Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Our Summer Vacation Together (2)
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After several hours of driving, we finally arrived.
At that standalone villa in Busan where we'd be staying for our three-day, two-night trip.
"We've arrived~ Haneul, wake up Seol-i and Dasom."
"Sure~ Seol-ah, Dasom-ah. Get up, we're here now."
The two girls had scarfed down some rest stop snacks and fallen right back asleep, completely oblivious that we'd reached our destination.
I poked Dasom's cheek first, and her eyelids fluttered at my touch as she started to stir.
"Uuuung... Oppa..."
"Dasom-ah, we've arrived."
"Arri...ved...?"
"Yeah, arrived. Let's get out and go play now."
"Ung...!"
Dasom's eyes snapped wide open at the word "play," and she bolted right out of the car.
That left just one person: Seol-i. I glanced at her, still sleeping soundly.
She looked so deeply asleep that I almost felt bad waking her.
Still, I had to. If she was going to sleep anyway, it'd be better to head inside, unpack, and crash properly.
So I called out to her first.
"Seol-ah~ Hyeonseol~"
-Snooore... Snooore...
Seol-i didn't budge an inch at my calls. It was like she was saying, "No matter how much you try, I'm sleeping till the end."
I tried calling her a few more times, but she showed no signs of returning from dreamland.
Left with no choice, I decided on emergency measures.
-Poke
I gave her cheek a light prod, just like I'd done with Dasom.
Seol-i jolted awake in surprise and looked around.
Spotting my outstretched finger, she asked...
"Haneul-ah... Did you sleep well...?"
In a slightly drowsy voice, inquiring if I'd slept well.
She sometimes showed this spacey side, and it looked like it was kicking in now.
"I didn't sleep."
"You didn't...?"
"Yeah. And we've just arrived."
"Arrived...?"
Seol-i looked around.
Confirming we were in the villa's parking lot, she blinked and asked me back.
"...When did we get here?"
"Five minutes ago. Dasom just headed out."
"I see..."
She nodded faintly, slowly coming to her senses.
The moment I saw her like that, I...
"You were sleeping so soundly, maybe I shouldn't have woken you."
Teased her lightly.
It was the lightest of jabs, but Seol-i countered it in the most unexpected way.
"If you'd kept letting me sleep... what then...?"
"Huh...?"
"If you kept me sleeping... what were you gonna do...?"
Her question caught me so off guard—and hit so hard—that I could only blink, speechless.
Her words could be interpreted in so many ways.
And among them were some utterly embarrassing, mortifying possibilities.
"......Let's go."
"Uh... Y-Yeah..."
In the end, neither of us could continue the conversation there.
With nothing else to do but get out, Seol-i and I grabbed our bags and headed into the villa.
And the moment we stepped inside...
-Thud thud thud thud thud!
"Kyaaaa~!"
"Dasom-ah~ No running~!"
We saw Dasom dashing around wildly.
"Ocean~! Ocean~!"
Chanting "ocean" nonstop.
Seol-i peered out the window at that, and sure enough...
The vast ocean stretched out before us.
"Wow..."
Seol-i let out a short gasp of awe at the sparkling sea, and as I watched her...
"Dasom-ah, you'll get hurt if you trip while running."
I scooped up the rampaging Dasom who'd been zooming past me, putting a stop to her frenzy.
Honestly, even if she fell, it'd just be a little bump on this floor—not marble or anything.
But with the adults clearly busy, I figured I'd watch her for now.
"Dasom-ah, let's play outside tomorrow, not today. Sound good?"
"Tomorrow?"
"Yeah, tomorrow."
"No tomorrow! Today! Let's go today!"
Predictably, our Kang Dasom couldn't care less—she just wanted to go now.
Going out to play wasn't a big deal, but...
"...Dasom-ah."
"Ung?"
"......Oppa is tired."
Truth was, I was exhausted.
