People tend to become dull to the passage of time at some point.
A phrase I feel like I’ve read somewhere before came to mind.
It certainly might not be incorrect. A day, a week, a month, a year that once felt so long now flies by in the blink of an eye, and it’s not surprising that a year has passed before you know it.
But whether it’s dullness or not, I can’t quite say. No, rather, I’ve been acutely aware of the changes in time recently.
Perhaps it’s our kids who make me feel that change.
“Dad, how do you like it? Isn’t the bag pretty!”
“Yep, it’s really pretty. Perfect for our Joo-ha!”
“Hehe, really!?”
With tomorrow being her first day of school, watching Joo-ha fidget and dance around with her new bag on her back made those thoughts inevitable.
Wow, it’s already time for our eldest to enter school.
It’s amazing to think that the child who could barely say “Abu, Abu” and would grasp my fingers so tightly has grown up so fast. It’s a clear sign that time has flown by.
“Wow! Noona, pretty!”
“I want to go to school like you, Noona!”
And our twins looked on at Joo-ha with envy.
When the twins were first born, I was of course happy, but I couldn’t help but think about how long it would take for them to start talking, just like when I raised Joo-ha.
And now we’ve come to a time where we can congratulate Joo-ha as she enters school. It feels almost like a dream.
“By the way, where did you get that bag? It really sparkles and looks beautiful.”
I gently asked my wife, who was preparing coffee in the kitchen while petting Joo-ha’s bouncing head. The bag Joo-ha was wearing was exceptionally unique.
It looked like a typical pastel pink bag that young girls adore, but the edges had a subtle sparkle, making it really beautiful without feeling too childish—just right for kids who are starting elementary school and trying to assert their tastes.
“Yeah, actually Na-yeon gifted it to her. Apparently, it’s quite popular among kids these days.”
“Really? She always knows about trends and stuff.”
She must be sensitive to trends given her work in advertising, so it all made sense to me quickly.
“Dad, I want one too…”
“Do you want one, Gyuri?”
“Uh-huh…”
Naturally, if it’s as pretty as I think, it must be spot on for the kids’ tastes.
Gyuri, peering at her sister’s bag with her finger to her lips, approached me and started to pout. She really wants it badly.
But it’s hard for me to find out where to buy it, or what kind of bag it even is.
“Honey, do you happen to know where Na-yeon got that bag?”
“I didn’t hear, but should I contact her now? You can thank Joo-ha as well.”
“Hmm, that sounds fine.”
Based on my wife’s suggestion, I quickly took out my phone and contacted Na-yeon. The ringtone made me chuckle; it was the title track of the hottest idol group these days.
– Koha. What brings you here?
“Can’t you change that greeting of yours?”
– No, the more you ask, the less I’ll change it.
As soon as I picked up, Na-yeon greeted me in a way that our viewers might. How has she stayed the same even as she ages?
I may still consider myself immature, but she seems to be living just as she was back then. In some ways, I envy that.
– So what’s up? You never call first.
“Cough. Hey, our kids can hear you.”
– Huh? Are the kids around too?
“Yeah, it’s nothing else… Joo-ha really loved the bag you gave her, so I called to thank you.”
Actually, asking where she bought the bag was more important, but since I intended to express my gratitude too, I attempted to rationalize it.
Then came Na-yeon’s voice, sounding slightly angry from the other end.
– Hey, if that’s the case, Joo-ha should’ve called me. I don’t want to hear your voice. Hand the phone to our pretty Joo-ha. Quick, hurry!
“Aww, seriously….”
What a pain. I finally called, and that’s how she responds.
But I didn’t want to make her unhappy either, so I begrudgingly passed the phone to Joo-ha.
“Joo-ha, say to Aunt Cookie, ‘Thank you for the beautiful bag!’”
“Okay!”
By the way, we call her Aunt Cookie because the dog at Na-yeon’s house is named Cookie.
Now that her kids are already 3 years old, there weren’t any kids before, so it was just us and Cookie at home. Joo-ha started calling Na-yeon Aunt Cookie because of all the fun memories she had with the dog.
“Aunt Cookie!”
– Yes, our Joo-ha! How have you been?
“I’ve been good, yay!”
– Tomorrow you’ll finally go to school, right? How do you feel?
