Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: How the Shark Became 105cm (2)
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"What's this?"
Yoon-seul still hadn't figured out what she was holding.
It was folded into a neat square, and even after peeling off the wrapping paper, it was double-bagged in clear plastic.
The red wrapping paper on the outside looked like something Teacher Mi-jeong had specially picked out as a gift.
- Yoon-seul, open that one too.
Yu-min, who had been eyeing it eagerly from beside Teacher Mi-jeong, had snuck right up next to Yoon-seul.
With that sly grin, he clearly knew what was inside.
Yoon-seul started unwrapping, but then got competitive about it and dove in aggressively, tackling the clear plastic.
Her brows furrowed as she zeroed in on a weak spot, and this time she tore it open quickly.
And then, from under the fully opened plastic, the contents slopped out all gooey.
The fins were still prominent.
Yoon-seul grabbed one of those fins and lifted it up, peering at it closely.
Her expression turned extremely, extremely serious.
"Oppa..."
"Yeah?"
"This! It's a shark!"
"Yep, it's a shark, huh? Why do you think a shark ended up in that wrapping?"
"Heh heh heh... Yunseul-i knows this much."
It was a laugh straight out of a detective novel.
"This is! Teacher gave me a shark she caught herself! And she ate all the meat, so only the skin's left! Right?!"
Yoon-seul shot a triumphant look at Teacher Kim Mi-jeong, as if her deduction was spot-on.
Her vibe was pure master detective.
- Sadly, no.
"...Yunseul-i failed."
No matter how you sliced it, wrong answer.
She was so disappointed she was slurring her words.
"How'd you come up with such a wild imagination, Yoon-seul?"
"Um... 'cause last time Yu-min-i told me."
"What'd he tell you?"
- Ack...!
Yu-min jumped in shock beside her.
Like he'd spilled a big secret he wasn't supposed to.
"Teacher's super super strong and beats bears, he said. Yu-min-i saw it himself last time. If she beats bears, she can beat sharks too! Yunseul-i wants to be strong like Teacher."
- ...That! You weren't supposed to say...!
Yu-min went pale.
Behind the six-year-old's back stood the self-proclaimed 'bear-beater,' standing tall and proud.
- Son?
- Yep.
- When did Mom beat a bear?
- Th-that's not...
- How about a little honest chat?
- Ung...
The two slipped through a side door.
It looked like a bedroom, with a king-size bed inside.
Yu-min lay down obediently, hands on his belly button, eyes closed.
After the door shut, all that came out for a while was Yu-min's laughter. Sounded like tickle torture.
I covered Yoon-seul's ears and eavesdropped on the mom-kid talk. Roughly, Yoon-seul likes strong people, so to impress her, he'd overhyped Teacher Mi-jeong's strength.
No way she actually beat a bear.
This wasn't a fantasy world.
I decided to keep that secret from Yoon-seul.
Trying on the shark came after Yu-min had calmed down.
Of course, it wasn't real sharkskin—just a kids' swimsuit.
"Wah! Yunseul-i's shark is huge."
"Looks like it? Yoon-seul turned into a shark? Scary!"
Yoon-seul in the shark swimsuit was peak cuteness.
The sharp dorsal fin on her back and fierce-looking tail!
Were all made of soft poly material, so no real menace. Super small size made it even more adorable.
Where's her face poking out?
The key point: right around the shark's mouth area, Yoon-seul's face peeked out.
Almost like she was being eaten by the shark.
Thanks to that, her head was fully wrapped too—no need for a swim cap.
Functional swimsuit checked.
"Oppa, gonna eat you."
She chomped at my shoulder, pretending to eat me.
Zero damage, as always.
Then she suddenly snapped to and flinched away from my shoulder.
"Ah! Wait, not Oppa—gotta eat Yu-min-i. No one gives Yunseul-i chocolate if I eat Oppa."
- Wah... Whale's getting eaten... I wanted to be a whale too.
"Sharks are stronger than whales anyway."
- Eek, yeah... Guess so.
Yu-min tried on his swimsuit too.
Same brand, but orca design.
Shark and orca.
Both top predators in the ocean, but between a five-year-old and six-year-old, there was a weird hierarchy.
The orca was the shark's friend—and minion.
The orca quietly took the shark's chomps. Looked like he even kinda liked it.
- Now that we've tried on swimsuits, head to the sea?
"Sounds good. Three nights four days feels long but kinda short, right?"
"Oppa, sea now?"
"Think we should? Teacher, Yu-min, let's drive to the beach and play."
"Ooh...! Yunseul-i's a shark, so fishies'll come when we go to the sea, right?"
