Family (3)
Family (3)
"Eutcha... I bought the meat too..."
After hearing from Mom what the younger siblings needed most, I stopped by the mart.
Apparently, students' monthly phone bills are subsidized by the government, but device costs are not covered.
So an absurd situation had arisen where they couldn't use phones.
So I bought a big batch of budget smartphones and loaded them into the trunk.
If the staff member hadn't helped me carry them, I probably couldn't have even lifted them.
"These days, it's hard to live without a phone."
Nowadays, you need a phone for everything.
Without one, it's beyond inconvenient — it's anxiety-inducing. That's the world we live in now.
Maybe that's why strict parents are more likely to hand their kids a phone.
It's because they can easily track their children's location.
"There's no law saying kids in an orphanage can't use phones either."
Social welfare is a system that guarantees a minimum standard of living.
I know this well, since I graduated from the Department of Social Welfare.
Like I said earlier, in today's society, a smartphone is part of that minimum standard.
"Hmm... what else do we need now?"
I'd bought pretty much everything, so maybe it was time to head out.
If I'd forgotten something, I could always stop by the mart again.
*
A newly built building, impossibly clean compared to the orphanage I used to live in, came into view.
Rather than looking like an orphanage, it looked more like an IT company building.
At first, we'd planned to just build a big dormitory, but somehow it ended up constructed with a layout similar to an expensive apartment.
I wondered if it was too much, but the younger siblings were happy, and seeing them happy made Mom happy too, so it was all good.
How much did I spend on this place... If I include A-ra's money, I think it was over fifty billion won.
I got out of the car and opened the trunk.
There was no way I could carry what was inside by myself, so I needed to ask for help.
I opened the first-floor door right away and shouted loudly.
"Kids! Your oppa's here! Come out for a second!"
For now, I only called the younger sisters.
The boys wouldn't be able to carry anything anyway, and they'd be busy doing stuff like laundry.
As soon as I shouted, the younger siblings began popping their heads out one by one.
They checked who had arrived, and once they realized it was me, they started rushing out in a hurry.
"Oh! It's Oppa!"
"Oppa!"
Younger sisters of all ages — high schoolers, middle schoolers, elementary schoolers — all came running out at once.
They'd always eaten well, but recently they seemed to be eating even better,
They looked like they'd put on a healthy amount of weight.
How sorry I'd been that I couldn't look after them sooner...
"You're eating well, right?"
"Yeah! Seonsaengnim makes meat side dishes every single day!"
"Good, good. At that age, meat side dishes are the best."
Do you kids even know how much meat your oppa bought for you?
You'll probably be shocked when you unpack it later.
"Let's see... Seok-sam, Neoguri, Squid, Yukgaejang... all here."
"Oppa, you sound just like an ajumma."
"Hey now! Your oppa is still only 21 years old, you know?"
And on top of that, calling a man like an ajumma — there's no greater rudeness than that.
Still, since I was an oppa who cherished his younger siblings, I gently stroked my younger sister's head.
"Alright, everyone grab one box and bring it to the living room. Go!"
"Go!"
Everyone picked up one large box, and I closed the trunk only after making sure it was completely empty.
When I stepped inside the first floor of the orphanage, I let out a small laugh at how the design really didn't look like an orphanage at all.
I had built it this way myself, but... you know how hospitals have those big waiting rooms?
The first-floor living room looked exactly like that.
Chairs that could seat multiple people, a large TV in front,
and on every side, restrooms, a kitchen, and an elevator were visible.
Judging by the sounds of laundry and laughter coming from the yard, the younger brothers were in the middle of helping with the housework.
"Where's Mom?"
"Seonsaengnim is in the director's office."
"Got it."
"Oppa, can we open these?"
"You can open everything except those big boxes over there."
I told them not to open the phones since they were for a surprise later,
and said they could only open the boxes with snacks and necessary electronics, then headed upstairs.
*
"Thanks to my son, this mom's heart is at ease."
"Then please pat my head."
It felt nice to be held in Mom's arms and act spoiled after so long.
Lately, she'd been worrying about Minji this way and that, so it seemed like it had been pretty hard on her.
That kid, always causing Mom to worry... I'd have to give her a spanking later.
"I was thinking of taking the younger siblings out to watch a movie or something today."
"You're going to? Mom has to step out for a bit around lunchtime too."
Lately, Mom had more free time and often went out here and there with friends.
Since other seonsaengnim were around, it wasn't a problem if Mom stepped away for a while.
"This kid... Mom isn't going out to play, she's going for training."
