episode_0057

Gentle waves, a peaceful atmosphere, the distant sea, and two hills boasting a grand presence in front of it… No, mountains. It’s a picturesque view.

“Mom, what are you doing right now?”

Dayoung asks me.

“Sigh… It’s nice.”

I am now letting go of all the strength in my body, floating on the water, feeling buoyancy supporting my body.

It’s been a while since I’ve relaxed like this, letting go of all the strength in my body.

Even though I don’t remember, I know it’s been so long that it feels like a distant memory.

“Ah, it’s comfortable.”

“Mom!”

Dayoung calls out to me loudly, making me turn around.

“Just, get up. I don’t want to talk about this either, but people are staring at us a lot.”

“It’s okay. I’ve decided to be free from other people’s gazes now.”

It’s fine now. My body is already exposed, so it doesn’t matter how much I’m seen. That’s what I thought.

“Um, Mom. Can we look over here?”

As Daybin holds up the phone screen towards me.

“Eek!”

I suddenly snap back to reality, quickly covering my chest and standing up with my feet on the ground.

Seeing my reflection on the screen, it couldn’t be helped.

It was quite embarrassing to see only my face and chest floating on the water. It was provocative enough to have to express it this way.

“It’s nice to have fun and relax, but you’d better do that on a sunbed. People really stare when your chest is just floating in the water.”

Looking around, I could sense many men glancing over here, and women looking at me disapprovingly.

“Sorry….”

Carefully, I got out of the water and lay down on the sunbed.

“Ugh. I thought today would pass quietly.”

“My body is acting up….”

How is it that just a little carelessness draws people’s attention, with only the chest floating in the water?

It’s all because Dayoung told me to choose this swimsuit.

Annoyed by Dayoung’s mocking gaze, I playfully hit her on the back of her head.

“Ack! Oh, seriously! Why did you do that?! Ouch, it hurts because you hit my bare skin! And your hands are big, so it hurts even more!”

“Hehe, you deserved to be hit a bit. Stop teasing me all the time.”

“What did I do?!”

Still, hitting that annoying one made me feel a bit better. Really, who does she resemble to be so mischievous….

Leaving Daybin and Dayoung to chatter, I took out my phone from the robe for a moment and realized that two hours had passed since I came in.

Time seemed to pass quickly than I thought. However, it was still very bright despite it being past 5 o’clock, probably because summer was in full swing. It would feel like sunset around 6 o’clock, so it seemed like I could continue having fun for a while longer.

“Mom, let’s go into the infinity pool.”

Seems like the sibling fight has ended. Despite swimming for an hour and a half, Dayoung, not seeming tired at all, pulled my arm as I lay down.

Well, it’s annoying, but seeing this kind of thing also helps me calm down.

“Ugh, fine… I get it, stop pulling me.”

I got up from the sunbed and headed towards the infinity pool following Dayoung’s lead.

As I dipped my feet in, the bubbling sensation felt more like a hot tub than a swimming pool. The water was warm, not like a regular swimming pool, more like a hot tub.

“Oh, this feels like a hot tub. Interesting.”

Dayoung casually dipped into the hot tub and walked towards the glass railing facing the sea, admiring the view.

“Wow~ Being able to see this view while soaking in a hot tub. Money sure is nice.”

“I’m the one paying for all that money, you know? If you say that, I might get a bit…?”

Of course, I am also on unpaid leave now, so my salary is lower than usual. Da-young is earning money through broadcasting, but considering the hotel accommodation expenses, this trip involved a significant expenditure. Did it amount to the monthly salary of an average young worker? From shopping for the trip to accommodation, transportation, food, etc., the expenses were no joke.

Usually, booking a pension and playing in a valley or by the seaside is on a different scale.

Moreover, tonight we decided to just enjoy a buffet at the hotel, so almost 30-40% of the expenses will be gone.

Truly a vacation special, the peak of an open wallet.

Yet, the background that allows me to spend generously stems from what I heard when I went to the hospital this time.

“I heard that support funds have been allocated for TS syndrome patients this time. Well, it’s a pity for the deceased, but someone who made an extreme choice was in the news. Consequently, there was public sympathy for TS syndrome patients, and the need for support measures for them was raised. Discussions were held in the National Assembly regarding this, and support including funding for mental health-related therapies, insurance reforms, etc., has been finalized. You may receive guidance on these matters in a few months.”