“I’m super happy! Hehe…”
Setting the phone to speaker mode, I eavesdropped on Joo-ha and Na-yeon while sipping coffee, sitting next to my wife.
It may be getting quite late for coffee, but I’ve gotten so used to caffeine from work that it doesn’t keep me up at night anymore.
Though there are still plenty of other reasons I can’t sleep at night.
– So, how do you like the bag? Do you like it?
“Yeah! It’s so pretty. Thank you!”
– I’m glad you like it. I was wondering if it matched your taste. Use it carefully, okay?
“I will!”
As their conversation seemed to wind down, I gestured to Joo-ha to take the phone from her.
“Hey, I’ve got one more thing to ask before we hang up. Where did you buy that bag?”
– Bag? Why? Did someone ask for one?
“No, Gyuri wants one.”
– Gyuri? Ah, I can get one for her. They have a kindergarten version of the same design.
Oh, they have a kindergarten version too, huh? Well, it makes sense since the sizes would differ. That sounds good overall.
“Dad! What about me? What about me?”
While Joo-ha’s bag was a gift, I feel like it’s only fair we pay for Gyuri’s since it’s ours.
Even Yoo-chan, who normally doesn’t whine, seemed upset being left out and was tugging at my sleeve in urgency.
“…I’m sorry, but can you get one for Yoo-chan too? It can be a different design.”
– Oh, right. I forgot about Yoo-chan’s! Okay, I’ll get one for him too.
“Thanks a lot!”
– We’re always in your debt, right? Anyway, congratulations on Joo-ha starting school.
“Thanks!”
The moment the call ended, I made eye contact with Gyuri and Yoo-chan, who had been quietly watching me, and before I knew it,
“Waaaah!”
“A new bag!”
They both raised their hands in excitement as if they had planned it together. Their voices were so loud my ears almost hurt.
Is it really that much of a big deal to want a new bag? If they had asked, I would’ve bought it for them.
“The kids are so happy.”
“Right? They must really want that new bag!”
“Hmm, it might be that they wanted something similar to Joo-ha’s? They’ve always been so close-knit.”
“Oh, that could be it.”
Hearing my wife’s words, it felt more plausible. Especially since Gyuri, being a girl too, often seemed to want to follow in Joo-ha’s footsteps.
She probably wanted to match bags with her sister. Yoo-chan might just be feeling a bit left out this time.
“By the way, don’t you want anything?”
“Me?”
Seeing the children so delighted made me feel a bit sorry for my wife, so I casually threw out the question.
Of course, my wife could buy whatever she wanted, money or not, but gifts aren’t calculated like that.
Plus, since she usually tries hard to keep my wallet closed, I wanted to buy her something she’d been eyeing.
“What if I say I want a fourth child?”
“…Seriously?”
“Of course, that’s just a joke. I mean, I wouldn’t mind having more, but I wouldn’t want to push it. You’d find it tough too.”
Oh, my heart just dropped.
If it were anyone else, I might not take it seriously, but when my wife says it, it feels like frightening reality.
“Hmm, well, I don’t specifically want anything… but there’s something I’d like to try.”
“What is it?”
“Since Joo-ha is starting school, I thought we could all go on a trip together as a celebration.”
Ah, that’s what it was. We had talked about going for ages but never made time for it.
Well, to be precise, it was mostly my fault for never being able to plan without an unexpected variable popping up.
The thought seems nice. It may not be bad to plan for summer vacation.
“Sounds good, let’s do it. We’ll go this summer. I’ll cover all the costs.”
“My husband, aren’t you overdoing it?”
“Overdo? Come on.”
We could take a first-class family ticket and go on a global adventure, that’s how much I’ve saved. I worked hard for this, so it should pay off.
“Alright then, I’ll hold you to that. We’re definitely going in the summer, right? No backing out!”
“Of course.”
Nodding without hesitation, I pulled my wife in for a hug.
Speaking of which, I should mention it early in tomorrow’s broadcast. I’ll let viewers know there will possibly be a long break this summer.
That way, even if it doesn’t happen, if I try to change my mind later, the viewers might collectively protest, which is a good strategy.
By the way, it’s been a while since I’ve thought about travel.
Even though there’s still more than four months left, just the word “trip” lifts my spirits.
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