Thanks for Giving Birth to Me
"Thanks for giving birth to me. Is that how it's done?"
I pretended to slip on the water splashed in my face, tumbling over as Min-ji clung to me.
"Kyahaha!"
I tossed Min-ji, decked out in her life jacket, into the deeper water. Then I swam over to her as she floated with her tube. Peering down through my goggles, the stream—too cold for human hands—was crystal clear. Min-ji followed my lead, exploring underwater, pointing at fish with her tiny finger.
The valley water was frigid, as expected. I stayed submerged with her until our lips turned blue, then surfaced. Dad, who'd been playing with us, stayed behind to dive and splash around on his own.
"Do-hyun, watch Min-ji for a bit~ Mom's gonna hop in and out."
"Yeah."
Mom dressed Min-ji in her chick towel outfit. I slipped into my penguin towel getup and dug into the watermelon Mom had sliced up.
Off in the distance, Dad and Mom enjoyed their little date. The water looked about 7 meters deep, but they both swam like pros.
"Why can't I do that...?"
"Oppa can't swim?"
"Worse than you, Min-ji~"
"Really? Min-ji teach you?"
I ruffled the head of Min-ji, who was offering to teach me after learning herself. I was hopeless with swimming—probably that damn beer bottle physique. Watching now, it didn't seem like something you were born with.
I climbed onto a rock with Min-ji, each of us holding our little fishing rods. Her eyes went wide when she hooked a fish.
"Whoaaa!"
I put the fish in a clear bucket so she could see it. Min-ji stared at it with sparkling eyes. She tried dropping an ant in for it to eat—no dice, of course.
I cracked open the freshwater snails Mom had caught, scattering them around Min-ji's fishing rod. She gasped in surprise as fish started biting. She mimicked exactly what she'd seen, yanking the rod with her tiny arms.
"Ooh!!!"
"Oppa! This one!!"
"You got it, Min-ji! You can do it!"
"Nooo!"
Min-ji's face turned desperate as she handed me the rod. Didn't want to lose it after catching it solo, I guess. I reeled in the fish she'd hooked.
Dad, done playing, checked the basket trap he'd set out earlier. He started gutting the freshwater fish alone, so I went over to help.
"Eww, gross..."
Min-ji sidled up beside me, wrinkling her nose.
"Min-ji, wanna help Mom? Oppa and Dad got this~"
"Yeah!"
She scampered unsteadily over the rocks, looking a bit uneasy.
"Mooom!"
As Dad and I slit open the fish bellies, he explained how to get the meat off the bones since there wasn't much to begin with. I could see him grinning under his straw hat, having a blast.
We took a break, drying the fish in the sun. He coated them in batter, fried them lightly, wrapped in perilla leaves, and fried again. He handed me a golden one; I popped it in my mouth.
"How's it taste? Good?"
I just nodded vigorously instead of answering.
Fueled by the fried fish, we all jumped back in the water. Dad tossed me around; Mom taught Min-ji to swim. After a while, Dad climbed out first. I glanced over to see what he was up to.
He was scrubbing a flat stone smooth with a steel scrubber in the flowing water, then heating it up before calling us over. We grilled pork belly on it too, stuffing ourselves until Min-ji was full.
She crawled into the tent and conked out right away. Dad draped his arm over her head and lay down—he was out in under 30 seconds.
Mom smiled at the sight.
"Falling asleep the second her head touches something—she got that from Dad."
"I can't sleep on that rock; too uncomfortable."
"Me too."
Mom sat on a stone stool, gazing at the darkening sky.
"Son."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for being born."
"What? 'Thanks for giving birth to me'—that do it?"
"So shy..."
Mom smiled, staring out at the valley. Rain poured without warning; we hurried to pack before the water rose. We shoved everything, including Min-ji, into the car. Once inside, she whined about the heat, calling for Mom.
I leaned into the driver's seat, started the engine, and cranked the AC.
"You know how to turn on the AC?"
"Saw you do it."
"Ooh~ Smart cookie?"
"Min-ji can too!"
Heat-sensitive Min-ji shoved her face right up to the vent.
Our family piled into the car, dodging the rain. Dad sighed as he settled into the driver's seat, checking on us.
"Nothing left behind?"