Originally, when TS syndrome patients were first discovered in Korea, public opinion wasn’t that favorable. People are naturally wary of unfamiliarity and resistant to change. Hence, especially for such an unprecedented disease in human history, caution was necessary.

Furthermore, it’s not a disease like Yarona that threatens the entire human race; it tends to affect only a minority, leading to indifference or wariness among people. Showing one of these attitudes was common.

Above all, based on what doctors say and looking at other cases of TS patients, one thing can be definitively known. The patient inevitably transforms into a handsome man or a beautiful woman. The reason is unknown, but jealousy-filled eyes were quite prevalent.

Fortunately, having obtained a pretty appearance, there are even those who openly express dissatisfaction with the support measures. Since the identity of the patient is protected, except for those around me, few know that I am a TS syndrome patient. Therefore, even if they express dissatisfaction, it is impossible to directly harm me, as it is only rumors circulating on the internet.

Of course, since I am on leave now, rumors about me probably aren’t spreading, but things might change once I return to work. Rumors tend to spread gradually. Considering this, changing jobs for the sake of personal safety makes sense, but hiding the fact that I have such a disease during the job transition is not possible. Besides, this industry isn’t that vast, so ultimately, we’ll meet again sooner or later.

So, it’s all in vain.

Anyway, word got out a bit, and it seems the amount coming out as support funds this time is quite substantial. At least it should cover the expenses incurred during this vacation.

In reality, as my body changed, I ended up spending quite a bit on clothes and various household items. Thinking about it, it seemed like a reasonable amount, but from the perspective of whether national support is needed for personal life events, it doesn’t seem so.

“Well, I did say I’d take a look at it.”

Before going on a trip, Dayoung said something like that. While calculating the accommodation and various expenses during the hotel reservation process, Dayoung, who saw it, exclaimed.

“Since I suggested a vacation, I’ll pay too.”

Although she scoffed at the idea of a high school freshman having money, Dayoung’s monthly broadcasting income recorded in her bank account made sense.

Wait, do people usually earn this much from broadcasting?

Even though it wasn’t at my salary level, it was considerably higher than the average salary of a typical office worker. Moreover, since Dayoung was a student with no expenses, the amount she had saved up was truly staggering.

However.

“Still, no. Family trips are the parents’ prerogative, and as you’re not an adult yet but a minor, paying for such a family trip is something your mom opposes.”

So, I ended up paying for everything. Being an adult and having lived a very diligent life so far, I had saved up a fair amount in my savings account, enough to easily handle this kind of expenditure.

“Mom, look over there, look.”

Suddenly, Dayoung tapped my shoulder and pointed to the middle of the sea. Following Dayoung’s finger, I saw a yacht.

Well, it’s a tourist spot. I didn’t think a boat floating in the sea would be that impressive.

“Shall we just go yachting tomorrow morning?”

Our daughter is really impulsive. She has so many things she wants to do.

“Why do you keep saying this and that all the time…”

“Oh, yachting sounds fun.”

Rarely, Davin expressed his opinion.

“Huh?”

But I was taken aback by the unexpected words that came out of my mouth.

“Oh, no. It’s nothing.”

Davin hastily waved his hand. But since it had already slipped out, I decided to let it go. If she wants to go somewhere after missing out on Mount Hwangryeong with her friends today, isn’t it a parent’s duty to listen?

“Fine, let’s just go yachting then?”

“No, I’m fine…”

“Oh, there’s a boat leaving at noon tomorrow, I’ll just make the reservation.”

And I made the reservation right away. Why is everything happening so fast?

“Hey, what about the money?”

“I’ll just pay for it. Mom, you spent a lot this time.”

“No, I’ll pay. Let me call the bank…”

“Payment complete! That settles it!”

After that, I kept asking for Dayoung’s account number, but since she stubbornly insisted on paying, I eventually gave up first.

“Sigh, do whatever you want. Fine.”

After letting out a deep sigh, I lay back and enjoyed a hot spring bath near the spa.

“Money sure is nice.”

Before I knew it, I found myself saying the same thing as Dayoung while looking at the horizon in front of me.

But somehow, I felt a sense of discomfort. Why are the people who have been sharing this wonderful view with me in this spa suddenly avoiding eye contact? What’s wrong?

-Bubble bubble bubble

The sound of bubbles rising in the water and disturbing the surface reaches my ears. The rippling surface, and in tune with it, the rhythmically vibrating chest.

Yes, the chest.

“Ouch, seriously!”

Once again, I cursed my cursed body while covering my chest. Of course, only internally.