Chapter 58

“Mommyyyyyy…”

Ha-yeon burrowed into my arms, curling up like a tiny kitten. It seemed like these moments were the most comfortable for her. I gently stroked her soft hair, feeling its smooth texture slip through my fingers. Whose genes gave her such silky hair? Back when I was a man, my hair was stiff as needles—nothing like Ha-yeon’s soft locks.

Ha-yeon looked up at me and said, “Kiss me, kiss!”

She absolutely adored being kissed—on the cheek, forehead, even her nose. Wherever my affection landed, she would always light up with a bright smile. I smiled back, cupping her face in my hands and said, “Okay. Here?”

Ha-yeon nodded, sticking out her cheek. I held her face and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. She giggled happily, her face beaming. I worried she might ask for a lip kiss next. Spoiling her too much wasn’t good… but Ha-yeon usually knew her limits, so I decided not to overthink it.

As we absentmindedly watched TV, a scene of someone making a delicious shaved ice dessert came on. I unconsciously swallowed my drool. In this heat, a shaved ice treat seemed like the perfect idea…

Maybe it was because of my recent diet, but I was craving something sweet so badly. I felt like I’d do anything to devour that fluffy, white shaved ice. Right then, Ha-yeon perfectly timed her question, “Mommy! I want shaved ice!”

I looked at her and smiled. “Shaved ice?”

“Yeah.”

I stood up, as if I’d been waiting for her to say it, and declared, “If Ha-yeon wants shaved ice, then we have no choice! Let’s go get some together!”

“Yay!”

Ha-yeon excitedly raised her hands. And just like that, we set off on our neighborhood shaved ice adventure. Of course, I didn’t forget to check the shaved ice shop locations on my phone first. Wandering around in this heat without a plan would’ve been a disaster. Heatstroke is no joke. Luckily, the shop was close by—only a 20-minute walk.

I dressed Ha-yeon and got ready to head out. Summer meant light outfits for both of us. If we didn’t dress like this, the heat would’ve made it impossible to go outside.

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“Ugh… it’s so hot…”

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and sighed. Just walking under the blazing sun had me drenched. Beside me, Ha-yeon fanned her face with her tiny hands and whined, “Mommy, it’s so hot…”

I looked down at her and tried to sound cheerful. As the adult and protector, I had to stay strong in front of her. Sure, I’d complained about the heat first, but I didn’t whine. Showing weakness in front of Ha-yeon would’ve undermined my authority as a mom. Adults don’t cry in front of kids for a reason—parents don’t want to show their vulnerable side. In front of their children, parents have to be superheroes who can handle anything.

“Just hang in there a little longer, Ha-yeon. We’re almost there.”

Once we got to the shaved ice shop, the cool air conditioning would greet us. And not just that—there’d be refreshing shaved ice too!

We’d sit at a table and enjoy our little summer retreat. Sure, going to the beach or a valley was one way to beat the heat, but sitting in a neighborhood shaved ice shop with AC and a cold treat was its own kind of vacation.

Plus, this kind of getaway was way cheaper—probably less than 1/10th the cost. Anywhere with AC could be a summer retreat.

Honestly, I couldn’t help but feel respect for whoever invented air conditioning. It’s liberated so many people from the sweltering heat.

I’ve heard that in the old days, without AC, the only places to escape the heat were rivers or the sea. How terrifying! No way to escape the heat? Unthinkable!

Anyway, as I was lost in thought, we finally arrived at the shaved ice shop.

“Ha-yeon, let’s go in!”

“Okay!”

We opened the door and stepped inside. A clear bell chimed, and the cool air immediately wrapped around us. I let out a deep sigh. The heat that had been melting me away vanished in an instant. My back felt drenched in sweat, but the AC would cool me down soon enough.

We looked around. Thankfully, there were plenty of seats. Ha-yeon and I headed to the counter to order, but there was no one there. We had to use a kiosk.

“Hmm…”

I’d gotten better at using kiosks after coming here often with Ha-yeon. Even if I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, I could manage after a few tries.

If I didn’t have at least this much intelligence, I wouldn’t have been able to work at a café. Cafés have dozens of coffee menus, after all. Sure, the desserts and bread were made by others, but I was solely in charge of coffee.

If I’d had to make bread or desserts too, I’d have been completely wiped out. Thankfully, they didn’t pile that much on me. Learning new things is like poison to me—I’d probably mess up for a whole month. Back when I was a man, it took me half a year to get used to working at a café.

“Mommy, I want strawberry shaved ice!”

Ha-yeon was already excitedly pointing at the menu on the screen. I checked the strawberry shaved ice she was pointing at and tapped the order screen. A cute little icon popped up in the transaction list.

“One strawberry shaved ice… and…”

I pondered for a moment before adding, “One mango shaved ice too!”

Mango shaved ice was also delicious. Lately, I’d noticed that shaved ice portions had gotten smaller. Back in the day, two people could barely finish one serving, but now one person could easily handle one. It was probably a business strategy—reduce the portion size instead of raising prices. The same thing happened with ice cream.

Back then, ice cream was huge, but now it’s almost half the size. One bite and half the ice cream would disappear. Another example of reducing quantity instead of increasing prices.

After finishing the order and payment, we sat down. The cold chair and AC breeze cooled my back. This was the essence of summer retreats. Ha-yeon, already excited, tapped the table and asked, “Mommy, when’s the shaved ice coming?”

She couldn’t wait even for a short while. With the crowd, it’d take some time for our order to come out. I smiled at her impatience and said, “It’ll be here soon. Just wait a little.”

I figured it’d take about 10 minutes. As usual, I took out my phone and snapped a picture of Ha-yeon. Summer was almost over, and soon we wouldn’t see her in her light summer outfits. Fall would bring a change in fashion.

“Order number 15! Your strawberry and mango shaved ice are ready!”

The notification bell on the table vibrated, signaling our order was done. I got up to get the shaved ice, and Ha-yeon, not wanting to be left behind, followed closely behind. I looked down at her and said, “Mommy will bring it, so you stay seated!”

“Hmph…”

Ha-yeon pouted, her small height clearly frustrating her. She’d struggled with it at the amusement park too, and now here as well. But there was nothing to be done—she was still a kindergartener. She’d grow taller in time.