Side Story: Magpie, Magpie, New Year's Day (2)
Side Story: Magpie, Magpie, New Year's Day (2)
"Hey, little sister. What are you doing not coming out?"
I kept knocking on our youngest's door, since she showed no sign of coming out.
Goodness, getting so embarrassed just because a man saw a bit of skin.
"Seong-hwan, you rascal. You shouldn't tease your sister."
Before I knew it, Mother had come right up beside me.
This wasn't teasing. It was just a single remark from someone who was both her fan and her older brother.
"Speaking of, you didn't say anything to them, did you?"
"About what?"
"That your son is Yoo Seong-hwan."
"Child... how could I say something so embarrassing as a man?"
Was that something to be embarrassed about as a man?
I thought boasting about your son wherever you went was a parent's privilege.
And wasn't I, of all people, a son worth bragging about wherever you went?
"So? What were you doing?"
"I came to say hello to my sister, and to give her her cell phone too."
"Aha... She was very embarrassed, wasn't she?"
"She was only wearing panties and a bra, you know?"
Minji sometimes walked around naked after bathing, so there was no reason to accuse Jaehee of being too comfortable around a man.
Besides, who could criticize her for being dressed that way in her own room?
"Oh my, oh my. Our daughter really has no sense of shame, does she?"
"Maybe she needs sex education."
"Nah... there's no need to go that far. Kids these days know all about that kind of thing."
Was that so?
Well, kids these days were all precocious, every single one of them.
"Little sister. So when are you coming out?"
-Ju... Just a moment!
Still, I was glad she listened to her older brother.
"When she comes out, I'll tell her to listen properly to Mom."
"Hehe. Our Seong-hwan has become such a devoted son..."
"I was always a devoted son."
At that, Mom gently stroked my head.
No matter how old I got, I could never forget my mother's embrace and touch.
After standing there like that for ten minutes.
The door opened with a click.
What emerged was a long-haired high school student whose bangs were a bit long but not messy.
She was seventeen, was it?
"Jaehee. This is your older brother, Yoo Seong-hwan. Say hello to each other."
"Jaehee? That's a pretty name."
"Th... thank you."
Jaehee smiled at the single compliment.
Though it was a slightly sullen-looking smile.
Mother began to fuss over Jaehee about this and that.
The first thing she pointed out was the clothes she was wearing.
Apparently, she hadn't been able to pack her clothes properly.
So it seemed she had been nearly naked in her room because she didn't have many clothes.
Well, women were originally meant to be in a free state.
"Seong-hwan."
"Yes."
"Will you take your sisters shopping for some clothes later? Mom will give you her card."
"Mom. What do you take me for?"
"Mom also earns a salary, you know."
"That's your personal money, Mom. Please put it away."
I didn't want a woman who had dedicated her life to caring for orphans to have to spend her salary too.
She hadn't even dated a boyfriend properly once...
Surely there was no other woman in this world as devoted as my mother.
"I'll buy them with my own money, so don't worry."
"Okay... You really are my son."
"Your son is incredibly rich, you know."
Our mother-son conversation continued after that too.
Jaehee, who had only just joined the family, simply watched us with a blank stare.
*
"Oppa! I'll use the phone well!"
"I'll use it well!"
When I went down to the first floor with Mother, Jaehee following along, my younger siblings bowed their heads deeply to greet me.
I wasn't sure if it was good manners, but my siblings always greeted me and expressed thanks whenever I bought them something.
How could I not open my wallet after seeing such cute smiles?
Aww, the adorable little things.
There was no better bribe for winning favor than a cell phone.
"But didn't you spend way too much money?"
"Mom. How much money do you think I made from the sauce this time? It's a drop in the bucket."
"Oh my... I heard rumors it sold well."
"Since things turned out this way, let's go buy a car now."
"Huh? Right now?"
"I told you we'd go later. Jaehee, you come along too."
"Okay! Oppa!"
"Yeah, yeah. Oppa will give you some allowance too."
She followed along well even though it hadn't even been a day since we met.
It must be because she was a fan, after all.
Later, when I film a video, I should bring her in as the taste tester.
She was a promising talent whose reactions I looked forward to.
"Hyung."
"Hm? What is it?"
I turned around to see Hojun come out of the kitchen, sweating.
Did he make something?
Sniff, sniff. I thought I smelled tteokguk...
Ah.
Right.
"If it was going to be like this, why did you tell me to bring two aprons?"
"Sorry... Hyung forgot."
"Dad! Little Dad did everything!"
Now even Arin was chiming in.
Heuk-heuk. My lot in life.
"My daughter, I'm confiscating your toys."
"Eueh!! I didn't do anything wrong!"
Everyone laughed at Arin's remark.
Though my daughter pouted all by herself.
***
I stroked Arin's head as I watched her eat the tteokguk.
