Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Seongbuk Stream Desperado (2)
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That birthday party had been specially requested by the kid's parents to the kindergarten.
It was a small rural kindergarten with no resources for events. More like an old-fashioned daycare, just keeping the kids safe in place of busy parents.
The idea came up to throw parties for the other kids too, seizing the opportunity. Things eventually shifted that way.
But Jang Yoon-seul's turn never came.
An undefined resignation settled in her heart.
'It's not my thing anyway...'
She naturally came to believe no one would do that for her.
No one ever had.
It wasn't a matter of reason—it was experience.
She could 'think' her birthday might be celebrated, but without the 'experience,' she gave up.
That's how it went—watching her friends' parties drag on without her turn, until she left the kindergarten.
Her birthdays boiled down to three words in the end.
Someone else's business.
But now was different.
Surrounding Jang Yoon-seul in the restaurant were warm gazes and songs wishing her blessings.
Pleased voices celebrating her birthday, kind eyes all around.
The cold resignation shattered like ice.
In its place settled a warm, fuzzy new feeling.
"Puh-heung, hing...."
The moment she was about to show off the prettily designed cake.
Song Joo-hyun was greatly startled.
His little sister was choking up.
The sister who'd always been so bright and spirited.
- Uhk.
- Uuuhk.
The two high schoolers made sounds like extras dying in an apocalypse flick, panicking.
The Big Eater customer was the same.
Even Song Joo-hyun had never seen his sister get this teary.
But he didn't panic. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, yet her mouth curved into a smile.
'She's crying from emotion...'
As family, he could tell easily.
He even knew how to stop her tears quick—learned from Kang Pil-jung.
"Yoon-seul, you can't cry, okay? What happens if you do?"
"Hing... Dunno."
"Then Santa won't give you presents?"
"Uhet...!"
Classic methods worked best.
That's why they're called classics.
Tears welled up, but she had to get those gifts—she tilted her head back, swallowing them down somehow.
Kwon Su-young chuckled, thinking it looked just like when you get a nosebleed.
Then she remembered the cake and signaled Song Joo-hyun.
- Joo-hyun Oppa, this.
Now was the timing, with Yoon-seul wiping her tears and sniffling. She'd love this custom-made cake for sure, Song Joo-hyun was certain.
Clunk—reeep.
He set the cake box on the bar table and peeled off the packing tape. When the box opened, there was a plain white cake with basic frosting.
"Huh? This!"
But the top was anything but ordinary.
[Happy Birthday, Yoon-seul!]
Brown chocolate lettering, alongside a drawn figure.
Anyone could see it was Jang Yoon-seul.
"It's Yunseul-i!"
The caricature might fool strangers at a glance. But Yoon-seul recognized it because it depicted a familiar scene.
The photo from that cherry blossom morning.
Her face smeared with chocolate, the one snapped then.
Still set as 'Oppa''s smartphone wallpaper—she couldn't forget it.
Kwon Su-young and Song Ji-ah inserted five candles around the lettering and pretty drawing of Yoon-seul.
They lit them with disposable matches.
Fsssh—
Lights out, and the candles glowed warmly, lighting the room. Song Joo-hyun carried the cake to his sister with both hands.
"Yoon-seul, ready to make a wish?"
"Um? Wish?"
"Yeah, you make a wish when you blow out the cake candles. Just once, when you huff— and blow them all out. So think hard."
"Ah...! Wait. Haven't thought of one yet!"
She'd never experienced the custom, so no prep time.
But the candle wax looked ready to drip from the heat. Not wanting to ruin the cake with her face on it, Yoon-seul got a bit greedy.
'Oppa said make one, right?'
Haa...
Fuu—!
She blew, picturing her wish in her head.
Three simple, precious wishes.
Let me go on walks with Oppa forever.
Kindergarten is fun with friends now.
Eat tons of chocolate and get strong!
**
Lights on, eyes stinging adjusting to the brightness.
Yoon-seul blinked sleepily too.
The Big Eater pointed at the big delivery box by the entrance.
- What's that?
"Heh heh... That's today's highlight."
- Huh?
Su-young-i and Ji-ah gathered curious looks too. Bigger than Yoon-seul, plenty reason to wonder.
"Yoon-seul, what's this?"
"Um... Box!"
Odd question.
Point at a box and ask what—it's a box, duh.
"No, I mean, it's a box, but what's inside, you think?"
"Um... Choco?"
"Wrong, and even I wanna see a chocolate that big."
"Then... Yunseul-i's friend."
"Hmm, close but not quite."
"Buuu— What is it, wish not like this..."
Yoon-seul pouted.
He could guess her wish.
Besides, a friend in the box? Cops would come.
Since she wasn't getting it, he decided to open and show.
Sliced open the neatly packed box—bubble wrap.
"Super carefully packed, huh?"
Removed that—styrofoam holders next.
"Really thorough."
After all the annoying extras, it finally revealed itself.
