/
“Speranza?”
Speranza headed somewhere as if she were possessed.
I followed her with anxiety.
I arrived at the music section of the large store.
It was filled with headsets, speakers, and acoustic equipment products.
Among them, Speranza stopped in front of a speaker where a song was playing.
It felt like a familiar voice, but the song itself was completely new to me.
Unlike me who was puzzled, Speranza who was listening to the song was too serious.
So, I had no choice but to wait by her side until the song was over.
The soft voice and sweet melody ended, and it was followed by a fast-tempo hip-hop song.
Speranza frowned slightly.
She wanted to listen to more of the previous song, but she was disappointed that another song came out.
“Speranza? Do you know the previous song?”
“No, Papa.”
“….?”
“I know who sang it.”
“…??”
How did she know who sang it.?
Is that possible?
I asked Speranza again with a look of incomprehension.
“Do you really know who sang it?”
“Un, It’s the person who sang the first song Papa played to me.”
“……”
“Rain, storm, and I was very scared. Papa played the song. I slept.”
“Um… Ah!”
When I heard Speranza’s explanation, a scene came to my mind clearly.
The memory of spending the night with a baby fox in a dark and stuffy warehouse.
It was an unforgettable memory for me.
It was the song I played on my cell phone for Speranza who was nervous.
It was the title song of the second album of ‘Yoon Jiwoon’, a singer I really liked in the past.
Speranza still liked Yoon Jiwoon’s songs so much that she sometimes asked me to play them on my cell phone.
The song that just came out on the speaker, was it Yoon Jiwoon’s song?
Speranza seemed to have come here after hearing Yoon Jiwoon’s voice from afar.
“Are you looking for any products, Sir?”
A female employee who seemed to be in charge of the sound device department approached us and talked to us.
“No. The song…..The song that just came out on this speaker just now, was it Yoon Jiwoon’s song?”
“Wait a minute.”
She took out her cell phone, checked something, and nodded.
“Yes, that’s right. It’s a new song.”
“I guess it’s a new album.”
“I heard it’s the 20th-anniversary album.”
Wow.
It’s already the 20th anniversary?
That’s right.
She was a singer that I liked when I was a student and it’s been 20 years since she made her debut.
I was briefly dumbfounded by the flow of time.
PULL.
Speranza pulled my pants.
She looked up at me with his big round eyes slightly moistened.
I already knew from a lot of experience that it was an action that was seen when there was something she wanted.
“Papaaaa…”
“Yeah, what’s wrong?”
“I want to listen to that song again.”
“Hmmm…”
The teary eye attack brought my heart to the brink of disarming.
But no matter how much I want to do that, it will be a bother to the store.
“Oh, my… Do you want to listen to the song that just came out? Do you want me to play it again?”
The female employee asked, looking sad.
The expression was already saying that she wants to fulfill Speranza’s request.
“Un… I want to hear it.”
“Wait a minute, I’ll play it for you.”
The female employee hurriedly touched the screen of the cell phone in her hand.
I guess I wasn’t the only one who was attacked by the teary eyes.
After a while, Yoon Jiwoon’s new song played again from the speaker in front of us.
Speranza’s face was filled with smiles again.
“Thank you, sister!”
“Uh-huh.”
The female employee was completely disarmed by Speranza’s powerful smile.
She grinned and belatedly noticed my gaze and corrected her expression.
“Sorry, I’m sorry. She was so cute that I couldn’t….”
“Hahaha, that’s okay. By the way, I need something, could you guide me?”
I finished my business at the electronics store and took to the streets again.
Speranza’s walk holding my hand felt more exciting than ever.
“Do you like it that much?”
“Un!”
She nodded more excited than ever.
Next to her, my mother looked at Speranza with satisfaction.
The reason why Speranza was so excited was because of the home audio system in my hand.
After listening to Yoon Jiwoon’s song earlier and seeing her so happy, I decided to let Speranza listen to the song anytime, even if it’s not my cell phone.
Originally, I was going to buy her an MP3 player for her to carry around, but when I asked the store staff, she looked at me as if she was looking at an old person.
Well, these days, everyone listens to music on their phones.
I had no choice but to buy a home audio system because there was no MP3 player in the store.
Speranza was extremely happy to hear that she could listen to the song as much as she wanted.
She was even happier than the last time when she got 100 on the dictation test!
I would have bought it earlier if I knew she’d like it that much.
“Hoho, Speranza reminds me of Si of the past. When you were young, you were so happy when you bought an MP3s or something for your birthday.”
“Yes, I went with dad to town and bought it.”
My father bought me an MP3 that I wanted so much, and my heart was bursting with excitement.
