Morning Sunshine Before the Storm
Morning sunlight filtered into the room. Holding Maximus close while I slept had left me feeling more refreshed than usual—I woke up invigoratingly well-rested. Is this why people hug stuffed dolls to bed? Maximus, now awake in my arms, stared up at me with a blank look. Curled into a fluffy cotton ball, he gazed at me with his big, sparkling eyes.
"...So cute."
From now on, I'd get to enjoy mornings like this every day? Just thinking about it filled me with happiness.
I stretched to get up, and Maximus followed suit, rising from his spot, extending his tiny body with a big yawn.
Ha, this lethal cuteness. Why are you so adorable?
I couldn't hold back—I rubbed my face against him and showered him with affection. I snapped a few photos too, of course. Gotta post these on SNS.
I got out of bed and headed to the living room. A delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen. On the table sat hearty side dishes: rolled omelet, grilled tofu, and soybean sprout soup. Simple, yet appetite-whetting staples of home cooking. My stomach started rumbling.
"Grandpa, sleep well?"
"Yup~ Looks like ya slept real good too, lil' one~ Yer face is all bright 'n shiny?"
"Really? Weirdly enough, sleeping with Maximus made me crash hard."
"Euhaha! That lil' fella's a real bundle o' luck~"
After a quick morning chat with Grandpa, I headed to wake Im Nana.
Knock-. Knock-.
"Nana, breakfast time~"
Hm, still asleep? I cracked the door open and peeked in. The canopy over her bed was still closed—she hadn't woken up yet. I slipped inside and pulled it back. There, on the bed, was a massive caterpillar made of blankets.
"Nana, you gotta eat."
...No response. It was just a lump of blanket. She'd burrowed in head to toe... Im Nana had fully merged with the covers, not twitching a muscle. Was she actually dead? I started shaking the blanket to rouse her actively.
"Breakfast is getting cold. Get up."
"Mmm... Fi-five more hours..."
A mumble came from within, and the caterpillar curled tighter. Last camping trip, she'd said five minutes, but it was hours—must be her sleep habit. Her scale was just different. Like how she eats 100 bowls when others stop at 10.
Sigh, no choice. Time for that method.
I carefully climbed onto the bed and whispered at what I guessed was her face.
"Rolled omelet, grilled tofu, soybean sprout soup."
"Gasp!"
The blanket flew open with a sharp inhale—like a chrysalis hatching.
"Rolled omelet?! Grilled tofu?! Soybean sprout soup?!"
She bolted upright, her first words not a greeting but food names. Kinda funny.
"Yeah, Grandpa made it. Come eat before it gets cold."
"Whoa, really? Let's go!"
Im Nana dashed out in her pajamas.
...Yeah, food makes her lose all reason.
Grandpa's breakfast was full of that warm, comforting flavor. Seeing Im Nana plow through two bowls confirmed it was delicious.
Come to think of it, with her appetite, why'd she complain about the braised short ribs and tell me to save some? Couldn't she just eat it all herself?
"Nana, just curious—do you usually eat a lot?"
"Huh? No? I eat normally?"
"How 'normal' is 'normally'..."
"She really eats normally. A little salad for breakfast, one or two pieces of bread for lunch, a single serving for dinner."
Hm, didn't sound like a lie. We'd camped multiple times, and I'd never seen her eat excessively. Maybe she just goes wild occasionally?
"But back in school, I ate a ton. Volleyball kept it in check, but after quitting, I felt sluggish even without gaining weight. So I limit binges to once a month."
"Oh... so the 100 sushi rolls..."
"Not 100! It was 80!"
...80 or 100, same difference to me. But she denied it so firmly—must be some secret in her world I don't get.
"But bingeing like that... isn't it bad for your health?"
"Hmm... if it was constant, maybe. But at my last checkup, the doc said I was a perfect specimen—wanted to show me off to patients."
True... I'd never known her to get sick. Burnout was mental fatigue, not physical.
"Do you work out normally?"
"Volleyball in school! Short so I was a libero specialist. Haven't since adulthood."