The electric ride-on from Seokchon Lake that Yoon-seul had eyed!
Almost—price too high, so downgraded a notch.
A kid-sized electric motorbike you could actually drive!
Back in his day, trikes; kids now needed this level, they said.
Presented grandly before Yoon-seul.
"Whoa! This!"
"Your birthday present, Yoon-seul."
"Mine?"
"Yeah, yours. Leave it at the shop, and sometimes Oppa and you can ride it around Seongbuk Stream out front—fun, right?"
"Heck yes! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!"
Yoon-seul beamed near-faint.
Spot-on reaction.
She toddled over pitter-patter to his legs, circling excitedly. Puppy-like.
- Wanna go now?
The Big Eater suggested first.
Still an hour till dinner service.
"Yeah, time to kill anyway—might as well test this fresh delivery."
"Awesome!"
He'd planned to drag it to Seongbuk Stream himself, but she loved it so much she grabbed the handle and pulled it out.
Light enough, should be fine.
Out the door, checking his smartphone.
A heartwarming new pic made him smile.
Yoon-seul huffing at the cake candles.
Lips puckered duck-like—adorbs.
"This gets both in one shot, huh?"
The chocolate-smeared face drawing, and her blowing out candles.
Both captured together.
He swapped the wallpaper to this photo.
"No more finger-counting now."
Promised to change at 7,000. This new one's more memorable though.
Still, a bit wistful, he muttered.
Down at Seongbuk Stream, crowds everywhere.
Not just students or elders—even working-age folks strolling the paths.
"Why so many people today?"
- Holiday, Joo-hyun Oppa.
"Oh, right...!"
He knew Yoon-seul's birthday was May 5th, Children's Day. Forgot it was a holiday.
Never off on May 5th—always restaurant work.
Self-employed—no holidays, just busier.
"Makes sense... no suited customers today."
Too focused on birthday prep to notice guests.
Song Ji-ah and Kwon Su-young in casuals too—not uniforms; figured they stopped home post-school.
"Unnie-ya, Unnie-ya!"
- Yeah?
"Yunseul-i got bike too."
- Nice. Super pretty.
"Right? Oppa bought it."
- Good Oppa, huh?
"Obviously! Oppa's the best."
Yoon-seul hopped plop onto the electric bike.
No instructions given, but she fiddled buttons on her own.
Forward—
Backward—
Twisted handle—
Screech—
Stopped—
Nodded satisfied, clapped clap clap.
Plenty walkers around, but toddler speed—no threat.
Most passed smiling at her joy.
"Um..."
Then she crossed arms, pondering.
Hopped off, approached the customer.
"Unnie-ya."
- Yeah.
"Yunseul-i sharpshooter too."
Made cute pistol with hands,
Bang— at the customer.
Puffed imaginary smoke.
Customer pondered 0.5 seconds,
- Uh. Ack.
Screeched staccato, flopped dead on spot. Bad omen.
She started something weird.
Yoon-seul twitched brow, 'It works?' face, aimed at Su-young-i and Ji-ah in turn.
Bang— bang—
- Uwaaak!
- Pfft... Uhk—
Su-young-i hammed movie sidekick fit, convulsed, collapsed.
Ji-ah burst laughing, joined in.
Yoon-seul blew gun smoke again, approached him.
Figured he was next to die.
Hand out instead?
"Oppa, Yunseul-i came to rescue!"
In this play, he was the hostage.
"Oppa rescue mission?"
"Yep! Only trust Yunseul-i!"
Thumped her chest proudly.
Surroundings all praise.
- That kid's too cute!
- Says trust only her—total chibbi. SD cartoon character, right?
- Blowing on finger gun? Killer detail.
Oblivious to chatter, Yoon-seul stayed immersed.
Dragged him to the bike, spouted movie-highlight line—adapted to fit.
"Oppa, Yunseul-i bike stole! Choco monster go."
[Mike, nabbed the bike. Let's go wreck 'em.]
Too bad kid bike—no room for him behind.
So he squat-walked behind as she drove, pretending to follow.
"Oho! Fast! So fast!"
That post-nut clarity vibe gnawed his sanity, but sister's pure joy kept him going.
Her birthday—wanna make it max fun.
....
Fun break time over. Big Eater said she'd return, rode off on her own bike.
Siblings waved goodbye.
Felt Yoon-seul's quiet wish to ride one someday too.
Ji-ah and Su-young-i stayed for dinner. Stir-fried pork as promised, extra generous recalling last time's share with Yoon-seul.
[Onui Tycoon!]
[Customer moved by service.]
[J High School sophomore Kwon Su-young: Satisfaction +5%!]
[Total Satisfaction: 65%]
[Onui Tycoon!]
[Customer moved by service.]
[J High School sophomore Song Ji-ah: Satisfaction +5%!]
[Total Satisfaction: 55%]
Yoon-seul's birthday seemed happily wrapped.
Too much spotlight in public though. Someone filmed the siblings, uploaded to SNS.