Chapter 166
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Anyway, when he responded to being called Ha-rim earlier…
Is his name Kang Hae-rim?
No matter how I looked at it, he didn’t seem like a middle schooler. An elementary schooler? Maybe Kang Ji-woo’s younger sibling? Or a cousin?
While I was eagerly trying to guess the identity of the person exuding a deadly amount of cuteness, a squirrel-like girl gently called out to me.
“Oppa.”
“Yes?”
My words naturally elongated.
The girl, who seemed a bit nervous at my kind tone, carefully made eye contact with me.
She was so adorable that I couldn’t help but clench the fist I had hidden behind my back.
“Are you close with my big brother…?”
“Big brother? Ji-woo hyung?”
At my question, the girl’s cheeks slightly reddened, and she nodded her head.
So, Kang Ji-woo and Kang… Hae-rim were indeed siblings.
If Kang Hae-rim was roughly in the upper grades of elementary school, and Kang Ji-woo was twenty-two this year…
‘How many years apart are these two?’
Surely, there wasn’t a child younger than Kang Hae-rim sleeping in the master bedroom, right?
Suddenly, Kang Ji-woo’s parents felt incredibly impressive to me.
Blinking quickly to shake off my idle thoughts, I responded in a gentle voice like before.
“Ji-woo hyung is close enough to throw me a surprise birthday party at midnight.”
“Wow…”
I felt a bit embarrassed, thinking it sounded childish.
However, seeing Kang Hae-rim’s reaction, which seemed to indicate that even an elementary schooler considered a surprise birthday party a significant event, my embarrassment quickly faded.
Well, friends you see at school every day are the most precious when you’re a student.
A surprise birthday party is a big deal for me too…
No, let’s stop thinking about this.
Somehow, feeling like my mental age was matching that of an elementary schooler filled me with self-deprecation.
I decided to justify it to myself, thinking I was just answering at an elementary schooler’s level.
“I usually go to bed at 10 PM, so I’ve never had a birthday party at midnight except on January 1st.”
Kang Hae-rim mumbled in a small voice.
She seemed a bit shy but not necessarily quiet.
Well, if she were as introverted and shy as me, she wouldn’t have approached me first like this…!
[Oh, dear. You’re shameless…]
What? I couldn’t hear what the poor guy who worked nonstop 24/7, even on holidays, was saying.
[…That’s mean.]
Well, don’t pick a fight then.
I ignored the unfortunate guy working at an undeniably exploitative company and refocused on Kang Hae-rim.
“Really? So when do you have your birthday parties, Hae-rim?”
“Hmm, last year we had it in the evening.”
“Did you eat a lot of delicious food?”
“Yes. My mom’s cooking is really good.”
At that moment, Kang Hae-rim, who had been subtly glancing at Kang Bo-ram, who was glaring at her phone with a fierce look, motioned for me to come closer.
When I obediently leaned in, she whispered with a sly smile.
“My sister told me not to say anything.”
“Yeah? And?”
“My sister really likes Raon oppa.”
“What?”
“My sister’s name is Bo-ram. She has a lot of pictures of you in her room. She hid them all yesterday because you were coming, but I’ll find them and show you later.”
Her first impression was like a harmless little animal, but she might actually be a bit more mischievous…
“Really? And what about you, Hae-rim?”
“Huh? How did you know my name?”
“There are ways to find out.”
I quickly changed the subject.
Given that Kang Bo-ram had hidden all her pictures the day before, she probably didn’t want me to know she was a fan.
The longer Kang Hae-rim talked, the more embarrassed Kang Bo-ram would feel when she found out I knew everything.
Just then, a calm-looking boy stood up, leading a stern-looking elderly couple out of the master bedroom. The boy’s calm demeanor immediately made me tense up again.
“Hello, Raon hyung.”
The boy greeted me with a polite bow.
Maybe because of his thick glasses, he seemed the calmest among the siblings.
There was no time to respond to his greeting.
Suddenly, the small-framed grandmother began clapping her hands with a serious, stern face.
The grandfather, too, clapped his hands loudly, as if giving a health applause, and the children who were sitting around all stood up and started clapping as well.
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.
‘What’s going on?!’
Holding Kang Hae-rim’s hand, I stood up and joined in the applause, still having no idea what was happening.
And then, at that moment.
Kang Ji-woo and his parents came out from the back, each carrying trays piled high with meat.
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.
The applause grew even louder.
Everyone, from the elderly to the children, looked as if they were greeting national heroes, their faces filled with emotion as they watched the three people.
Or rather, they were admiring the enormous amount of meat the three were carrying.
My palms started to burn from the clapping.
When the three placed the meat on the low table, the fervent applause suddenly stopped.
‘What’s with these people, they’re so strange…’
Judging from the slightly open door letting in the cold air, Kang Ji-woo’s mother, who was seated in the most honored position farthest from the entrance after the elderly couple, seemed to be the real authority in this family.
