“Kana, Canaria.”
“…”
“Do you know what’s bad about living separately from your parents?”
“…”
Tap, tap.
“Kana, Canaria.”
“…”
“Do you know what’s bad about living separately from your parents?”
“…Sigh.”
I let out a sigh and lowered my phone.
Da-eun was staring at with an overly cheerful expression.
“Aren’t you tired of this?”
She’s asked the exact sa question four tis now.
Word for word.
“Well, if you had answered, I wouldn’t have to ask four tis!”
“Maybe it’s ti to give up.”
“Giving up doesn’t exist in my dictionary! And if it did, it’d only be when counting cabbage!”
“What kind of concept is that?”
“A brave leader concept. How is it? Does it suit ?”
“It’s silly.”
“…That can’t be!”
Crash!
A lightning bolt struck Da-eun on the head.
“I thought it was perfect…”
“Stop talking nonsense. So what is it you want to say?”
I already knew it would be sothing useless, but ignoring her would only make her keep pestering .
So I crossed my arms, ready to listen.
“Ahem… Well, you see, it’s that you don’t get to see your parents’ faces often.”
“Wow. Really? Did you know, Da-eun?”
Since she’d just told sothing so amazing, I thought it was only right to repay her.
“When you eat, you feel full. And when you sleep, you don’t feel tired anymore. Amazing, right?”
When I responded indifferently, Da-eun shouted.
“Hey, I’m being serious!”
“What I said is true too.”
“…I’m not joking!”
Then began Da-eun’s monologue about how you only realize soone’s absence after they’re gone, how it feels oddly empty to live away from parents after a lifeti with them, and how even if they live close, you don’t get to see them much because of work. �
Listening quietly, I spoke up as she was finishing.
“…Isn’t that just an excuse?”
“Gah!”
She’d gone on and on, but wasn’t that the gist of it?
“If you really don’t have ti, you could spare a bit and visit. You waste more ti just loafing around. If you used that ti to visit, you could have gone ten more tis.”
“…I’m hurt, Kana…”
“Use that hurt to go pay them a visit instead.”
Hack!
Da-eun mimicked spitting blood.
Then, with a sullen look, she muttered,
“Canaria’s gotten so prickly… Preferring her phone over conversation—it must be her rebellious phase. Soon, she’ll complain if her clothes get washed together with mine, slam doors, and demand an allowance instead of advice…”
“Seriously, what are you talking about?”
“More importantly, Kana, do you know what’s good about living separately from your parents?”
“…What is it?”
“Not having to see their faces so often!”
“….”
Looks like Da-eun really does have a fire elent. Burning bright, she could probably get through winter without a heater.
“When you live together, you inevitably start to get on each other’s nerves. The little things build up, and sotis that strains feelings.”
Living apart ans you don’t have reasons to fight, and it makes you appreciate each other more.
…Or so Da-eun said.
“So, what’s the point?”
“…Mom cos over way too often!”
With that, Da-eun practically shouted, as if she’d been waiting for the mont.
“I an, I’m happy to see her! Really, I am…! But she cos over so often! And every ti she brings more nagging along with her!”
“….”
“And now, the fridge is so full of side dishes that I don’t have room for anything else! I can’t even keep my beer cold anymore….”
“So… you went through all this trouble to say that?”
From ignoring my silence, to the stirring, grand speech—it was all just to build up to this one statent? I was honestly stunned.
“If it bothers you so much, why don’t you just tell her to stop coming?”
“…That’s not easy. If it was just about , I’d tell her to stop, but she says she’s worried about you. How can I turn that down?”
“…?”
So that’s how it is?
“That’s right! Otherwise, my mom would’ve already stopped coming over. So, how about it…? Could you talk to her for ?”
“Talk to her about what?”
“Just say sothing like, ‘I’m fine, so you don’t have to co by so often~.’”
“Hmm….”
The decision was quick.
“Nope.”
“…Why not?!”
“Because it’s fun, obviously.”
Da-eun collapsed, looking like she was in shock.
She probably never even dread that I would refuse.
But really, I don’t have any reason to say anything. Unlike Da-eun, I don’t mind her mom’s visits. Plus, every ti she cos, I get to watch her smack Da-eun on the back with gusto—it’s the highlight of my day.
“No… If this goes on, my and Kana’s cozy ho will be overrun…!”
Beep beep beep.
The sound of the front door unlocking ca just in ti.
A now-familiar voice called out.
“Auntie’s here~! How’ve you been?”
“Good.”
“…So it’s ‘Auntie’s here’ now instead of ‘Mom’s here’?”
“Who would enjoy being welcod by a daughter who doesn’t even greet her?”
“Well, Kana doesn’t greet you either!”
“Aww, so jealous of a kid? Very mature of you!”
“Ugh…!”
As usual, today’s mother-daughter exchange ended with Da-eun’s defeat.
