Chapter 46: Until the Blue Sky Comes (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 46: Until the Blue Sky Comes (6)
I had to talk to Eunji anyway, and to confirm for certain that the trip was off the table, I needed to meet Blue.
After lunch, I asked Kirk if I could pick her up again today. When he asked if it was because of the trip, I told him yes. Kirk readily agreed, and I headed straight for the kindergarten I had visited just yesterday.
On the way, I gave the trip some thought. It had been a very long time since I’d gone on one. Aside from a two-day retreat for a Headquarters MT a few years back, I hadn't had any real leisure travel since arriving on Earth.
Back when I was in space, every day was a journey, so I had actually longed to settle down and live a quiet life in one place. But after staying in the same spot for twenty years, living like a homebody, the desire to go somewhere else naturally began to surface.
Unfortunately, the trip Eunji proposed was almost certainly going to fall through, so I’d have to take a rain check. Even then, I didn't exactly have friends to go with, so who would I even travel with?
Then it hit me. I had momentarily forgotten that I actually have a girlfriend now. If I asked Yubin to go on a trip... I didn't know yet if she liked traveling or not, so I couldn't predict her reaction, but I figured I could at least look forward to it.
I arrived at the kindergarten quickly, lost in thought about what would be fun to do if the two of us went away together. It wasn't time for dismissal yet, so I stood under my umbrella in the falling rain, quietly waiting for Eunji to come out.
The forecast said the monsoon season would last until next week. I wondered if Yubin would even like traveling during the rainy season. Kirk surely mentioned the weather to Eunji, but she probably insisted on going anyway, more excited about playing with her boyfriend, Hoyoung, than the trip itself.
"She’s a funny one."
Watching Eunji was entertaining. She was the daughter of my friend and his wife, but perhaps because she’d played with me during my frequent visits to Kirk’s house, she shared some strange similarities with me. I thought that if I ever got married and had a daughter, someone like Eunji would be nice.
"No, no."
I shook my head. They say the difficulty of raising an active child is several times harder than a normal kid, and normal kids are already a handful. Eunji was supposedly a special case; Kirk had told me that, according to people around him, his parenting difficulty was at the absolute lowest level.
The fact that my friend was suffering less because his daughter was so bright made a twinge of envy rise in my gut.
Time passed as I waited for the children to emerge to the sound of the rain. Soon, the kids began heading home with the parents who had come to meet them.
Eunji, expecting Kirk to be there, would likely walk out of the kindergarten alone.
And just as expected, Eunji walked out by herself, her face lighting up the moment she spotted me at the main gate.
"Uncle?!"
I gave her a slight wave.
"Hey there."
"Why are you here today? Where’s Dad?"
"I heard you told him you wanted to go on a trip yesterday."
Realizing that was the reason, Eunji nodded in understanding.
"Are we going?"
"You only brought it up because you want to go with Hoyoung, right?"
Instead of answering her question, I asked one of my own. Eunji didn't look surprised that I knew; rather, her expression said she expected nothing less from me.
"Yeah. Can we go?"
"I have to ask Hoyoung’s aunt. I don't know if his parents will give permission or not."
Even in this uncertain situation where the trip might not happen, Eunji didn't seem discouraged at all. Just the fact that I had shown up seemed to give her a glimmer of hope.
If it ended up being a no-go, I’d have to see Eunji looking uncharacteristically dejected, but dealing with that was her father Kirk’s job. I just needed to get a definitive "no" to settle the situation.
To be honest, I wanted to go. It had been a long time since I’d been anywhere, and I had a strong desire to wash away the fatigue I’d been feeling lately. However, no matter how I looked at it, I didn't think Blue’s family would allow it.
Actually, it wasn't even about permission. I just didn't think her situation—raising a child alone—would allow for it.
"Where’s Hoyoung?"
"He said he’s waiting inside until his aunt comes."
I had forgotten while talking to Eunji, but Blue was nowhere to be seen. Was she running late again today? Even if only one child was at the kindergarten, she must be exhausted from looking after two on her own.
I could guess why she was late, but it was a mystery whether young Hoyoung understood.
"Go bring Hoyoung out. Let’s play for a bit."
"Is that okay?"
"Of course."
Seeing Eunji run back into the kindergarten, thrilled at the thought of playing with her boyfriend two days in a row, I couldn't help but think of Yubin again.
We hadn't been able to go on a proper date lately because things had been so busy. Once the monsoon season ended, it might be good to take her on a trip.
Eunji came walking back out, excitedly holding Hoyoung’s hand. Her shoulder was getting a bit wet because she was holding her umbrella at a crooked angle, but she didn't seem to care at all.
"Where should we go?"
I took Eunji and Hoyoung to a nearby playroom. It was an indoor facility with safe play equipment, and I figured there was no better place for the two of them to have fun for a while.
As expected, the two kids were having a blast. Hoyoung had a cell phone for emergencies.
"Could you let your aunt know you're here?" I asked. He made the call properly, and I sat down to watch the two of them run around while I waited for Blue.
Before long, Blue rushed in, and our eyes met.
"I'm so sorry. Because of me..."
I waved off her apology as she started bowing the moment she arrived, telling her it was fine. I handed her a drink, seeing how rushed she was.
"Sit down and catch your breath for a moment."
