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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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I needed to talk to Eun-ji and confirm with Blue that the trip wasn’t happening, so I asked Kirk if I could pick her up again today, and he readily agreed, assuming it was about the trip. I headed to Eun-ji’s kindergarten.
On the way, I thought about the trip. It had been a long time since I’d traveled anywhere. Aside from a company retreat a few years ago, a two-day, one-night trip, I hadn’t done anything remotely resembling leisure since arriving on Earth.
Back in space, every day had been a journey, and I’d longed for a settled life. Now, after 20 years in one place, I felt the urge to travel again.
Unfortunately, Eun-ji’s proposed trip was likely to fall through, so I had to postpone my travel plans. But even if I wanted to go somewhere, I didn’t have anyone to travel with.
Then it hit me. I’d momentarily forgotten I had a girlfriend. If I asked Yu-bin… I didn’t know if she enjoyed traveling, but I could at least ask.
I imagined what we could do together on a trip, and before I knew it, I arrived at the kindergarten. It wasn’t dismissal time yet, so I stood there under my umbrella in the rain, waiting for Eun-ji.
The monsoon season was supposed to last until next week. Would Yu-bin be okay with traveling during the rainy season? Kirk must have mentioned it, but Eun-ji, eager to spend time with Ho-yeong, had probably insisted on going anyway.
“She’s funny.”
Eun-ji was an amusing child. While she was my friend’s daughter, perhaps because she’d spent time with me at Kirk’s place, she had some similarities to me. I thought it would be nice to have a daughter like her someday.
“No, no.”
Then I shook my head. Raising an energetic child was supposed to be several times more difficult than raising an average child. While Eun-ji was apparently a special case, Kirk had bragged that his parenting experience had been incredibly easy thanks to her.
It was a bit annoying, as a friend, to hear him boast about how easy it was to raise such a bright child.
I listened to the rain and waited for the children to come out. The parents arrived, and the children went home with them.
Eun-ji, knowing Kirk wasn’t coming today, would probably walk out alone.
And as expected, Eun-ji walked out alone, then spotted me at the front gate and her face lit up.
“Uncle?!”
I raised my hand in greeting.
“Hey there.”
“Why are you here today? Where’s Dad?”
“Didn’t you ask your dad about the trip yesterday?”
Eun-ji nodded, understanding.
“Are we going on a trip?”
“You asked him because you want to go with Ho-yeong, didn’t you?”
I responded to her question with a question, and she didn’t look surprised, as if expecting me to know.
“Yes. Can we go?”
“I have to ask Ho-yeong’s aunt. I don’t know if his parents will agree.”
Despite the uncertainty, Eun-ji seemed hopeful, my presence itself a source of encouragement.
If the trip fell through, I’d probably see Eun-ji’s rare downcast expression, but that was Kirk’s problem; I just had to confirm it wasn’t happening.
Honestly, I wanted to go. It had been a while since I’d been anywhere, and I needed a break. But I didn’t think Blue would agree.
Or rather, it wasn’t about her agreeing; she was a single parent, practically, and probably couldn’t afford to leave the children.
“Where’s Ho-yeong?”
“He’s waiting inside for his aunt.”
I’d forgotten about Ho-yeong while talking to Eun-ji, and I didn’t see Blue around. Was she late again? Even with someone at the kindergarten, taking care of two children alone had to be hectic.
While I understood the reason for her likely delay, I wasn’t sure if the young Ho-yeong did.
“Go get Ho-yeong. Let’s play for a bit.”
“Is that okay?”
“Of course.”
Seeing Eun-ji run back inside, excited to spend another day with her boyfriend, reminded me of Yu-bin.
I’d been busy lately and hadn’t been able to take her on a proper date. We should go on a trip after the monsoon season ended.
Eun-ji came back, holding Ho-yeong’s hand, her face beaming. Her umbrella was slightly tilted, and her shoulder was getting wet, but she didn’t seem to care.
“Where should we go?”
I took them to a nearby indoor playground. It had safe play equipment, perfect for young children, and as expected, they were having a blast. Ho-yeong had a phone.
When I asked, “Can you call your aunt and tell her we’re here?”, he called her without any problems, and I sat there, watching them play, waiting for Blue.
Blue arrived, slightly out of breath, and our eyes met.
“I’m so sorry. For making you wait.”
I waved my hand dismissively and offered her a drink.
“Have a seat and rest for a bit.”
She caught her breath and sat down next to me, and we watched Eun-ji and Ho-yeong play in comfortable silence. I had a question to ask, but I wasn’t sure how to bring it up, and Blue didn’t seem to have anything to say.
