Chapter 63
We arrived in Yangpyeong.
When we went to the address Elder Kim Seok-chun had given us, a two-story country house awaited us.
Although it was called a vacation home, it was a much more substantial house than I had expected.
"It doesn't look like a simple vacation home..."
"My father owns a house a little larger than this, too."
"Huh? Really?"
"Yes. A vacation home this size isn't particularly large."
Huh. Is this what rich people are like?
When I first heard it was a vacation home, I had imagined a small house of maybe twenty pyeong...
"You've arrived!"
When we reached the area, Elder Kim Seok-chun came strolling out leisurely in a straw hat.
Judging by all the dirt on various parts of his body, he seemed to have been working.
"Good grief, old man. What happened to you?"
"These days, people call me Chairman or Sir, but back in the day, there wasn't a job I hadn't done."
"Good heavens."
"Come over here."
We parked the car and followed Elder Kim Seok-chun around back.
There was a wide open lot behind the house.
Two workers and an excavator were there.
"I'm fixing up this area to build a small swimming pool."
"A swimming pool?"
"That's right."
"Did you get a permit?"
"What do you take me for? Of course I did."
Smiling broadly, he spoke leisurely and pointed to one side.
Construction materials were already piled up there.
"Come visit again when the pool is finished."
"It's impressive, but... why are you building a swimming pool?"
"My great-nephew was making a huge fuss about wanting to go to a swimming pool. But my nephews are so busy that it seemed difficult, so I figured I should do this much for him."
His great-nephew.
Kim Hui-gyeong's grandson.
It was that mixed-race little boy, wasn't it?
"Since his own grandmother wouldn't even pretend to listen, he started sweet-talking me."
"Oh-ho."
"My granddaughter used to sweet-talk me just as much when she was little... but now that she's grown up, she doesn't do that anymore."
So the kid asked him to build it.
Well, it was his money, so who was I to say anything?
I decided to let it go.
"Construction is construction, and having fun is having fun. You can still play in the stream where you played last time, so don't worry too much."
"What about you, then?"
"I have to keep working. Did you think I'd be playing in the stream with you at my age?"
Looking bewildered, he shook his head.
"Well, if you really want to play with someone, go play with our Sucheon for a while."
"Sucheon?"
"My great-nephew."
Kim Hui-gyeong's grandson.
The blond little boy we'd seen last time.
It was just when Elder Kim Seok-chun was giving us a brief explanation.
A bright cry rang out from far away.
"Graaandpa~!!!"
"Oh! My little rascal is here!"
Grinning, Elder Kim Seok-chun walked over.
A blond, mixed-race little boy wearing a blue backpack, shorts, and a tank top came running toward us.
"Grandpa! I'm hungry!"
"What is your grandma doing, not even feeding you?"
"Grandma is playing go-stop with the other grandmas."
"Tsk. That sharp-tongued woman is only thinking about dumping her grandchild on her older brother, isn't she?"
Even as he said that, Elder Kim Seok-chun looked as though he was delighted by how cute his grandson was.
Well, the little boy was cute.
"Huh? Who's this big brother?"
"Didn't we meet last time?"
"Uh... oh! That's right! We did! I'm Kim Sucheon!"
"I'm Kang Noah. This is Han Yuna."
"Ooooh...!!"
The blond little boy tilted his head, his eyes sparkling.
"But why did you come here?"
"We came to play."
"Wow! To play! Then I'll tell you where to play!! There's a stream behind my grandma's house! If you go above the stream, there's a Dorongi tree where you can play Dorongi, and if you go toward the school, you can ask Grandpa Toban to let you ride the trampoline, and then you can bounce around..."
Sucheon chattered enthusiastically, insisting that no one knew more about places to play in the neighborhood than he did.
Seeing how overflowing with confidence he was, Han Yuna giggled.
"Ahem. Impressive."
"Hehehe~!"
"For someone like you, this big brother will tell you your future."
"Huh? My future?"
The little boy tilted his head.
But his eyes were blazing with curiosity.
Sucheon stared intently at the card I held out, then flipped it over.
The card that appeared was the reversed Lovers.
Sucheon was curious.
Han Yuna was curious too.
And Elder Kim Seok-chun, who had come over to watch, was curious as well.
So I said,
"Hey. You like the girl named Im Mina who sits next to you, don't you?"
"...N-no, I don't?! I don't?! I don't! I don't like her?! I don't like her!!"
They say a strong denial is an affirmation.
Sucheon's face turned red as a radish.
"Oh-ho. Come to think of it, he's been looking in the mirror strangely often these past few days..."
"Hmm. He also seems to have been paying attention to his clothes. Especially the way he rolled up his shirt sleeves..."
