Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Our Summer Vacation Together (3)
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The parents finished a late lunch and started dozing off. It couldn't be helped. They'd been in the car for nearly four hours, so they had to be exhausted.
While listening to the sounds of my parents sleeping, I glanced over at Dasom.
Dasom must have been full from lunch because she started drifting off again too.
To be honest, I felt a little bad thinking this about my own sister, but I was grateful that she was sleeping so soundly.
It couldn't be helped, right? If Dasom were awake, our parents wouldn't be able to nap peacefully.
Meanwhile, Seol-i, who was sitting next to me, leaned in and whispered softly.
"Dasom's sleeping soundly, huh."
"Yeah."
Seol-i seemed to have gotten enough rest already; she didn't look sleepy at all. If anything, she seemed full of energy.
It made sense. I'd been the one taking care of Dasom in the car, and I'd been the one moving around actively. Seol-i had either slept or lain down with Dasom to watch over her.
It would have been weirder if she were tired.
Seol-i looked down at Dasom for a moment, then turned to me and asked in a quiet voice.
"...Haneul. Want to step out for a bit?"
"For a bit? Where to?"
"Just to the beach here."
My head was telling me we shouldn't go out. If we left Dasom alone and she woke up crying, it'd be a problem.
But Seol-i knew that and still suggested it, so there had to be a reason.
Thinking that, I nodded, and the moment she saw it, Seol-i gave a small smile and stood up.
"Let's go quick and come back before Dasom wakes up."
Seol-i must have been worried about Dasom too because she emphasized going before she woke. And just like that, Seol-i and I quietly slipped out of the pension.
We walked for exactly about three minutes...
"The beach..."
"Yeah, the beach."
And we arrived at the beach.
*
Seol-i, Dasom, and I had planned to hit the beach tomorrow.
We didn't have the energy to play right away today.
So Seol-i and I just strolled along the beach, chatting about this and that.
It was a perfectly ordinary walk-and-talk kind of time.
"Somehow we ended up coming on a trip together like this."
"Yeah..."
Seol-i nodded slightly at my words.
I never could have imagined this back then.
Coming on a summer vacation trip with Seol-i—not just us, but both our families.
It was unbelievable. This moment was so happy and fun that it didn't feel real.
Seol-i kept her eyes on the sandy beach as she walked, and I held her hand, walking along the sand with her.
"...Haneul."
"Yeah, Seol-i."
I turned to look at her as she called me, but Seol-i just kept staring down at the sand.
Why had she called me? What was the reason?
I waited quietly for her to speak.
How much time passed? Soon, the only sounds in my ears were people's chatter and the waves. Then Seol-i spoke up again.
"...By any chance, did you bring a swimsuit?"
It was a sudden, out-of-left-field question.
"Swimsuit? Of course I did."
It was a given that I'd packed one. You could tell from how Dasom wanted to run to the sea the moment she saw it—she was dying to have a blast here.
But our parents couldn't watch her, so naturally, I'd have to look after Dasom.
And to do that? Obviously, I'd need a swimsuit too. Just in case Dasom wanted to swim in the ocean, I'd have to take care of her.
"I see..."
Seol-i nodded and looked at me.
There was something suspicious about her eyes. Weird? Strange? It felt a bit different from her usual bright, cute self.
"Then, Haneul... Later, with me..."
"With you later?"
"...Never mind, nothing."
Seol-i shook her head and looked up at the sky.
"The sun's blazing..."
Seeing her suddenly change the subject made her seem even more suspicious, but there was nothing I could do.
If she didn't want to say it, I wasn't going to pry.
Instead, I went along with her and started talking about the weather.
"The sunlight is pretty intense."
"Right."
"They say the rainy season starts next week, so maybe it'll cool down a bit then?"
"...But it'll get super humid."
"Ugh, don't want that."
Seol-i made a face like she hated the idea, and honestly, I hated humidity too.
Didn't it just put you in a bad mood?
"Hey, Haneul, I have another question."
"What?"
"Between summer and winter, which do you like more?"
"Summer and winter? Hate both..."
I disliked both. Summer was too hot, winter too cold.
If I had to pick the one I hated more right now, it'd be summer.
I was hot at the moment. So summer it was.
Seol-i giggled and nodded in agreement.
"Same here. But I hate winter more."
"Your name's Seol-i, and your birthday's Christmas Eve—hate winter?"
"Yeah, hate it. Hate it a ton! My hands and feet get so cold in winter."
"Fair enough, that sounds rough."
I still remembered it. How she'd been so cold she'd asked me to warm her cheeks with my hand.
If it bothered her that much, no wonder she hated winter.
"Summer's okay if you turn on the AC, though."
"Winter's fine with the heater on too?"
"No, it's different. Heaters feel stuffy somehow."
Her firm tone made perfect sense and no sense at the same time, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Then between spring and fall, which do you like more?"
"Spring and fall? Well..."
Seol-i thought for a moment, then gripped my hand tighter and looked up at me.
"I think spring's better."
"Spring?"
"Yeah, spring's way better. It's warm and cozy."
Seeing her gentle smile made one tug at my lips too.
Being next to Seol-i really brought such peace. That's just the kind of person she was.
Someone who made the noisy outside world irrelevant, who just by being there calmed your heart and made you happy.
Maybe that's why I fell for her.
"Seol-i, let's head back now. Dasom's probably waiting."
"...Okay, let's go."
Seol-i answered, then hurried to my side and clung tightly to me.
As if she didn't want to let go, like she wanted to stay like this forever.
It wasn't uncomfortable, but her soft body against mine was distracting. I prayed this moment would end soon... while secretly wishing it would last longer. And with that, we headed back to the pension.
Just as we were almost there, Seol-i released my arm. I felt a slight sense of freedom mixed with huge regret as we entered the pension together.
And the first thing I saw inside was...
"Oppa...!"
...Dasom's voice calling me from upstairs.
I kicked off my shoes and rushed up to the second floor. Dasom was staring at me in a half-asleep daze, like she'd just woken up.
The moment she spotted me, she came toddling over.
...That was a relief. If we'd been even a little later, she probably would have cried. I had a feeling.
*
After that, while Seol-i and I were playing with Dasom, our parents called us.
"Kids~ Let's do some barbecue~"
"Okay~! Dasom, let's go eat barbecue."
"Barbecue?"
"It's meat."
"Meat! Yay!!"
Dasom perked right up at the word meat, as expected.
She shouldn't be picky like some people.
I shot a pointed glance at that "somebody" and said to Dasom.
"Dasom, no more picky eating, okay~ You have to chew lettuce and stuff too. Got it?"
"Nooo~ Hate lettuce~!"
"Hey, picky eating's bad~"
I emphasized "picky eating" on purpose, and that somebody glared at me with a grumble.
"...I don't do picky eating anymore."
"You do."
"I don't."
"Don't you?"
"Never. Who do you think stopped for...?"
Seol-i grumbled but trailed off with a wistful look. I knew if I teased her more, she'd get mad, so I quickly apologized.
"Sorry, sorry. Right, our Seol-i doesn't do picky eating anymore."
"...I don't, for real."
Seeing her even more downcast made me think I'd gone too far.
I'd probably have to wrap her some lettuce barbecue later to make up for it. Otherwise, she'd sulk big time.
With that, I led Seol-i and Dasom out to the first-floor patio...
"Kids~ Sit down quick~"
The adults had already finished setting up the barbecue.
They must have prepped everything right before their nap earlier.
Seol-i, Dasom, and I went out to the patio together and sat on the bench there.
At that moment, meat went onto the grill.
-Sizzle...
The mouthwatering sound filled the air, and our two families' delicious dinner began.