I Became an Artist in a Romantic Comedy

Chapter 4

Blink, blink.

I forced my heavy eyelids open and lifted my head.

When did I fall asleep? The clock on the wall showed it was already 1 PM.

I must have fallen asleep out of exhaustion while drawing through the night.

Luckily, I had finished the drawing, so I could relax.

Sleeping hunched over my desk made my whole body ache as if it was screaming in pain.

“Ugh…”

I stretched with a groan that sounded more grown-up than a four-year-old should make.

Creak.

After a quick stretch, I got up and took the drawing with me.

I figured there might be a frame in the storage room. If I put it in a frame and hung it in the master bedroom, it would look nice.

The storage room was near the balcony. Dad always kept it clean and organized, so there wasn’t much dust.

“Let’s see…”

The frames were easy to spot.

There were several different kinds, probably for photos of the first child. My mouth tasted a little bitter at the thought. How happy must Mom have been about her first baby?

I suppressed a sigh, picked a frame of the right size, and stepped out.

The landscape frame matched the paper perfectly.

Did they buy it recently? Maybe Mom got it to fit the size of the drawing paper.

I opened the back of the frame and placed the drawing inside. Thankfully, it had a latch that even a kid could open easily.

I placed the framed drawing on the bed in the master bedroom.

“I hope this brings them strength.”

The anxiety was gone, replaced by a hope for my family’s happiness.

I stared blankly at the picture on the bed.

It was a family portrait. Four people.

Two young parents, a child who looked about five or six, and a newborn baby.

“…”

Originally, I considered drawing myself, too, but I didn’t.

Maybe the spot should have been my older sister’s.

Had I taken her place?

That thought kept me from adding myself to the picture.

A water stain on the right corner caught my eye. It was probably from my tears last night.

“Oh well. It’s not that noticeable.”

Thanks to the frame’s edge, the stain was hardly visible unless you looked closely.

Still, it felt a bit plain like this. Maybe I should make it a surprise?

I covered it with a blanket and left the room.

Grrrrr.

“Oh.”

My stomach growled the moment I stepped outside.

Thinking back, I’d been drawing all night and had fallen asleep in the morning, skipping breakfast.

Lunchtime had long passed.

I went to the kitchen and opened the fridge, but there wasn’t much to eat.

Everything was either meal kits or microwaveable food I couldn’t reach.

I’d be stuck going hungry until Dad got home.

But one day without food wasn’t a big deal; I could manage.

Besides, he needed to take care of Mom. I doubted he’d be able to stop by the house—

But before I could finish that thought…

Beep beep beep.

I heard the door lock unlocking.

“Ha-eun!”

Dad burst in, calling my name.

“…Huh?”

Surprised, I headed to the living room, where Dad spotted me and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Haah… I’m sorry, son. I was so scattered that I forgot to check on you.”

“Well… it’s okay. What about Mom?”

“Oh, Mom? She’s fine. The baby was born safely too.”

That was a relief. Truly.

Dad patted my shoulder with a smile.

“Ha-eun, you’re an older brother now. How does that feel?”

“An older brother? So it’s a girl?”

“Yep, a beautiful girl. Just like my handsome son.”

I shrugged at Dad’s question.

“I mean, I’m already good-looking. And being an older brother doesn’t feel all that different.”

“Is that so?”

Dad chuckled meaningfully and headed toward the kitchen.

“My son must be starving. Let me cook you something to eat.”

In our house, Mom and Dad take turns cooking. They’re both good at it.

“You’re going back to see Mom after cooking, right?”

“…Yes.”

Dad replied, his voice low.

“Mom’s very weak right now. I need to stay with her.”

His gentle expression seemed to say he was debating whether to bring me along.

I don’t cause trouble, but I’m still only four. At this age, anything could happen.

Yet Dad seemed to trust me.

“If you don’t want to stay here alone, do you want to come with me to see Mom?”

“It’s fine.”

Though he invited me to come along, I declined.

Dad looked surprised and asked why.

“I mean, what could I even do if I went? It’s not like it’d be fun.”

“Why not? You could hang out with Dad.”

“Dad, you’re not that fun.”

He looked a little hurt by that, but it was the truth.

Dad is like a gentle, timid deer. He’s not the most exciting person.

Not that I could play with Mom since she’s recovering, or the newborn sibling who doesn’t even talk.

Dad prepared lunch for me and then grabbed his coat.

“Alright, son. I’ll be back by dinner.”

He kissed my forehead and waved.

I brushed my forehead with a sigh and waved back.

With a chuckle, he left, and I settled in bed, my tired body giving in to sleep.

I shouldn’t sleep right after eating.

But snuggled up under the warm blanket, I quickly drifted off.

***

“Ah.”

When I woke up, I glanced at the window right above my bed.

Though the curtains were drawn, I could still see the weather outside.

The sky was orange, signaling evening time.

I sat up, scratching my messy hair.

With this lifestyle, I might as well be a bum.

It’s also my dream job.

The clock on the wall showed it was around 6 PM, meaning—

Knock, knock.

“Son, are you awake?”

Dad was back.

At the sound of his knock, I got down from the bed and went outside.