"But you're going with your friends, right?"
"Well, yes, but you know those friends are my classmates from the childcare studies department."
Mom chuckled as she stroked my head.
I wanted to stay wrapped up like this for a long time, but the younger siblings were curious about what was in those boxes, so I had to go back down.
"Mom, come down too and see. You'll really like it."
"What did you buy?"
Her tone practically overflowed with apology, as if asking what else I had gone and bought.
Still, how could I come to see our adorable younger siblings and bring nothing at all?
"Hehe... I spent a fair bit of money this time."
"...I'm sorry, Seong-hwan-a."
"Why are you sorry, Mom? There's no one as good as you in this world, you know?"
The world really turns in a strange way.
The kind people keep having a harder time, and only the bad people live comfortably.
So even if my family had to become bad people, I'd want them to live comfortably.
If that's what it takes, I'll work hard, earn money, and spend it for all to see.
***
I went out with the younger siblings, who now each had their own personal phone.
They'd been in the odd situation of having discount plan USIM cards already activated but no phones, so I could just pop the previously issued USIMs into the unlocked smartphones for immediate use.
Now that each of them had one, they could make and receive calls easily, so Mom's worries would probably lessen a bit.
"But... what should we watch?"
Since I hadn't picked anything specific, it looked like we'd have to check when we got there.
A thriller would be good, a cartoon would be fine too.
It had been a while since I'd done any cultural activities, so my heart was fluttering.
"Oppa, put your mask on properly."
"Huh? Oh, right."
The elementary schooler younger sister holding my hand pointed out that I needed to wear my mask properly.
Our Seo-yeong, growing up to be so sharp and on top of things.
Now that summer was passing, it wasn't even stuffy, but I kept letting the mask slip out of place and trying to take it off.
Guess I'd developed a habit.
"I saw on Qtube, there's not just one or two videos going up saying they saw you, Oppa."
"Really?"
"So be careful."
"Our Seo-yeong, is she worried about her oppa?"
"Of course I'm worried."
How cute it was to have a kid who barely reached my waist worry about me.
I patted her head vigorously.
"I'm in a good mood, so today let's watch whatever movie Seo-yeong wants to see."
"Really? Then I... want this one."
"...Isn't this one a little violent?"
"If we have a guardian, we can watch it."
"Hmm..."
What Seo-yeong had picked was a crime thriller.
I enjoy these kinds of things too, but I hadn't expected a younger sister who was barely in sixth grade to pick something like this.
It looked like I'd have to tell Mom to install a parental control app on the kids' phones.
At least until they hit middle school.
*
"Who wants popcorn?"
If you don't eat popcorn while watching a movie, there's no real reason to come to the cinema, is there?
So whenever I come to the cinema, I always buy popcorn.
"Would one large between two people work?"
"That's too much, Oppa."
"Then one medium?"
"Yeah. Just a small cola is fine too."
With Minji and me having left the orphanage, Ji-min, the oldest remaining, stopped me.
It seemed like a medium would be enough.
"My wife eats an awful lot, though."
Wouldn't she be able to eat two large ones?
Even before the movie started, while we were watching the ads, she'd already finished half.
"A-ra-nim... A-ra unnie is a special case."
"...A-ra-nim?"
"Nothing, never mind."
"Ji-min-ah... don't tell me..."
My younger sister, skipping her studies to do idol fanclub activities instead!
Should I scold her for this, or should I praise her...
"I'll bring A-ra noona next time too..."
"F...for real?"
"...It was real."
Seeing her this happy gave me an answer right away.
They do say the things you least expect are what get you!
"Ji-min-ah, you're getting tutoring."
"Tu...tutoring? Oppa, I'm fine..."
"Nope. I already found a seonsaengnim for you. Her name's Kim Min-ji..."
"M...Minji unnie!? O...Oppa, please let me off just this once, please!"
Ji-min was more scared of Minji than anyone.
How terrifying must an unnie two years older than you be?
And since she also knew full well how hard Minji studied, it was probably a nightmare for her.
"C...can't you just teach me, Oppa?"
"Oppa is busy."
"Ugh..."
I'd been worrying about who to introduce her to, and what a stroke of luck this was.
My younger sister gets to study, Minji gets to earn some pocket money.
This is why family should help each other out.
So it would be best to obediently learn from Minji.
If not, I might cut off her allowance entirely... ke ke ke...
I mean, a med student was going to teach her?
No matter how much she dreaded Minji, in the end, she'd have no choice but to learn, right?