"I don't! I don't! I said I don't! I don't, okay?! I don't like her!!"
The blushing little boy shouted desperately, but the two adults pretended not to hear him.
Then let's drive the final nail in.
"Want me to teach you how to start dating her?"
.......
Sucheon, who had been desperately insisting otherwise just moments ago, stopped.
It was obvious at a glance.
He was embarrassed, but he clearly wanted to date her more than anything.
But he was embarrassed!
I put my arm around the boy, who twitched as if the two conflicting emotions had short-circuited him, and led him to one side.
"Listen, kid. Opportunities don't always stay right beside you."
......
"What if Mina starts dating another boy while you hesitate...?"
"...U-ugh. My head... Then... h-how can I date Mina?"
I didn't think anything like, "That little brat is awfully forward...!!"
I got along well with the other kids at the orphanage, after all.
"Take something Mina likes with you and confess your feelings."
"But I don't know what Mina likes..."
"I'll tell you. She likes chocolate. Ask Elder Kim Seok-chun for some good chocolate and take it to her. There's no need to drag it out. You can even go out with Elder Kim Seok-chun right now and come back."
"Wow... how on earth do you know all that, big brother?"
Because it appears in your future.
But there was no need to tell him that.
"So? Will you take my advice? Or..."
"If it means I can make Mina my girlfriend, I'll do anything!"
"Though young in years, you are a true man!"
I patted Sucheon on the back several times.
Having gained confidence, he ran over and began talking to Elder Kim Seok-chun about something.
"Hahahaha! Good! You little rascal! I'll prepare the finest chocolate for you!"
If his great-nephew was going to confess, what could be more entertaining from a granduncle's perspective?
He immediately got into the car.
"We'll be back soon, so make yourselves comfortable and play. Help yourselves to anything in the refrigerator."
"Yes. Don't worry, and have a safe trip."
Elder Kim Seok-chun drove away with his secretary.
Han Yuna watched them go and chuckled.
"It'll work out, right?"
"It will."
"Dating, huh."
She glanced at me.
"Is it really that enjoyable?"
"You say that as if you've never dated before."
"I haven't."
That was surprising.
With Han Yuna's looks, figure, and background, I would have expected her to have received plenty of confessions.
"If I don't even make friends, why would I date someone?"
Ah.
That was true.
Han Yuna said it casually, put her hands in her pockets, and entered the vacation home.
The inside of the vacation home was more luxurious than I had expected.
There was attractive-looking furniture and the latest appliances.
Han Yuna opened the refrigerator, took out a cold drink, poured it into a glass, and took a sip before smiling softly.
"By the way, what are we going to do?"
"Should we go to the stream? Or maybe..."
"Hmm... Mr. Noah. I prepared something... Would you like to do it together?"
Her smile was unusually deep and sly.
.
.
.
"You prepared a Nintendo Switch 2."
"Yes... Did you sell your PlayStation?"
"No. I don't have a particular preference."
Han Yuna had a Switch 2.
She had also prepared quite a few games.
There were four controllers as well.
She must have brought enough for the bodyguards who had come with us to join in too.
"Still, it feels a little wrong to play games right after arriving, so let's go have fun at the stream first. And it would be perfect if Sucheon joined us too."
"Sounds good."
After leaving the game installation to the bodyguards, we headed to the stream we'd visited last time.
Since the weather had gotten hotter than when we came before, I was looking forward to getting in the water.
"Hmm... There are people here."
"They seem to be kids who live around here."
I could see several children who still looked like elementary schoolers.
Watching them, I said to Han Yuna,
"Ms. Yuna."
"Yes?"
"Shall we go a little farther downstream to play?"
"Downstream... That area looks deep."
"It isn't that deep. At most, it comes up to our chests."
Right. It wasn't deep for us.
But it was deep for the children over there.
One of the kids playing excitedly over there.
I saw a future in which he was swept down into this deep area, struggling helplessly.
Of course, he didn't die.
Another adult passing by came and rescued him.
But it would become that child's trauma, keeping him from ever playing in this stream again.
There was no need to come all the way out to play only to watch someone fall in and struggle.
So while Han Yuna and I were splashing water and swimming around at a suitable spot,
"Gasp! Gasp!"
a child who looked about nine years old came drifting toward us, struggling in the water.
I caught the boy immediately.
"Whoa there, kid. Did you swallow much water?"
"Haa... haa! Haa!"
"Kid, it's deep here, so go somewhere else."
"Uh... y-yes... th-thank you..."
"No need to thank me."
I pulled the boy out of the area where his feet couldn't touch the bottom and sent him upstream.
The dazed boy sat there, repeatedly bowing to me, so I waved to him and went back to playing with Han Yuna.
Playing in the water really was fun.