A Day Out (1)
"Let's go out! I want some fresh air."
"Huh? Out? All of a sudden?"
I'd been sprawled on the sofa, rolling around and scrolling on my phone, and all I could do was blink in confusion at Noona, who had suddenly declared we were going on an outing.
"Lately it's been nothing but home, the cafe, home, the cafe. Let's get a change of scenery while we're at it and go out. Today's already too late, so it can't be helped—tomorrow!"
"What about the cafe?"
"Beats me. We'll close."
Noona looked every bit the model of a shopkeeper who ran things on pure nerve. That's my wife, all right.
In truth, I was the original. Our cafe offered something nothing else could replace, so we really were running the place on sheer audacity. That was why our rating wandered between the high threes and the low fours out of five.
From zero stars to five, the reviews came in every shape and color. Most people had kind things to say, but a low score turned up here and there—entitled customers we'd thrown out slapping us with a zero, or visitors who'd shown up on a day we shut the doors on a whim and decided to take it out of the rating.
At any rate, my way of doing business had grown notorious enough that even I was starting to feel it.
"We've been closed so often lately. Doesn't it feel like a bit much? Last time we shut down for two whole weeks just for the honeymoon."
"Ugh... you think so?"
Noona seemed to take it to heart a little. She was online often enough to know what people were writing about the cafe. Even so, I could see her wavering. She wanted out of the dull, unchanging routine, but she wasn't sure they ought to throw aside their livelihood just to go and play.
I watched her for a moment, then quietly drew her into my arms. A small tug was all it took. Pretending she had no choice, she settled onto my lap.
"Then let's do it this way. Tomorrow, just us, we slip out for a little air. After we open, and before we close. How about we take So-eun to Ganjeolgot? Spread a mat, catch the breeze for a bit, and come back. Just in case, we'll bring Cheongho or one of the Tokkiz."
"...Should we?"
Noona brightened at once. An outing had been the whole point, so even a short trip out and back was enough to satisfy her.
"But then what about the cafe?"
"We've got Yeongji. Name me one employee who doesn't know she's your cousin and my sister-in-law. And she's our cafe manager. The manager."
That last worry shaken off, Noona smiled, soft and shy, and nodded. With her in my arms and the mood turning sweet, our faces drifted closer all on their own, slowly.
"Smooch?"
"Eek!"
But today, as always, So-eun's interference meant things would go no further. Startled by the sudden interruption, Noona shot to her feet, face burning red. The mood was already broken. There was nothing to be done.
I gathered So-eun into my arms, disappointment and all.
"So you still don't want a little sibling, huh?"
"Huuh?"
So-eun only tilted her head, innocent as anything, and smiled with her cheeks all puffed up bright.
"Aww, I wanna go play too."
"I'll give you your own day off later, Yeongji. No—scratch that. Next time, you come with us."
"Okay!"
Yeongji looked disappointed at having to mind the cafe in our place, but her brightness came back almost at once.
"We'll head out, then. So-eun, say bye-bye to Auntie."
"Bye-bye!"
So-eun, snug in Noona's arms, had her little hand waved for her, and she gave Yeongji a clear, sunny smile. What little regret still lingered on Yeongji's face melted in an instant, replaced by a helpless, dopey grin.
"So-eun, have lots of fun! Next time, play with Auntie!"
"Yeah!"
She might have missed the rest, but the part about playing she had definitely understood. So-eun nodded hard and waved even more wildly.
I let out a small laugh at the sight, then climbed into the car with Cheongho and Il-gito. After a short wait, Noona and So-eun finished their goodbyes with Yeongji and got in.
"All right, we're off?"
"Let's go!"
"Les' go!"
From the back seat, the two of them—alike down to the last detail—thrust their hands up and shouted, and I rolled the car forward in time with their voices.
"Noona, did you know?"
"Know what?"
"Right now we're going slower than Maru at a full sprint."
"..."
Noona stared out the window, thoroughly fed up. Right on cue, a sign slipped past outside, marking the limit on this stretch of road: thirty miles an hour.
"That aside, it's really been a while since Ganjeolgot."
"Yeah. The last time was before So-eun was born, wasn't it? I think."
Living in Busan, we used to roam all over on dates, and Ganjeolgot was one of the places we dropped by now and then. You could rent a spot for the day, fool around for a few hours, and head home. No burden at all. The wide sea, the cool salt wind off the water, the broad lawn—just looking at it felt oddly healing, for no particular reason.
