Muddy Paws and a Subscriber Surprise
Beating the drum and the janggu. [Hello?] The childish voice coming through the receiver. It had matured a bit more than the one etched in my memory, but that clear, bright tone was unchanged. My breath caught in my throat. No words came out.
[Hello? Did I get the wrong number?]
The other side was about to hang up. I panicked. Worst case, I'd get chewed out, but I had to apologize first... I swallowed dryly and finally forced my mouth open.
"...Sora?"
A brief silence flowed. And then.
[Areum unnie?]
My heart plummeted. She remembered. I hadn't even said my name. Just from my voice alone, that kid recognized me. My eyes welled up hot.
"Yeah... it's Areum unnie..."
My voice trembled. I was sorry. Grateful. And so incredibly happy to hear from her. I bit my lip hard to keep the tears from spilling.
[It's been forever. How've you been?]
Sora's voice was so calm. Like she was chatting with a friend she'd seen yesterday—no hesitation at all. That brightness stabbed at my heart even harder.
"Sora... you're in Mokpo right now, right...?"
[Yeah. At Great-Grandpa's house. Came to hang with friends. Playing with Maximus right now—he's so freaking cute.]
Great-Grandpa. The nickname Sora used for our grandpa. Still the same. That straightforward voice that didn't match her age, and her personality of always speaking her mind. But I hadn't stayed the same. I'd run away like a coward and turned a blind eye. I had to apologize. Right now, even if it was late.
"Unnie's sorry... for only contacting you now..."
[Huh? Why are you apologizing, unnie?]
Sora sounded puzzled.
"Wh-what...? Well, because I never called..."
[What are you talking about? Oh, and didn't you say you were coming today? That's why I'm waiting.]
...Huh? My tears dried up instantly. Waiting? Why on earth...?
[Unnie, what time are you getting here?]
"...Evening. I'll be there before dinner."
[Okay. I'll be waiting.]
Click. The call ended. I stared blankly at my smartphone. She's waiting. For me. Maybe to yell at me, to demand why I ghosted her. I didn't know. But there was no time to think. I gripped the steering wheel tight. I had to go. Right now. I floored the accelerator.
I don't even remember how I drove there. When I came to, the sun was dipping low. Way off in the distance, that familiar blue gate came into view. My heart started pounding again.
What do I say when I see her?
How should I look?
Countless thoughts swirled in my head. Screech—. I parked in the yard.
"Woof! Woof! Bark bark!"
Alexander III barked thunderously in greeting. I opened the car door and got out. But...
"......"
It was quiet. Aside from Alexander's barking, there was no sign of life. She said she was waiting, right? The front door was firmly shut. Maybe... she got mad and left? She sounded cheerful on the call, but seeing my face made the anger boil over? Anxiety washed over me. I cautiously pressed the doorbell.
Ding-dong—.
No response. Not even Maximus's barking. That hyper little guy wouldn't stay quiet if I showed up. Puzzled, I punched in the door lock code and opened it.
"Grandpa? Sora?"
The house was empty. Living room, kitchen, master bedroom—nobody. Where'd they go? Maybe out for a visit? I reached for my phone, but then a note on the dining table caught my eye. Grandpa's handwriting.
Hey kiddo, taking Sora and her friend to the orphanage for a bit. Bringing Maximus too. Back soon.
Ah... the orphanage. Where Sora grew up, and where I used to volunteer. They'd gone there.
Should I go too? I hesitated. But my feet wouldn't move. Was I not mentally ready yet? Or did I lack the strength to face the flood of memories? In the end, I stayed home. I sat on the sofa, staring at the clock. The ticking seconds sounded deafening.
...Time was crawling. It was past 5 p.m.
They should be back for dinner by now... I fidgeted restlessly. Couldn't sit still, so I went out to the yard. I paced, staring endlessly at the gate. That's when it happened. Boisterous voices echoed from afar.
"We're back~"
Grandpa's gravelly voice. And.
"Ang! Ang!"
Maximus's shrill barks. Overjoyed, I rushed to the gate.
"The kids were so cute~"
"Right? They're all such sweethearts. Mother Superior's an absolute gem too."
