A Day of Giving
Jungwoo had fried plenty of tempura before, but he'd never once made fried chicken.
Regardless of difficulty, the truth about cooking was that preparation often took far more time than the actual cooking itself.
Fried chicken was no different. It wasn't as simple as just dropping it in the oil and calling it done.
You had to season it properly, and then fry it at just the right temperature in the right kind of oil.
I'm so grateful everyone enjoyed it.
The irregular but constant crunching sounds filled the entire restaurant.
After a few initial exclamations of delight, everyone ate in silence, completely focused on the chicken.
Just watching them was enough to make Jungwoo feel full.
It felt different from when he cooked to sell food.
Back then, seeing people enjoy his dishes gave him the sense that they'd received fair value for their money. But now, it felt more like the times he cooked for Seia.
Beyond the category of cooking itself, he simply loved knowing that the things he offered brought happiness to others.
"Thank you for the meal."
"It was delicious."
"We'll come again next time."
With the guests' farewells, Seia's birthday party drew to a close.
Gifts filled one corner of the restaurant, but Seia showed no interest in them.
Not while people were still there.
"Today was really, really fun. Thank you so much."
Seia clasped both hands neatly at her belly button and bowed deeply as she said her goodbyes. It was a final gesture that caught the departing guests one more time, and soon everyone was smiling at her.
"That's right, sweetheart. Happy birthday. Stay healthy, okay?"
"I'll definitely come again."
As everyone truly began to leave, Seia called out to them one last time.
"Grandpa, Grandma. Big sis."
The sunset had faded, and streetlights now illuminated the area. Because the restaurant was surrounded by larger buildings, its atmosphere when viewed from outside felt uniquely charming.
Under the soft yellowish glow, Seia sparkled even more brightly, catching both the streetlight and the gradually rising moonlight.
"When is your birthday?"
The simple question of when someone's birthday was.
It was the kind of question that came up naturally and freely in everyday life.
So why did it feel so special when Seia asked it?
Those innocent, pure eyes.
Because she was young, the honest emotions visible in her gaze were something rarely encountered.
"Mine's in the summer."
"Mine was just recently."
"I'm in spring."
At their answers, Seia busily worked her little brain.
Birthdays scattered across various seasons like spring, summer, and autumn. Her determination to remember exactly who had their birthday in which season was clear to see.
Now it was truly time to part.
A warm wave goodbye for Seia.
A heartfelt thank you for Jungwoo.
Even after all the goodbyes were finished and everyone had started on their separate ways, two shadows—one large, one small—remained in front of the restaurant, refusing to disappear.
They were the backs of people walking away, yet somehow it felt as if they had grown closer.
"Daddy."
"Yes?"
"Grandpa's birthday is in autumn and summer. Big sis is in spring!"
"Haha. You remembered all of them?"
Now that she'd received birthday wishes, did she think she should give them to others too?
She'd been so happy receiving presents earlier, yet now she wouldn't even look at them.
It meant she felt the people who gave the gifts were far more precious than the gifts themselves.
The people who had been walking away from the restaurant suddenly turned back, as if they'd planned it all along.
The time when darkness slowly settled in.
The soft yellow light spilling from the restaurant gave off a warm, comforting feeling. Jungwoo stood with his back to that light, gently stroking Seia's hair.
And Seia, eyes closed with a smile as if savoring his touch.
In truth, there was an emotion he'd forgotten for a very long time.
The feeling that giving brought more happiness than receiving.
It was an emotion that remained as a memory from so long ago he couldn't even recall when.
If he hadn't experienced it himself, it probably wouldn't have remained even as a memory.
Even with their backs to that soft light, Seia and Jungwoo didn't lose their own glow.
It was almost as if the light behind them was actually coming from them.
If Seia was the kind of person who found more happiness in giving, then Jungwoo was the kind of person who showed what that looked like.
Everyone felt the same thing, which was why no one could take their eyes off the restaurant.
Jungwoo, who had been stroking Seia's hair.
Seia, who had been happily enjoying his touch.
Soon their eyes met those of the people still watching the restaurant.
Jungwoo bowed his head once more in thanks for the day, while Seia waved both hands with a bright smile.
As if enchanted, they all waved back in unison and finally moved their reluctant feet.
They had simply turned away from the gaze that had been fixed on the restaurant.
The only thing that changed was whether they could see the restaurant or not, yet the feelings that came over them in that moment were completely different.
"...How strange."
Someone's voice sounded, but who said it didn't matter.
Strange.
There was no better word to describe it.
A strange restaurant.
Strange people.
It was the perfect expression.
Jungwoo and Seia weren't all that different.
It wasn't that they'd never received others' kindness before, but this was the first time they'd received so much in such a short time.
"Alright, let's head inside too. It's getting chilly."
"Daddy."
"Yes?"
"On your birthday, let's all play together like this too!"
"Hehe. Shall we? Will Seia play with me too?"
"Hehe. Then you have to be the one who's it, Daddy."
"Okay. Let's do that."
For the record, Jungwoo's birthday was still a long way off.
Since he'd been born in midsummer.
