A Starstruck Camping Invite
“Areum, wanna go camping with unnie?”
At my words, Little Areum stopped her tears in an instant and stared up at me with wide eyes. I had no idea how the word “camping” registered in that little head of hers... but it seemed way more appealing than heading home, at least. She nodded vigorously, her tear-streaked face still sniffling.
A complicated mix of bewilderment and gratitude flashed across her parents’ faces. Yeah, it’s not every day strangers extend this kind of kindness.
“Um, are you sure it’s okay? We don’t want to mess up your travel plans...”
“It’s fine. My only plan for tonight was camping anyway. Y’know, I’ve realized lately that camping’s way more fun with a group than solo.”
Sure, camping with total strangers was a first for me too. But what could I do? The water was already spilled, and I wasn’t heartless enough to ignore those sparkling eyes gazing up at me.
And so began an unexpected companionship no one saw coming—a little more special than most.
“Alright, shall we check out the evening market together first? Any specific dinner ideas or ingredients you’ve got in mind?”
“Nope, nothing set in stone... Just vaguely thought grilling something would taste great.”
Hmm, yeah, grilling anything does hit the spot. But since we’re here, even if it’s glamping, I wanted to share a taste of real camping joy.
“Leave dinner to me, then. I’ve got plenty of camping experience under my belt, y’know?”
“Sounds good! We’re in your hands, then. Haha.”
“What do you wanna eat for dinner, Areum?”
My question got a bold response from the kid who’d been whimpering moments ago. She slapped her little hands on her hips and declared it proudly—pretty impressive for her age.
“I eat anything! Beans, bell peppers, fish—I love fish! Raw or grilled!”
“Pfft...”
Most kids her age are super picky, so this was impressive. And the way she boasted about it so confidently? Adorable.
“For real? Then unnie’ll make you some super tasty fish dish.”
Watching Little Areum beam with joy stirred an unexpected sense of responsibility in me. Her parents said it was their first camp too... Hmm, what fish dish could everyone enjoy? She likes it raw or grilled... Perfect, that one.
I grabbed a bundle of hairtail fish—great for charcoal grilling—and a sea bream for sashimi. The head and bones would make a killer spicy stew for the adults.
As I picked out the fish and headed to pay, her dad stepped in to stop me.
“We’ll cover it. We’re already imposing as it is.”
Hmm... Feeling awkward about it? But treating camping newbies to a feast is basically tradition...
“I’m eating too, though. Come on, let me...”
I pulled out my wallet, not backing down, but then mom joined in.
“Thanks to you, our girl’s perked right up. Let us handle this much, at least.”
Dang. Their firm stance won out—I was the one retreating. Where do all those helicopter parent stories online even come from? Normal, warm folks like this are way more common. It’s just the loud minority making noise.
Just look at Little Areum grinning while holding her mom’s hand. You could feel the family harmony radiating off them.
We parted ways with Little Areum’s family at the fish market. I gave them the campsite address and told them to head over first.
“Hmm... Gotta grab more, right?”
One sea bream won’t fill three adults and a kid. Hairtail’s nice, but how’s that supposed to satisfy? I used to eat light, but lately I’ve been packing away adult portions. And spicy stew’s hit-or-miss, so yeah, a bit of worry crept in.
“What did I love as a kid...?”
Come to think of it, Dad grilled sausages for me on a childhood camping trip. Perfect. Kids go nuts for sausages. Even non-picky eaters have favorites—this’d make it special.
I detoured from the nav to a nearby butcher shop, picking up a few kid-friendly sausage varieties and a thick slab of pork belly.
Camping needs meat, after all.
With the ingredients stocked up, my heart felt fuller too.
Late afternoon, as the sun dipped low, I arrived at the campsite. Little Areum’s family had beaten me there and was waiting in the parking lot.
“It’s cold—why didn’t you head in first?”
“Nah, Areum’s too fascinated checking out the place. Haha.”
“There are sooo many little houses here!”