Once her breathing steadied, Blue sat down beside me. We remained silent for a while, watching Eunji and Hoyoung play. I had a goal in mind, but I wasn't sure how to bring it up, and Blue seemed to stay quiet simply because she had nothing specific to say.
"I've never seen Hoyoung run around like that before."
I was debating how to start the conversation when her sudden remark made me look at Hoyoung playing with Eunji.
"I don't know him that well yet, but he seems like a quiet kid. I didn't think he’d run around like that normally."
"Yes. He’s very quiet compared to his older brothers. He’s never once run around or raised his voice at home."
Eunji was a unique case, but it seemed Hoyoung was quite special too. In the high-difficulty task of raising three boys, it seemed Hoyoung played the role of lowering the difficulty level a bit.
"Eunji has always been active. I’ve had my fair share of trouble because of it."
Since the kids were playing, the conversation naturally turned toward them. I suppose this is why parents only talk about their kids when they meet.
Of course, real parents would be too busy sharing anecdotes about their own children to do anything else.
"Whenever it was time to play, she’d always look for me instead of her dad."
"Eunji must really like you, Uncle."
"I guess so. Maybe it's because she doesn't have a real uncle."
Since Kirk came from outer space, he had no relatives on Earth, and his wife was an only child, so Eunji had no one she could call a relative.
Because of that, whenever I visited Kirk’s house, Eunji would always get excited and pester me to play. I don't particularly love children, but I don't dislike them either, and since I had no reason to refuse, I always did my best to play with her.
"She said she wanted to go on a trip this time, but she wanted to go with me instead of her dad."
"Ah, the kindergarten vacation starts next week, doesn't it?"
Was she already exhausted at the thought of looking after all three kids at home during the break? Her eyes seemed full of worry.
"That’s actually what I wanted to talk about. Do you happen to like traveling?"
"Pardon?"
I had thought about how to phrase it, but no matter how I said it, it sounded incredibly suspicious. I decided to explain myself fully and properly.
"Eunji says she wants to go on a trip, but it’s obvious she just wants to go play with Hoyoung. Seeing how she’s acting even in this rain, she must really want to go. I’m fine going as a guardian, but Hoyoung would need one too, and from your perspective, Ms. Hayoung, you might not feel comfortable with just me going as the guardian."
Oh boy. No matter how I said it, it sounded messy. It felt like I was making a move on her using the kids as an excuse, but Blue smiled as if she believed me.
"Calm down. Let me see. Next week..."
She seemed to be calculating the dates in her head. Seeing her brow furrow slightly every now and then, I figured the trip would be impossible. It was what I expected, but it hurt a little to think about how disappointed Eunji would be.
"Yes. Next week should be fine."
"Right? I figured it would be hard... Wait, what?"
I stared at her with a blank expression, unable to believe the answer that had come from the person who was just counting on her fingers and shaking her head.
"It should be fine. My brother and sister-in-law are coming back this weekend."
...I had completely misunderstood.
I had assumed on my own that her brother and sister-in-law had passed away and that she was raising the children alone, but that wasn't the case at all. Perhaps they were just away working abroad.
Since they were returning soon, Blue would be relieved of the burden of childcare, making it perfectly possible for her to go on a trip.
"Uh... are you sure you're okay with that?"
Even if it was a trip with the kids, she’d be going as a guardian with a man she barely knew. Was there some Earth common sense I was still missing?
"Yes. Hoyoung looks like he’d be bored just staying at home."
It seemed that in her mind, the idea of going on a trip for the sake of the children far outweighed any concern about traveling with a man she didn't know well.
In that case, I had to act properly as a guardian, and since the trip was now actually happening—contrary to my expectations—I needed to make a plan.
"But what about the exact dates and the location?"
"We can decide the dates, and Eunji’s dad will provide the location. He makes good money, so you don't have to worry too much."
I mentioned this beforehand in case she felt burdened by the cost of the trip, knowing she didn't earn much from her work with Hunter Killer. In fact, Kirk had said he would look into the destination and accommodation himself, so there wasn't much to worry about.
"Then..."
Blue began calculating in her head once more.
"I think Monday or Tuesday would be best, but I'll talk to Hoyoung and get back to you."
"Alright."
As I answered, Blue pulled out her phone and held it out to me. She needed my number to stay in touch, and I figured having her contact info would be useful for discussing the trip as things came up, so I entered my number into her smartphone.
"They say it's going to rain until next week, so we probably won't be able to play outside much. Is that okay?"
"Yes. Hoyoung having fun is more important than anything else. I think he’ll be happy just being with Eunji."
Eunji and Hoyoung had bright expressions on their faces, looking so happy just from riding a slide.
Seeing a child’s innocent smile made me feel good for no reason. Was it because seeing a child grow reminded me of my own vibrant childhood?
"Since it’s a trip after such a long time, I should make lots of delicious food for the kids if we go."
Come to think of it, Blue had said she wanted to be a chef someday if possible. Was she already excited at the thought of cooking on the trip? Blue was wearing a bright smile, no different from the two children playing nearby.
For some reason, looking at her made my own heart feel lighter, and I found myself smiling back at her.
"Uncle and that lady look like they're in a good mood, don't they?"
Eunji and Hoyoung, who had been playing, sensed a strange atmosphere from afar. They hid themselves for a moment and observed A and Blue sitting together.
"My aunt is really nice."
"My uncle is really nice too."
The two young "couples," their eyes meeting, began to make their own plans for what they would do once they went on the trip.