"...We'll try our best."
Yoon-seul and Yu-min clasped hands, vowing to catch fish for sure.
- Yeah. Our shark and orca. Time for the sea—change back into clothes?
"Um? Teacher, wanna wear this to go out?"
- Wear this...? Too eye-catching.
"Yunseul-i loves the gift from Teacher. Wanna keep wearing it out."
Five-year-old with firm opinions.
Eyes sparkling, she grabbed Teacher's pant leg.
Yu-min glanced over, then grabbed the other side, looking up.
- Yu-min-i wants to wear it out too.
"Kids wanna go like this? Saw some in swimsuits in the lobby earlier anyway."
This PE teacher, who came in tracksuit from the trip start, couldn't resist cute, pretty, or handsome things.
She grinned wide.
- Fine! Can't say no to our cuties. We're hopping in the car soon anyway.
With Teacher's okay, shark and orca cheered and high-fived.
Besties.
They grabbed essentials quick and headed to the beach.
Down in the lobby, people glanced, but everyone was chatting or checking in, so no big deal.
Back in the SUV to the beach, scored a parking spot fast.
Didn't take long to hit the sand.
- Little ones, assemble!
Teacher Mi-jeong rounded up the kiddos with commanding voice. PE teacher vibes.
I watched from afar.
- Whatcha doing, Joo-hyun?
"??? Am I a kid too?"
- Duh. To me, you're still little.
Correction: commanding voice rounding up three kiddos. Me included.
Ten-plus years younger, so fair enough.
Shark, orca, and me lined up facing Teacher Kim Mi-jeong.
Prep stretches started.
One two—
One two—
"My first calisthenics in forever."
- Loosen up before swimming.
Not wrong.
But peak season beach.
Crowded as heck, and weirdos stand out quick.
We were those weirdos.
A meter-tall shark and orca with adult guy and lady doing group exercises? Aggro magnet.
One two—
One two—
....
Pushed through the shame and finished.
Toughest stretch in my 25 years.
"Um! Stretches made my energy super strong!"
But the 105cm shark flexed happily. Seeing that, shame didn't matter.
We spread blankets, slathered sunscreen till we were ghostly white.
Yoon-seul faced the waves confidently.
Whoosh—
Ssshh...
Tides gnawed the sticky sand fiercely. Gangneung's East Sea, known for rough waves.
Orca clung to shark's elbow, one step back. Flinched every wave.
- Yoon-seul, not scared?
"Yunseul-i's fine. Probably."
Look close: shark legs quivering too. East Sea waves hit huge every five minutes or so.
Scary secondary—dangerous primary.
"Our shark and orca come in with Oppa?"
"Y-Yunseul-i can beat waves too..."
"Yeah, Yoon-seul can handle waves. Just wanna play with you two? That's cool, right?"
"Um! That's fine."
- Yep! Love it.
Nodding, they dashed to me, grabbing hands tight.
Teacher snapped pics of us three from a few steps back.
Splash splash
Splash splash
Made it to ankles.
Shark and orca exchanged looks, nodding knowingly.
"Oppa, lil more! Just a lil."
"Little farther? Yu-min okay?"
- Yep! Fine. Go deeper.
Orca hyping shark's will.
Splashing and wobbling, we hit thigh-deep.
Got used to currents, less stumbling.
Followed me splashing arms and shoulders, getting wet.
Then Yoon-seul got curious, poked finger in sea, licked it.
"Ew! What's this. Oppa, sea's not water—it's soup."
"Salty, huh?"
"Yeah, not like crab. Oppa's cooking tastier."
Didn't expect "salty" as "soup."
Creative kid.
Yu-min poked and tasted too, nodding.
- Hmm, like Mom's...
Wonder what mid-30s Kim Mi-jeong cooks her six-year-old. Super curious.
"Oppa, Oppa! Yunseul-i swim lil."
"Watching."
At beach with kids, always arm's reach.
Yoon-seul called me, pinched nose, dove.
Legs up...
Floated right up?
Held nose-in-water float seconds, then phoo! Stood up.
"Yoon-seul, you can dive?"
"Um! Grandma taught me."
"Grandma?"
Bathtub lesson probably. Filled it up and showed her.
Five-year-old diving? My sister's a genius.
"Yunseul-i shark now, so can dive."
"True? Shark power lets you dive."
- Eek, I can too.
Orca declared challenge.
Nosed pinched, dove.
But couldn't float yet.
Popped up quick, caught breath.
Shoulders slumped in defeat.
Mom spotted it.
Rushed over beaming, patted orca's shoulder.
- Trust Mom.