Don't Cry, It Weakens Uncle's Heart
"Don't cry. It makes Uncle's heart weak."
We headed out to the Children's Grand Park with Dad. We met up with Yu-bin's family in the parking lot and toured the zoo together.
"Whoa, that plushie is so cute."
"Yeah! Buy it for me, oppa."
"For real? I'm so jealous~"
"No way, this is Min-ji's."
Min-ji hugged the plushie tight and spun around in delight. We headed deeper inside to see the animals. I greeted Yu-bin's dad, whom I hadn't seen in a while.
Yu-bin's family was buying tickets for the rides, but we had no intention of doing the same. It wasn't like we were putting on some broke-ass act or anything... Aside from Dad, none of us gave a damn about the rides. Me? Rides were a hard pass.
"I hate 'em. Makes me wanna puke."
"Yeah? You ever actually ridden one?"
"...Huh?"
His sharp question sent a chill down my neck. This ragtag family of mine had never taken their kid to an amusement park by age nine. I fumbled for an answer, coming up empty.
"Son... don't pretend you hate it just 'cause you're embarrassed. Things are looking up for us now, and Dad's got a re-signing next year."
"....."
Mom and Dad seemed to have pinned down a reason for my sudden maturity. They were off-base, but it wasn't bad that they'd found some logical explanation for why I'd grown up so fast. I'd been wondering just how childish my mental state must've been that even after regressing to nine, my parents didn't bat an eye at the weirdness.
In the end, Dad bought tickets anyway, pride be damned.
We hit the rides first thing upon entering the park. Something mild that little Min-ji could handle—no dizziness, all good. Watching Yu-bin and Min-ji squeal with joy on the bumper cars was fun. Next up was the squirrel wheel ride, where you turned the handle inside to make it spin faster.
Safety rules said kids had to ride with adults... But this was the wild era, where romance and savagery coexisted. We underestimated the "kid-friendly" ride. Or more accurately, I never should've gotten on that centrifuge with my gorilla-brained dad at the helm.
The wheel spun like mad, twisting my guts. I felt vomit rising any second. What the hell was wrong with this lunatic, grinning like an idiot as he cranked it?
"S-stop!!!"
"What'd you say, son~?"
"Fuck... I said stop!!!"
I swallowed the curse and bailed from the still-spinning wheel at the perfect moment. Everyone stared in shock. The staff hit the emergency stop, but the damn thing kept going for a bit. As it barreled toward me dangerously, I didn't have time to think—just leaped over lightly and bolted outside.
I made it to the corner and hurled up everything inside.
Uwaaaagh!!!
Dad got an earful from Mom—and a solid smack. He rubbed his stinging back but still looked sorry toward me.
"I knew it from the start, spinning like a maniac with a kid aboard!"
"S-sorry..."
I lay on the bench for a while. The world still looked yellow-tinged. It took forever to recover fully.
We bought sausages from the kiosk and handed them to Yu-bin and Min-ji as we moved on.
"Wanna go see the rabbits now?"
"Rabbits!? Yeah!"
"Me too!"
I grabbed Min-ji's hand with Yu-bin and headed to the rabbits. It was a petting zoo setup. I bought feed from the dispenser and gave one to each of them.
* * *
Yu-bin wanted to ride the attractions, so they headed straight to the ticket booth. Despite getting tickets, Do-hyun flat-out said he hated rides. What a bold kid. Do-hyun's dad looked hurt when he suggested riding alone or with Dad. It was like the roles of father and son had swapped.
Yu-bin had been dying to ride with Do-hyun, but now she followed him to the zoo instead. Sure, he was a handsome boy, but hearing his daughter chant "Do-hyun, Do-hyun" nonstop gave him a headache. Hell, she even called for Do-hyun in her dreams instead of Mom or Dad.
One day, when she cried alone in her room after a confession rejection, even her mild-mannered husband nearly lost it. Their daughter wasn't just pretty in their eyes—she was publicly acknowledged as a beauty.
At first, he'd been pissed. What made this brat so special that he could mess with his little girl's heart? He'd only seen the kid's flaws. He couldn't understand why Yu-bin was smitten with some ragamuffin.