“This is the first time I’ve seen Ho-yeong so energetic.”
As I was thinking about how to start the conversation, her sudden comment made me look at Ho-yeong, who was playing with Eun-ji.
“I don’t know him very well, but he seems like a quiet child. I wouldn’t have expected him to be so active.”
“Yes, he’s much quieter than his brothers. He’s never run around or yelled like this at home.”
Ho-yeong seemed to be a special case, just like Eun-ji. His calmer personality must have made things slightly easier for Blue, considering the challenge of raising three boys.
“Eun-ji has always been very active. She’s kept me on my toes.”
With the children playing, our conversation naturally shifted to them. Was this why parents always talked about their children when they met?
Of course, real parents would be too busy sharing anecdotes about their own children.
“She always looked for me, not her father, whenever she wanted to play.”
“Eun-ji must be very fond of you.”
“I guess so. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t have any real uncles.”
Kirk, having come from another planet, had no family on Earth, and Kirk’s wife was an only child, so Eun-ji didn’t have any relatives.
Perhaps because of that, Eun-ji always excitedly asked me to play with her whenever I visited Kirk’s place. I wasn’t particularly fond of children, but I didn’t dislike them either, so I always obliged.
“She said she wants to go on a trip, and she wants to go with me, not her father.”
“Oh, is next week kindergarten summer break?”
Was she already dreading the two weeks of childcare with all three children home? Her eyes held a hint of worry.
“Speaking of which, do you enjoy traveling?”
“Huh?”
While I’d thought about how to phrase the question, it still sounded suspicious, so I explained myself.
“Eun-ji wants to go on a trip, and it seems like she really wants to go with Ho-yeong. She’s insistent on going, even though it’s the monsoon season. I don’t mind going as a chaperone, but Ho-yeong also needs a guardian, and I thought you might not be comfortable sending him with just me.”
I’d made a mess of my explanation. It sounded like I was using the children as an excuse to ask her out, but Blue just smiled, seemingly believing me.
“Calm down. Let me see. Next week is…”
She seemed to be calculating the dates in her head. Seeing her frown slightly, I figured the trip wasn’t happening. It was as I’d expected, but I felt bad for Eun-ji.
“Yes, next week should be fine.”
“Really? I thought it would be difficult… wait, what?”
Her unexpected answer, after all the finger-counting and head-shaking, made me stare at her blankly.
“It should be fine. My brother and sister-in-law are coming back this weekend.”
…I’d been completely mistaken.
I’d assumed her brother and sister-in-law had passed away, leaving her to raise the children alone, but I was wrong. They were apparently just away, perhaps working abroad.
If they were coming back, that would lighten Blue’s childcare burden, making the trip feasible.
“Uh… are you sure?”
While it was a trip with the children, she’d be going with a man she barely knew. Were there still unspoken rules on Earth that I wasn’t aware of?
“Yes, Ho-yeong seems bored at home, too.”
It seemed she was prioritizing the children’s happiness over her own concerns about traveling with a stranger.
Then I had to act like a proper chaperone, too, and since the trip was actually happening, I needed to make plans.
“But how should we decide on the date and location?”
“We can decide on the date, and Eun-ji’s father will handle the location. He’s a good earner, so you don’t have to worry about the expenses.”
She’d anticipated my concern about the cost of the trip, knowing she didn’t earn much as a Hunter Killer. Kirk had said he’d take care of the travel and accommodation arrangements, so I didn’t have to worry about that.
“Then…”
Blue started calculating again.
“Monday or Tuesday works for me, but I’ll talk to Ho-yeong and let you know.”
“Okay.”
She took out her phone and handed it to me. She needed my number to contact me, and I also wanted her number to discuss the trip details, so I entered my number into her phone.
“They said it’s going to rain until next week, so we probably won’t be able to do much outside. Are you okay with that?”
“Yes, Ho-yeong having fun is more important. I think he’ll be happy just being with Eun-ji.”
Eun-ji and Ho-yeong were beaming as they went down the slide, their joy infectious.
Seeing children laugh so innocently always brought a smile to my face. Perhaps it was because it reminded me of my own carefree childhood.
“Since it’s my first trip in a while, I should make them lots of delicious food.”
She’d mentioned wanting to become a chef. Was she already excited about cooking on the trip? Blue was smiling as brightly as the two children.
Seeing her happy expression made me feel happy, too, and I smiled back.
“Uncle and unni seem to be getting along.”
Eun-ji and Ho-yeong, sensing the change in atmosphere, stopped playing and hid, observing A and Blue.
“My aunt is really nice.”
“My uncle is really nice, too.”
The two young lovers exchanged glances and started making plans for their trip.
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