Chapter 94
Chapter 94
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: Won't Bite? (2)
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The next morning.
As soon as I woke up, my little sister checked my condition.
Rub rub...
She rubbed her face against mine.
She must have confirmed I was fully over the cold and felt relieved.
"Umm... scratchy stubble..."
"Sorry, Oppa hasn't shaved since yesterday."
"It's okay. Glad Oppa is better. Yunseul-i was so worried."
"You were? Then to make up for it, let's have even more fun at the zoo today?"
"Yeah! We gotta!"
Strict.
Stern.
Serious.
With that kind of expression, my little sister raised her finger high in the air.
Her vibe was downright general-like, full of dignity—and utterly adorable.
"There's something Yunseul-i wants to ask Oppa."
"What might that be?"
"It's what I want."
"And what would you like?"
For once, she hesitated.
She glanced at me slyly, then toddled over to the closet and rummaged around. And what she suddenly pulled out was...
"A shark?"
"Yeah! Yunseul-i wants to wear this to go see the animals."
"That's a swimsuit."
"Still wanna wear it."
Firm conviction.
She shoved the swimsuit right in front of me, demanding.
She rarely insisted this strongly.
Even so.
"I don't think that's gonna fly, little sis."
"Ehhh?"
"No matter what, it's not a pool. Going to the zoo in a swimsuit is just a bit much."
Sure, it's shark-shaped, so it doesn't scream swimsuit unless you look closely. More like an animal onesie.
Still, I didn't want her doing that in a public spot.
Above all, Yoon-seul in a shark swimsuit would be so eye-catchingly cute it'd draw stares like magnets—intense aggro.
That level of attention was plenty within Seongrae Market.
"Even like this, no? This is a real disappointment."
How bummed was she.
To pronounce "disappointment" as "silmaeng" again.
At this point, she was doing it on purpose.
I'd said no once for now.
But if she really insisted on the shark swimsuit to the end, I'd hear her out.
I got breakfast ready.
Fried eggs with sliced bread and butter.
A simple, filling combo.
I warmed the bread until the outside was toasty, then spread on the butter. It melted smooth, soaking into every inch.
That nutty aroma really got the appetite going.
"Yoon-seul, check out this bread. Looks super tasty, right?"
Our 5-year-old, who frequented the bakery in Seongrae Market, had developed a real taste for buttered bread.
But.
"Uung... Yunseul-i no appetite."
"Oh, not hungry?!"
"Yeah, okay. No appetite."
"Total shock!!"
Was this the legendary hunger strike I'd only heard about?
The kind you might see out in Gwanghwamun?
I finally grasped how serious this was.
I tilted my head down to peer at Yoon-seul's face.
She looked like she'd lost the country three times over.
Full-on emergency.
But I'd been in the Oppa position for nearly half a year now.
I could handle a setback like this quick.
"You wanted the shark that bad?"
"Yes..."
She tossed the buttered bread aside, so I scooped her onto my lap first.
She climbed up nice and easy.
But then hugged her own legs and struck the most pitiful pose imaginable.
"If you explain to Oppa why you wanna wear the shark, I'll think it over."
"Umm... 'cause Yunseul-i is an animal too. Then can be friends with other animals."
"So you wanna become a shark to befriend the animals?"
"Yeah... that's it."
What a pure reason.
No way I could lay down the law and refuse.
"Alright, how about a compromise?"
"Umm? How?"
"We take the subway and wear normal clothes till the zoo. Once we're there, change into the shark. Sound good?"
"Then Yunseul-i walks around as shark animal?"
"Yep."
"That's good."
"We'll do that?"
"Yes!!"
The 5-year-old bounced back in a flash.
She hopped around, carefully set the shark swimsuit by the closet, then dashed—
—to the table.
"Today's breakfast bread..."
"Wasn't there no appetite earlier?"
"Appetite came back."
Great news: her runaway appetite had returned after hearing the shark swimsuit was approved.
And just like that, the hunger strike wrapped up in a whopping three minutes.
Then Yoon-seul's bread-eating spectacle began.
Crunch!
The bread's crust was baked crisp, boasting that perfect crunch. Our little sister especially loved that part.
A total crunch enthusiast.
She particularly liked when I buttered the sliced bread—the way the butter melted into the soft insides paired with the crispy edges for that ideal outside-crisp-inside-soft texture.
Of course, she didn't use words like "outside crisp, inside soft," but she sure acted like she loved that vibe.
Our household's 5-year-old was the boss when it came to eating.
Shortened to Food Boss from now on.
Also, she went for semi-soft yolks on her fried eggs.
And her eating method was special.
She'd poke the yolk once with a fork, letting the liquid ooze out.
Then scoop it up with a spoon and savor it in one big bite.
"Umm... so soft..."
Meaning soft.
After savoring the yolk all at once, she'd pick off bits of the white and lay them on her bread to eat.
No wonder we called her Food Boss.
"Oppa, yummy eating!"
The light breakfast vanished in a blink.
Eating with Yoon-seul always ramped up my appetite somehow. Felt great.
**
We arrived at the zoo.
A massive amusement complex with a botanical garden and rides attached.
