.
Hmm, so it was left as a mystery again this year. Ban Yeo Ryung, who was telling me that story, also didn’t look that well. However, as if she wasn’t trying to amplify the question, Yeo Ryung suddenly flaunted a vibrant smile and changed the topic.
“Oh, and Yoo Chun Young and Eun Jiho…”
“Um… yeah…”
Having heard their names after quite a while, my body stiffened in tension. Meanwhile, I could feel that Yeo Dan oppa was sending a deeper look at me.
I showed him a grin to imply that I was okay, then I switched my gaze to Yeo Ryung and flung a question.
“What are they doing during the holiday?”
“Ah, well, they have such big families, so I guess they were having a family reunion… on a very large scale.”
“Oh, yeah, indeed…”
“Eun Jiho was appalled that he should be wearing suits for a few days.”
I could picture the look on Eun Jiho’s face clearly in my head. Once I giggled with that thought in mind, Yeo Ryung also laughed after me as if she felt relieved upon my nonchalant reaction toward the two boys.
Leaning my head comfortably on Yeo Ryung’s knees, I murmured to myself, “So they are doing fine.”
Although we had grown apart, I didn’t want them to become unhappy. That was because our relationships weren’t broken apart by a fight in the first place.
Dropping my gaze at the floor, I spoke in my thoughts. ‘Well, if I had rather fought and become estranged from them, our situation would have not turned out so complicatedly this way. If we did, we could have gotten back together again and return to the good old days.’
I rolled onto the opposite side and murmured, ‘But I couldn’t just ask them if they hate me now, could I? How many people can answer that question straightforwardly?’ Such questions, which I had wondered about thousands of times, began to invade my mind again, so I shook my head.
No, this wasn’t the time to think about those things. I had to come up with some plans that could get me out from the upcoming, heavy labors of New Year’s Day.
That was when I rambled those things to myself.
“Hey kiddos, come out for a second! Mom and dad have something to talk about.”
My mom’s voice came over from the living room.
‘Something to talk about?’ Looking at each other quizzically, we soon stepped out of the room. As if they drank a few more beers in the meantime, there were more empty bottles beside the table. And in the middle of the table, there were… Oh my god… I swallowed my breath.
‘Isn’t it Macallan that Eun Jiho gave us before? Hold on, now I come to think of it, I’ve never asked him about the price. Come on, it won’t be that expensive, right? What if he later asks me to return it to him?’
Though I knew that Eun Jiho wasn’t that type of person, I couldn’t stop thinking further about the whiskey bottle. At that moment, my mom and dad suddenly got up and held their hands together as if they were about to dance. Their remark then struck us dumb.
“WE are going abroad during the holiday!”
“WHAT?”
“To Taiwan for three nights and four days. Taiwan should be traveled during the wintertime because of the dengue fever.”
“Exactly, when there are no mosquitos,” replied Yeo Ryung’s mother.
Listening to her confident response, I was in a state of confusion. ‘I mean, wait… did they just say, they are flying to Taiwan?’ It was the first time at my house that our family was traveling abroad during the holiday weekend. Besides, were they also bringing Yeo Dan oppa, who was a senior in high school?
I turned my head to look at Yeo Dan oppa with that thought in mind. He was also standing blankly at the unexpected news.
However, the shock didn’t last long since my heart began to pound faster in delight. Yeo Ryung, who was standing beside me, also asked excitedly, “Mom, then don’t we have to get suitcases first? We’ll all need one for each, right?”
Her remark changed the flow of air all of a sudden. My parents and her parents stopped their motions. The four people then directed their eyes on Yeo Ryung at the same time.
Turning stiff, Yeo Ryung took a step back. I also began to have cold sweats on my nape. ‘What the heck?’ I murmured, ‘Why are they reacting that way?’
The reason was soon revealed.
Yeo Ryung’s mother spoke with an expression that looked like she had heard the most absurd joke ever.
