Bathroom Blunders and Whole Pig Paradise
What should I do about this whole pig BBQ? Objectively speaking, there's nothing awkward or weird about the situation at all... but in my case, things are a little different, aren't they? It felt wrong to just casually say, "Sure~" and go along with it, but flat-out refusing seemed rude too.... What the hell was I supposed to do?
"Hey, lil' one~ If you're still in there, come out for a sec~"
Just then, Grandpa's voice called from the yard. That single line felt like a lifeline.
"Ah, y-yeah...! Grandpa's calling me from outside! Sorry, you go ahead and wash up first!"
I bolted out of the bathroom like I was escaping.
Whew, that was a crisis of a lifetime.
I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart and headed to the yard.
"Grandpa? What'd you need?"
"Could ya move the car over there for me?"
"Sure thing. But wasn't this the parking spot before?"
"See that ginkgo tree over yonder? Fall's been warm this year, so the nuts are just now droppin' like crazy~ Worried one'll hit the car and dent it~"
There was a massive ginkgo tree behind the parking area, and sure enough, the nuts were starting to fall. They were a bit hard, so they could damage the car if they hit it. Grandpa must've been concerned about that.
I parked in the new spot he'd pointed out, then slumped forward, forehead against the steering wheel, replaying that dizzying moment.
'Let's go in together~'
Thud.
Thud.
I bobbed my head, bumping it lightly against the wheel a few times as my thoughts spiraled.
Haa, maybe I should've just gritted my teeth and gone in with her? There's no guarantee this won't happen again, and I can't keep panicking forever. My body's familiar to me now, but seeing someone else's body—especially since I have zero experience with that—is what's throwing me off.
Tap-tap.
Suddenly, someone knocked on the window. I looked up to see Grandpa peering in with a worried expression.
"Lil' one, you okay? Hurt somewhere? You've been parkin' for over 30 minutes now."
"Ah, already...? No, I'm fine. Guess I was just tired from driving since dawn."
"That so? Good then... Hurry inside and wash up. Got the sauna heated up for ya."
Apparently, my "moment of thought" had stretched to 30 minutes. No wonder he was worried. I felt a pang of guilt brushing it off, but I couldn't exactly say, 'I'm just uncomfortable bathing with someone else.'
Thanks to Grandpa's consideration, I headed back inside to the bathroom. Nana should've been wrapping up by now, right? About 30 minutes.
In the changing room, I stripped down and prepped to enter.
"Keep my eyes barely open... head down, straight to the shower booth, no eye contact..."
Muttering self-hypnosis in front of the bathroom door—anyone else would've called me crazy, but whatever. That's how nervous I was. Even wrapped in a towel, stepping into a bath with someone else was mortifying.
I cautiously opened the door and glanced around.
Huh? Where'd she go? Already out?
Creeeak.
Right then, the shower booth door swung open, and out came Im Nana—hair twisted up, body wrapped in a towel.
"Ahh! Areum! I said let's bathe together—where'd you go? Coming in now?"
"Uh, w-well... Grandpa called me out for a sec! You... done already?"
"Yup! The tub's huge~! Headin' to the sauna now! How do you use this?"
"Just go in. Grandpa said he preheated it."
"Got it!"
Watching her trot off to the sauna eased my nerves a bit. She wasn't fully naked, everything was covered—so less pressure. I couldn't look straight at her and probably seemed awkward, but thankfully, no suspicion.
The sauna door clicked shut. I slipped into the shower booth, washed up, and sank into the tub.
"Hoo..."
Soaking in the hot water melted away the built-up fatigue and tension.
What do I even do? Hit up a pool or something together? Maybe I'd get used to it then?
Lost in thought, I heard the sauna door open behind me. I ducked my head quick, waiting for Nana to leave...
Huh? No other sounds?
Curiosity won out; I turned around.
"...?"
"..."
"Eek...!"
Gahhh! My t-toe! I hit my toe!
Startled, I toppled backward, slamming my toe against the tub wall. I wanted to scream, but tub water flooded my mouth and nose.
"Guhk, cough. Cough. Th-that almost killed me."
"What spooked you so bad?"
"Cough... W-well..."
"I'm done with the sauna, so gonna rinse and head out? Come on out~"
"Y-yeah..."
Still avoiding eye contact, I watched her slip into the shower booth. Water ran, then the bathroom door shut, followed by the hairdryer. Only then did I relax.
