episode_0015

Once the decision was made, I put the kids in the car and headed straight to the movie theater.

A newly built multiplex. Although it was a weekday, the multiplex in Sindosi was quite bustling with couples on dates, families dining out or shopping together. Yarona now seemed completely accustomed to wearing masks as part of daily life, looking like she had fully recovered from the pandemic except for that.

I parked the car in the parking lot and took the elevator straight to the movie theater. Dayoung suggested we go shopping for clothes while we were here, but I said let’s decide after seeing what time the movie is.

Given Dayoung’s expression when suggesting buying clothes, it seemed like she was hinting at buying a swimsuit, especially for that vacation we talked about earlier, particularly for going to the pool.

I knew I had to buy a swimsuit anyway, but I wanted to postpone it as much as possible.

Anyway, when we entered the movie theater to buy tickets, we couldn’t see the ticket booth.

“Huh? Where’s the ticket booth…?”

Why weren’t they operating the ticket booth but had so many staff gathered at the snack corner?

Puzzled, I tilted my head, and Yarona grabbed my hand.

“Mom, are you silly? After Yarona exploded, it completely switched to automatic ticketing.”

“Oh? But they were operating the ticket booth before.”

“When was that?”

Let’s see, the last time we came to the movies was…

“Oh, it was 2 years ago.”

“That was around when Yarona started, so of course they had it then!”

“Is that so?”

It’s surprising how much daily routines can change due to a single epidemic. Well, it feels like the world has changed along with Yarona.

“Anyway, since Mom doesn’t know these things well, would Davin go get the tickets? Oh, and while you’re at it, get some popcorn and drinks.”

I took out my card from my wallet and handed it to Davin.

“I want squid legs!”

Yarona shouted as Davin went to get the tickets. Watching Davin’s back as he went to get the tickets, Yarona and I sat in the lobby.

Suddenly, Yarona got up from her seat.

“I’m going to the restroom. Mom, do you want to come too?”

Usually, women always go to the restroom together, but entering the women’s restroom in a public place still felt a bit uncomfortable.

“No, go by yourself. I’ll go later. I’m still a bit awkward. Hehe.”

Yarona frowned slightly, seeming dissatisfied with something, but then relaxed her expression, let out a deep sigh, and said,

“Well, nothing I can do. Okay, I’ll be back.”

Then she disappeared into the restroom, leaving me alone, tapping my feet.

“Hmm, still too revealing. It makes me look so fat…”

Before heading to the movie theater, I was about to come out wearing a sleeveless dress with just a cardigan on top, but Yarona stopped me.

“No, maybe it’s fine for the supermarket, but you can’t go to the movies like that!”

Saying that, she went into the master bedroom’s dressing room, rummaged through things, and picked out an outfit for me.

Short denim shorts commonly known as hot pants, a gray tank top, and a thin cardigan reaching down to the thighs. And even a crossbody handbag.

“Isn’t this too youthful for me? Hot pants… It feels like I’m trying too hard for my age…”

– Rumble

“A mesh dress is more youthful! You might even end up showing your underwear. You said you got soaked in the rain the other day and showed your underwear to everyone!”

Well, that did happen…

“And anyway, as long as you have a good figure, even women in their 40s wear hot pants these days.”

With that said, I couldn’t really argue back.

“S-So?”

Since I rarely win arguments with Dayoung anyway, I decided to change my clothes before time passed.

So now.

I waited for the children while bowing my head and looking at my bare feet endlessly shining.

– Thud thud.

As I was bowing deeply, I heard footsteps approaching from this direction and lifted my head with joy, saying,

“You’re here? The tickets…”

I naturally thought it was Davin who had come to buy tickets and snacks, but a man I had never seen before came up to me and stood there.

“…Who…?”

Seeing a young man in his early twenties smiling at me for some reason, I asked with a tilted head. Then he said,

“Oh, did you come to watch a movie with your siblings?”

“Pardon?”

I couldn’t catch on to his sudden words.

“Um, I’ve been watching you for a while now, and you seem to be my type… Could you maybe give me your number?”

What kind of situation is this again?

