Two Women
"Hello."
"Yeah. You made it?"
Yerim's attitude was the same as always, yet somehow she seemed to be in an especially good mood today. She even hummed a little tune she never usually bothered with as she settled into the seat beside me.
"You look happy."
"Do I?"
She tried to hide it, but the feeling was written all over her face. Something good had clearly happened. Something good… ah. Could it be that she'd passed the practical exam from last time?
It was November—results should be coming out around now.
"Bread."
"Thanks."
"Juice too."
"Yeah."
I was simply hungry, so I ate the bread and juice and we set off. Thanks to that, breakfast left me thoroughly full.
"Hmm-hmm~"
While I ate, Yerim finished the makeup she hadn't quite completed. She seemed especially excited today, paying even more careful attention than usual.
"Did you pass?"
"……."
Yerim's body gave a little jolt, and the lip balm she was applying smeared off course. Maybe the good mood had been about something else entirely… and the result had been a fail.
The moment the words left my mouth I realized I'd made a mistake.
"…Of course I did."
"Phew… thank goodness."
"What exactly do you take me for?"
So it really had been the acceptance that put her in such a good mood. She was doing her best to play it cool, but the way the corners of her mouth kept lifting gave her away completely.
"What do you have to do now?"
"Just pay the registration deposit, they said? The actual tuition amount hasn't been finalized yet."
"I see."
It was the place Yerim had wanted most of all. I was genuinely glad for her. Getting into your first-choice university on the first try was no small thing. I found myself feeling proud on her behalf for no real reason.
"Now you can go to school with peace of mind."
"Yeah. I've been taking birth control this whole time because of it…"
"…Don't tell anyone else about that…"
"Obviously. Why would I go around saying that and get cursed out for it?"
That wasn't quite what I'd meant, but thankfully she'd understood the real point even from my clumsy phrasing.
"Goodbye."
"Yeah. Congrats on getting in."
"…Yeah."
Today's Yerim looked fresher and brighter than I had ever seen her.
"Here."
"Not bread today."
"It's Pepero Day, after all."
"Ah… is it already that day?"
Back when I was younger, people used to go out of their way to give each other Pepero on this day. These days the meaning had faded so much that plenty of people simply forgot to bother. Once you became an adult, the only time you really saw them was during convenience-store promotions. Valentine's Day was the same. Especially now that winter break had gotten longer, even for students it tended to be remembered as nothing more than a day to eat chocolate unless you were already dating or flirting with someone.
Of course, aside from the rare occasions when someone handed them out to the whole class, I had never received Pepero even once during my school years.
"Thanks. I'll enjoy them."
Maybe because it was Pepero Day, she had given me chocolate milk instead of the usual mango juice.
"Hmm…"
"What is it?"
"Nothing. Just feels like I'm only ever receiving."
"It's nothing. I only bring these because Uncle keeps skipping breakfast."
"Maybe I should start eating breakfast from now on…?"
"You can't do that."
"Huh…? Why not?"
"Well… then you'd be late. You still have to take me."
"I guess… is that so?"
I could just wake up earlier, of course, but there was still the time it took to eat, and I'd end up more tired. In short, she was telling me to keep living this lazy life exactly the way I was.
"See you tomorrow."
"Yeah."
I dropped Yerim off as usual and went to pick up Yena.
"Oppa. Do you know what day it is today?"
The moment she got into the car, Yena suddenly started pushing the Pepero Day angle. Of course I already knew, thanks to Yerim. If it hadn't been for her, I would have spent the whole day wondering whether today was some kind of anniversary and overthinking everything.
"Yeah. Pepero Day, right?"
"What… you already know?"
"My niece told me."
"I'm jealous… I want someone to take care of me like that too…"
"You can take care of me, then."
"I figured you'd say that, so I brought some~"
The Pepero Yena pulled out were a little special compared to the store-bought kind. Colorful sprinkles were scattered over the chocolate, making them look bright and festive.
"Did you make these yourself?"
"Yeah. How are they?"
"Thanks. They're pretty."
The moment I bit into the homemade Pepero with a crisp snap, Yena pulled a tissue from her bag.
"What are you doing. You're getting crumbs everywhere."
"Sorry."
"And if they get on this side too…"
Powder had fallen onto my clothes as well, leaving Yena looking faintly troubled.
"I'll take care of that myself…"
"Honestly."
"…!"
Even though her words were blunt, she casually pressed against my crotch while wiping the crumbs away with the tissue. It wasn't as if Yena and I had no experience together, but this was the first time I had ever seen her act so provocatively.
"I have to drive…"
"I know."
Yena grinned and sat up straight again.
"Oppa. Do you have time sometime?"
"Time? Hmm… next week I should be free."
"Really? That's good."
"Why?"
"I found a good place to eat."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah. I want to eat with you. …You too."
"Then let's eat together. Always good to know a tasty place."
"Yeah."
It had been a long time since Yena and I made plans. Between the project and everything else, I barely saw her except when I was heading to work. I needed to create opportunities like this. When bodies grow distant, hearts do too.
"Hang in there today, Oppa."
"Yeah."
Receiving Yena's kiss, I found the strength to face another day. This year's Pepero Day had been special. Receiving them from two different people, no less.
But that warm feeling didn't even last a full day.
"So… she made them for you herself?"
"Yeah. That's what she said."
"Hmm."