We talked about this and that from before So-eun was born as the coastal road unspooled beneath us, and before I knew it we had arrived at Ganjeolgot.
"All right. Out."
I parked in a lot near the cape and opened the door, and Cheongho shot out as if he'd been waiting. Then I lifted So-eun—sunk in her car seat, doing nothing but blink—and set her on his back.
"Daddy! Bunny!"
As a bonus I tucked Il-gito into her arms, then took a basket of light snacks from the trunk. The mat was light enough that Noona would carry it.
"Let's go. First we'll sit on the lawn a while and just catch the breeze."
I strode ahead toward the lawn at Ganjeolgot. Noona scolded me for going first when we didn't even have the mat down yet, so I slowed until my steps matched hers and Cheongho's.
"Woooow!"
A short walk later, the whole of Ganjeolgot opened before us at once. Wide lawn, wide sea, the sight of it all laid out together—magnificent no matter how many times you saw it. So-eun seemed to think so too, her eyes round with wonder.
"Daddy, Daddy! Dat!"
Or rather, it wasn't the scenery she was marveling at. It was the kites drifting overhead.
"That? That's called a kite. You fly it up in the sky. Want to try, So-eun?"
"Yeah!"
She nodded with all her might. There were quite a few people even on a weekday, and watching some of them fly kites, she must have been quietly envious. I remembered they sold kites near the entrance and went to buy one. I was pretty sure a thing like this cost next to nothing when I was a kid. Call it a tourist spot and they gouge you rotten.
Kite in hand, I sent it up at once. I held the line, gave it a few light, bouncing tugs, and it caught the wind and climbed high on its own.
"So-eun, try holding this."
I pressed the reel, string and all, into her hands, and she shook the kite in delight. But she was a baby with no knack for keeping one aloft, and the kite soon flopped and dropped to the ground.
"Daddy! Again!"
She didn't care one bit that it had crashed. She just smiled, bright as anything, and demanded another try. This time, though, I didn't plan to fly it for her. I wanted her to do it herself.
"So-eun, want to fly it yourself? Hold this tight, and stay stuck to Cheongho's back. You can do that, right?"
"Yeah!"
As if to say she understood, So-eun seized a fistful of the fur on Cheongho's back. Hard.
"Ah, Young Mistress! That isn't fur, that's skin, ma'am...!"
Ah. So it was skin.
At any rate, once So-eun was planted firmly on his back, I promptly ordered Cheongho to run with everything he had. He was a tough, exceptional military dog, but his speed still didn't stray far outside what a dog could manage, so it was possible. If it had been Maru, I wouldn't even have considered it.
"Moving out!"
At the order to run, Cheongho bolted at once, full of power. So-eun on his back shot forward with him, and the kite naturally began to follow. It bounced along the ground a few times, then caught the wind and surged high into the sky. By the time Cheongho circled back to me, the kite was floating far overhead.
"Nice work."
I stroked So-eun's head and gave Cheongho a few treats for his trouble, and both of them were delighted.
"Excuse me—aren't you the Shinsoo? I'm a fan!"
The stunt wasn't without side effects. People who had watched some German shepherd charging along with a baby on his back clutching a kite string started taking an interest in us. In the whole country, I was the only one who could pull off a thing like that, which was as good as announcing exactly who I was. In the end, I only got free of them after a brief fan meeting with the crowd that had closed in.
Seeing people swarm me, I trudged over to Noona, who had taken So-eun and claimed a spot a good distance away.
"Wow. A celebrity."
"...That's cold. What kind of wife abandons her husband and just walks off?"
"What, you wanted me stuck in the middle of that with So-eun?"
"Well, not that, but..."
Judging I wasn't going to win this with words, I flopped onto my back on the mat. I could still feel plenty of eyes on us from all around. I didn't care.
"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy."
And once I was flat on my back, So-eun—apparently deciding my stomach made a fine bed—slowly climbed up and lay down on it.
"Nngh..."
She was heavier than she'd been as a little baby, and a groan nearly slipped out. I held it in, barely.
"Want some coffee?"
"Ah, not right now. I'll have some in a bit."
"All right, then."
Listening to Noona sip her coffee, I slowly closed my eyes. The weather was warm, I was lying in the shade of a tree with the sea breeze on me, and sleep came pouring in on its own. And with So-eun's warm little body settled on my stomach besides, there was no way I was staying awake.