“Oh, well, that’s…”

“Don’t feel pressured. I’m not a weird person. Well, there’s no one who would call themselves weird, but… Anyway, I live in this neighborhood and I’m a college student in front of you. Oh, do you have a boyfriend? Well, you’re so pretty that it’s almost strange if you don’t…”

I hadn’t given any response yet, but I seemed quite nervous muttering to myself.

It must be a sign that I’m not used to this kind of behavior. If I were a woman and actually in my late twenties, I might have been attracted to him enough to consider him quite handsome. If Kim Tae-hyun prefers a handsome man these days, this young man was also handsomely masculine? That was the feeling he gave off.

But at 39 years old, I’m an ajusshi on the inside. Moreover, realistically, I’m a mom with two high school children. There’s no way this could work.

So I pondered how to politely decline without causing any misunderstandings.

“Oh, Mom. Who is this man?”

Dayoung, who was about to go to the bathroom, happened to return.

“Oh, uh? Um, that’s…”

“Mom?”

The young man seemed taken aback and stepped back as if shocked.

Well, thanks to that, I was able to reject him without making up any other excuses.

“Haha, sorry for this reason, but I can’t give you my number.”

“Oh, I see. I… I’m sorry. You looked so young… I thought you were my sibling.”

“Hehe, even so, she’s a high school student.”

As Dayoung sat next to me and put her arm around my shoulder, pulling me towards her, she said,

“Anyway, I apologize for the intrusion!”

The young man, bowing his head, quickly moved away as if fleeing. Watching his retreat, our lady burst into laughter almost involuntarily.

“Tsk, no. Did you lure another man in between? How much of a fox are you, Mom.”

When Dayoung said that with a mischievous expression, I protested as if feeling unjustly accused.

“What did I do? He came over himself, did I lure him?”

“Ugh, talking to you is exhausting, really.”

“Exhausting? What does that mean?”

“Ugh~ Fine. You can’t just lure anyone, you know. Exhausting. Fox! That’s what it means.”

A fox? Me?

Sigh… Since becoming a woman, I hear all sorts of nonsense.

“These days, when someone acts like a fox, whether they’re male or female, they’re called ‘exhausting.’ It’s a kind of internet slang.”

The terminology of the younger generation is quite challenging. I learn something new every day.

“Sis, please take this quickly.”

Davin, who had gone to get the tickets, suddenly returned. He held cola and popcorn in both hands.

“Hey, silly. Just leave it somewhere appropriate and call me, okay?”

Looking precarious carrying the popcorn and cola, Dayoung scolded Davin.

“You managed to bring them somehow.”

With a large-sized cola in one hand and a medium-sized cola in the other, holding popcorn in her arms, Da Bin stroked Du Vin’s head as she walked this far.

“You did well. Our son is indeed the most reliable.”

Da Bin blushed and bowed deeply.

Seeing Da Bin like that, Da Young said with an amused expression, “Hey, did Mom almost get a young man’s number just now?”

Da Bin was startled. “What, what?!”

“Heh, funny, right? No, I went to the bathroom, and there was a guy standing in front of Mom, holding out his phone. Clearly a number exchange scene. So when Mom looked uncomfortable and frowned, I quickly came over to help. You know, older sister has had experiences like this.”

Like Da Bin. Da Young, who was so pretty that she wouldn’t be swayed by appearances wherever she went, seemed to have had many such experiences. Somehow, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

“Phew, anyway. Mom is something else. At times like that, you should just say, ‘I’m married,’ or ‘I have kids.’ Or just act appropriately.”

And I made a bitter expression.

“Da Young, Mom is old….”

Da Young’s expression froze as it was. In response to Da Young’s reaction, Da Bin added quietly.

“Plus, there are kids on that face. If you say that, anyone would think it’s an excuse.”

Da Young nodded in understanding at those words.

“Yeah… come to think of it, our mom, Pong Pong Nam, is a single lady…. What a mix…. No, is she an ecological disruptor….”

Oh, do I have to live hearing such things from my children? Do I raise children for this? I feel self-loathing and agony….

Unconsciously, tears streamed down again.