Looking around at everyone, Kang Ji-woo’s mother declared solemnly.
“Let’s eat.”
* * *
Kang Ji-woo’s family was a rare large family these days.
Maternal grandmother, maternal grandfather, mother, father, first son Kang Ji-woo (22 years old), second son Kang Min-seo (17 years old), first daughter Kang Bo-ram (16 years old), and the youngest Kang Hae-rim (12 years old). Plus, their mixed-breed dogs Daebak and Sobak.
Even when it wasn’t a holiday, this small detached house was bustling with the seven members and two dogs, excluding Kang Ji-woo, who lived in a dormitory.
With the kids growing rapidly, the house was never quiet. Except during mealtime.
Under the guidance of Kang Ji-woo and his grandfather, meat continuously sizzled on two grills. They expertly grilled various kinds of meat to bring out the best flavor.
Then, Kang Ji-woo’s mother and the second son, Kang Min-seo, quickly and accurately distributed the meat to the hungry family members who eagerly awaited like starving baby birds.
For a while, no one spoke, focusing solely on eating. Everyone had such a good appetite that it was hard to keep track of how many packs of meat they devoured in such a short time.
On Raon, who had been constantly fed meat by Kang Ji-woo’s mother, finally set his chopsticks down when she went to the kitchen to fetch more pickled onions. As soon as he did, a sharp remark came from his grandmother.
“Why are you putting down your chopsticks already? You’re so skinny… Can you even use your strength properly?”
“No, Grandma. He eats well. He probably just set them down because his hands hurt.”
Kang Ji-woo quickly defended On Raon, who was startled by the sudden comment.
“Oh… really?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“You’ve had enough rest, right? Eat more, hurry.”
When she placed a mix of grilled chicken gizzards and dripping beef on his plate, On Raon’s pupils shook.
“Well, it seems like I’ve eaten too much…”
“What do you mean too much!”
The grandmother, who got upset, corrected herself as she noticed On Raon’s gaze wander to the empty meat packages.
They had indeed eaten a lot.
“…We don’t skimp on food.”
The Kang family was frugal in many ways, even living in an old house to save moving costs, but they never saved money on food.
“If you chew well, you can eat more. Just eat until you’re full without thinking.”
So On Raon ate until he was really full.
The front door, slightly open to let out the greasy smell, was now wide open, letting in the cold evening air through the screen door.
Daebak and Sobak, who had been sent out early, sat sadly in front of the screen door, whining at the delicious smell.
However, their owners, who usually took them for walks and gave them treats without any sign of reluctance, now just gave them looks that seemed to say, “Too bad you can’t eat this,” and didn’t open the door.
“Mom, should I open this?”
“What’s the point of leaving it? Let’s open it all.”
“Okay.”
With the family authority’s permission, Kang Ji-woo eagerly opened the last pack of Korean beef.
“Are no other relatives coming? Can we eat all of this?”
As On Raon asked, Kang Ji-woo, who was busy chewing a large lettuce wrap fed to him by Kang Hae-rim, nodded his head.
“No one else is coming today.”
‘This feels similar to what I imagined a holiday would be like… but not quite…’
Don’t relatives usually come over? Or is that not common these days? Maybe people now travel abroad on holidays?
“Tomorrow is Lunar New Year.”
Do they not perform ancestral rites?
Sensing On Raon’s curiosity, Kang Ji-woo spoke.
“Oh, didn’t I tell you? We don’t perform ancestral rites during holidays.”
“Really?”
Kang Ji-woo’s father, sipping ginseng wine, happily shouted at hearing this.
“The best thing I ever did was cut ties with that family and marry you… Ow! Why did you hit me?”
“Don’t say such things in front of guests.”
“But the best thing I did was marry you!”
“What nonsense…”
Watching this scene, On Raon felt he understood where Kang Ji-woo’s cheeky side came from.
Kang Ji-woo, familiar with the scene, continued speaking.
“Yeah. We just enjoy the holiday atmosphere among ourselves… My aunts will visit after spending time with their in-laws, probably arriving tomorrow evening.”
‘Then I should leave around lunchtime tomorrow.’
As On Raon was thinking that, Kang Ji-woo’s father, rubbing his back where he had been hit, started talking to him again.
“So, Raon, your other family members are in the US, right?”
“Dad, don’t ask such things so openly.”
“Son, be quiet.”
“Yes. The plane tickets are expensive… So, I’m planning to stay in Korea.”
“I see. Tickets are expensive…”
Playing with his wine glass, Kang Ji-woo’s father smiled and said.
“This might sound a bit sudden.”
“No, please feel free.”
“Really? Then… While you’re in Korea, think of us as your Korean family and rely on us.”
“What…?”
His wife and eldest son protested instead of a bewildered On Raon.
“You never go through a middle step!”
“Dad! You’re being too casual!”