Chapter 55

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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: A Trip During the First Frost
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55.

*Would you like to come over to my house for my birthday?*

Before long, Friday morning had arrived.

As he was taking a bath after his workout, Eun-seong suddenly thought of Han-byeol. He let out a quiet sigh.

A birthday. The child’s birthday.

For a child in the lower grades of elementary school, how special and precious a day must a birthday be? An age when turning one year older is nothing but a joy. A time when they would make invitations and spend days on end brimming with anticipation.

He knew well enough that it wasn’t just a simple invitation. He was grateful, yet conflicted, that the small, lovely child had wished for him to be there during the brightest and most joyful time of his life.

*Will I be there for your birthday next year? And the year after that?*

Like leaving a footprint in wet cement, the boy had already left an indelible mark on his heart.

*Would you like to come over to my house for my birthday?*

Things that hadn’t seemed particularly noteworthy when he thought of him as someone else’s child began to fill his mind. The child’s slightly peculiar way of speaking, inherited from the grandmother who raised him in place of a mother driven to earn a living, felt poignant and sad.

The child’s composure on the first day of shooting, not crying despite being terrified, and his patience, not complaining once during the long waiting times, were anything but ordinary.

He began to think that such things were not entirely part of his nature. Children who believe they have something to protect tend to become adults too soon, often rushing through childhood without ever fully enjoying it.

*Hoo.* His thoughts deepening, he splashed water on his face. Watching the drops fall from his chin, he began to feel an even greater sense of emptiness.

Then, he looked down at his own hands. He thought of the child's hand, how their thumbs were so alike, and slowly clenched and unclenched his fist.

The rich, woody scent of the hinoki cypress, used to give the bathtub a hot-spring feel, wafted to his nose. This time, he exhaled deeply and stared at his hands for a long time.

Then, as if he couldn’t make sense of anything, he let out a deep sigh and lifted his head. Now that he had developed an affection for Han-byeol, whom he had tried so hard not to care about, another question began to rise like steam.

Why did she and the child’s father break up?

He plunged his hand into the water as if to cut off the train of thought. Bending his knees, he slid down until his shoulders were submerged, and then finally, his face.

He held his breath for a long while before bursting back up to the surface. After exhaling all at once, he wiped his face with a towel and picked up his phone.

He called Yeon-joo, whose number he had already saved on speed dial. One ring, two, and after the sixth, he heard her voice.

─ Yes. It’s me.

The “This is Go Yeon-joo” greeting was gone, but her voice was still dry, devoid of any moisture. Hearing no rise or fall in her tone, Eun-seong rubbed his temple.

“What are you doing?”

─ I’m at home.

She only answered his questions dutifully, never asking anything first, which also left him feeling disappointed.

As time went on, only feelings of regret and disappointment seemed to pile up. There was nothing to be done about it. The one who loved more was always the weaker one.

─ Why did you call?

The question he had been waiting for finally came, but it only made him feel more dejected.

Unable to fabricate a reason quickly, Eun-seong closed his eyes and just rubbed his throbbing temple. *Well, how should I put this?*

“You don’t have anything scheduled for tomorrow, do you? It’s the weekend.”

─ Ah… tomorrow.

“Answer quickly. Don’t make up a lie.”

─ No. I don’t have anything scheduled for tomorrow.

At her meek confession that she had no plans, Eun-seong sat up a little straighter. Streams of water trickled down the lines of his well-defined muscles as he tilted his head to glance at the clock.

“Then let’s spend the day together.”

─ Excuse me? Doing what?

“I said, let’s spend the day together.”

She must have been very surprised, because this time, there was no response at all. Eun-seong, who had been anxiously chewing his lip, quickly added.

“Have you seen the autumn leaves this year?”

─ The autumn leaves? Yes.

“Ah. You have.”

*When could she have done that, being so busy?*

Eun-seong trailed off with a sigh. Then, Yeon-joo added an explanation.

─ I saw plenty of autumn leaves at the park in front of my house. That’s enough, isn’t it?

As soon as she finished, Eun-seong scoffed. How could she be satisfied with just that?

“Listen. The maple trees you see in a park are child’s play. If that’s all you’ve seen, then this is perfect. I’ll show you a sight you’ll never forget for the rest of your life, so come out.”

─ Why would we need two days to see some autumn leaves?

“Let’s talk about that after you’ve seen them. How about you get ready while we’re arguing like this so we can leave earlier?”

Eun-seong stepped out of the water. He could sense from her tone that she was slowly coming around, so this was no time to hesitate.

“I’ll come pick you up. Just pack a few things and come out.”

─ Excuse me, Baeunim.

Eun-seong paused, a towel halfway wrapped around his waist. He swallowed hard, thinking she was about to politely refuse again. If she said no, he had no choice but to back down.

“You can’t? If you can’t, well, we can try for next time…”

─ Should I make some tuna kimbap?

Eun-seong’s lips parted slightly. He blinked several times, then nodded his head rapidly like a madman.

“Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’d be grateful if you did.”

