The second day of the holiday, with the soft belly fat being touched.
If it were the Chuseok holiday, it would be right to return to our homes today, the second day of the holiday, but for the Seollal holiday, it’s customary to return on the third day.
Why is the Lunar New Year different when all three holidays are the same?
That’s because the Seollal holiday has a special event that’s a bit different from Chuseok.
“The hanbok has arrived-”
In the afternoon, after lunch.
As I lay in a restaurant with the air conditioning blasting, playing a smartphone game, a man’s voice reached my ears not long after.
Hanbok means Seollal, and Seollal means New Year greetings.
New Year greetings mean bowing, and bowing means receiving New Year’s money.
Although a hanbok isn’t an absolute necessity for Seollal, it was prepared for the appropriate atmosphere.
The perceptive men, from outside, brought in a portable clothes rack from a department store, then went back out of the building.
The names of the magical girls were on the plastic wrapping around the hanbok.
Without even looking at each hanger, I found my name and Siyeon’s among the clearly small hanboks, then returned to my spot, one hanger in each hand.
“Let’s wear the hanbok-”
As I draped the hanbok over my lying form, Siyeon fiddled with her smartphone and hesitated before speaking.
“The hanbok is uncomfortable….”
“If you want to get New Year’s money, you need to wear it, right?”
Saying that, I pulled the hanbok out of the plastic and took off my regular clothes first.
Triggered by the words “New Year’s money,” Siyeon reluctantly got up from her slumped position, scrambling to wear the hanbok.
By the way, Siyeon still doesn’t know that she earns more than most working adults.
I kept this fact hidden, fearing that if she got the economic power too soon, she might take the weight of money too lightly.
I planned to let her know around the time she becomes a middle school student when she’ll gradually realize the weight of money.
Especially modern children exposed to mobile games early on.
It’s better to understand the gravity of a premium 110,000-won pack before handling money.
‘Now I’m used to wearing it.’
I felt the fluttering, thin, sandpaper-like texture and fully put on the hanbok.
It’s not a completely traditional hanbok with all the ties and fuss, but a modified hanbok with just some decorations slapped on with Velcro… basically, a sticky Velcro version.
I helped Siyeon, who was still a beat behind despite having worn it several times, and finished preparing for the bowing a step faster than the other older girls, who were taller.
The bowing event, beginning with the scent of holiday food.
Normally, a holiday where you wouldn’t receive even a penny.
But with the occasion of Seollal and bowing, we can at least get a little something back; how fortunate.
“Happy New Year-”
Women in hanbok lined up to bow to the sturdy men sitting confidently.
Somehow, it seemed far from the normal holiday scene.
In that moment, Siyeon, without a chance to stop her, was about to bow her head again.
Wait, no, you can’t do that.
The man standing right in front of us also flinched at the sight.
Luckily, I could stop her before she bent her knees for the second bow.
“Siyeon! No, no, no….”
“Why? So they get double the luck!”
“No, that’ll be a big deal….”
The other men and older girls, who understood the meaning, shook their shoulders while looking at us.
Instances like this do happen: bowing twice to ask for double the New Year money, which leads to a family’s peace shattering completely….
“Here, New Year’s money.”
“Wow! Thank you!”
“Thank you.”
I peeked into the envelope I received, slipping my fingers through to check the amount.
One Shin Saimdang bill, a fragrant 50,000-won note.
Thinking it was money I wouldn’t have normally received, it felt like I had found lost money again.
Dressed in hanbok, having bowed, received New Year’s money, and eaten holiday food.
I had done nearly everything others typically did on the second day of the holiday.
On the brightening third morning of the holiday, I took off the hanbok and changed into the clothes I wore on the first day.
“I can’t believe I have to go back to work tomorrow, so annoying.”
“Well, at least it’s Friday.”
“They should give us regular holidays at times like this….”
The last morning meal of the holiday on the third day.
The somewhat awkward atmosphere finally lifted, contrasting with the quietness of the first day’s meal, lively conversation unfolded instead.
“Which middle school are you both going to? An all-girls school? Co-ed? Is your studying going well?”
