I Became an Artist in a Romantic Comedy

Chapter 5

They ended up sleeping in our master bedroom.

In the morning, I covered the drawing with the blanket again and saw them off.

“Hey, can I come over again sometime?”

Just before leaving, So-yul asked, and as long as my parents allowed it, I didn’t mind.

I nodded slightly, and she grinned brightly, saying she’d definitely come over again.

There’s not much to do at my house, so why would she want to come back? Could it be… that she wants to see me?

‘As if that’s the case.’

Harsh reality—fantasies like that are why loners get a bad rep.

Sometimes just liking someone could end up being a burden to them…

Anyway, enough with those silly thoughts. I needed to find a way to pass the time until Dad returned.

What should I do? I didn’t feel like drawing.

Watching TV wasn’t interesting either.

Scratching my head, I stretched out on the couch.

Nothing to do and hours to kill.

…Going outside felt like too much effort.

Maybe I should just nap. I’d eaten lunch with those two anyway, so post-meal drowsiness was kicking in.

My eyelids were getting heavy, and I didn’t bother to resist it.

I’ll just sleep until Dad comes.

***

That plan failed spectacularly.

“Son~. Good evening.”

When Dad got back, I was already fast asleep, showing no signs of waking up.

Apparently, he just put a blanket over me and didn’t bother to wake me.

“You could have just woken me.”

“How could I wake my angelic son when he’s sleeping so soundly?”

Flattery. Glancing at the clock, it was just before dinner—making me feel like I’m just eating and sleeping these days.

Not inaccurate…

“How’s Mom and the baby?”

Thinking of Mom and my new sibling still at the hospital, I figured Dad would know since he was with them all day.

“They’re both fine~. So, would you like to sleep with Dad until Mom gets back?”

“Sure.”

After hearing how they were doing, I agreed to Dad’s heartfelt(?) request.

I wasn’t particularly used to sleeping with my parents, but it was cozy and warm when I did.

Though, since I’ll eventually sleep on my own again, it’s good to practice early.

After dinner, Dad and I were watching some boring TV show when—

“Ha-eun, Dad has something he’s curious about. Can I ask?”

Dad looked over at me.

There wasn’t anything that bothered me. What was Dad curious about?

I nodded, figuring I’d get a sense once he asked.

He opened and closed his mouth a few times. Maybe it was a sensitive topic?

Could They have told him about the drawing? That old lady—I trusted her!

“You know you have a little sibling now, right?”

Eventually, Dad spoke, and I sighed in relief.

Luckily, it wasn’t about the drawing. By the way, the drawing was still on the bed in the master bedroom.

I’d already told him I’d be sleeping in my own room.

“Yeah, so what?”

What was the purpose of this question?

Dad hesitated before continuing.

“Then, Ha-eun, you might start to feel a little neglected by Mom and Dad because of the new baby.”

“……”

I roughly understood the tone he was going for.

“We won’t be able to give all the attention and love just to you anymore. Now we have Ha-yoon as well.”

So Dad was saying…

“There might even be times when you feel like you have to give in or yield to your sibling.”

Unnecessary worries.

“But we’ll try our best to treat you both the same. If we ever scold you unfairly because of your sibling, don’t hesitate to speak up. Alright?”

In my past life, I’d been a younger sibling who always yielded to my older brother. Because he was the eldest.

Maybe that’s why Dad’s words didn’t really stir anything in me. I’d done all this before. I can let things go for my sibling.

Yet, I couldn’t easily agree and say I understood. The words wouldn’t come, and I wanted to shake my head instead.

This must be the resistance from the body of this life’s ‘Lee Ha-eun.’

This four-year-old body wasn’t fully under my control, which could be a problem. If I end up crying over this…

“Ha-eun…?”

Though I understood it in my mind, my body wasn’t responding. So I just…

Slumped against Dad, trying to steady my emotions.

Dad, surprised, gently patted my back to calm me down.

“I said this because I know how mature you are, but maybe I shouldn’t have. You’re still just four years old, after all. Still so young.”

I shook my head. It was something I could handle.

“Sorry, son. Just forget everything I said.”

“…I’m okay now.”

I was still breathing heavily, but I’d calmed down. It was my mistake for underestimating this young body.

“Now that I’m an older brother, it’s only natural to think of my sibling first. There’s no need for worry.”

At my words, Dad’s body froze briefly.

Then, in a low voice, he muttered,

“…Regretful.”

“??”

His voice was so soft I couldn’t quite catch it.

“Then I’ll trust my son, alright?”

Dad looked at me with a playful grin.

