What Happened on Lunar New Year's Day

Today, not long after the party ended, I realized that Lunar New Year's Day was coming soon. Would it be all right for me to just stay home...? Jiyeon unnie would probably go home, right? Since I was no longer able to meet my family, I supposed I would be staying home even during the holidays...

"What's on your mind, Jia?"

"Come to think of it, Lunar New Year's Day is coming soon."

"That's right. Jia, come with me too."

"Huh?"

We were going together? Where were we going on Lunar New Year's Day? What was she talking about?

"It's Lunar New Year's, and you'd be lonely staying home alone throughout the holiday, so come with me."

"You're meeting your family, Unnie. Is it really okay for me to tag along...?"

Unnie said that she had already met my parents at the party, and since I was practically family now, she thought it would be fine to introduce me to the rest of her family too. I kept worrying about it, but since I thought it would be difficult to stay home alone for the entire holiday, I decided to go with her for the time being.

"Hmm... Since it might be too soon to meet the rest of my family, let's just go to my parents' home together."

"All right. Are we going on Lunar New Year's Day?"

"My parents live in Gyeonggi Province, so we'll leave early in the morning because of the traffic."

Did Unnie even have a driver's license...? I had never heard about it, so I wasn't sure. Time passed, and when the Lunar New Year holiday began, Unnie left the house, saying she was going to see her other family. Since I still had a completely different legal identity, I thought it might be a little difficult to follow her around just yet.

"Have a safe trip, Unnie!"

"All right. I'll be back around evening, so don't worry too much."

"Okay."

After Unnie left, I was alone in the house. The only people I could contact at the moment were Jiyeon unnie and Mr. Minsu... Wouldn't Mr. Minsu be taking the holiday off too?

"Huh? A text?"

When I checked my phone, I saw that Mr. Minsu had contacted me. Because of the nature of his job, he never knew what might happen during the Lunar New Year holiday, so he had met his family before the holiday began. Even if it took a long time, his Lunar New Year would be over by the first day of the holiday.

[I'm going on standby starting today. If you're all right with it, Ms. Jia, would you like to have lunch together? I've already contacted Jiyeon.]

Hmm... It would be boring to endure being alone until dinner... I figured he wouldn't have contacted me if he had work, so I decided to call him.

"Hello? Mr. Minsu?"

[Yes, I'm listening. Is that you, Ms. Jia?]

"Yes, I was bored by myself, so I called."

[Traffic will be extremely bad and there will be a lot of people because it's Lunar New Year's, so should I pick something up near your home?]

"Not many places will be open during the holiday. Are you sure? It's a holiday, so shouldn't you be eating holiday food too, Mr. Minsu...?"

[I ate a huge amount while seeing my family through yesterday, so I'm fine. If anything, I'm craving a meal out.]

"All right. I'll look for a place that's open nearby."

I opened a delivery app and searched for places that were open. There were pizza places, hamburger restaurants, gimbap shops, cafés, and bakeries... Would pizza be best to eat with Mr. Minsu, since he had a big appetite?

"There are pizza, hamburger, and gimbap places open nearby, along with cafés and bakeries... I suppose we should choose from the first three, leaving out the cafés and bakeries, right?"

[Hmm... We could just order something like a rice bowl from a gimbap shop.]

"Give me a moment to look at the menu."

[Sure, take your time.]

What should we get? Should the two of us enjoy a pizza together? Pizza was... hard to digest without being very filling. Ordering two would be too much, though. What about hamburgers? Not a single hamburger brand made them these days the way they looked in their advertisements. They were all thrown together carelessly, so they didn't even fill you up. Then what about a gimbap shop? Gimbap and ramyeon would be nice, but ramyeon was something I could easily make at home, and gimbap itself had become so expensive that it was a rip-off. That left rice bowls or pork cutlets. They were decent substitutes when a pork-cutlet restaurant was closed, like today, but if that was the case, wouldn't buying frozen ones and putting them in the air fryer be far better?

We could also buy a bunch of bread and coffee from a café, but that was more suited to breakfast. In Korea, coffee had become something most people gulped down like water rather than savoring for its taste or aroma, making it difficult to drink purely for the flavor. It was mostly consumed as caffeine to chase away sleep when you were tired from working... It was disqualified as lunch. What about a bakery, then? Most bakeries open during the holiday were expensive, overpriced chains, which made them difficult to choose. If I was going to fill my stomach with bread in Seoul, which wasn't even Daejeon, I might as well take home 15,000-won naengmyeon and grill some samgyeopsal at home.

"How about one pizza and a hamburger combo? My stomach has gotten smaller, so I think a hamburger combo and one slice of pizza will be enough for me."

[Then I'll go buy the hamburger combo, so please order one pizza.]

"All right. Should I choose the pizza?"