"You go check, Dad."
"You little shit. No filial piety? Go yourself."
"But I'm only nine?"
"...Only then."
Dad finally got out to double-check. The rain thickened; he came sprinting back.
"Honey, gotta go."
"Rainy roads make me nervous..."
"Just take it slow."
Two nervous newbie drivers. Honestly, I was confident I could drive better than either—after a year hauling dumps. I itched to backseat-drive every time they messed up.
"Want me to?"
"Where'd that nine-year-old go?"
Dad opted to crawl along the shoulder. Mom, feeling secure next to him, dozed off. Only then did he relax into the drive.
"Your mom's nagging makes it impossible."
"Sure, blame her~"
"Huh? Wanna see how well this dad drives?"
"Min-ji's sleeping."
"Ahem."
Min-ji snoozed on my lap, her cherry lips curved in a smile—clearly a happy day.
Last day of break. Mom insisted on driving me, Min-ji, and Yu-bin to school. Spotting Jun-woo out the window, I had her stop.
"Mom, Jun-woo's heading there too."
She picked him up and dropped us all off before heading home.
The elementary school felt routine now. My 3,000-won coin pouch from the gift was fat, so I never forgot Min-ji's after-school snack.
Time to snag a phone soon, it seemed. Kids headed to the PC bang... Not into games, we went straight home. Jun-woo avoided them anyway; what could you say to Yu-bin?
Yu-bin and Jun-woo's chat kicked off—usual stuff like future raccoon robots or monsters from anime. Or bragging about toys, like Yu-bin's dolls.
Dolls... That reminded me of Min-ji's attachment bunny, faded from Mom's constant washing. Not sure if it was an attachment thing; it was her only one.
At the corner store, I spotted some quality dolls.
"How much for that one?"
"Hmm... Kinda pricey. Almost twenty thousand won."
"Can't you knock a bit off? It's for my sister's birthday..."
"How much you got?"
"Ten thousand..."
Beggar mindset or not, how's a doll twenty grand in those days? Even in a ritzy area, that's highway robbery. Ignoring a kid's eyesight is one thing—the tag clearly said ten thousand. Owner just lied first.
With beggars like him, you gotta play the part for a deal. He sighed and patted my head, taking the ten thousand.
"Tell your sister the uncle says hi?"
"Sure."
Outside, I checked the tag—realized too late. I'd misread the 1 as a 9 or something. -19,000 won.
"Ah... shit."
Felt like stepping in dog crap. I plastered on a bright smile and went back.
"Uncle, I had another ten thousand in my pocket."
"Nah~ Think of it as your uncle's gift to sis."
"Ah... Thanks. I'll bring her next time."
"Good~"
I bowed and left the stationery store. Why were people so damn nice... making me look like an idiot. Sighing, I trudged home with the doll, tag peeled off.
"Oppa!"
Min-ji spotted the torso-sized doll in my arms.
"Whoa... So cute. Is it for Min-ji?"
"Huh? Nah, it's mine."
"...Hic."
She shrank back like I'd said the worst thing. Didn't expect the face switch-up. Tears welled up; she nodded sadly.
"Oppa... lucky..."
Looking like she'd lost everything, she hesitated, then hugged me tight before turning away.
"Actually, bought it for you~"
"Really!?"
Her teary eyes lit up as she spun back grinning. I tore open the bag, handed her the bear doll. She clutched it with pure bliss.
Mom peeked from the kitchen, realizing I was home late.
"Son's back?"
"Just got in."
"Mooom! Oppa got! For Min-ji!"
Excitement mangled her words, but the point landed. Mom's eyes widened in shock, then softened with guilt toward Min-ji.
No real toys in the house—just my hand-me-downs. Mom, scraping by so desperately, hadn't even considered it in her routine.
Watching Min-ji beam with the doll, she bit her lower lip. Min-ji wouldn't let go anywhere, even at dinner—spearing food with her fork to "feed" the doll.
Mom wasn't watching, but I snatched it before it touched. "Tasty!? No poison, right?"
Min-ji patted its head, nodding dramatically. As if Mom's cooking had poison. Satisfied it was safe, she popped it in her own mouth.
God, whose kid was she? This pretend play was next-level wild.