Little Areum was buzzing around excitedly, her voice full of energy. I watched with a smile, then excused myself to set up my tent.
“Oh, I booked a regular camping site, not glamping, so I gotta pitch my tent. Go on in and warm up by the heater.”
“Got it. See you soon.”
“Tent! Unnie! I wanna help pitch the tent too!”
Oh? She wants in on tent setup?
“Ah, this kid...”
“Yeah? Wanna come help unnie set up the tent?”
“Yes!”
Right, right. Kids that age are all about new experiences. Her parents looked a tad embarrassed—we were already imposing—but I was thrilled. Who knows, maybe she’d get hooked on camping? Sure, she’s young, so parents would tag along... but more camping buddies? Yes, please.
I mean, I got addicted young and turned into a camping ghost myself.
“We’re really sorry... You sure it’s okay?”
“Of course. Kids are curious by nature, right? Oh, but I need to ask one thing...”
“Yes? What is it?”
“I actually run a YouTube channel. Camping content. I film when setting up the tent, so...”
They pondered it, and a flicker of unease hit me. Filming might be too much...
“Um... if it’s...”
“Yeah, filming’s probably a hassle, huh?”
“Oh! No, not that... Actually...”
Actually...? Why the hesitation? Something wrong?
“Truth is, we run a YouTube channel too. What a relief! We were wondering when to bring it up...”
“You’ve got that celebrity vibe right off the bat—thought maybe you were with an agency, so we held back on mentioning filming. Haha.”
Huh?! They’re YouTubers too? So the “everyone’s a YouTuber” meme is real?!
“Oh... really? Glad to hear it. What’s your channel name? Gotta subscribe.”
“It’s this family channel...”
Mom pulled out her smartphone and showed me the screen.
Oh ho, Dad’s into DIY? Thumbnail showed him wielding wood and a hammer.
Hmm. DIY FAMILY... Explains the family YouTube vibe.
Let’s see...
“Uh...”
Am I seeing this right? That déjà vu from when Nana recommended channels...
1, 10, 100, 1K, 10K, 100K, 1M... F-Four... four million?!
“...Whoa.”
“......”
“C-Can I get a signed...?”
““Hahahaha!””
Ugh, don’t laugh like that! I had no clue they were this big!
Little Areum’s family channel was DIY FAMILY. From what they explained, Dad—the golden hands guy—stars in restoring old stuff or crafting from scratch. Mom handles design and English subs, Little Areum does user reviews. Neat division of labor.
Niche in Korea, but overseas, especially English-speaking fans, call him “The Korean Maker Dad,” or KMD for short...
“Hahaha! Oh man, Areum-ssi. We’re not that fancy.”
“Yeah, we just film what we love doing.”
...Four million is fancy, though? I kept that to myself.
They’re either super humble or numb to the numbers. From my clueless perspective earlier, I’m leaning humble.
Staring at tens or hundreds of thousands of views daily probably desensitizes you. Sob, the 300-sub days hit different.
“We’re curious about your channel too?”
Snapped back to reality. Right, I’m a YouTuber too.
“...My channel? It’s tiny...”
I waved it off modestly. Nah, that’s just facts. Flaunting 210K in front of 4M is like bragging convenience store sales to a CEO.
Wasn’t planning to brag anyway. Still, I pulled out my phone.
Why am I nervous? Feels like showing my report card.
Shaky hands opened YouTube and loaded my channel for them.
Their eyes went wide at my channel.
“Whoa... Over 200K? Impressive!”
Mom gushed sincerely. Dad scanned the thumbnails and nodded.
“Hired an editor? Thumbnails and titles are spot-on.”
Relief washed over me. No judgment, no dismissal—my worries were for nothing.
These folks... really good people.
“Unnie! When do we do the tent?”
Whoops, got so caught up introducing channels that Little Areum piped up first, tent-starved.
“Sorry~ Let’s get started!”
“Yay! I’m so excited!”
Can’t let that down. Han Areum-style Camping Class: Beginner Edition. Commencing now.