Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: The Understanding Born from Misunderstanding (3)
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On the last day of the holiday, Jin-hyuk headed to Lee Hae-won's family's small store with Yu-jin and General in tow. He figured he'd buy her some cola while Mom wasn't around.
But he ran into an unexpected situation.
"Nope. When lots of folks gather, we don't sell fizzy drinks. Just cider and Fanta are out too."
Yu-jin was the most disappointed by Lee Hae-won's mother's matter-of-fact words.
With her head hung low, Yu-jin shot a resentful glare at the empty beverage fridge. She'd been over the moon at the promise of sweet cola and tagged along, only to end up with sore little legs for nothing.
'Ah, that hurts my heart.'
Jin-hyuk felt his chest tearing at his little sister's pitiful expression, one he'd never seen before.
If he'd known, he would've snuck a bottle from the village hall's yutnori event. Truth be told, no one would've said a word even if he had, but he'd felt too self-conscious.
"Yu-jin, let's get something else today. Oppa will definitely buy you one next time."
Yu-jin scanned the shelves and picked up a pack of ramen. Her head was still down, so Jin-hyuk couldn't bring himself to say instant noodles weren't good for her and suggest something else. But Yu-jin, do you even know what that is?
"Yu-jin, want Oppa to give you a piggyback ride?"
Shaking her head no, Yu-jin slowly shuffled along, staring at the ground. For once, she wouldn't meet her brother's eyes or answer him. That sulky look reminded him of Hong Su-jeong. Watching the back of a kid's head often left you wondering what they were thinking, but knowing disappointment lay at the root made a cold wind blow through Jin-hyuk's chest.
His mood soured, and he let out a sigh through his nose.
Crunch, crunch.
Huh? What's that sound?
Jin-hyuk hurried over, bent down, and peered at his sister.
Ah, she was just eating dry ramen with her head down. Another misunderstanding.
Heh! She was so cute, laughter burst out.
Yu-jin grinned up at her brother.
"Oppa, this is yummy."
"Heh heh, eat lots."
He was proud of how quickly his sister's mood lifted.
Crunch.
Crunchy ramen munching came from next to Yu-jin too. It was General, never one to miss a meal.
'Such cute little things.'
The smile on Jin-hyuk's lips wouldn't fade.
Maybe she found her brother's beaming face novel. Yu-jin stared at him like he was some exotic animal.
The happy holiday passed just like that.
With Mom away on her trip, he'd planned to skip school for three days or so to watch his sister, but things got weirdly tangled.
Smack smack!
"Oppa, Oppa! Go to school."
He'd tried using his sister as an excuse to skip jogging and sleep in, but this tiny terror woke him up by headbutting him.
So he went. To school.
Wherever you go, there's always someone who draws attention.
Ordinary folks can't be the star. You need something special.
Like a five-year-old girl heading to an all-boys middle school.
Friends who knew Yu-jin said hi on the bus.
"You going to school with your brother, Yu-jin?"
"Yeah! Hee hee hee. Fun."
Yu-jin was thrilled to tag along to her brother's school, and so were the friends riding the bus with Jin-hyuk.
Jin-hyuk was the only one not thrilled.
'Dizzy...'
Bus sickness, maybe.
He was a superhuman who could choke out a wild boar, but bringing his sister to school was a whole different issue. He didn't want to disrupt the other kids' classes. Even living selfishly, he'd always been careful not to bother others.
"Does our baby like going to school with Oppa?"
"Yeah! Hee hee hee."
He carried her from the bus stop to school. Little one in his arms, backpack on his back, two lunchboxes in his hands. He'd worried about weird looks or snickers, but the other students seemed curious yet fond of Yu-jin, which was a relief.
Jin-hyuk stopped by the teachers' office first to explain.
All the teachers crowded around Yu-jin, pinching her cheeks. One even gave her pocket money. They told him it was fine, just take good care of her so she wouldn't get scared.
'People are nice.'
He hadn't realized before, since he'd never been looked after, but teachers seemed like good folks now. Jin-hyuk, unaware of Son Gwang-yeon's influence among them, had no idea it was selective tolerance.
A teacher new that semester asked after Jin-hyuk left if he was the man of the house, only to get a talking-to from Lee Byung-se. "You might not know. No big deal. Don't nitpick." The vice principal stopped Lee Byung-se.
Being stopped only made Lee Byung-se double down.
"Ah, let me at him. Kim, you wanna screw up your school life?"
"I might not know..."
That rich kid from Seoul is clueless about the world, thought Lee Byung-se, just trying to set his junior straight.
"Clueless? You gotta know what you gotta know!"
"Looks like I misunderstood. Sorry."
"I'm sayin' this 'cause I want you to do well."
But to the other teachers, it looked different. Like Lee Byung-se's inferiority complex—fueled by rumors of teachers' allowances being less than his pocket money—had exploded.
Jin-hyuk dragged over an extra desk and sat Yu-jin next to him.
There were no kindergartens or nurseries (called kindergartens back then) in his neighborhood. Beyond affiliated kindergartens for seven-year-olds, early childhood education was nonexistent. So Jin-hyuk hoped his still-stuttering Yu-jin wasn't growing slower than future kids her age.
"So, what's the answer?"
"Ee!"
A bright childish voice rang out, out of place in a boys' middle school classroom.