“Why are you going there? You guys should go to your relative’s house.”
“Eh?”
“We asked auntie to come pick you guys up. Go to your granny’s house in Gapyeong.”
“What? Why?!!” asked Yeo Ryung piteously with a tearful look on her face.
Her mother quickly displayed a severe look and began to scold her, ‘Why? Kiddo, don’t you want to see granny? How lonely she would feel during the holiday?’ Listening to those stereotypical holiday naggings, even I turned pale.
‘Wait…’ I thought and diverted my gaze onto my parents. ‘Why are anxious feelings never wrong?’ Some songs of the nineties began to play in my head.
I requested my brain politely, ‘Please turn off the song, DJ…’ However, it was useless. Things turned out exactly as the lyric of the song.
While I quietly raised my finger and pointed at me with it, my parents nodded their heads. My mom told me, “You must stay home. Who do you think you are to follow us? Aren’t you preparing for the college entrance test?”
Holy mother of pearl! I tried to reply while showing the most pathetic look on my face as possible.
“Mom, I just became a sophomore in high school; besides, it’s winter break now, so I’m actually still a freshman.”
I couldn’t miss my first overseas trip like this! However, my mom was very determined with her words.
“Nope, you should try to review your studies at home alone.”
Oh, lord. While I fell into despair with my jaw dropped onto the floor, Yeo Dan oppa carefully patted my back from beside me. However, the one, who saved me from my deep frustration, was Yeo Ryung’s mother. Looking at my mom, she dropped a question.
“Come on, are you gonna leave Donnie alone at home? Doesn’t she have any close relatives?”
“No, she doesn’t. You know most of our families are all living in Gwangju.”
“Still, how can you leave Donnie alone here? The world is so dangerous these days. I heard there are so many burglars out there.”
It was not until she heard those stories that my mom began to look gradually concerned.
‘Eek, then can I also join the trip to Taiwan if things work out?’ I looked at Yeo Ryung’s mother with hopeful eyes while crying out in my thoughts, ‘You’re almost there! Please make things happen!’
That was when Yeo Ryung’s mother clapped her hands and dropped a remark.
“Ah, I see, that makes sense.”
My mom asked her in wonder, “Huh?”
Yeo Ryung’s mother continued to speak, which made me, once again, fall into despair.
“Let’s send Donnie to Gapyeong with my son and daughter. Let her go breathe some fresh air and study together with them.”
I shouted to myself with a pale face, ‘Oh, why are you doing this to me? At least, we have a computer in my house and have friends and places to hang out around here. Although I do understand that you’re concerned about me, what can I do in the countryside of Gapyeong?’
However, my desperate telepathy reached neither Yeo Ryung’s mother nor my mom.
“Oh, my god, that’s such a brilliant idea, but do you mind if we send her there?”
“Come on, it’s nothing between us.”
Listening to their joyful conversations, I sank in a slough of despondence. While I heaved a deep sigh, Yeo Dan oppa patted me on the back again.
And that was how we left on a trip to Gapyeong, which weren’t in our destinies.
We had to face various hardships from day one of the new year. First of all, we confronted the problem of sending off our parents.
“Ahchoo!”
The cold air continuously blowing in my face kept making me sneeze. Watching me standing that way, my mom nagged as if she was concerned about me.
“Why did you wear that outside? How can you put a padded coat over your pajamas in this kind of weather? You should have worn thicker outfits.”
Although she spoke that way, my mom didn’t let me go inside.
It was six in the morning, which was completely dark without any sunlight yet. Not only myself but also Yeo Dan oppa and Yeo Ryung, who were dragged outside while being asleep, had pajamas for their outfits.
Yeo Dan oppa was even wearing training shorts and exposing his bare knees in the cold weather. Wondering such things like, ‘Are guys not sensitive to cold? I don’t think so…’ I sneaked a look at Yeo Dan oppa’s slim and fit legs for quite a while.
