Chapter 64: Let's Go on a Trip (5)

After finishing the refreshing watermelon, Choryeon and I were busy cleaning up the trash from cooking.

"It's nice when eating, but cleaning up is a hassle."

"That's right!"

Choryeon was putting trash into bags beside me. She was very focused on perfect recycling. It seemed the environmental demon had stuck to her.

"This is recyclable! This is general waste! This is food waste!"

Heave-ho—

Choryeon was sorting trash very diligently for environmental protection.

"Father, is this recyclable or general waste?"

"That's plastic, so it's recyclable."

"Ah, I was confused! I'll put it in recycling right away!"

She asked me when unsure, showing her sincere dedication to recycling.

I found Choryeon's behavior admirable.

"It seems only Choryeon helps me after all."

"Of course, Father! I'm the best, right?"

Sparkle, sparkle—

Choryeon looked at me with expectant eyes.

'...This is too much pressure.'

Does she want praise?

Unable to resist Choryeon's gaze, I reluctantly answered.

"Yes, Choryeon. You're the best."

"Really? Yay! I'm so happy!"

Hop, hop—

Choryeon jumped with joy. Her delight at the praise was cute.

'Praise makes even dragons dance, I guess.'

After cleaning up all the trash, I finished cleaning with Choryeon and headed back to the beach.

"They're still playing with the orca. But isn't Hwaryeon bullying the orca too much?"

"Y-Yes, it seems so! Father! Animal abuse! That's not allowed, right?"

Animal abuser Lee Hwaryeon. Hwaryeon was confidently shouting on top of the orca.

"Let's go! Lamborghini, was it? We're racing across the sea!"

-Kyuu...

"What are you doing! Start moving!"

-Kyuuu...

The orca was crying, overwhelmed by Hwaryeon's energy. I immediately approached and sternly said to Hwaryeon.

"Hwaryeon, don't bully it. It looks tired."

"Hmph, I didn't bully it at all! I'm wrongly accused!"

Hwaryeon pouted, claiming innocence. So, I asked the intelligent orca directly.

"Did Hwaryeon really not bully you?"

-Kyu, kyuu...

"It's okay. I'm her dad. You can tell me."

-Kyuu...

The orca made a wronged ultrasonic sound and dipped its face in the sea.

It might be crying, I thought.

'Being among strong-willed dragons, it's understandable.'

Poor orca.

I patted the pitiful orca. The orca shook, crying at my comfort.

At this, Hwaryeon shouted loudly.

"I really didn't bully it! This is unfair! I didn't do anything!"

"Sigh, if you didn't do anything, why is it crying? It's scared, so treat it kindly."

"Hmph, this is ridiculous!"

Hwaryeon shouted, seemingly finding it absurd. Still, hearing my words, she treated the orca a bit more gently. Then, the orca regained its spirit and moved with Hwaryeon on its back.

"It moves well when treated kindly. Hwaryeon seems to be having fun too."

Suryeon, who was beside me, responded to my words.

"The Lamborghini seemed quite scared of Hwaryeon. But it's moving now that she's being gentle."

"Hmm, are dragons that scary? I don't really get it."

"You don't seem to know, Dad. I'll tell you."

Whisper, whisper—

Suryeon explained the orca's history in my ear. In summary, once an orca recklessly provoked a dragon, resulting in half their clan being purged.

"Since then, orcas are said to fear dragons. This one's an exception because it's curious like me."

"Fear ingrained in DNA. I see."

I was wondering why it was so scared earlier. It wasn't dragon fear, but a cruel history. I looked at Hwaryeon playing happily with the orca.

"Wow! Faster! Go faster! You can do it!"

-Kyuu!

On the surface, it looks like they're having fun together. But looking deeper, you can see the historical victim-perpetrator power structure.

'Though I doubt they're thinking about that.'

I felt the history Suryeon told me wasn't something the kids needed to know. It was something that happened long ago, and between those two.

Just because history says so, there's no reason for the children's pure desire to play to be tainted. After all, the two of them are writing a new history now.

"They're playing well together now."

Jumping, diving, spinning in the air. The orca was having fun roaming the sea with Hwaryeon. Suryeon watched quietly and muttered.

"I met that friend first. Hwaryeon took it away."