[I'd like to try whatever Jia likes.]

"Okay."

Oh, there was a pickup discount. Maybe it was because the more deliveries a restaurant handled, the more it lost while customers only paid extra, so pickup discounts had been becoming more common lately. Or perhaps restaurants raised the prices first and only charged the normal price for pickup... There was a pizza brand near my house, so I decided to go there myself.

'It's just a quick outing, but since it's Lunar New Year's, I feel self-conscious dressing too casually...'

Would I look all right if I wore black stockings and a skirt, then casually threw on a sweater and a coat? Even in the mirror, I looked like an ordinarily dressed, pretty woman. Looking ordinary was important, so I put on shoes and went out. The slight heels made walking difficult, but I needed to get used to them.

"It's not far, so I'll buy some drinks on my way back."

I was a little excited to be going out alone for the first time in a while. However, there were quite a lot more people than I had expected despite it being a holiday, so it seemed like it would take a long time... Perhaps many people wanted pizza even on Lunar New Year's Day, and the fact that so many stores were closed probably contributed too.

"Yes, Mr. Minsu. It's me. I came to pick up the order, but there are quite a few people, so it may take a while."

[I guess it's busy here because of the holiday too. Let's both take it slow.]

"Okay. I'll call when I'm choosing the drinks later."

Since everyone had different preferences when it came to drinks, I thought it would be best to ask him before choosing one. Before I knew it, I had reached the front of the line, but the employee looked completely dazed, perhaps because they were so exhausted. They were looking at me, but... Had work been that hard?

"Excuse me."

"..."

"Excuse me!"

"Ah, yes, yes. I'm sorry. What would you like to order?"

"One large combination pizza, please."

"All right. Orders are backed up, so it may take some time. Please wait a little."

I could wait a while. If I had ordered delivery, it would have taken even longer, so picking it up myself was probably better.

*

Wow, this place was really freaking busy... It was a holiday, so why weren't people eating holiday food instead of coming out for pizza? There were a few delivery orders, but most of the customers were picking up their orders, perhaps because of the new pickup discount. There were way too many people. I was exhausted. I wanted to go home!!!

"Excuse me!"

Ah, I must have been spacing out. I hadn't noticed the last customer in line. But this customer was freaking beautiful... She was dressed in a casual, effortless style, but how could she look like that without even wearing makeup? Had she had a European ancestor? Her skin and her face were both unreal. She was practically using cheat codes.

"Orders are backed up, so it may take some time. Please wait a little."

I could hardly take my eyes off her, but she seemed to be contacting some man... Well, it would be difficult for someone with that face not to have a boyfriend. Men might line up just to approach her while she was walking down the street. Sigh... When would I ever get to date someone...?

"Customer number 170! Your large combination pizza is ready~"

"Thank you. Goodbye~"

"Goodbye~"

Wow... Was this why men thought as far as having children after receiving a single kind gesture? She was freaking gorgeous. Damn... I wanted to date a woman like that too. Sigh...

*

After ordering the pizza for pickup, I texted Mr. Minsu on my way to the convenience store.

[What kind of drink should I buy?]

[A zero-sugar carbonated drink would be good, with lime flavor.]

[Then I'll buy that and head straight home.]

I bought one 1.5-liter bottle of soda and returned home, and Mr. Minsu soon arrived with the hamburgers.

"Let's dig in~"

"Mmm, burgers taste great when you haven't had one in a while."

"I know, hehe... The fries are crispy too, and they're delicious dipped in the milkshake."

"Right? I tried it once before, and it was pretty good."

When I first heard about dipping fries in a shake, it had felt like a bit of a cultural shock, but when I actually tried it, it was extremely delicious. Chocolate shakes were a little too sweet, but a milkshake balanced out the saltiness nicely. It wasn't as good when the fries were cold or had been sitting out for a long time, though...

"My stomach has definitely gotten smaller. One hamburger combo and one slice of pizza have made me pretty full..."

"Is that so? Then I'll eat the rest of the pizza."

"What a shame. Before, I could have eaten four slices even after finishing a hamburger combo..."

Of course, eating a lot wasn't necessarily a good thing, so if I had to choose, things were better this way. I could be satisfied with less food, so I didn't consider it a loss. My food expenses had gone down too. Although I had started eating more sweet snacks, snacks made it difficult to eat a full meal, so I had cut down on my snacking as well. However, seeing Mr. Minsu in front of me eating so much made me laugh a little. He looked like someone who had gone to his grandmother's house and had every dish piled onto his plate.

"Whew, I'm getting full now."

"You must have been really hungry, Mr. Minsu."

"I drove from early morning to get home, and it was tiring, so I showered and went straight to sleep. I didn't eat breakfast, and now I feel alive again."

"You must have had a hard time driving such a long distance."