What kind of games would they play by then?
Jungwoo found himself thinking again about games Seia would enjoy.
There were things like jacks, so maybe he could teach her when the chance came.
The special day was coming to an end.
The cool breeze slipping through the open restaurant door seemed to drive that fact home even more.
Fewer than ten people had visited the restaurant, but all ten of the chickens they'd prepared were completely gone.
The building owner's performance had been particularly impressive. Seia had called him Great-Grandpa, and he'd easily polished off two whole chickens by himself.
Jungwoo thought he'd heard the man muttering something about "the carbs in the batter and the fat from frying..." but after trying one piece, he'd devoured them as if inhaling.
About seven chickens had been eaten in the restaurant, while the remaining three were packed up to go.
Oh, and the pickled radish they'd made together had received very high praise too.
The chicken had been so well-made that the radish had almost been overshadowed, but everyone seemed to love its crunchy texture and sweet-and-sour flavor.
For Seia, today would surely be an unforgettable day, but the same was true for Jungwoo.
Seia's birthdays had always been happy, but there had never been anyone to share that happiness with.
The saying that joy doubles when shared.
He'd understood it in his head, but had never experienced it himself. Today, it seemed he'd finally done so.
"It feels good."
As he took one last deep breath of the cool, fresh air outside the restaurant, Seia stood beside him and did the same.
"Haaa. It feels gooood~"
Their eyes met at the same time, and they smiled at the same time.
Thus, the father and daughter closed the door that had been open and returned inside the restaurant.
It wasn't yet time to close for the day, but it felt as if the entire day had already come to an end.
Ding-a-ling.
Just then, the sound announcing a customer's arrival rang out.
"Welcome."
Jungwoo, who had just sat down, stood up again immediately.
When he checked on the customer who'd come to the restaurant, it was a somewhat familiar young woman.
"Ah, hello."
"Hello. Are you by yourself today?"
"Yes. Um, by any chance..."
"The arcade, right?"
"Ah, yes! That's right! You remember!"
The tension in her eyes eased a little.
And at Jungwoo's words, Seia spoke up as if she'd remembered too.
"Ahh, it's the pretty big sis!"
"Hup..."
To think she'd remembered her as the pretty big sister.
Choi Su-yeon's expression was exactly like Seia's when she'd first tried Jungwoo's chicken earlier.
"Are you here for a meal?"
"Ah, no. It's just... um, I was walking by and thought I saw a familiar face..."
Her hesitant, shy answer made Jungwoo let out a small chuckle.
Because the student's gaze wasn't on him as he spoke, but fixed entirely on Seia.
"Did school just let out?"
"Yes. I left during self-study..."
Since self-study sessions had become mostly optional lately, saying she'd left during it probably meant she'd signed up at the beginning of the semester but left midway through.
"Haha. I see."
She didn't have to be that honest about it.
"Have you eaten?"
"Not yet. I was going to eat when I got home."
The high school Choi Su-yeon attended wasn't far from here.
It happened to be on her way home.
Her house was at that ambiguous distance—too far to comfortably walk, but a bit too close to bother taking the bus.
When she'd checked the bus schedule while waiting, it said the last one had just left and the next wouldn't come for another fifteen minutes.
So she'd decided to walk.
Down the main street, then into an alley.
Through the alley, then back to the main street.
In the street where darkness had begun to settle, the moment she emerged from the alley, she'd come face to face with Seona's Restaurant.
"Huh?"
The familiar-looking sign.
And the people visible through the restaurant's windows.
She'd stood outside watching.
When she sat on a nearby chair and observed quietly, she realized today was none other than Seia's birthday.
The birthday of the child she'd wanted to see again.
She'd looked for something she could do for her, but there was nothing she could prepare on the spot.
In the meantime, everyone inside the restaurant had left, leaving only Seia and Jungwoo.
And so, as if in a trance, she'd found herself heading into the restaurant.
"If you haven't eaten, why don't you have something before you go?"
"Huh? What?"
"Did you see the signboard out front?"
"Ah, yes. It said it was Seia's birthday..."
"That's right! Today is Seia's birthday. Hehe."
"Since today is a happy day, it's also a day for giving. Please have a seat. I'll bring something out right away."
"I-It's okay, really..."
"Big sis! Everything Daddy makes is delicious!"
With Seia's enthusiastic appeal and perfect escort, Choi Su-yeon found herself sitting at a window seat before she knew it.
And Seia sat across from her, beaming with a bright smile as she gazed at Choi Su-yeon.
Normally she wouldn't have done this, but today wasn't a normal day.
"Big sis!"
"Y-yes?"
"Did you come to celebrate Seia's birthday too?"
"O-of course. Happy birthday, Seia."
She hadn't even prepared a gift, but Seia looked purely happy.
If you were to personify a puppy, wouldn't it feel like this?
I want to pet her...
Watching her rest both arms on the table and prop up her adorable face, the urge to stroke her head was almost impossible to resist.
Her hand felt like it might move on its own at any moment.
She was reaching her limit when, just in time, the savory aroma arrived along with the chicken.
Without expecting anything in return.