episode_0071

-Dreureureureug

The car crosses the unpaved road. The sound of gravel being crushed by the tires reaches the inside of the car, waking up Sang-gi, who was sleeping in the back seat.

“Huam. Have we arrived?”

“Yeah, we’re almost there. Wake up and get ready.”

Fortunately, Dayoung and Sooyeon had been playing with the kids, diverting Sang-gi’s attention, allowing him to sleep well and wake up feeling refreshed.

Soon, they parked in front of the house and everyone got out of the car.

“Hey! Wow, we finally arrived!”

Dayoung got out of the car and stretched, saying, “Hmm, it smells like the countryside. It’s been a long time since last holiday.”

Dabin looked around with an affectionate expression. I also got out of the car, did some stretching, and then went to the trunk with Dabin to take out the cooler box.

“Hyung, leave it. I’ll do it.”

“It’s okay. Take care of the kids. Your parents must be eager to see them. Let’s go in first and show them quickly.”

Saying that, Dabin carried the cooler box and went into the house.

“Mom! Dad! I’m here!”

-Woof! Woof! Woof!

As he entered the yard, he called out to his parents in a loud voice, but the first one to respond was none other than a white Jindo dog.

“Deokgu, it’s been a while!”

Instead of me, Dayoung, who followed behind, hugged the dog and kissed its face.

-Woof!

Deokgu wagged its tail happily, as if recognizing Dayoung.

“Eek! It tickles! Hahaha!”

“Mangmangi!”

Before we knew it, Jinwoo, who had been holding Dayoung’s hand, also ran towards Deokgu, hugged it, and rubbed his face against its fur.

-Creak!

Soon, the door of the house opened, and an elderly woman rushed out.

“Oh, have my babies come!”

As soon as she opened the door, Mom ran towards us, hugging Dayoung and Jinwoo, who were holding Deokgu, and showered them with kisses.

“Kkyareureu! Grandma, it tickles!”

Jinwoo tried to avoid the onslaught of kisses, but he didn’t seem to dislike it entirely.

“Grandma!! Have you been well?”

Dayoung also let go of Deokgu and hugged her mom warmly, greeting her.

“Mother-in-law, have you been well? It’s been a while.”

“Is Grandma happier to see her grandson and son-in-law than her own children?”

When Sooyeon approached her mother looking upset, her mother naturally nodded and said,

“Well, big children aren’t that great. A son-in-law who sends money regularly is much better than a daughter who doesn’t keep in touch.”

Hmm, I agree about the money.

“Oh, our son… I mean, our eldest daughter! Why did you bring so many things like this?”

Just so you know, I also send her an allowance every month. Well, it’s only natural as a son.

“Tsk, I’m always the one being nagged at.”

“Oh, you! You have children too, so start acting more decent now! How long are you going to behave like a child?”

“When I come to this house, I feel like a child too. Hehe.”

With that, Sooyeon smiled and hugged her mother. Even though her mother spoke like that, Sooyeon couldn’t help but think of herself as a terrible person. Being the youngest child, that’s just how it is. Moreover, being the youngest with a significant age gap from the eldest makes it even more so.

“Oh, when will this girl ever grow up?”

Despite scolding, the mother faced Sooyeon with a fully bloomed smile.

“Has everyone arrived? Stop standing outside and come in quickly.”

An elderly man came out of the front door. Our father, who turned 68 this year. He was the figurehead of our household, filled with the marks of the years he had lived. Now, he is like a role model for me.

“Father, are you doing well?”

“Oh, yes, yes. I am. Did Dohyun come? Are you feeling alright?”

The man from Gyeongsang Province was known to be somewhat stubborn and patriarchal, but it seemed that he had softened a bit after turning 60. Especially after I changed like this… No, even before that, I couldn’t help but think that there might be some kind of concern for me, considering how well he treated me since the divorce.

“Yes, I’m feeling great. I just came back from the hospital, and all my test results came back normal.”

“Ahem, well, that’s good. Anyway, come on in. Your mom prepared a lot of food for you guys, so come in and eat quickly.”

With that, he picked up the icebox I had momentarily placed on the ground and headed into the house.

“Your dad is something else. If he’s happy to see you, he should just say so, but he’s still weak in that area.”

“Who cares. He’s dad-like and that’s nice.”

With Su-yeon’s words, our group entered the house.

As we entered the house, a feast of various food smells greeted us.

“Mmm, the smell of braised short ribs!”

“Hehe, right? Grandma said she put in some extra effort because you guys were coming.”

Taking off our shoes and entering the living room, we were met with two tables full of food. Braised short ribs, soybean paste stew, lettuce wraps, green onion pancakes, cockle salad, and more – it was a spread fit for a king.

