Chapter 582 (1/2)
“Bitna, can you lift the product upwards a little more?”
Bitna slightly raised the cereal box at the request.
“That’s a good girl.”
The photographer, who was taking photos from multiple angles, eventually stepped back, saying that they should take a bit of rest. Bitna, who was sitting on a wooden chair in front of a white background, sighed slightly as she came down from the chair.
“Bitna, wait a moment.”
The coordinators came up to her and fixed her makeup. Bitna raised her head as she drank some water. The lights installed on either side were quite hot.
“It’s hot, isn’t it?”
“I’m okay.”
“Bitna is such a good girl. I wish I’ll have a daughter like you in the future.”
Bitna faintly smiled at the coordinator’s words. She stared at the coordinator who walked away with the empty cup before turning around to look at the table, where the big monitor was.
“This looks good.”
“I like this one too. How about this one?”
“That’s good too.”
“Why aren’t you nitpicking today?”
“Do you want me to?”
“Of course not. If you don’t have any complaints, it’s better for me.”
She saw her mother, who was talking to the photographer.
Bitna sat down on the chair again. She took her time swinging her legs around, when,
“Bitna, we’re done for today. Thanks to you, this ahjussi had a really easy time today.”
The photographer smiled and approached her. Bitna jumped down from the chair and bowed.
“You have it good, having a daughter like Bitna. I wish I had a girl like her too.”
“Why don’t you say that after you get married first? I thought you went on a blind date last time.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m going to get married. Plus, that only works if the other party likes me. But what are you saying in front of a kid?”
“Bitna is smart and ignores what she doesn’t need, you know?”
Her mom smacked the photographer on the back. Bitna was more familiar with this photographer’s face than even her school teacher’s.
“Bitna, you must say goodbye to everyone here, right?”
Bitna said goodbye to everyone, who were cleaning up, after hearing her mother’s words. Everyone smiled back at her and said goodbye as well.
“Hope you can take care of us again next time.”
“That’s what I want to ask. You’re the one giving me work to do after all. Bitna, this ahjussi will treat you to something good, okay?”
She left the studio and returned to the car. Her mother, who had disappeared for a bit, returned with some sandwiches in hand.
“My dear, sorry mom couldn’t even give you proper food.”
“No, it’s fine. I don’t care since this is tastier.”
Her mother looked inside the sandwich.
“I forgot to ask them to leave out the olives. It smells a little, are you okay with that? If you aren’t, I can go and change it.”
“I can eat it. I’m hungry.”
“Oh, dear. You were hungry, weren’t you?”
She picked up the sandwich which has been sliced into halves and took a bite. Her mother was also eating a sandwich, and that one had a spicy smell.
“Mom.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you going to marry that ahjussi?”
Pfft - her mother spat out chunks of her sandwich from her mouth. A spicy smell spread around. Bitna pinched her nose with one hand and pulled out some tissue with the other to give to her mother.
“Here.”
Her mother wiped the food that got on the dashboard.
“Bitna, what do you mean by that?”
“You aren’t marrying that ahjussi?”
“Do you want mommy to get married?”
“I don’t know. It’s just that mom looks happy when you’re with that ahjussi, so I don’t think it’s bad.”
“Mom looks happy?”
Bitna put her sandwich on her knees and pulled up the corners of her mouth.
“Mom is smiling like this when you work with that ahjussi.”
“I do? Really?”
“Yeah.”
Her mother did not speak for a long time. Bitna focused on the sandwich again. Although it wasn’t tasty because of the olives, she ate it regardless since she was hungry.
“Do you want to see daddy, Bitna?”
“No.”
“You don’t want to see daddy?”
“Do you want to see him, mom?”
“Mom wants to see him sometimes. You look really like him after all. That’s why looking at you reminds me of him from time to time.”
“I don’t know. I don’t know daddy after all.”
“Do you want a daddy, Bitna?”
“I don’t know about that either. I just need mom. But if mom likes him, I think it’s okay for you to marry him. I don’t think ahjussi is a bad man.”
Bitna looked at her mother. Her mother made an incomprehensible smile and patted her head.
“Mom isn’t getting married. Mom just needs you two.”
The patting hand felt good. Bitna nodded. If her mother said that she was okay, then she was okay.
“Let’s stop talking about mommy and talk about your school, okay? Have you gotten close with your friends?”
“I have. There’s one guy who keeps bullying me, but I like everyone else.”
“Who dares to bully our Bitna? Mom will scold that person for you.”
“He’s a boy, and he keeps playing pranks on me. I told him to stop, but he keeps cutting up erasers and throwing the pieces at me.”
“Do you think he hates you?”
Bitna thought for a moment. Then she shook her head.
“I don’t think so. He stops when I’m about to get angry. Though, he goes back to doing it again the next day.”
“That boy, does he look straight at you?”
“I don’t think he does.”
“Mom might be misunderstanding, but that boy might like you.”
“Me? Why?”
“I wonder why. Maybe because you’re cute?”
“He likes me but bullies me?”
“At your age, Bitna, it’s more important for boys to play with other boys. He shouldn’t hate you. He wants to stay close to you, but is playing pranks on you because other boys might tease him for it.”
“Mom, didn’t you say liking someone is the same as becoming honest with yourself?”
“I did.”
“Then why do you say that he likes me even though he keeps bullying me? Isn’t that not liking me?”
“Hm, you’ll understand once you grow up a little, Bitna.”
“I will understand once I become bigger?”