabbed my arm.

“Mommy, it’s okay. You’re slim, so it’s fine! I’m sorry for saying that, Mommy!”

Ha-yeon’s comfort was warm. But I had already made up my mind.

“Ha-yeon, Mommy’s going on a diet.”

“Huh? Why! I love you even if you don’t diet!”

Ha-yeon shook her head, but my determination was firm. Nothing could stop me now. I was like a runaway train, ready to smash through any obstacle. I started searching for diet methods on my phone. Ha-yeon pouted and whined.

“Mommyyy…”

—

“Hmm…”

I scrolled through my phone, searching for diet methods. I didn’t need anything extreme. Just a little adjustment… I wasn’t that overweight, so maintaining a healthy weight would be enough.

Is there a good method? After browsing the internet, I finally found one.

“Banana diet…?”

The reviews were full of praise for its simplicity and effectiveness. Plus, it was said to be good for health. I immediately grabbed my wallet and got ready to head out.

But seeing me like this, Ha-yeon called out.

“Mommyyy! Where are you going?”

“Just to the store nearby, Ha-yeon!”

“Take me with you, Mommy!”

I smiled slightly and nodded.

“Should I? Want to come with me?”

“Okay!”

As soon as I said that, Ha-yeon dashed to her room at an astonishing speed and was ready to go in no time. I had no idea how she changed from her pajamas to her regular clothes so quickly. I took her hand, and we headed out.

“Mommy, Mommy! Did you find a diet method?”

“Yes, Ha-yeon! I found a really good one.”

“Reallyyy?”

“You’ll be so surprised when you see it!”

Ha-yeon pouted and gave me a skeptical look. I found it cute and patted her head. She immediately giggled and brightened up. Patting her head always made her happy. It was a skill I had learned while living with her.

“I’m so happy to go out with Mommy!”

Ha-yeon always seemed to be in a better mood when she went out with me. She was still such a child.

When we arrived at the store, I grabbed a shopping basket and said.

“Ha-yeon, if there’s anything you want, you can get it!”

“It’s okay, Mommy! Let’s just get what you want!”

“Alright.”

Ha-yeon never asked for things at the store. Kids her age usually beg their parents for snacks, but Ha-yeon was different. She didn’t ask for much, and it seemed like she didn’t want much either.

Anyway, we headed to the banana section. As soon as I saw the bananas, I enthusiastically piled a bunch into the basket.

“Mommy…? Are you buying bananas?”

Ha-yeon’s eyes widened as she looked up at me.

“Yes! There’s a banana diet. You eat bananas instead of meals to lose weight.”

“Hmm…”

She looked doubtful, but I was confident after reading all the positive reviews online.

I practically poured bananas into the basket. As the basket filled up, Ha-yeon took a step back, her mouth agape.

“Mommy… can you really eat all of this?”

Ha-yeon was stunned by the sheer amount of bananas. She had never seen anything like it. But she was still young. Dieting required determination. Half-hearted efforts wouldn’t work.

“Yes, I’ll eat them instead of meals! Don’t worry, I’ll still make your meals, Ha-yeon!”

“But…”

Ha-yeon couldn’t find the words to respond to the mountain of bananas. It was her first time seeing such a diet method. After paying, we headed home.

On the way back, Ha-yeon kept asking about the banana diet.

“Mommy, will you really lose weight just by eating bananas?”

“Of course! Lots of people have lost weight with this method!”

I had read many reviews on my phone, so I was sure. Plus, some celebrities also did the banana diet.

“But, Mommy, if you only eat bananas… won’t you turn yellow like a banana?”

I burst out laughing at Ha-yeon’s silly question.

“No, Ha-yeon! That won’t happen. Don’t worry!”

Ha-yeon nodded, still looking a bit skeptical. When we got home, I placed the bananas on the dining table.

Seeing the bananas on the table, Ha-yeon gasped.

“Mommy, there are so many bananas!”

“Right? I’ve never seen this many bananas before.”

I might have gone overboard. I think I overreacted to Ha-yeon’s comment. It might have just been a passing remark, but I couldn’t help it. Once she said I had gained weight, I couldn’t let it go.

When I was a man, I wouldn’t have cared much about gaining weight, but after becoming a woman, I became very sensitive about it. I think I understand why women are so proactive about weight management now.

Maybe the female hormones themselves are threatening me, saying I can’t gain weight. Of course, that’s probably just my imagination.

From today onward, I decided to live on bananas. With just bananas and water, dieting didn’t seem scary at all. I was determined to lose weight and proudly show Ha-yeon my new figure.