Even though I hadn't made it, she was eating so happily. It gave me a strange feeling.
Was this jealousy?
To think I'd feel about food what I usually felt when A-ra was talking to another man.
"Arin."
"Yeah!"
"Daddy will go home and make you tteokguk."
I'd blurted out that I would make tteokguk at home.
Hearing that, A-ra gave a short laugh.
Arin floundered over how to answer, then gave an awkward smile.
"It's okay! I'm sick of tteokguk now!"
"....Really? Well, if that's how it is."
I'd seen it somewhere in an anime.
It said that for food made at a restaurant or home, the best outcome was finding it delicious after three spoonfuls, and the very best was a taste you never got tired of even after eating it many times.
In that respect, the tteokguk Hojun made was luxurious and the flavor wasn't bad, but it was eliminated from the home-cooked food category.
"Fufu..."
"Mom, Hyung is laughing weirdly again."
"What could our Seong-hwan be so happy about~"
It was nice to see that he was now perfectly calling her Mother.
Because Hojun had lost his parents in an accident, he didn't have any hard feelings like Minji did.
Anyway, they called it laughing weirdly. They'd definitely laugh like this too once they had daughters of their own.
"Noona, want to eat more?"
"Nah. I ate your share, so I'm full."
"A-ra getting full on one bowl? A-ra, you really have gotten older now, haven't you?"
"Hehe. I'm already thirty too."
"Wow. A-ra is thirty? It really makes me feel the passage of time..."
Mom and Noona started chatting, bringing up the topic of age.
Then Minji suddenly cut in, and this time the topic of military service started up.
"Mom, you were public service, right?"
"You remember?"
"Well... I was eight back then, I think... old enough to some extent."
I might not have remembered if I'd been very young, but while I was still young back then, I was old enough to be reasonably sensible.
"What was A-ra again?"
"I was an arts and physical education personnel, so it was basically an exemption."
"As expected, a world superstar is different."
"Grandma. Mom was a world superstar?"
"Of course~ Your mom was the world's best singer."
"Aha... so that's why all my kindergarten friends know Mom..."
Arin knew that her mom was an entertainer, but not in detail.
Still, she was a little surprised upon seeing a glimpse of her mom's past.
What kind of expression would she make once she came to know her mom's past perfectly?
When she grew up later and learned her gentle mom's past, that would be entertaining in its own way too.
"Dad is really famous too."
"Yeah. I know about Dad. I see him often on Qtube."
"Arin, what do you like best on Dad's channel?"
"Meat!"
As expected... were videos of grilling and cutting meat more popular than daily life stuff?
Still, even daily life videos did get a million views, or ten million views.
"Hojun... let's go buy some meat."
"Meat? Are we going to Costco?"
"Yeah... Our daughter says she likes meat."
Then I should let her eat until she's full.
If I included all the younger siblings, that made about fifteen people... how many kilograms should I buy?
"Wouldn't it be best to buy as much as possible to eat over time?"
"But the grocery store delivers once the holiday ends?"
"Really? Then... just buy about 30 kilograms."
"Got it. Our little sister is coming too, right?"
"Yes! I... I'll go."
I had to take at least one strong girl along.
No matter how much Hojun was a muscle monster, he still wouldn't measure up to a woman.
I smiled wryly as I watched her answer, checking her phone now and then.
She had spent six months without a phone, so it was understandable.
"The phone? Is it working well?"
"Yes... I got a ton of messages from my friends..."
"That's a relief. You'll be busy explaining your situation, so should we just go by ourselves?"
"N... no. I'll come along too."
There was no reason to stop her from coming along, so I nodded.
At that, Arin grabbed my hand and beamed brightly.
"Hehe. Dad."
"Arin. You're going to ask me to buy you a toy again, aren't you?"
"Yep!"
"That's the kind of thing you're supposed to whisper secretly."
"Then secretly buy me a Porsche!"
Our daughter really didn't know how to lie.
How was she going to survive this harsh world being so innocent?
Well, to be honest, with our daughter's level of beauty, I figured she'd have no trouble hooking some rich male pushover at some point.
Even if not, I could give her more than enough living expenses.
"Hmm... a toy, huh."
"Hot Wheels! Hot Wheels!"
"Alright. Since it's New Year's Day, I'll buy you just one."
"Yesss!"
Arin grinned, having managed to get one somehow.
Beside us, A-ra was watching with a slightly envious expression.
"Noona, you can't~ You bought something really expensive not long ago, you know."
"Ugh... I'm telling you, that wasn't expensive. It was only about ten million won."
"This is the sight of a woman whose sense of money has completely collapsed. Everyone, please be careful."
"Ugh... I'm telling you it's not..."
It didn't matter because A-ra was someone with a lot of money, but I was worried that Arin might develop a warped sense of money for no reason.
One day she would inherit A-ra's wealth... but surely there was no need for her to know that from such a young age.