Exhausted to the point of madness. While Dasom and Seol-i snoozed in the car, I'd been keeping Mom and Dad company with chit-chat.
And as embarrassing as it is to admit, motion sickness I'd never had before hit me hard, so I couldn't even nap properly.
Hence my current state. I just wanted to close my eyes for a bit.
But with Dad who'd driven and Mom who'd endured the passenger seat both busting a move unpacking, I couldn't just slack off as their son.
So we compromised: I'd watch Dasom inside the villa for now.
Dasom puffed out her cheeks, making her desire to head out crystal clear.
How could I calm her down? How to get her playing indoors? I was pondering when...
"Dasom-ah~ Wanna watch Haetping with unnie~?"
A saving voice came from beside me.
"Seol-ah?"
Seol-i smiled brightly, raising a finger, and approached Dasom. The girl who went wild for "Haetping" lit up and charged at her.
"Haetping play! Yeah!"
"Sounds good~?"
"Ung!"
"Then first~ Haetping? The movie version!"
"Movie...! Ung! Wanna watch! Wanna watch!"
Seol-i smoothly led Dasom upstairs to the second floor, then shot me a quick wink.
A signal to help the parents.
Between babysitting Dasom and unpacking with Mom and Dad...
The latter was clearly less tiring, so I nodded gratefully at her thoughtfulness.
Once Dasom was whisked away, I started unpacking our stuff.
Stashing meat in the fridge, disposable containers in the cabinets, seasonings in storage, the barbecue charcoal outside, and other snacks like instant rice packs...
Meanwhile, our parents from both families sorted their own things, like clothes.
The dads also checked the barbecue grill together.
Once we adults finished unpacking, Mom and Dad said to me...
"Thanks for the help, Haneul."
"Rest up till dinner."
"Sure~"
I bowed my head and left our parents to relax in the living room, heading upstairs.
And the moment I got to the second floor, what I saw was...
-Snooore...
Dasom, now in pajamas and fast asleep, with Seol-i gently stroking her hair.
She must've worn her out with Haetping and tucked her in.
Watching Seol-i gaze warmly at Dasom, I felt touched.
How could I not? Back when they first met, Dasom wouldn't even let her touch.
But Seol-i never gave up, approaching relentlessly, and now she was indispensable in Dasom's life.
From Dasom's view, Seol-i might as well be her real big sister.
Seol-i lay on the bed beside her, patting Dasom, then turned, spotted me, and widened her eyes in slight surprise.
I mouthed to her carefully, so as not to wake Dasom.
'When did Dasom fall asleep?'
'Just now.'
Impressively reading my lips, she mouthed back. I crept over quietly.
And sat on the nearby chair, whispering to her.
"Thanks for watching Dasom."
"No biggie. She dozed off midway through Haetping on the tablet."
Seol-i smiled softly, gazing down at Dasom like the perfect big sister—cherishing her little one.
"Our Seol-i's a full-fledged big sis now."
"Hehe, really?"
"Of course. Looks like you handle her as well as I do now."
She beamed at the praise.
But moments later, Seol-i carefully got up from the bed.
And padded over to me...
-Plop
Sat right beside me and rested her small head on my shoulder.
-Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
The sudden skinship set my heart racing, but I tamped it down and called her name.
"Seol-ah?"
Unlike my flustered self, Seol-i spoke softly as if it were the most natural thing.
"Can I rest a bit? The car ride was so long..."
"Ah..."
Even if she'd slept on the way, that long drive would've worn anyone out.
Feeling guilty for burdening her, I started stroking her head on my shoulder. She giggled quietly.
"Thanks, Haneul-ah."
Seol-i and I shared that moment—a rest that felt both short and long.
It ended about an hour later, when it was time for a slightly late lunch.
"Kids~ Lunchtime~"
(For the record, lunch was a traditional Korean set with mackerel side dish, and it was delicious.)
The queasy motion sickness in my stomach cleared right up.