I gave him a big thumbs-up and smiled back.

And so the night passed.

***

A week later, that emotional night was behind us.

“Yay! Home sweet home!”

Finally, Mom was discharged from the hospital and returned home.

In her hand was a transparent bag with—Häagen-Dazs, the holy grail for kids.

“Sweetie~!”

Mom dashed over, scooped me up, and hugged me tightly.

“It’s been so long!!”

It had been a week since I last saw her, huh?

“I’m hurt, sweetie. How could you not visit even once?”

Mom’s sharp glare met my eyes. Well… I did want to visit, but…

“There’s nothing I can really do if I go…”

“You could have kept me company!”

Her eyebrows furrowed even more. Dad was holding his stomach, laughing so hard he was bent over. I wanted to smack him.

Being held in mid-air like this, I couldn’t do anything, so I gave her a pleading look to put me down.

“Nope. It’s your punishment for not visiting. You’ll spend the whole day with me.”

Then she cradled me like a teddy bear and walked around. Do I look like a stuffed animal?

Ha-yoon was still in the incubator and wouldn’t come home for another three weeks.

Mom, thrilled to be home, looked genuinely happy.

Now that she wasn’t pregnant, she could lie on her stomach or jump around freely.

“Mom, you’re going to get a noise complaint.”

“Oh, you little—”

She playfully thumped my head, but it didn’t feel bad at all.

I sat on her lap as she leaned against the couch, feeling oddly at ease.

‘Normally, there’d be a big, round belly here. Where did it all go?’

“Ha-eun~.”

Mom’s voice brought me back from my daydream.

“My little Ha-eun~. Are you happy Mom is back?”

Oh, that mischievous expression. Isn’t postpartum supposed to be gloomy? She’s quite something.

“Yeah. I guess.”

Even though my answer was blunt, Mom smiled as if she were overjoyed.

Honestly, it’s strange that someone as energetic as her went through early labor due to pregnancy.

In our house, Mom is practically the definition of an extrovert.

How could I forget that? Jeez!

No wonder I felt drained.

While I sat there with a dazed expression, Mom got up and went to my room.

I didn’t have many drawings, though.

Following her in, I saw she was already looking at my drawings on the canvas.

Dad followed and looked on, smiling proudly.

“Our son draws so well.”

Mom’s voice, quieter now, was filled with genuine admiration.

Instead of her usual vibrant smile, she wore a gentle one.

There were seven drawings in total, and she examined each one carefully.

Some were of the view outside the window, others from my imagination.

Finally, she burst into laughter as she looked at the last drawing.

“Haha. You even managed to capture how handsome you are?”

Well, I am handsome enough to be considered a national treasure. But drawing myself while looking in the mirror was a bit embarrassing.

“Can I keep this one?”

She could take all seven for all I cared, but it seemed she liked my self-portrait the most.

Honestly, I’m not sure what’s so handsome about a baby face. Maybe it’s the shape?

Nodding at her soft smile, I handed it over. That made two of my drawings Mom owned now.

“One day, no amount of money will buy a painting by my son.”

“Ha, right! Who could possibly part with these? Right, son?”

Dad agreed with Mom, looking at me for confirmation.

I gave a small nod.

Who would even want to buy my drawings? Turning it into a career could backfire terribly.

If I do, maybe I’ll just post the drawing process and results on YouTube for money.

Should I start when I enter elementary school?

Mom took my drawings out of the room and headed toward the storage room. I followed her to see where she was going and ended up by the frames.

She was digging around, looking puzzled.

“Huh? Where is it?”

“What’s missing?”

Apparently, she’d bought frames when she got me my drawing tools. Who would have known?

“I already used that.”

I called out to the two of them as they searched through the frames.

Mom and Dad turned to look at me in surprise.

“You used it?”

“Yeah… I needed it.”

Mom blinked and asked where I’d used it.

Ah, is it finally time?

“I used it for the drawing I made as a gift for you and Dad. It’s in the master bedroom.”

“Oh, really? You made a gift for us? How thoughtful!”

Dad’s eyes lit up as he patted my head. They finally understood why I’d kept them from going into the master bedroom.

“Then shall we see the gift our son prepared for us?”

Mom, sounding playful, headed for the master bedroom.

The lump was still there on the bed.

In hindsight, I kind of wish I’d drawn myself in the picture too.

Watching my parents eagerly lift the blanket, I stayed by the door, watching from a distance.

‘Will it hurt them?’

Not me, but Mom and Dad.

It seemed my guess was right.

The two froze. The blanket had slipped down to the floor.

For a moment, the whole house fell silent.