Learning to Rest
Rub rub rub— She scraped the frilly lace-trimmed clothes against the ground. With lace attached, they’d snag on branches or rocks and make her trip, so she had to remove as much as possible.
"Ugh."
If she were home, she could’ve just cut it off with a knife or scissors. Rubbing her sore forearm regretfully, a girl crouched down beside her.
"Winter."
"Yes?"
"P-People get tired and collapse if they just keep working, y'know?"
The girl said something utterly obvious. Winter nodded while rubbing her clothes on the ground.
"Yeah. I collapse a lot too."
"R-Really? You collapse... a lot?"
"Yeah. Just the other day, picking acorns—I blacked out. Nosebleed, body wouldn't move."
Deep in the mountains, collapsing like that had terrified her. In her weakened state, it was a miracle she hadn't run into a wild boar or wolf.
"Isn't collapsing like that super dangerous...?"
"Yeah, it is. But what can you do."
If she didn't work, she'd starve that day. Starvation meant death to her. So she had to work hard again today.
Riiip—! She yanked at the lace stubbornly clinging to the hem.
The girl grabbed her hand.
"Hey, Winter... how about we rest today?"
"Huh?"
"P-People work better if they take breaks."
She was talking about efficiency. Winter got the point, but she couldn't afford a break yet.
"I'm fine. I have a lot to do."
"What could you possibly have so much to do?"
"I was gonna check the apartment complex's recycling area for anything useful."
If she got lucky, she might score something good. The thrill of treasure hunting already had her excited.
Until the girl suddenly scooped her up.
"...No."
"Huh?"
"Winter's resting today."
"W-Why?"
It was her favorite treasure-hunting time! Free useful stuff! Taking that away was so unfair. She just stared up at the girl plaintively.
"What Winter needs most right now is rest. Trust your big sis and take just one day off."
"B-But..."
Forced to rest. Was this wicked witch finally showing her true colors? It sucked, but she decided to obey. She knew breaks improved efficiency, after all. She'd minimize the loss.
"Just one day, then? Exactly one day today?"
"Y-Yeah. Let's try just one day first."
"Just one day first"? The phrasing felt off, but Winter accepted it for now.
"Can I go home and rest, then?"
"Sure. Rest where it's comfy. I'll drive you."
Drive her? That meant she'd follow her home. Winter had no idea what the girl was plotting, but she wouldn't let her guard down. Clenching her fists, she declared boldly,
"Okay. Then I'll clean the chair."
* * *
She returned home with the girl. The girl had said she'd just drive her, but following her inside was infuriating. What was her scheme?
Winter glared up at her suspiciously.
"Winter, whatcha gonna do to rest?"
"M-Me?"
Sudden question. Startled, she glanced around randomly.
"Yeah. If you're resting, rest properly."
True enough. Satisfaction depended on how you did it. After thinking, Winter bolted toward the vegetable patch outside.
She'd make the most of this rare break.
Time to replant tomatoes and lettuce.
She stabbed the ground with a sharp rock, thinking maybe she'd find a trowel at the recycling spot today. Regret surged, but she'd decided to rest—no complaints.
Thud! Thud! Each strike made her palms ache. Her old calluses were gone. It'd take time to toughen up again. She'd endure till then—
The girl approached.
"Um, Winter...?"
"Yes?"
"We said we'd rest today..."
The girl's gaze fell to her hands, caked in dirt up to the backs.
"Yeah. I'm tending the garden on my day off."
"Uh... um... Isn't that work, not rest?"
"Huh?"
Gardening took stamina, sure, but didn't normal people garden on days off? She tilted her head puzzled.
"You'll be exhausted after."
"Yeah, pretty wiped."
"See? That's work, not rest. Rest means body and mind relaxed."
Hm. Maybe. She carefully set down the rock.
"So what do I do?"
"Hm... Something that relaxes body and mind?"
Something like that... There was one.
"How about fixing the tent? Block wind and rain—body and mind both comfy."
"Hm..."
"Fixing the tent counts as rest, right?"
Patch tape was pricey, but she had three million won now. One day's luxury wouldn't hurt. Imagining the spruced-up tent, she got excited—
The girl sighed deeply.
"You don't even know what rest is, do you...?"
Don't know rest? The blatant condescension irked her.
"I do know rest! I'll fix the tent, then gather firewood."
"Firewood...?"
"Yeah. For the fire."
Warming by the flames relaxed body and mind. Perfect rest. Even this dim witch would get it. She peeked up slyly, but the girl was just biting her lip hard.
It took a while before she spoke again.
"Winter, how about we rest my way today?"
"W-Why?"
"I wanna teach you what real rest is. It'll be super fun, promise."
Fun? Probably just fun for her. Worried, but Winter had no veto power. She had to go along.
"Okaay..."
* * *
Summer led Winter down the mountain to a playground. Being weekday lunchtime, it was mostly empty. Slides, swings, ziplines—kids' favorites everywhere. But Winter's face was utterly blank. She even gave Summer a "what are we doing?" look.
Does she not know what a playground is...?
Even with the colorful attractions designed to draw kids in, Winter showed zero interest. Like she didn't grasp the concept of play at all.
Oh no.
Didn't know play? Summer wanted to deny it, but this kid didn't know rest either. The harsh reality made her squeeze her eyes shut.
"Ha..."
What kind of life had this eight-year-old lived? The more she learned about Winter, the heavier Summer's guilt grew.
As her legs buckled and she started to slump—
Winter tugged her hem.
"U-Um...?"
"Yeah?"
"This place...?"
Winter trailed off, but Summer got it.
What do you do here?
"This is a playground. Isn't all the bright color pretty?"
"Uh..."
Flower beds, giraffe-shaped slide. It was cute, but Winter just blinked blankly.
From that, Summer realized: The girl had stripped away everything non-essential for survival.
How desperate had it been? Summer's heart ached, but she smiled gently for the child.
"Winter, see the giraffe? Climb up and slide down. Wanna try?"
"M-Me?"
Why would I do that? Winter's face said.
"It's a blast. Just once."
"Okay. I know it's fun."
"You do? You've tried it?"
Maybe she'd played alone somehow? Relief washed over Summer as she sighed—
Then Winter dropped a bombshell.
"I said I collapsed picking acorns, right?"
"Yeah."
"I was on a steep spot, slid all the way down. That was super fun."
"Uh..."
Slid all the way? Meaning she tumbled down the mountain? Summer stared, eyes trembling.
"N-No injuries...?"
"Nah. A tree caught me midway—no real hurt. Clothes tore a bit."
"I-I see."
Not "caught"—she crashed into it. Winter was tougher than some guys.
Or rather, she had to be.
Not born tough—the environment forged her that way. No surviving otherwise.
Summer resolved inwardly: Someday, make Winter a normal kid. One who loves being loved, loves giving love. Who cries in your arms when scared. A normal kid.
Right then, Winter thought too: Why the hell am I playing at a kids' playground?