"My heart nearly exploded... Why'd you sneak up without a sound?"
Is scaring people a hobby? Anyway, with Nana gone, the bathroom was mine alone. I finally loosened up and washed properly.
Back in the room after bathing, Nana was patting lotion onto her face, deep in skincare mode.
"All done? That was quick!"
"Just bathed and came out... How was the sauna?"
"Amazing! You come out all limp and relaxed, y'know? Anyway, Areum, you..."
She eyed me meaningfully through the mirror. Tension spiked. What was she about to say...?
"Areum, you..."
"Me...?"
Gulp.
I swallowed hard. Why the dramatic pause? How serious was this?
"You... super shy, huh? Your face was beet red earlier. Never bathed with anyone else?"
...Gasp. Eureka! Exactly! She handed me the perfect excuse on a platter—she looked adorable.
"Ah, y-yeah...! N-no, never bathed with anyone else...! That's it?!"
"Huh? Why'd you say it like a question?"
"N-no, I mean yes! First time ever!"
"Really? Glanced at your back earlier—super pretty~ Makes sense no one's seen it~ Hehe."
...So that's why she was standing silently behind me? Staring at my back? This woman...! Peeking at someone else's body like that! I haven't even seen my own back much!
Wait. Hehe?
"Hehe?"
"Hehe, nothing!"
Her mischievous grin felt a tad off, but I ignored it.
"C'mon, sit! In winter, especially! Skin dries out after washing, and going outside ruins it. Gotta be extra thorough!"
Suddenly serious again, she shoved skincare products at me. How does she switch moods so fast? Laughing one sec, intense the next... Well, whatever—she bought it.
Bath time—chaotic only for me—finally ended. I unpacked roughly in the room. Grandpa seemed to be handling everything alone; time to help.
In the yard, he sat by the smoker in work gloves, sipping beer.
"All washed up?"
"Yeah, now rest. I'll help."
"I can handle the heavy stuff too!"
Nana chimed in, rolling up sleeves to flex her surprisingly toned arms for such slim build.
"Euhahaha! Lil' ones ain't had lunch yet, right?"
"Mmm... Grabbed some breakfast, but..."
Grrrowl.
"...?"
"Ah, uh... Kinda hungry, but mentioning lunch made my stomach growl..."
"Euhahaha! Bit early, but let's call it a late lunch and dig in? Time flies with this stuff anyway~."
"Yay—! Finally!"
Nana whooped with excitement. That hungry? Makes sense—that visual would whet anyone's appetite. Glossy brown skin, pink flesh peeking through deep scores, glistening. Whole pig means picking prime cuts. Best part? Samgyeopsal? Or chewy foreleg? Neck or bone-in ribs sound good too.
"Hold that door over there on three! We'll open 'er up!"
"Here?! Got it!"
Wha—? She was right next to me a second ago?! Teleport?
"One, two, three—!"
Clang.
The smoker's glass door swung open. Heat and steam billowed out, blinding us in a smoky haze.
Seconds later, it cleared, revealing the whole pig still slowly rotating.
"Th-the smell...!"
"This... is the real deal."
"Euhahaha! Smells good, eh? Slow-roasted since dawn~ Should be perfect."
"How many hours?"
"'Bout twelve, I'd say."
"Whaaat...!"
Ugh, my jaw dropped. Spitting a whole pig on a rotisserie takes forever. Did I make Grandpa overwork...?
"You didn't go through all this trouble for us, did you?"
"Trouble? Psh~ Old folks don't sleep much anyway. Watchin' the pig made time fly~"
"Still..."
"C'mon. Let's taste the best cut first."
He grabbed a massive butcher knife that looked intimidating just to look at and approached the machine.
Hmm, samgyeopsal? Popular and tasty. But no—Grandpa headed to the head, slicing off the jowl meat with a clean shwick.
Plop. Plop.
Chunks hit the cutting board, sized perfectly.
Huh... Never thought of jowl...
"Dig in. Real delicacy, this is~"
He plated a few pieces for me and Nana.
Gulp.
Knew it was fatty, but slow-roasted low and slow, the fat rendered out, leaving vibrant pink meat.
"Areum... We can really eat this? No one's gonna snatch it away right before my mouth?"
"...Let's just try. I can't hold back anymore."
I picked up a piece with chopsticks. We locked eyes mid-air, then popped it in simultaneously.
......
......
And then... my memory cut out.