Today, the goal was to tour the zoo mainly and bond with the animals.
After all, our 5-year-old had transformed into a 105cm shark.
Just a 30cm difference from the length of Nong-dori, who'd once gone into our bellies. Lethal specs.
First thing upon arriving at the zoo: changing, naturally. We ducked into a public restroom to swap outfits, and her face lit up with pure satisfaction.
Made me feel guilty all over again for shooting it down that morning.
"Oppa, shark-like?"
She spun a full circle on the spot to show herself off.
She'd been cute at the beach in Gangneung, but seeing her like this near the amusement grounds was just as good.
Kids like her could pull off anything and get forgiven.
"Yeah, totally a fearsome shark!"
"Right? Yunseul-i thought so too."
The 105cm shark thought she looked fearsome.
"Then can be friends with animals?"
"Wanna go check it out ourselves? Starting now."
"Sounds best."
We stepped into the amusement grounds' path, where foot traffic was light.
But right past the gate, a fun sight welcomed us.
"Ooh! Water. Water falling like rain everywhere!"
"Yep. Must've known Yunseul-i was gonna wear the shark."
"Ahh! Such sense!"
Where'd she pick up "sense"?
"Water falling like rain" wasn't exaggeration.
Like greeting incoming guests.
Water jets shot up.
Not straight up—they arced to form gateways.
Multiple ones layered together, turning the entryway into a water garden.
Down below, kids her age splashed and played.
Some had clearly anticipated this and wore swimsuits.
Putting her in the shark swimsuit would stand out, but not get weird stares.
"Yoon-seul wanna go play there with the kids?"
"Umm... that good too. But today came to see animals."
"Gotcha. Hot day, so how about Oppa and you walk slow, get a little wet?"
"Good!"
We walked.
Along the water jets welcoming us into the amusement grounds.
Slowly.
Really slowly.
The droplets wetted our heads gently, like a blessing. Shoulders got damp.
The toes of our shoes soaked through.
A memory surfaced from a slightly cooler day than today.
The day we'd biked around the neighborhood with Yoon-seul.
Chugga-chugga—
Chugga-chugga—
The day I'd mimicked chain noises with my mouth.
That day, we'd peeked at J High School together.
Our little sister watching students mingle on the sports field from afar.
Her expression from back then flashed in my mind.
Seemed lonely at a glance.
Or like she'd given up on something.
Or trying hard to look away.
Not a face a five-year-old should make.
Seeing that look on Yoon-seul had sprouted a lonely ache up near my diaphragm.
I had to stick with this kid, for a long time.
That resolve really took root back then, I think.
And that day's expression on Yoon-seul.
Versus today's.
Worlds apart.
She glanced at the kids playing off by themselves a bit away.
No trace of loneliness.
Instead, she beamed at me.
Squeezed my hand tight.
The droplets blessed us gently as we walked slow, the blessing growing fuller.
Water trickled down my neck, soaking my back.
The mesh at my shoe toes grew heavy with water.
Felt like holy water cooling the summer heat.
"Oppa, cool and good. Right?"
"Yeah. Feels even better 'cause I'm with Yunseul-i."
"Yunseul-i feels same."
We held hands.
Gripped tight so our slippery hands wouldn't slip.
We exited the water garden.
Now the 5-year-old—the 105cm shark—the no-longer-lonely kid headed into the zoo to make animal friends.
**
The zoo's first sector we hit was where the marine animals lived. Not an aquarium, so no fish.
But plenty of friends more fun than fish.
"Wooow...."
Yoon-seul's mouth hung wide, staring at the huge, waddling form.
Its white body was car-sized.
Lying sideways in the enclosure, scratching its butt.
"So cute..."
"Yeah? Polar bears. Better say hi."
Yoon-seul went right up to the fence and watched the sprawled-out polar bears intently.
Then she threw both hands up and waved them wildly side to side.
"Hel-lo! Yunseul-i's here. Don't mistake for shark! Yunseul-i won't bite."
Where had that self-proclaimed fearsome 5-year-old gone?
- Oh my gosh, look at that kid. They put her in a shark outfit for the zoo?
- When we have a baby, should we try something like that?
A newlywed couple enjoying a date nearby spotted Yoon-seul and started chatting baby plans.
In this birth-rate-crisis era, call it indirect patriotism from our 5-year-old.
Yoon-seul kept trying to draw attention—waving hands.
Waving fins.
Wiggling her butt.
Even borrowing my hand to woo the bears.
But.
Scratch scratch—
The lounging bears stayed blank-faced.
"Uu... bears no energy."
"Bears have no energy, huh."
I played dumb in front of Yoon-seul, but zoo friends were usually like this.
Yoon-seul went full "disappointment" mode, shoulders slumping.
She'd wanted to bond with the bears.
Too bad.
But then!
A glimmer of hope appeared.
One bear that'd just been butt-scratching suddenly stood up and poked around at a door in one corner of our side.
Two more bears even burst out from a tunnel dug inside.
"Ooh! Oppa, two more bears appeared."
Yoon-seul couldn't hide her excitement.
Her butt wiggled.
Her fins wiggled too.
The shark swimsuit was the real deal.