The Princess Comes Over
“Eeeh?! I had no idea!”
“Ahaha! You don’t have to say it like that anymore.”
“But she looks a little older than my sister!”
“Hmm? How old is our princess’s sister?”
“She’s twenty-three now.”
“Here, have some more!”
Whoosh. The cake in front of me vanished in an instant. Following its trail with a hollow gaze, I found Chae Yujin at the end, fork in hand, waiting expectantly.
“Thank you! You too, Yujin!”
With a smile like that, I couldn’t possibly ask for it back.
“Mom.”
So I turned to my mother and demanded an explanation. I understood—Mom had always dreamed of having a daughter to dote on, so of course she was powerless against this adorable princess—but still…
“I’m Mom’s son. I’m ten years old now.”
“Come here, kiss.”
“Ugh…”
What I got in return was five rapid-fire kisses on the cheek, faster than light. If I said one more word, it would double, so I quickly gave up.
“The cake is so delicious!”
“If you come play again later, I’ll give you something else tasty.”
“Really? Can I come over again?”
It’s not “play,” it’s “eat,” isn’t it?
“Of course! If you stay close with my son, Auntie will be happy too.”
Mom seemed even more eager to get close to Yujin than I was.
“Auntie!”
“Hmm?”
“I want to call you ‘Auntie’ instead of ‘Auntie’!”
“…Oh my.”
Mom’s eyes sparkled in a way I’d never seen before. Watching that, I didn’t feel the slightest urge to reflect on my own lack of aegyo.
“How about having a daughter now, Mom?”
“Why would I need a daughter when I have our Yujin?”
“Me?”
“No, Princess Yujin.”
“…Mom. I’m your son…”
The only reason I wasn’t crying was because it was really me.
“That was delicious!”
“Thank you for enjoying it. I ordered a cake for Yujin’s parents too. You can take it with you in a bit.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
“How cute~. Hmm, it’ll take about ten minutes, so play with my son until then. Son?”
“…You definitely put it back in the room, right?”
“Honestly, why ask that first when you have such a cute friend?”
Mom chuckled as she rinsed the dishes. Meeting my unwavering stare, she gave a small nod as if admitting defeat and continued.
“I put it away. Don’t do that again, okay?”
“That’s right! You promised, so you won’t, right?”
“…Yeah.”
There wasn’t a single person in this house on my side. Realizing that fact all too clearly, I swallowed my words as much as possible.
After Mom’s brief send-off, I headed to the study.
“Whoa, what’s this place?”
The moment I opened the door, Yujin’s eyes widened as she looked around. The layout was the same, so there shouldn’t have been much difference, but she still seemed fascinated, so I explained.
“It’s more of a multi-purpose room than just a study. We read books and listen to music here.”
My family loved listening to music. Even though I’d sung a Bang & Olufsen song, my parents also listened to music often, so they’d spent a lot of money on soundproofing and speaker setups.
“There are so many instruments! Piano, guitar, even violin!”
“That’s because Mom knows how to play.”
“Hey, hey! Can I try playing this?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
Yujin approached the piano with an excited expression. I wondered if she knew how to play anything, but the sounds that came out were just light plonks and plinks.
“Do you know how to play?”
Eventually, the princess turned her head and looked at me.
“Yeah. Want me to play something short?”
“Yes! Play it!”
I stood beside Yujin. Since pulling out sheet music was a hassle, I chose the simplest piece that came to mind.
“Whoa…”
The classic cool piece. I played Hisaishi Joe’s “Summer.”
“……”
The princess was actually quiet for once. Glancing sideways, I saw Yujin watching with her mouth slightly open. She looked like an adorable niece, so I smiled without realizing it and continued playing.
“…How was that?”
“……Wow.”
Yujin clapped her hands a beat late, along with her exclamation. I’d known since we first met that she was very expressive, but seeing this side of her for the first time, I found myself staring blankly at her face…
“…Ah, no matter how pretty I am, you shouldn’t stare like that, okay…?”
She turned her head slightly and covered her mouth with a slender arm. Even her expression was so princess-like that another laugh escaped me.
“How was I looking at you?”
“…Hmph!”
Unable to come up with anything else, Yujin crossed her arms and turned her whole body away.
“Kids.”
Mom’s voice came from outside just then. Yujin rushed to open the door before I could. Following her to the living room, I saw Mom holding a large cake box.
“It tastes best when it’s fresh, so eat it within the weekend.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
Yujin placed a hand on her stomach and bowed. She tried to take the cake box with both hands, but…
“……?”
“Go see her off. While we’re at it, say hello to the princess’s parents too.”
The heavy box was placed in my hands. I looked back and forth between the cake and Mom.
“…It’s only two floors up?”
“As a gentleman, you should see a cute young lady off.”
“Mom, that’s way too old-fashioned—”
“Son, are you throwing a tantrum because you want a kiss?”
“…I’ll be back, Mother.”
I quickly moved to the front door.
“Auntie, can I come play again next time?”
“Of course. You can come over anytime.”
“Thank you!”
While Mom and Yujin chatted at the entrance, I quickly caught the elevator. Glancing at the scene, they looked no different from relatives who hadn’t seen each other in a long time.
Ding. The elevator doors opened, and Yujin stepped in quickly. She waved goodbye to my mom until the doors closed.
“I can come over again, right?”
The moment the doors shut, Yujin turned her head slightly and asked.
“There’s no reason you can’t.”
“…Why didn’t you just say okay right away?”
“Because I didn’t expect you to ask me too?”
You already finished talking with my mom. Before I could add that, the princess glared at me.
“Idiot. I’m playing with you, not with Auntie.”