I don’t remember what kind of expression my father had while looking at me because I was so focused on MP3 at that time, but wouldn’t it be similar to the expression I have now while looking at Speranza?
It was very strange and sad to realize my father’s feelings that I didn’t know when I was young.
“Mom, is there anything you want?”
“Me? Didn’t you just buy me an air conditioner?”
“Other than that, is there anything you normally wanted? Like luxury bags, expensive cosmetics.”
“Why does an old lady like me need that? If you have money, you should buy the kids a delicious meal.”
“Of course, I’ll buy them delicious food. Now think about what mom wants. Come on!”
As I made a fuss, my mother burst into a small laugh.
“What I want… What I want…”
My mother’s eyes stopped somewhere after thinking hard.
“Si, I remembered what I wanted.”
“What is it, mom?”
Mother walked along with me and the children without saying a word.
After a while, we arrived at an ordinary photo studio in the neighborhood with many pictures displayed behind the show window.
“Is this…?”
“It’s a photo studio. It’s been a long time since we took a picture together. I wish I could take this opportunity to take a family photo with the children.”
I didn’t mean something like this when I asked my mother what she wanted.
I was sorry that things didn’t go the way I thought, but I grabbed the door handle of the photo studio according to my mother’s wishes.
TRING!
When I pulled the door, the bells on top moved and made a sound.
A gray-haired man appeared from the inside of the photo studio.
“Hey, come on in! Come on in! Are you here to take a family photo?”
The photographer immediately noticed the purpose of the visit and asked.
“Yes, but we have an animal. Can we take a picture with him?”
“Does he listen to the owner? He won’t go on a rampage, right?”
“He’s very gentle and obedient.”
“It doesn’t matter, then. Bring him.”
“Thank you.”
I came back into the photo studio with Akum in my arms leaving the stroller outside.
The photographer who found Akum trembled for a moment.
Then, he looked at Akum with a serious look on his face.
“Hmm…”
Pow woo?
“Well, it doesn’t matter since he’s cute. Come inside.”
The photographer uncle led us inside the photo studio.
There were lights, cameras, and long sofas that were common when taking family photos.
My mother sat on the sofa with a fluttering look.
“I remember taking a family photo with your father once upon a time. Was it when you were in middle school?”
“Yes. The three of us took a picture to celebrate my admission into middle school.”
That was the last picture I took with my father and mother.
I remember that the family picture we took at that time was torn while moving in a hurry to the city.
My mom was really upset.
“Come on, come on! Young friend, sit there and put the fluffy friend on your lap.”
I put Akum on my lap, as the photographer said.
Pow wooo?
“Good. And put the pretty princess between your mother and you. You have to take off your hat to show your pretty face, princess.”
Speranza sat next to me and my mother and took off her hat.
Silver hair and pointed fox ears appeared.
“Ah…”
The Photographer trembled once again.
However, he did not pay much attention this time and took the composition of the picture.
I was deeply impressed by his boldness.
When everyone’s location was decided, Gyuri, who was hiding, suddenly appeared.
“Where am I supposed to be, Popi?”
“Ahhhhhh……!”
The photographer’s body trembled this time.
“Um…How about there….?”
“Ok, Popi.”
I wanted to praise him beyond admiration for his unwavering professionalism.
“Then I’ll take it as a test. I’m going to flash it. One, two, three!”
FLASH
“Papaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
Poooooo!
“ What, what, what….popi.”
The children trembled with surprise at the flash that exploded everywhere.
The man who checked the picture said with a disappointed look.
“Oh… surprisingly, the fluffy friend and little fairy are okay. Our pretty princess has a hard expression. I think the young friend should do something about it.”
Speranza didn’t show her usual soft expression as she felt very awkward taking pictures.
I played Speranza’s favorite Yoon Jiwoon’s song on my cell phone.
And I held Speranza’s one hand, while my mother held her other hand.
Little by little, the stiff expression began to melt.
“It’s okay, Speranza. Family will always be together.”
“ Let’s hurry up and take a picture, and then let’s go eat something delicious with Grandma.”
Pow wow wooooo.
I, my mother, and even Akum comforted Speranza.
“You don’t worry Speranza, I’m here, Popi!”
Gyuri spread her wings and flew over our heads. The glittering powder fell from the fairy’s wings.
The pleasant scent from the powder made me feel at ease.
A natural smile spread on everyone’s faces as well as Speranza.
The photographer grabbed the camera again with a satisfied look.
“Oh! Good, good! The cuteness of the princess is finally coming to life. Okay! I’ll take it again. One, two, three!” –
FLASH
In the completed photo, not only my mother but also the children could be seen smiling happily.
That’s how the second family picture in my life was completed.