Chapter 263
Chapter 263
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 263
Chapter Title: Two Santas Discuss Christmas Plans!
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The day before yesterday, after getting in touch with Ra-hee unnie, we met up alone at her place today.
We needed to hammer out the details for our plan to visit the orphanage together on Christmas Eve.
With only two weeks left, anything we could prepare had to be done as quickly as possible.
"It's been forever since Da-jeong came over to unnie's house, right?"
"Huh? Is it?"
"Yeah, except for the day we moved, you haven't really come by much."
Unnie, who had insisted on serving tea herself and was quietly preparing it in the kitchen, tossed out that comment, making me pause and rack my brain to remember.
Yeah?
Thinking about it, I can't recall coming to unnie's house except for that day.
She's come over to my place tons of times, though.
"Whoa, you're right."
"See?"
Unnie looked pleased that she'd been spot on, smiling as she returned to the living room.
In her hands was a tray holding teacups filled with tea.
Come to think of it, I'd heard unnie was terrible at cooking.
But she can brew tea without any trouble, huh.
Somehow, that felt kinda amazing.
"Da-jeong, you just thought, 'Unnie can even brew tea?' didn't you?"
"Eek...?! H-how did you know?"
I'd been eyeing the pretty teacups with sparkling eyes.
Then unnie pointed right at my face like she was calling me out, hitting the nail on the head.
I jolted back in shock, nearly toppling over.
T-telepathy?!
"I can tell just by looking. Still, that kinda hurts. I didn't think my Da-jeong saw me that way."
"N-no, it's not like that...! I didn't mean to look down on you. It's just, you said before that cooking was something you could never get right... Uwuu, sorry if that was rude."
Well, brewing tea and cooking are pretty different, after all.
Of course, tea brewing can get pretty intricate if you dive into the details.
But basically, it's just boiling water and pouring it over tea leaves.
If I'd thought unnie couldn't even handle that, it really would be insulting.
Feeling bad, I apologized in a rush, and Ra-hee unnie burst out laughing, waving it off.
"Pfft, kidding. Actually, the president had pretty much the same reaction back then. So I figured you'd say something like that."
"The president did?"
"Yeah, I went to the company once with some nice tea leaves as a gift for her. I even brewed it myself, and she was like, 'You can do this too?'"
"W-wasn't that a bit much...?"
Even if Ra-hee unnie was infamous for her poison cooking.
Even if her cooking produced alchemy experiments instead of food.
The president's blunt comment shocked me instead.
But Ra-hee unnie didn't seem bothered at all. She just shrugged.
"I guess I am pretty bad at cooking. She probably couldn't believe it."
She even cracked a self-deprecating joke.
"Anyway, drink it before it cools. It's my favorite."
"Hehe, okay. I'll savor it."
There was a little commotion, but the tea unnie served was genuinely delicious.
I'm not super picky about flavors, so I can't judge the aroma or anything fancy.
But even I, who knows nothing about tea, could tell it was good stuff.
Crunch-
And the cookies she brought out were tasty too.
Though midway through, unnie hit me with another self-deprecating line—"Don't worry, I didn't make the cookies"—and I nearly choked.
"So, Da-jeong, what did you have in mind for the orphanage schedule?"
We were buzzing with excitement, alternating bites of delicious chocolate cookies and sips of tea.
Her question snapped me back to the real reason we were here.
Oh, right. This isn't the time to be goofing off.
Schedule-wise...
I've already talked it over with the director, so Christmas Eve is set.
She must mean how long we'll stay, right?
"Mm, I was thinking we time it around lunchtime, bring snacks, eat dinner with the kids, and head back. That sound good?"
"So, shortest five hours, longest seven?"
"Yeah. Oh, is that too long? Unnie, do you have other plans...?"
"Nah, coming back too quick would defeat the purpose. It's perfect. I was just confirming, so don't worry."
Unnie replied while meticulously jotting down notes.
Just checking, like she said.
Having the time nailed down makes it easier for her to plan around it later.
"By the way, what about dinner? Should we bring that too?"
"Oh, the director usually handles dinner."
"Got it."