Ding. The doors opened, and Yujin stepped out first. She moved so briskly that by the time I reached the door lock, she had already gone inside and was looking for her mom.
‘…Hmm, Chae Yujin’s mother?’
There had to be a reason our princess was so lively. I hesitated a little, thinking I might get roped into staying for dinner, but what could I do? After quickly organizing an escape plan in my head, I stepped forward.
“Nice to meet you. If it’s okay, would you like to have dinner with our Yujin?”
…I haven’t even greeted her yet?
“…Uh, can I at least say hello first?”
“Mom!”
From the back of the hallway, Yujin, who had been watching us, spoke up.
“Ahaha! Look at me. I got so used to it that I forgot.”
She bent down to meet my eyes. Her round eyes, which clearly showed she was Chae Yujin’s mother, curved into a pretty arc.
“Hello. I’m Seol Yujin, Yujin’s classmate.”
“Yes, yes. I’ve heard a lot about you. Auntie is… right. I’m Seon-ah, so I’d be happy if you called me Auntie Seon-ah.”
To think the day would come when I’d even learn my friend’s parent’s name. Realizing that the princess’s sociability was definitely hereditary, I nodded.
“Yes, Auntie Seon-ah. And this is from my parents. It tastes best before the weekend.”
“Thank you. Could you tell your parents I’m grateful?”
“Yes, I will.”
“Good. Then come in and eat with us. Do you like dakgalbi?”
“Mom…!”
A sharp voice came from behind again. Yujin raised her voice slightly behind Auntie Seon-ah.
“We just ate a little while ago, so we’re not hungry at all…! R-Right?”
“Huh? Yeah, that’s true.”
“And, uh, you’re busy, aren’t you? Right?!”
Yujin waved her hands vigorously to appeal. Honestly, what could an elementary school kid who didn’t even go to academies be busy with, but…
“I’m sorry, Auntie. I have to go exercise later.”
In Korea, the only sports most kids did briefly when young was taekwondo, but in America, various sports were part of daily life. Born in Hawaii, I’d done swimming, surfing, running, football, and more, but what I did regularly were kickboxing and jiu-jitsu.
…It’s definitely not because I don’t want to eat together.
“Really? That’s a shame.”
“I’m sorry you invited me. I’ll definitely eat next time.”
“How can you speak so prettily? Thank you for thinking of Auntie~.”
Auntie Seon-ah smiled brightly and took the cake box I was holding. Then she straightened up.
“Our daughter talked about Yujin an awful lot, you know.”
“Hyaat?!”
“So Auntie also felt a sense of closeness with Yujin and had a lot I wanted to say…”
In an instant, Yujin approached her mom, grabbed her hand, and pulled her arm as if dragging her away.
“Just a moment~, Mom, with our daughter’s boyfriend~.”
“Bye!! See you tomorrow!!”
However strong she was, Yujin managed to drag her mom beyond the living room. A novel concept of seeing someone off where the host leaves first. It took longer than expected to realize I’d been left standing alone in someone else’s house.
“…Ah, goodbye?”
No response came back. After greeting twice, I belatedly opened the front door and stepped out.
Swish.
“…She’s surprisingly shy, huh?”
She was so comfortable with skinship and had no reservations, so I thought she wouldn’t mind that kind of talk.
“Is it puberty?”
“Right. Even Yujin thinks it’s puberty?”
A fourth-wall break worthy of Deadpool. A voice suddenly joined my mutter, startling me.
“…Auntie?”
“You didn’t get a proper greeting, after all.”
Turning around, I saw Auntie Seon-ah making a “be quiet” gesture and winking. I just nodded for now, and only after the door fully closed did Auntie Seon-ah smile and pat my head.
Her touch was so gentle that, even though it was unfamiliar, I didn’t feel any rejection.
“Thank you for being close with our daughter. Honestly, Auntie was always worried.”
“Worried?”
What was there to worry about with a kid who got along well with friends? Tilting my head in confusion, Auntie Seon-ah answered with a playful expression.
“Our daughter is pretty, isn’t she?”
“……”
“Haha. Just like I heard, you make such a cute face.”
As I stared blankly, Auntie Seon-ah chuckled as if that was the reaction she’d expected. But that only lasted a moment.
“People usually go along with most things. I raised her spoiled, but that doesn’t mean having strong opinions and being stubborn is always good.”
Peeling away the playful smile revealed the gentle expression of a parent thinking of their child.
“Then our young master became her friend. They say you bicker quite fiercely?”
“…Ah, that’s…”
“It’s fine. Neither Auntie nor Uncle, and Yujin too, mind at all. Rather, what was it…? They said they’d never seen a boy like Yujin before and made a huge fuss?”
“…It’s not like revenge or anything, right?”
“Hmm… there was that too?”
“Yes?”
I let out a dumbfounded sound without realizing it, and Auntie laughed playfully again.
“Keep being close with our Yujin from now on too. You can do that, right?”
I averted my gaze from her steady stare. These kinds of words were just formalities, so normally I would’ve just nodded, but…
Even I thought I lacked social skills. I didn’t want to say things I couldn’t keep.
“Yes. I’ll try my best.”
I nodded again, meeting her eyes. Auntie Seon-ah looked at me steadily before chuckling and patting my head once more.
“A reliable answer.”
* * *
“Yawn.”
“……Why are you in our house?”
“Son. You can’t say that to a friend who came to play.”
When I woke up after oversleeping, the princess was in our house munching on pancakes.
“Pfft…! Your hair looks like a magpie’s nest!!”
“……”
It hadn’t even been a full day since we parted.