The next morning Yerim sat in the passenger seat as usual. The moment she spotted the crumbs and sprinkles on the floor, she spoke up. It was a perfectly normal reaction, yet somehow getting caught by Yerim made me feel like I'd done something wrong.
"Were they good?"
"Yeah. Oh, there's some left—want to try one?"
"……Just give me one."
I handed her one of the remaining Pepero. She took it like a little rabbit and chewed away with tiny bites. The sight was so cute that a fatherly smile rose to my face without thinking. I really was her father, after all.
Come to think of it, these days she called me Uncle far more often than Dad. I preferred Uncle myself, honestly. "Dad" had a way of reminding me all over again that I was a criminal of the highest order. I figured she should call me whatever she wanted, so I never interfered.
"Why did she have to make them so well for no reason…"
"Huh? What was that?"
"I said they're good."
"Want another?"
"I'm fine."
I had no idea why she was suddenly sulking… but today did not seem like a day for teasing.
"By the way, Yerim—are you taking the CSAT too?"
"Huh? Yeah. I'm planning to take it for now."
"Next week, right?"
"Yes."
Next Thursday was the CSAT, the most important day of the year for every high-school senior. Yerim had already gotten into the university she wanted, but she still insisted on taking the exam at least once. The steep student discounts that came with a test ticket probably played a part as well.
"Are you taking the day off, Uncle?"
"No. I just go in an hour late. I don't take the whole day."
"I see…"
How nice it would be if every office worker could take the day off under the excuse of the CSAT. Of course, if everyone actually did, the country would grind to a halt, so we had no choice but to show up.
"You're going home later than usual that day too, right?"
"Yeah, well… later than on days without night study, at least."
To everyone else it might just be a day off to celebrate, but for the students themselves it was different. It was the day they poured out everything they had prepared for an entire year—and they got home later than usual on top of it.
"Then…"
"Hmm?"
"Do you have time then?"
"Time? Yeah, I'm fre— ah, sorry… I already have plans that day."
"…With your girlfriend?"
"Yeah."
"Must be nice."
"……."
Yerim's eyes turned as cold as they had when she first spotted the crumbs on the floor. I still had no idea why I felt so guilty.
"Then… I'm free this weekend. How about the weekend?"
"The weekend…?"
"Yeah. No plans then."
"……If you say so."
Yerim made a sulky face and got out of the car.
"What are you looking at…"
"No, just… take care…"
"Hmph."
Surely she wasn't jealous just because she was my daughter… right?
"It's been forever since we met after work like this, hasn't it."
"Yeah."
A long-overdue date with Yena. Since the CSAT was over, the streets were full of students in uniform. Some were genuinely free and out celebrating; others had written the exam off completely and only registered for the steep student discounts. Yerim was probably the latter.
"This is the place?"
"Yeah."
The Korean restaurant Yena and I walked into. I had never come to a place this nice on my own initiative, so I was honestly half-skeptical. All the Korean food I usually ate was the kind my mother made at home.
"What do you want, Oppa?"
"Should we get the set for two?"
"How about mackerel and bossam?"
"Sounds good. We can share."
We ordered through the kiosk at each table. After a short wait the side dishes and main courses arrived. Unlike Western or Japanese restaurants, the banchan came out in generous abundance.
"Right—Yerim took the CSAT, didn't she?"
"Yeah. She's probably out playing by now."
"Even though she already got in. That's impressive, still taking the exam."
"She said a student should take it at least once, or something like that…"
"Fair enough. At least it gives you something to talk about later. Mmm! This is really good."
"It is."
The bossam was excellent, but the doenjang stew that came with it was clear yet deeply savory. Maybe it was the mushrooms—there was a real depth to the flavor.
"See? Korean restaurants have their own charm, right?"
"Yeah. It's amazing. Thanks to you I found a new place."
"Try this too, Oppa."
"Yeah."
Yena wrapped some cabbage into a ssam and fed it to me. I chewed away and fed her one in return. Feeding each other back and forth, the mountain of food disappeared in no time.
"Whew… I'm stuffed."
"We can go Dutch if you want."
"No. It's been so long since we met—I should treat you. It's not even that expensive."
"Thanks."
Back in the car, driving Yena home. Deep down I felt guilty toward her for waiting all this time. At our age, she still hadn't gotten married because of me.
"Yena."
"Yeah?"
"The project is ending soon."
"Yeah."
"When it does… I'll tell you properly."
"Tell me what?"
"……It's a secret."
"What. Making me curious."
She said she didn't know, but her expression already looked like she had figured it out. After all, the first time we met she had been ready to get married on the spot. Back then I hadn't been thinking that far ahead, so I turned her down. Now, though, it was time to start preparing. For my mother's sake, if nothing else. And for any possibilities I might not yet see.
"Oppa. What time do you go to work tomorrow?"
"Probably the same as usual."
"……."
Yena swept her hair back, exposing the nape of her neck to me.
"Why?"
"Just… I want to rest and stay over today. We finally met after so long."
Then she tied her hair up, casually baring the soft skin beneath. The bra strap resting on her shoulder caught my eye. Yena let out a slightly nervous breath and spoke.
"You never get it unless I say it in words, so I'll just say it. Can I sleep at your place, Oppa?"
"……Sure."
The real meaning of "Can I sleep over?" That meaning was: let's spend the night together properly.