Yu-jin, who had been quietly sitting beside Jin-hyuk listening to class, suddenly shouted the answer loud.
"Yeah... right. The answer is 'ee'."
He didn't know if she actually knew, but it was correct.
The teacher tilted his head and wrote the number 2 on the board.
Jin-hyuk whispered to Yu-jin.
"Yu-jin, we promised to be quiet during class, right?"
"Yeah, hee hee."
Jin-hyuk gave her a dad-smile, even more paternal than Dad's, and stroked her cheek.
He had no idea what the 2 meant, and a kid who didn't even know numbers couldn't possibly. In the rest of the class, she only mumbled quietly, no more shouting. Such an obedient sister.
"Whoa, class rep's little sis? Sooo cute!"
"Not sister, looks like his daughter? Spill it, class rep."
Jin-hyuk's friends adored the five-year-old in their middle school classroom. His desk mate Chae Gyu-ho, Lee Seung-hoon, and Shin Woo-seong from the wrestling club even gave her bread and milk to win her over.
Park Yong-seok from another class gave her chocolate to show off, probably needing to impress Jin-hyuk. Jin-hyuk wondered why such a nice guy hung with Yoon Sung-dong types, then let it go. Everyone makes mistakes. The difference is correcting course quickly or not.
Jo Seol-chan came by too, acting familiar after ages.
"Hey! Did our Yu-jin miss Oppa Seol-chan?"
"-No. Hee hee hee."
Jin-hyuk tensed at her honest reply, but Jo Seol-chan seemed not to catch it, thankfully. Yu-jin mentioned him sometimes. It just meant school wasn't because of him, but it could be misunderstood.
During breaks, kids from other classes came to gawk, snacks like candy and chocolate in hand.
"Thank youuu."
Yu-jin collected them neatly in her pink bunny bag.
"Yu-jin not eating? Scared of Mom scolding? Oppa'll keep it secret."
"General eats with me. Hee hee hee."
Oh, right.
General was home alone. He'd barely pried him off at the bus, but it nagged. He'd mooch dinner from Choi Mi-kyeong's if hungry, no starvation worry. But the pup rarely left alone—would he be okay?
'Might even track me to school.'
Smart dog; very plausible.
General ate scraps since adoption. Human food, precisely the Son family diet. Wouldn't touch kibble. Funny guy.
Come to think, he ate acorns too.
Anyway, good that Yu-jin saw him as family.
In PE, Yu-jin swung on the swings. Jin-hyuk pushed so she wouldn't fall, happy she enjoyed it. He'd sat alone without a pusher; hoped she never felt lonely.
"Like school, Yu-jin?"
"Yeah! Hee hee hee."
"Come again tomorrow?"
"Yeah! Tomorrow, and tomorrow tomorrow too."
Parents back day after tomorrow, so yeah, until then. Yu-jin was sharp, factoring in their return.
They were about to eat lunch when homeroom teacher Kim Sun-sook took Jin-hyuk and Yu-jin to a snack bar. Bibimbap and kimbap on menu; Jin-hyuk ordered a cola.
The moment of truth: Son Yu-jin's first cola taste.
"Ooooh?"
One sip electrified her; eyes wide, frozen. Pupils shook more than facing a wild boar.
Sip one, sip two.
Son Yu-jin was in bliss.
Yeah, sneak colas away from parents' eyes. Kim Sun-sook nodded quietly.
'Lunch for dinner.'
Afternoon nap time for Yu-jin, but she stayed awake through breaks, watching the boys play, arms draped over the chair back. She looked more mature than the middle schoolers.
On the bus home, Jin-hyuk carried the dozing Yu-jin, exhausted.
Long day.
Lately, nonstop incidents made every day drag.
'Tired, so tired. Childcare's the hardest.'
Missing Mom, lips quivered.
Off the bus, General waited at the stop.
Choi Mi-kyeong's mom, Kim Sun-bok, praised loudly.
"Aigoo, General waited here all day."
"Really? Didn't eat?"
"Eat? That mutt scarfed our Hwang-gu's food too. What kinda stray steals Jindo chow? Bold as brass."
Chiding or compliment, she beamed.
Seeing General's bulging belly, Jin-hyuk felt mildly sorry.
Pup's patchy fur from tussles everywhere; no boredom for him.
Choi house's fierce Jindo male fled when General growled. Post-vacation mating fiasco, no eye contact. Maybe General had grit.
Now: chicken coop feed, General's water and food, bathe Yu-jin, dinner together—day done. Kimchi stew with Chuseok pancakes for mishmash.
"Oppa, homework."
One school day, and she remembered homework. Ignored picture books for class, it seemed. Jin-hyuk did it anyway; despite his page-turning speed, Yu-jin monitored flawlessly.
"Oppa, skipped here and here."
"Huh?"
Actual supervision? She nailed the bits he skipped on purpose. Impressive, but kid prodigies don't stay geniuses. Kids have great short focus, right?
'My sister's got basics.'
Even so, something off; he eyed her closely.
No Hangul or numbers yet, but reading? Suspicious. Speech improved post-school too.
'Talented girl.'
From General to Yu-jin, too many gifted in the house.
Homework done, Jin-hyuk closed the book and nodded to himself.
'I'm the most normal.'
Swallowing nonsense, he checked the calendar.
Slow days flew; reunion with parents neared.
Apart from longing, grim resolve rose.
'Lots to talk about with Dad.'