─ Then let me know when you’re about to leave.

Yeon-joo hung up first. Holding the silent phone, Eun-seong stared blankly at his reflection in the mirror.

*Heh.* He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a roar of joy before running to the dressing room. The odds of this happening felt like winning the lottery.

***

A Trip During Sanggang

After hanging up, Yeon-joo pressed the hand holding her phone to her chest. *Thump, thump.* Her heart was pounding so hard she had to catch her breath. She stood there with her mouth open, repeatedly steadying her breathing, before leaving her room and heading to the kitchen.

Sensing that her time with him was running out, she couldn’t abandon the desire to build any memories she could.

“Mom, do we have any kimbap ingredients left?”

“Ingredients? We have spinach, and everything else, right?”

Her family often made kimbap. It was because Han-byeol loved the tuna kind.

The boy had grown up without being a picky eater, but he had a small appetite. Whenever he skipped a meal, his grandmother had resorted to making him kimbap, and it had since become a habit.

It was around ten in the morning, while Han-byeol was at school. Yeon-joo cautiously eyed her mother, who was engrossed in a home shopping channel, and opened the refrigerator. Madam Na, changing the channel, asked idly.

“Making kimbap?”

“I’m going to make a few rolls.”

“We have white kimchi, too, so you can try adding that.”

“I’m just making a few tuna rolls. Do you want some, Mom?”

“I’m good. Want me to cook the egg garnish?”

“I’ll do it. I’ll make a few rolls to take with me, and if there’s any left over, I’ll make some for Han-byeol too.”

Madam Na, who had been listlessly flipping through channels, glanced at Yeon-joo. *Take with her?*

“Where are you going?”

“Ah, well, Mom.”

Yeon-joo hesitated after taking out a few eggs for the garnish. She could have just said something came up, but she had dallied and missed her chance.

“What’s wrong? Why can’t you say where you’re going?”

“Um… to see the autumn leaves…”

“See what? Autumn leaves?”

Madam Na looked skeptical even after hearing her. The idea of her daughter suddenly going to see autumn leaves was so absurd and baffling that she dug at her ear.

“What kind of sightseeing is so grand that you have to pack kimbap? Where are you going?”

“I don’t really know that either.”

“Who are you going with? Hae-yeong?”

“No, I’m not going with Eonni.”

The more they talked, the more lost she felt. Madam Na put down the remote and stared intently at her daughter. The way she mumbled without giving a single straight answer and couldn’t meet her eyes like someone with something to hide was highly suspicious.

“You said you were making the egg garnish. What are you just standing there for?”

“Oh, right.”

“Add a little cooking wine.”

“Okay.”

As if someone had replaced her batteries, Yeon-joo started moving again. Madam Na turned her gaze back to the TV with renewed disinterest. A boring ad for a funeral service company was on, but she forgot to even think about changing the channel as she mulled things over.

Then, she looked at Yeon-joo again.

“Hey. You must be getting old too. What’s all this about seeing autumn leaves?”

“I know, right?”

“When are you coming back?”

“Um… I think tomorrow…”

*Oh my.* This time, Madam Na’s mouth fell open. She looked again and again at the vixen standing there making egg garnish, wondering if she was truly her daughter.

She was going to see the autumn leaves for two days and one night. Yeon-joo, who had never left home without Han-byeol. The daughter who knew nothing of sleeping out, except for work.

It was so dumbfounding that she just watched her. Yeon-joo turned around, holding a wide spatula. It had belatedly occurred to her that she’d skipped a step.

“Uh, hey, Mom. Is it okay if I go?”

“Low heat, low heat. The egg is about to burn.”

Instead of answering, she told her to adjust the heat. Yeon-joo turned the gas down and looked back at her mother.

“Is it okay if I go? It’s fine, right?”

As Yeon-joo asked, cautiously watching her, Madam Na stared at her for a moment before waving her hand. Then, she started flipping channels randomly and spoke.

“Would I stop you if you said you were going on a trip around the world? Go on. While I’m at it, I might as well take Han-byeol to Jin-joo’s place.”

“Oh. Okay. Then I should tell Han-byeol too.”

“Don’t bother. It’s not like he’s a baby who clings to his mom. Just leave it. I’ll explain when he gets home.”

“Ah, well, okay.”

Permission granted, Yeon-joo raised her eyebrows and went back to cooking the egg garnish. Madam Na watched her daughter’s back out of the corner of her eye, pretending to be interested only in the TV.

Her daughter’s face was already flushed a deep crimson.

*What’s so special about autumn leaves?* That face was the very peak of the ripening autumn. Madam Na took a short breath and smiled faintly.

Yeon-joo quickly rolled the tuna kimbap. In the meantime, a message arrived from Eun-seong, saying he had left.

Around the time of Sanggang, the season of the first frost, which falls between Hanro, the Cold Dew, and Ipdong, the Start of Winter. A time when the dazzling autumn foliage, having reached its peak of splendor, was just beginning to fade.

The first picnic, the first trip away from her child, had begun.