Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 304

Recently, Byeol had been trying her best to refrain from her usual post-dinner supermarket run. This could only mean one thing: she wanted something.

As Do-Jun sat on the sofa, towel-drying his wet hair, he watched Byeol toddle over to him, holding a cute little notebook. Inside it were ten “Great Job!” stamps. Each time Byeol collected ten stamps, Do-Jun would reward her with an allowance. There was no fixed amount; he usually gave her as much as she needed.

“You’ve been such a good girl,” he said with a smile as he took out a 10,000-won bill from his wallet and handed it to her.

Normally, he would give her no more than five thousand, but since she had been holding back from her usual supermarket trips lately, he decided to double the amount.

Byeol blinked, glancing up at Do-Jun with uncertainty.

“Hm? Is something wrong, Byeol?” he asked.

“D-Daddy, this is too much.”

To Byeol, 10,000 won was a fortune. She worried that taking this much money might strain the family’s finances. She didn’t know how much it cost to run a household, but she feared they might have to borrow money from elsewhere if she took too much.

“It’s too much?” Do-Jun asked, confused.

“If you give me so much money, our famiwy might have a hawd time.”

Realizing that Byeol was completely serious, Do-Jun chuckled softly. Although he wasn’t incredibly wealthy, he had more than enough to live comfortably. And if he ever needed more, he could easily get it.

Patting Byeol’s head, he reassured her, “Don’t worry. Daddy has plenty of money. Giving you this much won’t cause any trouble.”

“Weally?”

“Of course.”

“Okie!”

Finally convinced, Byeol beamed and carefully placed the bill into her small teddy bear-shaped wallet. After zipping the wallet shut, she tucked it neatly into a drawer beneath the TV. Then, she pulled out a flyer and examined it closely.

The flyer titled “Changshin Food Market” was for the upcoming food market fair, hosted by the Changshin Villa Women’s Association. Held randomly, anywhere from once every few months to once a year, the fair offered a variety of foods, with all proceeds donated to help those in need.

Seeing the flyer, it became clear why Byeol was saving up.

***

The next morning, Do-Jun was getting ready for an unexpected day at the office. As he stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his tie, Yoon-Hee looked at him with a troubled expression.

“You’re going to work? On a Saturday?” she asked. It was understandable since today was the day of the Changshin Food Market.

In the bedroom, Yong-Yong, Karsiel, and Byeol were still sleeping peacefully. The children, especially Yong-Yong and Byeol, had been eagerly looking forward to visiting the food market. They would undoubtedly be disappointed if Do-Jun couldn’t go with them.

“I’ll be back by dinner time,” Do-Jun said.

“Okay, then...”

***

Karsiel was the first to wake up. She usually woke up early on weekend mornings, but today she got up even earlier than usual. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she looked around the bed. Yong-Yong and Byeol were still sound asleep, cuddled together. Carefully, so as not to wake them, Karsiel slipped out of bed and headed to the living room.

“You’re up, Karsiel?” Yoon-Hee greeted her.

“Good morning, Young Master.”

Karsiel naturally moved to help Yoon-Hee, who was preparing breakfast in the kitchen. While Yoon-Hee cooked rolled omelets and rice, Karsiel started making kimchi jjigae. It was a peaceful weekend morning, as usual. Only when she noticed that Do-Jun wasn’t home did Karsiel pause, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

“Master isn’t here?” she asked.

“Father had to go to work unexpectedly.”

“Ah, I see. Do you know when he’ll return?”

“He said he’d be back in the evening, but I’m not sure exactly when,” Yoon-Hee replied.

“I see.”

Although Karsiel’s face remained expressionless, Yoon-Hee could sense a subtle change in her demeanor. Karsiel pressed her lips together slightly and let out a faint sigh. However, she quickly regained her composure. Once the food was ready, she headed into the bedroom to wake up Yong-Yong and Byeol.

***

“Daddy went to wohk?” Byeol asked Karsiel.

“Yes. Master had urgent business to attend to, but he’ll be back in the evening.”

“N-no way...”

Byeol trembled at the shocking news. She had been saving up her allowance in anticipation of this day, only to learn that her father wouldn’t be there. Opening the zipper of her teddy bear wallet, she peeked inside. It was packed with coins and bills, totaling over 20,000 won—a very impressive amount.

Sliding the balcony door open with a clack, she stood on her tiptoes and looked outside. Tents were densely packed along the villa’s courtyard. While most stalls hadn’t opened yet, a few had already started selling food. One of them was selling fried chicken, Byeol’s all-time favorite food, at a bargain price of just 3,000 won per chicken.

She gulped as her mouth watered involuntarily.

Despite having eaten a full breakfast of rolled omelets and two bowls of kimchi jjigae, the sight of fried chicken made her mouth water out of pure instinct. Using her small fingers, she began counting how many chickens she could buy with her savings. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

“One... two... thwee... I can get seven chickens!”

However, eating only chicken would be something only an amateur would do. The food market had much more to offer: fried snacks, rice soup, soondae, tteokbokki, and rice cakes.

Watching Byeol’s brain visibly start to overload, Yoon-Hee chuckled softly. She asked, “Byeol, do you want to go downstairs and check it out with Mommy?”

“Weally?! Can we?”

“Of course.”

Byeol’s face lit up with joy, only to fall as she suddenly clutched her head and shook it.

“Wait, no! Daddy said he’d come back for dinner!”

Byeol wanted to enjoy the market with her family. It felt wrong to leave her father out of such a fun and delicious event. After all, it was because of him that she could buy all these tasty treats.