She finished writing that down and nodded with a satisfied look.
Seemed like she'd sorted it out in her head.
Watching her quietly, that question nagging at me since the day before yesterday wouldn't go away.
I called out to her without thinking.
"But unnie."
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask why you suddenly wanted to go to the orphanage with me?"
"Pfft, that's what you were wondering?"
"Yup."
Sure, it could just be a nice thing, so she offered to come along.
Or maybe she had nothing on Christmas and figured why not.
But something told me Ra-hee unnie had her own reasons, so I asked carefully.
She paused, organizing her thoughts with a hum, then spoke.
"Hmm, it's kinda hard to put into words. If I had to say... curiosity?"
"Curiosity?"
Her unexpected answer made my eyes widen.
Curiosity.
"Yeah, as you know, unnie grew up in a pretty well-off family."
"Right."
Some might hear that as bragging.
But I just nodded plainly, no jealousy or anything.
I don't know the full details of her family background, but I know it's impressive.
"Plus, my dad's done a ton of charity work—he's an amazing guy. Watching that growing up, I always had this nagging question."
"A question?"
"Yeah, not sure how to phrase it, but... 'What does Dad get out of doing all that?' I've wondered that since I was little."
"Ahh..."
Yeah, that makes sense.
Especially as a kid.
"Truth is, I'm not great at looking after people outside my circle. And even then, I'm not that good at it."
"No way! Unnie, you're so caring and take such good care of everyone!"
"Hehe, thanks."
She muttered self-deprecatingly, so I shot it down quick.
Our Ra-hee unnie is so kind and sweet!
I won't stand for anyone saying otherwise—not even her!
"Anyway, I've always wanted to experience it myself someday. What does it feel like to help strangers, people I have no connection to?"
"Like intellectual curiosity."
"Pfft, saying it like that makes it sound so profound. It's not that deep."
She downplayed it, but I thought it was a pretty impressive mindset.
Though coming from me, who's all about practicing charity, it might sound like I'm tooting my own horn.
Still, helping total strangers isn't easy.
Most would just shrug and think, "Why bother?"
But Ra-hee unnie wanted to know what lay behind it.
She was stepping up to find what she lacked.
"It'd be nice if it was because unnie's as kind as you and had some grand purpose. Sorry it's not."
"Hehe, no! I'm happy you thought about it that way and invited me."
You don't need a grand motive to do good.
Better to act—even for a small reason—like unnie, than talk big and do nothing.
Squeeze-
"Uwunyu...?!"
"Kkh, 'Uwunyu?!' How is even your surprised noise so cute, my Da-jeong?"
"U-unnie... c-can't... breathe..."
I was inwardly applauding her choice when suddenly unnie pulled me into a hug, burying my face in her chest.
I always notice it, but our height difference is insane, so her hugs hit like a truck.
"It's your fault, Da-jeong. Where'd you learn to talk so sweetly? You made unnie lose control."
"Uwuu, I don't get it..."
"Don't understand? Then you need more punishment. Hya!"
"N-no, don't pinch my cheeks...!"
Now she's got me on her lap, hugging from behind, even tugging my cheeks.
How did things end up like this?
We were having such a heartwarming chat just moments ago.
It's still heartwarming, sure...
Yeah, but a different kind of heartwarming.
Put simply, I'm being treated like a doll.
Not that I can escape anyway.
"Oh, right. Da-jeong, just occurred to me... the snacks for the orphanage."
"Y-yeah?"
After holding me like that for a while, unnie spoke up, and my reply came out all squeaky.
She burst out laughing, then covered her mouth as the giggles faded and asked.
"Those are meant as a lunch substitute, right?"
"Y-yeah... I'll tell the director not to prepare lunch."
I tilted my head, wondering why the sudden question, and unnie smiled like she'd had a great idea.
"Yeah, then that's perfect for what we'll prepare."
"What is it?"
"Secret. Not even telling you, Da-jeong."
I prodded out of curiosity, but unnie wouldn't spill what she was planning.
No way she's prepping a hotel buffet or something, right?
Nah, no chance.
Even Ra-hee unnie wouldn't go that far.
...Would she?