Dad greeted me with a smile right by the door, and I gave a faint smile back, sitting down at the dining table.

Dad would likely go back to the hospital after this. He might even stay overnight.

He knows I can sleep alone since I’ve already been doing so.

I didn’t mind, though it felt a little lonely.

“Is it good?”

Dad asked, watching me eat, and I nodded.

“Yeah. So, will I have to stay home alone again tonight?”

“Well, um… If you’re scared, I can stay here instead.”

I knew he was thinking about me, so I waved him off.

“It’s fine. It’s the same as sleeping alone in my room.”

He sighed with a complex expression.

“I know how mature you are. But to Mom and Dad, you’re still a four-year-old baby.”

“Hmm…”

This talk about my age felt unnecessary during a meal.

“…Actually, I asked the neighbor to watch over you.”

“Huh? Oh… That’s fine.”

“I already mentioned it to her, and she agreed. Plus, So-yul is coming along.”

“Ha So-yul? Why is she coming?”

“Didn’t you know? She wanted to.”

I took a moment to gather my thoughts.

Well… she’s just a kid following her mom, so it’s understandable.

Dad planned to leave me in the care of Mrs. Yoo Ji-hye when she arrived with So-yul.

It didn’t take long; being in the same apartment complex, they didn’t live far away.

After a brief exchange, Dad entrusted me to them.

“Hello, Ha-eun!”

“Hello, ma’am.”

“Hey.”

“Hi.”

Once inside, they greeted me and looked around the house.

Come to think of it, was this their first visit?

We’d only met outside or at the playground, I think.

Mrs. Yoo briefly excused herself to take a call on the balcony, looking a bit serious.

Left alone, the two little ones stood there.

“Hey, Ha-eun.”

…Has she always been this friendly?

I’d thought she was a quiet, reserved kid.

“Could you give me a tour of the house?”

??

Sure, why not.

Even if we live in the same complex, the layout would still be different.

I motioned for her to follow, and she grabbed my hand right away.

“Huh? Weren’t you asking me to hold it?”

When I looked at her in confusion, she tilted her head and asked.

“No, but… let’s just go like this.”

For the first time in my life, I held hands with a girl who wasn’t my mom.

Of course, we’re only four, so it’s innocent.

What does it matter? I’m only four, too.

In the future, she’d probably look back and cringe at this memory.

I chuckled at the thought and showed her around the house.

The only place we skipped was the master bedroom since my drawing was in there, making it feel a bit awkward.

Instead, So-yul narrowed her eyes and stared at the master bedroom.

“Why aren’t we going in there?”

“It’s Mom and Dad’s room. I can’t just go in there.”

I half-lied to dodge the question.

I could go in anytime, but, well, the drawing is in there, you know?

“Really? But I heard from my mom that you could go anywhere you want.”

Mrs. Yoo, who’d finished her call, laughed and waggled her finger.

“Come now, Ha-eun. That was just for your parents’ peace of mind, but I already got permission.”

Sometimes I wonder what’s going on in this woman’s head. Where did she pick up that way of talking

?

With no choice, I took the two of them into the master bedroom.

Oh, and Mrs. Yoo was thrilled when she saw So-yul and me holding hands.

In the master bedroom were ordinary furniture and a bed with white and navy sheets.

A bulging shape right in the center practically screamed, “There’s something here!”

Mrs. Yoo didn’t seem interested in snooping around, but So-yul looked like she was about to explode with curiosity.

“Is it a treasure?”

“Dear, that’s not treasure; it’s just someone else’s belongings.”

Mrs. Yoo, who was patting So-yul’s head, asked me.

“But you’ve got us curious. What’s in there?”

“…A drawing.”

“A drawing?”

“Yes, well…”

With no escape, I told them. It didn’t really matter; I had no reason to hide it from them.

“Do you want to see?”

“Oh? Can I?”

“I want to see too!”

With their eager agreement, I uncovered the frame from under the blanket.

“Wow, wow, wow. You drew this with only colored pencils?”

“Wow…”

Mrs. Yoo was full of admiration, and So-yul looked as if she was lost in space.

Feeling a bit shy, I cleared my throat, and Mrs. Yoo handed the frame back.

“Wow, Ha-eun, you might become a famous artist someday.”

“Haha, I’ll think about it.”

I’ll just think about it, though. No promises.

At that moment, Mrs. Yoo suddenly asked,

“Just curious, but are these adults your mom and dad?”

Yes, I drew Mom and Dad, and below them…

“And the little girl between them? She doesn’t look like you.”

Mrs. Yoo, as usual, was being a bit nosy. But she didn’t know our family situation.

Still, I didn’t want to explain.

“It was a mistake. I didn’t want to throw it away, though, so I kept it.”

“…I see.”

Mrs. Yoo accepted my answer and didn’t push further.

After the tour, we returned to the living room.

With nothing to do, what now?

“Hey, I brought a board game. Want to play?”

The board game Mrs. Yoo brought was Blue Marble.

Nodding, the three of us gathered around to play.

Soon, the board game turned into a scene straight out of a gambling den.

And the loser?

“No way! I lost to these little kids?”

It was Mrs. Yoo, the usual boundary-pusher.