“What about you, Karsiel?” Yoon-Hee asked.

“I’ll also wait until Master returns.”

At that moment, Yoon-Hee felt a gentle push on her heel. She looked down and saw Yong-Yong staring up at her with big, round eyes.

He said, “Yoon-Hee, a-are you going to ask me t—”

“You’re going to wait too, right?” Yoon-Hee interjected.

“Of course!”

As if he were expecting it, Yong-Yong took off the small wallet hanging around his neck and set it aside.

***

Cheol-Soo stretched his arms upward, let out a long yawn, and then noticed it was already 6 PM.

His team had been working nonstop since morning. The recent surge in the ranks of contract Hunters had boosted their overall strength, which was great, but it also meant a slew of policy revisions, forcing them to work over the weekend.

“What do you think? Should we grab a quick dinner and keep going? Power through? If we really pushed ourselves, we could probably wrap up by 10 PM. That’s better than coming in tomorrow, right?” he asked, glancing at his colleagues, seeking their opinions.

Hyuk-Soo subtly glanced at Do-Jun, gauging his reaction.

Do-Jun hesitated. Normally, he would have readily agreed, but today was different. It was the day of the Changshin Food Market, and the kids had been especially excited about it.

I hope they’ve already gone by now.

Pulling out his smartphone, he debated whether to call Yoon-Hee. Just then, a text from her popped up.

Yoon-Hee: Father, what time do you think you’ll be home?

Do-Jun: If we have to finish the work tonight, then around ten. Otherwise, we’ll leave now. What are the kids up to?

Yoon-Hee: They’re eagerly waiting for you to come home.

Do-Jun’s fingers hovered over the screen. From the message, he realized that the kids hadn’t gone to the market yet. Letting out a soft sigh, he quickly typed a reply. But before he could send it, another text came in.

Yoon-Hee: Oh, one second!

After sending the message, Yoon-Hee stepped away from her phone.

Watching Do-Jun scratch his cheek as if he were troubled by something, Hyuk-Soo asked, “Something wrong, Do-Jun?”

“The kids are waiting at home,” Do-Jun replied as he looked up.

“Well, there you have it, Chief.”

Cheol-Soo set aside the various flyers he had been flipping through. He had already half-decided on powering through until 10 PM. Hearing Do-Jun’s situation and glancing out the window at the sunset’s faint glow, he made his decision.

“Let’s head home then. Family comes first. Work is important, but it shouldn’t take priority over family. If the kids are waiting, you should go to them.”

Turning off his computer, Cheol-Soo began tidying up the scattered documents on his desk, placing them neatly into a cabinet. Following suit, Do-Jun and Hyuk-Soo started packing up as well.

The vibration of his smartphone made Do-Jun pause. He noticed he had gotten a new message. Opening his inbox, he found a video file attached. He tapped the play button, and the video began.

⌜Guys, look over here.⌟

Yoon-Hee’s voice sounded, and then Karsiel and Byeol appeared on the screen, both facing the camera. Byeol blinked with curiosity, looking up at the display.

Hearing the sound, Cheol-Soo and Hyuk-Soo leaned in to watch as well.

⌜Are you taking a pictuwe?⌟

⌜Nope, it’s a video.⌟

⌜Oh, I see.⌟

Suppressing a chuckle, Do-Jun continued watching.

⌜Byeol, you want Daddy to come home soon, right?⌟

⌜Yeah!⌟

⌜What should we eat first when Daddy gets home?⌟

Byeol appeared to think the question through carefully before going through her options one by one.

⌜Fihst, chicken. Then, fwied snacks and dumpwings. And after that...⌟

⌜How about you, Karsiel?⌟

⌜Hmm... I’d like tteokbokki.⌟

⌜Me too, me too! Yoon-Hee, ask me too!⌟

With a soft plop, Yong-Yong suddenly popped into view, hopping into the frame before disappearing again, most likely from where he had been by Yoon-Hee’s feet.

At that, Do-Jun couldn’t hold back his laughter. At the same time, a twinge of guilt surfaced, leaving a bittersweet smile on his lips.

“Ah, man, isn’t that adorable?” Cheol-Soo remarked as the video ended. Both he and Hyuk-Soo were now smiling as well.

“So, what’s the occasion today?” he asked.

Do-Jun explained, “There’s a community market being held by our villa’s neighborhood association.”

“A market? What, like food stalls and stuff?”

Do-Jun nodded.

Sharing a glance, Cheol-Soo and Hyuk-Soo didn’t need to say a word. They were both thinking the same thing.

“Ahem. Just curious... is this only for the residents?” Cheol-Soo asked. He was clearly interested.

Smiling, Do-Jun slipped on his suit jacket draped over his chair, saying, “It’s open for everyone, Chief.”

“Do they sell alcohol there...?” Cheol-Soo asked.

“Yes,” Do-Jun replied. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea to go and have a drink together.”

“Oho! Hey, Hyuk-Soo, let’s wrap this up quickly! I’m suddenly starving!” Laughing heartily, Cheol-Soo rushed back to his desk, hastily organizing his paperwork at lightning speed.

Hyuk-Soo burst into laughter and grabbed his file folders, carrying them to his cabinet. Meanwhile, Do-Jun took his smartphone out of his pocket and looked at the message again, which read “Video: 54MB.”

He tapped play once more.

The video was only about a minute long, but throughout its duration, he couldn’t stop smiling, warmth spreading in his chest. As the video ended, he tapped the save button, downloading it to his phone.