Glamping - Day Four
The girl tightly holding her sister's hand continued to scan the inside of the building.
She had visited the souvenir shop a bit early and climbed to the observation deck to enjoy the surrounding scenery.
When night came, she watched her sister grilling meat in the outdoor kitchen together.
The meat was spinning around.
At the spot where the smoke was barely dissipating, it was tied to a chain, spinning.
The juices dripped onto the floor, and every time that happened, the cook sprayed beer on it.
“It smells delicious, right?”
“Yeah.”
Her sister swallowed her saliva while looking at the meat that was browning appetizingly.
It was a dish she couldn't even think of making at home.
The quantity alone was over 20 servings, and the two of them couldn't handle it, and more importantly, they couldn't light a bonfire at home.
“Glug.”
If I drink beer here, it would feel great.
Her sister muttered that while watching the dripping juices, and the girl was surprised and grabbed her sleeve.
Only then did her sister recall that she had to leave by car tomorrow and awkwardly smiled.
“Ahaha… I made a mistake coming for two nights three days.”
“…Yeah.”
If she had come alone, she might have driven drunk.
No, since she couldn't do that, she must have called a proxy here.
I have to fix this.
Her sister fiddled with the can of cola and suggested going back to the tent while holding the girl's hand.
And they walked through the glamping site, hearing the sound of insects that couldn't be heard in the city.
Every time she took a step, the sound of gravel crunching softly echoed.
…Again, the sound of animals from far away.
The bleating of sheep, the barking of dogs.
Every time the girl heard that sound, her shoulders twitched, and she stared blankly at the distant place.
“Are you okay?”
“…Yeah, just…”
The girl smiled at her sister's worried eyes and went back to the tent.
Her sister thought that the girl was going to find the carrier in the middle door.
The carrier was the girl's support.
But the girl walked past the carrier and threw herself onto the bed.
And she stared blankly at the inside of the open fireplace.
She was looking at it even though the fire wasn't lit, and even when her sister added wood saying it was cold, she just stared blankly.
She looked somewhere dazed.
It was a sudden change.
Without any warning, it felt like it just changed like that.
No, if I look closely, there was no warning.
Because the girl had been struggling and in pain several times on the way here.
So, it could happen anytime.
The feeling of it being sudden is because the girl was smiling at her earlier.
The problem was that she was so captivated by the bright smile that she forgot the girl was in pain.
Her sister thought that and got up at the sound of knocking on the middle door.
“Enjoy your meal.”
“Thank you.”
Her sister sat at the table holding a plate full of nicely grilled meat.
The girl saw that and staggered up, reflexively pulling out a tissue.
And seeing the clean wooden table, she realized belatedly and smiled awkwardly.
“It wasn't home, right.”
“Yeah, that's right.”
Her sister stared at the girl's face.
The girl had a face that seemed slightly asleep.
She must be tired from riding in the car for so long?
No, that's not it.
If it was that, her eyelids would have to go down more.
Her sister, who could distinguish fatigue like a ghost while rolling around in the black company, thought that.
And she thought the girl was trying to stop her thoughts.
To stop thinking, she was pretending to be sleepy that doesn't come.
Her sister looked at the girl who was quietly sitting with a fork in hand.
She was putting meat in her mouth with a fork, but it felt like she was just pretending to eat.
She kept sipping the cola but hardly drank it.
…She was just moving out of habit.
“Are you sleeping?”
“Don't eat dinner today, just sleep? Us.”
It's not good to skip meals.
Of course, there's no illness where skipping once makes your condition immediately worse, but it was definitely not good.
But for the girl right now, that “not good” was necessary.
Rather, it would be better to sleep now and when she wakes up tomorrow with an empty stomach, while complaining, eat something.
The plate was a waste, but reheating it would be fine.
No, when the girl finishes her trip, she can come back later.
Her sister thought that and put down the fork, and the girl was surprised and opened her eyes wide.
“Sis, that's…”
“Shh. You're tired.”
But her sister didn't react to the girl's response this time and laid her down on the bed.
Turned off the light, covered with a blanket, and hugged the girl tightly.
“…”
The girl was so surprised by her sister's actions that she slowly leaned into the warmth.
The blanket a bit thicker than at home, soft clothes, and the fireplace emitting heat with a crackling sound…
Wrapped in all that, she felt her body melting.
“Sis.”
“Yeah?”
“Good night.”
I have to eat.
Take medicine, shower, then sleep.
The thought didn't stop, but the girl slowly started closing her eyes one by one.
And the girl who put down the things she had to do fell asleep as is.
Because saying “good night” was so embarrassing, she turned her back with her body curled like a shrimp.
Her sister fiddled with the girl's hand and sighed at that sight.
Will it be okay tomorrow?
How can she endure while seeing the animals?
…Is it going to have a seizure again?
It seemed like it was okay earlier, but I can't believe Rin either.
Her sister let out a self-deprecating laugh at that thought and closed her eyes.
And the next morning, the two ate cold meat.
The conversation didn't come out at all.
Was it tension?
The girl in her own way, Haru in her own way.
They were so tense that they couldn't say anything?
Anyway, the two ate breakfast quietly as if they had fought, and moved their feet to the ranch.
It was time for the dogs to start herding sheep.
“Welcome Leo!”
The ranch owner with a cheap microphone hung at his waist said that, and at the same time, the dogs jumped out.
Four dogs moved in unison and herded the sheep to one place, and people admired the sight.
But the girl stared with a blank expression.
No, it wasn't blank.
The girl's eyes were shaking as if they were about to burst.
“…”
What was she thinking about?
Her sister stared quietly at the girl clenching her fists.
“Hu.”
The girl was laughing.
She twisted the corners of her mouth and laughed while watching the dogs who were earnestly herding the sheep.
“They're working hard.”
The words didn't come out choppy, but it was trembling slightly.
Her sister reflexively turned her head at the girl's voice.
“Working hard, yeah, they're working hard.”
The girl was repeating the same words.
She said just “working hard” while watching the dogs running at a speed impossible to follow with the eyes.
“…Do you know?”
Then, when the herding dog went back and the ranch owner encouraged applause, she said something else.
“I did that too.”
“…”
“If I do that, I thought Dad and Mom would fight less.”
When she was given dog snacks and distributed them, she received them and fiddled with them.
“Elementary school kids know nothing. Just, I thought it would be better if they don't fight.”
Even if she said she knew everything, what kids that age think is just that.
The girl continued speaking while saying that.
“Hyung also hated me just because he was a kid. You know.”
“…”
“Hyung was also elementary and middle school, and he thought I stole the love of my parents. And… when I was hated like that, when parents started fighting, he thought I was the cause. You know. You know, yeah, you know.”
The girl said the same words several times, and when the ranch owner said to throw the snacks, instead of throwing them, she dropped them on the floor like throwing them away.
And watching the dogs run over to eat the snacks, she twisted the corners of her mouth even more.
…That smile was eerie.
It was a smile of someone forcing their muscles to smile, a fake smile.
“So, I thought if I try hard, it would be okay.”
“…So?”
“When I was little, I thought if I work hard, Dad and Mom wouldn't fight. In middle and high school, I thought if I work hard, even if it can't go back to the way it was, they wouldn't hate me. So I worked hard like this.”
“…”
“But, what came back was this.”
The girl who threw away the remaining snacks between her fingers bowed to the surprised ranch owner and apologized, then looked at her sister.
“This kind of thing.”
And then, looking at the dogs with their heads down, she smiled silently and said that this was what she got.