People think alike when gathered, and those avoiding holiday nagging made the conversation veer that way.
After middle school comes high school.
The magical girls in their third year, knowing that it would be their turn after our answers, struggled to swallow their food.
Instead of spitting out the answer, they turned it back into a question.
“Have you married yet? Do you have a nice man? How many kids are you planning to have?”
The underlying meaning felt in the maliciousness of the piercing questions.
Neither Siyeon nor I fit into that scenario, but asking such questions to those coming to avoid nagging would surely make the atmosphere uncomfortable.
Realizing that she inadvertently blurted out questions from ‘that kind of category,’ she slyly tilted her head back, evading the burdensome inquiries.
“…Got it, I’ll stop.”
The fact that we’re not normal little kids has already spread among the magical girls.
It seems she realized that she could slip such intentions into the conversation.
After a peaceful breakfast without anyone’s nagging was over, it was time to pack the remaining holiday food and head back home.
“Anyone who wants to join rock-paper-scissors for galbijjim, gather here-”
“Oh, me!”
“If you don’t play, you lose! Rock, paper, scissors!”
Left behind is the food heist of the holiday.
Standing in front of dishes I wanted to take home would trigger rock-paper-scissors among the gathered individuals.
Absolutely, galbijjim is the undeniable number one in popularity.
Almost everyone participates in this rock-paper-scissors.
The second item to claim would be holiday dishes like grilled fish or crab, and spicy cockles, which have a special fan base.
There aren’t many rivals, and some don’t even bother to take them, so I can end up with heavier bags compared to other dishes.
Next would be various pancakes and japchae, which are useful as side dishes.
Those who seemed to have taken a lot of crabs or grilled fish sneaked away.
“Rock, paper, scissors!”
And so began the pancake heist.
I confidently raised the victorious scissors and seized that glorious honor with my hands.
“Ah, I lost again….”
“Who won?”
“Me.”
Leaving behind the losers’ disappointment, I proudly lifted the transparent plastic bag high with a bold voice.
The man across the tray used tongs to scoop handfuls of galbijjim, dumping it into the transparent bag.
Although I regrettably lost in the other rock-paper-scissors, at least with the pancakes and galbijjim sauce and rice, I could last for three days.
The other japchae or pancakes were appropriately divided according to the number of people, packing them into a large plastic kimchi container.
The reason holiday food, which I used to carry in a bag, was now packed in a kimchi container…
Was because last year during Seollal, a sharp piece of crab from the holiday food bag burst through the plastic, turning the government car into a soy sauce disaster….
That, a story too laughable to tell, was the origin of the policy.
As the other magical girl seniors began to disappear from the restaurant one by one, we remained until almost the end while seeing them off.
We sat only the two of us, waiting for Ji-eun.
As the boisterous atmosphere abruptly faded, a somewhat awkward silence lingered in the air.
Unable to endure the sudden stillness, I tentatively asked Siyeon.
“Did you have fun during Seollal?”
“Yeah!”
She answered brightly to the question, swinging her legs restlessly from her seat.
It wasn’t much different from any other holiday, but it seemed that she enjoyed it nonetheless.
Ultimately, until Ji-eun arrived at the restaurant, the Minister didn’t show her face.
On the way back home in Ji-eun’s car.
“Sorry, I’m really late, huh?”
“It’s normal for traffic to be bad during holidays, Ha-eum….”
Responding to Ji-eun’s apology with a “that’s obvious,” I yawned as it slipped out.
Even though the adults treated us casually, there were about twenty adults around.
The tension released all at once.
Sleepiness came rushing in as I blinked and let my eyes droop.
‘So sleepy….’
The moment Mari shut her eyes amid the overwhelming drowsiness.
Driving them was Seo Ji-eun, a former magical girl and current public official.
Feeling a sudden quietness, she glanced at the mirror above the passenger seat while waiting at the light.
While Siyeon, who tends to fall asleep like at home, was normal, the sight of Mari, who rarely slept, with her head drooping worried her.
She must have been quite tired, she thought, gently driving so as not to wake the two children and ending the day.
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