Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Our Summer Vacation Together (4)
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The exciting barbecue time kicked off, and Dasom, perched on my lap, was wiggling back and forth, thoroughly enjoying the moment.
"Dasom, you like it that much?"
"Yeah! Meat's the best!!"
Dosom bobbed her head enthusiastically, grinning from ear to ear. She was totally hyped up.
She was probably the most excited person here during this barbecue.
Of course, it wasn't just Seol-i who was thrilled.
"Whoa~ The meat's grilled perfectly, bro!"
"Yeah~ Our little bro's grilling like a pro!"
The dads were bro-ing out, clearly having a blast too.
Meanwhile, the moms watching their husbands were bustling around for entirely different reasons.
"Where'd I put the veggies~?"
"Sis, those are in a separate compartment under the veggie drawer!"
"Oh, right. Got it~"
They'd brought a ton of vegetables, and even with all the ssam leaves, they were still prepping more.
It felt a bit chaotic at times, but that was part of the fun, and it had me chuckling nonstop.
Just then, my dad, who was manning the barbecue grill, called out to me.
"Haneul~ Come help me cut the meat?"
"Sure~"
The reason Dad wanted my help cutting was simple: I was the only one available right now.
Dad was busy grilling, and Seol's dad was handling the other dishes.
The moms were setting up veggies and making side dishes like green onion salad.
So, that left me to pitch in.
"Seol-i, watch Dasom for me."
"Okay, go ahead."
"Dasom, be good with Seol-i sis. Got it?"
"Yeah! I know!"
I gave her chubby cheeks a gentle rub, adoring her beaming smile as she nodded vigorously, then waved to Seol-i and headed to the grill.
The meat on the barbecue was grilled to perfection. It was so well-done, you could see why people swear by these machines.
"Son, cut up the meat and plate it."
"Got it."
I started slicing the grilled meat Dad had set aside, using tongs and scissors.
-Snip! Snip! Snip! Snip!
The juices oozing out as I cut made my mouth water instantly.
I swallowed hard and finished a full plate, then took it over to Mom, Seol-i, and Dasom.
"Dig in, everyone~"
"Ooh~ My baby grilled it this good too?"
"Better than my husband."
"H-Hey, I'll grill next?"
"No thanks~ Go make some doenjang jjigae~"
"Already done~ Here, doenjang jjigae~"
For the record, that doenjang jjigae was the one Mom had prepped kit-style.
We hadn't packed it ourselves, so Mom must've learned the method from Seol's mom.
It wasn't just me and Seol-i influencing each other.
Our families had grown so close that we'd all rubbed off on one another in big ways.
That realization made my heart feel all warm and fuzzy.
Then Dad patted my back.
"Son, go eat now."
"Huh? You sure you don't need more help?"
"One person's plenty~ Go on, eat while it's hot."
At Dad's urging, I nodded and headed to the table with Mom, Seol-i, and Dasom.
The moment I sat down...
"Haneul...!"
Seol-i suddenly called me.
"Yeah, Seol-i? What's up?"
"...Ah, here."
At her request, I parted my lips slightly, and she shoved something green into my mouth.
I knew exactly what that green was.
A lettuce wrap. Seol-i's lettuce wrap.
"It's for the guy who grilled the meat...!"
"...Seol-i, I didn't grill it."
"B-But you cut it, so that's helping grill...!"
Is that how it works?
Even if I let that slide, something still bugged me.
Dad was the one grilling, so shouldn't he eat first?
But that worry vanished quick.
Mom had already made Dad a wrap and handed it over.
And Seol's mom was doing the same for Seol's dad, who'd brought the doenjang jjigae.
Everyone was feeding each other wraps.
With the vibe like that, no refusing Seol-i's.
I nodded, opened wide...
-Shove
And her wrap went right in.
I chewed, savoring Seol-i's special wrap.
It was more mouth-filling than easy to eat. And yeah, it was huge—my mouth was stuffed.
So, how was the taste?
Outstanding. For its size, the rice-to-meat ratio was spot-on, the ssamjang and oil on the meat just right, and the sliced garlic and green chili perfectly balanced.
A perfectly balanced wrap.
As I munched with my mouth full, Seol-i watched nervously.
Unable to speak, I showed her with action instead.
I flashed a thumbs-up.
She beamed, nodding happily...
"Oppa! Me too! Mine too!"
...And next up was Dasom's tiny wrap waiting for me.
I must be one lucky guy.
Surrounded by pretty Seol-i and cute Dasom, getting fed wraps? No one's happier than me right now. Guaranteed.
Of course, Dasom's wrap was nothing like Seol-i's.
Way too much rice compared to meat, and overloaded on garlic—spicy as heck.
Luckily, it was small, so no big deal.
If it'd been bigger, I'd have chugged water. I'd have had to force it down.
*
The delicious barbecue continued after that, but once it wrapped up, the tedious cleanup awaited us.
No food waste really, but tons to tidy.
The dads told me not to bother, but I couldn't just sit idle.
"Haneul, you can go rest inside."
"I'm fine. Should I stack the used grates?"
"Yeah, that'd help~"
I gathered and stacked the grates neatly.
Then the spent charcoal next to them.
I handled empty dishes and leftover ssam leaves too.
Dirty plates went to the dishwashing moms; extras I bagged for the fridge.
From the moment we knew leaves would be left, we'd portioned out what we'd eat and stored the rest—made it easy.
Once everything was sorted, fatigue hit me like a truck.
"Ughhh, so tired...."
Makes sense, thinking about it.
Hours driving, then watching Dasom, walking with Seol-i, eating, and now cleanup.
Subtle exhaustion piled up, so I dragged myself upstairs.
Seol-i had showered first; I followed, changed, and flopped onto my bed.
-Flop!
"Aaaahhh... this is bliss...."
Heaven. Bed was soft and sinky, pillow fluffy. AC kept it cool, thin blanket silky smooth.
Could sleep like this... when
-Knock knock
Someone tapped the door.
"Yeeeah...."
I mumbled, and it cracked open slightly. Seol-i stood there.
I sat up quick, looking at her.
"Seol-i, what's wrong?"
She shook her head no, came to my side.
And then...
-Squeeze
-Plop
...She pulled me in, laying my head on her lap.
"Seol-i?"
I called, but she just stroked my hair silently.
"...You worked hard today. This is your reward."
Reward? Lap pillow? Jackpot.
Totally undeserved. Her thighs were subtly squishy and insanely soft—pure bliss.
Only issue: looking up, something distracting blocked her face.
A sight way too stimulating for a high school boy.
But I didn't care right now. Too exhausted.
I let my body take over.
Face buried in her lap, basking in her strokes, I relaxed.
Eyelids heavy, body limp.
Her sweet, soothing scent muddled my mind further.
And before long, I drifted off in her lap.
Deeply, peacefully.