Even as the defeated party, Da-eun kept pouting and tried one last desperate plea.
“Why do you co over so often?”
“Really? Who was the one who kept bawling, saying I should co whenever I wanted?”
“…That was then!”
“Da-eun, were you crying?”
“Oh, that’s right! Kana, co here! You wouldn’t believe how Da-eun acted the first ti she moved out on her own—”
“Ahhhh! Not listening!!”
“…Did this girl eat a train whistle for breakfast?”
Da-eun’s anguished cry to protect her dignity filled the house.
She kept shrieking until Auntie covered her ears, grimacing, and only then did Da-eun finally quiet down.
When Auntie took her hands away from her ears, she leaned over and whispered to .
“If you’re curious, I’ll tell you later.”
“Sure.”
Pat pat.
She gave a light pat on the head and headed into the kitchen. Lately, she’d been doing this every ti she visited.
Watching her, I started counting silently.
It should be any mont now.
One… two…
Threeeeee—
“Oh my, look at this!”
“…Huh?”
“Isn’t three a bit too long?”
“Not at all.”
My timing was perfect, down to the second.
anwhile, in the kitchen, Auntie’s voice filled with disapproval reached us, despite Da-eun’s attempts to badmouth .
“You still haven’t eaten the japchae I brought last ti, or the stir-fried fish cakes before that. But you did finish the beef jangjorim… So, Da-eun, did you order delivery food again?!”
“No, co on! How could I possibly finish it all?”
“Sure, sure.”
This ti, I couldn’t help but agree with Da-eun.
Auntie’s cooking was pretty good, and finishing most of the side dishes wasn’t hard—except for the vegetables.
But with the leftover side dishes piling up, and now another wave coming in, it was no wonder our fridge was always full.
Da-eun, now defensive, lifted her shirt slightly and pointed to her belly.
“I eat so much that I’m getting a belly! And Kana—”
Whip.
“….”
“…?”
Da-eun turned to , but for so reason, didn’t say anything else.
As I tilted my head, she looked at with a puzzled, almost astonished expression, eyeing up and down.
“…Why haven’t you gained weight?”
Squish squish.
Her hand suddenly slipped under my shirt and prodded at my belly.
“…What are you doing?”
“It’s still soft…”
Completely baffled, I couldn’t even think of a coback.
Da-eun just stroked her chin with a very serious look.
“I an, I eat balanced als, but Kana’s been eating only stuff that makes you gain weight. So why isn’t she gaining any?”
“Do you think you’re the sa as soone Kana’s age? At that age, whatever they eat turns into height, not weight.”
“…Ugh.”
“Kids her age grow noticeably even if you don’t see them for a while.”
Pfft!
Da-eun trembled, trying to hold back her laughter, as I glared at her.
Though she didn’t laugh out loud, she might as well have been openly laughing.
“…Why are you laughing?”
Auntie, noticing Da-eun’s barely contained laughter, narrowed her eyes.
“You’re not teasing Kana about her height, are you? Just wait. Right now, you might be taller than Kana, but she’ll shoot up in no ti and be much taller than you.”
“Pfft! Hahaha!”
“…Having fun, are we?”
“Ahem! Well, Kana’s still growing, so that’s… quite possible.”
Da-eun, who couldn’t hold back her laughter, sank under my cold stare.
Sigh…
Da-eun knew the story behind Grasid’s Contract. She wasn’t sure if it still applied to her now that she’d crossed dinsions, but living in this body was likely inevitable. However, Auntie didn’t know this backstory, so it wasn’t like she was intentionally teasing .
…Still, I couldn’t deny it left feeling a little down.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.”
Pat pat.
“Take your hand off .”
“Oh, right.”
If I didn’t, she might get scratched. Da-eun withdrew her hand with an annoying smirk, her voice as relaxed as could be.
‘I’m so done with this…’
Maybe Da-eun was right. She’d said that living together inevitably leads to monts of tension. Looking back, even the things I’d brushed off did seem to make so sense in their own way.
‘…No. That’s not it.’
I shook my head. Sense, my foot. The attack I just took was so strong it must have thrown off.
“Oh, right! How could I forget?”
Auntie clapped her hands.
“I almost forgot to tell you. Hey, how about you and Da-eun co over to Auntie’s place soti soon?”
“…Huh?”
Out of nowhere?
As I blinked at the sudden suggestion, she offered an explanation.
“Your uncle… Da-eun’s dad, suggested bringing you over.”
“What? Dad did?”
“Yeah. I ntioned that Da-eun’s living with soone, and he thought it’d be a good idea to have a al together and et you.”
“Oh, I see.”
If my daughter were living with soone unknown, I’d probably be curious, too. Auntie added that if it made uncomfortable, I didn’t have to co.
“Sure, I’ll go.”
I nodded casually. No doubt my own dad would’ve reacted the sa way.
—
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