Moreover, the steam rising from the food indicated that it had just been laid out in time for our arrival. No wonder we had been getting calls every 30 minutes.

“Wow! Why did you prepare so much food?”

Su-yeon exclaimed as she looked at the spread on the dining table.

“Wow, Grandma. If we eat all this, we’ll burst!”

In a somewhat primitive scene, even Dabin was amazed.

“You’ll eat it all eventually. Put down your bags, wash your hands, and come eat.”

With that, Mom went into the kitchen to start serving the food.

I opened the door to what used to be my room. It had been almost 17 years since I moved out, and seeing that not much had changed, I felt strangely at ease.

“Mom really… just asked for some interior design.”

Although I said it with a hint of displeasure, knowing that I had a place to come back to always gave me a sense of comfort.

“Mom, are you going to change clothes?”

Dayoung asked me.

Since I had to spend the night here anyway, it would be better to change into comfortable clothes.

“No, I have a class reunion tonight, so I have to go out.”

“Oh, right. Wasn’t it at 7 p.m.?”

“Yeah. Ugh, I’m already worried. Meeting old hometown friends in this state.”

In terms of years, it had been over 20 years since high school. Although we called it a class reunion for convenience, these were friends I had grown up with in this rural neighborhood, so it was more like childhood friends. How would they react if I suddenly showed up one day and said, “I’ve become a woman”?

“Oh, they’re your close friends. They’ll accept you just fine.”

Some of them had met Dabin and Dayoung before, so they were good guys, but since it was labeled as a class reunion, there were also guys I wasn’t close with coming. I just hoped everything would go smoothly.

Well, I can’t show my worries in front of the kids. As a parent, I have to maintain my dignity.

“Well, Mom will take care of it, so you guys change into comfortable clothes. I’ll be leaving first.”

With that, I went out to the living room. Mom happened to be carrying a tray full of rice bowls, so I quickly intercepted her and started setting the table.

“Mom can do this kind of thing.”

“It’s okay. I’ve been preparing meals for you guys at home anyway. I’m used to it.”

“Oh, right. You’re on leave? Is the kimchi to your liking? I did call to check if you received it well, but I’m not sure if the kids like it.”

My mother asked, her concern evident, and I replied with a smile.

“Well, Mom, the kids actually prefer it. Oh, by the way, I brought some marinated bulgogi and oyster kimchi in the cooler. Mom, you liked the oyster kimchi I made, right?”

“A man cooking… well, it suits you now.”

Initially, my mother wasn’t too pleased when I mentioned working in the food industry. It was probably due to the influence of my grandmother, who was from Gyeongsang Province and had old-fashioned views, disapproving of men cooking.

“Right? You’re getting quite good at cooking for the kids now.”

Well, I used to cook quite often anyway.

“Yes, regardless, we need to take care of the kids’ meals. And you need to take care of yourself too.”

Upon hearing that, I suddenly realized that I might not be able to eat all the food laid out there.

“Um… Mom, I think I need to eat separately.”

When I mentioned that I was currently working out and would soon be taking a body profile photo shoot, my mom protested.

“Ah, why are you doing that! You earn money well. Just pay for a personal trainer or something. Got it?”

That’s just something my mom doesn’t understand. One personal training session costs 50,000 won. Three times a week. That’s 60,000 won a month. And since both Nayoung and I do it together, we get a discount, paying 50,000 won each. So, in a month, Nayoung and I spend 100,000 won on personal training. Model fee? We don’t need to charge separately. The contract guarantees 300,000 won for three months. So, I have a duty to perform well in this modeling job.

“Geez! Why is it so expensive?”

“Mom, nowadays, personal trainers are professionals too.”

“Okay, then. Just eat salad. Saving 300,000 won is a big deal, but well, it’s fine.”

Money is often the justification for most things. Especially for our mom.

Feeling bitter, I went to the kitchen. I had brought some convenient salad packs and chicken breast for my diet.

I opened the cooler in the corner of the kitchen, but it was empty.

“I organized everything. The salad packs are in the fridge.”

I opened the fridge and took out the salad packs and chicken breast.

“But you said you’re going to a class reunion tonight. Are you going to drink?”

“Alcohol… um… what should I do.”

Truth be told, I enjoy drinking as much as I enjoy food. After working for 15 years, I’ve had my fair share of drinking.

And, I don’t know, but last week, when I had my first beer, I felt that my liver had become incredibly pure, different from how it used to be when I was in my 40s.

As I pondered this, my mom called me softly and said, “Doyeon, no, Doyeon. Remember, it’s 300,000 won.”

The moment I heard those words, my desire for alcohol suddenly cooled.