But the boy had never lost top spot in class—not even once—and he was athletic too. He tried blaming the family background, but they'd boldly moved to a ritzy neighborhood. And that dad was making waves as a mid-career rookie in the K1 League.
He'd thought the kid lacked nothing already, a total package. But seeing his unnaturally mature, adult-like behavior so often... he had no choice but to admit it now. The boy was even buying animal feed with his own pocket money and handing it first to Yu-bin and her little sister.
"Ha... what kinda childish nonsense did I spin before..."
Seeing him dote on Yu-bin like that, both he and his wife nodded.
"He really is handsome and polite."
"Pfft~ But Yu-bin's the real cutie here. How's she so adorable?"
"Oh my, Min-ji's a riot too. Wanna take a pic together?"
She'd gotten close to Do-hyun's mom and dropped the formalities naturally. Do-hyun's mom was still polite with her, though.
From afar, Do-hyun squatted protectively. Maybe because he had a little sister... He watched every move to keep Yu-bin safe without her noticing. When a small goat approached from behind, he subtly blocked it with his body. Less like a friend, more like a big brother.
Seeing Yu-bin so happy, as a parent, he knew he had to root for them. Now he understood why she murmured "Do-hyun" even in her sleep.
They spread a mat in the middle of the park for a picnic. Do-hyun played foot volleyball with his dad. Very boyish, that one. Even her husband, a college soccer fan, subtly envied having a son.
Eventually, Do-hyun dragged her husband over to kick the ball together. But why was her husband worse than a nine-year-old...? He'd yap nonstop during soccer games on TV before.
Just try commentating next time.
"Sigh..."
Her husband had actually shone in college soccer. So it must be Do-hyun who's exceptional. Comparing a nine-year-old to an adult was silly, though.
Do-hyun's mom noticed her sigh.
"Unnie, everything okay?"
"Nah. My husband's kicking worse than your son."
"Haha... Do-hyun's been playing futsal with adults lately."
Do-hyun's mom shared Taekwondo stories. When Min-ji and Yu-bin joined the ball game, the three played gently, adjusting their strength.
After lunch, they naturally tried to pay, but Do-hyun's dad had already settled it. Like before, top-notch character in that family.
* * *
We'd just eaten lunch, but the two moms bickered over who’d buy dessert.
"Do-hyun's mooched so much tteokbokki from Yu-bin."
"Pfft, if we're nitpicking, what I just bought covers it. I'll get this."
"The gratitude scale's different~"
"Hey, Seon-hwa. We're grateful to Do-hyun too, y'know? Listen to unnie this time."
"Ah, fine then....."
I grimaced at their endless chatter.
'Gotta take a shit...'
I stood silently, went on tiptoes, and handed the clerk three 10,000-won bills.
"Ring me up, please."
"Oh, you're paying?"
"Yeah."
The smiling part-timer took my cash. I gave the receipt to Mom.
"Handled it."
"".....""
"Gonna crap. Wait here."
I bolted to the bathroom. The ones bursting into laughter? Not the moms—the dads.
The future logged in my smartphone had diverged massively from what I knew. Butterfly effect, I guess. Family crises that could've arisen were nipped by that one lottery ticket, solving nearly everything. Same for incidents around acquaintances.
The phone no longer spat out future diary entries, like it was telling me I was on the right track. Far from anxious, it reassured me. So I'd only set alarms for the big historical events from Heroes' Chronicles.
I eyed the family newsletter on the table. School homework: write your best and worst friends. Specifically one each. Bad vibe—this felt like they'd reveal who wrote what.
Only two kids I hung with anyway, so I wrote Jun-woo without hesitation.
"Aww, Yu-bin's gonna be sad..."
"Why butt in on this?"
"Butt in?"
"Don't worry. I'll explain it right."
"Ooh..."
For the worst friend spot, I wrote "none." Such a childish survey. If there was a reason, probably to sniff out bullying. Mom peeked over my shoulder like a meerkat.
"Yu-bin's gonna be more upset. Write her next to it~"
"Fine. Back off."
"Heehee. So shy."
She poked my cheeks annoyingly. If Dad pulled that shit, I'd spit on him. But Mom was fragile, so I endured. For the reasons section, I channeled my inner poet, scribbling line by line.