Im Nana's height? Generously, 155cm. Probably less. Way below average, so volleyball was unexpected. With her athleticism, she'd have been an iron wall.
Speaking of workouts, it reminded me of my pathetic physique. Hands trembling after moving a few bags of dog food yesterday. At this rate, not just camping—daily life would suffer. No clue how this body was built, but muscle can be trained. At least to average woman levels.
We finished breakfast chatting about Im Nana. Back in my room packing, it was already early lunchtime. Time to hit the road or we'd hit traffic.
"Grandpa~ We're heading out."
"Already? At least eat lunch first."
"If we don't go now, traffic'll be bad. We'll come again."
Out in the yard, we loaded the last bags and hugged Grandpa.
Woof-! Woof-!
Yeah, yeah. Alexander III, take care.
"Call when ya get back, look after Maximus good, and take care o' yerself."
"Yes, thank you. See you."
"Bye!"
"Alright~ Come anytime~"
I started the car, and Alexander's barks seemed louder. He looked reluctant too. I stuck my head out the window for one last wave. Grandpa waved back with a hearty laugh. With those warm farewells, our car—me, Im Nana, and one pup—pulled out of the yard.
Maximus nestled in Im Nana's arms. New to cars, he trembled a bit, scared. His tiny body shivering tugged at my heart.
"It's okay, Maximus. We're heading to Areum's house now."
Im Nana hugged and soothed him. He seemed to like the pets, closing his eyes and relaxing. After a while, he dozed off with soft snores. Seeing that made me smile.
She really is good with animals. The sheep before too...
Me? Animals like me too, kinda. Pigeons flock to me on park benches; alley cats tag along. ...But it never ends well. Pigeons poop and fly off; cats bolt when I pet them. And that baby lamb... ugh, don't think about it. Even if it's immortalized on NutTube, it's sealed in my memory forever.
As I mentally sealed that black history, we passed the Seoul tollgate. Leaving early before lunch on a Sunday got us here quick.
Exiting the highway into the city, Maximus woke, peering out the window with bright eyes. Im Nana's apartment loomed ahead.
"Hiiing... I wanna stay with Maximus longer."
"Visit anytime. I can come too."
"Yeah...! Camping was so fun! Let's go again!"
"Sure, anytime. It's my main content."
I watched her grab her bags and head in. As she vanished around the corner, the 2-night-3-day trip truly ended. Fun moments always do. The more you miss the end, the more you anticipate the next.
Shaking off the wistfulness, I gripped the wheel again.
Finally home. I set Maximus down gently. First time here, so he moved cautiously. At the entrance, he sniffed the floor nonstop—too fatally cute.
"...Gotta film this."
Can't miss his monumental first day. I whipped out my phone and started recording.
Maximus hesitated at the threshold, then ventured into the living room. Sniffing everywhere, his pace quickened. From tentative tap... tap... to frantic tatatatata, he dashed around the house.
Getting used to it? After zooming about, he returned to my feet and plopped down. Those pure upward eyes were irresistible. I stopped filming, crouched, and lavished him with love.
"This is your home now, Maximus."
Hugging him, smooshing his scruff—it felt like owning the world.
Oh right—Grandpa said, Just lay down one potty pad, and he'll handle it himself~
I unpacked quickly and set a pad by the bathroom. Maximus beelined for it, lifted a leg, and went. He'd marked spots at the rest stop, but held it since—impressive stream.
"Hm, smart boy."
...Too smart? You're barely two months old! You waited for me to set the pad? In a brand-new house? How are you this perfect...!
Finished, he wagged over. I ditched cleanup and rolled on the floor with him awhile.
"Ah, gotta unpack..."
Too lazy. Humans always want to sit when standing, lie when sitting, and do nothing when lying down.
Then my eyes hit the computer.
Ah... gotta check reactions.
Take it~ (Camping Gallery crew)
"...CampGal. Bet it's blown up..."
Scary. Checking internet reactions felt terrifying. My fault for feeding them fodder, but those guys probably turned it into a truckload of memes.
Sigh. Calm down... Rip the band-aid off.
Hm, room looks messy anyway. Clean first?