After finishing lunch, Mr. Minsu contacted Jiyeon unnie and said he would buy dessert later, then offered to stay with me until she arrived. Unnie seemed to be extremely worried about leaving me alone at home. After that, we ate the ice cream Mr. Minsu bought, and Unnie returned in the evening.

"Unnie~!"

At the sight of a face I was so happy to see, I ran over without thinking and threw my arms around her.

"Did you miss Unnie that much? It hasn't even been a day yet."

"Yes... You have no idea how much I missed you."

Why was I acting like this? Normally, I would have simply greeted her, and I hadn't even been that lonely because I had been with Mr. Minsu. Even so, for some reason, I had missed Unnie so much that I had hugged her.

"Then I'll be going now."

"Oh my, you're leaving already? Why don't you stay for dinner?"

"I overate so much through yesterday that I can't eat any more holiday food."

"It can't be helped, then. Thank you for looking after Jia. See you again later."

Mr. Minsu said goodbye to us and returned home. I ate some of the holiday food Unnie had brought, but had she told them that she was living with someone? There was far too much for me to eat alone.

"This is quite a lot..."

"Yes. I told them there was a child I couldn't bring along because of the situation, so they packed extra food."

"Ah, they're very considerate."

After eating my fill with the side dishes Unnie had brought, I asked her a question.

"Would it really be okay for me to go with you tomorrow...?"

"It'll just be my parents and siblings. Don't worry too much."

"I-I see..."

*

I woke up early the next morning, and Unnie did my light makeup before we set off in the car. Unnie's workplace was close to home, so she did not have many opportunities to drive, but she did have a license.

"Jia, aren't you hungry?"

"I'm not starving, but I think it would be good to eat a little."

We arrived at a highway rest stop and went into a restaurant for a light breakfast. Unnie chose sundubu-jjigae, while I decided on dolsot bibimbap. Unnie tried to buy me more food, but my stomach had gotten smaller, so I would probably be quite full after finishing the bibimbap alone.

"I was worried it would be expensive, but it's not bad."

"I was worried it would be a rip-off, but it's not bad..."

The sundubu-jjigae Unnie ordered was quite large, and although my dolsot bibimbap did not have any meat, it seemed to contain a lot of rice. The rice was covered with vegetables and gochujang. Gulp... Wouldn't I be full if I ate all of this by myself?

"Mmm~ It's pretty good. Try some of the broth, Jia."

"It really is. It's a little spicy for me, but delicious."

My tongue, which had once been able to handle extremely spicy ramyeon, seemed to have become weak to spice. The sundubu-jjigae wasn't all that spicy, yet I could feel the heat just because it was a little red...

"Mmm~ That was delicious."

"I'm full... There was more than I expected."

"I know, I'm full too. This rest stop serves more than I expected."

It really did. Rest stops were usually the epitome of overpriced food, but this one seemed determined to prove otherwise by serving generous portions. The prices weren't cheap, but at least the portions were large.

"Did you sleep well, Jia?"

"Huh...? Did I fall asleep...?"

"Yes. You were sleeping so soundly that I didn't wake you."

"I'm sorry, Unnie. You must be more tired from driving, but I was the only one who got to sleep..."

"It's okay. You're still growing and need plenty of sleep, and Unnie's sorry for making you leave so early."

After waking up, I soon arrived at Unnie's parents' house and became extremely nervous. It wasn't enormous, but it was a fairly large, three-story detached house...

"I'm home~ Mom~ I brought Jia too!"

"Ah, hello..."

As Unnie greeted them, her parents came out of the room, and I bowed my head awkwardly in greeting too.

"Oh my, you're here earlier than I expected. Did you eat breakfast?"

"Yes, we ate together at a highway rest stop. I'm pretty full."

"Then I'll make a light lunch. You must be tired from driving. Do you want to sleep?"

"I'll sleep for thirty minutes."

Unnie must have been tired too, so she should sleep. But if she went to bed, what would I do alone with her parents for thirty minutes...? What should I do? They had seen me sobbing at the party, so I felt even more embarrassed around them...

"Huh? Unnie's here?"

A girl came down from the second floor and said that when she saw Unnie. This must be Unnie's sister. She was probably older than me...? I was supposed to be a minor now, after all...

"Ah, hello..."

"Oh my, are you that Jia who came to the party?"

"Yes, I'm looking after her."

Joo-yeon seemed curious about me after hearing Jiyeon unnie's words, so she approached and examined me from every direction.

"Um, excuse me... Is there something on me?"

"No, I was just curious... Your skin is amazing. How do you take care of it?"

"Joo-yeon, introduce yourself first."

"Oh, right. I'm Park Joo-yeon, Jiyeon's younger sister."

"I see. My name is Han Jia. It's nice to meet you..."