"Is she really in her 50s? I'd believe early 30s no problem..."
"I wonder about that myself."
Familiar voices. Grandpa, and the girls. One was Sora, the other probably Sujeong, O Seokgyun the actor's daughter. The gate opened, and the group came in. The first thing that caught my eye was the tiny creature charging ahead.
"Ang!"
...Huh? I froze. The dog in front of me matched Maximus's size and features perfectly... but the color was off. Gone was the white fluff—his whole body was covered in yellowish-brown dirt. Like a country mutt.
"...Maximus?"
Why are you brown? Rebellion phase? Or did you get a tan? How'd you turn into a gal in just three days? Ignoring my baffled expression, he latched onto my pants with his muddy paws. Clear dirt prints stamped my pants. Ah... he must've been rolling in the dirt with the orphanage kids. I could picture it without seeing.
Then, one of the girls following behind spotted me and stopped.
"Areum unnie?"
My heart dropped again. It was Sora. That childish face from back then was still there. Round eyes, perky nose, long straight hair swept to one side. She'd shot up tall, giving her a ladylike air now, but it was definitely the girl from my memories. I stared at her in a daze, and Sora strode right up. Then she shouted loudly.
"It's Areum unnie, right?"
Her voice had force. Her expression seemed oddly stiff too.
...Is she mad? Yeah, definitely pissed. Ghosting her for years and popping up out of nowhere—who wouldn't be? Fear overrode my joy. I backed away without thinking. I hung my head. No excuses.
Today was full of apologies.
"...Sorry, Sora."
My voice came out small.
"...?"
"Sniff... I'm really sorry... for not calling... I should've reached out first... I even had your number..."
Tears welled up. I was so sorry. Guilt crushed me for not helping when she needed it, for leaving her alone and lonely. Tears streamed down my cheeks.
That's when it hit.
"Kiddo? What's with the damn show you're putting on?"
...Huh? I looked up. Grandpa was tsking at me like I was pathetic.
"G-Grandpa...?"
"If it's been ages since you saw her, you oughta hug it out and play some ganggangsullae or somethin'. Why you bawlin' like it's a funeral? Someone die?"
"Th-that's..."
I sniffled and explained the situation. How guilty I felt for getting her number but never calling, for forgetting and living on without her, so I was apologizing. As Sora listened to my rambling excuse, her expression shifted oddly. She stared at me with wide eyes.
"Huh. Unnie didn't know?"
"Wh-what...?"
"I'm subscribed to your YouTube."
"...Huh?"
My tears vanished. Subscribed?
"Great-Grandpa told me. Said his granddaughter does this stuff. So I've been watching since way back."
Sora said it casually.
"I even replied to your comments, remember? I was curious when you took all the videos down... Didn't you know?"
My mind went blank. She'd been watching my YouTube? Replying to comments? When? I racked my brain, and Sora smirked, driving the nail in.
"You really had no idea? I wrote replies in casual speak, so I figured you knew ages ago."
Casual speak? I'd used casual with subscribers? ...Wait. Think. Videos taken down? That meant back when I was struggling with 300 subs. Not "Fun Camper Han Areum," but the flop era of "Boring Camper Hangeol." And back then, I'd tried everything. Friendly neighbor bro concept, blasting casual speech at subs. Stuff like 'Yo, you can camp too.' And... there was that one suspicious fan who commented on every video. Always cheering 'Loving the watches!' That username was definitely...
"...SoraSora?"
The shaky words slipped out. Sora pouted sulkily.
"What? So you did know."
"......"
My legs gave out. I collapsed right there. It was... you? Whoa. To think it connected like this? Relief, shock, and a wave of embarrassment hit me—I couldn't think straight.
......
......
And the tension broke.
"Waaahhh..."
Waaah. I had no idea!!! For some reason, the sobs burst out. Not sad, but... damn it. Yeah. Embarrassing...
Apologies be damned—I'd put on a solo show!!!
"Unnie? Why are you crying...?"
Sora grabbed my shoulders in panic. She fidgeted helplessly in front of me. Sujeong next to her stared with wide eyes too.
"Aigoo, what a circus. Great job scarin' off the guest!"
...Grandpa, that's harsh!