"That's how it turned out. It's okay, Suryeon. It'll come back after playing a bit."

"When it comes back, it won't be the Lamborghini I knew anymore."

Stretch—

Suryeon reached out her hand to me and said.

"So Dad, play with me. I want to play with you now."

So she wanted to play with me. Cute kid.

I took Suryeon's hand and said.

"What should we play?"

"Let's just swim in the sea. That's fun enough."

"Swimming is good."

I decided to swim in the sea as Suryeon suggested. Just then, Choryeon approached me with a tube, saying.

"Father, let me play too! I like swimming too!"

"That's right. It would be nice if Choryeon joined us."

Suryeon slightly furrowed her brow, but I held Choryeon's hand, who can't swim, and swam in the sea.

I didn't need to hold Suryeon's hand since she's good at swimming. Choryeon smiled brightly as she swam with us.

"Hehe, I'm still far behind Father and Suryeon... but I think I've improved a lot, Father!"

Suryeon clicked her tongue at this sight and said.

"...I don't like it."

There seems to be some subtle tension between the two.

While swimming, I looked up at the sky.

The sun was setting gradually, dyeing the sea red.

'It's almost time.'

Regrettably, the end of our trip was approaching.

***

Everyone got out of the sea. We were slowly preparing to go home.

'It's strange.'

Usually, they move unnecessarily fast. Today, they're slow in preparing to go home.

I called out to the children while carrying the grill.

"Kids! We need to go home! Quickly change out of your swimsuits!"

"...Okay."

"...Alright."

"...Yes."

Their responses were full of regret. Well, the sea is fun for kids to play in.

"Still, we all need to go home."

"..."

"Answer me."

"Yes..."

The children answered weakly and started changing clothes. I threw all the things we brought into the trunk and looked at the sea.

"It's turned red, Hwaryeon."

"What?!"

"You said you wanted to see a red sea, right? Look there. It's red, just as you said."

Hwaryeon turned to look at the red sea, the sea created by the red sunset. Hwaryeon took in the sight and asked regretfully.

"Dad, I want to come here again! I like it here!"

"Let's come again when we have the chance. Your friend is waiting over there too."

The orca jumped in the red sea, greeting us.

If we come to the sea again someday, we might meet again.

Hwaryeon waved her hand big towards the orca and said.

"See you later, Lamborghini!"

And Suryeon, who was behind me, slightly waved her hand and said.

"I'll see you if I can. Take care."

Choryeon also greeted with a bright smile.

"See you later! Let's meet again next time, Mr. Orca! Let's pick up trash together next time!"

Choryeon seemed to intend to normalize even sea trash. So, before it got too late, we got in the car and left the sea.

"Today was fun. We ate delicious food. Made a friend too."

I drove the car on the road away from the sunset. The children, seemingly regretful, looked out the windows, taking in the sea.

'They're all stuck to the windows.'

The children gazing out the window, taking in the sunset sea.

As if seeing us off, the orca jumped in the sea under the sunset, seeing us off until the end. Seeing this, I asked Suryeon.

"Suryeon."

"Yes, Dad."

"The outside world isn't trash, right? It's okay, isn't it?"

Suryeon answered with her head fixed towards the outside.

"...I like it. As you said, Dad, the outside world wasn't trash."

"Right?"

"Objectively, I think the outside world is beautiful. Though humans, except for Dad, still seem like trash."

Her hatred for humans seems to persist. However, Suryeon continued.

"Going out is okay, I think. New places seem interesting."

"...That's good then."

Suryeon seemed to have overcome her fear of going out. It looked like she had developed a perception that the outside is okay through new places.

"If I go with Dad, I don't think I'll be scared."

"..."

There was one condition attached, but I think this much is okay.

'I'm tired. We should get home quickly.'

The kids seem tired too, not just me.

On the way home, before I knew it, everyone had fallen asleep.

"They were playing energetically earlier. Now they're all out cold."

Smirk—

I smiled, looking at the sleeping kids, and gripped the steering wheel firmly.

Even if the children were asleep and even if the children couldn't see, Dad had to keep moving.

Still, I didn't feel tired at all.

"Everyone played well today. Good job, kids."

Rather, I was just full of thoughts about how glad I was that they enjoyed themselves.

Our first family trip ended with me alone driving on the dark road.