After hearing Unnie introduce me, Joo-yeon nodded and hugged me.

"It must have been so hard that day. If I'd—or even if my brother had—been there, we would have protected you."

"There is someone named Mr. Minsu who protected me. I'm okay now..."

"I see. Sorry for bringing it up unnecessarily. Do you know how worried I was after hearing about that day? We'd never even met, but I was so worried..."

I bowed my head once more to thank her for worrying about me, then sat with everyone around the sofa on the first floor and was served tea. I had told them that coffee was difficult for me because my body reacted too strongly to caffeine, so Unnie's mother had thoughtfully served me tea instead.

"Your brother will be here soon too. I guess traffic is terrible."

"I know. I didn't get to see Junsu oppa last Chuseok. I have to see him today."

"Do you miss your older brother that much?"

"Ah, no! I just want to introduce my whole family to Jia."

After another thirty minutes passed, the doorbell rang, and a man about as tall as Mr. Minsu appeared.

"Oppa, you're here?

"Our oldest brother was the last to arrive, huh?"

Unnie greeted him normally, while Joo-yeon, the youngest, welcomed him somewhat playfully.

"Who is that girl? Did you adopt her?"

"She's Jia, whom I told you about."

"Really? Sorry for being rude on our first meeting. Jia, I'm sorry."

I suppose my appearance made me look extremely young, since he had spoken informally to me when we had just met... Unnie's brother was naturally much older than me, though...

"Even your name starts with the same initial as ours. It's like you're part of our family."

"Right? Since I'm her guardian, she's practically family."

"Really? If you're my sister's new little sister, I should treat you well."

Joo-yeon said that, then approached me with a mischievous grin. Wh-What was going on? Was she going to call me to her room and bully me, saying, 'I can't believe my sister brought home a new younger sister!'?

"Joo-yeon, don't tease her too much."

"Aww~ I'm not teasing her~"

"Look at Jia's face. You're scaring her by coming on so strongly."

"Oh my, sorry. I wasn't trying to scare you... Could you put on a little fashion show in my room?"

"...Yes?"

After Joo-yeon took me by the hand, I ended up in the house's dressing room, where she made me change into all sorts of clothes. Every time I put on a new outfit, I had to show the family downstairs how it looked, as though I were in a fashion show.

"Oh my~ This is cute too. I should buy it for you later~"

"Well, she's cuter than my younger siblings."

"Stand next to Jiyeon unnie. You two look so good together~"

Not only the three siblings but also their parents praised us from every direction, saying that we looked good together, and I was incredibly embarrassed... Before I knew it, it was lunchtime. We ate and chatted together, and I thought we would go home after dinner at the latest. However, Unnie's mother and Joo-yeon suggested that I stay the night. Since I had no particular plans the next day, and Unnie said, 'Today is the last day, and there isn't anyone I'll be meeting tomorrow...', I ended up staying the night.

"Jia, are you all right?"

"It's a little overwhelming, but I'm okay."

After showering, Unnie came out drying her hair and asked me to understand as I lay on the bed. She said that her younger sister liked me so much that she couldn't stop her. Before I could even process that thought, Joo-yeon opened the door and appeared.

"I want to stay with Jia too!"

Hmm... Was it really all right for me to be here? If the homeowner was okay with it, I thought it would be better for me to sleep alone, but...

"Jia, let's sleep together."

"Huh?"

"Do you want to come to my room? I have lots of fun stuff."

"Th-that..."

I looked at Jiyeon unnie, silently asking her to save me. However, she took my hand and led me to Joo-yeon's room. Of course, playing board games and doing other things was fun... but why did I have to sleep while being hugged by Joo-yeon...?

"Jiyeon unnie said she's been living with Jia this whole time! I want to sleep with Jia tonight too!"

"All right, all right. If that's what you want, go ahead. But we should ask Jia what she thinks, right?"

"Th-th... I..."

I was extremely flustered. On a day like this, I wanted to sleep alone, but since I was imposing on their household, it felt rude to say so... I had lived with Unnie for a long time, so sleeping with her would be more comfortable, but...

"Jia, I know this is difficult, but could you humor her just for today? Joo-yeon has always wanted a little sister."

"Okay..."

So I had to sleep in Joo-yeon's room, held in her arms. She kept touching my face here and there, saying that my cheeks were so soft and my skin so clear and white that she was jealous. I became tired and simply fell asleep.

*

"All right, Mom, Dad. I'll bring Jia again sometime."

"All right. Drive carefully."

"Goodbye, Jiyeon."

After her parents, Joo-yeon, and Junsu saw us off, Unnie and I got back into the car and headed home. I had slept soundly, so I didn't doze off in the car, but the traffic was quite bad, and I had to listen to music to keep myself awake. The drive home was quite enjoyable as Unnie and I talked about this and that.